How To Date A Magical Girl!

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In "How To Date A Magical Girl!", you are a regular human attending a school for magical girls, trying to balance your studies, part-time job, and social life while pursuing your romantic interests. Over time, you uncover dark secrets lurking beneath the surface of the seemingly happy-go-lucky school. This dating sim game offers various activities and interactions to build relationships and uncover the mysteries of the academy.

Play Modes

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

Reviews

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 331 reviews

story60 positive mentions

grinding30 negative mentions

The game features a compelling and thought-provoking story that keeps players engaged throughout.
The character designs and artwork are visually appealing, with well-done CG scenes.
The mix of dating sim mechanics with psychological horror elements creates a unique and intriguing experience.

The ending is disappointing and feels like a cop-out, undermining the investment made in the characters and story.
The gameplay can become tedious due to excessive grinding for stats and affection points.
The writing sometimes feels forced, with predictable plot twists and clichés that detract from the overall experience.

story
236 mentions
25 % positive mentions
69 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its depth and emotional impact, while others criticize it for relying on overused tropes and a disappointing ending that undermines the narrative. Many found the character backstories intriguing, but felt that the pacing and gameplay mechanics detracted from the overall experience, leading to a sense of monotony. Overall, while the story has its compelling moments, it often struggles with predictability and execution, leaving players divided on its effectiveness.
- “It's thought provoking, and the depth of the story will probably grow on you for a while after experiencing it.”
- “I really enjoyed the story; it was simple yet entertaining and had interesting twists and bits of horror that made me continue for just a little longer even though it was 5 AM.”
- “The game is fantastic and the story always kept me on my toes.”
- “The ending is really the most terrible thing I've seen... it makes the entire story feel all for nothing and I just wasted my time.”
- “All the character development is lost and the story becomes meaningless when you say that everything is a simulation and none of it was real.”
- “The story sucks - a lot.”
gameplay
50 mentions
24 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the engaging mechanics of time management, stat leveling, and item collection, while others find it repetitive and tedious over time. Many noted that the balance between gameplay and story phases could be improved, as the gameplay often feels like a grind that detracts from the narrative experience. Overall, while the game offers a unique twist on the visual novel genre, its mechanics may not appeal to everyone, particularly those who prefer a more dynamic gameplay experience.
- “Imagine the gameplay of Persona with the social links, earning money through jobs and selling magic items, and training stats to upgrade different social attributes.”
- “If you are bored of the classical 'read and (rarely) choose' visual novels, then I recommend playing this game; its gameplay will feel different for sure.”
- “The gameplay centered around setting up dates with the girls and collecting items from the world, also you had to balance your free time with studying, so you wouldn't fail your classes.”
- “The gameplay is bad, full stop. It's one of those 'spend time to make the numbers go up' games, very boring.”
- “Everything was filled with stupid 'stat leveling' gameplay mechanics, which made a 2-hour long story a never-ending boredom.”
- “But the gameplay becomes repetitive, and there are some features you just forget they are there. If you managed to get all you need for your girl and raise your stats, almost half of the game becomes very boring; you are just waiting for the events to happen.”
music
37 mentions
49 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the soundtrack as enjoyable and memorable, particularly highlighting specific tracks like "darkness creeping in" and "moonless dance." However, others criticize the limited number of tracks, which can lead to repetitiveness, and note that while the music fits the game's emotional tone, it often lacks memorability. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a strong point by some, while others find it average or forgettable.
- “The music was well thought out to match the setting and character's emotions.”
- “Amazing game, artwork and soundtrack with an emotional, psychological plot twisting story.”
- “The art is cute, the story is magnifique and the music is catchy and memorable.”
- “Music contains a small number of tracks, so be ready for that.”
- “Quite a limited number of music tracks, which can make you feel tired by the end of the game.”
- “The soundtrack is generally inoffensive but unmemorable, aside from one high-energy j-metal tune that's really much better than anything else.”
grinding
31 mentions
3 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
97 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is a significant drawback, often described as tedious and excessive, particularly in relation to increasing stats and affection levels. While some players appreciate the dating mechanics and story twists, many feel that the amount of grinding detracts from the overall experience, making it feel unbalanced and less enjoyable. Overall, the grinding is seen as a common but frustrating element in this visual novel and dating sim, impacting replay value and player engagement.
