Rent Is Due

RENT IS DUE — Complete Game Architecture

Core Structure

Your game is a 100% offline, browser-based landlord simulator built entirely with vanilla JavaScript, HTML5 Canvas, and Web Audio API. No frameworks, no external dependencies—everything runs locally.

File Architecture & Data Flow

1. Entry Point: index.html

Loads all game modules in this order:

data.js — Static game data (property templates, tenant names, personas, furniture items, repair types)

audio.js — Procedurally generated sound system

graphics.js — Canvas-based rendering engine

save.js — LocalStorage save/load system

main.js — Core game logic (simulation loop, time, money, tenants, properties)

ui.js — User interface layer (menus, HUD, laptop, phone, dialogs)

Shows a boot screen while loading, then displays the main menu

2. Data Layer: data.js

Purpose: Game content database

Contains:

Helper functions (rand(), pick(), money(), clamp()) used throughout

Tenant photo files (20 headshots: 10 female, 10 male)

Name pools (first names, last names for procedural tenant generation)

Property templates (20 properties: trailers, houses, duplexes, apartments, commercial)

Personality system (12 tenant personas with reliability/temper/generosity traits)

Furniture catalog (22 items: beds, sofas, appliances, safety equipment)

Repair types (11 emergencies: leaks, mold, HVAC, pests)

Phone call scripts (emergency, late rent, complaints, deposit disputes)

Auction bidder AI (5 personalities with different bidding strategies)

Tutorial steps (10-step guided intro)

Data flows TO: main.js (reads templates to generate game world), ui.js (displays furniture shop, repair costs)

3. Audio Engine: audio.js

Purpose: 100% procedurally generated sound (no audio files)

Features:

Web Audio API synthesis — All sounds created from oscillators and noise buffers at runtime

Sound effects (sfx() function): 40+ sounds like cash, doors, hammers, thunder, phone rings

Adaptive ambient soundscape — Changes based on time of day, weather, tension level

Generative music — Minor/major chord progressions that shift with stress

Dynamic mixing — Separate buses for SFX, ambience, music (user can adjust in settings)

Audio triggers FROM:

ui.js — Button clicks, toasts, laptop opens

main.js — Rent collected, tenant moves in, storm hits

4. Graphics Engine: graphics.js

Purpose: Procedurally render photorealistic building facades and interiors

Key systems:

facade(lot) function — Generates 360×250px building exterior based on:

Building type (trailer, house, duplex, apartment, shop)

Seed number (deterministic randomness for unique appearance)

Condition (0-100% affects grime/weathering)

Renovation level (0-3, affects lighting/trim quality)

Style variant (siding, brick, stucco, garage)

Street rendering (drawStreet()) — Scrolling 2D world with:

Sky gradients with sun halo and clouds

Grass, sidewalk, road layers

Persistent NPC pedestrians (walk, dog walkers, strollers)

Building lots with proper depth shadows

Weather effects (rain particles, lightning flashes)

Move-in trucks appear when tenants arrive

Interior rendering (interior()) — Furnished rooms with furniture, lighting, wear

Caching — Facades are cached by visual state to avoid re-rendering every frame

Graphics called by:

ui.js — Updates canvas 60 times/second, generates property thumbnails for laptop

5. Save System: save.js

Purpose: Local persistence via browser localStorage

Features:

4 save slots (keys: rid_slot_1 through rid_slot_4)

Slot metadata — Saves day number, cash, properties owned for slot selection screen

Full game state — Serializes entire GAME.g object (properties, tenants, loans, time, flags)

Settings persistence — Volume levels, graphics quality, speed, tutorial flags

No server — Everything stays on the player's machine

Save/load flow:

User clicks "Save Game" in pause menu → ui.js calls SaveSys.save(slotIdx, GAME.g, GAME.settings)

User clicks "Continue" → ui.js shows slot picker → loads selected slot → restores GAME.g

6. Core Simulation: main.js

Purpose: Heart of the game—time, money, tenants, properties, loans, weather, economy

Game loop (tick() function):

Advances time — Sim minutes per real second (adjustable speed 0.5×–4×)

