Five Dates

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 775 reviews
  • story
  • humor
  • gameplay
Five Dates Game Cover
At no more than 90 minutes long, Five Dates isn't the deepest love story you'll ever see, but it has the heart, likeable characters, and great writing that make rom-coms enjoyable. It'll put a smile on your face, and that's all you can ask for.
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In "Five Dates," players navigate the world of virtual dating, making choices that determine the outcome of a romantic evening with five different characters. The game features a branching narrative, where decisions made during conversation can lead to different results. As a realistic portrayal of modern dating, players will explore themes of communication, vulnerability, and connection in the digital age.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 775 reviews
story25 positive mentions
grinding5 negative mentions
  • The game features well-written dialogues and great acting, making the interactions feel realistic and engaging.
  • The branching narrative structure allows for multiple playthroughs, providing a variety of outcomes and character interactions.
  • The portrayal of online dating during the COVID-19 pandemic adds a relatable and timely context to the story.
  • The gameplay is quite limited, primarily consisting of choosing dialogue options with little interactivity beyond that.
  • The game is relatively short, with many players feeling it ends abruptly after just a few dates.
  • Some characters are perceived as one-dimensional stereotypes, which can detract from the overall experience.
  • story140 mentions

    The story of "Five Dates" centers around Vinny navigating online dating during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it suffers from a lack of depth and meaningful choices, leading to a predictable and superficial narrative. While the characters have distinct personalities and backstories, the uneven storytelling and limited impact of player decisions diminish the overall engagement, making multiple playthroughs feel tedious rather than rewarding. Despite its innovative premise, the game ultimately falls short of delivering a compelling story, leaving players wanting more depth and character development.

    • “At its core, Five Dates is an interactive story that revolves around the main character, Vinny, who is navigating the world of online dating during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
    • “Five Dates presents a unique concept that merges interactive storytelling with the world of modern dating apps, allowing players to navigate the complexities of romantic relationships from the comfort of their screens.”
    • “The characters are easy to like, and it's hard to not get caught up in their story.”
    • “The choices don’t feel impactful or meaningful, with the story largely following a predictable path regardless of your decisions.”
    • “It’s hard to feel invested in a story when it feels like you’re just hitting 'next' without any real consequences or deeper involvement.”
    • “The story in Five Dates is supposed to explore modern online dating and the connections that can form in the age of virtual communication, but it doesn’t dive deep enough into any of these themes to be meaningful.”
  • humor63 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it genuinely funny and relatable, particularly in the interactions between characters, while others criticize it as cringe-worthy and forced. Many appreciate the blend of humor and heart, noting that the game's portrayal of awkward dating scenarios elicits both laughter and discomfort. Overall, while some moments shine with authentic humor, others fall flat, leading to a varied reception among players.

    • “If you're looking for a light-hearted, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt dating sim with actors that aren't cheesy and B-list, then it's well worth the time.”
    • “With its blend of humor, heart, and relatability, it offers a truly engaging experience.”
    • “You'll be laughing out loud as Vinny and his potential paramours navigate the treacherous waters of suggestive conversation.”
    • “The problem is that the others aren't just unfunny; they are grating, especially Saffron.”
    • “The humor falls flat and often feels forced, making it hard to enjoy the game.”
    • “I found the jokes to be stale and lacking any real wit or charm.”
  • gameplay56 mentions

    The gameplay is largely criticized for its simplicity and lack of interactivity, resembling a visual novel more than a traditional game, with players primarily clicking through dialogues and making minimal choices. This results in a repetitive and shallow experience, leaving little room for emotional investment or meaningful engagement. While some players appreciate the straightforward mechanics and decision-making aspects, many find the overall gameplay flat and unfulfilling.

