The Crush House

76%
Game Brain Score Based on 188 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • humor
The Crush House Game Cover
The Crush House exceeded all my expectations, creating an experience that was enjoyable, engaging and incredibly reflective.
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"The Crush House" is a reality TV show simulation where you play as Jae, the producer, and must cast, film, and produce each season in a Malibu mansion. Each season is unique based on your chosen cast and audience demands, with twists and questions arising as you continue. Cast twelve eccentric personalities to create a four-person cast for each season, and keep your show on air by satiating the audience or risk cancellation. Uncover clandestine conversations and truths, while navigating the demands of the Network.

  • PC
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 188 reviews
gameplay31 positive mentions
monetization24 negative mentions
  • The game features a fun and unique concept that combines reality TV with engaging gameplay mechanics.
  • The art style is gorgeous, and the characters have interesting personalities that add to the overall charm of the game.
  • The humor and satirical elements are well-executed, making for an entertaining experience.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive quickly, with many dialogues and scenarios feeling recycled after a few seasons.
  • Some players experience significant motion sickness due to the first-person perspective, which detracts from the enjoyment.
  • Technical issues and bugs, such as crashes and freezing, have been reported, impacting the overall experience.
  • gameplay84 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by a unique and innovative mechanic that involves satisfying various audience preferences through filming, which many players find engaging and fun. However, several reviews highlight that the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth over time, with some players expressing disappointment in the overall execution and pacing. While the humor and art style are praised, the core gameplay loop may not evolve significantly, leading to a mixed reception regarding its long-term enjoyment.

    • “Fun gameplay and gorgeous art.”
    • “Really good, innovative gameplay!”
    • “The crush house nails everything it's shown off: the believable-yet-satirical procedural conversations and subsequent relationships, the silly filming challenges which can be at times fairly difficult, and the task-oriented gameplay of combining a diverse cast of attention-seekers in order to elicit the widest variety of interactions from them.”
    • “Loved the premise of this game and was pretty excited for it, but unfortunately, the gameplay was boring and quite disappointing, so I had to refund the game.”
    • “It's been noted in most other reviews, but the gameplay goes stale pretty quick.”
    • “From the three hours I could stand, the gameplay loop had become running around filming whatever random stuff the randomly selected audience groups want and the moment I hit the quota I just run ads for the rest of the broadcast.”
  • story80 mentions

    The game's story is described as engaging yet somewhat vague, with players appreciating its humor and intriguing backstory, but often feeling unsatisfied with the lack of resolution and depth in character development. While the overarching plot and character quests add some mystery, many reviewers noted that the narrative can feel thin and repetitive, leading to a sense of disappointment upon reaching the endings. Overall, the story serves as a compelling backdrop to the gameplay, but it leaves players wanting more closure and elaboration on key plot points.

    • “Very fun setup and story, enjoy all the characters and the story as presented, very strong vision for a fun game.”
    • “The story is clever with some surprising and thought-provoking twists but not overly complicated.”
    • “I do agree that more could be added to the dialogue; but overall I really enjoyed the subtle ominous twist to the storyline and finding creative ways to capture all the colors, characters, and drama in the crush house.”
    • “I made an effort to uncover all the secrets and endings, but I still felt confused about the overall story and conclusion.”
    • “The story is more of a glimpse than it is a full narrative.”
    • “I thought it was fun and I actually really got into the story, which made it more disappointing when I got both endings and realized there wasn't going to be any further exploration or closure on the plot... both endings just kind of leave you hanging.”
  • humor31 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its blend of cuteness, clever writing, and unexpected twists, often drawing comparisons to reality television and other comedic media. Players find the dialogue and character interactions to be hilarious and engaging, with a mix of absurdity and relatable moments that enhance the overall experience. While some humor may not resonate with everyone, the game's charm and comedic elements contribute significantly to its appeal and addictiveness.

    • “I love that this game brought what felt like totally new, hilarious, and sometimes surprising experiences!”
    • “The writing is hilarious, the art style is adorable, and the mystery element is very intriguing.”
    • “Not only is the game fun mechanically, the writing is so funny.”
  • monetization24 mentions

    The monetization system in the game heavily relies on ad revenue, which players can accumulate by pausing filming to run ads, often leading to repetitive gameplay. While the humorous ads and the need to cater to specific audience preferences add some entertainment value, many players find the system inefficient and frustrating, as it limits their ability to engage with the core gameplay and requires grinding to earn money for upgrades. Overall, the ad-centric model can detract from the enjoyment, making it feel more like a chore than a rewarding experience.

    • “Tailoring ads gets more money, and since that doesn't work effectively, and since there is little free time to have the camera off to roll ads in the first place, it's difficult to earn money in order to buy new props.”
    • “Ads pay out, but at the cost of not getting footage, meaning you risk restarting the whole day over, adding even more repetitive gameplay to an already overly-repetitive game.”
    • “In seasons 1 and 2, I would clear my goals with plenty of time to spare and then just sit on ads waiting for the day to end because there was no penalty for it.”
  • graphics18 mentions

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their cute and unique art style, vibrant colors, and appealing character designs, which contribute significantly to the overall aesthetic experience. While some users noted minor glitches and repetitive scenes, the visuals are generally considered charming and engaging, enhancing the fun gameplay dynamic. Overall, the graphics are a standout feature that many players feel elevates the game's concept and enjoyment.

