Extra Credits

Romance in Games (2015x13)

: 08, 2015

Games often focus on the flirtation and courtship of an early relationship, turning it into a game where saying the right thing means you will win over your romantic interest. These simple game systems fall far short of delivering on the complexity of human relationships. The player never has to face rejection, and they hardly ever find themselves on the receiving end of a proposition from an NPC companion whose feelings may be hurt by rejection (hi, Anders). Moreover, once the player's overtures are accepted, the game is "won:" very few games deal with break ups or the evolution of a relationship over time.