In the case of video video games which can be primarily based on films or TV reveals, you possibly can definitely do so much higher than “Household Man On-line,” a short-lived MMORPG recreation from 2012. The sport allowed you to create your personal character and stroll round Quahog, finishing essential duties for the characters like “Beat up Chris’ bully” or “Assist Quagmire out on a date.”
That won’t sound that thrilling for you, and it did not sound all that thrilling to players on the time both. That is why the sport was by no means well-liked sufficient to justify transferring out of the beta section. After simply eight months of being obtainable to the general public, the builders introduced they’d be shutting the sport down. By January 2013 the sport was no extra; the closest factor you will get to enjoying it’s watching outdated walkthrough movies on YouTube:
If I needed to guess why the sport by no means took off primarily based on the gameplay I’ve watched, I would say it is as a result of the sport has little enchantment for followers outdoors the present. You do not have to be a fan of “The Simpsons” to understand the magic that was the 2003 recreation, “The Simpsons: Hit & Run,” but it surely’s very exhausting to think about a non-“Household Man” fan discovering something attention-grabbing about this “Household Man”-centric recreation. There’s little or no ability or technique required to perform any of the duties; to win the battle towards Chris’ bully, as an illustration, all you must do is click on on the bully and click on the hit button beneath. So long as you are able to do that, you’ve got bought it.
In the case of video video games, ‘The Simpsons’ reigns supreme
Sadly, “Household Man On-line” simply felt like an excessive amount of of a lazy money seize to be a hit. There have been few coherent storylines, with the sport’s narrative as a substitute choosing only a string of references to the present. Typically, your prize for finishing a process was that you simply’d get to look at a clip from the present, however if you wish to watch “Household Man” clips you possibly can already simply placed on the present at any time. The sport was an advert for the present first, and a playable recreation second.
In the meantime, “The Simpsons” launched one other online game across the similar, a cellular one referred to as “Tapped Out” the place customers bought to design their very own metropolis. Described within the adverts as “life-ruiningly addictive,” this recreation is lots of enjoyable (an excessive amount of enjoyable, even) for anybody in search of a gentle provide of dopamine boosts. I began enjoying the sport in highschool and needed to give up after a number of weeks as a result of it was taking over all my free time; in the meantime, gamers even at this time will speak about this recreation prefer it’s an addictive drug.
“I beloved this recreation a lot I needed to cease chilly turkey,” wrote one Redditor within the “Simpsons” subreddit. “I used to be waking up in the course of the night time throughout particular occasions to make sure I bought all of the collectibles. It consumed me and I beloved it. Tried to print my metropolis out at work in shade and bought in bother then everybody wanted a code to make use of the printer.”
“Tapped Out” lasted for over a decade earlier than the builders, EA Cellular, shut it down in January 2025, and lots of its gamers are nonetheless fighting the information. The sport’s subreddit, which has 74,000 customers, is now stuffed with posts lamenting the sport’s shutdown and questioning if there’s any method it may come again. However very similar to “The Simpsons: Hit & Run,” it looks like “Tapped Out” is gone for good.
It was unhappy to see each of the most important “Simpsons” video video games go, however each of them had a large impression, a lot bigger than the “Household Man” RPG may ever dream of. To not rag on “Household Man” an excessive amount of for not being pretty much as good as “The Simpsons,” however man, it is gotta sting for them to know that “Simpsons” supremacy extends even past the realm of TV. And to not add insult to damage, however the “South Park” video games are constantly superior, too.
