VN - Ren'Py - The Roommate [v0.12.13] [togs]

  1. 2.00 star(s)

    jllkfsdj

    Updated for 11.0.8 (at the end).


    This would've been a great and really enjoyable game if it wasn't getting killed by it's own dev and all the feminism.

    By the second "men are destroying everything and only womyn can save it!" I was rolling my eyes (the irony of that is mindblowing since it's men that have built and created pretty much everything in the world around us), but by the third, Madison and her bar, I was ready to start bashing my head against the wall with how predictable, unimaginative and annoying the narrative was.

    And of course there is the constant whining over the "old boys networks". I mean, seriously, the only thing missing was screaming about the Patriarchy and about how oppressed women are. Wait, actually the latter was done. So, yeah, patriarchy still left and since I'm still not done with the game yet, that might come as well.

    And of course all men, except 2 or 3, are utter sleazes, assholes and can't help themselves but molest women. Even JED, the good solid guy that does construction, got the asshole treatment by day 64! Alex, who is doing worse and saying shit to his PA that I would just gape at that is deep into sexual harassment territory, gets away with it cause he's rich. That's the time feminism takes an afternoon off, I guess. Hypergamy overrules even it.

    And there are many targets, honestly I don't think I remember playing recently a VN with so many love interests. So many in fact that I've forgotten the names and backstories of the most of them, because they're just so flat and one-dimensional while others have overly dramatical stories (there is really no need for more than 1 LI to have been raped and thus traumatised per story). And that is an issue on it's own. Or would be if their role was anything more than being a cock-warmer for the apparently irresistible MC.

    The VN originally had potential cause it's got stuff like sex cults, hucows, etc. but the problem is the game takes all this very seriously instead of with some self-aware humor and thus falls on it's face. And after like the first 20 or 30 days it turns into a boring grind. Pervasive feminism is not the only problem. There's other small issues like vague system of money management that trutfully only works for the first hour or so until you inherit millions, lust meter that at some point just stops working since there is NO SEX possible and you're stuck at high lust levels (I was near lethal level during BBQ) and the primary romantic relationship that quickly loses it's spark. And the fact that the game does it's level best to portray the monotony of every day life and some quest lines and red threads just get lost in the aether forever.


    Even bigger issue is complete lack of player agency. You can choose monogamy soon after the start of the game, but the dev will blithely ignore all your decisions and wishes.

    You want Kari to be your only girl? Tough shit. Dev doesn't like that and he writes the game giving you no option to reject having a harem, the only thing you can do is to stop playing this game. Your PA, Lois, starts acting like she's your girlfriend and dev forces you to give her a petname - a milestone that in relationship with Kari was a signal that you've progressed from friends to lovers. And this happens no matter how hard you worked to keep Lois at a distance and only professional colleague. Kari loses all possesiveness over you and turns into Cuck Queen Extraordinaire as she not only tolerates MC's straying, but actively encourages is and engages in it. Yes, Kari cheats on you with women and is quite blatant and unashamed of it.

    That is another thing to sink this story for me. Not only am I forced to cheat on my girlfriend "for the greater good" with at least 3 of her sisters, but she takes up lesbianism without the slightest input from her boyfriend. Sorry dev, but lesbians don't do anything for me. Yeah, I imagine your world was shaken by the revelation there are men out there who don't get turned on by two women faking sex by licking each other and shoving rubber imitations of dicks into each other. IRL it would be a deal-breaker and relationship-breaker for me. Exclusive or hit the road. Hetero or hit the road. Only morbid fascination and desire to see how the train will eventually derail is keeping me playing.


    There is far more work and effort involved in keeping OUT OF relationships than actually starting them. The dev literally throws women and entanglements at the player as deals that are 3/4 done, you just need to rubber stamp them. Thus getting out of them is not always that easy, because you're EXPECTED to go along with it. Thus <b>player agency in this game is really low</b>.

    And that doesn't just go for the player, but also for his love interests. Kari, who is basically thrown into his wife role from day 1, does what she wants, like working in a titty bar, etc. even if you're strongly against it. Lois, your PA, just elbows herself into position of your girlfriend even if you try to keep her away. Aria will steal your girlfriend and try to make her into a lesbian (and succeed) no matter how much you want your wife to stay your wife and straight. There is <b>frustratingly little control you have over your experience</b>.



