#Building Relationships Game

[tanantgames]

hi i'm the fruity dev behind the silly building game

(you play as a house, you roll and jump around, date buildings, and also fish up cars)

and i want to talk about tiktok!

i've been posting clips there, doing the marketing thing

but before game dev, i used to post random dances on there!

(just remembered these nice messages the other day)

so uh the game definitely will have some sprinkles

(this is the energy i bring to the function)

here's a sneak peak into something i'm working on (hehe)

yes the house will pole dance

[chromaglitchgaming]

Did You Try the Building Relationships Demo?

Developer: Tan Ant Games

Release Date: 2025

Price: TBD

Platforms: Steam, TBD

Building Relationships turns players into a tiny house searching for friends, love, and adventure. Players will roll, jump, and dash around an island with unique biomes and get to know some of the other buildings.

In the Building Relationships demo players will explore some of the island and meet some of their potential dates. While out exploring players can learn how to fish, and climb up rocky terrain to collect items. While buildings do not eat food, they do enjoy filling themselves with furniture. Players will even have a chance to build a picnic table to share with a couple other buildings.

The Building Relationships demo is short, taking 15 to 20 minutes to complete. The Building Relationships demo is currently available on Steam, and the full game is set to release later this year.

[whoiskt]

Questions about two of your original characters about their relationship. Should work for friends/lovers/coworkers/enemies/etc, maybe not so much for family, but you're welcome to try!

How did they meet?

How long have these two characters known each other?

What were their first impressions of each other? How does that compare to their impressions of each other now?

How would they describe each other if asked? Physically? In personality?

Do they get along? Why or why not?

Do they have any shared interests/hobbies? Do they ever do these hobbies together?

How often do they see each other? Where do they usually meet?

How do they communicate with each other? Are there any recurring phrases or gestures unique to their relationship?

What is one quality they have in common?

What is one major difference between them?

Does one act as a narrative foil to the other? How so?

Do they have any affection for each other? How do they show it?

Do they have any disdain/contempt for each other? How do they show it?

Do they share the same goals in life?

Do they trust each other? Why or why not?

Is one of them keeping secrets from the other? Why? How would they react if the secret was revealed?

Are they keeping a secret together? How do they feel about that?

Do they view their relationship as temporary or permanent?

Are they satisfied with their relationship? Do they wish they were closer/more distant?

What is their best memory together?

What is their worst memory together?

When were they the most vulnerable with each other?

Do they have any mutual friends? Mutual enemies?

How do these two interact with each other in public versus in private?

If a stranger saw them together, how would they describe their relationship?

How would these characters react to being stuck in a small room with each other?

How far would they go for each other? Would they risk their own lives for each other?

[rednightmare18]

It's not even about the vindication of calling a ship, okay. It's that the supposedly anti woke studio wrote about 3 million words of medieval fiction centering the relationship of the two main characters who are in most ways (or in all ways if you follow the obvious canon momentum of the story) meant for each other, as counterparts who help each other survive the great travails of their lives and who challenge/complete the other to become fuller, braver, kinder people. It's so clear these two people are soulmates, platonically or romantically, something observed consistently by the world around them and by themselves.

Except their society (feudalism, Catholicism) dictates that they are intended to be completely incompatible by nature and divine law. Not just for the obvious fact they are both men, but they are separated by what is arguably an even steeper chasm of social class. Their existence even as friends utterly spites, interrupts, and threatens feudal order right down to its theological and philosophical roots. They should not see each other as human and yet.

It's the fact that they do. The fact that the entire story has been about this--that these two protagonists fit together, undeniably, and grow to love each other fiercely (a love that deepens superbly from their knee-jerk playful puppy-friend-love in kcd1 to something selfless and mature by the end of kcd2). And they do so despite the immense opposition by their world, their social circles, their faith, and indeed their fandom.

And yes, it really does fucking matter that all of this culminates into a deep onscreen romantic love (if you get out of the way and allow it to) between two fandom-beloved male main characters (not just side characters rammed in for an optional gay romance but THE main characters of the duology; the "you" as in the player character and your erstwhile dick-jokes bro you have perhaps grudgingly at first been invited as the audience to love) in a historical fiction story that has been wrongly touted by the worst of our contemporaries as the holy grail of cultural conservatism.

Holy shit. Warhorse -- y'all. I'm sorry I doubted you. So few game writers understand how love works and indeed how people work, let alone translate it so well onto the screen.