Processes queued events — Phone calls, rent due dates, repairs, auction triggers

Updates tenants — Tracks rent status, relationship, stress, eviction stages

Handles weather — Cycles clear/clouds/rain/storm, causes random damage

Manages loans — Weekly auto-payments, credit score impacts

Market cycles — Property values fluctuate, boom/bust periods

Key subsystems:

Property System:

Each property has: id, name, addr, kind, units, cond (0-100%), furnished (0-100%), tenants[], issues[], rent, renovations{}

Value calculation — Base price × condition factor × furnishing factor × renovation multiplier × market trend

Rent estimation — Similar formula, per-tenant share in shared houses

Roommates — Houses/trailers fit 3-6 tenants (each pays their share)

Tenant System:

Generation — Random name, age, job, income, credit, personality from data.js

Photo assignment — Pulls from unused headshots to prevent duplicates

Lease signing — Security deposit collected, rent schedule starts

Rent day (1st of month) — Each tenant pays (or doesn't) based on reliability trait, income, relationship, stress

Rent chasing — Player can knock on doors, offer payment plans, serve late notices

Eviction process — 3-stage system (notice → file → sheriff removes tenant)

Money System:

Income: Rent, property flips, auction wins

Expenses: Property purchases, repairs, furniture, taxes, insurance, loan payments

Loans: Apply at bank (based on credit + income), weekly auto-debit

Ledger: Every transaction logged with category/day/property link

Off-market deals:

Agent (Darla) calls with exclusive listings (below market price)

Player can counter-offer, inspect, pass

Properties may have hidden issues (back taxes, sitting tenants, needed repairs)

Auctions:

Foreclosed properties appear 1st of each month

AI bidders with different strategies (aggressive flipper, cautious investor, corporate buyer)

Player bids against AI in real-time rounds

Renovation system:

DIY repairs — Buy toolbox, use parts from hardware store (saves ~60%)

Contractors — Faster but expensive

Renovation packages — Paint, flooring, kitchen, bath, roof (boosts value/rent)

Construction phase — Scaffolding visible on lot, work truck parked, "RENOVATING" sign

Weather & Events:

Weather cycles — Clear → clouds → rain → storm (random duration)

Storm damage — Can break windows, roof leaks, flood units

Flash storms — Random events trigger repair needs

Data flows:

TO ui.js: Property/tenant data for laptop tabs, current time for HUD

FROM ui.js: Player actions (buy property, sign lease, pay loan)

TO audio.js: Triggers for sound effects, tension level for music

TO graphics.js: Lot data (condition, renovation, occupied) for rendering

7. User Interface: ui.js

Purpose: Everything the player sees and clicks

Screen hierarchy:

Main Menu (showMenu()) — New game, continue, how to play, credits

Game Screen (enterGame()) — World view + HUD + overlays

Laptop (TAB key) — 8 tabs for managing empire

Phone (Q key) — Calls, contacts, voicemail

Dialogs — Property inspection, tenant screening, bank forms

HUD components:

Top bar chips: Cash, debt, reputation, credit, date/time, weather, overdue rent count

Speed controls: 0.5×, 1×, 2×, 4× (pauses when dialogs open)

Quick buttons: Phone, map, laptop, pause menu

Objective tooltip: Current tutorial/goal (dismissible)

Toast notifications: Slide in from top-right (money events, repairs, tenant news)

Laptop tabs:

Market — Browse/buy properties (grid of property cards with photos)

Neighborhood — List all buildings on the street (owned, for sale, amenities)

Tenants — Active leases, applicants, rent status

Money — Ledger, monthly cashflow summary

Bank — Apply for loans, pay down debt, transfer savings

Flips — Renovation tracker (cost invested vs current value)

Court — Eviction cases, legal filings

Settings — Volume sliders, graphics quality, tutorial toggle

Phone interface:

Calls tab — Incoming ring, voicemail queue (red badge counts unseen)

Contacts — Darla (agent), tenants (call to chase rent)

Ring screen — Animated, shows tenant photo + problem quote

Voicemail — Transcripts of missed calls

Property interaction flow:

Player clicks a building on the street → Camera pans to it

Context panel appears at building's location → Shows photo, name, price/value

Player clicks "Interact" → Opens property detail modal:

If for sale: Inspection view (interior photo, condition breakdown, buy button)

If owned: Management panel (tenants list, repair issues, advertise vacancy, renovate options, flip calculator)

Modal system:

Stack-based (modalStack[]) so modals can open over modals

Each modal has title, body HTML, foot buttons

Examples: Tenant screening, auction bidding, loan application, furniture store

Rendering responsibilities:

Calls GFX.drawStreet() every frame to render world canvas

Generates property card thumbnails using GFX.facade()

Displays tenant headshots (loaded from female1.jpg–male10.jpg)

Input handling:

Keyboard: TAB (laptop), Q (phone), M (map), ESC (pause), Arrow keys (select buildings), E (interact)

Mouse: Click buildings to visit, click buttons in HUD/modals

Data-driven actions: Buttons have data-act="buyProp" attributes → bindClick() routes to handler functions

Complete Data Flow Example: Player Buys a Property

User clicks "Market" tab in laptop → ui.js calls showLaptopMarket()

UI renders property cards → Loops through GAME.g.properties.filter(p => p.forSale), generates thumbnails via GFX.facade(lot)

User clicks property card → Opens inspection modal showing interior photo, condition, estimated rent

User clicks "Buy $85,000" → ui.js calls GAME.buyProperty(propId)

main.js checks: GAME.canAfford(85000) → If yes:

Deducts money: GAME.spend(85000, "purchase", "Bought Craftsman Bungalow", propId)

Sets p.owned = true, p.forSale = false

Pushes ledger entry

Triggers toast: UI.toast("Purchase complete", "You own the Craftsman Bungalow", "money")

Plays sound: AudioSys.sfx("cash")

UI refreshes → Laptop market tab removes property, HUD updates cash balance

Building appears gold-tinted on street → graphics.js sees lot.owned = true → Renders with ownership highlight

Style & Polish: styles.css

Dark theme with film grain overlay, vignette, photo-grade filters

Gold accent color (--gold: #d9b36a) for money, ownership, objectives

Cinematic effects: Night desaturation, storm contrast boost, dawn sepia tint

Toasts animate with slide-in + scale

Buttons have hover lift + glow

Laptop has animated open (scale + fade)

Phone mimics iPhone notch + rounded screen

Tech Stack Summary

No frameworks: Pure vanilla JavaScript (ES6)

No bundler: Files loaded via <script> tags in order

No images (except tenant photos): Everything drawn on canvas

No audio files: All procedurally synthesized

No server: Runs entirely in browser (file:// protocol works)

LocalStorage: Saves persist between sessions

Game Win/Lose Conditions

Lose: Cash drops below -$3,000 → "Chapter Two" game over screen

Win: No hard win—sandbox continues forever, player sets own goals (pay off debt, own all properties, reputation 100%)

This architecture creates a self-contained, offline landlord simulation where every system—graphics, audio, persistence, AI—is built from scratch using only browser APIs. The modular design keeps each concern separate (rendering, logic, UI, data) while maintaining tight communication through function calls and shared state (GAME.g object).

Est. Credits Used: 1.26

Elapsed time: 1m 41s

Checkpoint

Restore

give me a full game decription of my game in this app

Kiro

RENT IS DUE — Complete Game Description

Overview

Rent Is Due is a 100% offline, browser-based landlord simulation game where you start with one rusty trailer, $8,000 in cash, and a neighborhood full of opportunity—and risk. Built by happystoner5420 Games, this sandbox simulator lets you build a rental empire through strategic property investment, tenant management, and financial survival. Everything runs locally in your browser with no internet connection required.

The Premise

You own a single trailer called "The Rocket" and live in it. Your goal: acquire rental properties, find tenants, collect rent, and avoid bankruptcy. The city operates on a monthly rent cycle, weekly loan payments, and random events that can make or break your portfolio. Success means juggling cash flow, tenant relationships, property maintenance, and credit worthiness—all while the phone rings at 2 AM with emergencies.