    Another issue is the already mentioned lack of sex in what is an adult VN which is critical since high lust will affect your decisions (theoretically and only at the start) - soon you don't even get the chance to masturbate anymore to relieve it (that are sadly not even that important in the long run since you can't affect the major plot points) and the fact that for some choices that are not straight-out simping for a girl you get punished by too harsh drawbacks for them. Also, some women that should be 40 years old look barely 20 (Omega looks early 20s, etc.), while others that are 35-40 (step-mom, forgot her name) look 50.

    Good example of spineless simping is "invest into titty-bar" - the MC makes condition that Kari not work there anymore because he doesn't want his gf to be ogled, especially when she becomes pregnant (honestly, what kind of a man, except for a cuck, would want that?), then instantly buckles at the slightest resistance from the young woman who came BEGGING for his money to make this reality, claiming "I'm impressed by how much you care for her".

    Bullshit! If she cared about Kari at all she wouldn't want to turn her into the kind of slut that she herself is that wants to show her tits to some random men, instead of only to her boyfriend or husband. What kind of a man likes his gf/wife showing her body or letting her body be used by other men? What kind of a husband doesn't mind if his wife gets felt up and wolf-whistled while strutting half-naked around a public place? Cucks, thats who and it's kink that is sadly spreading quickly on this board. So, are we being forced by the dev into being cucks? Aside of Mc being spinless pussy what made me angry the most is the woman's gall and arrogance. And the fact that the dev lets her get away with it and even gives positive reinforcement as if she is in the right. Instead, MC should've thrown the bitch out of the building (preferably through a window like Terence Hill) instead of cowering like some pathetic little puppy before the Strong Independent WomynTM. Ashamed with how weak that makes MC (and me) I rather went for the loan option just so I didn't have that scene in my playthrough.

    Sorry, dev, but I would like the MC to stand for SOMETHING. Instead of constantly buckling to the slightest female pressure and push-back. CEOs are alphas by job description, not betas! Can't imagine CEO running a business if he's got no spine and no balls and is being dominated by people that are not even his employees, but are ASKING FOR HELP. How the hell is he supposed to run a multi-million business that employs thousands and keep confidence of the Board when he's incapable of standing his ground and defending his opinion, belief and wife in front of a single small woman, one who has no power over him, but is actually depending on him? How is he even supposed to SURVIVE in an ultra-competitive world of bio-engineering, pharmacy and whatever the hell else his company is involved in??? IRL this pussy would've been eaten by competition in week 1.


    There is also the serious lack of interaction, especially romantic, with Kari, who is your main love and the reason for the story's title. For a really long time there is basically no romantic content, then when it starts the pacing is completely weird, once you start dating nothing changes, you're just roommates that occasionally at scripted points have sex. There is no affection like between a normal couple, no goodnight kisses (especially when it looked like they would happen had I made other choices), no PDAs, not even regular hugging, kissing or just enjoying each other's closeness. Or even affectionate petnames. Honestly, what kind of new couple would act like that? Where is the horniness of fresh love? These two act like they've been married for 40 years and the passion and lust had died long ago. Kari LITERALLY READS IN BED next to MC! A 20-something year old woman in the prime of her life with a fully functioning reproductive system! WTF? In reality she would've been all over him and vice-versa.

    The way to fix that would be for dev to simply give players the option to have sex with Kari in the evening and the morning. AND change Kari's interaction to reflect their newfound love and passion.


    Worse, MC spends his entire days at the office with Lois that gets more screentime than Kari for some reason, and is basically chasing other women or is BEING CHASED (guessing he's surrounded by golddiggers cause money and power is really the only thing anyone can say about him) even when I explicitly took choices that should've kept him monogamous in his relationship with Kari. The dev seems determined to mess up my intentions and is doing everything he can to throw Lois (or other women) at MC and having MC show interest even though I do everything I can to prevent that. I'm starting to wonder what's the point of it, since the dev seems determined to sabotage it and make this game a harem thing even though he pretends he's giving us a choice.

    Which was just impressed on me with a sledgehammer on Day 65 when I had to CHOOSE A PETNAME for Lois even though I'm not in relationship with her (which was the condition for the same action for Kari).

    Also, what I don't understand is how and why is Kari so perfectly happy to share HER man with other women? Sure "he's about to die if he doesn't make babies", BUT there should've at least been SOME internal conflict! SOME kind of filtering competition to sort out the ones she can tolerate instead of just giving everyone a blank checque. SOME kind of heart-to-heart with him telling that she doesn't agree easily, but because she loves him and because he will die otherwise she will do this sacrifice. After all, I DID check the monogamy clause at the start! so, WHERE IS IT, dev???

