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the full masterpost, but ranked by how much i personally enjoyed the games. entirely subjective, as opposed to the criteria-based ranking in the list.

the wilting amaranth (F/F, 18+)

• overall: A-. enjoyment: S. wilting amaranth is a relatively short VN about a girl who finds herself trapped in a witches tower, along with a roguish prisoner. its cute, fun, and has some surprisingly deep moments tucked in, though at its core its still fairly simple. its definitely worth a play. Full Review

mission: it's complicated (M/M, F/F, F/M, NB/F, NB/M, free)

• overall: A. enjoyment: S. mission: it's complicated is a superhero themed matchmaker sim. you send your chosen heroes on missions together to help them grow closer and explore their romances in VN segments (formatted to appear like a chatlog) -- all so you can save the world with the power of love! i don't cover many matchmaker sims, though i do love them. if you're only interested in games where you yourself are at the center of every romance, you probably won't. but its a fun game with high replay value, cute romances, good writing, and charming characters. definitely worth a play. Full Review

magical diary: horse hall (F/F, F/M)

• overall: B. enjoyment: A+. magical diary is a combination VN and magical dungeon crawler starring a young witch with no magical experience coming to a magical academy ala hogwarts. its a charming coming of age story with an open-ended setting and a lot of room for variation between runs. the spell casting aspect and the large cast of characters (though only 6 are datable) means no two playthroughs will be alike, so there's a lot of replay value. the gameplay itself is very fun, and while the art is a bit controversial overall its a very enjoyable experience that i recommend to anyone. Full Review

witches x warlocks (F/M, F/F, F/NB, M/M, M/F, M/NB, NB/F, NB/M, NB/NB, free*)

• overall: A--. enjoyment: A. witches x warlocks is a free dating sim (it markets itself as a raising sim, but it isn't really) starring a witch studying for their high school exams with the help of a cast of supernatural creatures. the art and characters are very cute, and the writing is surprisingly charming for such a short game. it is fairly limited, however, and the gameplay is so easy you'd have to be trying to fail. it's still worth a play! while three character routes are free, the fourth (a wolf boy) is dlc exclusive. i'd suggest playing through the free game before deciding if he's worth the $5.99 Full Review

a little lily princess (F/F)

• overall: A. enjoyment: A. a sweet dating sim spin (though two routes are platonic) on the old childrens book "a little princess". cute art and charming additions to the books story breathe life into the classic. definitely recommend. Full Review

spirited heart deluxe (F/M, F/F)

• overall: B-. enjoyment: A. spirited heart deluxe is a stat raiser/life sim with three protagonists to choose from and 12 possible love interests, divided equally into two genders and three fantasy races. in the game's original release only male love interests existed, and the girls were patched in years later - which shows very clearly, as the artist and style are completely different. its a strange and sometimes jarring decision. the game itself, however, is very good. i adore the gameplay, and the writing is at times deep and moving -- and at other times simple and upfront, which may appeal more to some people. you have the option to toggle off certain love interests, so if you only want to see girls or only want to see boys you can. Full Review

naruto dating sim (F/M, 18+, free, browser)

• overall: D+. enjoyment: A. a fanmade naruto sim from newgrounds back in 2005, featuring bad art, terrible porn, and a dumb premise. it has nonetheless become more or less infamous and withstood the test of time. ive played it an absurd number of times. you dont have to look at the porn unless you beat the game, and even then seeing the ending is optional, so i do actually recommend it. Full Review

magical diary: wolf hall (M/M, M/F, 16+)

• overall: B+. enjoyment: B. the second game in the magical diary series -- starring a male protagonist this time. wolf hall is a combination VN and magical dungeon crawler about a young wizard with mysterious origins coming to america for a year to study magic without the pressure waiting for him at home. the story is fantastically done, and it has even more room for variation and replay than the last time around. the gameplay is wonderful, there's a whopping 12 datable characters (4 male and 8 female), and no matter how you play the game you're ensured a fun and unique experience. Full Review

dorakone (F/F, free)

• overall: B. enjoyment: B. dorakone is an extremely short but very sweet VN about a girl meeting new friends who play the same mobile game as her and getting closer to them while preparing for a tournament. its a straightforward and cute game with great art, sweet romance, and a surprising amount of variability for its length. its also completely free! its definitely worth a play, and you could probably get all the endings in a couple hours. Full review

huniepop (*/F, 18+)