Core Gameplay Loop

1. Acquire Properties

Market Listings:

Browse 19+ properties ranging from $29,000 trailers to $620,000 apartment complexes

Property types: Single-wide trailers, double-wides, starter homes, luxury houses, duplexes (2 units), apartments (4-6 units), commercial storefronts

Each property has: Condition (8-96%), base value, room count, estimated rent potential

Inspect before buying: See interior photos showing furnished level, wear, layout

Off-Market Deals:

Darla Whitfield, your real estate agent, calls with exclusive below-market properties

Hidden catches: Back taxes owed, sitting tenants with leases, needed repairs, title issues

Negotiate: Counter her asking price—she'll meet you halfway or walk

Saved in phone contacts: Call Darla anytime to ask if she has new deals

Auctions:

Opens 1st of each month at the Auction Yard

Foreclosed properties sold to highest bidder (typically 40-60% below market value)

Compete against 5 AI bidders with different strategies:

Marlene Voss (local investor): Conservative budget, patient

Duane Kovac (flipper): Aggressive, deep pockets

Agency Rep (corporate): Highest budget, calculated

Trish Okafor (first-timer): Low budget, nervous bidding

Harold Finch (old-school): Experienced, knows when to fold

Properties come "as-is"—usually need work

2. Fix & Furnish

DIY Repairs:

Buy a toolbox from Ace Hardware ($180) to unlock DIY mode

Purchase parts kits (leaking pipes: $40, broken toilet: $55, appliances: $90, etc.)

Save ~60% vs hiring contractors

Repair types: Plumbing leaks, electrical faults, roof damage, mold, HVAC failure, pest infestations, storm damage

Contractors:

Pay more but work completes instantly

Examples: Fix roof leak (contractor: $560 vs DIY: $130)

Furnishing:

Corner Home Goods sells 22 furniture items

Categories: Bedroom (bed $540, dresser $260), Living (sofa $620, TV $460), Kitchen (fridge $750, stove $680), Laundry (washer/dryer $990), Safety (smoke detectors $60)

Furnished percentage affects rent potential (+22% at 100% furnished)

Properties start with low furnishing (trailers ~0%, homes 28-55%)

Renovation Packages:

Major upgrades via "Manage → Renovate/Flip" menu:

Fresh Coat ($1,200-2,800): Paint all walls, boost curb appeal

Floor Refresh ($3,500-7,500): New flooring throughout

Kitchen Rehab ($8,000-15,000): New cabinets, counters, appliances

Bath Remodel ($6,500-12,000): Fixtures, tile, vanity

Roof & Structure ($9,000-18,000): Full roof replacement, foundation work

Full Flip Bundle (discount package): All of the above

While work happens: Scaffolding appears on building, work truck parked, "RENOVATING" sign visible

Before/after photos shown before you commit

Every dollar tracked in Flips tab: Invested vs current value

3. Find Tenants

Advertising:

Click "Advertise Vacancy" on any property with open slots

3-9 applicants show up (more at higher reputation)

Each applicant has:

Photo (20 unique headshots—10 male, 10 female)

Name, age, job, monthly income

Credit score (380-830)

Personality type (12 personas):

Friendly — Reliable, pays early, leaves cookies

Responsible — 90% reliability, never misses rent

Deadbeat — 14% reliability, always has excuses

Grumpy — Complains but secretly reliable

Manipulator — Charming until rent is due

Nervous — Jumpy, means well, worries constantly

Desperate — Down on luck, wants to pay but can't

Quiet Wealth — Could buy the block, rents anyway

Forgetful — Pays after 3 reminders

Suspicious — Reads fine print twice

Party Animal — Great until Thursday night

Generous — Overpays and says keep the change

Pet preference (no pets, cat, small dog, bird, hamster)

Smoker status (18% chance)

Tenant Screening:

Laptop → Tenants tab shows all applicants

Compare income-to-rent ratio (need 2× rent in income minimum)

Check credit score and personality traits

View relationship level (-100 to +100)

Roommate System:

