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• overall: B. enjoyment: B.
• huniepop was a dating sim/puzzle game combo from 2015, noteworthy for both its self aware raunchy humor and high key problematic content, and for being the first of its kind in terms of game structure. the dates take the form of games of match-three, which at the time was an innovative design choice that has launched a good number of copycat games. aside from its standout areas, there isn't much to the game. the characters are hit or miss, the art is competent but not impressive, and the dialogue is very straightforward without any romance to speak of. i certainly consider this a "good" game, though i'd recommend pirating it if you think you might be interested.
• plot: F. barely has one. the premise is that you are a complete loser who can't pick up chicks, so the love fairy kyu makes you her new project, promising to make you basically a sex god. it works too well. now, this is absolute bare minimum "just sets up the characters and thats it" story. but if youre playing this game for a rich compelling plotline, you're in the wrong place. it didn't need a plot, so it didn't add one.
• characters: B. its got a big cast, and frankly not all are hits. i find all the "unlockable" girls boring or creepy, and nikki and audrey are just reprehensible people. audrey i actually do like, because her assholery is over the top and funny. but she is still pretty hit or miss. the rest of the main girls, however, are pretty likable, if not standout. big contenders for top tier are jessie and lola, both mature and kind women who know what they want and arent ashamed about it, and kyu who is just an objectively master class character. the designs are all very nice as well, and the ability to change their hair/outfits is a cute touch.
• writing: B. the game really has more of a focus on gameplay than writing, but the dialogue is far from bad. with the exception of some awkward lines and weird questions/answers, its pretty fun. the girls personalities are well presented, and the game is very self aware. also a little racist but that's more a flaw of personality than writing ability.
• routes: doesn't really have routes, you date them all.
• gameplay: S. in some ways, this follows the structure of a traditional sim. you move around to different locations to find your girl, pick dialogue choices she'll like and give her gifts, and raise the stats she likes to make wooing her simple. the difference is in how the dates work. the sole factor in whether you advance with the girl you like is whether you can beat a match 3 puzzle, with the difficulty scaling up as you progress. the puzzle itself is very well crafted, with different gems having higher point values based on your skills and the girl's personality, obstacle "broken hearts" to avoid, and certain gifts you can bring into the game to affect the grid and gems. it's... pretty damn well designed for a puzzle game, to be honest, and as an entirely unique concept for a dating sim it's standout. i will always give points for innovation.
• art: B. i remember the art in this game being way better, so i was surprised to look back and realize it actually was never really that good. its competent, and cute. very simple, not any obvious bad anatomy, but a little basic. the UI looks very nice, and the CGs are well designed. solid art, just nothing to write home about.
• sound: S. unusually for a dating sim, huniepop is fully voice acted -- and well, too. the quality is fantastic, and the voices fit their characters and are nice to listen to. ...mostly. there's one character whose voice is as intolerable as the rest of her, but the majority sound good. the music is relaxing and doesn't get grating, and the sound effects are very good. overall - this is top of the line.