For fans of romance, or anyone just looking for a laugh and a fun way to pass the time, dating sims are a popular genre for love and laughs. Dating sims can often range from dark, comforting, playful, or downright comedic, but an element most usually maintain is a sense of comedy or comic relief that makes them fun even for less romantically inclined players.
Some games choose to take this comedic signature a step further, to the point where romance can often take a backseat behind funny dialogue, meta-humor, and unusual gameplay mechanics. As a result, some dating sims end up being downright hilarious parodies of what most think of when the words "dating sim" pop up.
8 Doki Doki Literature Club
Many likely remember the craze that came with the initial release of Doki Doki Literature Club, and for good reason. Presenting what at first seems to be a cutesy, anime-inspired dating sim set in a high school, many players found themselves lulled into a false sense of security despite the content warning at the beginning of the game.
While its reputation as an effective horror game has taken away the shock factor that caught so many people’s eye at first, Doki Doki Literature Club still offers a fun (albeit terrifying) experience for players who enjoy dark themes, fourth wall breaks, and meta humor in a game.
7 Sucker For Love: First Date
Following in similar footsteps to Doki Doki Literature Club, Sucker for Love: First Date puts the “love” in Lovecraftian horror with a game centered around performing rituals to impress the protagonist’s Cthulu-like love interest, L’neta, and bring about the destruction of the world in exchange for a kiss.
In addition to the first chapter, the player can unlock two more stages with other eldritch deities and decide which rituals to perform in a game full of banter, horror-comedy, and a protagonist that fears no god.
6 HuniePop
Another game that left a large mark on the internet when it first came out, HuniePop (and its sequel) takes a unique approach to seducing the love interests compared to other games. Instead of focusing solely on the players’ interactions with the characters, players must progress their relationship by going on “dates” in the form of match-3 style puzzle levels, navigating the different power-ups and mechanics to make sure the dates are a success.
Beyond just putting a fun spin on an otherwise normal dating game, what makes the HuniePop games stand out is oftentimes their vulgar, self-aware sense of humor throughout every conversation the player can have, poking fun at both the player and itself.
5 Blush Blush
Anyone who’s dreamed of a game with Cookie Clicker's gameplay and progression full of cute animals and anime boys is in luck, as Blush Blush offers exactly that. After a magic spell went wrong and turned all surrounding boys into different types of animals, the player is tasked with finding and curing each of them in a cute and colorful clicker-style adventure. However, when a true love’s kiss is the only way to break the spell, the players will have their work cut out for them.
4 Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
When it comes to sheer comedy and capacity for laughs, few will be able to rival Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator. As the name suggests, players will step into the role of the handsome and single father of a teenage daughter, as the two have just moved into a neighborhood full of other handsome single fathers. Varying levels of chaos will ensue as the player tries to balance a social life, parenting, and trying to think of the best dad joke on their next date with Mr. Right.
3 I Love You, Colonel Sanders!
Much like the name suggests, players in search of romance, parody, and a whole lot of fried chicken won’t find a better game than I Love You, Colonel Sanders! Starring Colonel Sanders as the only love interest, and the player who’s about to be dragged into a wild ride, I Love You, Colonel Sanders! pokes fun at just about every dating sim trope most can think of.
The player will answer trivia, try to aid Colonel Sanders on his quest to establish the perfect fried chicken legacy, and watch the chaos unfold while the game maintains a self-aware sense of absurdity the whole way through.
2 Xoxo Blood Droplets
With so many games that put an emphasis on lighthearted fun, wholesome romances, or overall just a typical romantic vibe to their narratives, anyone looking for a change of pace should take a look into Xoxo Blood Droplets.
Despite its cute exterior, Xoxo Blood Droplets takes a typical dating sim setting and turns it on its head by making every character, including the player, ornery, anti-social, and downright murderous. The game itself parodies another game by the same developers, Xoxo Droplets, by turning the characters into horror-comedy manifestations of themselves in one of the least romantic romance games out there.
1 Date (Almost) Anything Simulator
For anyone who wants to have the most dating options possible (regardless of if they make sense or not), then they’ll have to look into Date (Almost) Anything Simulator. This game is a short satirical take on dating sims that allows the player to date, as the name suggests, almost anything.
Players can date the main love interests, the tutorial NPC, the player character, and even the game itself, all while enjoying witty humor, chaotic choices, and plenty of fourth wall breaks that might arise.