The popularity of K-Content is at an all-time high, with fans from all over the world investing their time, energy, and money in the same. Besides K-Pop and K-Dramas, the vogue of Korean reality shows has grown exponentially in recent years. In particular, dating shows like "Transit Love", "Single's Inferno", "Change Days", "Heart Signal", "Merry Queer" and "His Man" have garnered exceptional viewership on a global scale, which speaks volumes of their demand.
What all of these shows have in common is the participation of non-celebrities who navigate their complicated feelings to find love and true happiness. Oftentimes, influencers and celebrities also appear on these shows, but as the format dictates, it is their true personalities that become the topic of discussion. In most cases, these groups of participants are put under the same roof in unusual circumstances and conditions, with the given aim of either finding love or, alternatively, finding themselves.
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For instance, "Transit Love" is a show about real broken-up couples who are put together under the same roof and have to pretend not to know each other while they try to find new love. Similarly, "Single's Inferno" is about a handful of incredibly good-looking and talented individuals who are single and looking for love. They are brought together and sent to a deserted island to spend a couple of days with each other and hopefully fall in love so that they can escape "Inferno" together and set off for "Paradise". On the other hand, "Change Days" takes struggling couples to an island getaway and gives them the opportunity to explore new romantic avenues outside of their existing relationships. By the end of their "vacation", each contestant must choose to walk away, either with their old lover, their newfound flame, or alone.
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2022 also saw the production of South Korea's first gay dating reality show, "His Man" where 8 gay men share a house and their feelings to find true love. Each show comes with its own set of rules and a novel premise that is unlike anything we've ever seen before. It is not only intriguing to watch real people deal with real dilemmas and make life-altering decisions, all in the midst of an elaborate social experiment, but it is also a refreshing step away from the rosy fantasies of romantic K-Dramas. Rather than unrealistic star-crossed lovers who must break up in episode 12, these dating reality shows give you authentic heart-fluttering moments that will have you swooning in no time.
If you've always wanted to participate in a Korean dating reality show but, for some reason, have not been able to, you've come to the right place! We have the perfect dating simulation game for you to virtually experience the K-Drama romance of your dreams in a dating experiment! Keep reading for a complete run-down of the game, where you can get it, how to play it, tips, tricks, and more!
"Picka: 30 Days To Love"
Picka
"30 Days To Love" is a game under the virtual dating simulation platform "Picka", produced by Plain Bagel Inc. It is based on the concept of dating reality shows where a group of young people join a program to find love within a limited period of time. In the case of this game, much like the title suggests, the gameplay takes place across 30 days, during which time the program will conduct challenges and events to encourage interaction between participants and help them get to know each other better. It is also through these challenges that participants can win dates and "1:1 chat" chances with their desired partner and obtain special information about them to build their chemistry, also known as "Lovey Dovey" points later in the game. Throughout the course of the program, participants will also get the chance to send and receive "hearts" and "gifts" to/from one another.
Other sources of information during the game are "feeds" where participants can share their thoughts and feelings. These feed posts act as diary entries so that you can get a peek into how your crush feels. In the first leg of the game, these posts come with the name of the OP. However, in the second half, they are anonymous, but you can find out who wrote a particular message by analyzing the handwriting and matching it with the initial posts.
Picka
All the participants can talk to each other only once a day when the "30 Days To Love" group chat is open. Everyone can also get together to hang out on a number of occasions, which is the perfect time to get closer to your crush. At the end of the 30-day period, each contestant must make a final choice. If two participants choose one another, they become a couple. Direct confession of love is forbidden until the final choice, which amplifies the air of excitement and romantic tension.
Picka is available on both Android and iOS and is rated 12+. It is a free app, but it does contain ads and in-app purchases, none of which are absolutely necessary but do enhance the gameplay experience. The only relevant currencies in the game are "Gold" and "Battery". "Gold" acts as a "fast-pass" so that you can get to the next episode faster, send gifts to your beloved, check your "Lovey Dovey" score, and more, whereas "Battery" determines how long you can keep playing in one session. You can earn free Gold (up to 1000G) and Battery (up to 100%) once a day by a daily roulette or by watching ads and completing surveys. Alternatively, you can also get 30% free Battery every 3 hours. If you'd rather not wait, you can always purchase as much Gold and Battery as you'd like from the Shop.
So far, we have described the rules of the game. Now, it's time for Kpopmap to break it down for you.
You will play as Ha YeonWoo, a web novelist who applied for the "30 Days To Love" project and has been selected from a large pool of applicants. You are joining the program because you want to meet various people. However, you do not reveal that you are a web novelist from the get-go. Instead, you pose as an ordinary university student, which you also are.
On Day 1 of the program, you are introduced to "Plan Master", who moderates the chat rooms, initiates challenges, reinforces rules, and more. You then meet the rest of the participants, who have code names and mysterious profile pictures. The group's first task is to guess who's who from the profiles of each participant. This is the first time you're meeting any of these people and vice-versa, but you'll get a feel for who you might be interested in right from this conversation. The first impression is also incredibly important because to some extent, it determines the route you will be on for the rest of the program.
