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The Crush House

The Crush House exceeded all my expectations, creating an experience that was enjoyable, engaging and incredibly reflective.
The Crush House Game Cover
77%Game Brain Score
gameplay, story
monetization, stability
77% User Score Based on 316 reviews
Critic Score 77%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

PCSteam DeckWindows
The Crush House Game Cover

About

The Crush House is a single player simulation game. It was developed by Nerial and was released on August 9, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"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.

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77%
Audience ScoreBased on 316 reviews
gameplay56 positive mentions
monetization49 negative mentions

  • The game features a unique and engaging premise that combines elements of reality TV with puzzle mechanics, making it a fun experience.
  • The art style is colorful and charming, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
  • The writing is humorous and satirical, providing entertaining dialogue and interactions between characters.
  • Gameplay can become repetitive quickly, with many dialogues and scenarios feeling recycled after a few seasons.
  • The mechanics are poorly explained, leading to confusion about how to satisfy audience demands effectively.
  • The narrative feels incomplete, with unsatisfying endings and a lack of resolution to the overarching mystery.
  • gameplay
    148 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "The Crush House" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the core mechanics fun and engaging, particularly the audience interaction and filming challenges. However, several reviewers noted that the gameplay loop can become repetitive and lacks depth over time, leading to a sense of stagnation as the game progresses. While the humor and narrative elements are praised, some players feel that the mechanics do not fully support the advertised experience, leaving them wanting more variety and strategic depth.

    • “Truly unique gameplay with fun writing and tons of charm!”
    • “The gameplay loop is really fun and addicting as it goes on and you unlock more audiences.”
    • “Its personality grabs you from the moment you start, feels great to play, and the audience mechanic is super satisfying - especially when you figure out how to amplify how you serve each audience.”
    • “What we found was a really surprisingly disappointing mess of counter-intuitive writing and game mechanics.”
    • “The mechanics are poorly explained and implemented.”
    • “In fact, the gameplay gets flatter as you get more items.”
  • story
    147 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and humorous, while others criticize it for being thin and lacking resolution. Many appreciate the intriguing meta-narrative and character dynamics, but feel that the plot becomes repetitive and fails to deliver a satisfying conclusion. Overall, while the story has its moments, it often feels underdeveloped and leaves players wanting more depth and closure.

    • “Not to mention the game's humor, compelling story, and unraveling the mystery of the crush house.”
    • “I am really enjoying playing this game, its core mechanic is very fun and with great humor and the background story is very gripping.”
    • “It had way more story stuff than I expected going in, and it caught me very by surprise.”
    • “Compared to Nerial's previous title, 'Card Shark', it falls flat on its face in both gameplay and story.”
    • “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.”
  • humor
    59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor is widely praised for its sharp writing, clever social satire, and engaging character interactions, often drawing comparisons to reality television and other comedic media. Players find the humor to be both hilarious and shocking, with a mix of absurdity and relatable moments that enhance the overall experience. While some humor may not resonate with everyone, the majority agree that it adds a fun and addictive layer to the gameplay.

    • “The writing is hilarious, the art style is adorable, and the mystery element is very intriguing.”
    • “I will never recover from how out of pocket some of the humor in this game is.”
    • “The dialogue is hilarious and familiar - it's that messy goodness that's found in reality television.”
  • monetization
    49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization system in the game relies heavily on ad placements, which can be both humorous and frustrating for players. While ads can generate revenue to purchase props and upgrades, the process often disrupts gameplay, leading to repetitive cycles of filming and ad running. Players have noted issues with ad tailoring and functionality, making it challenging to maximize earnings and maintain engagement.

    • “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.”
  • graphics
    35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their unique and cute art style, vibrant colors, and smooth animations, which contribute significantly to its overall aesthetic appeal. While some players noted minor glitches and a lack of graphics settings, the visuals are generally considered charming and engaging, enhancing the gameplay experience. Overall, the art style and character designs are highlighted as standout features that carry the game, despite some concerns about repetitive content.

