Dating isn’t easy. Especially if you happen to be a poor female soul cursed with wanting to date men (it’s me, I am poor female soul). When they don’t seem checked out, they’re busy telling you the elaborate details of how their marriage collapsed over intimacy issues. Or confiding in you about their secret plans to make everyone in their polycule very unhappy. Maybe they won’t stop talking about video games (which can go either way, really). Or, as upcoming indie narrative game DateBoy simulates, maybe the guy you’re dating won’t stop playing video games. Ugh, my eyes are up here, buddy.
Developed by brothers Anton and Henri Pätsi, DateBoy casts you in the role of a boy on a date at an Italian restaurant who is Checked Out™, too busy playing video games under the table while his off-screen date struggles to carry on a conversation. It’s a free narrative game out on Steam and Itch.io next month and it looks delightfully amusing. Check out the trailer here:
Essentially you play as a dude on a date, trying to play a platformer that bears a passing resemblance to Gimmick! on a device that’s probably legally distinct from a certain beloved late ‘90s handheld console. While hopping around in the platformer, you’ll have to try and keep up with the usual, tired dating conversational topics such as “How was your day?” with opportunities to deliver those one-word answers that us girls love hearing on a night out.
Oh well. At least there’s pizza.
The game promises to be no longer than half an hour. The Steam listing makes for an amusing read, too. So if you’re looking for what seems to be a cute narrative joint, maybe mark this one on your calendar and try not to stand it up.
