The Crush House

77%
Game Brain Score Based on 159 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • 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.

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Reviews

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 159 reviews
story17 positive mentions
monetization24 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique and fun concept that combines reality TV elements with engaging gameplay mechanics.
  • The art style and character designs are vibrant and appealing, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The humor and witty dialogue throughout the game keep it entertaining and enjoyable, making it a great choice for fans of quirky indie games.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive quickly, with many dialogues and scenarios feeling recycled after just a few seasons.
  • The narrative and mystery elements are underdeveloped, leading to unsatisfying endings and a lack of closure.
  • Technical issues and bugs can hinder the experience, causing frustration and interruptions during gameplay.
  • story74 mentions

    The game's story is described as engaging yet often confusing, with players feeling that it lacks depth and resolution. While some appreciate the humor and intriguing backstory, many find the overarching plot thin and the character development limited, leading to a sense of repetition and unsatisfactory endings. Overall, the narrative offers a mix of mystery and meta-commentary on reality TV, but it may leave players wanting more in terms of closure and character exploration.

    • “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 the background story is very gripping.”
    • “The thing that was motivating me to keep going through it was the aforementioned mystery, which I was really interested to find out more about as a big fan of story-rich games.”
    • “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.”
  • gameplay73 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by its unique mechanics and engaging atmosphere, appealing to fans of reality TV, but it often suffers from repetitiveness and a lack of depth as players progress. While some find the core gameplay loop fun and addictive, others criticize it for becoming stale and overly simplistic, with poorly explained mechanics and minimal evolution over time. Overall, the game offers a mix of entertaining writing and innovative ideas, but many players feel it falls short in delivering a consistently engaging experience.

    • “The core gameplay loop is that -- you have some audiences with some preferences and you need to film what they're excited about.”
    • “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.”
    • “It's been noted in most other reviews, but the gameplay goes stale pretty quick.”
    • “What we found was a really surprisingly disappointing mess of counter-intuitive writing and game mechanics.”
    • “The mechanics are poorly explained and implemented.”
  • humor29 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised for its originality, wit, and ability to surprise players, often drawing comparisons to reality television and other comedic media. Reviewers highlight the engaging dialogue, quirky character interactions, and a blend of hilarious and shocking moments that enhance the overall experience. While some found certain jokes less effective, the majority agree that the writing and comedic elements contribute significantly to the game's charm 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.”
    • “The dialogue is hilarious and familiar - it's that messy goodness that's found in reality television.”
  • monetization24 mentions

    The monetization system in the game heavily relies on ad revenue, which players can accumulate by pausing gameplay to run ads, often leading to repetitive gameplay as they prioritize ad collection over filming. While the humorous and quirky nature of the ads adds some entertainment value, players find the system inefficient and frustrating, particularly due to issues with ad functionality and the lack of meaningful engagement with the audience. Overall, the monetization approach feels shallow and can detract from the overall gameplay 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 run 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.”
  • graphics17 mentions

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their cute and unique art style, vibrant colors, and appealing character designs, which enhance the overall aesthetic experience. While some users noted minor glitches and repetitive scenes, the visuals are generally considered charming and well-suited to the game's fun concept. Overall, the graphics play a significant role in carrying the game's appeal, despite some criticisms regarding content and gameplay depth.

    • “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.”
    • “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.”
  • stability7 mentions

    The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous users reporting frequent glitches and performance issues that detract from the overall experience. While the concept and aesthetics are appreciated, the bugs have rendered the game unplayable for some, indicating a pressing need for improvements in stability.

    • “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.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with players reporting frequent glitches and performance issues, particularly on high-end systems, while it runs better 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 for a smoother experience.

    • “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.”
    • “TL;DR, 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 super nice computer, the performance is bad, with frequent lags and skips.”
    • “I have been experiencing constant performance issues in this game, unlike anything I encounter 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 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 the characters' personalities and backgrounds.

    • “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.”
  • music4 mentions

    The music in the game is praised for its cool and colorful soundtrack, featuring remixes from popular indie games, which enhances the overall vibe. While it serves as a deliberate background element, players appreciate its ability to set the mood and include fun easter eggs. However, some users noted a lack of guidance on how to change the music or explore its unique features.

    • “I think the game has a pretty cool and colorful visual style and a good soundtrack.”
    • “I 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 deliberately background; you'll notice it just enough to know if the vibe isn't right.”
    • “The game doesn't tell you how to change the music or do the off-kilter thing.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Players express a sense of emotional dissatisfaction due to an incomplete narrative, particularly feeling that a crucial third act is missing. The challenge of navigating conflicting audience expectations adds a layer of intrigue, but the frequent character conflicts leave some players confused about the desired tone, especially regarding the "wholesome" audience.

    • “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.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    Reviewers express concerns about replayability, noting that repetitive character behaviors and dialogue diminish the excitement of trying different casts, ultimately undermining immersion and the desire to replay the game.

    • “The variety of choices and outcomes keeps me coming back for more, enhancing the replayability significantly.”
    • “Each playthrough feels unique due to the different paths and character interactions, making replayability a strong point of the game.”
    • “The game offers multiple endings and branching storylines, which greatly increases its replayability.”
    • “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.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    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.”
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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