    • “Great aesthetics overall with the colors, characters, and animations.”
    • “I love the art style and character designs.”
    • “The idea sounds really fun and the art style matches the tone it was going for.”
    • “There are no graphics settings aside from fullscreen and vsync toggles.”
    • “Basically, the game's art style carries it.”
    • “Ok, but all this complaining has been about the aesthetic and character stuff.”
  • stability
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous users reporting frequent glitches and performance problems that hinder gameplay. While the graphics and overall concept are appreciated, the persistent bugs have led some players to deem the game unplayable until these issues are addressed.

    • “I kept running into glitches and performance issues when playing.”
    • “This game is so buggy it is unplayable.”
    • “Game has serious glitches which need to be resolved in order to be played at all.”
  • optimization
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players experiencing frequent glitches and performance issues, particularly on high-end PCs, while it performs better on the Steam Deck. Despite its promising concept, the gameplay suffers from lag and a repetitive loop, detracting from the overall experience. Many reviewers feel that addressing these performance shortcomings could significantly enhance the game's potential.

    • “The Crush House is a game that clearly manifested from a fantastic core idea, but falls short of realizing its vast potential due to curious performance issues and a gameplay loop that just barely misses its opportunity to fully bloom.”
    • “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.”
    • “I have been having constant performance issues in this game unlike anything I experience in games that are much more taxing on my hardware.”
    • “The crush house is a game that clearly manifested from a fantastic core idea, but falls short of realizing its vast potential due to curious performance issues and a gameplay loop that just barely misses its opportunity to fully bloom.”
    • “[Performance issues are chunky, gameplay expectations plateau a bit early, herding your reality TV cattle swings wildly between fun and frustrating, acknowledges its shortcomings by offering a difficulty mode to trivialize them, hardly ideal when the game is drowning in potential.]”
  • grinding
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often leading to boredom during extended play sessions. However, some appreciate the novelty of the grinding mechanics, particularly in short bursts, suggesting that the game is more enjoyable when not played for long periods. Overall, while the game has its fun moments, the grind can detract from the experience for many users.

    • “The crush house overall, however, is a fun game to play, yet sometimes repetitive and it does get boring and tedious if being played for a long time, but is a very good adventure dating sim game to play in short bursts!”
    • “The negativity, and thus this negative review, is entirely based on how freaking grindy it feels.”
    • “Tldr - don't blind buy (unless discounted), I personally find the game too tedious.”
  • music
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's soundtrack is praised for its cool and colorful style, featuring remixes from popular indie games like Bugsnax and Cult of the Lamb. While the music is designed to be a subtle background element, it effectively sets the vibe, though some players noted a lack of guidance on how to change tracks. Overall, the music enhances the experience with enjoyable nods to other games.

    • “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 game doesn't tell you how to change the music or do the off-kilter thing.”
    • “The music is notable, but deliberately background; you'll notice it just enough to know if the vibe isn't right.”
  • character development
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The character development in the game is praised for its unique and visually striking designs, allowing players to quickly identify and connect with characters. However, many users express disappointment over the lack of sufficient dialogue, which limits deeper engagement with the characters' personalities and stories.

    • “I love the art style and character designs.”
    • “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.”
    • “I looked forward to this game for months. I love the original concept, and the visual style and character designs are all really good.”
  • emotional
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the emotional aspect of the game intriguing yet frustrating, as they navigate the conflicting desires of different audience types, such as "wholesome" and "wine moms." The lack of a conclusive third act leaves some feeling unsatisfied and emotionally unfulfilled, despite the engaging social dynamics at play.

    • “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.”
  • replayability
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Reviewers express disappointment in the game's replayability due to a lack of variety in character interactions and dialogue, leading to a diminished sense of immersion and excitement when attempting to play with different casts.

    • “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.”
    • “This undermines immersion and replayability.”
  • atmosphere
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its unique mechanics and well-crafted environment, effectively appealing to its target audience.

    • “The mechanics are definitely different from what's out there, and the atmosphere and space are crafted exceptionally well for the audience it appeals to.”
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8h Median play time
7h Average play time
6-8h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 12 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Crush House is a simulation game.

The Crush House is available on PC, Steam Deck and Windows.

On average players spend around 7 hours playing The Crush House.

The Crush House was released on August 9, 2024.

The Crush House was developed by Nerial.

The Crush House has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its monetization.

The Crush House is a single player game.

Similar games include Do Not Feed the Monkeys, Paper Cages, Date Everything!, Twelve Minutes, Growing Up and others.