    Good example, Kayla's tongue attack at the end of BBQ, that came more out of the left field than the impregnate-all-women-to-live plot. Also some of the lamest sex scenes in the game that also makes MC look like either a complete uncaring twat or the most useless and skilless lover ever. Kayla is an 18 year old VIRGIN and instead of making sure there is least amount of pain and she enjoys the experience the MC just jumps her like a horny dog and starts humping away at her.

    I give this game 2 stars only because of hot girls and the lovable sweetie that is Kari that saves the game from being deleted from my drive completely on her own, otherwise it would be 1.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Review of new content since I last played, newest is 11.0.8.

    Well, the game has officially jumped the shark and straight into garbage bin.

    Let's start with easiest. Apparently Mallory's milking life is public knowledge (last I remember she was pretty shy about it and keeping it secret) to the point she gives a public demonstration before people she really shouldn't even know. I honestly don't remember since when, but apparently well-known enough that Kiki, the British PA, was comfortable enough to take MC's role in the milking (sexually stimulating Mal) in front of her coworkers. And Lois found the moooing hot enough she had to jill it out afterwards. Foreshadowing, I guess.

    The sharking jumping moment came soon after I started playing where for some fucking reason Kari suddenly wants to have lesbian sex with Aria! I'm sorry, dev, I don't share your weird lesbian fantasies, I want my hetero girl to stay hetero, instead of this bullshit American idiocy of "experimenting".

    Since dev is determined to ignore all my choices and wishes and browbeat and throw me into a harem direction, I decided to just start troll-playing. As a result, the 18 year old intern is now preggers (hooray for fertility of youth if she got knocked up from her first and only sex, I guess) and instead of being happy that Project Saving My Life Through Breeding Women is finally on track and far sooner than expected (even if it's not with 1 of the 4 sisters), MC is acting like one of the biggest douches you can imagine who flip out when their gfs tell them they're pregnant. Yo, dude, she was a virgin and you didn't use a condom and she's freaking 18, the most fertile years, what did you expect?

    Like seriously, maybe Kayla is not the perfect candidate for baby-momma for reasons other than her youth, but considering MC should have minimum 12 kids for best result (and only 4 clones made specifically for this purpose) and despite having sex with 3 sisters more than his gf/Kari there has still been no pregnancy, he should've been thrilled to be progressing at least somewhere in regards to hopefully not dying. Besides, she seems to be pretty happy and is not flipping out or calling the DA to sue him for sexual harrassment and child support that will send him into the poor house and is even so happy she is making a point to praise him for being the father, so I'm thinking take your wins as you get them. MC could do worse for his first baby-mommy. Hell, if she keeps that attitude and belief in him than ANY man could hardly do better.


    There was a tiny development with the sex cult, which has been sitting untouched for a long time. It turns out it's not a sex cult but it's a re-heating of the Nazi Lebensborn and Western Eugenics ideology from the 1930s. As if some of this stuff wasn't already shady as hell and his old uncle beyond redemption, the dev decided to finally make him into someone on whose grave we would all happily relieve ourselves. Apparently it was originally conceived as an idea that "Rich people must start breeding more to not be outdone by the filthy inferior masses!" which then grew into "Need to save my boy" when MC's disease became known.

    Dev, you DO realize this kind of elitist thinking is why Communism was created, right? To fight against it and give the disenfranchised masses the right to exist? But when uncle found out about his nephew's illness he changed it into his nephew's own little breeding camp. And now one of the army of receptionists that go around wearing see-through-dresses showing their nipples to visitors instead of uniforms; has decided that she doesn't see her sister (cult member) enough so the only solution to that is to leave her job and become a member herself. Yes, that means, she wants her boss' babies. This is... what... woman number 480956456 that wants his babies? Also, we STILL don't have a clue what does women do 24/7 except just sitting around in their cells, waiting for 20 years for their Master to finally appear and then ignoring them for a while again. What a boring existence. I hope they at least crochet, do needle work or engage in martial arts or something to pass the time.


    But the final thing that had me screaming in rage so hard I woke up crows in the neighboring country is the reason for the newest tag that starts with a "b".

    Seriously, dev. What. The. Fuck. Possesed you to add that shit into this game? As if it isn't already resembling a garbage fire as it is, you make it even fucking worse. I won't go into details, but let's just say you need to think carefully if you want to boink that big-breasted girl cop cause it will be unavoidable.


    Oh well, maybe not all is lost, maybe I'll still get a chance to laugh at MC. Maybe he'll get cucked by an animal and his newest little conquest will start popping out wolf puppies instead of being his own little breeder.

