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What Your Favorite House Party Character Says About You – Part Two

As promised, we’re continuing the decidedly unoriginal series that tells you who you are based on your favorite House Party character. Because if anyone knows who you are, it’s certainly a bunch of video game developers and a blog writer in her mid-twenties who has no idea what she’s doing with her life… Yikes, okay, let’s get this show on the road before this gets too deep.

Madison

Besides your borderline unjustified hatred for your siblings, you feel connected to Madison because of your shared love for art. Paint by the numbers? So, what? Art mirrors life, and isn’t life just one big painting by the numbers? Graduate high school, don’t do drugs, go to college, get a 9-5 and waste your life away so capitalist America can profit off your existence – isn’t that how it’s supposed to go? So, if you’re painting by the numbers of life, and sometimes things bleed out a bit – hey, that’s just art at its finest. And all that spiritual mumbo jumbo? Even though you know that’s bullshit, you love it because it gives you something to obsess about instead of your own spiraling existential dread.

Ashley

If one thing is sure, it’s that you hate pranks. Much like Ashley’s disdain for her sister’s constant shenanigans, you find pranks (especially the ones centered on you) to be immature and annoying. Ashley’s probably your go-to gal because 1. Who doesn’t love a zebra tank top? And 2. You always wished you could pull off a side part, but you just can’t. Ugh. Okay – maybe the side part thing is a stretch. Anyways, you’re down-to-earth, well-rounded, and intelligent enough to navigate a friend group filled with metaphorical Franks and Leahs. Oh, and you absolutely love a good time, but not such a good time that you become a Patrick because… well, Patrick sucks.

Katherine

You’re witty, clever, and take no shit – at least, that’s what you tell yourself. That’s probably why Katherine attracts you: her no-nonsense attitude, followed by her overflow of information once she trusts you, mirrors your shitload of self-confidence. If it’s not your opinion, it’s wrong, and you have no shame about that. We’re going to guess that your romantic partners either have no thoughts of their own, or they have just as many opinions as you, and you guys don’t always (if ever) meet eye to eye.

Rachael

Well, we know for sure that you’re guarded. Once people carefully get to know you, though, you’re pretty cool and always have wild stories to tell. Much like Rachael’s got her secret flower tattoo, you’ve got your fair share of knick-knacks or weird-smelling erasers that you don’t show people until you’re sure they can be trusted. Rachael resonates with you because you don’t put up with shitheads like Patrick (Ugh, Patrick), and you’re always one alcoholic beverage away from knocking some idiot dude on his ass. Oh, and you never back down from a dare – which is why the Vickie Vixen shenanigans really hit home for you.

Stephanie

Oh, Stephanie lovers. You share Stephanie’s exact level of over-the-top (pun intended) confidence and love that she is willing to get low. Literally – like, so low we’re not sure how her AI knees move like that. Much like Stephanie, you enjoy a good time, mainly if that good time includes whip-its. Everyone seems to have opinions about your choices on the weekends – but hey, that’s on them. Underneath it all, you’re quite smart – and when it comes to it, you will do anything to help someone else out. Keep doing you, Stephanie fans, because we all know Stephanie will continue doing her.

 

Perhaps this list will give you insight into your true self – or perhaps it’ll have you wondering what the heck we’re going on about now. Regardless, we love you for spending your time at our House Party. While Frank may be guarding the alcohol, we certainly aren’t, and we hope you find every hidden bottle of Natty Lite around (hint: there are six). If you want to figure out where the six are, we just want to warn you that Frank and Leah are always one step away from knocking your lights out. So – be careful… but not too careful… if you get our gist.

What Your Favorite House Party Character Says About You – Part One

We know this idea has been done at least one billion times. But here’s the thing – we haven’t done it, so what kind of weirdly socially-aware game developers would we be if we didn’t do it ourselves? So, without further ado, here’s a list of what your favorite House Party character says about you because, let’s be honest, we all know you like Frank a bit more than you’d care to admit.

