Introduced in 2017, House Party is a raunchy and riotous 3D adventure game that has garnered a sizeable cult following. Set during a wild house party, the game puts you in the shoes of a male or female character trying to hook up, cause shenanigans, and achieve a variety of absurd objectives. With a goofy sense of humor, offensive jokes, and pixelated nudity, House Party definitely earns its "mature audiences only" label.
The gameplay revolves around exploring the house, interacting with partygoers through branching dialogues, finding and using items, and completing character-specific quests. Where House Party really shines is in its complex AI system and dynamic storytelling. Based on your choices, the party unfolds in different ways each playthrough, with unique dialogue paths, pop culture references, and wild situations arising.
As lead developer Bobby Ricci describes it, "The AI is what makes House Party unique. We wanted to create the most realistic and reactive NPCs ever seen in a game. The system is built on a huge database of dialogue, traits, relationships, and world states that the AI dynamically pulls from to improvise each interaction. We keep adding to this database so the NPCs feel more lifelike with each update."
Indeed, across 5 years and 34 updates, the amount of content and permutations in House Party has grown massive. Over 30,000 lines of recorded dialogue, 38 achievements, 12 major story arcs, and countless player-created stories make for a staggeringly replayable 100+ hour game. With so many decisions to make and raunch to pursue, even veteran players need a walkthrough.
By The Numbers
- 34 updates since 2017 release
- 12 major characters each with 6+ hour storylines
- 10,000+ lines of branching dialogue
- 38 achievements, some requiring multiple playthroughs
- 91% positive reviews from 17,000+ Steam ratings
- 500,000+ copies sold as of 2022
Getting Started
When starting a new game, you choose to play as a male or female character. This affects some dialogue options and romance paths but doesn‘t radically change the overall storyline. Whichever you pick, make sure to:
- Thoroughly explore the environment, interacting with everything
- Exhaust all dialogue options with each character
- Save frequently, especially before risky actions
- Take in-game notes to track objectives and key info
The early game is fairly linear as you meet the core cast, but it quickly opens up into a web of interweaving storylines. With so many possibilities, it‘s easy to miss steps or get lost. Don‘t hesitate to consult guides, walkthroughs, and the hints in your in-game phone.
Main Quests
Each storyline in House Party typically starts with casual flirting, escalates to raunchy hijinks, and climaxes in an over-the-top sexual encounter or bit of debauchery. While you can pursue them in any order, there are some key dependencies and factors to consider.
Madison
The eccentric artist and core story driver. Pursuing her opens up the most alternate scenes and subplots, but you need high rapport to access them. Focus on complimenting Madison‘s quirky art projects and playing into her narcissism.
Frank & Patrick
The ultimate bros who constantly rope you into antics involving drugs, booze, and property damage. They provide most of the game‘s lowbrow humor and shock value. Frank‘s storyline about proving his sexual prowess despite having a micropenis is surprisingly poignant though.
Brittney
The prim and proper good girl whose storyline involves thwarting a blackmail scheme with nude photos of her. Lots of stealth segments and tricky conversations. Brittney‘s arc has the most branching, with several endings and wide-reaching effects on other storylines.
Stephanie
The resident mean girl who bullies the nerdy Stephanie. Your goal is breaking Stephanie‘s bitchy facade to reveal her insecurities and secret geeky side. Features some of the best character development and jokes that reward 2000s pop culture knowledge.
Ashley & Vickie
The wild party girls who are always down for a good time. Their quests are the most sexually explicit, usually involving public nudity, girl-on-girl action, and over-the-top kinky scenarios. They also act as "unlocks" for several other storylines.
Katherine & Lety
Added in later updates, Katherine and Lety have some of the most elaborate and thematically unique quests. Katherine‘s storyline is a noir-inspired murder mystery full of intrigue. Lety is an outsider who shakes up the party dynamics in hilarious ways. Definitely play these after the base cast.
Romances & Relationships
House Party‘s romance system is straightforward but requires careful decision-making. You can flirt with and seduce most of the characters, but going too far with one can lock you out of other paths. Some key romance tips:
- Pursue all initial flirting options before locking into a serious relationship
- Use gifts and favors to build rapport with your desired partner(s)
- Pay attention to each character‘s likes, dislikes, and turn-ons that get revealed in dialogue
- Don‘t be afraid to experiment with unconventional pairings like Patrick/Derek or Madison/Brittney
While House Party markets itself on the promise of wild orgies, its romance storylines are most satisfying when you commit to one or two partners and really explore their backstories. The sex scenes may be ridiculous, but there are some genuinely sweet and tender moments to be found.
