Welcome, lovers and fighters all, to Rogueliker’s guide to the best romantic roguelikes and roguelites to play this Valentine’s Day. If you’re looking for romance and you don’t mind a bit of procedurally generated action, then these games should keep you hot under the proverbial collar.
Well, kind of.
Roguelikes and roguelites aren’t normally genres that you’d associate with love and romance, as complex relationships require more nuance than your average rogue can typically handle. That’s why it’s slender pickings, at least at first. But don’t let that deter you, because what is available is actually pretty good.
However, these romantic roguelikes aren’t the only smooth talking Valentine’s games that I’m going to include in this list. Oh no, Dear Reader, I’m also going to serve up a side portion of co-op indie games and even some couples board games that you and your dear loved one might choose to play together.
Hades – love goes underground
I’m going to start with my favourite game on this list: Hades. This superlative action-roguelite offers a combat heavy experience in the dungeon, but between runs and at certain stops along the way, there is plenty of room for romance to blossom. What’s more, the complex nature of love is explored with so much tact, and things are allowed to evolve over time, with relationships progressing across runs.
As alluded to, Hades does an incredible job with the depiction of sexuality and love, and there are stories that’ll appeal to lovers of all types. Naturally, it’s the various gameplay combinations that star here, but the underlying romantic themes shine almost as brightly in Supergiant’s exquisite Chthonic action-RPG.
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox.
Boyfriend Dungeon – enjoy on-screen or on the table
If you want a completely left field romantic adventure, then Boyfriend Dungeon is the game for you. This inclusive rogue (there are options for male, female, and non-binary romancing) has you seduce your weapon in one of the most unique twists on the roguish formula that I’ve ever come across.
Dwarf Fortress publisher Kitfox Games made this one themselves, and the game has you clearing the dunj with your weapon of choice, who you’ll also want to take an outings to the beach and so on. What’s SUPER COOL about this one is that it has just been made into a new tabletop RPG, Boyfriend Dungeon TTRPG: Life on the Edge, which means it can technically feature twice in this list. Check out the new trailer below to find out more.
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox and tabletop!
Atomicrops – post-apocalyptic romance with mutants
Atomicrops takes things even further, as you’ve not only got the option for your character to romance a variety of different NPCs, but you can marry them, too. You’re able to pick a partner from the village and then they’ll join you on your post apocalyptic farm, and together you’ll defend it from various mutated enemies.
Things then get really spicy when you get your hands on the Polygamy item, which allows you have more than one partner (you can get married but you can’t get a divorce, you see). I don’t know about you, but forget about the deadly vegetation, keeping multiple partners satisfied at once sounds like the true challenge here.
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox.
Some Valentine’s games that I’d not heard of before
I did a fair bit of digging into the Steam archives for games suited to this article, and there was a couple of rogues that I’d like to flag that I can’t vouch for – mostly because I hadn’t heard of them before today. There are more, but I’m trying to steer away from anything too tacky.
- Roguemance (PC) – each and every battle is a date in this roguelite.
- Dungeon Dreams (PC) – JRPG with life sim and dating elements, alternatively there’s a sequel in Steam Early Access.
More Valentine’s Games for Couples
After that trio of single-player adventures for those still playing a solo game, it’s time to focus on all those sweethearts out there looking for something to play together.
There are so many great Valentine’s games for couples (and thruples, I guess – no judging here), including one or two fine-looking rogues to boot. This part of the article will start with a couple of roguelites, but I’ll also offer some alternative suggestions, because I’m nice like that – and because there aren’t that many romantic roguelikes and I wanted this article to have a bit of substance to it.
Don’t Starve Together – stylish survival for two
Now we’re in multiplayer territory, it’s only right that we start with a classic co-op roguelite: Don’t Starve Together. Klei’s artistic survival game has proven to be an enduring success, and there’s no doubt that a lot of that success is down to how great it is to play co-op; its harsh world demands careful cooperation making it a great game for couples to play together.
It helps that there’s a tremendous number of things to do in this characterful survival sim, and it’s not all combat either. Don’t Starve is synonymous with harsh survival, certainly, but there’s so much to see and do that you’ll be playing this long after February 14th.
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox.
Lovers in a Dangerous Space Time – the indie darling
This lovely little indie gets a mention for a couple of reasons. The first reason is in the name, right. The second reason stems from the randomised levels, which keep things fresh and exciting and entirely relevant to this little roguish toplist.
