Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star

Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star is a click your way through several absurd, linear stories about pigeons.

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"Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star" is a humorous dating simulator and visual novel where you play as a human in a world of sentient birds. This sequel to "Hatoful Boyfriend" features holiday-themed stories with new and returning characters. Experience winter festivities, solve puzzles, and enjoy the light-hearted, quirky narrative in this unique game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 333 reviews

story43 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game expands on the beloved characters from the original Hatoful Boyfriend, providing more depth and backstory.
The storytelling is engaging, mixing humor with emotional moments that can lead to tears.
The art and music enhance the experience, creating a charming atmosphere that complements the quirky narrative.

The gameplay is more linear than the original, with fewer choices and less interactivity, making it feel more like a visual novel.
Some players found the pacing slow and the lack of branching paths disappointing compared to the first game.
There are technical issues, such as missing music and occasional glitches, which detract from the overall experience.

story
174 mentions
25 % positive mentions
73 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The story in "Holiday Star" is a blend of humor and emotional depth, expanding on character backstories from the original "Hatoful Boyfriend" while adopting a more linear, episodic format. While some players found the narrative less impactful than its predecessor, many appreciated the quirky charm and the darker, more serious themes that emerge as the game progresses. Overall, it serves as a fun and engaging continuation for fans, though it lacks the branching choices that defined the first game.
- “The main story is incredible and heartbreaking.”
- “There's really emotional storytelling about some of the teacher characters and their pasts, and it made me love the adults in the game more.”
- “The story fills a lot of holes the first game had, and gives you more insight into our lovely birds.”
- “Unfortunately, I found the story in Holiday Star to be quite dull.”
- “The stories are enjoyable enough, but most of them just seem like filler to me and I ended up being not as invested until the final main story.”
- “But with the branching story gone, it's hard not to feel something was taken.”
emotional
46 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is described as a profound rollercoaster, blending heartwarming and heartbreaking moments that resonate deeply with players. Many reviewers noted that the storytelling, particularly regarding character backstories, elicits strong emotional responses, often leading to tears. While some felt it didn't quite match the emotional impact of the first game, it still delivers a touching experience filled with humor and poignant scenes that engage players on a personal level.
- “It is a true emotional rollercoaster.”
- “The main story is incredible and heartbreaking.”
- “Be warned: once you fly towards the holiday star, there is no coming back from the emotional train ride that is waiting for you.”
humor
34 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a blend of absurdity and heartfelt moments, maintaining the quirky charm of its predecessor while introducing darker themes. Players appreciate the over-the-top comedy and clever references to anime culture, though some find the humor inconsistent, with certain jokes feeling reused or obnoxious. Overall, the game successfully balances laugh-out-loud moments with emotional depth, making it a unique experience for fans of the series.
- “The comedy, at its best, is even more hilariously over-the-top, and the drama, while weaker than in the original, still manages to evoke some feels and add details to the overarching story.”
- “The game is full of hilarious lines and, believe it or not, tons of heartfelt scenes and character development.”
- “It's quirky, funny, and can get really sentimental.”
music
20 mentions
45 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the new royalty-free tracks as enjoyable and fitting, while others express disappointment over the absence of beloved songs from the original game. Although the soundtrack includes a blend of reused and new music, some players feel that the removal of certain emotional tracks detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the music is generally well-received, but there are concerns about missing elements that contributed to the game's emotional depth.
- “While it's important to note the soundtrack is all royalty-free music, it is amazingly good royalty-free music.”
- “The music is nice, I still can't believe Yuuya gets his own theme played whenever he enters the scene.”
- “Something unexpected is that the new music is really nice, too.”
- “The HD ports are getting a little sloppy - this game had typos, missing music, missing CGs, missing or misaligned sprites, and a few inappropriately reused HD backgrounds from the first game.”
- “I was really hoping a particular track (end of chapter 2) would be there, but when it wasn't, I was kind of sad. I'm worried that some really emotional songs later on in the game during heart-wrenching moments are just going to be replaced by awkward silence.”
- “Music really adds a lot to a game, even if it's just pigeons talking in a dialogue box, so when there's nothing there, it just makes the game feel a lot emptier.”