After a round of guessing, the participants are revealed: Cha EunTae, Won JooYul, Ki ChunSung, Bae SoYoung, and Jung GyuBin. Later on in the game, there are 2 more contestants who join the program: Seo DoHa and Yoo Lia. This delayed entry is strategic, of course, with DoHa and Lia stirring up some good old drama and love triangles.
Picka
Cha EunTae is the Prince Charming of the group. He works as a veterinarian and runs his own clinic. He is gentle, caring, considerate, and all things sweet. He is most likely to make you fall in love with him if you enjoy the company of unrealistically romantic people who just have a way with words. He is also most likely to leave you giggling at your phone at 2 AM. Imagine ASTRO's Cha EunWoo, DRIPPIN's Cha JunHo, Ong SeongWu, or THE BOYZ's JuYeon in this role, and you've got yourself your own K-Drama male lead.
Picka
Won JooYul is a university student who is participating to meet new people and maybe find a significant other in the process. He lives near YeonWoo, a.k.a you, and his rapport with YeonWoo is enviable. JooYul is the "best friend" type of boyfriend. He is playful, energetic, and very likable. He is the golden retriever of the group. Imagine N.FLYING's Kim JaeHyun, SEVENTEEN's MinGyu, EXO's ChanYeol, or SF9's DaWon in this role, and you'll love his route even more!
Picka
Seo DoHa is the mysterious heart-throb of the group who comes in late but is the life of the party. He works as an interpreter and is amazing at his job. He also really knows how to have a good time. He is spirited, straight-forward, open-minded, independent, driven, competent, and loyal. He is the type of boyfriend who would make you discover new things about yourself that you were never even aware of. Once he likes someone, he sticks to them until the end. You can totally imagine iKON's June, KARD's BM, MONSTA X's ShowNu, or SF9's RoWoon in this role, and your heart will probably beat even faster.
Picka
Ki ChunSung is the tsundere of the group. He is rather quiet, reserved, soft, and unbothered. However, behind his indifferent facade is a boy who just wants to love and be loved. His profile was submitted by his friend, so you don't really get to know much from it. He owns a cafe and is younger than YeonWoo. He is a dependable, sincere and wholesome person. Imagine Seo KangJoon, Song Kang, GOT7's Jay B, or Hwang MinHyun in this role, and the immersion will be out of this world.
Bae SoYoung, Jang GyuBin, and Yoo Lia are more friends with YeonWoo than rivals, but things do have the potential to go down south, especially with Lia. SoYoung is a workaholic freelancer, GyuBin is an innocent and endearing university student/artist, and Lia is a charming and loveable university student.
Spoiler Alert!
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At the time of writing, a player can only choose between Cha EunTae, Won JooYul, Ki ChunSung, and Seo DoHa as romantic interests. EunTae, JooYul and DoHa each have a "Normal Ending", a "Best Ending" and a "Bad Ending". Your result depends on your conversations and dates with each. ChunSung, on the other hand, only has a hidden ending available, which makes his route the hardest.
Tips On Getting EunTae's Best Ending:
In order to get EunTae's Best Ending (which is straight out of a movie, might we add), you need to be consistent, honest, and loyal towards him from the moment you lay your eyes on him. He does not respond well to possessiveness or jealousy but will get jealous himself quite easily. Pay attention to him in the group chat and ignore advances from the others. Make him feel special, and he will give you the world. Your rival in EunTae's route is Lia, and trust us when we say, she does the best she can to get EunTae. However, our boy is loyal to YeonWoo, so don't be upset or show it if they're together a couple of times.
Tips On Getting JooYul's Best Ending:
YeonWoo's relationship with JooYul has the potential to go from friends to lovers. Your banter with him should be immaculate, but more importantly, you have to be confident, assertive, and firm about your feelings for him. He initially has a crush on SoYoung, but if you're unchanging in your romantic feelings for him, he will easily come around when he realizes that what he has been looking for has been right in front of him all along.
Tips On Getting DoHa's Best Ending:
There's a very simple key to getting DoHa's Best Ending - look beyond the surface. DoHa hates being with people who make assumptions about his personality and lifestyle just from how he looks. He is very protective of YeonWoo and enjoys her being jealous, but he can be quite jealous himself. He is competitive and will vie for YeonWoo's attention at all times. Your rival in DoHa's route is GyuBin, but she's too much of a sweetheart to hurt anyone.
Tips On Getting ChunSung's Hidden Ending:
Contrary to EunTae and JooYul, the less you show interest in ChunSung, the more intrigued he gets by you. He feels burdened by being actively pursued and would much rather be left alone to properly understand his own feelings. He also has a crush on SoYoung, and a hardcore one at that, so you will have to be extra diligent in order to get ChunSung. Try helping JooYul with SoYoung to redirect ChunSung's attention to you and show him through subtle signs that you care about him. Prepare to be rejected at first but keep playing to get to the good stuff!
Have you played "Picka: 30 Days To Love" yet? Who is your favorite boyfriend? Tell us in the comments section down below!
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