Houses and trailers fit multiple tenants:

Small trailers: 3 tenants

Mid trailers: 4 tenants

Double-wide trailers & houses: 5-6 tenants

Each roommate signs their own lease

Each pays a share of the total property rent (not split evenly—each pays 54-78% of the whole property's market rent)

Example: A 6-bedroom house worth $1,435/month could earn ~$4,700/month with 6 roommates

Fill one slot at a time: Sign first tenant → Advertise again → Sign next roommate

Apartments/duplexes: 1 tenant per unit (no roommates)

Lease Terms:

Security deposit collected upfront (equal to 1 month rent)

Lease duration: 6-12 months

Rent due: 1st of every month

Late fee: 5% after 5 days overdue

Annual rent increase: 3.5%

4. Collect Rent (or Chase It)

Rent Day — The 1st of Every Month:

All tenants receive rent bills

Outcomes based on personality reliability + income + stress + relationship:

Paid in full (65-85% chance for good tenants) — Money deposited automatically

Late (5-10%) — They call saying "check got messed up, will pay in 2-6 days"

Partial (3-5%) — Pay 50-70%, promise rest soon

Missed (5-20% for bad tenants) — Radio silence, avoid calls

Rent Chasing:

Phone calls: Call tenant from contacts, ask nicely or threaten eviction

In-person: Walk to property, knock on door, confront them

Ask politely — Roll persuasion (based on relationship + their stress)

Offer payment plan — Split into 2 installments

Threaten eviction — Damages relationship but might scare them into paying

Serve late notice — Official warning, starts eviction clock

Phone AI responses: Tenants give excuses based on personality

Friendly: "I'm so sorry, payday is Friday, I'll have it then!"

Deadbeat: "Yeah, I'll get to it. Phone's about to die—" click

Nervous: "Oh god, I thought it auto-paid! I'll fix this right now!"

Eviction Process (3 stages):

Serve Notice — Warning, relationship penalty

File at Court — Pay $180 filing fee, hearing scheduled

Sheriff Removal — Tenant removed, no deposit refund (you keep it)

5. Manage Money & Loans

Income Sources:

Monthly rent from tenants

Security deposits (held, returned when tenant leaves if no damage)

Property flips (buy low, renovate, sell high)

Expenses:

Property purchases

Repairs & maintenance

Furniture

Property tax (annual, ~1.2% of value)

Insurance (annual, ~0.8% of value)

Utilities for vacant units (water/trash: ~$45/month)

Loan payments (weekly auto-debit)

Banking System:

First National Bank (click bank building on street)

Loan application:

Borrow up to: (Credit - 280) × $30 + Last Month Income × 8 - Current Debt × 1.3

Interest rate: 5.8% (excellent credit) to 14.5% (poor credit)

Term: Choose months (4-360 months available)

Weekly auto-payment calculated via amortization

Mortgage option: 30-year loans for large properties

Savings account: Deposit excess cash, earns interest

Credit score: 300-850

Goes DOWN: Missing loan payments, evictions, complaints

Goes UP: Paying loans on time, full portfolio, tenant satisfaction

Loan Payment Flow:

Every 7 days, weekly payment auto-debits from checking

20% of each rent payment auto-pays loan principal (adjustable)

Miss payment → Credit drops 15-30 points, next loan has worse rate

Pay off early: Lump sum payment from loan detail screen

Bankruptcy Condition:

Cash below -$3,000 = Game Over

"Chapter Two" screen appears (restart or load save)

6. Navigate the Neighborhood

The Street (Main World View):

Scrolling 2D side-view of the entire neighborhood

Your properties:

Your trailer (starting home)

Properties you own (gold-tinted, shows occupancy)

Properties for sale (blue-tinted)

Special buildings:

🏛 City Court & Clerk — File evictions, pay fines

🔨 Ace Hardware & Lumber — Buy toolbox ($180) and repair parts

🏦 First National Bank — Loans, savings, transfers

🛋 Corner Home Goods — Furniture store

🔨 Midnight Auction Yard — Monthly foreclosure auctions

Navigation:

Click any building → Camera instantly pans to it, context panel appears

Arrow keys → Cycle through buildings left/right

M key or 🗺 button → Opens neighborhood map overlay (all buildings at once, click to visit)

E key → Interact with selected building (enter, knock, inspect)

Street Dressing (Visual Polish):

Persistent NPCs: 3-7 pedestrians walk their routes

Day: Dog walkers, strollers, casual walkers

Night: Fewer people, hurried pace

Rain: Everyone has umbrellas

Move-in trucks: Box truck appears for 12 hours when tenant moves in/out

Time of day lighting:

Dawn (6-8 AM): Warm orange glow

Day (8 AM-6 PM): Bright, saturated colors

Dusk (6-8 PM): Purple-pink sky

Night (8 PM-6 AM): Desaturated, porch lights on, window glows

Weather cycle: Clear → Clouds → Rain → Storm (random durations)

Storm: Lightning flashes (screen flash + thunder SFX), can damage roofs/windows

7. Handle Events & Emergencies

Phone Calls (Ring at Random):

Emergency repairs:

"Water's coming through the ceiling!"

"The heater's dead and it's freezing!"

"Toilet overflowing, water everywhere!"

Late rent apologies:

"Check got messed up, will pay Friday"

"Lost my job, can we work something out?"

Complaints:

"Neighbor blasting music until 3 AM!"

"Someone's living next door who's NOT on the lease"

"Hallway smells like smoke again"

Thank you calls (rare):

"Thanks for fixing the heater so fast"

"You're actually a good landlord"

Deposit disputes:

"It's been 14 days, where's my deposit?"

"You kept it all for 'cleaning' but I have photos!"

Phone Interface:

Animated ring (vibration effect, red notification badge)

Caller photo + name + problem preview

Answer → Opens call screen with tenant portrait + dialogue

Miss call → Goes to voicemail queue

Contacts tab: Call tenants or Darla manually

Storm Damage Events:

Random during storms: "Storm ripped part of the roof off!"

Causes immediate repair need

If ignored: Condition drops, tenant complaints rise

Water damage can cascade into mold if not fixed

Tenant Life Events:

Job loss: Random chance (18% have "laid off soon" flag) → Can't pay rent

Stress accumulation: From unpaid bills, bad conditions, complaints → Affects payment reliability

Move-out: After lease term or eviction → Must find new tenant

Relationship decay: Ignoring repairs, late deposit returns, eviction threats

8. Time & Pacing

Time System:

Real-time: 1 real sec sim minutes at 1× speed (8 real minutes = 1 game day)

Speed controls: ◐ (half-speed), 1×, 2×, 4×

Time pauses when: Laptop open, phone open, dialogue active

Day/night cycle: 24-hour clock (8:00 AM start each new day)

Monthly Calendar:

1st: Rent due from all tenants

Every 7 days: Loan payment auto-debit

Monthly: Property tax + insurance bills

Every 30 days: New month begins (game tracks as "Month 1, Month 2..." up to Year 2026+)

Reputation System:

Starts at 62%

Goes UP: Fast repairs, good tenant relationships, returned deposits

Goes DOWN: Evictions, complaints ignored, hazardous conditions

Affects: Number of applicants when advertising, tenant satisfaction baseline

Progression & Strategy

Early Game (Days 1-30):

Use $8,000 to buy cheapest trailer ($29,000-34,000)—need to save or take small loan

DIY basic repairs (buy toolbox first for 60% savings)

Furnish minimally (bed, sofa, fridge, stove = ~$2,610)

Advertise vacancy, screen for high-income responsible tenant

Collect first rent ($755-845/month)

Reinvest profits into next property

Mid Game (Months 2-6):

Acquire 3-5 properties

Mix of trailers (cheap, fast cash flow) and houses (higher value)

Start filling houses with roommates (6 roommates = 3-4× single tenant rent)

Use auction yard for discounted fixer-uppers

Flip renovated properties for profit (buy $88k, invest $15k, sell $140k = $37k profit)

Maintain credit above 640 to access better loan rates

Late Game (Months 6+):

