Get ready for romance and hone up your flirt skills in these top 25 dating games
Dating games are usually based on a point-n-click gameplay with heavy text content in which you can choose several paths. You must interact with characters and select one or several of them to be your romantic interest.
The games are usually designed to be replayable, since the choices you make around the game often lead you to different endings.
Dating games are very popular in Japan, they appeared on the late 1980’s and early 1990’s to be played on consoles and early PCs. They usually feature a main male character surrounded by beautiful girls, and were about interacting with these girls in order to increase their affection to him.
As the market grew larger and larger through the years, dating games began gaining all sorts of forms to adapt to different demands: there are some LGBT+ friendly, some deeply immersive and emotional and even some showing aspects of other game genres, such as puzzle and RPG.
This list headlines the best dating games ever made.
25) Sakura Swim Club
BREAST OR BACK STROKE? | Sakura Swim Club
In Sakura Swin Club, you follow the story of Kaede. He is a boy whose parents have had a successful academic and professional life and demand the best results from him, which he never obtain.
This makes Kaede reckless and depressed about his future and results in his parents constantly enrolling him in new schools in hope one of them will awake his potential.
Now at a public school, Kaede decides to join a club t0 avert the boredom of the classrooms. Since the idea of a swim club keeps popping into his mind, he seeks for it and ends up meeting two girls by the pool: the relaxed and observant Hirome and the wary and short-tempered Mieko. Both girls are suspicious about Kaede, but they have no choice but to take him in since the club is about to be closed due the absence of members.
Now, as the relationship between the Kaede, Hiromi and Mieko develops, the girls will help him with his depression. Meanwhile, they will join forces to revive the swim club.
Hopefully, Kanae’s presence will change the fate of the Swim Club
Kanae must interact with the girls from the Swim Club
24) Nekopara Vol. 1
Nekopara Vol 1 Full Playthrough
Nekopara Vol. 1 is a spicy visual romance.
In this game, you are Kashou Minaduke, a young man who had just moved out of his parents’ house to open a confection shop named “La Soleil”. Among his things, are the two catgirls (nekos) his family has been raising: Chocola and Vanilla. Chocola is an energetic neko who can’t bear being separated from her master; Vanilla is calmer and rarely expresses emotions, but would follow her sister anywhere she went.
With Chocola and Vanilla by his side, he must now open and run his shop.
Other characters in this game are Shigure, Kashou’s younger sister who appears to have romantic feelings towards him, and the other catgirls owned by their family: Azuki, Maple, Cinnamon, Coconut and Milk.
Chocola and Vanilla travelled among Kashou’s things.
Meet seven different catgirls in this point-n-click game.
23) Nekopara Vol. 2
NEKOPARA Vol. 2: Full Gameplay Walkthrough
This game is much similar to the first Nekopara in terms of gameplay. It is a spicy visual romance with a point-n-click gameplay.
In Nekopara Vol. 1, Kashou Minaduki had just moved out of his parents’ house to open a confection shop when he found among his things two of his family’s catgirls: Chocola and Vanilla.
In this sequel, La Soleil is now being run by Kashou, along with his sister Shigure and the catgirls Chocola, Vanilla, Azuki, Maple, Cinnamon, Coconut and Milk.
This game revolves around the catgirls Coconut and Azuki. Coconut has taken the role of the leader and Azuki is clumsy and always get in the way of the others, which generates conflict between them. Throughout the game, the player will be able to see more of their story and understand the dynamic of their relationship with each other and with Kashou.
There’s just one possible route, since the player can’t make choices or decisions through the game; but, by the end of the story, you will be able to see a romantic conclusion for both protagonists.
Kashou staff consists on his catgirls.
This is a spicy visual romance.
22) Magical Diary: Horse Hall
MAGICAL DIARY Part 1 - ...Horse Hall??
In this dating simulator, you will be able to build your own character and carve romantic relationships with other women and men. The game is composed of different puzzles with multiple solutions, which adds to the replay value.
You were invited to attend to a magical school and now you have to learn spells, make tests, build new friendships and find a date for the May Day Ball. The main characters are Mary Sue, the protagonist; Virginia Danson and Ellen Middleton, her roommates; Damien Ramsey, the main character’s senior; professor Grabiner, who teaches Red and Blue magic; and Donald Danson, Virginia’s older brother.
