Psychological thrillers, point-and-click games, and romantic visual novels may sound like starkly different categories, but they're easily united through their shared connection to dating sims. With the variety that these games offer, there's a dating sim out there for anybody and everybody. This genre doesn't discriminate by gender or sexuality; it's vast and all-encompassing.
Even the most frugal of gamers can find dating sims that fit their needs. Across all platforms, there are free titles just waiting to be played. From gothic vampire-driven plots to game-length fried chicken advertisements, an empty wallet can stretch a long way.
10 Crush Crush
Osu players can rejoice knowing that this game can put their clicking speed to use. The concept behind this game is simple: the more you click, the more money you make; the more money you make, the more gifts and dates you can afford; the more gifts and dates you can afford, the more girls are in your league. In the end, the player can amass a harem of forty-six different girls of varying personalities and (humanoid) species.
For gamers more interested in men, there is a spin-off, called Blush Blush, that features the same mechanics but with a much more masculine cast.
9 Ebon Light
Ebon Light takes a western spin on otomes, providing players with a fleshed-out fantasy world of elves and magic. The player can plan out their character's personality and appearance, paying careful attention to stats and the game-changing decisions that can be made.
8 Helltaker
In this puzzle-adventurer-meets-dating-sim, the object of the game is to recruit a full harem of demon girls. With a bit of problem-solving and smooth-talking, the player can take home each and every eligible bachelorette from Hell. It only takes an hour or so for players to court these demonic ladies and unlock all the possible endings, making this a quick but satisfying story of love and lust.
7 Emily Is Away
Though Emily is Away isn't a visual novel, it is still technically a dating sim. After all, the bulk of the plot exists to explore the relationship between the protagonist and this girl he knows, Emily. Over the course of five in-game years, the player uses a simulated AOL Instant Messenger to keep in touch with her. Between chatting about Coldplay and deciding which early 2000s icon is worthy enough to be a profile picture, players are immersed in Y2K nostalgia as they navigate the relationship between two tech-savvy punk indie music fans on the brink of adulthood. The challenge lies in staying emotionally connected with nothing but an internet connection.
6 Cinderella Phenomenon
One of the few free otome games available on Steam, Cinderella Phenomenon has a surprisingly cohesive storyline. The different routes, while unique and not at all repetitive, feel connected to one another in a way that really ties the story together, which is a level of polish that a lot of other visual novels lack.
Another breath of fresh air that this game offers is its protagonist, Lucette. Unlike the standard, cookie-cutter, faceless women who lead most otome games, Lucette has a fierce and distinctive personality. Over the course of the story, she and the other characters must work together to overcome the Fairy Tale Curses that they were shackled with. Through this concept, the creators were able to insure their cast would be flawed but redeemable, changing greatly by the end of the game.
5 Our Life: Beginnings & Always
With a completely free main storyline and a few optional DLCs that only cost a couple dollars each, the studio behind Our Life: Beginnings & Always is extremely generous toward its player base. Looking at this game's long, nuanced story that follows the characters from childhood to adulthood, it's clear that the developers cut no corners. Players can even create their own characters and watch them grow up with the main cast! As they do, the player is in control of how the protagonist's personality and motives shift and change.
Few other dating sims allow for such a player-driven experience, and fewer more give such a complete look into the lives of the NPCs. Falling in love with a visual novel character is one thing, but gradually transitioning from childhood friendship with a character to an adult relationship is something entirely different.
4 The Arcana: A Mystic Romance
Magic, mystery, and murder flourish in this mobile dating sim. With art that is almost as vivid and intriguing as its rich plot, The Arcana: A Mystic Romance is a game that is almost impossible to put down. Aside from having the power to smooth-talk this eclectic group of characters, the protagonist has a gift for fortune-telling and an enchanted tarot deck to help bring them down the right path. This comes in handy for more reasons than one: it provides foreshadowing for what is to come; it helps to charm those who could've otherwise been adversarial toward the player; and it is a useful tool for investigating the unsolved killing of the elusive Count Lucio.
Welcoming to players of all gender identities and sexualities, this game has a large, dedicated fan base despite still being in development. For those willing to fight the occasional urge to purchase in-game currency, this is a great free game for just about anybody interested in dating simulators.
3 I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger Lickin’ Good Dating Simulator
The sizzle of frying chicken is nothing compared to the sizzle of true love in this official KFC-branded dating simulator. In it, the protagonist is a student at a competitive culinary school, where they meet the man of their dreams: Colonel Sanders. With rivals in both love and cooking to fend off, the stakes are dangerously high. If the player can find success in their cooking battles and their flustered conversations, though, they can achieve their dreams and become the object of the KFC mascot's affections.
With its stylized, high-quality art, absurdist humor, and wacky plot, it's amazing that this game is free at all. In fact, it probably wouldn't be if it wasn't technically an advertisement for a fast food franchise.
2 Mystic Messenger
Mystic Messenger is a beloved staple in the otome games genre, and it is notorious for its addictive nature and swoon-worthy cast. Players get to grow their relationship with characters through real-time texts and calls that occur at set times over the course of about ten days. Love isn't the only goal of the game, though; survival is also key. With cults, overly possessive bachelors, and cracks in the fourth wall, there are some serious threats to the protagonist's safety throughout the game. The anxiety brought by the lurking danger, is nothing compared to the added stress of planning a massive, extravagant charity event over the course of the game, though.
With seven routes, sixty-two endings, and potential years worth of playtime, Mystic Messenger offers an immense amount of content at no cost. However, some of the more premium aspects of the game do require splurging on in-app purchases. Even so, the base game is well-designed enough that spending money is highly optional.
1 Doki Doki Literature Club
Doki Doki Literature defies its genre, distorting tropes to instill a heightened sense of horror in its players. Do not be fooled by the cute girls and bubbly music; this game is infamous for its dark themes and shocking plot twists. It executes these points in the plot flawlessly, making an engaging and thrilling playthrough. For the few people out there who haven't either played it or watched somebody else play it already, it's definitely worth the zero dollar price tag.