Calling this an "optional romance" is not technically incorrect, I suppose, because it's true you can opt out and choose to remain platonic friends. But this language feels like a disservice, as if Henry & Hans's romance is a typical RPG wham-bam fanservice makeout with a minor fan fave character who never interacts meaningfully with the player again. Or as if it's a Bioware-style "give this NPC the right gift and do their side quest and you get to see a jankly ugly-bumpin' montage" situation.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance is so very much not that. The "main, optional" romance scene in question is just one consummation event of two people who have been growing up and falling in love in front of us over the course of some 200-300 (or god knows how many) hours. The fact these protagonists openly love each other is very much not optional.

This is, sincerely, groundbreaking storytelling in this medium and this genre. How fucking cool that we all got to see it now.

[tiredandoptimistic]

Snow loves to pull the "we're not so different, you and I" villain monologue, and it never works because he genuinely can't comprehend that if he was actually similar to Katniss or Haymitch then he wouldn't be the goddamn president.

[aurorangen]

The following day, Bryce decided to go boxing at the gym with Robbie and release all the pent up frustration at his former company. He didn't expect to meet his good old friend Leif Pollock there!

[seraphinitegames]

Hi Sera! I absolutely love your writing and I can’t wait for the next chapter to come out! By the way, I’m not sure whether this has been asked before, but as the writer, whose romance do you enjoy writing the most, or do you like them all the same?

Best wishes and good luck on your writing! ❤️

I specifically don't have a favourite, lol! Part of the reason I made each romance very different is so as I can enjoy elements of them all as strongly as the other.

Like A's brooding 'no, we can't do this for reasons unknown' trope of romance just gets me every time. Is it healthy? Jeez, no! Do I still swoon for it in fiction? Oh yeah! Lol! :D

N's suave and charming with a hint of something mysterious gets me really involved and sweeps me off my feet. To be with someone who is confident and assured in who they are but also with secrets to uncover.

M's romance is interesting as I wrote it specifically for the more physical aspect, as I'd never written a romance like that before. Not just the sex part, but more physical in general—a character who is usually averse to touch but finally finds someone with who they finally feel relief at being touched from and gets the unbelievable comfort from it.

F's, well, F was written to be the romance route that you get to just have fun with. It's easy, it's sexy, it's loving. But my word, has it seriously blossomed into a romance that is everything to me! :D

I think one of the most fun things of writing the romances as they develop over a series and not just one book is seeing how the popularity swings and sways with you guys! That is always interesting to watch!

Thank you so much for the ask! :)

[rasoyas]

the reason, part two of three! 🧬

FL-UX: Ever since you woke me up, I haven't been able to access certain data points across my circuit board. It was like data was corrupted. I think seeing that thing triggered a back-up drive to finally kick in.

I can remember things from before… before I was shut-down and left in that lab. It was Foxbury. I remember that Beaker Labs and the University had partnered together: I didn't have the clearance to know why.

The scientists at Beaker Lavs thought they had discovered an "infinite power source" beneath the creater in Strangerville. Apparently, Foxbury had picked up something similar on their own scans. The two labs had agreed to work together in unearthing it.

Their excavation took months… … and when they finally broke ground, they found her. What my files call "The Mother."

Once they unearthed her, she released a host of spores and mycelium-like vines that infected the whole of the Lab. This thing is intelligent, Piper. She sent spores into the vents, and spread herself deep into the ground beneath the Labs.

The Lab was evacuated, but that didn't stop her from spreading her influence into the whole of Strangerville itself. Neither Foxbury nor Beaker Labs wanted to give up their pursuit. What military-contracted scientist doesn't love the idea of mind control?

[knotboy-dean]

It is truly crazy to me that you can see the exact moment that Dean’s view of Cas changes in 9x22.

Like imagine you’re Dean. Imagine your best friend has been continuously making questionable (and even bad) decisions and keeping them from you either to “protect” you or to keep from hurting your feelings. Imagine that you’ve begged him not to do this but he feels so genuinely that he’s right and he begs YOU to trust him, only for you to be right like you thought and for the cycle to continue. Imagine caring about him so much that you keep trying and trying to forgive him and put your faith in him, but a lifetime of trauma and disappointment keeps you from fully being able to forget.

Now imagine that guy has gone and done it again. He’s making questionable decisions and he’s not telling you about them but you’ve discovered it, and now he’s forced to explain himself and let you in on it. Imagine thinking huh, this seems too good to be true, idk about this but maybe I can help him, maybe I can be trusted enough to help do this? And then the guy’s new best friend says she doesn’t like you, you can’t be trusted, the only way to save everyone and keep their loyalty is for your guy to kill you.