• overall: B. enjoyment: B. huniepop was a dating sim/puzzle game combo from 2015, noteworthy for both its self aware raunchy humor and high key problematic content, and for being the first of its kind in terms of game structure. the dates take the form of games of match-three, which at the time was an innovative design choice that has launched a good number of copycat games. aside from its standout areas, there isn't much to the game. the characters are hit or miss, the art is competent but not impressive, and the dialogue is very straightforward without any romance to speak of. i certainly consider this a "good" game, though i'd recommend pirating it if you think you might be interested. Full Review

huniepop 2: double date (*/F, F/F, 18+)

• overall: A. enjoyment: B. huniepop is a dating sim/puzzle game combo. you woo girls by playing candy crush. in this sequel, you're trying to get them to have threesomes with you, often by getting them to crush on other cute girls they know. and you have no idea how much it infuriates me that this game is so good. compared to the first game, the art, writing, and characters have all massively improved. it's a well crafted and fun game. it's... still a self-aware raunchy comedy game, so if that's not your thing definitely don't try it out. it's also got a real problem with racism and creepy shit, including a sexual assault scene and incest for some reason? i can't in good faith recommend playing this game. if you do, do yourself a favor and skip through as much of the dialogue as you can. skip the first lola/aiba scene, at least. Full Review

i promise! (M/M, free)

• overall: B. enjoyment: B. i promise! is a furry VN about a boy going on a ski trip with his classmates, meeting a ghost, and also discovering hes maybe not so straight. its a very enjoyable experience, though i got the sense it's part of a series i've only just stumbled into. there were references to characters and plots i didn't know about. it's cute, though, and definitely gets my recommendation. Full Review

if my heart had wings (M/F, 18+*)

• overall: A. enjoyment: B. if my heart had wings is a gorgeous and beautifully written VN about a group of teens/young adults coping with loss and growing up as they build a plane together in hopes of riding the morning glory. its a lovely story with (mostly) stellar characters and beautiful art and sound design. ...it doesnt, however, seem much like a dating sim. the game is incredibly long, with barely any choices. these formatting decisions put it firmly in "barely a game at all" territory. and despite the near-perfect scores in every other area, the sheer length and focus on tech talk makes it a bit hard to recommend to anyone who doesnt just really love planes. Full Review

festival days sim date (F/M, free, /browser/)

• overall: D. enjoyment: B. festival days sim date is, while not the first dating sim pacthesis ever made, certainly the oldest one she bothered to put on her website. it's an extremely basic and somewhat generic game about a girl who wants to get a boyfriend before her school festival so she can take advantage of a local legend... well, we assume she wants this. as a character, the protagonist barely exists. the dialogue is one-sided, but not really bad. and while the art is clearly poorly done, it has its own charm to it. the gameplay itself is well-done for such an old game, but it's very very easy. the game doesn't really offer much, but if you have some time and want something simple it won't hurt to give it a shot. Full Review

songs and flowers (F/M, free)

• overall: B-. enjoyment: B-. songs and flowers is a simple VN with an unusual protagonist. jazz has made it her goal to be just like the "information characters" in dating sims, the non-dateable friend who tells you all the secret scoops. but as silly as this concept is her reasons, and the stories around her, are shockingly deep and poignant. the writing in this game is fantastic -- though it has a bit of a slow start. the art is very visibly amateur, but it's clear that a lot of heart was put into this game and i think it's worth a play. Full Review

chrono days sim date (F/M, F/F, free, /browser/)

• overall: C. enjoyment: B-. chrono days sim date is probably the poster child for "when pacthesis games started getting good". starring a girl (default name saige) who travels 100 years into the past only to discover she'll soon need to choose an era to stay in, the game certainly has it's charm points. the art, while not broadly impressive, is easily a step up from it's predecessors. the gameplay is fun and has a unique spin, and the characters (including the first F/F romance for the series) are pretty cute. however, the writing itself isn't anything standout. it's very simple and basic, and without the little bits of flair spicing the game up it'd be largely forgettable. it's still a decent game, though, and if you like light-hearted and straight-forward romance you'll likely have no complaints. Full Review

snake academy (*/?, free)

• overall: C. enjoyment: B-. snake academy is a very short dating sim themed around the classic game "snake". you play as a little green snake, and to impress the other snakes you need to grow a longer tail. the whole game can be completed in a matter of minutes, depending on how good you are at playing snake. i hesitated about including it because of the length, but i do think its cute, and worth playing. Full Review

fire emblem: three houses (M/F, M/M, F/M, F/F)

