Hugh Hefner in the flesh: Publishing pioneer, controversy magnet, bon vivant, philanthropist, philosopher, and film preservationist. Hugh Hefner in digital form, as portrayed in the new game Playboy: The Mansion: A guy who loves to breakdance and never takes his pants off during sex. The two share a common interest, however. The real-life and virtual Hefner both command an empire based around the regular publication of Playboy magazine. If its profits slip, the empire starts to crumble.
A goal-oriented 3D simulation heavily indebted to the Sims series, Playboy: The Mansion unfolds in a virtual version of the Playboy Mansion (available in "modern" or "classic" flavors). You begin at the beginning, setting up shop to publish Playboy's first issue–an end most easily achieved, like all of the game's goals, by throwing a party. As Hef, you meet people, charm them, hire them, photograph them, have repetitive, pants-on sex with them, and hand them journalistic assignments. Sure, you get to party too. But your time hanging out with Uncle Kracker and bedding the Playmate Of The Month had better have a hidden agenda, or your finances will dip into the red.
Beyond the gameplay: Players can unlock vintage Playmate photographs, and the load screens are packed with what feels like, oh, at least a dozen pieces of Playboy trivia. (Anyone who doesn't already know that the magazine was first called Stag will have the information burned into their brain through repetition.)
Worth playing for: Well, not the sex. It's the game's greatest novelty, but after the first few occurrences, it's hard not to take advantage of the helpfully provided coitus interruptus button. The play itself is only adequate: It's amusing in small portions, but grows repetitive as you strike up yet another conversation with yet another joke writer, rock star, or improbably busty senator. Mostly, the fascinating subtext is what makes Playboy: The Mansion memorable. The portrait of Hef that emerges as he acquires girlfriends, fights off the competition, and founds charities is almost heroic: To stay afloat, he has to attend to everyone's happiness but his own. (Then again, who plays a game for subtext?)
Frustration sets in when: The party ends and you realize you've forgotten to get that interview with Jose Canseco for the sports issue.
Final judgment: It's hard not to have a soft spot for a game in which sex takes a back seat to life's ultimate thrill: Managing a crack editorial staff, assembling content, and putting out a publication.