Romance an eldritch horror in this kiss-a-Cthulhu dating sim from DreadXP

DreadXP, the publisher of the Dread X collections of indie horror hors d'oeuvres, is doing something a little different for its next game. It's a romantic visual novel and dating sim called Sucker for Love: First Date, it's coming in December, and we've got the very first, very weird, trailer.

To be fair, it's not all that different from what DreadXP has done previously: It's actually an eldritch horror dating simulator in which you'll pursue the women of your (literal) dreams—Ln'eta, Estir, or Nyanlathotep—by invoking rituals inspired by the Cthulhu mythos. It might even be familiar to fans: Sucker for Love: First Date is based on one of the shorts in the Dread X Collection 2.

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"Following the amazing reception to the original Sucker for Love concept featured in Dread X Collection 2, we knew we had something special on our hands,” DreadXP owner and producer Patrick Ewald said. "We’re delighted to work with developer Joseph Hunter of Akabaka on expanding Sucker for Love into a series of fun and bizarre games."

Naturally, Sucker for Love: First Date "significantly expands" on the original concept, with a full visual novel treatment and a storyline that's more meaningfully impacted by player decisions. Each of the game's dateable deities is fully voiced and won't judge you for any "abnormal desires," and while cosmic horror is inherently, you know, horrific, this is emphatically not a horror game, and there's not even any real danger to the player. "This is a dating game!" DreadXP said.

That may be, but it's not often you see visual novel trailers pledge that "no matter how badly we're made to grovel and wail in the face of the terror of our impending deaths, so long as I'm with you it's all okay!" I'm not a visual novel aficionado by any means, but I may need to give this one a look.

Sucker for Love: First Date will be available on Steam and Itch.io in December. Have a look at some more screens and images below.

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.