    Cause to laugh hysterically due to this game is all I can do anymore at this point.
  2. 5.00 star(s)

    damiannld

    Actually has a very decent story, the artwork is also very good. Some of the girls are real lookers and there is a wide variety of different types. This game really only has positives. If there would be anything that could be improved on is that there maybe can be a bit more choice in the story.
  3. 3.00 star(s)

    chaosbox24

    A difficult rating to be honest, it hovers between a 3 and a half and a 4. What's good is good and what's bad is really bad. The writings great, the girls are hot and you have (usually) a lot of choice in the paths you want to take with what girls. The story is ok, but the whole running the business thing gets old pretty fast, epecially since you have no real say in anything that happens, it just happens. It also gets weird towards the end for no real reason and you don't have a say in it soooo, pretty lame. When you choose what to do with the girls, in how you want your relationship towards them to go you get a good varied choice of the paths, but you don't get to choose what happens ON that path. So with lois you can make her your slave but you have no say in what happens. The jewelry, collar etc just happens and if you don't like it too bad. That just sucks the energy out of the path honestly. It's the same way with all of the other girls too, you choose their path but then don't get to pick the choices. Just... what's the point then. The strangest thing is the sandbox elements as they are completely useless. The phone, calender, the lust meter, all of this is just completely pointless and serves no point at all. They should just be removed and have have the extra effort put in towards refining the paths for the girls instead. The game suffers from trying to be a VN and a sandbox at the same time and ultimately ends up missing the mark on both. A sad situation because there are some real diamonds here, but unfortunately you have to scrape away the slimy garbage with your bare hands to get to them.
  4. 4.00 star(s)

    Deleted member 1580153

    Although I have found some bugs (slut route with Lois and the phone) and lack of a gallery, I am impressed of the story going multiple routes. Animations are a bit lacking but I can forgive that. I was too busy seeing what the roommate has to offer and I'm impressed. Hopefully we're not approaching the endgame anytime soon. Keep up the good work!
  5. 4.00 star(s)

    santiago_campanella

    [0.9.7]

    This is a game that is unlikely to leave one indifferent.

    Summary: As an AVN it is very strong on N part, good on V, but lukewarm on much of AV (H scenes).

    I am torn between giving it 2 stars and 5 stars, so decided on 4.

    Note for those who only just started -- just survive the first N days, the lewd parts unfold at some point. For additional explanation see below.

    The good:

    - excellent writing. really superb, mature, realistic dialogues. 6/5

    - good plot, very good story progression (with eyebrow raised for the scifi elements);

    - good attention to rendering background/item detail -- eg. floor plans, etc.

    - the characters and interactions with them are also very well written and reasonably believable (at least at start).

    - the MC is not a kid! And not a wet blanket! -- honestly, as of late, it seems a rarity and deserves a special mention in the games supposedly tagged maledom.


    The bad:

    - a ton of girls added, as story progresses, yet there really is not very much lewd content for most of them, despite it being hinted all the time.

    - fully fledged H content with only one - Lois. Others, including supposedly MC's main LI Kari, appear mostly as story elements or plot drivers. Yes, you can build some involvement and supposed relationship with her, but the A part of AVN is kinda 10% of what Lois has. And for the first 2/3ds of current game, Kari's content is basically one scene repeated several times.

    - the H scenes are short and with maybe 1 short animation, especially at start. Lois gets a lot of attention later on, and her scenes are markedly better. There is some decent writing on top of most of scenes though, so together it sort of works OK.

    - the game has sandbox elements like phone and calendar, but is really so story driven, that you can almost never use them. It feels like sandbox elements merged into a kinetic novel actually.

    The phone is the weird thing. There is a quick menu entry for phone, which you have to watch like a hawk, to get clickable, but there is no need really, as at most times you'll just call somebody's voicemail. Even in voicemail you can "leave a message" or just "hang up". I have no idea whether at one point, leaving a message maybe will be needed, so it's very frustrating -- a thing which you think you don't need, but are not sure. At the only couple of places the phone calls are required, you get direct information from dialogues about that.

    The calendar is also a mixed bag. It supposedly lists events you'll have, BUT you can't be sure the events *you* add, will happen. Point in case: Ashley. You can become her sugardaddy, and you can schedule to meet her via phone, BUT 70% of time, the meets don't happen because story events ignore them. And sometimes not even any significant events. For example, I've tested it so that I have one of those evenings at home where there is option to go get coffee (at Ashley's who is a barista) or just go to sleep to recover energy. Even if I've scheduled a meet with her, it doesn't happen, if I go to coffee shop, and it doesn't happen, if I stay at home.