    • “Great aesthetics overall with the colors, characters, and animations.”
    • “The writing is hilarious, the art style is adorable, and the mystery element is very intriguing.”
    • “I love the art style and character designs.”
    • “Ok, but all this complaining has been about the aesthetic and character stuff.”
    • “Basically, the game's art style carries it.”
    • “There are no graphics settings aside from fullscreen and vsync toggles.”
  • stability8 mentions

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting frequent glitches and performance issues that hinder gameplay. While the concept and aesthetics are appreciated, the bugs make the experience frustrating, with some players deeming it unplayable until these issues are addressed. Overall, improvements in stability are essential for a smoother and more enjoyable experience.

    • “I will say unfortunately I kept running into glitches and performance issues when playing.”
    • “Tldr, great concept, fun after a while but could use some spruced up dialogue and the glitches/performance needs to be fixed.”
    • “This game is so buggy it is unplayable.”
  • music5 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for being pleasant and fitting the overall vibe, with notable remixes from popular indie titles. While it serves as a background element, players appreciate its colorful style and the clever easter eggs related to other games. However, some users expressed frustration over the lack of guidance on how to change the music.

    • “The music is notable, but deliberately background; you'll notice it just enough to know if the vibe isn't right.”
    • “I think the game has a pretty cool and colorful visual style and a good soundtrack.”
    • “Really love the low-key easter eggs and shout-outs to other indie games, as well as the soundtrack that includes remixes from amazing games like Bugsnax (Sunrise Over Snaktooth Island) and Cult of the Lamb!”
    • “The music is notable, but it's deliberately in the background; you'll notice it just enough to know if the vibe isn't right.”
    • “The game doesn't explain how to change the music or adjust the off-kilter elements.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with players reporting frequent glitches and performance issues, particularly on high-end PCs, while it runs smoothly on the Steam Deck. Many users feel that these technical problems detract from the overall experience, despite the game's enjoyable concept and gameplay. Improvements in optimization are needed to enhance playability and reduce lag.

    • “On the Steam Deck, it works great, but on my super nice computer, for some reason, the performance is bad where it lags and skips frequently.”
    • “Tldr, great concept, fun after a while, but could use some spruced-up dialogue, and the glitches/performance needs to be fixed.”
    • “I think without the performance issues I've been running into, I'd recommend the game, but do know the gameplay loop is repetitive and the objectives of the game will take you away from just filming a reality TV show.”
    • “Unfortunately, I kept running into glitches and performance issues while playing.”
    • “On the Steam Deck, it works great, but on my high-end computer, the performance is poor, with frequent lags and skips.”
    • “I have been experiencing constant performance issues in this game, unlike anything I've encountered in games that are much more taxing on my hardware.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game can feel tedious and repetitive, leading to a sense of boredom during extended play sessions. While the game is enjoyable in short bursts, many users advise against blind purchases unless discounted due to its grind-heavy nature.

    • “The negativity, and thus this negative review, is entirely based on how freaking grindy it feels.”
    • “Kinda tedious.”
    • “The game is fun to play, yet sometimes repetitive and it does get boring and tedious if played for a long time.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in the game is visually striking, with unique designs that allow players to quickly identify and track characters. However, the lack of sufficient dialogue limits deeper engagement and exploration of their personalities.

    • “The character designs really pop, and you're able to quickly read who everyone is within seconds of seeing them and track them down within the house.”
    • “The character designs are also very unique.”
    • “I love the art style and character designs.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    Overall, the game has limited replayability due to its repetitive nature and lack of varied interactions among different cast members, which diminishes the excitement of replaying with new characters. Players have noted that the experience can quickly feel monotonous, undermining immersion and the incentive to revisit the game.

    • “The game offers a variety of choices that significantly enhance replayability, making each playthrough feel unique.”
    • “With multiple endings and character paths, the replayability factor is incredibly high, encouraging players to explore every option.”
    • “The dynamic interactions and evolving storylines ensure that no two playthroughs are the same, keeping the experience fresh and engaging.”
    • “Not much replay value (please ignore my playtime; I wanted to 100% it so bad, haha) and it can get repetitive quickly.”
    • “This undermines immersion and replayability.”
    • “I've had several different cast members behave the exact same way and say the exact same things, which makes me feel less excited about the replayability or running different casts.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Players express a sense of emotional dissatisfaction due to an incomplete narrative, feeling as though a crucial act was missing, which left them unfulfilled. The challenge of navigating conflicting audience expectations adds a layer of intrigue, but the constant character conflicts create confusion about what constitutes "wholesome," detracting from the overall emotional experience.

    • “It felt like there was supposed to be an act III for the game that never happened, and that made me feel high and dry.”
    • “Figuring out how to appease each audience, especially when opposing audiences like 'wholesome' and 'wine moms' would show up, was compelling from a social engineering meets framing puzzle perspective.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its unique mechanics and immersive space, effectively appealing to its target audience. While some found the plot twist predictable, the overall ambiance contributed to an enjoyable experience.

    • “The mechanics are definitely different from what's out there, and the atmosphere and space are done really well for the crowd it appeals to.”
    • “The twist felt pretty obvious pretty quick, but I loved the atmosphere, and it was still a fun journey.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

77% average critic score

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Play time

8hMedian play time
7hAverage play time
6-8hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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