Achievements
House Party has 38 achievements as of 2024, some of which are extremely challenging or missable. According to Steam achievement stats, the rarest ones are:
| Achievement | % of Players Unlocked |
|---|---|
| Casabrova | 0.2% |
| Do Not Burn | 0.7% |
| Good Riddance | 0.8% |
| Duck n‘ Weave | 1.1% |
| Early Worm | 1.6% |
To get these and the other tricky ones, you‘ll need to:
- Make some very counterintuitive choices that defy the implied "best" path
- Closely follow the exact steps of character questlines without deviation
- Find and complete obscure side-quests not critical to the main story
- Save-scum and brute-force your way through timed challenges
- Play through the storylines several times to see all outcomes
Getting 100% achievements is a true badge of honor in the House Party community. It requires mastery of the game‘s systems, encyclopedic knowledge of storylines, and a willingness to be a complete degenerate.
Themes & Identity
On the surface, House Party is pure male-gazey wish-fulfillment. You‘re a dude at a party full of hot girls just waiting to be seduced and seen naked. However, there‘s surprising depth to the game‘s gender politics and themes if you dig a bit deeper:
- Playing as a female character puts a subversive spin on the power dynamics and tropes. You realize how much agency the women truly have.
- Many of the male characters are portrayed as insecure, emotionally vulnerable, and in need of validation. It‘s a subtle indictment of toxic masculinity.
- The storylines ultimately condemn manipulative and selfish behavior. The best endings come from honest communication and emotional intimacy.
- There‘s a wide range of body types, ethnicities, and sexual identities represented. House Party celebrates female sexuality without harsh judgment.
Of course, House Party is still an immature, crass game full of low-brow humor. However, by not taking itself too seriously, it creates a safe space to explore these charged issues. If we can laugh at a micropenis or a lesbian makeout sesh, maybe we can chill out about them in real life too.
Community & Modding
A huge part of House Party‘s longevity is its active player community. The official forums and Discord are full of players sharing strategies, crazy stories, and NSFW memes. The devs are active there as well, frequently polling players on update priorities and incorporating fan feedback.
House Party also has a small but passionate modding scene. Using the official modkit, fans have created everything from new outfits to entire questlines and characters. Some of the most popular mods include:
- MEGA_Mod: Adds dozens of new interactions and alternative scenes
- Kris: A fan-made character with a fully-voiced questline
- Nude Judy: Does exactly what it says, you perv
- Vickie Vixen Expansion: Fleshes out Vickie‘s backstory and adds new scenes
While most mods trend towards horny wish-fulfillment, some actually make meaningful additions to the base game. It‘s worth installing a few like MEGA_Mod on subsequent playthroughs to see all the new fan content.
Post-Game Reflections
I‘ve played through House Party half a dozen times over the years, and I keep finding myself drawn back to its unique blend of raunch and heart. It‘s a great palate cleanser between heavy story games – the video game equivalent of a trashy reality show.
However, House Party has also genuinely made me reflect on my own college party experiences in a new light. Beneath the sex jokes and shenanigans, it exposes the insecurities, pressures, and posturing that define so many young adult social interactions. It uses absurdist comedy to highlight the very real emotional needs we all crave – to be desired, to be validated, to be loved.
House Party may be a silly porn game, but it‘s also a fascinating social sandbox. The complex AI and absurdist scenarios force you to think on your feet and consider your actions from other perspectives. It challenges you to be emotionally honest in a world of superficial interactions. For a game so gleefully stupid, it sure does provoke a lot of self-reflection.
Conclusion
House Party is a narrative marvel, a technical showcase, and a damn good time. It masterfully harnesses the power of immersive sims and procedural storytelling to deliver puerile comedy with a surprising amount of wit and heart. There‘s really nothing else like it.
If you can stomach the crass humor and sexual content, I highly recommend giving House Party a shot. Play it once for the goofy fun, then again to marvel at the narrative systems and unpack the themes. Check walkthroughs when you get stuck, but don‘t be afraid to experiment and fail. After all, a good house party always has some unexpected drama.
Just remember: Always get consent, practice self-care, and don‘t take yourself too seriously. If a video game dick joke offends you, you clearly need to get out more. House Party doesn‘t just simulate a debaucherous night of partying, it gamifies learning to loosen up and love the skin you‘re in. And that‘s a lesson we could all stand to learn.
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