The best dating sims are home to some of very lovable characters that are sure to win your heart. With a variety of different stories and scenarios to explore, there's a wealth of dating sims out there that are well worth a try - especially if you're looking for a game that puts romance front and center. While the relationships you form are a big part of the experience, the characters are are always at the heart of the best dating sims, whether it be getting to know the locals down at the arcade, spending time with employees at a cat cafe, or bonding with weapons, you're sure to find someone who will win your heart.
From dungeon crawlers to visual novels, we've gathered together some of the best dating sims out there right now across all different platforms, so you can find something you might enjoy. So read on below as we take you through the best dating sims to fall in love with.
10. I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger Lickin’ Good Dating Simulator
Developer: Psyop
Platforms: PC
If Colonel Sanders doesn’t strike you as perfect husbo material, you haven’t seen him in ‘I Love You, Colonel Sanders!’ yet. The dreamy, silver-haired Colonel will be your classmate during a three-day cooking class. Guess what’ll be on the menu?
Do not dismiss ‘I Love You, Colonel Sanders’ as just a marketing stunt - although it’s quite short, it is funny, weird, and free to play. In fact, it has one of the best intro videos ever seen in a dating sim. So, if you can handle an abundance of fried chicken advertisement and anime references, do not leave the Colonel waiting.
9. Raptor Boyfriend: A High School Romance
Developer: Rocket Adrift
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch
Raptor Boyfriend sees you take on the role of a young teen who's just moved to a community where cryptids reside. Will it be the artistic fairy, the musical bigfoot, or the sporty velociraptor who wins your heart? Or as the game puts it: are you team wings, fur, or scales? As you interact with the three love interests, you will find out more and more about their past. In other words, it's got the right combination of a serious story, goofiness, and unconventional love interests to offer you something a little different.
8. Hustle Cat
Developer: Date Nightio
Platform: PC
Hustle Cat sees you take on the role of Avery Grey, who's just gotten a new job a local cat café. But this isn't your average cat café, as it turns out. There's more to the staff than meets the eye, and something mysterious is happening there that begins to affect you. With a variety of different characters to date and routes to experience, Hustle Cat is well worth checking out - especially if you're fond of felines. It's also allows you to customize and choose the pronouns of your character, and you're free to date any one of the cast depending on the choices you make.
7. Jurassic Heart
Developer: Thongrop Rodsavas
Platform: Browser
Many dating sims make their characters look cuter than in reality, but not Jurassic Heart. A T-Rex looks like a T-Rex, whether you’re dating him or not. But even though he looks scary, your new classmate Taira is a gentle dinosaur who enjoys playing the ukulele.
Truth be told, Jurassic Heart’s story is very short and only has a few endings. Nonetheless, its beautiful atmosphere and heartwarming story make it impossible to ignore. It’s just the right mix of silly, strange, and serious; all the required ingredients for one of the best dating sims.
6. Hatoful Boyfriend
Developer: Mediatonic
Platforms: PC
In Hatoful Boyfriend: A School of Hope and White Wings, you play a human girl who has eight different love interests to choose from. Oh, and they’re all pigeons.
Not only is Hatoful Boyfriend one of the funniest and most bizarre dating sims out there, it is also celebrated for its variety of endings and character depth. Like Doki Doki Literature Club, Hatoful Boyfriend’s silly exterior hides a much deeper and fascinating storyline. This is also a unique chance to learn a thing or two about pigeon breeds, so make sure you don’t miss it. While it was originally available on PS4 and iOS, it has since been delisted from the platforms, but you can still pick it up on Steam.
5. Boyfriend Dungeon
Developer: Kitfox Games
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch
What if your weapons in a dungeon crawler could transform into incredibly hot people that you could date? Boyfriend Dungeon asks and answers that important question, giving you a chance to run through dungeons with a selection of weapons and date those weapons outside of the dungeon. You can also choose to pie off dating anyone and just hang out with a cool cat, which is a very solid option if you ask me. Boyfriend Dungeon is delightful, a great new take on the dating sim.
4. Arcade Spirits
Developer: Fiction Factory Games
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch
You're the new employee at a local arcade in the 1980s (where the major recession that took place in the industry during this time never happened). You can fully customize your character at the start of the game and then meet a ton of interesting people and dating prospects that the Funplex arcade, including cosplayers, gamers, and more colorful types. The setting and the visuals make for a really cool vibe that stands out in a sea of dating sims. This is a good one, guys.
3. Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Developer: Game Grumps
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
Imagine you’re a single dad who just moved to a new neighborhood with his teenage daughter. You are looking for love, and surprise: your new town happens to be full of hot, (mostly) single dads! There’s a Teacher Dad, a Fitness Dad, a Goth Dad… Seven daddies to match your own desires, and they all come with several different endings.
One of the things that sets Dream Daddy apart is the character creation. There’s a broad range of customization options to help you design the dreamiest of daddies. If that’s not enough reason to play Dream Daddy, then check out the dad jokes and the minigames. Hope you’re into minigolf and fishing!
2. Monster Prom
Developer: Beautiful Glitch
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch
Yet another classic among dating simulator connoisseurs. In Monster Prom, you go on a highschooler’s most important mission: scoring a date for the prom! It’s only different from reality in two ways: everyone is a monster and you might actually succeed.
Monster Prom is colorful, cartoonish, and far more than a click-through adventure. You have to try your hardest if you want to score a date, and even then there’s a high chance of rejection. As dating sims are usually single player only, one of Monster Prom’s best features is the multiplayer option.
1. Doki Doki Literature Club
Developer: Team Salvato
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch
Doki Doki Literature Club is one of the most popular dating sims out there. The story starts innocent enough with four potential love interests, a high school club, and lots of poetry. There’s the sweet girl, the quiet one, the tsundere… But things are not as normal as they seem.
Doki Doki Literature Club has a great storyline and interesting characters, but the best thing about it are the unexpected twists. This game will turn surprisingly dark when you least expect it, hence the reason it starts with the warning that it’s not suitable for “children and those who are easily disturbed”. If you think you can handle it, then this is one dating sim you don’t want to miss.
Looking for more games to try? Check out our pick of the best anime games, best sim games, and best short games you can play right now.