    Also, you had the option of being pretty dominant at one of the employees once, and you can sorta force her to "be available when you want". But there's no content for her at all, even on phone, you can't even call her, just leave the same unknown message. A bit annoying.

    The I.R.I.S. AI quick menu button is discussed a number of times, but dangles always unclickable. Probably one of the @TODO@s.

    The other

    - there is a long sort of intro/prologue for the first N days, where you get into real corporate routine, and there are only hints of any possibilities of H content. It's not that bad, and there is good writing so you get filled in on details of the world, but I did get a feeling of... hmm.. should I even try to continue? If you survive that, there is some point after which you start getting some of the A part of AVN.

    - there is a curious mix of good storytelling with some characters, and other (later) characters who are still pretty decently written with good bg -- but unlike the first characters they just appear to beg to worship MC for no reasons. I approve, as too much storytelling/char development would move this from AVN to simple VN, and make a convoluted mess, but ofc it feels somewhat weird.

    - This is a very story driven AVN. Actually I would call it almost a kinetic novel in disguise, because the only *decisions* you get to make, is how and which girls to get. You do take some major steps as CEO, but those are preset for you, and you can't avoid them. So 90% of your time in office (and you spend much of time there), is spent taking care of personnel details that in usual corporate practice wouldn't be particularly care of CEO. That's OK, this is a supposedly lewd AVN where you are actually forming your harem.

    - you're the guy the dev envisioned to be, regardless of your own preferences. I understand there is only so much one can do for story paths, just be aware. You watch as MC's fate unfolds, and you can only enjoy the ride. Are you good? Are you bad? Well, even if you try to be more of a jerk, it turns out you're sort of vanilla considerate caring dom guy, who can't be actually evil, just maybe a bit egoistic as we all.

    - The sci-fi elements that start to unfold, can raise a lot of eyebrows. Personally didn't bother me -- it is no worse than generic conspiracy theories floating around. In fact, due to the good writing, even those are not as unbeliavable as I'd think. The basement really picked my interest, it hints to more dom/sub setting, which is one of my kinks.

    At the end, I somehow feel it a very controversial game for me. I love some parts of it, and hate others, therefore I can't make up my mind on the rating. But I know I want "mooooar content!" for most of the characters, since they are starved of it -- that surely means something.

    Despite the list for bad being twice the size of good, the good things are very important and the bad things, while annoying, are livable with.
  6. 4.00 star(s)

    k4m0n

    I don' really know how to convey how positively surprised I am with this game. The title does not do this game justice. :LOL: I don't want to spoil anything but damn. Just play the game if you like well-written dialogues that are semi-realistic (at least in its own unrealistic porn setting), a great variety in girls, a likeable MC (or maybe I just share the exact same sense of humor?) and a much deeper plot than you first realize!

    If the game continues in this direction and quality... expect a five star from me. :D
  7. 5.00 star(s)

    raaewe

    may not be top from technical point of view but i enjoyed playing it a lot
    strong point are characters (secretary and girlfriend) and relationship dynamics
    lots of side girls but did not care for them
    dev is improving and game gets better further in you go
    fortunately stat and wallet doesn't matter - money is endless and you can always pick whatever
  8. 2.00 star(s)

    illogicallity

    The positive is that the 'story' is entertaining, but the sex scenes bring this game's score way down.

    The animations are not only the default animations everyone has seen a thousand times, but they're also reused over and over. For that matter, there's a ton of material that is re-used constantly throughout the game, and that's a big negative.

    There's a ton of inconsistency in the sex scenes as well. A few have animations, even more do not and are just a one or two-render affair. Due to that, the sex scenes do absolutely nothing for me.

    The phone is pointless. It's ridiculous going through every name each time the phone is available when most of the time there's nothing there, and it rarely works properly. The dev insists on keeping it in the game for some weird reason when it would be better if it was just removed from the game.

    It's not terrible, but it definitely is a poor quality game that is sitting at too high of a rating.
  9. 4.00 star(s)

    GNVE

    I enjoyed playing the game and did get invested in the story. The renders are not amazing and there is a little re-use of images here and there but it is not detrimental to the game in any way. Whatever the dev needs to do to get the story out.

    I am a little worried about the future though as there is a lot going on. Dozens of characters with multiple story lines that centred around you taking over the family company and discovering the dark secrets. With a lot of player choice seemingly. There is a chance this will become to hard to manage eventually.

    I think a little more focus could be given to the relationship with the roommate herself. The protagonist cares about her but it doesn't really show.