The need for coordinated teamwork in Lovers makes this a fine option for anyone specifically looking for a Valentine’s Day game for couples, as players will have to work in perfect harmony if they’re to defeat the forces of Anti-Love that threaten the galaxy. How cute!
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox.
Stardew Valley – watch love blossom
This lovely indie farming RPG offers up some of the most entertaining and wholesome gaming you’ll find, and it’s available on pretty much every platform going, making it one of the easiest games to get hold of. If you’re after something to play together that offers a much more relaxing experience than some of the more combat heavy games listed, then this comfort blanket of a game will more than do the trick.
Romance and marriage are all part of the game, with players able to grab themselves a partner in town, and more importantly, they can romance each other. For a quiet and cosy farming RPG, there isn’t a better game on the farmer’s market.
Platforms: Mobile, PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox.
Haven – role-play for lovers
The next recommendation isn’t a procedurally generated game, nor is there permadeath or anything like that to worry about. Instead, Haven is an RPG-ish adventure game where the relationship between the two main protagonists is at the very heart of things.
This pair of star-crossed lovers literally crosses the stars to visit a new planet forgotten by their people. There they must work together to survive by fighting, exploring, and even cooking together. Awww.
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox.
Couples board games
I’m going to segue over into a parallel world for a little bit, so bear with me. You see, video games are amazing, this much we all know, but I should tell you now that I’m also deeply in love with board games.
That being the case, I’d like to extend a few recommendations from the world of tabletop gaming, because a romantic Valentine’s Day game played to candlelight can be a truly lovely way for two people spend an evening together.
PS. Because I wanted to ensure availability, these games can all be bought from Zatu Games for reasonable prices.
Fog of Love – try on another relationship for size
Like the final entry in the video game section, this romantically themed game is all about falling in love. In this intriguing tabletop experience players must work in harmony to guide a fictional couple through their relationship.
Together, you’ll have to find a balance that works for both parties, and over the course of roughly two hours, let the relationship play out and evolve into whatever it can be. If you’re after a game that will let you and your partner explore relationships in general, give this a go.
Patchwork – a game to snuggle up with
While this ever-green board game has become a source of mirth among some sections of the gaming community, it remains one of the most accessible and easy to learn board games that money can buy. It also helps that the patchwork quilt theme is super cosy and easy to get into for people who might not have played many games before.
In Patchwork, players must grab Tetris-style quilt pieces and fit them into their board as efficiently as possible. While there is a competitive element, I find that focusing on your side of the table is still plenty fun. What’s more, there appears to be a Valentine’s Day edition of the game, as I learned during my research for this very article!
Hive – all is fair in love and war
Another simple and intuitive game, Hive is all about protecting the Queen Bee from your opponent’s bug army. While simple, this wonderful little game is rather competitive, as players must lay and move insect tiles around in order to try and surround the opposing bee and thus win the game.
The different hexagonal tiles have their own moves, which makes Hive sometimes feel like the end of a game of chess, with powerful pieces constantly pushing and prodding each other around the board. Hive works especially well as a game for couples to play again and again, because a meta will evolve between two matched players over time.
Sagrada – build a beautiful glass window
This wonderful dice drafting game about making colourful windows is a favourite at my house because not only is it intuitive to pick up and play, but it also looks great. Another option in the same category is Azul, which is somewhat similar and has been reskinned a number of times. Both are lovely games that don’t take too long to play and are easy to recommend.
I’m sticking with Sagrada, however, as I’ve been playing it for years and every time we get it to the table, everyone enjoys themselves (it supports more than two players, so perfect for a double date, too). There are several expansions that add new rules to mix things up, but the standard release is still a whole lotta game all on its own.
Fugitive – how about a bit of cat and mouse?
One of my favourite board game designers is Tim Fowers. His games always blend theme and gameplay in simple yet intuitive ways – and I’m a sucker for intuitive design. Fugitive, a two-player game where one player is on the run from the other, is no different.
I must confess, I’ve only played the first edition, but I see no reason why the gameplay additions made for the second would harm the experience. Fugitive is quick, it’s exciting, and it’s a great way for a couple to spend an evening outwitting each other.
Wait… you want more? Fine, head over to my article about co-op roguelikes for more great games to play with a loved one.
