There are countless games nowadays that revel in having completely bonkers premises. Some of them stick the landing while others have little to offer beyond just being weird as hell. Boyfriend Dungeon is thankfully the former. While it isn’t flawless by any means, it still proves to be a fun, surprisingly compassionate, and inclusive hybrid of Hades-style combat and dating simulation.
Game Name: Boyfriend Dungeon
Platform(s): Reviewed on Xbox Series X (Also available on PC and Nintendo Switch)
Publisher(s): Kitfox Games
Developer(s): Kitfox Games
Release Date: August 11, 2021
Price: $19.99
In Boyfriend Dungeon, you’ll take the reins of your created character as they find themselves in the town of Verona Beach for the summer. It’s not long until they are set up on a date with one of the many sexy singles in the area. Where things really take a turn for the bizarre is when it’s quickly revealed that the people you can date also have the ability to transform into various weapons.
As you meet new potential love connections, their weapon forms then become available for your treks to the local dungeons where you can level them up and find a slew of goodies. On paper, it sounds insane and that’s because it is. It is definitely an odd setup but Boyfriend Dungeon thankfully never tasks itself too seriously and moves along briskly enough that you don’t really have time to scrutinize it too much.
One of the first things you see when first starting up Boyfriend Dungeon is its disclaimers. While there has been some discourse in regards to how comprehensive they have been, I found them to be pretty clear about what content is in store throughout its roughly seven-hour playtime. In addition, the choice to opt-out of having continuous texts from a supportive “Mom” character is a welcome inclusion for those that don’t necessarily equate that name with a positive force in their real lives.
The most compelling aspect of Boyfriend Dungeon is the actual dating itself. You have your pick of seven very attractive characters who all can shift into a weapon corresponding to their personalities. It’s in these interactions and dates that you find yourself where the game’s heart truly shines. There is genuine sincerity in a lot of the dialogue and some of the more intimate moments. This is of course entirely based on your own dialogue choices and how you decide to foster these relationships if at all.
After going on dates you’ll find yourself exploring the game’s dungeons (or dunj’s) with your weapon/suitor of choice. The combat early on does feel a bit limited but as you level up your weapons and unlock some of their specific skills it quickly opens up with more variety.
If you’ve played Hades or games similar to it then you’ll be right at home in the dungeons. The isometric-top-down perspective is immediately familiar while not managing to be derivative. It, unfortunately, isn’t the most innovative or ground-breaking, but the combat and the treks into the dungeons are more in service to the game’s relationships.
Dating is the crux of what Boyfriend Dungeon has to offer. With these relationships coinciding with weaponry, it is important to mention that the weapons are all pretty fantastic in their own right. There are seven characters to romance and each of their corresponding weapons feels distinct with their own play-styles each with pros and cons to consider during your trips to the dungeon. I was partial to the dagger and the glaive and found myself shifting between both to get them to max level. It offers a solid amount of variety and once you find the combination of weapon and character that you want to pursue, the game really allows you to explore it.
The presentation here is also pretty amazing. The music consistently slaps and the visual style really stands out. Whether you’re in combat, on the overworld map, or just on the start screen, the music is always on point. Whenever you meet a character and they reveal themselves to you for the first time, you’re treated to a very beautifully animated transformation sequence that looks like something out of a magical girl anime. It was always a special moment when a weapon you stumble across shifts and you’re able to see the person behind the blade.
Boyfriend Dungeon does have an overarching story that sadly does not live up to the game’s other better elements. Early on, you uncover a plot revolving around weapons being left in dungeons with no memory of how they got there. On the bright side, this is how you meet a few of your potential partners but other than that it is the weakest aspect here. It’s just not as compelling as the interactions and dates you’re able to go on elsewhere.
To top that off, the game’s primary antagonist is pretty insufferable. And not even in a fun way. Even when you meet him early in the game he’s kind of annoying and I found myself not looking forward to any of our interactions. This is made a bit more frustrating because he also runs an in-game shop. It’s not a terrible inclusion but it is a sour note on what is a mostly great experience.
Boyfriend Dungeon is mostly great. The writing and inclusion of queer characters as fleshed-out individuals is refreshing and always feels like it comes from a good place. The combat, while not the deepest or revolutionary, is still a lot of fun and welcomes a great deal of player choice when it comes to how to approach the dungeons. The romantic and platonic relationships are where Boyfriend Dungeon truly shines even when it manages to get bogged down by a tedious story that doesn’t feel very fulfilling by the end
Review Disclosure Statement: Boyfriend Dungeon was provided to us by Kitfox Games for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy for more info.
Summary
Boyfriend Dungeon is a brief but incredibly well-crafted hybrid of dungeon crawling combat and a visual novel dating sim. It may drop the ball in its main story arc, but the characters and the relationships that can be made with each of them more than makes up for it.
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Boyfriend Dungeon
