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

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 673 reviews

story86 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game expands on the lore and character backstories from the original Hatoful Boyfriend, providing more depth to beloved characters.
The writing is humorous and heartfelt, with a mix of absurdity and emotional moments that resonate with players.
The artwork is beautiful, featuring charming visuals and a unique style that enhances the storytelling experience.

The gameplay is more linear and lacks the branching paths of the original, resulting in fewer meaningful choices for players.
Some players found the pacing slow and felt that the game relied too heavily on reading rather than interactive gameplay.
The game may not be as impactful or engaging as the original, leading to disappointment for some fans expecting a similar experience.

story
349 mentions
25 % positive mentions
73 % neutral mentions
3 % 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 appreciate the additional content and character development, others find the lack of choices and emotional impact compared to the first game disappointing. Overall, it offers a quirky and engaging narrative that appeals to fans of the series, though it may not resonate as strongly with newcomers or those seeking a traditional dating sim experience.
- “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.”
- “Not as deep story-wise as the first game, but still was a very beautiful experience with my pigeon husbandos.”
emotional
94 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is described as a profound rollercoaster, filled with heartwarming and heartbreaking moments that resonate deeply with players. Many reviewers noted that the storytelling, particularly regarding character backstories, evokes strong feelings, often leading to tears and self-reflection. While some felt it didn't quite reach the emotional heights of the first game, it still offers a rich, engaging narrative that captivates and moves players, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the series.
- “The main story is incredible and heartbreaking.”
- “This damn game made me cry and forced me to confront my own mortality.”
- “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
69 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. While some jokes may feel recycled or fall flat, the overall comedic tone is described as random, hilarious, and often touching, appealing to fans of the series. The writing effectively balances humor with emotional depth, making for a unique experience that can be both funny and poignant.
- “The game is full of hilarious lines and, believe it or not, tons of heartfelt scenes and character development.”
- “That charming, utterly absurd sense of humor is still there.”
- “It's quirky, funny, and can get really sentimental.”
music
40 mentions
45 % positive mentions
48 % neutral mentions
8 % 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 lament the absence of beloved songs from the original. Although the soundtrack includes a mix of reused and new music, some players express disappointment over missing emotional tracks that contributed significantly to the game's atmosphere. Overall, the music is considered a strong aspect, but its inconsistency in the updated version has left some fans wanting more.
- “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.”
- “From the misleading exterior to the beautiful soundtrack and lovely backgrounds, Holiday Star is an amazing remake of the game from 2012.”
- “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, and I'm worried that some really emotional songs later on in the game in 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
16 mentions
13 % positive mentions
69 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for being overly simplistic and linear, moving away from the original's more engaging mechanics to a straightforward visual novel format with minimal player choices. Many users find it tedious and lacking the interactive elements that made the first game enjoyable, resulting in a less dynamic experience overall.
- “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
14 mentions
43 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while it features humorous and heartfelt moments, some reviewers feel it lacks the depth of the original. However, many appreciate the significant growth of both main and new side characters, particularly in the final chapter, which builds on the established world and character arcs from the first game. Overall, the game is seen as either a love-it-or-hate-it experience, with character development being a standout aspect for those who enjoy it.
- “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
13 mentions
38 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their beautiful artwork and charming, quirky style that mirrors the first game. While the visual fidelity remains consistent, the addition of new human avatar artworks and a collection of high-resolution images enhances the overall experience, making the collector's edition particularly appealing for fans of the art.
- “Its artwork is beautiful, and it's got the same cute but strange charm the first game did.”
- “The visuals are about the same fidelity and the dialogue is the same style as the first game, weird but relatable with a complicated underlying plot.”
- “New human avatar artworks (yes, I didn't know the art was updated and they only appear in the shrine short story, but still nicely done).”
- “You'll also receive a high-resolution picture library of 36 artworks from within the game, five wallpapers, the rather disturbing holiday star dossier, and the king's storybook, which features a bonus story not included in the game proper.”
atmosphere
6 mentions
33 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by its beautiful, storybook-like art that enhances the whimsical fairytale setting, creating a rich holiday ambiance filled with joy and emotional depth. While some players noted a lack of options that diminished tension, the overall experience is described as a consistent and engaging journey that evokes a strong sense of atmosphere throughout.
- “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; however, the atmosphere feels lacking despite the joy and tears during the journey.”
- “The lack of options reminded me of the BBL route, minus the tension and atmosphere, so I was a little unhappy.”
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect to be tedious and lacking in engaging gameplay, diminishing the overall experience compared to the original game.
- “It's honestly pretty tedious and loses even the tiny sliver of 'gameplay' that the original had.”
stability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Overall, players have reported minor glitches related to achievements and text within the game, but these issues are generally not severe. There is hope for future updates to address these stability concerns.
- “I dealt with some achievement and text glitches within the game, but they were not too bad. Hopefully, they get updated soon, especially the Happy New Year achievement.”
- “I encountered several stability issues that disrupted my gameplay experience.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it difficult to enjoy the content.”
replayability
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is technically proficient but lacks significant replayability, as it feels more like a digital comic and fails to deliver the engaging emotional narrative that would encourage players to revisit it.