According to the will of the senses: Top games with the best romantic mechanics and unexpected twists

A masterpiece love story or a banal passion: love is a frequent guest in game scenarios. Sometimes it's just part of the plot, and sometimes it's the whole game mechanics, or even the basis of gameplay. For example, the Persona series has a well-developed relationship system, while Dragon Age has well-thought-out novel mechanics. Among the many games with romantic possibilities, there are real gems that are really worth going through. For more information, see this article.

Stardew Valley

Genre: Life simulator
What to play on: PC, Mac OS, PS Vita, PlayStation 4, Xbox 1, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch

One of the best farm life simulators: the player receives a sudden inheritance in the form of a plot of land and a house in the idyllic town of Pelican Town. The game has dozens of ways to develop a household and earn money, and, of course, romance. The romantic system here is simple, but very well-developed. As in many games of the genre, you need to communicate with your neighbors every day, gradually strengthening your friendship. You can speed up the process with the help of gifts: well-chosen gifts noticeably bring you closer to the object of interest. As the relationship grows, "heart events" are revealed — important episodes from the characters' lives. As a result, you can officially start a relationship, and then get married and, if desired, have children. Each of the characters available for the novels has a vivid character: from the gloomy Sebastian to the shy Penny. Have you stopped playing "romance"? It doesn't matter — in the game you can break up or get divorced, and focus on the farm and adventures.

Baldur’s Gate III

Genre: Fantasy RPG
What to play on: PC, Mac OS, PlayStation5, Xbox Series X/S

No list of great games with romantic lines would be complete without mentioning Baldur's Gate 3, the most outstanding RPG of recent years. The game is particularly notable for its well-developed characters. Vampire bad boy Astarion, charming strong woman Karlach — there are enough options for romancing for every taste. At the same time, each character is a full-fledged personality with their own goals, beliefs and character, which you need to adapt to, just like in real life. And even if the player does not plan to build a long-term relationship with someone in the game, watching their development, even if it is negative, is one of the best elements of the game. Romance in Baldur's Gate 3 acts as a "seasoning" to the generally amazing scenario work, the plot that subtly reacts to the player's decisions, and the choices that can turn out in the finale of the game, being perfect in the first minutes of gameplay.

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Rune Factory 5

Genre: JRPG
What to play on: PC, Nintendo Switch

Rune Factory 5 perfectly combines JRPG mechanics with the atmosphere of Stardew Valley. You will play as an Earth Magician who has lost his memory, who comes to his senses in the town of Rigbart. The formal goal is to bring back memories and understand why the hero came here. In practice, the game provides complete sandbox freedom: you can build romantic relationships, engage in crafting, farming, settlement development, skill leveling, and many other activities. This is a gameplay hybrid of JRPG and farm simulator — there is so much content that the game can rightfully be called one of the best inheritors of Stardew Valley. In the Rigbart, the player will find not only memorable NPCs, but also 12 full-fledged heroes available for relationships. Interaction is not limited to everyday dialogues and gifts: you will have to participate in random events, complete tasks and go on dates to special locations. Each of the romantic characters can also become a full-fledged member of the squad, wear equipment and help in resource raids.

Mass Effect

Genre: Space RPG
What to play on: PC, PlayStation4, Xbox One

Dragon Age has already been mentioned, so let's move on to another classic from the Bioware studio. Mass Effect is a cult series of sci—fi RPGs with strategy elements. In the trilogy, the player takes on the role of Commander Shepard, an elite officer tasked with stopping the impending Reaper invasion. To save the galaxy, you need to unite representatives of all different races into a single army. In the game, you can have an affair with someone from your motley crew of humans and aliens. Romantic mechanics are especially revealed in the second part of the game, where they reach a new level. We can say that in this regard, Mass Effect has set the gold standard for all subsequent large-scale RPGs.

Hatoful Boyfriend

Genre: Dating simulator
What to play on: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita

This game deconstructs the dating simulator genre itself and invites the player to have affairs with... birds. The main character here is a human girl who barely got into Pigeon University. In this world, pigeons evolved and seized power on Earth, while humans remained in the numerical minority. Players can choose any character for the novel and select lines that will help express their feelings. After completing all the romantic lines, a secret mode opens that reveals the backstory of the world and explains how birds gained intelligence. At some point, the game takes a sharp turn and turns from a reality parody into almost a psychological thriller!

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Emily Is Away Too

Genre: Dating simulator
What to play on: PC, Mac OS

A direct sequel to the movie Emily Is Away, which tells the story of the protagonist's relationship with his girlfriend Emily for five years. Emily Is Away is too interesting primarily in the form of gameplay. The game takes place on a computer screen: the player communicates with Emily and Evelyn through interfaces styled after the old versions of social networks. The game takes you back to 2006, recreating the look and atmosphere of the sites of that time. The main character is a high school student, and the options selected in the dialogues determine how his senior year will end. In addition to texting, you can study social media profiles and follow links, which enhances the immersion effect. For some players, Emily Is Away Too will awaken nostalgia, while for others it is a rare opportunity to see what the Internet was like in the mid-2000s.