- “A decent, if not grindy dating sim/visual novel.”
- “I really wanted to enjoy this visual novel, but after 5 hours of playing, I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere story-wise and the grinding part of the stats began.”
- “While I appreciated some of the twists later on, the sheer amount of grinding required for that payoff just did not feel worth it.”
- “But this game's use of pointless RPG elements and the amount of grinding necessary really spoiled the experience for me, and based on that, I cannot recommend it.”
graphics
22 mentions
32 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the creative CG style that effectively portrays intense scenes, while others criticize the regular artwork as lackluster and inconsistent. Although certain characters like Yui and Miyu are noted for their appealing designs, many feel the overall visuals are poor and detract from the experience. Despite these criticisms, some players appreciate the unique art style and find it adds to the game's charm, making it worth playing.
- “The CG style was the perfect art style to depict these creepy death sequences.”
- “Amazing game, artwork, and soundtrack with an emotional, psychological plot-twisting story.”
- “All in all, I loved the game visuals, the dialogue, the characters (mostly), and it is definitely worth the $9, if not more.”
- “The graphics are well made, but the graphical glitches slowly start to build up more and more and layer over themselves towards the end.”
- “It's a completely different art style and looks very flat and lifeless.”
- “The art style aside from character graphics is somewhat odd and lackluster.”
emotional
16 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game elicits mixed responses, with some players feeling deeply invested in the characters and their journeys, while others criticize the lack of satisfying resolutions and the predictability of plot twists that undermine emotional engagement. Many appreciate the blend of wholesome and disturbing elements, which heightens the emotional impact, yet some feel that the overall narrative fails to provide meaningful closure, leaving them feeling that their investment was ultimately in vain. Overall, the game successfully evokes strong feelings, but the execution of its emotional storytelling leaves room for improvement.
- “Amazing game, artwork and soundtrack with an emotional, psychological plot twisting story.”
- “This game is somehow wholesome and disturbing at the same time, even more so than Doki Doki Literature Club.”
- “I was so emotionally invested that seeing all of them die so tragically and finding out that it was all a dream and those girls don't actually exist really hurts my feelings.”
character development
6 mentions
67 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for being undermined by the revelation that the story is a simulation, rendering the characters' distinct personalities and designs meaningless. While the character designs are praised for their creativity and alignment with anime tropes, the overall impact of character development is seen as lacking depth and significance.
- “They had distinct personalities and pretty cool character designs.”
- “+ great character designs with various anime tropes.”
- “Beautiful story, art, and character design.”
- “All the character development is lost and the story becomes meaningless when you say that everything is a simulation and none of it was real.”
humor
5 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of sweet and serious dialogue infused with internet humor, resulting in genuinely funny moments. Players appreciate the witty lines and the darkly comedic portrayal of the main character's descent into madness, which adds an unexpected layer of enjoyment, even amidst the game's more brutal themes. Overall, the humor effectively enhances the storytelling and player engagement.
- “I absolutely loved the dialogue being a mix of sweet, serious, and straight internet humor!”
- “The game has some pretty funny lines and the final twist was quite interesting, although it was also a bit predictable.”
- “Funny dialogues, well-enough written story, choices that impact the world, and overall more action is given to you.”
stability
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is marred by accumulating graphical glitches that intensify towards the end, alongside audio glitches that enhance the unsettling atmosphere during violent scenes. While these issues contribute to the narrative's psychological depth, they may detract from the overall experience for some players.
- “The graphics are well made, but the graphical glitches slowly start to build up more and more and layer over themselves towards the end.”
- “The game will use audio glitches, often alongside the violence, to heighten a sense of wrongness and discomfort.”
- “The game is significantly longer than DDLC, and the glitches are mostly used alongside traumatic events, which helps put the player in the mindset of the increasingly traumatized and jaded main character, in contrast to the DDLC main character who was cast off as an empty shell once the 'true' game revealed itself.”
replayability
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
While some users acknowledge the game's replayability, they note that certain grind-heavy elements significantly diminish its overall value for repeated playthroughs.
- “Replayability: yes”
atmosphere
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for being enjoyable and well-crafted, contributing positively to the overall experience despite some flaws.
- “This game has flaws, but the experience is very enjoyable nonetheless, with very good ideas and a nice atmosphere.”