Every now and again I run into a very unexpected, unique and amazing game.
Room To Rent is certainly one of those. I am not sure what brought me to it, but I am very glad I found it.
The difference between porn and a good porn game is anticipation and effort. Too many so called games don't understand the power of anticipation and they go to the porn way too quickly without developing any anticipation or desire. Early sex scenes end up being boring and flat if the viewer isn't already interested or invested in the scenes.
I want erotic sex scenes. Substance over quantity.
Room To Rent will not appeal to anyone that doesn't understand anticipation or desire. If you just want a quick jerk then do not even consider trying Room To Rent. You will hate it. And I mean you will seriously hate it. I have no doubt that this game's overall score will continue to drop as each new version is released as the impatient mob losses their mind over Room To Rent's mechanics. Their loss.
But for those of you that understand how important investment is to desire and eroticism then Room To Rent offers up a superbly powerful experience.
There are some things that could be improved, but all things considered they don't really matter.
For instance the save system is a bit clunky as you can't see what you have saved. I also wish there were more spots to make saves, as there isn't an easy way to return to scenes. I did run into a bug with the printer paper where it kept causing a glitch that would force me to manually close the game. But I persevered because I was sucked into the experience.
The writing could at times use an editor. There are many odd uses of words and mistakes, but again I had no problem persevering through those oddities. Probably the weirdest word choice was "congress" instead of "seminar" or "convention" but I understand English isn't always a developers first language, and English words are not universally used in the same way in all parts of the world.
Sometimes the MC's thoughts are a bit immature, and the cold way he spits out factoids can be a bit silly, but not so much as to ruin the experience.
In the end, all these small problems don't outshine the positive elements.
Finally, don't cheat. There is a way in game to get clues, or to speed things along, but honestly the work (and I do mean work) of getting through the initial days is important to building up the anticipation and for building a sense of investment.
For instance, unloading the van was daunting, but interesting, and when it was all done I had no regrets. So many strange and interesting mechanics and ideas. Amazing that the developer actually decided to go with some of their ideas... on paper they seem insane, but they do work. When the sex scenes started to appear I was fully invested and engaged.
The sex scenes are AMAZING because they are slow and drawn out. These aren't animation loops, but long drawn out experiences with hundreds of clicks, dialogs, and small moments that really add to the experience. In a lot of games the sex animation loops can seem almost divorced from the game. They are short and then they are over. That is not the case here. The sex scenes are part of the overall experience.
It felt real in a way a lot of other games do not.
I wish I could wipe my memory and play it again from the beginning.
I can't wait to see where this game goes next. I hope it continues to be so unique and interesting.
Bravo. A true hidden gem. Unique and amazing.