• overall: B. enjoyment: C+. is fire emblem a dating sim? three houses seems to be making the case that it should be. some significant gameplay changes putting supports heavily into the focus, story highlighting romance (your dad literally leaves you a wedding ring when he dies), and all the lords openly flirting with you pushes this one heavily into "man, i guess this counts, huh!" now, i will not be reviewing this as a fire emblem game, but as a dating sim. the art, voice acting, and gameplay are impeccable, though there are some gameplay features that don't mix as well. the romantic storylines are... hit or miss. some have very nice romantic buildup with byleth, and some definitely do not. the length of the game can be frustrating, since you must endure the common route again for each story you play. as a game, i had fun. but it doesn't make a very stand-out dating sim. Full Review

deep sea valentine (F/F)

• overall: B. enjoyment: C+. deep sea valentine is a short and cute dating sim about a girl trying to get a date for valentine's day. mixing VN with RPG gameplay, you explore an undersea world to find the right partner - your decisions affecting the story, and which options are available to you. the art and characters are cute and the story is simple but consistently well-written, but the gameplay is a bit buggy and walking around can be tedious at times. still, it's a cute game and i'd say it's worth playing. Full Review

kingdom days sim date (F/M, free, /browser/)

• overall: B. enjoyment: C. kingdom days sim date may be the forgotten child of the pacthesis games, but it certainly marked a turning point for the series. you play a princess seeking shelter from an invading army who finds herself forced into an arranged marriage in another kingdom. the art is among the best this dev has to offer, though not impressive when compared to other games, the gameplay has really hit its stride, and the characters and story are very well written (albeit, with a very abrupt ending). if you're looking for a short, sweet, and fun game to play this is a great contender. Full Review

star days sim date (F/M, F/F, free, /browser/)

• overall: B. enjoyment: C. released in 2017 after a 5 year unannounced hiatus, star days sim date is the final installation in the pacthesis sim date series and, to the best of my knowledge, the final game she ever made. starring a girl travelling to the stars in search of her dead friend, it's a simple and sweet game with a charming cast of 8 datable characters (6 male and 2 female). the writing is, unmistakably, good. the scope, however, is not quite what you'd expect from a game about death. the art and gameplay are not, as you might expect from the grand finale, the best in the series. there are some flaws bringing them down. but overall this game is worth playing, if nothing else just to see where it all came to an end. Full Review

number days sim date (F/M, F/F, free, /browser/)

• overall: B. enjoyment: C. number days sim date is not only a step up from the previous games, it's also a refreshing step away. it plays, looks, and feels very different from a typical pacthesis sim date. the art direction has a carefully designed quality to it that helps make up for the still-glaring anatomy issues, the writing is fun and light-hearted, and with a bit more polish this game could be fantastic. the romance itself is poorly done, though, in part due to the games focus on friendship. Full Review

memory days sim date (F/M, free, /browser/)

• overall: C+. enjoyment: C. memory days sim date is a sequel to "anime sim date 2.0", which is a game that is virtually unplayable and not even on pacthesis's website. its a very short and sweet experience, playing as something very unique among the rest of the series, but while the game has a lot of potential and theres clearly substance to it, it comes off as... kind of rushed. the art suffers in areas despite having clear effort put into others, the writing is sweet but limited, and plot threads are sometimes ignored. this game could have been really good if she let it take a year or two longer. Full Review

the ratchelor: a rat dating sim (*/*, free, browser)

• overall: D+. enjoyment: C. the ratchelor is a game where you play as a rat, and date rats. thats about all there is to it! i know i gave this game a D+ but that doesn't mean you shouldn't play it. as the only rat themed dating sim i've yet to play, it still has its competition beat. it's a short game, so you might as well. Full Review

lunar days sim date (F/M, F/F, free, /browser/)

• overall: C+. enjoyment: C-. lunar days sim date is a fairly formulaic pacthesis game about a girl who gets trapped in another world and gets mixed up with a thief and a pair of bounty hunters. some very nice gameplay and art upgrades get dragged down by a series of very unfortunate design decisions that hinder play, but the writing is fairly good and its worth playing for one fantastic character alone. Full Review

blush blush (*/M, 18+, free*)

• overall: C++. enjoyment: D. the sequel to crush crush, the first ever idle dating sim (probably). blush blush is... identical to it in every way, except that the characters are male and spend half the game as animals. furries, this one is (not actually) for you. the game format works, but it really could have used some improvement. the couple tweaks it got were steps back, not forward. but the art is much better, and the writing is more consistent. also, it has a basic plot. which is always fun. would i recommend it? definitely not. half the boys are ripoffs and the last character is so fucking infuriating to play that you're pretty much forced to cheat. but, you know, it is what it is. Full Review

how to date a magical girl (M/F, F/F, 16+)

