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Beholder Review: A Dystopian Game of Surveillance and Moral Choices

Beholder casts you as a landlord ordered to spy on his tenants. Here’s how its investigation loop, moral choices, endings, and verified editions fit together.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Beholder is a choice-driven dystopian game about managing an apartment block while spying on the people who live in it. You play Carl Stein, a state-appointed landlord whose job includes searching tenants’ belongings, planting cameras, and reporting suspected rule-breakers. Its central appeal is the conflict between carrying out that assignment and deciding how far you are willing to go against your neighbors—and your own family.

What is Beholder about?

The government installs Carl Stein as the manager of an apartment building, but his landlord role is also a cover for surveillance. The authorities expect him to watch tenants and report suspected violations. Nintendo’s store describes the Switch game as a story-driven totalitarianism simulation and adventure combining management, spying, and real-time investigation.

The setup turns ordinary tenancy management into an ethical trap. Residents have private lives and needs; Carl has obligations to the state and a family whose well-being can depend on his decisions. Apple’s App Store description, for example, frames choices around whether to report a father, withhold evidence, or blackmail him to help meet the player family’s needs. The premise is bleak by design, with the player deciding whether to cooperate, exploit people, or try to protect them.

What do you do in Beholder?

The gameplay alternates between managing the apartment block and investigating the people who live there. Nintendo’s descriptions list activities such as exploring the building, observing and profiling residents, planting surveillance cameras in tenants’ homes while they are away, and searching their belongings.

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#1 Best Overall
Sale
Beholder: Complete Edition (Nintendo Switch)
  • You must SIGHT and LISTEN on the sly.
  • You must HUSME in the flats while the inhabitants are gone.
  • You must SEARCH their rooms for anything that might threaten the authority of the State.
  • You must create PEOPLE PROFILES and REPORT anyone capable of violating laws or conspiring against the State.
  • You'll meet dozens of characters.you'll complete dozens of missions..You will make decisions that will eventually affect the way the story unfolds..You will determine one of the multiple possible endings in the game.the end for which you are completely and exclusively responsible.

Finding incriminating information creates a choice, not simply a checklist item: you can report a resident, use the evidence to blackmail them, or protect them. Those options make the investigation loop serve the story’s central conflict. Surveillance may help Carl satisfy the government or gain leverage, but it also means violating the privacy of people under his care.

Do choices change the story?

Yes. Nintendo and Apple both describe consequential choices, and Nintendo says the game has multiple endings based on decisions made during play. The official descriptions support the idea that your actions can shape the story’s outcome; they do not specify a complete decision tree or how many endings there are.

Rank #2
Beholder 3 - For Nintendo Switch
  • Work two jobs: in an apartment block and in the Ministry
  • Different political factions are fighting for power. Pick your side wisely.
  • Complete quests from the Ministry: promote the ideology of the totalitarian state, manipulate flags and spread whatever propaganda you’re told to
  • Install surveillance cameras and search apartments and offices
  • Maintain your cover by doing everyday chores like paying bills, fixing up apartments, and keeping your tenants happy

The game’s stated influences include George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, and Ray Bradbury. That is the publisher’s description of its inspirations, not evidence that Beholder adapts any of their books.

Which Beholder edition should you choose?

The verified storefronts offer different edition details. Nintendo’s US store lists Beholder: Complete Edition as a digital Nintendo Switch release and says it includes Blissful Sleep, a prequel story set before Carl’s arrival. Apple’s US App Store lists Beholder for iPhone and iPad, with Blissful Sleep available as an additional story through in-app purchase.

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Rank #3
Beholder 3 - PlayStation 4
  • Work two jobs: in an apartment block and in the Ministry
  • Different political factions are fighting for power. Pick your side wisely.
  • Complete quests from the Ministry: promote the ideology of the totalitarian state, manipulate flags and spread whatever propaganda you’re told to
  • Install surveillance cameras and search apartments and offices
  • Maintain your cover by doing everyday chores like paying bills, fixing up apartments, and keeping your tenants happy
Storefront listing Verified platform and format Blissful Sleep
Nintendo US Nintendo Switch; digital edition Included in Beholder: Complete Edition
Apple US App Store iPhone and iPad listing Listed as an additional story available through in-app purchase

These listings verify Switch and iOS availability, not a complete list of platforms. They also do not establish current prices, a physical Switch cartridge, or which versions are available in every region. Check the storefront for your region and confirm the edition contents before buying.

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Who is Beholder for?

Beholder is a fit for players drawn to dystopian fiction and decisions with moral consequences, especially if they like management and investigation mechanics tied to a narrative. Its defining activity is not just keeping a building running: it is spying on tenants and choosing what to do with what you discover.

Rank #4
AUSPDICE 32mm Beholder Miniature, DND Eye Monster for Tabletop RPGs, S01
  • Detailed Miniature: This miniature meticulously with lifelike features and an intricate design. for wargaming and gaming purposes,compatible with most tabletop RPG environments.
  • High-Quality Printing: The miniature is produced using advanced 3D printing technology, ensuring intricate details and a premium finish.
  • Durable Material: Crafted from sturdy and long-lasting materials, ensuring longevity and resistance to wear and tear.
  • Painting Required: The miniature comes unpainted, allowing for customization and creativity in painting and detailing.
  • Versatile Usage:Suitable for professional tabletop RPG games as DND and many other RPGs.Or as a collectible display piece for miniature enthusiasts.

It may be a poor fit if you are looking for a review-backed recommendation about performance, accessibility, difficulty, or playtime. The available official descriptions do not establish those qualities, so they should not be assumed from the premise or edition listing.

Recognition and series context

Warm Lamp Games’ press kit records two 2016 awards for Beholder: Best Indie Game at DevGAMM and Excellence in Game Design at Game Connection. The same studio press kit lists Beholder 2 (2018), Beholder 3 (2022), and Beholder: Blissful Sleep among its projects. These credits provide context for the series, but they do not determine whether this game’s particular mix of surveillance, management, and moral choices will suit you.

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Quick Recap

SaleBestseller No. 1
Beholder: Complete Edition (Nintendo Switch)
Beholder: Complete Edition (Nintendo Switch)
You must SIGHT and LISTEN on the sly.; You must HUSME in the flats while the inhabitants are gone.
$29.99
Bestseller No. 2
Beholder 3 - For Nintendo Switch
Beholder 3 - For Nintendo Switch
Work two jobs: in an apartment block and in the Ministry; Different political factions are fighting for power. Pick your side wisely.
$20.19
Bestseller No. 3
Beholder 3 - PlayStation 4
Beholder 3 - PlayStation 4
Work two jobs: in an apartment block and in the Ministry; Different political factions are fighting for power. Pick your side wisely.
$19.90
Bestseller No. 4
AUSPDICE 32mm Beholder Miniature, DND Eye Monster for Tabletop RPGs, S01
AUSPDICE 32mm Beholder Miniature, DND Eye Monster for Tabletop RPGs, S01
Authorized Designer:Rescale Miniatures Authorization Mark:FigoMinis
$13.70

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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