In this game, you can improve your abilities and learn spells.
You can choose several paths as you interact with other characters.
21) Roommates
Roommates gameplay
In this game, you choose between playing with Max, a rebel singer and guitarist, or Anne, a shy bookworm, as you start attending college and live at a dorm called Latin House. You must select your classes and jobs and build a friendship (and maybe more) with your roommates.
Although Anne’s and Max’s plots are quite similar, their personalities determine their relationship with the other characters. If you choose being Anne, you can date Max, Dominic, Rakesh or Isabella.
If you choose being Max, you will be able to date Anne, Isabella, Rakesh or Sally.
Each character has distinct traits and leads to a different set of campaigns. Thus, Roommates has multiple routes and can be replayed many times without becoming repetitive.
Max and Anne are freshmen at college.
Each character has a different personality.
20) Flower Shop: Summer in Fairbrook
The Flowershop: Summer In Fairbrook official trailer
After a rough school year, Steve is sent by his father to a farm for the summer under the excuse that it will help build up his character. Under his skin, you will have to work at the farm, build new relationships and keep the old ones.
Between the other characters, you will meet Jill, Steve’s ex-girlfriend who wants to become a lawyer; Clara, the athletic girl who loves the big city; Marian, a librarian who wants to become a great poet; and Susana, the kind and helpful owner of the Flower Shop.
As Steve, you will have to work at Fairbrook.
You can sell your crops at the market.
19) True Love ～Confide to the Maple～
True Love Confide to the Maple Trailer 2 2016
True Love ~Confide to the Maple~ follows the story of the childhood sweethearts Guo Hengyi and Yao Fengyi who had grown distant due to the pressure of finishing high school and getting good grades to enter college.
But, when an unexpected accident changes everything, they will have to choose between their faith and real love. This game is much more a romantic visual novel in which you will follow the story and choose the paths, but the main character already has a pre-defined love interest.
This game is yet to be released in English.
Follow the dramatic story of Yao Fengyi and Guo Hengyi.
Live a romantic story set in modern China.
18) Tokimeki Memorial
Tokimeki Memorial gameplay
Tokimeki Memorial is a classic dating game first released in 1994 for PC.
In this game, you must live three years as a high school student and get the girl you like. To impress her, you have to balance your athletic, scientific and academic skills; meanwhile, you must also know by heart their tastes and personality.
The dynamics of this game are fairly simple. You have to choose what you will do during the week to train your skills, meet or be introduced to the girls and, finally, go out with them.
This game has a beautiful design, characteristic of the 90’s video games.
You can meet the girls in school or being introduced to them by a friend.
17) Sunrider Academy
SUNRIDER ACADEMY - Gameplay
In this game, you will watch the story of Kayto Shields, the vice president of the Sunrider Academy’s student council, as he tries fixing up the school’s clubs and finding a girlfriend by the end of the year. In his way, he will find out that the clubs’ captains have issues of their own which will make his life really hard.
This game is composed of four routes: Asaga, Chigara, Ava and Sola. Asaga is the president of the kendo club and has a hard time taking her role seriously; she is brash and has no sense of decorum.
Chigara is the president of the science club, she rarely opens up to have hope for the future, but is calm, smart and hopes to open a bakery. Ava is the president of the student council; she always sticks for the rules and demands commitment from her subordinates, her methods can being considered too harsh. Finally, Sola is the president of the swimming club; she is usually very formal and conservative.
You can customize your character.
You will get involved with the clubs’ presidents.
16) Lucy ~The Eternity She Wished For~
Lucy: The Eternity She Wished For Gameplay
The story consists of the relationship between a boy who hates robots and Lucy, an android he meets by accident. Different from the other robots, Lucy is able to feel and express the emotions she has.
In this game, the player can choose their own path.
This is an emotional story that will make you laugh and cry.
15) Kindred Spirits on the Roof
Kindred Spirits on the Roof gameplay
This game is a lesbian visual novel released in 2012. The plot revolves around Yuna, a student of the Kokonotsuboshi Girls’ Academy of Commerce. One day, while lunching alone on the roof, she is interrupted by two ghosts.
