Super Seducer: How to Talk to Girls

Super Seducer: How to Talk to Girls is a first-person Full Motion Video (FMV) dating simulation and graphic adventure game developed by RLR Training Inc and published by Red Dahlia Interactive. Released in 2018 for Windows and Macintosh, the game presents interactive dating scenarios where players choose dialogue options to navigate conversations with women, aiming to teach real-world social skills through practice-based gameplay.

Super Seducer: How to Talk to Girls: Review

Introduction

Super Seducer: How to Talk to Girls is a game that defies easy categorization. Marketed as a “seduction simulator,” it has sparked intense debate since its release in 2018. Is it a misguided attempt at teaching social skills, a crass exploitation of outdated gender dynamics, or an unintentional comedy goldmine? This review will dissect the game’s development, narrative, mechanics, and legacy to determine its place in gaming history. My thesis: Super Seducer is a flawed but fascinating artifact of its time, offering a window into the problematic world of pickup artistry while failing to deliver meaningful or ethical guidance.

Development History & Context

Super Seducer was developed by RLR Training Inc., a company founded by Richard La Ruina, a self-proclaimed “seduction guru” and author of books like The Natural: How to Effortlessly Attract the Women You Want. La Ruina, who also stars in the game, is a controversial figure in the pickup artist (PUA) community, known for his workshops and seminars. The game was directed by Ludmila Vasilevich and featured a small team of 22 people, including actors, writers, and technical staff.

The game was released on March 6, 2018, for Windows and Macintosh, and later ported to other platforms. It was developed using the Unity engine, a choice that reflects its modest technical ambitions. The gaming landscape in 2018 was dominated by narrative-driven experiences like Detroit: Become Human and Life is Strange, making Super Seducer a stark outlier. Its release coincided with a cultural shift away from the PUA movement, which had been criticized for promoting manipulative and often misogynistic behaviors.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Super Seducer presents itself as a tool for teaching men how to interact with women, but its narrative and thematic underpinnings reveal a troubling worldview. The game consists of ten episodes, each set in a different social scenario (e.g., a coffee shop, the office, a bar). Players guide La Ruina through conversations with women, making choices that determine the outcome of each interaction.

Plot and Characters

The plot is minimal, focusing on La Ruina’s attempts to secure phone numbers, kisses, or sexual encounters. The women he interacts with are largely one-dimensional, serving as obstacles or rewards rather than fully realized characters. The game’s dialogue is often cringe-inducing, with La Ruina delivering lines like, “We’re girls, we always have problems,” which underscores its reductive view of gender dynamics.

The characters are played by a mix of professional actresses and non-actors, with varying degrees of competence. Shanna Vincent, the lead actress, stands out for her charisma, while others deliver wooden performances that feel more like improv exercises than polished acting. La Ruina’s portrayal of himself is equally problematic, oscillating between smug confidence and awkward insecurity.

Dialogue and Themes

The dialogue is a mix of awkward humor and questionable advice. Players are encouraged to use tactics like the “Best Friends Test” or the “Cube Test,” which are explained in vague, pseudoscientific terms. The game’s themes revolve around manipulation and control, with La Ruina framing seduction as a game of psychological warfare. This is evident in scenes where he debates immigration with a woman or interrogates a stranger about her personal life, all in the name of “building attraction.”

The game’s treatment of women is particularly troubling. It reduces them to objects of conquest, with their autonomy and agency often disregarded. For example, in one scene, La Ruina suggests that a woman’s refusal to give her number is a sign of lesbianism, a reductive and offensive stereotype. The game’s reward system further reinforces this objectification, with successful choices leading to scenes of women in lingerie surrounding La Ruina on a bed.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Super Seducer is a first-person, choice-driven game that relies heavily on full-motion video (FMV) sequences. Players navigate dialogue trees, with each choice leading to one of three outcomes: success, partial success, or failure. The game’s mechanics are simple but flawed, with a lack of meaningful consequences and a repetitive structure that fails to engage.

