female player

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

House Party

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

House Party

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.

Women in Gaming
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Women in Gaming

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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/

House Party 0.22.0 Stable Release
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House Party 0.22.0 Stable Release

House Party, News

House Party 0.22.0 Stable Release

Controller Support, UI and QOL Improvements…and the First Look at House Party’s Female Player!

The female player’s first look is here, doods!

Since adding her is a huge task, and because we want as much feedback as possible, this update will be a little different than what we’ve done in the past. Here is how we’re doing that:

On Patreon: this will be released as a Stable update, with all its features. In order to get as much feedback from our Patrons as possible, and because we’ve been super busy and might’ve dropped the ball on delivering certain perks to them ( <3 !! ), this update will be made available to all Beta-tier Patrons and up.

On Steam: We’ll be offering two versions of this update: First, a “live” or “no branch” version, which will offer many controller support improvements, UI tweaks, bug and quality of life fixes. Steam users who just want access to this version need to ensure that they do not have a beta branch selected in the game’s properties (“None”). The second version is identical to the first, but will also include the female character first look. To access this, Steam users will need to:

Click the gear icon on the House Party game’s landing page (or right-click House Party in their Steam Library) and click “Properties”
Navigate to the “BETAS” tab
Use the “Select the beta” drop-down menu to select the “testing – Testing Branch” option
Close the Properties window

On GOG: enter into the game’s Configuration menu (next to the Play button) in the GOG Galaxy client. Select “Manage Installation”. Then “Configure”. Then in the “Beta channels” dropdown, select “Change private channel password” and input the password ‘testing’ to opt into the testing version.

On itch.io: there will be two downloads available for the product you purchased. One will have no subtitle or special labeling. The other will be marked “(Testing Build – Female Player…)“. That one. Download that one.

On all Other Distribution Sites/Platforms: unfortunately, these do not support branch/version switching as conveniently, and therefore will only be getting the controller support, UI, bug, and QOL-improvement version for now. Eventually we will roll out the female player to all sites/platforms as soon as it is more fleshed out, so please be patient! It’s coming! She’s c…yeah!

So, why treat the female player first look all special-like? In short, she ain’t done yet. But we also wanted to show as many customers as possible our progress (as opposed to waiting and waiting the entire time we worked on her!), and give them ample time to provide us with feedback. While her Original Story content is not done, those with access to the female first look can choose to Start a New Game of the Original Story with her on the Main Menu. In terms of content, we’ve done a thorough first pass through the existing story lines and made a bunch of tone, pronoun, and wording tweaks to make you feel at home in the party as the female player! Unfortunately, we have not had the time to get voiced lines for much of this alternate content or fully convert all intimacy sequences, but bear with us! We’re working on it, and will continue to do so up until (and if needed, after) we exit Early Access!

Controller support is also fully functional, and we added some general House Party polish and UI improvements to this update. You can play the game without any major hang-ups on all supported controllers and the Steam Deck. We still plan on adding some quality of life features and fixes in the future to fine-tune how everything feels, but, as it is now, it’s completely playable.

If you’re curious about the polish we added, some notable changes are that we adjusted the colors for most of the interactable UI elements so they’re easier to see and fixed some cutscene issues that could cause them to get stuck. We also added a garage cutscene and a Frank mini oral scene in the yard.

Leading up to our release from Early Access later this year, we’ll be adding some quality of life features to controller support, polishing and bug fixing the hell out of the base game, and adding a lot more Original Story content, voice acting, and intimacy-specific tweaks and fixes for the female player.

Thanks for being the coolest partiers ever and staying patient as we worked through the hurdle of uncensoring Lety’s content in our last update. We’re sorry for the delay, and we hope you have fun playing as a female! We’re excited to add more of her story as we get closer to House Party’s exit from Early Access!

-Eek! Team

CHANGE LOG:

https://housepartygame.com/release-notes

Note: Updates labeled as “Testing”, “Beta”, and/or “First Look” contain unfinished and untested content. Placeholders may be present for dialogue and various assets. Older save files may no longer be compatible. Custom stories may no longer function as intended. Translations may also be incomplete. Controller support is nearly finished, but if you do run into issues, you may need to temporarily use your keyboard/mouse to restore normal functionality.

