Best Of
Dating simulators are the perfect pick for gamers who want to relax a bit.
These games have a heavy focus on romance but still tell their own stories.
You only need to make the right choices to get on the route that you want.
This allows them to explore unique worlds and concepts.
Sometimes you will find yourself in an alien world, and others, you will get involved with criminals.
The world of dating sims is vast and they have been around for decades.
Some of these games even have some of the highest scores on sites like Metacritic.
Piofiore
Piofioreis a dating simulator has received tons of praise for its mature storyline and great art.
Everything from the music of the game to the setting pulls players in.
InPiofiore,you play as a young girl from the church who gets mixed up in a gang war.
Depending on the choices you make, you will be placed with one of five romanceable characters.
These characters are, for the most part, the bosses of the warring families.
These men are criminals, and you won’t soon forget it while you’re playing through the game.
The game’s story is interesting, and every character reveals more about the events going on in Burlone.
This is especially true when getting on routes with some of the game’s most corrupt men.
Clannad
Clannadoriginally came out in 2004 and took visual novel lovers by storm.
The game even spawned its own anime, which is still highly recommended amount fans to this day.
The characters you’ve got the option to romance in the game will also change during these events.
This creates a unique perspective that many games don’t take on.
The game doesn’t have a wild story, but it is very emotional.
Its dialogue and story have already made sure the game went down in visual novel history.
Hatoful Boyfriend
Hatoful Boyfriendis the strangest dating simulator on this list for several reasons.
The game has you go to a school where you meet pigeons.
On paper, it doesn’t seem like this game would be any good.
As it turns out, Hatoful Boyfriend had the perfect mix of drama and comedy.
There are moments you get caught up in the story and forget about the pigeons.
On the other hand, there are pigeon-related phrases in the dialogue that will leave you hysterical.
The game’s routes aren’t long, but there are a ton of them.
You won’t even be able to meet all the birds until you have played through the game.
It even has its own merch store and has captivated visual novel lovers all over the world.
Mystic Messenger
Mystic Messengeris a real-time dating simulator from Cheritz.
The game is only available on mobile devices and acts like a phone itself.
To get on certain routes, you still need to snag the right dialogue choices.
If you miss a chat, though, then it can set you on the wrong route.
You will need a guide to verify you are making the right decisions.
In addition, the game does have routes that are locked behind a paywall.
If you want to play through them, then you will need to open your wallet.
Spending money is easy to do when playingMystic Messenger, and honestly it’s well worth the money.
The story and character development is excellent.
Bustafellows
Bustafellows is a dating simulator for the Nintendo Switch that’s filled with action.
You get mixed up in a group of guys that do odd jobs.
Among them are a lawyer, assassin, hacker, and mortician.
These characters each have stories connected to their backstories.
As the main character, you must help them to overcome their problems to fall in love.
There is also an overarching story about the main character’s ability to travel back in time.
While there are only four characters to romance, the routes are long.
You learn a lot about the world around you and how the criminal underbelly works.
There isn’t a single route that won’t pull you in.
Jessica is a resident otaku and Genshin-obsessed writer.
Jess is an industry veteran who takes pride in working with JRPG and indie developers.