• overall: C-. enjoyment: D. how to date a magical girl a VN/simulation game where you play as a new student in a magical girl academy, surrounded by new friends and potential love interests. behind the surface of the cutesy appearance, this is actually more 'psychological horror' than dating sim. in fact, very little of the story even changes based on which girl you pursue. despite the unexpected turn the game takes, though, it could still be enjoyable -- but frankly, the writing is unimpressive, the gameplay starts to drag on fast, and while the CG art is very good the majority of character art you'll see in the game is nothing like it. i came into this game expecting to love it unconditionally, but i found very little about it to be redeeming. Full Review

wonderland days sim date (F/M, free, /browser/)

• overall: D. enjoyment: D. wonderland days sim date is a pacthesis game inspired by alice in wonderland. alice (default name, but can be changed) falls into wonderland and is stuck for 30 days, with 5 wonderland themed boys to get to know in the meanwhile. now, if you know me at all you know pacthesis is practically my idol. she got me and likely countless other kids my age into game development back in the day, and i'd push for all her games to be mandatory to play. but i have to be objective -- and objectively speaking, this game has some problems. the art is pretty unfortunate, the gameplay -- while well-conceived -- is unbalanced and drags on, and frankly it just doesn't have the charm a wonderland story should. Full Review

miraclr (*/M, */NB, free*)

• overall: D+. enjoyment: D-. miraclr is a instant-messaging based dating sim clearly optimized for a phone, but also available on PC for a cost. your player is contacted by a group of angels who need your help planning a miracle to reinvigorate faith in the divine. over the course of a week (real time), the angels will text you and set up meetings in a game interface reminiscent of a discord server. the game is cute, with a lot of potential-- but its hindered by several major flaws. the writing, while decent, is dragged down by the pacing. the art is subpar, but salvageable. the real biggest issue: the game just straight up doesn't work. the app is full of bugs, design oversights, and missed notifications. its not entirely unplayable, but its certainly hard to enjoy. Full Review

crush crush (*/F, 18+, free*, browser*)

• overall: C. enjoyment: D-. i have almost a thousand hours in crush crush on steam. it is not by choice. i fucking hate this game. anyway. crush crush is an idle dating sim, likely the first of its kind. given that, there is a lot more focus on art and gameplay and zero focus on writing, which shows. this is forgiveable. unfortunately, the game is pretty poorly balanced and the art is only sometimes good. the game is fully voiced, obnoxiously. the characters are 75% jokes. the games high points arent bad, but they aren't impressive either, which they need to be when they're all it has going for it. also, it's obnoxious to play without cheating, which is always a flaw. Full Review

my candy love (F/M, free*, browser)

• overall: C-. enjoyment: D-. my candy love is an old web dating sim (now with two sequels!) about a high school girl dealing with the trials and tribulations of coming into age via saying exactly ten words a day and playing a lot of brick breaker. its a cute game, and id recommend it in any other circumstance, but it is notoriously impossible to play due to the extremely low amount of activity points given out. im still at it. im suffering. Full Review

idol days sim date (F/M, free, /browser/)

• overall: D-. enjoyment: D-. the third game in the pacthesis sim date series, idol days is a simple game about a girl in a band training for her first performance. the game has a decent premise that could easily have been explored better, and certainly has been in other games. unfortunately, this one has pretty much no other positive traits. the art has visibly improved from the previous games, but it's still rather bad. the writing is a real low point for the series, with an inappropriately light tone for some of the subject material and characters who just come off as either boring or creepy. the gameplay is dumbed down from the usual format, many of its features being unnecessary, and despite being a game about music the sound design isn't anything to write home about either. this is rare from me, but honestly? just skip this one. Full Review

blooming nightshade (F/F, free)

• overall: D-. enjoyment: D-. blooming nightshade is a short and simple VN in which a high school girl who wants a girlfriend hangs out with some girls until she gets one. thats really it. in a game like this, youre really relying entirely on two things: art, and characters. this game does not excel in either. while initially i would have said it was worth a run through just to check it out, a massive format update has removed anything enjoyable the game could have had and condensed it into something very consise, and very underwhelming. theres no story here. dont bother. Full Review

purino party (M/F, 18+)

• overall: D. enjoyment: F. a VN with puzzle game elements. you play as a boy whos invited to live in a boarding house with a group of girls from the devs previous games. the only decent thing about this game is the art, and you could just play the other games for it. this game is a waste of time, atrocious to play and atrocious to read. Full Review