The ghosts are bound to a castle nearby called “Shirojo”. Enoki Sachi died in an accident 80 years ago, and Nagatani Megumi died from pneumonia 30 years ago. Sachi is calm and mature, while Megumi gets easily jealous when Yuna gets too close to Sachi.
The girls are in love with each other, but don’t know how to do it. They persuade Yuna to help them by creating other lesbian couples at school so they can observe them and gain knowledge to consummate their relationship. Just then, they will be able to rest in peace.
Sachi and Megumi need help to rest in peace.
You will follow sixteen different characters and their relationships.
14) Analogue: A Hate Story
Let's Play Analogue: A Hate Story - Part 1
Analogue is a visual novel in a sci-fi ambience and filled with mystery, transhumanism and cosplay. It has a beautiful soundtrack that creates an immersive experience.
It follows the story of an unnamed investigator trying to solve the mystery of a recently discovered spaceship. The spaceship was sent thousands of years ago to establish the first interstellar colony. There, you will find *Hyun-Ae and *Mute, two Artificial Intelligences on board of the ship, each one with a different view on what happened. *Hyun-Ae is a bright girl who loves cosplaying, while *Mute is a self-proclaimed social creature.
As the story unfolds, you can get involved with one, both or none of the characters.
You must discover what happened to the spaceship.
You can read several diaries and unset letters.
13) Princess Evangile All Ages Version
PRINCESS EVANGILE Gameplay PC
In this game, you are the only boy at the Vincennes Academy, a school just for girls. The problem is: the girls are so sheltered in this school that most of them are too scared to talk to him.
Okonogi Masaya, the protagonist of this story, is a poor teenager boy who, coming back from one of his part time jobs, he finds out his father had left him with a debt of 10 million yens. After rescuing a girl named Rousenin Rise, she uses her mother’s authority to offer him a scholarship at the Vincennes Private Girls’ Academy.
Most of the girls at the school are opposed to this reform and refuse to talk to him, like the conservative Kitamikado Ritsuko. There are also neutral parts, such as the trouble-maker Kitamikado Ayaka, Ritsuko’s older sister. Another important character is Sagisawa Chiho, Masaya’s childhood friend who has a crush on him.
After saving Rise’s life, she invites you to join the school she attends.
You will follow Masaya as he attends to many of the school events.
12) Carpe Diem
Carpe Diem Gameplay
Carpe Diem is a very short story with a deep and paradoxical meaning that will make the player question their priorities in life. It will take around 15 minutes to finish, and is free to play.
The player meets Jung as he’s about to go out on a date with his girlfriend, Ai. She is the perfect girlfriend, but he has just one day to enjoy his date before she goes away.
Choose where Jung will take Ai.
It is a quick and beautiful game.
11) The Fruit of Grisaia
The Fruit of Grisaia Gameplay
The protagonist of The Fruit of Grisaia is Yuji Kazami, a secret agent of the Japanese government who disguises as a transferred student to the Mihama Academy from Canada. He actually just wants for once a normal student life, but will get involved with the only five female students at the school.
Yumiko Sakaki is always distant and spends most of her time reading mystery novels; she is blunt and hard to please.
Amane Suou is two years older than Yuji and likes to take care of him; she likes cooking and shows interest by cars and motorcycles.
Michiru Matsushima has dissociative identity disorder; she likes to pretend she is a tsundere: a character who acts cold and distant at first and slowly shows a warmer side.
Makina Irisu is an innocent person who has a complicated personality, usually being described as “fool”.
Finally, Sachi Komine is polite and has a strong sense of responsibility; she always wears maid clothes, except when she’s at school, taking a bath or swimming.
Interact with the girls.
Choose one of many routes.
10) Kitty Powers' Matchmaker
Kitty Powers Matchmaker Gameplay Playthrough Part 1 - First Love (PC)
In Kitty Power’s Matchmaker, you are the manager of a matchmaking agency, helping your boss, drag queen Kitty Powers, to match as many of your clients as possible with candidates and guide them through their relationship. Your goal is to make your business’ reputation grow.
This game is much about remembering details about your clients, such as their interests, personality and appearance, and research to find the right person to them.
Remember your clients’ interests.
This game is LGBT+ friendly.
9) Coming Out on Top
Coming Out on Top gameplay
Coming Out on Top follows the story of Mark Matthews, as on his last year at Orlin University, he decides to tell his friends Penny and Ian that he is gay.