    Minor gripe: The name choices of Kara Kari Kiri and Kiki is annoying as the names are so similar I usually forget who's who. For any other dev's reading this or for the dev's next project I would suggest not doing this.
  10. 5.00 star(s)

    kut52

    For once, the pattern of a day-to-day management game works. However, the further along I go in the game, the less control I have over what is happening. This is made up for by the fact that everything on offer is of top quality.
  11. 3.00 star(s)

    honkyfifteen

    I have very mixed feelings about this.
    On one side, it has really good looking LI's. Kari, lois, the other sisters are all 10/10 and get extra points from me as i like boob heavy models :D

    But other than that it falls flat on almost everything else. My biggest complaint is about content with Kari. For most part of the game her content is limited to coming and going from office, having dinner and then good night. Even after you get into a relationship with her, other than a few sex scenes, there is hardly any content with her.
    Like she is the only LI in game, to whom you can confess your love to. Considering that her content in the story is even less than side girls in other games.

    Lois just dominates the content once MC becomes CEO. I understand she is his PA, but then there should be a balance. Then you get an option to have Lois as your girlfriend as well, but whats the point of having one more girlfriend, if you dont even give time to your main Girlfriend.
    Then the story just goes into spiral with making babies stuff and then the cult stuff which just got introduced.
    I want to give this game a chance, but the treatment Kari has received, i am really miffed. Such a darling girl is just ignored for some side sluts :(
  12. 5.00 star(s)

    ZibiMuj

    I intitally didnt have high expectations of this game. The title has never called to me. I was happily surprised that I was wrong. This game is absolutely fantastic. I'm very much looking forward to your future updates. The harem elements make you feel powerful and seductive. The gameplay doesnt feel tedious and it flows at a good pace. You actually feel like you're important.
  13. 5.00 star(s)

    RobertRick

    First two times I tried this I found it a bit stiff and evolving very slowly. Third time was my luck. What a gem this is. The level of perversion, choices and beautiful babes under command is just wonderful.
  14. 2.00 star(s)

    leo_grouch

    Renders - 5/10 Not the best but still is better than a lot of other projects. A revamp would be a good option.

    Story - 6/10 Although rather strange as it progresses, there is some originality to it, not a lot but it is interesting.

    Amount of content - 8/10 There is quite a bit of content compared to many other projects.

    Animations - 1/10 This is the big failure, really poor animations, I can't overstate the word poor in describing it. The sex scenes are all looped two second sex junk absolutely no attempt to try for a bit of realism. Come on you can do better than that, really cheap scenes are not going draw in patrons. Animations are hugely important, this one fails miserably.

    Grammar - 9/10 From what i saw there was few mistakes.

    Overall not the worst story/game i have gone through, there is a draw to the story although it could be improved. Some of it is just way to outlandish, and goes to fast.
    As stated the animations are what needs improving, the sex is just lightning fast and really boring.
    Was not a waste of time downloading though, strange story lines can be intriguing.
  15. 4.00 star(s)

    Bill Temple

    The Roommate [v0.8.7] review

    I've seen this game pop up when searching Latest Updates several times. The tags match my tastes pretty closely, but I think the overview in the OP may have been different previously and something about it caused me to put The Roommate on the "Maybe when I have nothing better to do" list. That was a mistake. It's a great game, and pretty long for two years in development. I'm wondering how this doesn't have the harem tag, because this is one of the most realistic harem VNs that I've ever played. It's not a nineteen year old virgin, nor a alpha-chad-asshole, amassing a harem by either being nice or being mean but really mostly because of magical dick. He's a man in the prime of life winning hearts by being useful to the LIs in important ways and by being rich, powerful, confident, smart, and successful.

