Hatoful Boyfriend

78%
Game Brain Score Based on 4,083 reviews
  • story
  • humor
  • emotional
Hatoful Boyfriend Game Cover
Hatoful Boyfriend tells an endearingly crazy story that will have you smiling, laughing, crying and feverishly turning the virtual page. It takes some buy-in, but pays off if you're looking for something way off the beaten path.
Starting at €7.99Buy now
Get on Steam

In "Hatoful Boyfriend," you play as the only human student at a high school for extraordinarily talented birds. Engage in romances with pigeons of various personalities, from sleepy teachers to members of a biker gang, and experience a new scenario and ending in this unique visual novel/dating sim remake. No feathered friends were harmed in the making of this game – many even found love!

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Android
  • Linux
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station Vita
  • Tablet
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

78%
Audience ScoreBased on 4,083 reviews
story375 positive mentions
grinding24 negative mentions
  • The game has a surprisingly deep and emotional storyline that unfolds as you progress through the character routes.
  • Each bird character is well-developed with unique personalities and backstories, making it easy to become attached to them.
  • The humor and absurdity of dating birds is balanced with darker themes, creating a memorable and engaging experience.
  • The gameplay can become repetitive as you have to replay routes to unlock the true ending, which may deter some players.
  • There are minor technical issues, such as save file glitches and a fast-forward button that skips new text, which can be frustrating.
  • Some players may find it hard to take the premise seriously, which could affect their overall enjoyment of the game.
  • story1,322 mentions

    The story of *Hatoful Boyfriend* is a surprising blend of humor and depth, evolving from a seemingly light-hearted pigeon dating sim into a complex narrative filled with dark themes and emotional twists. Players are drawn into the intricate backstories of each character, with the true depth of the plot revealed only after completing multiple routes, culminating in a gripping final storyline that ties all the threads together. While the initial gameplay may feel repetitive, the rich storytelling and character development make it a rewarding experience for those willing to explore all the endings.

    • “The story is very well thought out and deserves, in my opinion, more recognition in the world.”
    • “What starts as a ridiculous but cute pigeon dating sim turns into an intense and enthralling story about murder, betrayal, biological warfare, terrorism, and lies.”
    • “The story has a surprising amount of lore and takes a surprising shift after you finish all the main routes.”
    • “The story was incredibly emotional and the twist was definitely unexpected.”
    • “The plot is much deeper than I thought it should be.”
    • “The story is surprisingly deep, something I found to be a relief.”
  • humor619 mentions

    The humor in "Hatoful Boyfriend" is a blend of absurdity and clever writing, often catching players off guard with its unexpected depth and emotional twists. Initially perceived as a lighthearted bird dating sim filled with puns and quirky characters, the game evolves into a narrative that balances hilarity with darker themes, leaving players both laughing and emotionally invested. While some find the humor to be a delightful surprise, others note that the comedic elements can wear thin, revealing a more serious and intricate story beneath the surface.

    • “Initially, the game's appeal is its humor, filled with avian puns and quirky characters like Okosan, a bird in pursuit of the ultimate pudding.”
    • “The writing is absolutely hilarious and then suddenly, shockingly, deeply moving.”
    • “What first appears to be a hilarious or even stupid pigeon dating game becomes so much more.”
    • “It's marketed as being some kind of hilarious parody... in reality, it's not funny at all.”
    • “Overly clichéd and with somewhat stilted writing, this game is too absurd to be genuine, and not funny enough to be a good parody.”
    • “This game simply isn't worth the time unless you like repetitive, unfunny, and cliché-ridden stories.”
  • emotional425 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Hatoful Boyfriend" is unexpectedly profound, with many players expressing surprise at how deeply they became invested in the characters and their stories. While initially perceived as a humorous dating sim about birds, the game reveals dark, heart-wrenching narratives that evoke genuine tears and emotional turmoil, leading to a rollercoaster of feelings that players did not anticipate. Overall, it combines humor with poignant storytelling, resulting in a unique experience that leaves a lasting emotional impact.

    • “This game made me cry twice.”
    • “I can't believe a pigeon dating sim made me cry.”
    • “I started playing this game again after years of not playing it, and it still destroys me emotionally.”
  • music158 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its charm and ability to enhance the atmosphere, while others find it repetitive or generic, often noting the use of stock tracks. Many appreciate the emotional depth and fitting nature of the soundtrack, particularly in relation to character themes and story moments, but some players opted to mute the game due to annoyance with the music. Overall, while the soundtrack has its fans, it also has detractors who feel it detracts from the experience.