Buy apartment complexes (4-6 units, steady passive income)

Commercial properties (higher rent, business tenants)

Mortgage large properties with 30-year loans

Automate: High-reliability tenants pay on time, minimal chasing

Reputation 80%+ = 9 applicants per advertisement

Target: Positive monthly cash flow $5,000+ after all expenses

Optional Goals:

Own all 19 properties

Pay off all debt (become debt-free landlord)

Achieve 100% reputation

Monthly cash flow $10,000+

Credit score 850

Never evict a tenant

Unique Features

100% Offline:

No internet required—runs from file:// protocol

No servers, no accounts, no cloud

All data stored in browser localStorage (4 save slots)

Procedural Everything:

Graphics: Every building drawn at runtime on HTML5 Canvas

Sky gradients, clouds, grass, sidewalks, building facades (siding, brick, stucco)

Window reflections, interior lighting, weathering effects

Condition-based grime overlays, renovation quality highlights

Audio: Zero audio files—all synthesized with Web Audio API

40+ SFX (cash register, door slams, hammers, thunder, phone rings)

Adaptive ambient soundscape (birds by day, crickets by night, rain hiss)

Generative music (minor/major chord progressions shift with stress)

Tenants: 20 unique photo headshots, infinite name combinations, 12 personalities

Photo-Realistic Presentation:

Building exteriors look like real estate photos (architectural details, lighting, depth)

Interior photos show furnished rooms with realistic wear

Film grain overlay + vignette + color grading (day/night/storm filters)

Before/after renovation photos show actual visual difference

Realistic Landlord Simulation:

Tenants have memory (remember past interactions)

Relationship system affects payment reliability and complaints

Stress mechanics (job loss, bad conditions) change tenant behavior

Legal system: Court filings, eviction hearings, sheriff enforcement

Deposit disputes: Tenants challenge unfair deposit withholding

Market cycles: Property values fluctuate (boom periods every 60 days)

Controls

Keyboard:

TAB / L — Open laptop

Q — Open phone

M — Neighborhood map

ESC — Pause menu (save/quit)

E — Interact with selected building

Arrow keys — Cycle through buildings

1, 2, 3, 4 — Speed controls

Mouse:

Click any building to visit

Click HUD buttons (phone, laptop, map, pause)

Click inside menus/dialogs for all actions

Technical Specs

Engine: Vanilla JavaScript (ES6), no frameworks

Graphics: HTML5 Canvas 2D API

Audio: Web Audio API (procedural synthesis)

Storage: Browser localStorage (saves + settings)

File size: ~2MB total (including 20 tenant photos)

Requirements: Modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)

Performance: 60 FPS on any device from 2015+

Tone & Atmosphere

Visual Style:

Cinematic photo-realism (not pixel art or cartoon)

Muted earth tones (browns, greens, grays) with gold accents

Film grain + vignette + subtle color grading

Lighting: Dynamic day/night cycle, window glows, porch lamps, storm flashes

Audio Atmosphere:

Sparse, procedural ambient soundscape

Birds chirping (day), crickets (night)

Rain hiss, thunder rumbles, wind

Generative music: Ambient pads with minor/major shifts based on tension

Narrative Tone:

Grounded, realistic landlord struggles

No cartoonish villainy—just financial survival

Tenants are people (not caricatures): Some pay, some don't, all have reasons

Dark humor in flavor text: "Rent's due. The phone will ring. That's the job now."

Game Tagline

"A deadbeat tenant, an overdue loan payment, and a phone ringing at midnight define the uneasy rhythm of property ownership here."

Credits

Design, code, systems, UI, visual direction: happystoner5420 Games

Soundtrack & sound design: Procedurally generated (Web Audio API)

Tenant photography: Local files (20 headshots in game folder)

Version: 2.1

Built: 100% offline. No servers, no CDNs, no accounts, no clouds.

This is Rent Is Due—a complete, self-contained landlord simulator where every mechanic, visual, and sound is crafted to simulate the real stress, strategy, and occasional satisfaction of building a rental empire from one rusty trailer and $8,000 in cash.object).