There are six different romantic interests. Mark’s roommate Ian is a party boy with great sense of humor. Brad is the quarterback football player who, due his low grades at school, begins being tutored by Mark. Phil is Penny’s cousin who is studying at the infantry school.
Jed is Mark’s neighbor who makes a lot of noise while he is partying at his house or practicing his music. Alex is Mark’s anatomy teacher; he is passionate about the subject and loves to teach. Amos is a romantic older man who loves poetry, wrestling and classic movies.
Also, Mark can go out one-off dates with ten different characters.
Penny and Ian are Mark’s roommates since they started college.
Alex and Mark meet for the first time out of the classroom in a bar named Charlie’s.
8) Hustle Cat
Hustle Cat: Cat Heaven - PART 1 - Steam Train
Hustle Cat is a casual visual novel in which you can customize the main character’s appearance and choose their pronouns (she/her, he/his and they/them), although you can’t choose their name: Avery Grey. It has very flexible routes and you can date any character you want, no matter the gender you choose for Avery.
In the story, you become the new employee at A Cat’s Paw, a popular cat café, after mistaking it by a pet store. One day, you find a mysterious book in the basement with letters you can’t read and discover a world of magic and shenanigans, and you will have to help the other employees of the café through a curse that turns them into cats.
Avery is a charming character you can easily customize. He or she has a carefree lifestyle and a hard time growing up, but is tired of living in her Aunt Wendy’s couch.
Interact with the other employees of A Cat’s Paw.
Choose your own path.
7) HuniePop
MARKIPLIER LOVES YOU | HuniePop #1
In this visual novel puzzler, you are a boy or girl who is awkward around girls and has a hard time charming them. After an attempt to get a beautiful girl named Kyu in a bar, you find out she is a love fairy and she decides to teach you how to increase your chances with women.
In this game, you will date eight different girls, each one with a unique personality. Aiko is a substitute teacher at the local college with a gambling addiction and high libido. Audrey and Tiffany are Aiko’s students; Audrey is a self-centered party girl with little sense of loyalty and commitment, and Tiffany rarely has a free time, she is the head cheerleader at the school and is involved with several extracurricular activities.
Beli is a conservative yoga instructor at the local gym with a sweet-tooth.
Jessie is Tiffany’s mother, she is a selfish carefree actress involved in the adult film industry.
Kyanna is a hairdresser who is obsessed with her body image.
Finally, Nikki is the distant and cold barista at the local Cafe who doesn’t trust easily on people.
You must solve puzzles in order to gain the girl’s affection.
You must remember the details of the girl’s personality in order to conquer their affection.
6) CLANNAD
CLANNAD HD Edition gameplay PC HD [1080p/60fps]
CLANNAD is a visual romance game rich and beautiful in story, art and soundtrack. Although it is expensive, it offers around 100 hours of gameplay.
It tells the story of a delinquent young boy named Tomoya Okazaki. He used to have a brilliant future playing basketball, but after a fight with his alcoholic father, three years prior, he lost the ability to raise his right shoulder. Since then, they’ve grown distant.
Tomoya’s life changes when he meets a girl named Nagisa Furukawa. She is a caring person, but lacks confidence and self-esteem. Tomoya and her become friends and, while she shows deep concern over his safety, he helps her revive the school’s drama club.
Read and follow the story.
The Dangopedia helps the player to understand many aspects of the Japanese culture
5) Hatoful Boyfriend
PIGEON BOYFRIEND SIMULATOR! - Hatoful Boyfriend - Gameplay - Part 1
In Hatoful Boyfriend, the plot revolves around the love life of the protagonist.
You can choose one of several different paths, and there are many endings to each one of the love interests.
Ryouta Kawara is Hiyoko’s childhood friend and classmate; he is caring and responsible, but a little mischievous. Sakuya Le Bel Shirogane is a transfer student from France who is also the president of student’s council; although he is snobbish, he also presents a caring side. Yuuya Sakazaki is the head of the school’s infirmary and Sakuya’s half-brother; he is friendly and outgoing, and is also caring towards his brother.
