Sucker for Love: First Date

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 3,731 reviews
  • humor
  • story
  • gameplay
Sucker for Love: First Date Game Cover
Sucker for Love: First Date is a gut busting romp through relationships with several eldritch abominations. While this visual novel has a few rough edges, it is a must play for fans of comedy games.
Starting at $5.55Buy now
Get on Steam

In "Sucker for Love: First Date," you're a ritual-obsessed individual who accidentally summons Ln'eta, a cute eldritch horror. Perform rituals from a pink Necronomicon to win her kiss in this visual novel with significant decision-based gameplay, immersive elements, and three fully-voiced dateable characters.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,731 reviews
humor493 positive mentions
stability50 negative mentions
  • humor493 mentions

    The humor in "Sucker for Love" is widely praised for its clever writing and engaging dialogue, seamlessly blending light-hearted comedy with Lovecraftian horror elements. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke laughter through quirky character interactions and absurd scenarios, while also maintaining a sense of charm and emotional depth. Overall, the humor is described as both entertaining and memorable, making it a standout feature of the visual novel.

    • “The unique blend of Lovecraftian horror and dating sim elements is brilliantly executed, making for an experience that’s both thrilling and hilariously charming.”
    • “The humor is just on point, and it has a lot of charm.”
    • “Easily one of the funniest titles I have played in a while - the character interactions and dialogue are both hilarious and memorable.”
  • story358 mentions

    The game's story is a unique blend of humor and horror, featuring a quirky narrative centered around dating eldritch gods, which many players found surprisingly engaging and entertaining. With multiple endings and branching paths, the storytelling keeps players invested, while the vibrant art style and strong voice acting enhance the overall experience. Despite some critiques regarding its linearity and brevity, the comedic and romantic elements, along with memorable characters, have left a lasting impression on players, making it a standout in the dating sim genre.

    • “This game is an amazing story-based interactive game that has amazing details and graphics.”
    • “A great and interesting story told well and in a unique fashion.”
    • “The story is very intriguing even though it's blatantly meant to be comedic.”
    • “I like the art direction, but really the second story sucked, and the first was okay but super short.”
    • “You also have pretty much no choices; the story is almost completely linear.”
    • “I turned the voices off since they didn't add much, and while the dialogue was pretty clever most of the time, the game and story just didn't have much depth.”
  • gameplay221 mentions

    The gameplay of this visual novel is characterized by its unique mechanics, such as performing rituals through mouse interactions and engaging in point-and-click elements, which add a layer of challenge and variety across its chapters. While the game is primarily a narrative experience, it incorporates enough interactive gameplay to keep players engaged, particularly in the later chapters where the difficulty ramps up. Overall, players appreciate the blend of humor, horror, and creative mechanics, though some express a desire for more depth and options in character choices and gameplay variety.

    • “The gameplay is overall pretty easy until chapter 3 where you start to sweat a little, but the jokes are worth it.”
    • “With creative gameplay mechanics (the true ending can make you sweat), a ridiculous premise, funny dialogue, cute outer gods (lol) and the occasional genuinely disturbing content, Sucker for Love is a fantastic time.”
    • “The gameplay is so simple yet so satisfying thanks to each one of the three chapters having an excellent selection of new elements to play with that never let it get exhausting, always trying something new.”
    • “Sadly the main gameplay element - performing occult rituals - is basically completely neutered: messing up a ritual has no effect other than the game telling you what you did wrong and to try again.”
    • “For someone with hand tremors like me, the stupid 'highlight the words slowly' mechanic makes the first two chapters frustrating and the final chapter impossible to finish.”
    • “It's very difficult getting all the endings due to the finicky nature of the gameplay and having to redo entire segments of the game to properly get the ending you want.”
  • graphics146 mentions

    The graphics of "Sucker for Love" are widely praised for their vibrant, hand-drawn anime art style that evokes nostalgia for 90s aesthetics, effectively complementing the quirky and humorous storyline. Players appreciate the unique blend of cute and horror elements, with many noting the game's exceptional character designs and atmospheric visuals that enhance the overall experience. While some minor technical issues were mentioned, the overall visual presentation, combined with a fitting soundtrack and voice acting, contributes significantly to the game's charm and appeal.