    • “The music is fantastic, the characters are fun and quirky.”
    • “The soundtrack is amazing, and it makes me wish I had gotten the collector's edition so I could have it.”
    • “The music sets the mood of the characters and the sound effects can really set the atmosphere.”
    • “I wasn't really a fan of the soundtrack, and it felt a little too repetitive and annoying, so I muted the game after a few endings I had achieved, but it didn't really take away from the experience too much.”
    • “The soundtrack is repetitive and mostly uses stock copyright-free tunes.”
    • “The music is annoying, the visuals are flat and boring, the dialogue is mediocre at best, and overall, the game is simply just a regular dating sim, nothing new to the table.”
  • gameplay112 mentions

    The gameplay of this visual novel is primarily focused on reading text and making choices, which can lead to a repetitive experience, especially during multiple playthroughs. While some players appreciate the depth of the story and character development, others find the mechanics simplistic and lacking in engagement, often wishing for more interactive elements. Overall, the game is best enjoyed for its narrative rather than its gameplay, which is standard for the genre but may not satisfy those seeking more complex mechanics.

    • “The gameplay elegantly combines the presence of charming male characters, a narrative of considerable depth and complexity, as well as an enigmatic aura that envelops the entire experience.”
    • “The core mechanics are those of a dating game, but every single storyline is so complete and emotionally engaging; it's insane.”
    • “Even though this game is a visual novel, it provides immersive gameplay that will keep players like myself hooked for hours at a time.”
    • “Overall, I probably would have been better off just watching some gameplay on YouTube rather than purchasing and playing it myself.”
    • “Not only did the gameplay not work properly, but I kind of felt like I had to go through hours of ridiculousness just to get to the actual storyline, which, as interesting as it was, was not worth the trouble in my opinion.”
    • “The lack of actual gameplay choices leaves you either clicking tirelessly through the same text or using the now-acknowledged skip button in the top right-hand corner, causing the entirety of the plot to become more of a blur than an experience itself.”
  • graphics85 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some praising the cute art style and improved HD visuals in the re-release, while others criticize the static nature of the graphics and the use of photographs of birds as character sprites. Many players appreciate the charming backgrounds and character designs, but some find the overall visual presentation lacking in animation and depth, leading to a disconnect between the aesthetic and gameplay experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as adequate for a visual novel, but not groundbreaking, with the story and humor taking precedence over visual fidelity.

    • “The graphics are cute, the concept is also cute, it is overall very comedic.”
    • “The re-release has updated the graphics beautifully and any fan of otome games with a good sense of humor is bound to love this game.”
    • “The presentation: the game has a very cute art style that goes for more cartoonish than realistic, and the fact that the character models are cut out from actual pictures of birds is a nice touch.”
    • “I understand trying to get each ending in any visual novel is repetitive, but this was made worse by the lack of dramatically branching options and lackluster visuals and sounds.”
    • “The visuals consist of digitally drawn backgrounds and the character sprites are photographs of birds.”
    • “The music is annoying, the visuals are flat and boring, the dialogue is mediocre at best, and overall, the game is simply just a regular dating sim, nothing new to the table.”
  • replayability51 mentions

    The game offers high replayability due to its multiple endings and choices, allowing players to explore different storylines and character interactions. While some players found the dialogue repetitive after multiple playthroughs, many appreciated the depth and humor that emerged with each iteration. Overall, it is considered a worthwhile investment for those who enjoy uncovering all possible outcomes.

    • “With the amount of endings and choices to make, there is a bunch of replay value, and it can keep one entertained for several hours!”
    • “The replay value in this game is colossal, and each ending is brilliantly planned, with just enough humor, sadness, and a plot twist you never saw coming that was dangled in front of you since square one.”
    • “Definitely recommend this and it has quite a bit of replay value due to the multiple endings and unlockable side story information.”
    • “My gameplaying style led me to be killed by the pigeons rather frequently, and the fact that the dialogue can get rather boring after the initial play makes the replay value low for me personally.”
    • “However, I don't see it having any replay value after finishing it.”
    • “Although the game is well put together, it doesn't have near enough replay value.”
  • grinding25 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly when attempting to unlock all 14 endings and the "true" storyline. While some appreciate the depth and unique experiences each route offers, many express frustration with the repetitive nature of dialogue and the lack of a proper skip function for previously seen content. However, the inclusion of a fast-forward feature helps alleviate some of the monotony, making the grind feel more manageable for those committed to experiencing the full narrative.

