In the spirit of gaming month, I naturally began to ponder games that made an impression on me. Sure, I could talk about games that I grew up with, games that inspired a tattoo choice, or heck, I could even talk about my most favorite game of all time…but that’s all been done before. What about the other games that made an impression? Shitty games, wonderful games you’d never play again, or what about the weirdest game you’ve ever played?
For me, I encountered the weirdest games on my PlayStation 2.
It was a console I owned on the cusp of adulthood and the first one I bought all the games for, which led to some questionable decisions.
Enter Chulip.
Ever move to a new town where you don’t know anybody? Ever fall in love with the girl next door? Ever try to improve your reputation by kissing the entire community? That’s basically the premise of Chulip.
Chulip is hands down one of the weirdest games I ever got the joy of experiencing. Part dating sim and part puzzle/adventure, players take control of a young man hellbent on winning the heart of his new neighbor. When his letter writing endeavor goes awry, players must then retrieve the pieces of the letter. The catch? You have to kiss people for them.
Whoa, whoa, WHOA.
Kiss people?! Yes, that’s the basic premise to this quirky little game. Each NPC has different requirements for scoring a kiss that range from counting people in a set amount of time to making contact with aliens. Yep, aliens. The game also follows a 24 hour schedule with different NPCs showing up at different times, making it quite the endeavor. It’s an interesting concept out of Japan, a place where kissing isn’t really done in public, but in Chulip, you’re encouraged to kiss EVERYONE. Your lip based promiscuity is the only way to make the best love letter, but proceed with caution! If a kiss is initiated improperly, you could be slapped or “hurt” enough to make your character lose heart!
I messed up many kisses on my way to true love (I even got shot a few times by a policeman!), but in the end, it all paid off as our hero fulfills his dream of romance with the girl next door.
Check out the trailer below and tell me, what was the weirdest game you have ever played?