Animal Lover

About

Animal Lover is a single player casual simulation game with a romance theme. It was developed by Trainwreck Studios and was released on February 22, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

"Animal Lover" is a comedic and heart-felt visual novel/dating sim where you help five men avoid being turned into animals permanently. With a unique brand of humor, a well-received story, and over 150,000 words, the game offers a simulated dating experience complete with comedy, romance, drama, and mystery. Don't be fooled by the title - this game is not about furries. Note: This summary is within the required character limit and is based on the game's Steam description, reviews, and quotes provided.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 138 reviews

story46 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features a charming and diverse cast of characters, each with distinct personalities and backstories that make them feel real and relatable.
The writing is humorous and engaging, with moments of emotional depth that resonate with players, making it a memorable experience.
The art style is unique and appealing, contributing to the overall enjoyment of the game, and the pacing allows for a gradual build-up of relationships.

The romance feels rushed at times, with characters expressing strong feelings too quickly, which can detract from the overall believability of the relationships.
There are some technical issues, such as a clunky skip feature and a lack of a gallery to revisit character art and scenes.
The game can feel repetitive, as many dialogue choices and scenes are similar across different routes, leading to a less varied experience.

story
140 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
65%
2%
The story is characterized by its unique premise and well-developed characters, each with distinct backstories that reflect their historical contexts, leading to engaging dynamics with the modern protagonist. While many players found the narrative entertaining and relatable, some noted pacing issues and a lack of depth in certain romantic arcs, resulting in a mixed reception regarding its execution. Overall, the game successfully blends humor, emotional themes, and a focus on friendship, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of visual novels, despite some repetitive elements across different character routes.
- “Each love interest has a distinct backstory and worldview, largely shaped by the century they were taken from, and their dynamic with the modern-day main character creates genuinely thoughtful clashes, especially around gender roles and expectations.”
- “The story is exciting, the art is beautiful, and the programming is fantastic.”
- “I really enjoyed the story, the writing for this is very good.”
- “While the story wasn’t too bad, I still lost interest in it about halfway through.”
- “The whole story is very silly and the reasoning for all the actions of the characters makes almost zero sense, as if they are told by a 16-year-old teenager.”
- “Not a whole lot of the story itself changes, which makes back-to-back playthroughs a bit of a chore, but finding out each guy's story really is worth it.”
humor
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its sharp writing and relatable dialogue, often eliciting genuine laughter and emotional responses from players. Many reviews highlight the endearing characters and their interactions, which blend humor with heartfelt moments, creating a memorable experience. While some players noted a decline in humor towards the end, the overall consensus is that the game successfully balances comedy with deeper themes, making it a standout in the genre.
- “The writing is funny and surprisingly sharp, with moments of real emotional depth.”
- “I can't count how many times I genuinely cracked up laughing.”
- “The game balances a perfect blend of funny and serious, and excels at both without dropping the quality of one or the other.”
graphics
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
73%
9%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the unique and cute art style that complements the story and characters. While some players found the artwork charming and well-crafted, others noted a desire for more character graphics and scenes. Overall, the visuals are seen as a strong point, though opinions on the art style's appeal vary among players.
- “With a charming art style and its cutting wit, Animal Lover brings flavor to the otome/dating sim genre that has been lost between many other bland titles.”
- “The art style is unique, cute, and pleasing to the eye, and the writing is very well done as well.”
- “The artwork is cute, the dialogue is witty, the plot is unique, and the romances are interesting.”
- “I wasn't a huge fan of the art style.”
- “The story was intriguing enough to keep me interested throughout and the art style, while not great, is nice simply because it's different.”
- “It's not mind-blowing or anything, and I'm not very fond of the art style, but it succeeds in making you have a good time.”
emotional
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players expressing deep investment in the characters and their stories, often leading to laughter and tears. The writing balances humor with poignant moments, creating a relatable narrative that resonates on a personal level. Many reviewers highlight the emotional depth of the characters, particularly the strong, relatable protagonist, and the impactful endings that evoke strong feelings, making the experience both heartwarming and occasionally heart-wrenching.
- “The writing is funny and surprisingly sharp, with moments of real emotional depth.”
- “It's quirky, funny, and also just the right amount of heartbreaking for it to feel real and meaningful.”
- “Honestly, this game is so heartwarming.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
35%
15%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while many players appreciate the soundtrack as enjoyable and well-placed, some note the absence of background music during certain scenes, which can create awkward silences. Overall, the soundtrack is often described as good and relaxing, though a few users mention it can be repetitive and that the lack of ambient music at times detracts from the experience.
- “I also really dug the soundtrack.”
- “I love the soundtrack.”
- “The art, music, characters, and story were all absolutely incredible... I guess it's time for me to go out and recommend this game to every person I know.”
- “There’s no background music, which makes some scenes feel painfully long, and the UI is barebones.”
- “Their decision to have no background music at all during certain scenes also felt really weird.”
- “The music, though sometimes repetitive, is mostly enjoyable.”
character development
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
43%
14%
Character development in the game is highlighted by unique and appealing character designs that reflect different eras, contributing to a rich narrative experience. While the male characters receive more attention and depth in their development, the interactions among characters, both in bonding and conflict, create a sense of individuality and growth outside of the main protagonist. Overall, the writing and character dynamics are praised, though some players feel the female characters are less developed in comparison.
- “All the good parts of the game are all connected to the boys; they have the good writing and the start of good character development that you won't see the conclusion of.”
- “And each character is so unique in their character design.”
- “This story was so interesting and the character development was incredible.”
- “Super bonus since they're all displaced from different decades/eras and talk according to their time and ideals (i.e., old-timey prince boy, 20's greaser dude, 80's punk kid, and 90's fitness bro.) They hang out and bond (or fight) when you're not there either, so they don't feel like characters who're solely dependent on the main girl for character development.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be time-consuming, often requiring around 10 hours for farming. While the game offers great replayability to explore different stories, the repetitive nature of grinding can feel tedious.
- “Card farmers just play the game, as farming will take 10 hours.”
- “The game has great replayability to see everyone's story, but it's a bit tedious.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere in the game is polarizing; while some players find the silence unsettling, others appreciate the well-crafted environment and deeply developed characters that contribute to a rich and immersive experience.
- “Both the atmosphere and characters themselves are exceedingly well-written, containing genuine character depth, with flaws, eccentricities, insecurities, endearments, hobbies, philosophies, and quirks.”
- “I can only guess it was supposed to help with the atmosphere, but the dead silence was more uncomfortable than anything.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has limited replayability, with many users noting that it offers almost no incentive to play again after the initial experience.
- “Not a ton of replayability.”
- “Almost no replay value.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users have reported issues with the skip function, describing it as buggy and frustrating to use, which negatively impacts the overall stability of the game.
- “My biggest gripe is the skip function, which is buggy and a pain to work with.”