How ‘Too Hot to Handle’ Games Restored My Faith in Microtransactions

On a whim, I decided to explore Netflix’s mobile game adaptation of Too Hot to Handle, inspired by the streaming platform’s scandalous reality dating series. Now, I find myself utterly hooked. Many late nights have been spent in bed, guiding my character through poor romantic decisions, forming friendships in a luxurious villa, and costing contestants a significant amount of money.

The game fills a gap in my heart that’s always appreciated choice-driven, romance-centric visual novel mobile games. It’s arguably one of the best I’ve played in recent years. I used to adore romantic mobile visual novels, but over time, their writing quality has declined while microtransactions and annoying ads have surged to an overwhelming extent. I once endured a game that made me watch a frustrating minute-long advertisement just to perform any action. Despite this, I pushed through to the end, driven by my investment in the story.

However, the burden of in-game purchases and poor ad-to-gameplay ratios wore me down. I’ve tried downloading new games occasionally, but few have captured my interest—until now.

It may partly be due to my existing Netflix subscription, but I’m astonished that Too Hot to Handle doesn’t bombard me with ads or microtransactions. While there are bonus scenes and cute outfits to unlock, they come from in-game achievements, which are easy to achieve. These additions are purely optional; unlike other games where I faced choices like a plain black dress that would embarrass my character or outfits that required real money.

I’m also pleasantly surprised by how engaging the game’s writing and mechanics are. There are currently three seasons available, each following a unique storyline. You