The Crush House Review

When it comes to the wide world of reality TV, I prefer shows with a competitive aspect to them. Think Survivor, The Challenge and Amazing Race over Vanderpump Rules and Surreal Life. I find it hard to get invested in the squabbling or drama these shows often focus on. There's also the question of how much of reality TV is actually not scripted. The idea of producers meddling with the cast of these shows is something at the heart of The Crush House. How much of the drama found on the titular reality show here is true? And who is in on the scheme to manipulate the cast into producing quality television?

The year is 1999, and we are in the infant days of reality television. You are Jae, a new producer to the current hottest show on TV, The Crush House. It's easy to see why this high-profile job has opened up, though. Besides overseeing picking the current crop of residents, Jae has to satisfy demanding audiences lest she get the show canned. From petty fights to juicy hook-ups, she'll need to have her camera on in order to capture the moments that have made the show the sensation it is. All is not right in Malibu, however, as there are secrets to uncover. Why does it seem like reality resets at the end of each season? How come recurring cast members don't recognize each other? And what is with the reliance on Crush Juice? The answers can only be uncovered by continuing to produce entertaining TV.

The mystery at the heart of The Crush House is what drove me through multiple seasons of the titular show. It's not a spoiler to say that there are sinister things afoot with the show, and I liked the direction the mystery took. The characters playing a major role were a surprise, and the ultimate answer to the game's questions was equally surprising. In order to get to these moments, though, you need to deal with some less than stellar reality TV. Maybe it's due to my own indifference to the genre, but I found the banter between cast members to be stale and repetitive. Since you'll need to play through multiple week-long seasons, you'll end up filming similar conversations multiple times. You eventually learn to just tune it out as you focus on fulfilling your audience goals for the day. Perhaps this is a commentary from the developers about the genre itself, but that doesn't make it fun to play through.

As mentioned, your main goal each day is the satisfy audience demand. When you pick up your camera to begin filming and walk around the house in first-person view, you'll see what fanbases are currently tuned into the show. Fanbases start off simple enough, but the longer the show remains on air, the more absurd the fans showing up become. You'll move from trying to please voyeurs and drama junkies to foot fetishists and lighthouse lovers. To please each group of fans, you'll need to film things that appeal to them. Between the house itself and your cast, there are ample opportunities to get what they like on-screen. The trick is to figure out how to film each of these categories in junction with the others. Not only does that help make sure you fulfill your obligations for the day, but if you have enough audiences enraptured at once, you'll get an On Fire bonus that will substantially juice your ratings. It's a puzzle game as much as it is a game about producing television.

I'm torn on how I feel about the gameplay loop of The Crush House. On the one hand, chaining together footage to sate audience demand is plenty satisfying. I loved being able to crush my viewer goals for the day by utilizing creative shooting placement. Whether I was peering at two housemates bickering at each other through a window or catching a heart to heart over the fire pit, there were times I felt like I was delivering quality TV. However, the constant demands of different audiences can also lead to you spending time filming what could at best be charitably described as bland content. You may be in a bind and forced to film an empty kitchen or a close-up of a gallon of Crush Juice just to make sure you don't fail for the day. There is a casual mode that removes the option to fail out, but that also essentially removes any teeth the game has. Sometimes in order to move forward, you just need to suck it up and create bad television.

There are other challenges besides keeping up viewership as well. Something you'll need to balance along with broadcasting is advertising. Whenever you aren't broadcasting, you can run ads that will generate funds for you. It's important to make sure you are getting as much ad revenue as you can, as it lets you purchase new items for the house, which in turn can help with your audience goals. And while there are explicit warnings not to, cast members will also approach Jae after-hours with their own specific challenges. These include making sure not to film any butts for a day, or to film the Success Slide for two continuous minutes. You won't be punished for failing to complete these, but you do need to complete a set amount in order to make headway on uncovering the mysteries of the show. They can be a little frustrating to complete, as they often rely on the whims of A.I. that doesn't always act the way you want it to.

Like its many contestants, The Crush House has a stylish look to it. Eschewing realism for a more cartoony style, the title is flush with personality. The character models animate well, and I loved the different facial reactions they possess. They are great at depicting the spectrum of emotions a cast member often goes through in a season. The stock animations used for fighting and making out are a little disappointing to see repeated, but they still look good. The titular house looks accurate to how one would look on a real-life reality show, especially once you outfit it with new purchases.

There are some technical issues with the visuals, particularly with the animations. Body parts tend to clip through items, most noticeably when you see Jae interacting with the guests. It's only minor moments, but definitely noticeable. There's no voice acting in the game, which is a bit of a disappointment. With as colorful as the cast is, I think VA would have really amped up their personalities. I also wasn't particularly enamored with the in-game soundtrack. The songs didn't leave a mark for me and are really only there to feed into audience fulfilment.

The intentions of The Crush House are commendable, but the overall product didn't quite come together. The eerie underworkings of the show are fun to uncover, and I liked the satisfaction that came from piecing together the perfect shot. In its best moments, it's both a fun spoof on reality TV and a solid puzzle game. However, the cast banter is often surface level nonsense, and there's way too much repetition over the course of a single campaign. And all too often the need to raise audience levels of a specific group forces you to focus on lackluster elements. There were certainly moments I enjoyed during my production career, but I wish it was more consistent throughout.