gameplay
8 mentions
25 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
38 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for being overly simplistic and linear, moving away from the original's mechanics to adopt a more straightforward visual novel format. Many users feel that it lacks depth and choice, making it tedious and less engaging than its predecessor. Overall, the gameplay experience is described as minimal and lacking the interactive elements that defined the first game.
- “Interesting gameplay that makes you feel like Batman.”
- “Most notably from a gameplay perspective, 'Holiday Star' abandons the dating-sim structure of 'Hatoful Boyfriend' in favor of a straightforward visual-novel approach.”
- “It's honestly pretty tedious and loses even the tiny sliver of 'gameplay' that the original had.”
- “The gameplay is even simpler than in the first game; this is a visual novel at its finest.”
- “This time, gameplay is fairly straightforward with little to no choice options at all.”
character development
7 mentions
43 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while it features humorous and heartfelt moments, some players feel it lacks the depth of the original. However, many appreciate the significant growth of both main and side characters, particularly in the later chapters, which build on the established world and character arcs from the first game. Overall, the game offers a blend of lightheartedness and meaningful development, appealing to those who enjoy character-driven narratives.
- “The game is full of hilarious lines and, believe it or not, tons of heartfelt scenes and character development.”
- “Great character development and even some pretty good development for the few new side characters we're introduced to.”
- “I expected light and fluffy fanservice, but the game gradually becomes much more than that and the last chapter involves some pretty significant character development for some of the main cast from the original game.”
- “It lacks the careful character development of the original, and the story is quite uninteresting overall.”
- “This game relies heavily on the character development from the first Hatoful Boyfriend, so you need to play that one to understand this one.”
- “It does the smart thing and uses all the world-building and character development from the first game as a base and creates some new scenarios with that established world.”
graphics
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their beautiful artwork and charming, quirky style that mirrors the first game. The visuals maintain a similar fidelity, complemented by updated human avatar artworks and a high-resolution picture library included in the collector's edition, which enhances the overall aesthetic experience.
- “Its artwork is beautiful, and it has the same cute but strange charm as the first game.”
- “The visuals maintain the same fidelity and the dialogue retains the same style as the first game, which is weird but relatable with a complicated underlying plot.”
- “The extra artwork in the collector's edition is fantastic, and you'll receive a high-resolution picture library of 36 artworks from within the game, along with five wallpapers.”
- “The visuals are about the same fidelity as the first game, which feels outdated and lacks innovation.”
- “The dialogue style remains the same as the first game, which can be weird but relatable, yet it doesn't elevate the overall graphics experience.”
- “While the new human avatar artworks are nicely done, they only appear in a short story and do not enhance the game's visual presentation.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-33 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by its beautiful, storybook art that complements the whimsical fairytale theme, creating a joyful and emotionally resonant experience. While some players noted a lack of options that diminished tension, the overall journey is filled with a rich holiday ambiance that enhances the narrative.
- “They have really pretty, storybook-esque art that fits with the weird fairytale atmosphere of the holiday star itself.”
- “It takes you by the hand and leads you from the start till the end; and there's so much joy, and tears, and holiday atmosphere while you're taking the journey.”
- “The lack of options reminded me of the BBL route, minus the tension and atmosphere, so I was a little unhappy.”
- “It takes you by the hand and leads you from the start till the end; there's so much joy, tears, and holiday atmosphere while you're taking the journey.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect to be tedious and lacking in engaging gameplay, diminishing the overall experience compared to the original.
- “It's honestly pretty tedious and loses even the tiny sliver of 'gameplay' that the original had.”
- “The grinding feels endless and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “I found myself doing the same repetitive tasks over and over, which made the experience feel more like a chore than fun.”
stability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Overall, players have reported minor glitches related to achievements and text within the game, but these issues are not considered severe. There is hope for future updates to address these stability concerns.
- “I encountered several achievement and text glitches within the game, which were quite frustrating. I hope they get updated soon, especially the Happy New Year achievement.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress without losing progress.”
- “I experienced constant lag and freezing issues that severely impacted my gameplay experience.”