Dating Sim?

[boreal_cryptid]

1. do you have any favorite (or the least favorite???) dating sims? it could be old, short, strange, with monsters or cryptids as a love insterest. or even if it's friendship sim? or maybe games with unexpected romance option? (like, it's not a dating sim, but a horror, and yet--)

2. the reasons you why you play dating sims? like: to relax, to feel less lonely, etc.

3. and a question from me: any dating sims with bisexual (or otherwise not monosexual) main character?

mine are:
Katawa Shoujo (i felt less lonely as a teen when i was playing it),
Digital: A Love Story (robots!!!),
Emily Is Away (sad),
Witch's Heart (not a dating sim per se? but)
Clinical Trial (it's a horror game with pretty heavy themes though),
Gavril (......)

[shapezncolourz]

im not usually a fan of dating sims, but i really like the monster prom series! it has brilliant art and character designs, and its really funny too

the main feature i like in the newer games (definitely in monster con (which just released yesterday!), might also be in monster roadtrip?) is the ability to pursue characters in a more platonic way. i dont mind romancing the characters as i do like all of their personalities, but my aromantic self really likes the option to just be good friends

[Bede]

I play dating sims because I love basically all character-driven games and visual novels, which dating sims tend to be! I also just like reading romance.

As for favorite dating sims (and games with bisexual main characters): I'm a big fan of the Our Life series, which currently has Our Life: Beginnings & Always, and the currently-in-development Our Life: Now & Forever, which has a demo. Both games are free, and are extremely customizable, including the options to let your character transition over the course of the story, and for the main character to be any sexuality you'd like!

If you're looking for more "concrete"/"canonically" bisexual MCs, I really like Starry Flowers, though some would argue whether or not that is a dating sim, or a linear visual novel with romance as a primary theme. The visual novel database has an entire tag dedicated to bisexual main characters, too!

[havensworn]

Dating sims!! It has been a while, but for a time I really enjoyed playing them. I was drawn to it mostly because of how narrative focused it without too much gameplay, so it's easy to just lock into the story. The interactivity and your choices steering the narrative is also a huge draw. I'm realising now I probably just really liked the artform haha, but the romance is fun too.

Some of my favourites are:

• Hatoful Boyfriend
• We Know The Devil
• Heaven Will Be Mine
• Hustle Cat
• VA-11 Hall-A (haven't finished it personally, but it's charming in the short time I played it)

Except Hatoful Boyfriend (in which you date pigeons), all of them are LGBTQ! Especially Hustle Cat, you can decide your pronouns and everyone is bisexual.

There is...also Seduce Me, which I played with my friends just to do funny voiceovers to. I didn't actually pay attention to the plot because I was too busy having a silly time, but people seem to like it! If you want to have silly times too, it may be worth checking out 

[Musekicker]

Hustle Cat mention! I love Hustle Cat!

Dream Daddy is a fun game. Very well written and funny too.

I also been enjoying "Date Everything.", which is basically items around the house as people relationship sim. You can either be enemies, friends, or love. And there are like... over a hundred dateables.

Boyfriend Dungeon is good too. (not what it sounds like I swear. ) dateables (or friends) turn into weapons and you go down into dungeons and battle with them.