Boyfriend Dungeon

Boyfriend Dungeon is a mix of two genres that don’t sound like they’d go well together: roguelike dungeon-crawling and visual-novel-style dating sim. In practice, the two gel seamlessly. Boyfriend Dungeon casts you as a newcomer to Verona Beach, a fictional but very California-looking town. In Verona Beach, some people can transform into weapons. You then team up with those people/weapons to work your way through progressively more difficult dungeons (“the dunj,” in game parlance) viewed from an isometric perspective. When you lose, you’re sent back to the start, though options to start runs at midway checkpoints reduce the potential for grind. The more often you team up with a person/weapon, the greater your bond will grow, which unlocks new powers and, at higher levels, lets you kiss them (on the lips). Boyfriend Dungeon is a thoroughly delightful game that’ll challenge your dexterity as much as it warms your heart.

Playable On: PC, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Rough Average Playtime: 8 hours