Core Gameplay Loop

The core gameplay loop involves watching FMV sequences, making choices, and receiving feedback from La Ruina. The feedback is often inconsistent, with La Ruina sometimes praising choices that are clearly manipulative or inappropriate. The game’s lack of nuance is evident in its binary approach to success and failure, with little room for gray areas in social interaction.

Combat and Progression

There is no traditional combat in Super Seducer, but players do face “combat” in the form of social rejection. Failed choices can lead to humiliating outcomes, such as being slapped or verbally shut down. However, these consequences feel hollow, as the game’s feedback system often undermines its own lessons.

Character progression is minimal, with no long-term upgrades or unlockables. The game’s ten episodes are linear, with each one offering a self-contained scenario. This lack of depth is a significant flaw, as it fails to provide a meaningful sense of progression or achievement.

UI and Innovations

The user interface is functional but unremarkable, with dialogue options displayed on-screen during FMV sequences. The game’s use of FMV is its most innovative aspect, but the technology is outdated, leading to performance issues on older hardware. The game’s streaming policy, which allows for monetized criticism, is a rare example of forward-thinking, but it does little to offset the game’s other shortcomings.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Super Seducer‘s world-building is minimal, with each episode set in a generic urban environment. The game’s art direction is uninspired, relying on low-budget sets and amateurish cinematography. The sound design is equally lackluster, with a generic soundtrack and poor audio quality that detracts from the overall experience.

Setting and Atmosphere

The game’s setting is a fantasy realm where every woman is supposedly down to “fuck,” as one critic put it. This reductive worldview is reflected in the game’s art direction, which prioritizes objectification over realism. The atmosphere is often cringe-inducing, with awkward pauses and stiff acting undermining any attempt at immersion.

Visual Direction

The visual direction is a mix of amateurish and professional elements. The FMV sequences are poorly lit and framed, with noticeable camera shakes and audio sync issues. The game’s use of lingerie-clad women as rewards is a cheap attempt at titillation, but it feels out of place in a game that claims to be educational.

Sound Design

The sound design is equally problematic, with a generic soundtrack that fails to enhance the game’s atmosphere. The voice acting is a mix of professional and amateur performances, with La Ruina’s delivery often feeling forced and unnatural. The game’s sound effects are minimal, with little effort put into creating a cohesive audio experience.

Reception & Legacy

Super Seducer received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics, with an average score of 32% on Metacritic. Critics criticized the game’s awkward acting, flawed mechanics, and problematic themes. However, the game found a niche audience among those who appreciated its humor and cringe factor. Its legacy is a complex one, with some viewing it as a relic of a bygone era and others as a cautionary tale about the dangers of the PUA movement.

Critical and Commercial Reception

The game’s critical reception was largely negative, with critics highlighting its amateurish execution and questionable advice. However, some critics noted that the game could be enjoyed as a dark comedy, with its cringe-worthy moments providing unintentional humor. The game’s commercial performance was modest, with a small but dedicated fanbase.

Influence and Impact

Super Seducer has had a lasting impact on the gaming industry, serving as a cautionary tale about the dangers of exploitative game design. Its release coincided with a cultural shift away from the PUA movement, and its legacy is often discussed in the context of ethical game design. The game’s influence can be seen in subsequent titles like Super Seducer 2: Advanced Seduction Tactics, which attempted to address some of the original’s flaws but ultimately repeated many of its mistakes.

Conclusion

Super Seducer: How to Talk to Girls is a flawed and problematic game, but its place in video game history is secure. It is a product of its time, reflecting the cultural attitudes and technological constraints of the late 2010s. While its attempt to teach seduction techniques is misguided and often offensive, the game’s unintentional humor and cringe factor have earned it a cult following.

In the end, Super Seducer is a game that fails to deliver on its promises. It is neither a effective guide to seduction nor a meaningful exploration of gender dynamics. However, its legacy as a cautionary tale about the dangers of exploitative game design ensures that it will be remembered, if not for the right reasons. Its place in video game history is that of a cautionary tale, a reminder of the importance of ethical game design and the dangers of reducing human interaction to a set of manipulative tactics.