    • “A good point in favor of this as a visual novel/dating sim is that all the routes you can take are logical and it is not tedious to achieve full completion, even without using a walkthrough.”
    • “It can be pretty tedious as some endings fork based on what subject you study, so you need to repeat everything to unlock both versions of each route and unlock the final BBL ending.”
    • “The story has a lot of twists and turns the first time you play it, but after running all the routes, it got a little tedious to repeat such long series of dialogues without any choices in between.”
    • “There is content you can only unlock by getting all of the endings, and as I said, that can be a tedious process.”
  • character development22 mentions

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising the depth and complexity of certain characters, particularly in the true route, while others criticize the overall lack of development and reliance on typical anime tropes. While some characters are well-rounded and their backstories engaging, many storylines feel rushed and lack closure, leaving players wanting more. Overall, the game offers moments of impressive character growth amidst a backdrop of humor and unique storytelling, but it struggles to maintain consistency across all characters.

    • “Play the true route for really immersive storytelling and character development.”
    • “The character development is phenomenal.”
    • “The character development is deep, the storylines that are behind each love interest are engaging, and more than once I have found myself sobbing because of the pigeons.”
    • “It is full of irrelevant subplots, and very little character development.”
    • “It's your typical high school dating sim, except extremely condensed with each scene taking 2 minutes at most and thus having barely any character development past the usual anime character tropes.”
    • “While the characters are fun, there is neither much actual romance nor character development; storylines end almost immediately after the big reveal of the birds' backstory, and so the game does not give any closure, even when dealing with more serious topics.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is described as a blend of dark and light elements, with moments of intensity balanced by humor and charm. While some players feel the dating sim aspect is lacking, others appreciate the depth and unique tone created by the writing, characters, and music, which effectively enhance the overall experience. The contrasting moods contribute to a memorable and engaging atmosphere that stands out in the visual novel genre.

    • “Really great visual novel with a different atmosphere.”
    • “This portion is dark both atmospherically and aesthetically.”
    • “The music sets the mood of the characters and the sound effects can really set the atmosphere.”
    • “Still, I don't feel any dating sim atmosphere.”
    • “In this newer, sparklier version, the player can save whenever they please, taking away that intense atmosphere.”
    • “You're a sophomore now, but you haven't done much to adjust to the atmosphere of Pigeonation just yet.”
  • stability6 mentions

    The game's stability is marred by frequent bugs, particularly with the save and load functions, which can lead to frustrating freezes during critical moments. Users report needing to save often and deal with various glitches, including UI issues and translation errors, which detract from the overall experience. Despite these problems, some players still find the game enjoyable, albeit with a significant need for patience.

    • “The game also had a tendency to freeze at important decisions, making me have to replay yet again, so it became a real effort in patience trying to deal with these glitches without throwing it out.”
    • “My only complaint with the game is that the save feature is a bit buggy.”
    • “- buggy UI (skip function must be constantly reactivated, game may freeze when loading file, load file screen has '?' icon)”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game is praised for its exceptional optimization, outperforming even titles like Assassin's Creed: Unity. Players report a peak performance experience, contributing to a highly immersive gameplay that impresses audiences.

    • “This game is at the peak of its performance.”
    • “Exceptional optimization (runs better than Assassin's Creed: Unity).”
    • “I won the best performance of the night, and I entirely attribute it to the pure shock the audience had towards the dedication I had to this game.”
    • “This game is at the brink of its performance.”
    • “The optimization is so poor that it feels like I'm playing a slideshow instead of a game.”
    • “Frequent frame drops and long loading times make the experience frustrating.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the game's monetization strategy is misleading, with users cautioning against the comedic ads that may not accurately represent the in-game experience or costs.

    • “Don't believe the comedic ads.”
    • “The game is riddled with paywalls that make progress nearly impossible without spending money.”
    • “In-game purchases are overpriced and feel exploitative.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

76% average critic score

Buy Hatoful Boyfriend

Play time

10hMedian play time
23hAverage play time
9-18hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games

Game News