Go to the game's main page
Review
In Warm Me Up, you are single and tired of romantic relationships that go nowhere. So, when a production company announces casting for a romance reality TV show called “Warm Me Up,” you submit an application… and are chosen to be a contestant!
CASTING NOW:
HOT SINGLES WANTED
Since the game is still under development, I’m going to wait on assigning it a rating.
The premise of a reality dating TV show piqued my interest because it reminds me of the ChoiceScript game Blood Island. As a work of horror, Blood Island focused more on exploring the sole survivor “final girl” trope and less on individual romance between contestants. Warm Me Up proved to be an opportunity to focus on the falling-in-love part as well as depicting the logistics of a reality TV show.
Currently, the game consists of the application process and the first day of filming. The show is structured around a bidding process where each contestant bids on one person they want to pair up with. If two individuals choose each other, they sleep in a cozy lodge. Failure means sleeping in a tent outside. In the Swiss Alps. The game ends soon after the results are announced. But prior to this is gameplay where you get acquainted with the contestants and have a chance to build a rapport with them.
“No need to fall so hard for me.”— ♡
“You’ve got a little…”— ♡
“Let me help you.”
“You seem…busy. I won’t get in your way.”
Rapport is measured with a stat system for romance and friendship metrics. The player, too, has stats that reflect their personality. Player appearance is also customizable.
Right now, the game isn’t long enough to feel much connection with the contestants, but that didn’t stop me from fussing over who they were going to choose for the bidding ceremony (Spoiler - click to show)(I’ve only been successful in pairing with Kalea and Dmitry). I assume it’s possible for every contestant to fall head over feels in love with the player. But will this be based in dynamic relationship-building that reflects the uniqueness of each character or will it simply revolve around having a high enough stat? Time will tell.
As a Twine game, Warm Me Up keeps it simple with a blue colour pallet that can be viewed in light or dark mode. Text is easy to read and the occasional emoji adds flair.
Final thoughts
Warm Me Up is clearly an ambitious project and impresses with its polished appearance and solid TV show premise. I know I’m committed. Despite consisting of only one chapter, the framework for a fantastic game has already been laid. I hope this momentum continues as it undergoes further development.
