VN - Ren'Py - Being a DIK [v0.10.1] [DrPinkCake]

Please take note that this is my very first five star rating. There are a lot of games I have reviewed that I love, but this is so far the only one that I can genuinely place this high.

Production value is huge. Character models and settings are fantastic. Animations are smooth and pretty. Gameplay is innovative. Story is extremely heavy. Replay value is ridiculous.

I originally didn't feel too much attraction to this one because of the name. "Being a DIK" sounded like a real cheap shot for a low brow adult visual novel. Still, the ratings were high and there were a number of chapters released already...

It turns out, this game is pretty damned "complete". Relationships are built around multiple variables and entire branches get closed off very early on in the game due to the complexity. This does not detract at all because it's something built in to the entire gameplay element. The only way to follow every story is to drastically change your gameplay which really makes this into a new game every time you come back.

The game also has <gasp> male characters that you can influence, and even <double gasp> like!

One of the few "cons" of this game is a particular moment where the MC is just a bit of a hypocrite over definitions... Sex at every turn is okay to him, but "relationship status" is a thing that makes some stuff taboo. This isn't a huge con, and the writer more than makes up for it by incorporating the funniest iteration of a minigame ever. The MC is childishly pouting and hurting a love interest by ignoring her while playing through a common minigame of reciting details about a non-interactive NPC's life, while that NPC is just sitting there feeling really uncomfortable...

Damn, the writing is hella good...

I am going to warn you about that writing though. I tried Dr PinkCake's other novel out, "Acting Lessons", and that novel broke my damn heart. If I'm honest, I don't even know if I dread or want that level of drama in this novel. Getting this emotionally invested is a blessing and a curse.

So yeah, the most surprising thing is the degree of emotional investment. Definitely not something expected of an adult visual novel, but probably the thing that actually warrants the fifth star.

I was expecting quality since Acting Lessons was so amazing but damn did I ever get my mind blown by playing this.It's like taking your favorite college comedy movie and making it x-rated. The renders are beautiful the women are beautiful and the cast of characters are all interesting. The story and plotline are downright amazing from fraternity and sorority hazing down to what some sorority members are doing to pay for college and whatnot. I didnt even see the first plot twist coming. There is a unique scoring system to unlock certain scenes... you have to either be a DIK or a CHICK. There is plenty of content for only being 5 chapters so far. Each chapter is about 2-3 hours long which makes for a good amount of playing time. I cannot wait for more of this be done....edit ... all of that was for before 7.1... leaving the score the same but done playing and monetarily supporting it, He put so much effort into anti--modding that even without modding it from a fresh unzip the game has trouble starting.I'll get my similar fix elsewhere...between downloading and trying to get the game to run it's been 2 days...not worth it.

One of the best games i played., cause it has a great storyline and really nice artwork. And because the game is based on choises u make, u can rerun it and still enjoy it. Cant wait to see more of it. Keep up the great work!

I cant believe I didnt find out this game before!!
The best game i have played so far.
Best girls, good story, not so complicated mini games, no grind, and another set up besides the ussual house/neighborhood.

I am in with DrPinkCake

You did an amazing job on this game and it' not finished yet.
The animations, the music, the story , everything is mixing and that makes an awesome game to play.
I'll keep an eye on it for sure now and pay a visit to the Patreon.
Cheers

One of the best games on this site. So many potential roads for the story to progress towards and very likeable characters! The scenes as well as the general look of the game are also stunning.

The sad part is waiting for further releases as they only come out every three-four months or so , but then again the more time they put into making the game as flawless as possible, the less there is to complain about.

10/10

Probably the best game out there. Maya+Jody story ending a bit forced and overdramatic imo, but everything else has superb storytelling and dialogue. It's incredible to think that these amazing renders have to take 2nd place behind the incredible writing.

Wonderful graphics and so interactive. Much much more than just a story, and that is what I love about it. The interactions with the characters, both good and bad ones, really help make it feel like your own story.

This game is fantastic. The renders are all amazing, the girls look great and seem to have actual personalities. The story is interesting and amazing .Waiting fpr next update Also, it seems a walkthrough would be VERY helpful since there are multiple paths depending on the personality you develop as you go through the game.
This game is one of my favourite and it is really good.

