Drive Me Crazy

Released in the summer of 2024, "Drive Me Crazy" is an interactive film game that blends elements of adventure, role-playing, and simulation. Developed by Tenth Art Studio, wwqk Studio, and EE GAMES, and published by EE GAMES and Tenth Art Studio, the game was released on Steam on July 12, 2024. It is also planned for release on consoles, mobile devices, and mini-programs. The narrative of "Drive Me Crazy" is inspired by the urban legend surrounding the "Yua Mikami's wedding and retirement event". Players assume the role of Qiangzi, the fiancé of the popular contemporary idol Mikami, who has retired to open a cake shop and marry him. The central conflict arises when Qiangzi loses his wedding ring at his bachelor party the day before their wedding photos are to be taken. This event triggers a non-linear story where Qiangzi's entanglements with seven other women come to light, and his primary task, at Mikami's request, is to find the missing ring. The game poses a core question to the player: "With Yua Mikami by your side, would you still have a change of heart?". "Drive Me Crazy" features a multi-genre approach, combining Adventure, Casual, RPG, Simulation, and Strategy. The gameplay is presented as an interactive fiction with a significant emphasis on player choice. The story features ten female protagonists, with eight of them being romanceable options for the player. The developers have stated that the emotional connections with each character are designed to be unique and logically developed rather than forced. A notable feature is the inclusion of eight mini-games, the outcomes of which directly impact the direction of the main storyline, offering a level of engagement that the creators aimed to be unprecedented in similar titles. The game also has a downloadable add-on, "DriveMeCrazy：ZhongLingQingDai - Extra Chapters". The game is available on Windows and Mac systems and supports five languages: Simplified Chinese, English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Vietnamese. While playable on various platforms, Valve is still working on full support for the game on Steam Deck. User tags on Steam categorize the game with terms such as "Interactive Fiction," "Puzzle," "RPG," "Simulation," "Dating Sim," "FMV," "Adventure," "Singleplayer," "Female Protagonist," "Emotional," and also note the presence of "Nudity" and "Sexual Content". Upon its release, "Drive Me Crazy" received "Mostly Positive" reviews on Steam, with 71% of the 349 user reviews being positive. The game is priced at $12.99, with an initial launch discount. While critic reviews on platforms like Metacritic are not yet available, the user reception on Steam indicates a generally favorable response to the interactive narrative and gameplay elements.