Nageki Fujishiro is a quiet and mysterious freshman student; he doesn’t have any friends other than Hiyoko. San Oko is a hyperactive pigeon who is also the captain of the school’s track and field team; he only communicates in translated “coo”s. Anghel Higure is member of the manga club; he is eccentric and speaks as if he is a character in a fantasy world.
Kazuaki Nanaki is a kind and patient teacher; he has an unusual habit to fall asleep in random times. Finally, Shuu Iwamine is the school doctor; he is cold, calculating and antisocial.
Follow Hiyoko as she attend to her sophomore year in St. PigeoNation Institute.
Choose one of several paths.
4) Seduce Me the Otome
Episode 1 - Seduce Me the Otome - Let's Play / Gameplay - DEAR GOD WHAT IS THIS!
In Seduce Me the Otome, you follow the story of Mika Anderson, the granddaughter of the CEO and founder of Anderson Toys. After her grandfather’s funeral, she discovers that she inherited his estate and is advised to move in immediately.
When she arrives, she finds out five handsome men passed out on the lobby.
Later, they explain that they were attacked by a group of “misfits” and were forced to find a shelter. Mika offers shelter in exchange of their labor and quickly finds out they are incubi, demons who consume human’s sexual energy to survive.
Now, as she discovers more about each of the incubi, she must also find out who is after them and why they came to the human world.
“I promise to make you happy forever…”
“I will protect you with my life”
3) Amnesia™: Memories
Who are we? | AMNESIA: MEMORIES Part 1
In this highly replayable game, you will find yourself under the skin of a heroine who wakes up with no memories. She must hide her situation as she engages into complex relationship with men in an attempt to recover her memories.
During the game, you will have to interact with five different boys: Shin, Ikki, Kent, Toma and Ukyo. Each character has a different role in the main character’s life, depending on the choices you make throughout the game.
Shin is a 17 years old high school student trying to get into college. Ikki is a 22 years old college student who is part of a club that just allows him to date women for three months each. Kenti is Ikki’s best friend, he is a 24 years old college graduate who becomes the main character’s tutor. Toma is Shin’s and the main character’s childhood friend, he is a 19 years old college student who is in many school clubs. Finally, Ukyo is a 24 year old photographer who keeps his distance from the player character, although he seems to know her.
You can play mini-games against other characters.
Choose one of the boys to become your boyfriend.
2) If My Heart Had Wings
THIS GAME IS F**KING BEAUTIFUL!! | Let's Play: If My Heart Had Wings (Ep.1)
If My Heart Had Wings is a touching and emotional visual novel. This astonishing point-n-click game features a unique pack of characters and immersive art and soundtrack.
In this game, you follow Aoi Minase, an ex-cyclist who suffered an accident and had to go back to his hometown to live with his parents. He ends up managing the girl’s dormitory of Keifuu Academy and, along his childhood friend Ageha Himegi, Aoi starts rebuilding a club focused on constructing a glider in his school.
The story revolves around loss as Aoi’s goal sets on realizing the dreams everyone has as a child.
This is a point-n-click game.
Aoi will learn about flying and his friends’ dreams.
1) Everlasting Summer
Everlasting Summer gameplay
Everlasting Summer is a Russian visual novel that tells the story of Semyon, a 25 year old man who is suddenly transported to a summer camp on the former Soviet Union as an 18 year old boy.
Semyon isn’t a social figure; he dropped out of university and now does random jobs to pay his rent and spends most of his time at home, interacting with people on the Internet. One day, he falls asleep in a bus and wakes up in a Pioneer Camp in the mid-1980’s, converted to the age of 18.
Now, he has to engage himself into new relationships as he tries to discover why he was transported to the past and how he came back. Between his possible love interests are Sylvia, the “good girl” of the camp; Lena, the introverted bookworm; Alisa, the rebellious guitarist; Ulyana, the athletic tomboy; Miku, a Japanese girl who is particularly fond of music; and Yulya, a catgirl who Semyon believes knows something about the reason why he is there.
Semyon travels back in time during a bus trip.
During this game, Semyon will interact with the girls at the camp.
These games focus on their plot rather than on innovating gameplay and graphics, so they are usually considered casual and often don’t require a real learning curve.
Although the games vary in terms of length, they usually have high replay value since the player can usually pick between many different routes as they make choices within the game. All in all, these are enjoyable storytelling games in which the player takes the role of the main character in order to take control of the story.
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