15 best dating simulators and interactive stories for Android

Dating games are in a different league of their own. They vary from visual novel games to puzzle games, gacha games, and even role playing games. Even so, at their core, they are simulators. This genre is the one in which content actually matters more than the mechanics. Every good dating simulator lets you select and court a suitor to be your significant other. The trick is to make it feel believable enough to be engaging, but not so much that it makes the player sad.

There are a variety of games in the genre. Most are free to play with aggressive microtransaction strategies and obnoxious energy restrictions. Still, there are a few that stand out from the pack. Here are the best dating simulators for Android.

The best dating simulators for Android

The Arcana

Price: Free/In-app purchases ($0.99 – $99.99 per item)

The Arcana is a fairly standard dating simulator with some visual novel elements. The game contains a 21-episode storyline, various collectibles, and a decent number of people to romance. There is also an above-average soundtrack and surprisingly decent game art, and you can earn in-game currency by watching ads instead of buying it. It’s LGBT-friendly, so you can romance whoever you want. The game doesn’t judge, nor does it care. It’s a free-to-play game, but it’s easily one of the best in the genre for just about anybody.

Amnesia: Memories

Price: Free/In-app purchases ($3.79 per item)

Amnesia: Memories is another dating simulator with visual novel elements. This one has a lot to offer. The characters all have voice actors, the stories are decent, and the art style is quite good. This one is an otome, so it’s mostly for women. All of your dating choices are men, so proceed with that knowledge in mind. It plays like most dating sims and visual novels, so there are no surprises there, and it’s quite easy to play. The base game is free. You can pay for individual episodes as in-app purchases or get all of them for $29.99 in a separate premium version (Google Play link).

Genius Inc dating games

Price: Free

Genius Inc is a developer on Google Play with a bunch of dating simulators. Some of the more popular options include Yaoi Beast Boys, Mythical Hearts, and Twilight School. Most of their games have identical mechanics and UI elements, but with different styles between games, so we included all of them in a single entry on this list. You play through a story, romance the characters you want, make decisions that affect the outcome of the game, and generally just enjoy yourself.

The stories are surprisingly decent. We especially like the trio of Attack of the Dead, Mall of the Dead, and University of the Dead. Most of them are free-to-play otome (for women) titles, so there’s no upfront cost. We have the developer page linked up at the button, so you can see their expensive collection.

Love and Deepspace

Price: Free/In-app purchases ($0.49 – $99.99 per item)

Love and Deepspace is a newly released game. It has been gaining popularity right now because of its 3D visuals and first-person perspectives. We thought the storyline was quite unique with its fantasy/sci-fi setting; in this game, you can even fight battles alongside your partner. At the beginning of the game, you can create your own character; there’s a ton of customization options to choose from. The characters look amazing, and each one has a unique and distinct personality. There are also some gacha elements, but it’s pretty free-to-play friendly. It does take up a lot of space on your phone.

My Girlfriend series

Price: Free

The My Girlfriend series is also from Genius Studios. However, these games are for men. Most of the games have identical mechanics and controls, so you can choose any one of them to your liking. The plot does differ from one game to the next. These titles can be classified as visual novels and dating sim hybrids. That means fewer choices, but a more in-depth story. The free-to-play elements are a bit more aggressive in these titles than the otome (geared towards women) game titles, but most people don’t seem to mind. You can earn in-game currency through mini-games and other stuff if you want.

Mystic Messenger

Price: Free/In-app purchases ($0.99 – $45.99 per item)

Mystic Messenger is a dating sim with a texting game twist. The main character finds and downloads the Mystic Messenger app and embarks on a journey to find a boyfriend. The story is a bit more shallow compared to most on the list, but the mechanics are simple, and the micro-transactions are kept to a minimum. The only real gripe is that you can’t customize the main character to look like you, so it breaks the immersion a little bit. Otherwise, it’s a solid entrant in the genre.

Obey Me

Price: In-app purchases ($0.99 – $79.99 per item)

Obey Me is one of the most popular dating simulators on Android. This one actually has quite a few mechanics. There’s a lot to do in this game. You can choose between seven romance options, and there’s even a card-dueling mechanic. The card dueling part is a little bit difficult once you get to higher levels, but the game is friendly enough with a decent enough story to keep you going while you grind it out. The developers obviously put a lot into this one, and even the developer replies in Google Play are playful and goofy.

The Sims Mobile

Price: Free/In-app purchases ($0.99 – $99.99 per item)

The Sims is one of the most popular life simulators ever, and the mobile game is quite popular as well. You live the life of a character that you create, and that includes all aspects of that life, including dating. This is more of a life simulator than a dating sim, but a lot of the same stuff is there, minus the story. There are also a lot of quests and other stuff to keep the players engaged. It’s a bit heavy on micro-transactions, but otherwise, it’s pretty fun. Some people prefer The Sims FreePlay (Google Play link) over this one. You can go with the one you like most.

YAGS and ZAGS

Price: $4.99

Yearning: A Gay Story (YAGS for short) and Zen: A Gay Sequel (ZAGS for short) are two of the best dating simulators for gay men, developed by a very delightful indie developer who is also a gay man. ZAGS is a direct sequel to YAGS and includes a similar setting, some recurring characters, and even the same main character. Both games feature over 200,000 lines of dialog, various unlockables and collectibles, decent soundtracks, multiple endings (and dating routes), and good characters. We highly recommend playing YAGS first before starting ZAGS since they are directly related to each other. YAGS is entirely free with no in-app purchases, and ZAGS runs for $4.99.

My Candy Love

First Love Story

Choices

Chapters

Arcana Twilight

Emulators

Price: Free

Dating simulators are on a bunch of different consoles, and the genre has evolved. You can play older games in the genre with emulators. We recommend a Nintendo DS emulator first, and we have the DraStic DS Emulator linked at the button below. We have a list of the best emulators for various systems here as well. Basically, you can look up dating sims on older systems, obtain the ROMs (legally, of course), and play. Newer console games have the benefit of not having micro-transactions, so you get everything without paying extra, and some of the classics are pretty good.

If we missed any great Android dating games or dating simulators, tell us about them in the comments. You can also click here to check out our latest Android app and game lists.

Thank you for reading!