The basic principle of Kudos is that the player controls a 'virtual life' for ten years, starting at age 20, and ending at age 30. An accelerated calendar system plays out each day of those ten years. During each turn the player chooses from a range of solo and social activities, and responds to phone calls from his friends regarding social invitations. The key to the game is that every single decision the player makes affects multiple aspects of their personality, mind and body, so that going bowling may improve their fitness, their happiness, and reduce their level of energy, as well as having other subtler effects depending who else attended the event, and the characters 'state' when they embark on the activity.
Sequel
Kudos 2 is the sequel to Kudos. Its development began in January 2008 by Positech Games, and features many improvements over the previous game, including new 2d character art, more life choices, and an upgraded audio system. Kudos 2 has many choices that affect both the player and the player's friends. The player can get a drink at the bar, go shopping, clean his/her house, and even start dating. Some activities requires the player to have a specific relationship or item before they can be unlocked. While shopping, the player can shop in four different categories: music, general, pets, and books. They made a big improvement on the books and general section, because they used realistic images for magazines, and made over 60 books to buy. The player can even socialize with his/her friends and go see a movie, or even to a restaurant, with a fully interactive menu and realistic prices. The player can also take new courses for a small fee including IT skills, Advanced Biology, and Public Speaking. With a good education and high IQ and confidence, the player can pursue in over 200 different jobs in more than 10 fields including computing, sales, legal, and medicine. Overall, the player can do many new things in Kudos 2. The in-game dating system is similar to the original. UK PC Gamer described the game as a perfect time waster.
