We're getting closer to enjoying some spicy Match-3 gameplay: the first HuniePop 2 gameplay trailer has arrived, along with the official reveal of the game's name. It's now called HuniePop 2: Double Date — and double dates are one of the key new mechanics introduced.
Let's kick things off with the HuniePop 2 gameplay trailer itself if you want to watch it:
If you're unfamiliar with the HuniePop games, the premise is simple: it's a game that mixes dating sims with puzzle games and a hell of a lot of bawdy humor. The romantically-unsuccessful player finds himself meeting the love fairy Kyu who promises to help him turn things around. You subsequently meet girls and go on dates represented by Match-3 games. Successful dates can lead to intimate scenes with each of the girls.
The first big-ticket item revealed in the gameplay trailer is "double dates" which are a little different than the standard usage of the term. Instead, your lucky self gets to take out two girls at the same time and split your attention between them, represented through a new interface element in the Match-3 portions of the game.
Double dates also appear to introduce a "stamina" bar which decreases as your attention is focused on one girl. As we only see double dates in the HuniePop 2 gameplay trailer, it's unknown if this also applies to single dates. We also don't know if there will be single dates at all in the game, but I can't imagine why HuniePot would do away with them entirely.
HuniePop 2 Gameplay Trailer Shows Off New Items and Traits
The new "double date" gameplay wasn't the only thing revealed in this brand-spankin' new trailer. New items, traits, and several other subtle hints to gameplay improvements were also buried within the video, each of which we'll break down below.
The HuniePop 2 Map
First up is the HuniePop 2 map. It shows nine locations in total:
- Tourist Plaza
- Boardwalk
- Surf Shack
- Courtyard
- Hotel Room
- Gift Shop
- Airport
- Hotel Lobby
- Boat Harbor
The map shows as many as two girls in the same location along with an icon between them. These icons include a pink heart, a pink heart with a green exclamation point, a gold heart with a green checkmark, and a silver and gold puzzle piece.
Inventories for the Girls
Each of the girls appears to have an inventory of their own with up to four spaces. An interface pops up showing various food items and gifts that can be given to one of two girls in the same conversation.
Progression System & Smoothies
It appears that there will be some kind of way to level up the girls in HuniePop 2: Double Date. A subsequent screen shows Candace Crush and Lailani Kealoha on the same screen. Candace has a Talent Level, Flirtation Level, and Sexuality Level, whereas Lailani has a Romance Level, Flirtation Level, and Talent Level.
As a reminder, the first game has four kinds of core game pieces: Talent, Flirtation, Romance, and Sexuality. Every girl loves one type of token, hates another type, and is neutral to the other two. Presumably, the inclusion of only three levels means that this system returns and the hated token type is ignored entirely for this new level system.
Players appear to be able to collect fruits to make smoothies which can increase these levels. In the trailer, a bunch of blue-colored berries and plants are used to make a Talent Smoothie which levels up Lailani's Talent from Level 2 to Level 3 out of a maximum of 4 levels.
A subsequent screen appears to show that buffing these levels shows increased percentages in a menu during Match-3 dates. Judging by the context, it seems like increasing the levels for each type of token will give you a percentage bonus for clearing those tokens on the board.
New Gifts (and the Return of Old Gifts, Too)
Gifts are still very much a thing and many old ones will be returning. There will, of course, also be several new gifts added to the game, although the HuniePop 2 gameplay trailer didn't go super deep into detail.
I did manage to spot the return of shoes along with some new items for two new characters that appeared to fit their theme, so it seems like things will be largely similar overall here.
Baggage (and I Don't Think They Mean Luggage)
The last new item of gameplay in the trailer is a "Baggage" feature with the promise of new twists being added as you progress. One example shown is Lillian's "The Darkness" baggage which reverses the effects of Passion and Broken Heart tokens.
We then got treated to a montage of all twelve girls with what appears to be three "Baggage" traits listed for each of them, which I'll list below.
Lola Rembrite
- Busy Schedule
- [Caffeine] Junkie
- Miss [Independent]
Jessie Maye
- Depression
- Emphysema
- Busted Vadge
Lillian Aurawell
- The Darkness
- Asthma
- Teen Angst
Zoey Greene
- Kinda Crazy
- Aquaphobic
- Tinnitus
Sarah Stevens
- Annoying as F*ck
- Attention Whore
- Smelly Pussy
Lailani Kealoha
- [Old-Fashioned]
- Low Self-Esteem
- Sheepish
Candace Crush
- Intellectually Challenged
- Forgetful
- Hyper-sensitive
Nora Delrio
- Abandonment Issues
- Emotionally Guarded
- Vindictive
Brooke Belrose
- Expensive Tastes
- Unsentimental
- Gold Digger
Ashley Rosemarry
- Easily Bored
- Commitment Issues
- Allergies
Abia Nawazi
- Sex Addict
- One Pump Chump
- Self-Effacing
Polly Bendleson
- Drama Queen
- Jealousy
- Brand Loyalist
Baggage appears to add another layer of nuance depending on the girl you pick. Previously, your only real gameplay concern was hitting the right tokens on dates and selecting the appropriate items; now, Baggage appears to mix up gameplay further for each of the girls. Combined with double dates, it looks like it will probably add some new challenging scenarios.
There also appears to be a way to remove Baggage (temporarily or otherwise). During one gameplay segment, Abia's "Self-Effacing" Baggage shows an empty space on the menu. Speaking of which...
A Look at the Menu
One of the last items to highlight is the menu that seems to be used in conversation. It shows the following buttons:
- Date
- Talk (one button for each of two girls)
- Gifts
- Fruit
- Girls
- Stats
- Store
It seems pretty standard, with the exception of the addition of "Fruit" for the Level-enhancing Smoothies and two separate Talk buttons to accommodate two girls on the screen at the same time.
The bottom of the screen also shows the date gameplay menu outside of an actual date. The top shows a butterfly icon with a number next to it, the time of day, and four types of fruit along with how many you have.
After several years of waiting, the HuniePop 2 Gameplay Trailer seems to have dumped a metric ton of new information on the game for players to enjoy. The only thing that remains to be seen is when we'll actually be able to buy this game.
Unfortunately, that's all detailed in the end card:
COMING SOON
Appreciate the patience, kings.
Work in Progress • Subject to Change
Welp. Loads of gameplay, but no release date just yet. There's no Steam Store page or anything for the game yet, either. In the meantime, you can pick up the original for 75% off on the Humble Store at the nicely-discounted price of just $2.49. Otherwise, you can grab it at the full price of $9.99 on Steam, DRM-free on GOG, adult gaming store Nutaku [NSFW], and adult gaming store Mangagamer [NSFW].
Disclosure: GOG, Humble Bundle, Mangagamer, and Nutaku work with TechRaptor for affiliate partnership, and TechRaptor earns a small commission off purchases made from some links in this article.
What do you think of the HuniePop 2 gameplay trailer? Do you think the new mechanics will have a significant effect on the game? Who is your favorite girl? Let us know in the comments below!
