What would you think about a world where you use your friends to battle your innermost fears and demons? What if those friends became various styles of weaponry to battle physical manifestations of those fears and demons inside beautifully crafted dungeons? How about we add dating a few (or all) of those friends into the mix?
Sounds pretty cool, right? That’s Boyfriend Dungeon.
As I was scrolling through Game Pass last week, the Boyfriend Dungeon title card piqued my interest as it scrolled across the screen. I looked at the synopsis of the game and was simultaneously confused and intrigued: “Taking place in a fantasy urban setting, the player character must fight through dungeons with the help of a human partner who can transform into a sentient weapon.” I needed to check this out without judging the name and cover.
I am so glad I did because I found exactly what Game Pass Gems is supposed to do: find hidden gems within the unbelievably deep Xbox Game Pass for people to check out. Boyfriend Dungeon is simultaneously a Dating Simulator and Dungeon Crawler, which seems weird on the surface, but works like a charm together. It’s a perfect way to waste a few hours diving into its surprisingly deep combat system. Boyfriend Dungeon by Kitfox Games needs to be applauded for this one!
Story
The main character is a shy introvert that has traveled to fictional Verona Beach, California to spend the summer. Your cousin, Jesse, is responsible for helping you meet people and watching over you. Cue dating simulator, where you go on numerous dates with a varying spectrum of people. And when I say varying spectrum of people, I mean it. Boyfriend Dungeon is, by far, the most gender progressive game I’ve ever played. You date men, women, and nonbinary people! Not to mention that all the people you date know you aren’t dating exclusively and don’t care.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much of an overall story in this game. Small, foreshadowing nuggets get thrown around throughout, which leads to an inevitable conclusion at the end of summer. The story ending felt a little unnecessary, but I understand why it was there. The true story is about you, the main character, and your journey of growth by meeting all sorts of new people. Your growth is spearheaded by these people helping you along, thusly helping them grow themselves. Each character you meet has their own small story to experience, which is fun. My favorite was Sawyer, by far. They were a lot of fun!
But all in all, I wish there was more to the story. I was enjoying my time getting to know the various characters by the time summer was over and it was time to leave and finish the game.
Gameplay
So where does the Dungeon Crawling part of the game come in?
Well, every single one of the people you date are weapons that you can use in multiple-level dungeons with varying monsters. The goal is to get to the bottom of these dungeons and discover a deep-seated fear or insecurity about your character. Meanwhile, you level up your people/weapons, to unlock future dates, by using them. Those dates unlock differing abilities to use in the dungeon, or “Dunj,” as everyone calls it.
You and your chosen weapon descend into each floor of the dungeon until you either escape by elevator, complete the dungeon, or die. The various floors are loaded with cool thematic monsters that are very satisfying to fight. I enjoyed how each weapon felt different than any other. Every weapon felt balanced and powerful if used correctly.
Here’s a little preview of the starting three people/weapons you meet at the very beginning: Isaac the Estoc, Sunder the Talwar, and Valeria the Dagger.
Conclusions
Boyfriend Dungeon is a great way to kill a few hours. One of my main complaints about the game is that I wanted more. I wanted to spend more time in the dungeons, meeting new people, and exploring Verona Beach. I blinked and summer was over. A DLC is coming soon that I’m excited about.
The dungeon crawling and dating simulator worked together very well. Neither one was powerful by themselves, but they complemented each other brilliantly. I wouldn’t want to play Boyfriend Dungeon: Dating Sim, or Boyfriend Dungeon: Dungeon Crawler. This game works because of the interplay between the genres.
This game is a great time. It’s 3-5 hours of fun that I wholeheartedly recommend.
Verdict: 3.5/5