Patrick

First off, you love to party. Duh. You might not be as aggressively drunk as Patrick at get-togethers, but you certainly admire his bravado. You likely enjoy people who are willing to do anything for a good time, and you probably think it’s not a good night unless you barely remember it, right? If Patrick holds the apple in your eye, then you should probably reevaluate your choice in friends, because we guess that Frank and Rachael aren’t the only ones who have kicked their asses (physically or emotionally).

Leah

You’re loyal, determined, and focused. You likely have a close-knit group of comrades who share strong beliefs and are willing to do anything for the people they love. You’re also likely in a cult, but that’s a discussion for a different day. If loyalty is the name, then athleticism is the game – your ideal person is someone who knows how to properly kick ass.  

Derek

Your life used to be a lot more interesting. We’re guessing that you peaked in high school and barely clung to your fame in college, and now, well, you’re at a house party. It’s okay buddy, every friend group needs that guy (or gal, or whatever). You struggle in romantic relationships due to your guarded nature, and once someone breaks your trust, it’s over. In all, you’re a pretty chill human who likes de-stressing with old pals and reminiscing about the good-old-days. 

Brittany

You’re pretty shy with new people, which sucks because you’ve got an awful lot to say. However, when someone gains your trust, you never leave their side, metaphorically and physically. Oh, and you may be from the South because Brittany’s southern drawl and constant conversations about spicy foods remind you of home. Also… just saying… maybe you should try your clothes out before attending parties with strangers because locking yourself in a room and refusing to come out is pretty weird. And we know you’ve done that before because you like Brittany, duh. 

Amy

Well, first, you’re adventurous because Amy’s new in town and never stops talking about it; you’re also bold because Amy is willing to ask a stranger for a condom to impress her sorority, and we know you resonate with that. Whatever it takes to win, right? You’re quiet, but not in a shy way, just in an “I’m-happy-to-listen” kind of way, and probably enjoy spending your spare time (as if that exists) exploring art museums and staying up-to-date on your local film community or something. We get it – you’re cute and sweet. You can stop rubbing it in now. 

Frank

Ahhhh, Frank. We all love Frank, but if Frank is your favorite, then you’re probably someone who, like Katherine fans, has way too many opinions. You’re fierce, competitive, and hard to get along with; but once you trust someone, oh boy – the loyalty never ends. Er… As long as they don’t fuck up, because then it’s a one-way ticket to They’re-Gonna-Get-Their-Ass-Beat City. And trust us dude, no one wants to go there. While Frank’s borderline unhealthy obsession with stopping the consumption of alcohol is strange, it makes sense to you. Because you gotta fight for what you believe in, dude. There’s a true heart beating underneath Frank’s wife-beater tank top; and anyone who doesn’t dedicate their entire life (and weekends) to fighting for their cause is an ass-munching-fart-loser and deserves to get their asses beat. 

 

So, we’ve already sprinted past the amount of words this blog post can handle, yikes. There’s a bunch of characters left, so tune back in soon for part two of this incredibly (un)original series.

Eek! Games CEO Discusses House Party With Tvgry

Recently, popular YouTuber tvgry, also known as @TenPanMateusz, posted his video game review talking House Party highlights and outrageous missions. He, of course, noticed a certain character on our settings page, describing him as “a bald guy just sitting there looking into nothingness” – you guessed right…it’s Frank.

As a preamble to his review, tvgry sent over some questions to our beloved Founder and CEO Bobby Ricci – we figured we’d share this interview-Esque dialogue for your reading pleasure. So, as @TenPanMateusz put it so eloquently, “grab your friends, put on something nice, grab some juice (yes I said juice) – you’ll find out why later.”

From your point of view – who should play the game? Who is your target audience?

BR:  Anybody over the age of 17, really! (The game is rated Mature 17+ by the ESRB).  House Party appeals to a large audience with its Sims-like gameplay mixed with free-roam sandbox, and the game’s main aim is to be a comedy first and foremost.  You can play as a male or female protagonist, and the game is very inclusive in its portrayal of sexuality.  We have found men and women between the ages of 17 and 35 are mostly enjoying the game, but we also have a significant amount of players over 35 as well!

Is it a dating sim/adult dating sim or house party tropes parody?