In your mind you beg him not to, but deep down you know he’s never chosen you, not completely. He’s always chosen family, which you can sort of understand because you’d always put family first too. And the betrayal and hurt is so clear on your face.

But then he doesn’t. He refuses to hurt you, even if everyone is telling him that it’s the only way, even if he’ll lose their trust and support, because he’s already broken his trust with you and it’s not worth doing again. For once he trusts YOU. He chooses you.

He chooses you, and he doesn’t even say that he’s sorry.

[ann-lol]

I know some people are gonna disagree but I’m not sorry when I say that Grayson and Lyra’s “romance” was not well thought out. The set up was perfect though. A mysterious girl whose past has ties with a man who happens to be the grandfather of the boy she’s meant to fall in love with. A dark and twisted past that has left her questioning her life and her feelings. Absolute perfection. But the unnatural change in character for Grayson was just too unrealistic. I wanted Grayson to find love ever since Avery picked Jameson but the way Jennifer went about it was just not right.

They only spoke three times over a phone, with each time being very short. Then they finally met in person and on that very same day Grayson goes from being professional to telling her his past experiences as a child and then going as far as to call her “sweetheart” IN. ONE. DAY. Yeah, this isn’t even unrealistic to his character alone, this is just unrealistic in general.

Then there’s the ending- oh my goodness. The very next day they had discovered that an imposter of sorts was on the island and everyone’s lives could very well be at stake and what do they do mid conversation? Why of course, they decide to kiss. Excuse me?? No, just no. I waited so long for Grayson to find his someone and I was, unfortunately, very disappointed.

[tanantgames]

I cancelled Building Relationships!!

(but not really)

So, Building Relationships has gotten a little bit of shit on tw*tter for being yet another ironic dating sim. And I just want to talk about it a little more!

Is Building Relationships an Ironic Dating Sim?

First off, yes, Building Relationships (at its early inception) took inspiration from games like Hatoful Boyfriend. I understand the gut reaction against absurd dating sims: it feels like the only type of dating sim that gets mainstream coverage.

But I think there is room for nuance!

I try really hard to make romance feel earnest!

There are different minigames accompanying each date: they're different in tone, different in mechanics, giving a more rounded picture of queer romance.

It can get spicy at times, but I do my best to design with consent in mind -- so that players don't feel like they're "punished" for saying no.

It really is not a cash grab

The game doesn't rely on poor writing to pad playtime. There's a variety of side content in the game. It's made by one Thai guy and a composer in the UK. It's not a corporation making an April Fool's joke.

I've also been working on accessibility features like tone markers, no-mashing mode, no input holds, etc.

So yeah, I really hope it doesn't come across as a joke on the genre

I just think that there is room for genuine connection amidst the most absurd of scenarios. A game that makes space for players who love silly games and players who enjoy dating sims.

--

But yeah, let me know what you think! Does Building Relationships feel like an irony sim?

[saccharineomens]

who’s gonna tell him

[sofiaruelle]

Sooooo the last few days i’ve been seeing stars and suddenly i’m juggling 6 sorcerer boyfriends. Whats a polar bear to do?

Also this is my MC, 🍨✨ Sorbetes ✨🍨.

Context why my MC is a sentient polar bear.

The MC doesn't have a set appearance and then there was this dialogue. And the emotes are polar bear themed 😂😂😂 is also literally its own spoiler

[fauville]

inspired by some posts i've seen floating around: who would your detective romance if they couldn't romance their current love interest? 👀

[bunniiia]

[night-market-if]

people who complain about MC feeling sidelined is absolutely insane to me. i actually love it when characters show interest with each other (the only other instance i can recall is from Stygian Sun) because it makes the story feel more dimensional. in the real world, not everyone will fall in love with you. other people will make meaningful bonds just as well as you do. what's so wrong about that?

That was kind of what I was going for. And I'll admit. Sometimes, there is just a story I want to read to scratch a particular itch. Something self-indulgent. I know who my go to authors are for that and I seek out those stories. I don't fall into the self-indulgent list, however. At least I don't think. I love messy relationships. I love character building. I like to see how people interact with each other in both platonic and romantic ways. And I hate the idea of people liking MC because they are the MC.

To each their own. I think I'm becoming known for what kind of story I write, however, so hopefully it won't be so startling for people in the future.