What every adult VN should be. Great renders, great animations, great writing, lots of sex. DPC does more by himself than most teams of devs can do. One of the few games that is worth supporting with my wallet IMO.

The story is pretty solid, the renders are amazing, has a decent amount of content, wish there were more sounds but I'll take what I can get and is overall a very nice game. Looking forward to more updates.

what can i say about this game. it literally has everything.
Action, Romance, Comedy, Subterfuge. Family.
You start as just some guy and by the end of the epsiodes you slowly begin to fit in within the University, forming friendship and more with the people you meet. Derek.. the coolest guy. Your Maggot Brother he alone makes this game a 10/10 the rest i just a bonus. couldnt put it down until i finished it.
10/10 would wank again.

From Acting Lessons to this?! Dr. Pinkcake you spoil us. Never thought I'd end up playing one of these visual novels but the immersion is amazing. 10/10 .

Let me just start off by saying that i'm not a regular when it comes to adult games. This is one my first adult games i've played in a very long time and i have to say that this game really took me by surprise. i'm gonna list some stuff off that really drew me to play this game more.

1. First thing i wanna point out something that didn't make sense at first but then i caught onto later on. This game tells you not to play it if you are in a dark place in your life and at first i kinda laughed because here i am who is a more sad then the usual average person so i just still played it. After going on the first date and that soft music hits and she looks you in your eyes is when it first hit me. This game actually got me emotional and made me feel like i was talking to that girl and it almost made me cry because shes a beautiful girl and knowing me it would break my heart if she told me she was in a relationship and wouldn't give you a chance.

2. The graphics in this game are beyond anything i expected. The detail and textures look amazing all the time and im playing on 144 Hz on 1080p. It really just makes the game so much better and again more emotional when a girl is face to face with your character and you can see how they feel about you just by looking at them. It really ties the game together and im so proud of Dr. Pinkcake for making it that way.

3. The main thing is that drew me to play this game more is not the sex but the actual emotional feeling you get when you play this game. It was so hard to be a DIK in this game because i just wanted all the girls to like me and not think of me in a bad way and im basing that on how i would be if the character was me. But i think thats what Dr. Pinkcake was going for he wanted you to play game based on how you would approach things and how you would react even tho it gives you 2 to 3 choices they are all choices that are ment for the situation thats happening.

4. Finally i just wanna say that this game was by far one of greatest games i've ever played i loved all the characters and of course disliked some more then others but it all tied together to make a great game worth spending hours on. I went thru all the possible ways from being a massive DIK and a massive CHICK and ill always be a chick because me personally im a ladies man i cant be mean to girls like you can be to some in this game. I can not wait for the second season of this game i hope he takes his time because i want it to be perfect like this one. I hope some people out there read this and realize that yes this a adult game and a lot of sex scenes but its easy to look past all that and really dig into the emotion and passion in the game. Thank you Dr. Pinkcake for an amazing title!

All characters are top tier. story is good. the gameplay is awesome. The render and animation is godly. This game has like 1 render every 1-6 line, it's just awesome and really need hardwork to make this . iIdon't know what to say on my first review. But this is one of the game you should play before you die.

A great game. I enjoyed the girls, and their animations. I wasn't really a fan of the DIK frat, due to not being a drinker or partier. I would prefer to join a different frat, though with the game's name I doubt that's in the cards. I'm also a huge fan of the Isabella model, and hope we see more of her.

(sorry if there are some obvious grammar mistakes, English is not my mother tongue)

SUMMARY
Being a DIK is an ongoing, very sweet (Pinkcake, heh got it ?), rich-in-content adult VN game with quality above its peers; while the game felt it's not enough defeating its competition in terms of Story, Render, and Writing, it is also got some great soundtrack that fits quite well with the theme, something you don't find much in these type of games.
There's some obvious lacking here and there such as very simple and lackluster gameplay & animation could have way been better, but personally for me, adult VN game is all about getting invested with the characters (and boobs) and their story, and Being a DIK delivers them without it feeling too dreamy or surreal, so much so to the point that right now I look forward to the continuation of the story without caring if the next season will have a sex scene or not. (As long as I get my sweet moments fix with the characters I'm all good).