    • “Simple gameplay that’s easy to pick up.”
    • “Instead of intense action or complex mechanics, it's all about choosing dialogue options and seeing where your conversations lead with five different women, each with their own personalities, quirks, and interests.”
    • “The gameplay is easy to follow since it's all just making choices, and if you struggle with that, you can even pause the choices so the game doesn't carry on without your input.”
    • “However, the gameplay is incredibly basic.”
    • “There’s no real gameplay beyond clicking through dialogues and occasionally making a choice, which quickly becomes repetitive.”
    • “The gameplay is shallow, the characters are forgettable, and the overall experience feels flat and lifeless.”
  • replayability54 mentions

    The game generally offers good replayability due to its multiple choices and endings, with many players appreciating the opportunity to explore different character storylines and outcomes. However, some users noted that replaying can become tedious, especially if seeking to uncover all scenes or achievements, leading to mixed feelings about its overall replay value. While it may not appeal to everyone, those interested in varied narratives and character interactions will find it rewarding.

    • “Good replay value here as there are a lot of choices to make and multiple endings to see.”
    • “The fact there are choices at several intervals also gives the game good replay value, to both collect missed achievements and to further explore the characters of the dates.”
    • “Those decisions can lead to several different outcomes meaning this FMV has huge replay value.”
    • “One playthrough is too fast, and the replayability is questionable.”
    • “Part of the problem is there are multiple questions you really should ask and that might be somewhat obvious but you never get an answer for unless you start the game again to choose different, needing to replay a character multiple times in completely new games is a needlessly tedious way to try to create replay value when just getting more time with each character in one playthrough would have just made more sense.”
    • “Edit: after you 'get' each of the five girls, the replayability is pretty low and the 'skip what I've seen' function does not always work, sadly.”
  • graphics33 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the polished quality of the full-motion video (FMV) while others criticize the basic background settings and lack of vibrant visuals. Although the game is primarily focused on video calls, it is noted for its lifelike graphics and overall visual appeal, despite some performance issues on certain platforms. Overall, while the graphics are not the main draw, they are generally considered satisfactory for the game's format.

    • “The graphics are surprisingly polished, considering the main setting is a video call.”
    • “Graphics are lifelike.”
    • “The graphics and sound are also top-notch, making the game visually appealing and fun to play.”
    • “Quality: FD is a FMV game, so there isn’t much in the way of graphics.”
    • “The graphics in this game come down to the quality of the video footage.”
    • “Only problem was it was Steam Deck verified but it kept crashing even when I modified the graphical settings down and such.”
  • music33 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many users noting its limited presence and lack of memorable tracks, often describing it as standard background fare. While some players appreciated the occasional background music that enhances specific moments, others felt it lacked continuity and depth, leading to a less immersive experience. Overall, the soundtrack has its highlights, but many agree it could benefit from more variety and development.

    • “Crisp video with dreamy music - which you can enjoy listening to in the main menu only - a smart choice.”
    • “The music at the beginning of the game is really good and all the button presses/UI sound great.”
    • “Soothing and situation-adapting music, loved the way it enhances the gameplay.”
    • “The music in Five Dates is standard background fare, with a few tracks that might set the tone, but nothing memorable.”
    • “The music also needs some work; there should have been some continuation or transition that could have helped with the continuation issue, but instead the music just dies down after each option is chosen.”
    • “Music is very limited; there are a few cases of music, but no background music to speak of.”
  • emotional32 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is polarizing; while some players find it to be a touching and authentic experience filled with heartfelt moments and relatable characters, others criticize the performances as stiff and lacking depth, resulting in a shallow emotional connection. Despite mixed reviews, many appreciate the game's ability to evoke genuine feelings and humor, particularly in the context of online dating during the pandemic, making it a memorable experience for those who resonate with its themes. Overall, it offers a blend of humor and emotional moments that can leave players feeling both connected and, at times, unfulfilled.

    • “It was a touching and authentic moment that made the experience feel real and meaningful.”
    • “Sometimes it's the shortest games that provide the most powerful, emotional, and authentic experiences.”
    • “Every one of these 5 women made me happy and made me feel special in one way or another; they understood me and filled an empty hole in my life.”
  • optimization17 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is commendable, as it runs smoothly on various systems without significant performance issues, thanks to its minimalist design. However, while some performances are praised for their quality, others are criticized for being stiff and unconvincing, which detracts from the emotional connection to the characters. The mixed reviews on voice acting and performance quality suggest that while there are standout moments, inconsistencies exist throughout the game.