    Writing and Story
    It's very well written. I noticed no typos or incorrect word choices. Dialogue is natural, easy to read, understand, and enjoy. It is so refreshing to read an English VN written by someone who knows how it is spoken and has a healthy vocabulary. I can't say for certain that Togs is British, but if he's not he's trying to sneak British aphorisms into American characters' mouths. The American characters usually sound American, but occasionally they use British expressions that an American wouldn't. Though the MC has the excuse of having spent years at an English boarding school, the others don't. Sometimes it's done intentionally, addressed, and played for laughs, other times not. The main characters are well fleshed out and show development through the plot, and though some of the supporting characters and minor ones aren't much more than tropes, the writer has put some effort to break or defy those tropes a bit, which is nice. On the topic of side characters, I'm most impressed with the writing for the (rather few) people of color. None of them fall into the irritating, boring racial tropes that are too commonplace in AVNs. They're written like regular people, not caricatures.
    The story is interesting and engaging, and the plot keeps moving at a proper pace. You never feel like you're grinding or repeating days with only minor variations like I've found in other games with a "get up, go to work, eat dinner, go to bed" loop, and it's really only ever rushed toward the end of current development (v0.8.7). The plot does seem to drift a bit. Though the titular Roommate is never forgotten and she's still a part of the ongoing drama and mystery, not long after we are able to solidify the relationship status, the focus shifts from Kari to almost everyone else. In fact, Lois essentially starts taking over as the main LI once the MC becomes CEO, with Kari getting progressively less screen time. I feel like it would be a mistake to keep her on the back burner, because she's such a sweet, sexy, and loveable character that should play a role in keeping her man grounded and compassionate. The plot also contains sudden revelations and major developments that inject excitement and drama at a reasonable clip, and later in the game some of them feel a bit like we're jumping the shark, with the cult being the biggest culprit to this point. My suspension of disbelief has been tested on a couple occasions, but I've been able to soldier on, barely. There are a few minor gaps that I think are due to the dev making the game so dynamic. They are inconsequential details here and there that are inconsistent. Sometimes girls that either don't or shouldn't be expected to know each other, suddenly do, with no explanation or surprised reaction by the MC or others.
    While Brasidas' review below contains spoilers that aren't correct, the core complaint is still valid. MC isn't the science experiment, but Kari and her similarly named sisters are. They're built (or bred or grown or engineered) to be suitable mates that can be impregnated by MC as their genetics are supposed to be able to negate his genetic disorder in his children. Due to the genetic disease, it would be highly inadvisable for MC to impregnate other women, even though MC does get the chance to pretty casually creampie a wide variety of girls. I have no idea how Brasidas could have misunderstood that, but the point that women do seem to be throwing themselves at MC (several rather aggressively and a bit unrealistically) more and more as the game progresses has some merit. Most of the relationships progress believably, but others break that consistency. However, if I remind myself that MC is a young, rich, handsome, newly famous CEO, I'm able settle my incredulity.
    Most of the sex scenes themselves are a little short, simple, and often kind of bland, but that's made up for somewhat by the frequency and variety of encounters and the fiery white-hot sex appeal of so many of the LIs. I think Lois has some of the better sex scenes in the game, as well as most of the better dialogue. Frankly, the game should probably be renamed "The Executive PA".

    Mechanics and Gameplay
    I like the MC's lust mechanic, but it's never really a problem, then kind of becomes a non-issue to manage as the game moves on. I let the MC take advantage of so much of the freely available pussy, his lust meter never gets very high. Actually, later having low lust almost becomes a problem. There was a scene with Lois in the office apartment that I almost didn't see because it's only triggered if MC's lust is high enough, but I cheated a little extra lust to the MC. I like the fact that you can take relationships with the LIs in different directions without major consequences. Lois again being the winner with the most variety of relationship options.
    It's a visual novel with a reasonable amount of choices, and choices have a somewhat substantial effect on the how the plot unfolds but not what unfolds. The major story points are fixed, but how characters act and react during the events, and which side characters are around, are dependent on player choices. Unless you choose to block MC off of a route, you're not really in danger of losing a girl or her content, but it might be delayed. A light sandbox element (the phone) is added later on in the game, and it adds a minor amount of "gameplay" to the VN, letting you have some control over the MC's schedule. I couldn't get to the Lois Lactomax content without removing some of the "dummy" event delays that are put into the event handling system. I think that was done because it superceded one or two of her Sub/Slut events, but I was eager to see it, so I cheated. There's a lot more game mechanics happening under the hood than I'd guess before I unren'ned it to take a look. It's really quite impressive. I've seldom seen more intricately coded adult games/VNs, and of them, this one by far has the best result, better combining storyy, gameplay, and aesthetics.

    Visuals
    The game looks great overall. The backgrounds and environments appear unique and not reused. There are so many attractive LIs, and likewise most of them didn't spring to mind as familiar models I've seen in other games. A few of the side girls are a little meh, but they give both variety and contrast for the real smokeshows like Kari and Lois. I'd like to see a few girls with a little more booty, but there are healthy curves on most of the female models, even if those curves are generally north of the waistline. The clothes look great, with lots of sexy and appropriate outfits for the girls. I didn't notice any boobsocks, which should be a low bar, but one that I'd estimate more than 30% of Daz devs can't be bothered to clear. Early in the game, the posing is a little awkward at times, and eyelines weren't always given adequate consideration, but as the game has progressed, so has the dev's posing skills.