CHARACTER
Dr Pinkcake, the sole dev of the game makes sure the character has some certain depths to them, with the aim of making you invested with that character that you felt assertive to, again comparing those in the market that mostly just being there for the sake of being set-pieces for the story and obviously being sexy, with not much life to them.
I haven't mentioned also that the character render is done so well that I think currently nothing comes close (3D VN Renpy game).
These characters not only done beautifully, but they're also very unique.
If you have played some similar game you know what I'm talking about.
The main character also is written quite extensively, its not just 'your average guy who got to live with hot chicks' kinda guy.

STORY
The core of the story is quite simple, it is reminiscent of the old classic Rockstar Game Bully (i would give everything for a Bully sequel).
Being the obvious difference is adult theme is the major theme of it and it is set on College instead of highschool.
The plot is also pretty simple, but the ongoing conflict and how the dev uses the set pieces is what makes it above its competition.
And there's a plot twist you guys! Plot twist in an Adult game! What a madlad.
While there is some cliche here in there, the fact that the Dev tries to go beyond the trope of Adult games lazy story is such an appreciated effort.

GAMEPLAY
Usually, the gameplay is not a big deciding factor when someone browsing for an adult game; slap it a little bit 'deciding the story kinda choices' usually enough.
But considering the length of the game itself, if the gameplay of the game is only that, you will get bored (Although if the animation/render makes it up I don't really see a problem..).
Fortunately, Dr Pinkcake makes it clear that adult games shouldn't have any grinding mechanic or feel like doing a chore kinda situation (*cough* RPGM *cough).
The gameplay is nothing deep, but it is quite plenty & various in content.
There's a variety of minigames, choice-based social media & messaging which is something that is truly unique and surprised me big time.
Although it is very neat and creative, on the current version it doesn't have much of an impact, hopefully the next season these features got to be activated to its full potential.
There are money mechanic and way to earn them while it is very simple, it works and not really that boring; choice matters (to some extent) mostly for getting some specific scene or specific dialogue (you mostly can get close to all of the major characters without any real consequences), but again, it is more than above what the game competition have right now.

MINUS
• The obvious one would be there's no Voicework (i know its preference some like voicework some not, especially those cheap & short loop voicework on many generic adult games can be quite a turnoff) at least some voice when you're reaching the 'climax' wouldn't hurt.
• The animation, while it is not bad and obviously can be rated above average, it is nothing special. I wouldn't consider it as a minus, to be honest, but if we are to look at the game as a whole; the animation could be considered the weakest among all; not to mention the climax animation could have been way much better (The game is that good, that decent animation is its weakest link).

All in all, if you're on this site and you haven't played the game you're missing big time.
If you're like me, try it for yourself here (or better buy it on Patreon or Steam) and if you like it go donate to his Patreon.
Being a DIK is beyond what currently the industry have in terms of quality, so much so it is serious enough to be considered more than just an adult game.
This is one of the currently platinum standard of 3D VN Renpy game in my book and Dr. Pinkcake the lone dev of the game thoroughly deserved it.
Here's looking forward to more sweet moments, plot twist, Derek foolishness, awesome soundtracks and most importantly... FAMILY COMES FIRST

I like sex in stories the trashy and the the high quality ones but this put it on the pedestal of some very high quality vn games made by a group developer but the fact it is made by a single person is impressive and his writing has me engaged whenever there is a character on screen as it feels like a high quality movie set in college instead of the typical boobs and butts in some movies which is nice. I am excited for DrPinkCake projects whatever they might be since his writing and direction are top notxh.

I like everything in this game, graphics, story, girls...
It's been a long time since I had waited so impatiently for a sequel.

Maybe a little more submissive girls and more domination scenes would be just perfect.

for a porn game this is great, on another level actually..one can see the efforts the dev gave for this game..the animations, renders, dialogues and of course the music..have played acting lessons before, and that game depressed me for days, so i've had second thoughts before downloading this game, but still downloaded it and played for days, and now just waiting for the next episode.

Awesome game. First i played without cheat and i got bored. After some days i got the cheat mod. Now it's shows me a special experience. Really a Wonderful Game i played before.
Thanks for the game. Please make more games like this.