    • “The game’s minimalist design means it doesn’t require a beefy PC, and there are no significant performance issues.”
    • “Performance: it ran fine on my desktop computer.”
    • “This heartfelt rom-com has brilliant performances from all of its cast, all the way to its great direction and writing from its director.”
    • “The performances, unfortunately, come off as stiff and unconvincing, making it difficult to feel any emotional connection to the characters.”
    • “Poor voice acting and stiff performances.”
    • “And to be sure, there are some well written and acted moments when dates take an unexpected turn, but that's also where some of the questionable writing and weaker performances crop up.”
  • grinding7 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unfulfilling, as multiple playthroughs lack meaningful character development and story changes, making the experience feel monotonous. While some mechanics, like skipping previously seen scenes, help alleviate the grind, the overall sentiment is that the need for repeated gameplay to achieve certain goals detracts from enjoyment.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “While there are some branching paths, the lack of depth in character development or significant story changes makes multiple playthroughs feel tedious rather than rewarding.”
    • “Part of the problem is there are multiple questions you really should ask and that might be somewhat obvious but you never get an answer for unless you start the game again to choose different options. Needing to replay a character multiple times in completely new games is a needlessly tedious way to try to create replay value when just getting more time with each character in one playthrough would have just made more sense.”
    • “Getting the third date achievements is a bit grindy because you can only pick one at a time, so you’ll need several playthroughs, but the game allows you to skip scenes you already saw.”
  • atmosphere7 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is praised for effectively capturing the nuances of dating, particularly through face-to-face interactions and well-developed characters. Users appreciate the subtle recreation of first-date nervousness and the charm of awkward moments, which contribute to a relatable and immersive experience. Despite a lack of flashy visuals, the setting and communication scenes create a compelling ambiance that enhances the overall dating experience.

    • “The whole online dating thing just didn't work for me (I'm aware of the irony), Ten Dates has a much better atmosphere in the bar, talking face to face with more well-rounded characters.”
    • “I did like all storylines; you get to experience various scenes, atmospheres, and personalities through all of the characters' oral interactions.”
    • “The communication scenes here are simply infinitely beautiful, very subtly recreating the atmosphere of nervousness of the first date, very silly but funny mistakes, strange awkward situations, and of course, all-consuming flirting.”
    • “The whole online dating thing just didn't work, in my opinion. Ten Dates has a much better atmosphere in the bar, talking face to face with more well-rounded characters.”
    • “I did like all the storylines; you get to experience various scenes, atmospheres, and personalities through all of the characters' oral interactions.”
    • “The atmosphere of dating from home is captured well.”
  • stability3 mentions

    Overall, users report mixed experiences with stability; while some praise the game for having no crashes or significant glitches, others note that the innovative video call format can experience occasional technical issues that disrupt immersion.

    • “The video call format, while innovative, occasionally suffers from technical glitches that can disrupt the immersion.”
    • “There are numerous bugs and glitches that affect gameplay, leading to frequent crashes and compatibility issues.”
    • “Despite some positive aspects, the game is plagued by stability issues that hinder the overall experience.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is criticized for its lack of depth and significant story changes, leading to tedious multiple playthroughs. Additionally, the quality of writing and character development is inconsistent across different storylines, resulting in an uneven storytelling experience.

    • “While there are some branching paths, the lack of depth in character development or significant story changes makes multiple playthroughs feel tedious rather than rewarding.”
    • “Uneven storytelling: the quality of writing and character development varies between the different storylines.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized for excessive advertising, particularly from the NHS, which detracts from the overall experience.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

67% average critic score

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Play time

4hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
2hMain story
6hCompletionist
2-8hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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