    Rating
    4 out of 5. A little more foreshadowing in regard to the cult surprise and the receptiveness of some of the unexpectedly keen side girls would go a long way toward alleviating the strain on my suspension of disbelief. As it is, it's great enough to detract from my overall stellar opinion of the game.
  16. 2.00 star(s)

    Brasidas

    The Roommate started out as close to a 5 star experience as it could be.

    Corporate climbing the ladder power crazy hire endless secretaries! OMG I'm gonna cum!

    Lovely love interest back home, romance the other love interest in the office!
    Etching closer to the power-crazy dream of a harem. Good stuff

    A bit of weird stuff along the way - milking some lady - ok, I can dig it...

    SPOILER ALERT!!!




    But then within the last couple of updates the game just veers straight off the rails and into you're really a freak science experiment, built to impregnate all - and I mean all women everywhere. They in turn become mindless love hungry cockfiends, lining up to get impregnated.

    So I may be out... But will keep an eye on the game, because it should honestly score much higher. I just don't enjoy games that go out of it's way to swamp you in woman after woman that just want you for no reason whatsoever.
  17. 4.00 star(s)

    goatwhisperer3

    UPDATED RATING

    My first impression must be revised.

    I made it to the end of the current version (day 63) and the original 3 stars are 4 now. This game is certainly above "average".

    The dev put a lot of work into this and you can see he cares about the project. He reads the feedback and gives his thoughts, which feels rare ( I don't rate that many games tho.)

    The characters have a growing varity and the interactions are well written. The story is somewhat unique and the h-scenes nicely integrated.

    My original thoughts about the decisions for MC haven't changed tho. Sometimes they feel meaningless, sometimes its hard to understand what they even do.
    On the other hand, you get those rare moments you are offered more freedom than you'd expect ( like picking your own staff after job interview with several girls), which is very nice.

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    Animations are simple but totally do the job. Not everyone can make a blockbuster movie out of nowhere.

    Not sure how to rate the kinky stuff. In the beginning, you get the option whether or not you like it kinky. But the only fetish I found so far is lactation(in connection with light pet play).
    More stuff probably/hopefully something for the future.

    And with more stuff I mean footjobs. Gimme feet ( ' -')

    To end on a high note, there is a huge varity in clothes.
    Everyone (but MC) changes them on a daily base so it feels pretty natural.
    When someone wears a different outfit it doesn't feel like cosplay (In other games the girls often have 1standard outfit and suddenly after 100days that one red/black dress for the *special* date night and thats it)

    I don't care about fashion but I care about the immersion and its helping. Good job dev.

    final rating 4/5stars
    _______________________________________

    Disclaimer (for both original and updated rating):
    If you use the walkthrough mod to give hints about answers, you can add 0,5stars to my rating. It compensates the missing informations in some way.
    _______________________________________

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  18. 5.00 star(s)

    KingyMingy

    While the game could have some choices matter more or give more in choice of the main girl, it seems like a perfect corporate world game and probably the best one here.

    Not much in the way of sex scenes, a few here and there but its the story that this game excels at (if you are willing to suspend disbelief for a while).

    Game gives a lot of control and power in the game world so in that sense its a very good blend between the corporate political world and a sex game.
  19. 5.00 star(s)

    Alfius

    Wow, wow wow!

    I loved the story. I like the way the dev implemented relationships and I love the actual plotline.

    The game was truly enjoyable and I loved every minute playing it.

    Girls are obviously very pretty, graphics are nothing flashy, but nice.

    Sex scenes are a bit hard in the beginning, but once it picks up steam, they are fast and furious.

    Can not put my finger on precisly why, but I just enjoyed playing this game (all aspects).
  20. 4.00 star(s)

    Cal2

    [Reviewed v0.8.4 Public]

    I've been playing this VN from the start. It absolutely has some unique charm and the story is interesting, but the visuals are a bit dated. That said, I keep wanting to come back to this and see where the story goes next.

    The Good (y)
    • Good diversity of attractive love interests (LIs)
    • Story and characters are charming
    • Lots of H-scene content

    The Not-So-Good (n)
    • Some of the "side" characters are more interesting than the main LI (the "roommate" from the title)
    • Visuals / graphics are dated / grainy
    • Animations are nothing special
    • Scenery / locations are nothing special
    • The further you get into the story, the more ridiculous the plot becomes
    Will continue to follow this game and looking to see how the story wraps up.