BR:  Both!  House Party’s main aim is to be funny, and there are hundreds of opportunities with thousands of branching storylines, a lot of which have nothing to do with dating or romance at all.  Though it’s possible to romance most of the characters in the game, that is more of a feature rather than a focus of the game.  Most of the storylines have endings and don’t always end in romance, depending on the choices you make.

How did it all start, and have you incorporated any of your real-life experiences?

BR:  House Party actually started as a character engine I was writing for Unity.  It started shaping up very well and was unique, so I figured I would try my hand at creating something with it before I tried to sell it on the Unity assets store.  I didn’t want to do another tired game with violence and/or gore, and I was always a fan of those old adventure-style games, so I decided to do something along those lines.  I also felt like I wanted to bring back that old style with a more modern feel, and the House Party concept was born!  There may or may not be real-life experiences mixed into the game, but I will leave that to the player’s imagination. 🙂

How the hell did you get Doja Cat to have a guest appearance?

BR:  Doja Cat doesn’t just have a guest appearance, she has her own DLC with hours of gameplay, and she will be voice-acting her character herself!  The player will be able to interact with her like most of the other characters in the game, and she will have a storyline where you can help her out with her goals and schemes for the night, or not.  As always with House Party, the choice is yours.

With the success and positive reception of adding the Game Grumps, we thought it would be a good idea to do it again, only this time going for a much bigger celebrity.  We talked to many, but Doja Cat just seemed like an awesome fit for our first DLC with the perfect mix of personality and her crazy and silly sense of humor.

What’s next on the list of updates after Doja Cat DLC?

BR:  I’m not at liberty to say yet, but let’s just say…if you think Doja Cat is big, we are having some conversations right now that will blow your mind!

Who’s your favorite character, and why?

BR:  Hands down, Frank.  He’s just the funniest to write for, and it’s always a treat having his voice actor, Bentley Michaels, bring him to life with new lines.

What can I do to be one of the guests? Just asking for a friend ;p

BR:  Super easy! Just become a Grammy award-winning Pop Star!  We’ll wait.

Ok, so maybe the award-winning pop star requirement is a bit over the top – but so is House Party! Our player-choice, free-roaming game will let you (and maybe even encourage you) to align and re-align that moral compass of yours.

4 Ways You Can Destress Playing House Party

People are looking for one thing when they go to a house party – to destress and forgo responsibility for a little while. But what if you’re stressed on a Tuesday, with the weekend seemingly being so far out of reach? Here are 4 ways you can destress by playing House Party:

Find your Alter Ego

At a house party, everyone wants to make a good first impression so that they’re invited back.

At our House Party, you can forget about that.

As a player-choice game, you should be more concerned about finding the dumb to your dumber so that you can pull off your outrageous pranks while simultaneously testing your charm on whichever character strikes your fancy.

Avoid a drink actually being spilled in your face – or getting beat to a bloody pulp – by making sure you find allies that will have your back throughout the night. That’ll be a lifesaver when you inevitably piss off the wrong NPC!

Stimulate your Head

…the One Above your Shoulders.

With hundreds of stories, side-quests, and narratives – and the thousands of branching storylines – House Party is like a never-ending psychedelic trip. Consider it a mental vacation. 

No matter how many times you play, you’re bound to encounter new NPCs, new player-choice-driven storylines, and, most importantly, new opportunities for debauchery. 

Take a Dopamine Hit

The best medicine is laughter…with a side of vice. 

House Party is a hilariously designed, interactive video game that will have you doing double-takes throughout.

The games’ vibrant storylines featuring parodical personalities will make you feel like you’ve just entered the Twilight Zone – scary? Maybe. Unforgettably adventurous? Definitely. 

F*ck Around…It’s that Simple

House Party encourages you to adopt the ultimate stress-free attitude – consequences? Never heard of em’.

Free your inhibitions while meeting NPCs and playing through the thousands of storylines available. You can be the antagonist or instigator – it’s up to you.

 

Eek! Games’ House Party is here to keep you sane by letting you do the insane – stop stressing and start playing!

