Summary
Valentine’s Day is the most romantic day of the year, dedicated to all things surrounding love and relationships. Flowers, chocolates, and candlelit dinners are all core components of a typical Valentine’s Day, even in this digital age. But even for those who are part of a happy couple, this might not be how they want to spend this special day.
And for those who are single and a little bah humbug about all the celebrations, they may choose to ignore the festivities entirely…or grab a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Valentine’s Day-themed ice cream and immerse themselves in a few rom-coms. Whether they are single or not, celebrating or avoiding, these dating sims are the perfect way to spend the most romantic holiday of the year.
By far one of the strangest dating sims to grace the scene,Hatoful Boyfriendis amasterclass in combining surrealisthumor with genuine romance, and even a few scenes that will pluck at the players' heartstrings. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, mankind has become all but extinct, and now sapient birds are the rulers of the world.
Thissurprisingly dark twistis offset by the player having the choice of all the best bachelors the avian kingdom has to offer. As the only human enrolled in the prestigious St. PigeoNation, their school years are sure to be remembered for decades after graduation. For those looking for something slightly less saccharine to play on Valentine’s Day,Hatoful Boyfriendmight just be the perfect game for them.
Dead by Daylighttasks the player with taking on therole of the survivorwho needs to complete objectives while avoiding the killer, who hunts down and sacrifices all the survivors before they make their escape. There was absolutely no room for romance or even any friendly interaction between the opposing sides.
Hooked on Youcompletely shook up the formula, doing away with thedangerous gameplayin favor of a visual novel dating sim, in which the player has the choice of one of four eligible killers. Now these bloodthirsty weapon-wielding murderers are seeking some much-needed R&R away from the trials, which the players can join them with the guarantee they won’t be killed, at least not immediately.
Visual novels and dating sims often go hand-in-hand, as what better medium is there to spin a tale of love and romance than one which offers nearly as much text, if not more, than the average novel? The plentiful text allows the developers to develop the characters' personalities, while the visual art paints a clear picture of the players' potential suitors.
Muv-Luvstarts as one such game, with tooth-achingly cute art and characters, but there is more depth lurking behind the anime style. Wars andalternate realities are thrown into the mixas players progress through the story, changingMuv-Luvfrom a simple dating sim to something with so much more substance, which might just be the escape players need this Valentine’s Day.
4Seduce Me: The Otome
Discover The Danger Of Dating Demons
Otome gamesare far and wide among the most popular titles in the dating sim genre as a whole, which tend to be geared toward women as they give them the option to romance one of the male characters.Seduce Me: the Otome, while a bit on the nose in regard to the name, contains a lot of depth, more than just hitting on attractive demons.
There is war brewing in the underworld with enemy factions to contend with, and a dangerous Diana. There is even a sequel available so that the players who enjoySeduce Mehave even more content to explore after completing the first game. It is a very typical dating sim game, but as it checks all the boxes, it is exactly what people need if they are looking for a more traditional dating simulator.
After downloading a mysterious app, the player character finds herself embroiled in RFA, a charitable fund-raising organization comprised of six members, the owner having mysteriously vanished, leaving the rest to carry on her work. And now with the players' help, they can fill out the guest-list to make the fundraiser a success.
The entirety of the game is not only played through a phone on the players' end, but the majority of the in-game characters too, as they communicate with the other RFA members via text channels that take place at specific times during the day and night. Though players cannot complete it in one sitting on Valentine’s Day, there are usually special scenes and scenarios for the holidays which could be fun for old players and newcomers alike.
Unfortunately, most dating sims are oriented toward women, as the player character is normally a woman pursuing the male romance options of their choice, and LGBT-friendly games are even rarer. Thankfully, there are a few on the scene to save the day, such asDream Daddy. As the title suggests, the player will be meeting and potentially romancing other single dads in the area.
All the dads are charming in their own way, but the player will have to work hard to find a way to their heart, and some choices can be deceptively tricky. But all the options inDream Daddyare worth the trouble. Other than dating, the player must navigate their relationship with their teenage daughter Amanda as she navigates the turmoils of school.
7Hustle Cat
Find Work And Love In A Cat Café
Hustle Catmay be one of the most underestimated dating sims on the market, with a range of likable characters with vastly different personalities and routes, encouraging multiple playthroughs that will certainly keep the player entertained for the entirety of Valentine’s Day.
Controlling Avery Grey, a character with some very minor customization options, players start a new job at a cat café called A Cat’s Paw, with one catch–all the staff become cats when outside the café. Avery will try to find a way to break the curse not only for themselves but for their colleagues as well and are certain to find love along the way.
Most dating sims task their players with clicking through novels worth of texts, occasionally giving them dialogue options that can influence what the characters may think of them, while visually feasting on the visuals on display.Boyfriend Dungeonis unique, as it combines a dating sim with combat, as they must dive into themed dungeons with different weapons that offer vastly different gameplay.
But when notdelving into dungeons, the player can flirt with weapons, which can turn into some very date-able people, all with vastly different personalities and styles, so there is something for everyone. The player has all summer long to find which blade babe they like the most and discover a way to find their way into their heart.
