Boyfriend Dungeon is not only an enjoyable and inclusive dating sim dungeon crawler, but it’s also a thoughtful game on relationships. I had a nice time getting to know the variety of bladed partners, and I’m sure dating sim fans will enjoy it too. The Dunj delving might lack variety, but getting to know the characters is worth the effort. Whether you’re new to dating sims or a regular romancer, you’ll have a fun time in the dunj with your new fling.
Boyfriend Dungeon is an impressive matchup of two genres that I’d never think would make a decent pair. It juggles interesting personal entanglements with challenging action gameplay via its dungeons. Though it could really benefit from some depth to its romantic structure, it’s not enough to sour what is overall a fascinating experience.
At a time where roguelites are becoming increasingly tiresome due to their inherent lack of design, it's fair to say that the best roguelites are the ones that circumvent that shortcoming, commonly by injecting another genre into the formula. As rhythm games, card games and Metroidvanias have become almost overused, one clever developer thought **** idea: a dating game.
Inclusivity is certainly the name of the game with Boyfriend Dungeon, allowing for relationships to be as intimate as you'd like. Some characters are non-binary, and the game allows you to date as you want to; polyamory is totally allowed, but you don't have to. Gameplay bounces between two simple ideas, one where the player goes on dates, and one where the player dives into simple combat in simple dungeons. While both ideas are perfectly fine in their own right, it's the combination of the two that makes Boyfriend Dungeon work so well, with dates unlocking new abilities for weapons in combat, and combat unlocking dates.
While there isn't a massive amount of content, I feel Boyfriend Dungeon has the perfect amount for a playthrough and then some. It was totally worth it for me just to experience all the characters in the way I wanted to.
The game is very short and the gameplay is rather limited but Boyfriend Dungeon knocks the character writing out of the park. All romanceable characters feel human and relatable, even the cat??? Even The Cat. The gameplay is really easy for a longtime gamer, but in that sense it is also accessible to a wider audience, which is phenomenal, because as a transgender woman that does trans psychology research it is deeply gratifying to see nonbinary characters done this well in a video game for the first time. Hell, in any narrative altogether!
The only downer in the narrative is that while you can be polyamarous, it is rarely a thing that is brought up between lovers. You'd expect them to have more to say, or to interact with each other!
In summation, the game could be longer and have more mechanical depth, but if you come for the dating sim, it is succinct and incredible.
A great dating-sim, dungeon-crawler hybrid that takes you on a journey of self-acceptance, love, and facing your fears - all while smooching some cute swords. It’s a short but sweet tale that will leave you wanting more.
I was addicted to Boyfriend Dungeon for the two days I played it. While the game is not without flaws, I do wish that it had been longer. While having multiple flings in Verona Beach was a delightful romp, it always felt like there should have been more content than there was. However, I had so much fun playing this game, even when it became uncomfortable I still felt compelled to see where the story would go and how the characters would develop. Boyfriend Dungeon is the right kind of weird that keeps you wanting just one more dungeon run, even when it stalls out on you way too early.
Boyfriend Dungeon is worth the detour for its very catchy concept alone. After all, what other game will have you dating half-man, half-weapon people that you can wield in dungeons? The first hours of the Kitfox Games title are very eye-catching. But the studio struggles to keep the fun going. This is due to the dates that drag on and the phases of action that generally lack diversity, both for the "dunjs" and for the weapons on offer. However, it is hard to imagine not recommending Boyfriend Dungeon if you are looking for a refreshing title. A nice surprise.
Boyfriend Dungeon is a good dating sim held back to being something truly great by its curious choices and lite dungeon-crawler elements. While you may not get the deepest rogue-like experience in-game, you will be satisfied by some of the intense, hot (and maybe even cute) relationships on offer. Just tread careful ground if you’re sensitive to some of the themes that the game is exploring. Regardless, some good and disposable fun can be had smashing some monsters and pashing some cuties. Delve on.
Why so many unsolicited relations and dialogues in this dating game? We are warned at the beginning, but obviously Boyfriend Dungeon is not interesting and logical to tolerate it.
This is one of my favorite games this year. I'm also a proud backer of it on Kickstarter.
The characters are fun and decently developed, the dungeon gameplay is a lot of fun (similar-ish to Hades'), and the story is good enough to rely on fun character interactions. It also fills a niche that doesn't really exist - a bisexual dating sim.
The game is short though and I wish there were more than 2 dungeons, because I enjoyed playing them so much.
I see no downside with paying $20 for it. If you have it on Game Pass without an extra cost, there is no downside. Go play it!
Elevator pitch time… so what if the goal was to make a game that fully embraces and meshes together intense slashing roguelike combat and… a dating sim?!? Yeah, I know, right… these things just seem to naturally belong together, for sure. Despite the clash in styles, and though not without some flaws, I have to throw my hat off to the folks at Kitfox Games for putting earnest effort into getting both right in parallel, not obviously neglecting the quality of one for the other and making their genre-bending only a half-hearted effort. The definite risk is that while it does a good job on both ends of the spectrum it wouldn’t necessarily stand up to the best in the genre on either side. Particularly on the roguelike action side since the combat, though decent, isn’t as fluid and varied per weapon to the level that other games in the eShop have set the bar to, but it’s certainly enough to keep you entertained. The only other criticism I would have is that conceptually wanting to have the best weapon for you in dungeons can put you on a very different path from who you want to get to work with romantically, so when this is in conflict it can make things a bit weird, even if the dialogue generally allows you to keep the tone and mood under control to a degree. It’s a weird one, for sure, but it works surprisingly well on the whole.
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I played this game with an open mind, but by trying to make this game inclusive, it has segregated probably the most popular player base, which are heterosexual males. I am all for inclusivity, but not belonging to a different group, the dialogue was terrible and many times made me feel uncomfortable. There was no ability to just play the game and get past the constant "inclusiveness" being shoved down your throat that may actually isolate the player.
The gameplay itself is very basic roguelite gameplay that brings nothing new or exciting to the table. At this time I can I wouldn't recommend this game. There are much better out there for the same price. I gave it a 3 because its not worth playing, but it's also not glitchy or a cash grab or anything that makes it unplayable.