Order 13 Spiel
I suppose calling Order 13 a job simulator would be a euphemism. Order 13 is a horror game with big enough emphasis on the job of warehouse workers. Though I have never worked in Amazon warehouse before, I can safely assume jobs in the warehouse is more separated and specialized, instead of having one employee on the look out for the products, packaging, labeling, and shipping it out from his/her lane.
The central gameplay mechanic of the game as a job simulator, compared to many job simulator horrors, is a sound one. The player must meet a daily quota, or else face termination. The player also has a limited time frame during each “day” thanks to the needy cat — for real, the cat’s sanity is part of the system. There are also equipment upgrades available to make the run smoother, faster, and more cost-effective one. The actual horror part comes into play as the warehouse is apparently overrun by the monsters.
What the game doesn’t provide is the depth in horror and contents. Though there are several kinds of the monsters running in the warehouse, they all behave the same, and there is only one way to deal with it. The players can only hide beneath the empty warehouse shelves; there are no other options. And the repetition quickly amounts to annoyance. The unlocked levels are also repetitive; it’s only slightly differently themed part of the warehouse with no added detours of its own. If the player is willing, it is entirely possible to skip the later levels and not missing out on major contents.
As far as I could gather, there is no narrative in Order 13 aside from leaving the warehouse job with a cat. We are not told who the customers are, and why the warehouse is seemingly overrun or run by monsters. It could all be symbolism for exploitative work environments. I believe the game erred on the side of the caution when it comes to the lore and the world building, though it may not have been purely from the lack of the contents to develop on top of.
Conclusions: Escape from Repetitive Job
Day 1 of Order 13 is an inspiring one. The corporate doesn’t give you enough tools and upgrades to do the job most efficiently; you even have to pay for your shoes. A dead-end job with deadly monsters is a reason enough for most players to become empathetic. But soon as you get a hang of the job, the game simply stops to offer more. There are some extra levels to reach to the passcode to escape, but there is no reason to venture forth. While the horror of the warehouse job was fresh on the ground level, it becomes a repetitive enough the monstrosities below are yet another familiar face for another boring day.