Women in Gaming

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

This is a PSA for all badass gamer girls: House Party is officially out of Early Access today! The full launch featuring a playable female character is available now.

In honor of our new female playable character, let’s talk video gaming…stats. More specifically, let’s talk Women in Gaming. Contrary to popular opinion, gamer girls are on the rise and have continued to crush stereotypes and break barriers. That’s right, boys – we’re coming for ya! 

 

Women Taking the Lead in Gaming:

We’re busy taking over the market AND the number of gamers (Anderton, 2019) –  it’s safe to say we’re here to stay. Worldwide, the number of gamer girls is increasing exponentially, from France to Taiwan and back to the U.S. This is despite the male-dominated and male-centric field that video gaming has evolved into – but what else is new? So who exactly are these women? Well, they may be the ones that raised you – that’s right, they’re not like a regular mom; they’re a cool mom. Yeah, you heard us right the first time. Women between the ages of 50-65 are playing more video games than the average man at that age (Anderton, 2019).  

And the best part? They raised kickass daughters leading the charge in redefining a woman’s place in the video game industry, especially concerning sponsorships and Esports competitions. The OG sisters to break ground in the gaming industry are none other than Brady and Dalton, AKA the badass PMS Clan or Pandora’s Might Soldiers. The group gained traction after building relationships with other women over Xbox, which they describe as “Pure Awesomeness!” We couldn’t agree more. The two have recently received the ESports Lifetime Achievement Award (Ong, 2021). 

 

Female Representation in Gaming:

Twitch has long been a boys club, but they’re in for a rude awakening! The women of Twitch are here to tell you that the amount of clothing does not define the “realness” of a gamer. We’re all gamers, no matter how we look, so shouldn’t our playable female characters represent that?! Emma Pearl on Twitch says we need to change the perception of what women should do online (Strapagiel, 2021). 

Often, women are underrepresented as characters and protagonists in video games. Feminist Frequency advocates for online representation crunched the numbers for 126 games featured at the 2019 E3 conference. Out of the 126, only six centered exclusively on female protagonists, and 28 centered on men…yeah, 6 (Sarkeesian and Petit, 2019). 

 

Play with Us!

Here at Eek! Games, we’re proud to say that our ladies of House Party have the beauty to turn your head and the brains to keep you in check. Say hello to Amy, Ashley, Brittney, Katherine, Leah, Lety, Madison, Rachael, Stephanie, and Vickie Vixen. Eek! Games believes female representation in video games, especially concerning playable characters, is essential. We’re proud to say that House Party is now included in the rising percentage of video games with a playable female protagonist

 

Why is this important? Progress starts by making noise, and those equipped with the loudest voices (i.e., video game development companies) are responsible for changing the visual narrative gamers are exposed to daily. At our House Party, you can play the way you want to, however you want to – and maybe f*ck around while you’re at it. 

 

 

 

Sources:

Yokoi, T. Female Gamers Are On the Rise. Can the Gaming Industry Keep Up?. Forbes. (March 4, 2021). Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomokoyokoi/2021/03/04/female-gamers-are-on-the-rise-can-the-gaming-industry-catch-up/?sh=3e7ca877f9fe

Anderton, K. Women Over 50 Are Playing More Video Games Than Men. Forbes. (January 29, 2019). Retrieved June 28, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinanderton/2019/01/29/women-over-50-are-playing-more-video-games-than-men-infographic/?sh=7e6d383c1093

Ong, A. The PMS Clan Blazed a Trail for Women in Competitive Gaming. PC Gamer. (November 13, 2021). Retrieved June 29, 2022, from  https://www.pcgamer.com/remembering-the-origins-of-the-trailblazing-pms-clan/

Strapagiel, L. No One Wins When Women Are Pitted Against Each Other. BuzzfeedNews. (June 10, 2021). Retrieved June 29, 2022, from https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/laurenstrapagiel/women-on-twitch-are-done-with-being-stereotyped

Sarkeesian, A. and Carolyn P. Female Representation in Videogames Isn’t Getting Any Better. Wired. (June 14, 2019). Retrieved June 29, 2022, from https://www.wired.com/story/e3-2019-female-representation-videogames/

 

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