HuniePop 2 Announces New Trans Character Polly, Delays Release 'Til 2019

Published: August 20, 2018 9:35 PM /

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huniepop 2 - art evolution hunie direct

HuniePop 2 developer HuniePot has released a Hunie Direct video where they announce a brand new character for the game, show off some new locations and talk a bit about the game being delayed until 2019.

If you're unfamiliar with HuniePop, it's more or less a game that mashes together match 3 gameplay with a dating sim. The player's character is a sad sap who can barely talk to women, but he's fortunate to be visited by a love fairy named Kyu. Kyu coaches you on how to best chat up a pretty lady and go on dates. Dates in HuniePop are represented by the aforementioned match 3 gameplay - players need to successfully land the right combos in a certain number of moves for the date to be successful. You can turn the tide in their favor by matching the correct kind of pieces for each girl and making good use of the game's special items. Our review highlighted the compelling gameplay as a big plus.

HuniePop 2 was first announced in October of last year. Since then, the developer has been occasionally releasing new tidbits of information on his Twitter or via Hunie Direct videos on his YouTube channel. The latest Hunie Direct was narrated by Kyu's VA and had some interesting tidbits in it - have a look at it for yourself!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wfXP21wuKE

At the moment, the game's intended cast of characters is set at 13. Some characters from HuniePop and the non-canon game HunieCam Studio will be among the datable girls alongside some brand-new girls to the series. At the moment, all but three characters have been announced.

HuniePop 2 will be considered to be a direct sequel to HuniePop. You'll be playing as the same protagonist two years after your adventures in the first game in a brand-new town with fresh locations to take the girls on dates. The fictional tropical island of Inna De Poona will be your stomping grounds as you meet girls both old and new in your romantic escapades.

huniepop 2 lola card
Lola is one of three girls from HuniePop confirmed to be returning in the sequel HuniePop 2.

After the talk about the girls and the new town, a delay in the game's release was mentioned. Unfortunately, HuniePop 2 has been pushed back from a late 2018 release to an indeterminate time in 2019. "It's a combination of us spending a few extra months working on The Spiral Scouts and also just life getting in the way for some members of the team," said the developer in an e-mail to TechRaptor. "I'm not gonna go into anyone's personal business, but, you know, shit just comes up sometimes."

How much of a factor was The Spiral Scouts in the delay? From what I could gather, it might not be that big of a factor - although it certainly contributed in some small way. "The art team started working on [HuniePop 2] when I started working on The Spiral Scouts and they're still going strong. So, depending on when they finish their work and when I finish mine, The Spiral Scouts could actually end up ultimately having a very little effect on the date."

Though it's hard to tell just how much The Spiral Scouts may have held up HuniePop 2, the time spent working on the adorable puzzle game might not be that big of a factor in the end. It's certainly a fine game (with no adult sexual content but plenty of crude humor) - be sure to check out our review and see what we thought of it.

A short F.A.Q. section was next.  We learned a few quick tidbits about the game and the HuniePop universe:

  • HunieCam Studio is not canon to HuniePop.
  • HuniePop 2 will release on PC & Mac and the developers are exploring other platforms.
  • The game's cost will be decided when it's almost complete.
  • It will be uncensored on Steam provided that Valve's current policy on adult content remains in place.
  • You'll be able to play as either a boy or girl, just as you could in the first game.
  • HuniePop 2 will be fully voiced.
  • The game will get to "the good stuff" (that is, the 18+ content) much faster.
  • Kyu the love fairy is cute, smart, and perfect in every way. She may also have the developer chained up in the basement.
It was there that the video was supposedly over, but a Smash Bros.-style card popped up as a prelude to the announcement of the new girl Polly Bendleson. She was thusly described by Kyu's VA:
Polly is by far the most-requested type of character we've ever had. She's a very classy and traditional lady that dreams of someday being the perfect housewife. She's kind of obsessed with stereotypically girly things like fashion and makeup. She even has her own online beauty channel with, like, tons of viewers! Also, she has a dick! So you better pack some extra lube in that carry-on - you're gonna need it!
Polly is the first trans person to be included in the cast of datable characters. The response to her on Twitter was rather divided, so much so that the developer hosted a (now-deleted) straw poll to gauge the community's reaction to the character and how she should be treated in-game. A statement was later released alongside her character bio in a tweet and a news post on the game's official website. Here is a portion of the statement:
The video states that Polly “has a dick”, meaning she’s trans. This ended up causing a very split reaction that I, honest to god, did not expect. This is a character we’ve been asked for hundreds of times. I was very much under the impression that “girl with dick” (whatever you want to call it) was a pretty universal interest/preference/fetish among Anime/Hentai/Visual Novel fans. I can’t even keep track of how many hentai’s I’ve seen where some chick all the sudden breaks out a huge cock; a fantasy fetish that can be enjoyable on screen but that doesn’t necessarily translate to real life for everybody.

[...]

Being that our only job is to make a fun game that everyone can enjoy, I’ve decided to put the power in the hands of each player to choose the experience that best suits them. In the same way you can choose your own gender, you’ll be able to choose Polly’s gender. I’m not sure exactly how it’ll play out yet, but at some point before or during your first meeting with Polly, you’ll be asked to specify your preference and the game will take it from there. That’s it!

huniepop 2 polly card
Polly is the newest cast member to be announced for HuniePop 2 and the first trans girl in the series.

HuniePop had a variety of different girls as part of their cast and the sequel is shaping up to be no different. I asked the developer what led to Polly's inclusion in the game. "It's interesting, it's something new, it adds more variety to the cast and a lot of people are into it," he stated. "Plus, I had some pretty funny dialog exchanges in mind that were hard to resist."

I also asked if he expected the kind of reception that Polly received on the company's various social media channels. "What I didn't expect was the number of people who would be very uncomfortable with the character. But, it is the way it is. I'm more than happy to offer customers an option that suits them best. All we're after here is happy customers.

And that's it for all of the news tidbits for HuniePop 2. It's set to release at some point in 2019 (hopefully sooner rather than later). If you haven't had a chance to play the original game, you can pick it up on Steam, the Humble Store, GOG, Mangagamer [NSFW], and Nutaku [NSFW] for under ten bucks.

Disclosure: Humble Bundle, GOG, and Nutaku work with TechRaptor for affiliate partnership, and TechRaptor earns a small commission off purchases made from links in this article. In addition, GOG provides a monthly giveaway to our Pack Hunter members and Nutaku provides perks for Pack Hunter members.

What do you think of Polly's inclusion in the cast of characters in HuniePop 2? Are you disappointed with the game being delayed or are you happy to wait for the finished product? Let us know in the comments below!

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
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More Info About This Game
Learn more about HuniePop 2
Game Page HuniePop 2
Developer
HuniePotDev
Publisher
Huniepot
Platforms
PC
Release Date
February 9, 2021 (Calendar)
Genre
Puzzle
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