House Party Early Access Exit and Roadmap
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House Party Early Access Exit and Roadmap

House Party, News

House Party Early Access Exit and Roadmap

After a long and incredible journey, we are getting ready to pull House Party out of Early Access!

After our stable build of the latest update goes live in the coming weeks, there will only be one more content update before we officially leave Early Access. Vickie’s finale coming to a close marks the completion of all of the content we have planned for our male protagonist, and the next couple of updates are going to be mostly polish, alongside the long-awaited ability to play as a female main character.

We’re sure you have questions, but we have answers! So strap in. Here we go!

When is House Party leaving Early Access?

We’re glad you asked! Here’s our tentative timeline of what we currently have planned (updated after 0.22.0 release on 4/14/22):

That said, we want to thank everyone who has purchased, played, and supported House Party throughout these years of development. We can’t stress enough how none of this would have been possible without you. The biggest thing that kept us going through all of the journalist negativity and attempted censorship we’ve had to deal with over the years, was our overly positive player review scores and feedback. Today, House Party has supportive press reviews, a steady player base, and is accepted in both censored and uncensored forms across various streaming platforms. Additionally, if you’ve been paying any attention to our latest teasers, you’ll know that we’re about to take things to a whole other level, all thanks to your support, feedback and encouragement. House Party’s graphics have been improved. We’ve added globalization and translation. We fleshed out the storyline and even added extra things we never planned for like the combat system, cutscenes and controller support. We’ve taken your suggestions to heart throughout this whole process, and we’re always trying to make House Party the best it can be for all players.

What’s going to change now that House Party is leaving Early Access?

Part of this process involved making changes to the game, the most significant of which, is that we now have a base game with a Steam “Mature” rating, and we have a Steam “Adult Only” rated DLC patch. Initially, the DLC patch’s purpose was simply to uncensor any nudity or sexual content in the game, but since then a lot of the mature content has been moved from the base game to the Explicit DLC patch. We are also now developing bigger, longer, and explicit cutscenes specifically for that content patch.

Because of this, and because we plan to add more content specifically to the Explicit DLC patch, we will soon be adding a small charge for the DLC patch. We wanted to let you know ahead of time, since if you already own the game, you can still (at the time of this writing) download the patch for free, and if you downloaded it at any point while it is free, it will remain free permanently. This price increase will only affect new players, and the base game price will remain unchanged even after we exit Early Access.

We will continue to maintain this optional AO rated patch as a counter to the changes the “powers that be” require us to make to allow the base game to maintain an “M” rating. It’s a necessary thing so that this game and our future games can continue to thrive both in and out of the mainstream, ensuring the stability of our company, which in turn means much more cool stuff to come down the line! House Party is all about choice, and we are committed to delivering the choice of adult content to our 18+ players, and to combat the regulations surrounding this type of content in video games as opposed to gratuitous violence, and exposing the hypocrisy and discrimination of creators of this type of content by the people who make these silly rules.

What happens after House Party leaves Early Access?

Even though we’re ready to call the base game “finished”, this is only the beginning for House Party. We have some wild stuff planned post release! We will continue releasing “quality of life” updates after the game leaves Early Access, and we have plans for exciting DLC packs in the future to add more content to the game, and to give players more options. We’ve already hinted at what the first one will be. Shortly after House Party’s full release and exit from Early Access, we will drop our first-ever DLC pack featuring the “mystery character” we’ve been teasing! We think your minds will be blown when we drop our full reveal on that. It’s coming soon!

Other than that, we will also be working on porting House Party to a VR version, as well as shifting more of our staff to working on our sequel game, Office Party. Expect to see a lot more of Eek! Games in the future!

It’s an exciting time for us and we’re happy to be sharing it with all of you. We’re so thankful you all have come on this development journey with us, and we’re stoked for everything in store for the future!