VERSION: 0.4.1 beta
An original premise is scarcely required to craft something new and memorable, nor is an adherence to tropes necessarily an aspect to be despised. In an age where subverting expectations, unexpected twists and token representation are rapidly becoming the norm, a return to form may well be somewhat avant-garde.
Or, at least, so the developers of House Chores may hope.
The script is fairly simplistic and serves, for the most part, as little more than a vehicle to funnel the player toward new and increasingly elaborate erotic scenes; what few grammatical errors appear are relatively minor, easily amended and liable to annoy only the most pedantic of readers. By way of example, these include oversights such as separating compound words into their component parts (eye sight, bed time and sweet heart).
Narratively, the game relies almost exclusively on established pornographic tropes: the repressed housewife, naive sibling and horny aunt. Within the first five minutes the protagonist is luridly peeping on their mother/landlady as she bathes; shortly thereafter she, without hesitation, agrees to "help" the protagonist masturbate. Aid in cleaning the dishes on a single ocassion and she'll succumb to an overwhelming desire to engage in oral sex, pleasuring him both in the kitchen and bathroom. This simplistic approach may lack nuance, yet it's rather refreshing in a medium that's increasingly awash with unnecessarily convoluted plotlines and esoteric elements of science-fiction or fantasy. To some extent this is justified by the developer's own statement of intent, having noted that House Chores is a low-priority project and likely to contain no more than two or three hours of content.
If nothing else, the art and animations make that something of a shame.
Expertly created by veteran artist Sassquatch, House Chores boasts a thoroughly unique aesthetic that is both minimally detailed and yet evocative. The caliber is consistent throughout, smooth lines and muted colors blending together across static images and hand drawn animations alike. Although the cast lacks any legitimate diversity, the appeal of mature and buxom women is fairly ubiquitous.
Perhaps the most stellar achievement of the game, and its most egregiously detracting element, is the implementation of a traditional visual novel format in the RPGMaker engine. Decidedly unsuited to the task, the development team managed to manipulate the engine into recreating a point-and-click interface that will feel familiar to genre veterans. As noted, this is also its greatest failing. Arguably, the game would have fared better in Ren'Py, an engine that innately supports quality-of-life features such as skip and rewind functions, to say nothing of the ability to save at whim. These constraints can prove vexing, particularly given the extent to which the player must repeat certain sections merely to progress through specific times of the day.
GRAPHICS -------------------------------------------------- 7 / 10
+ Clean, crisp lines and a pleasant color palette.
+ Beautiful cast of characters, particularly for those who favor well-endowed mature women.
+ Smooth animations, particularly for hand drawn content.
DIALOGUE -------------------------------------------------- 4 / 10
+ Clear characterization with easily understood motivations.
- Minor, yet frequent, grammatical errors.
- No complex characterization, growth or development of relationships.
GAMEPLAY ------------------------------------------------- 4 / 10
- Lack of skip/rewind and a means of quickly passing the time detracts from the experience.
- Inability to save at whim prevents experimentation and is at odds with its contemporaries.
- Lack of content demands the player repeat sequences to progress.
INNOVATION ---------------------------------------------- 5 / 10
+ Adapting the engine to a traditional visual novel format suits the material.
+ Ability to customize both the name and relationships of the cast allows for increased fetish representation.
- Inordinately reliant on established tropes.
SCORE ==================================== 20 / 40
EXTREMELY PROMISING, BUT LACKING IN CONTENT
Best described as "charming" given the art style and immediate-gratification approach, House Chores currently lacks any semblance of a genuine story nor does it attempt to court one; the developer assembled the barest foundation necessary, introduced the cast, justified their mutual habitation and launched immediately into the erotica. It's straightforward and potentially superb but, for the moment, House Chores is primarily the latter, a game of potential. With continued development it could become a worthy contender for your time, though it might just as easily drift further into the realm of simplicity and grind, becoming the very thing it exhorts: a chore.