    • “The 90s anime sheen infused into every aspect of the visuals is well-considered and hits the perfect nostalgia spot, and paired with cute cosmic horrors, the game is just beautiful to look at.”
    • “The game's art style is vibrant and captivating, perfectly complementing the quirky, offbeat storyline.”
    • “Beautiful hand-drawn anime art style, banger soundtrack, unique twist on its genre with the premise (dating goddesses of eldritch/lovecraftian horror), adequately delivered horror elements, charmful characters and meta game mechanics that really kicked me in the balls when I tried to 100% the game.”
    • “The art style is rather amateurish, and some of the drawings look very sketchy, in the sense of being literally colored sketches.”
    • “There are a few spelling mistakes and the full screen toggle can crash your graphics if you click it in succession.”
    • “There's currently a lack of graphical settings, so the resolution was a bit low for my monitor, but running in fullscreen was fine.”
  • music115 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its catchy and memorable tracks, effectively enhancing the overall atmosphere and aesthetic. Players particularly enjoyed the anime-inspired soundtrack, with standout pieces like the ending theme and various background scores that evoke nostalgia. The combination of excellent voice acting and well-crafted sound design further elevates the gaming experience, making the music a highlight for many reviewers.

    • “The art is amazing, the story (while a little silly) is fantastic, the soundtrack is perfection; I have that credits song stuck in my head now.”
    • “Kudos to the dev for making a very touching OST at the end of the game, absolutely satisfying ending :)”
    • “The music creates a good ambiance, and one or two tracks actually stand out as fairly decent.”
    • “I swear there's a song with the exact same premise as this game.”
    • “From overlapping UI, character voice lines not playing for no reason, to the game-breaking one that played two theme songs over each other.”
    • “Also no audio settings, but the balance of audio was fine, minus this random white noise that goes on anytime there's not music playing.”
  • emotional90 mentions

    The game elicits a wide range of emotions, blending comedy, horror, and heartwarming moments that catch players off guard. Many reviewers noted its ability to create genuine emotional connections, with touching scenes that evoke laughter, tears, and a sense of warmth, making it a standout in the dating sim genre. Overall, it successfully balances its dark themes with wholesome interactions, leaving players feeling both entertained and emotionally fulfilled.

    • “This game made me feel things I wasn’t emotionally or cosmically prepared for.”
    • “Thank you dev team for providing such a unique, heartwarming, and emotional experience <3”
    • “If you suspend your disbelief to go along for the ride and get engaged with the characters, then this game can deliver some emotional damage that leaves you asking for more.”
  • stability50 mentions

    The game is reported to be quite buggy, with numerous visual glitches and occasional soft locks, particularly in the latter chapters. While some players found the gameplay enjoyable despite these issues, the lack of basic features like a save system and persistent bugs have led to frustration and disappointment. Overall, while the game has potential, its stability issues significantly detract from the experience.

    • “I really wanted to give this game a good review, but due to how buggy the game is, I just can't.”
    • “Looking at how buggy the game is a year after release, how it's missing basic features like achievements or the ability to regularly save instead of a stupid checkpoint system, and how the sequel goes in a completely different direction, it's blatantly obvious the devs don't care about their audience.”
    • “Right now, on release, there's a ton of bugs and glitches that make progress a little wonky.”
  • character development35 mentions

    The character development in the game is highly praised for its stunning and unique designs, which blend cute and eerie elements effectively. Reviewers appreciate the engaging lore, memorable voice acting, and the clever integration of humor and horror, creating a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. The writing skillfully combines romantic and Lovecraftian themes, making the characters feel both relatable and otherworldly.

    • “The character design is absolutely fantastic; the writing manages to capture the nuances of Lovecraftian storytelling and have it flow perfectly with the romantic setting in dialogue.”
    • “The art direction is absolutely phenomenal, from outstanding character designs to otherworldly sites; it was truly a treat.”
    • “The writing is great, the character designs are memorable, and the music creates that perfect atmosphere where, while you're trying to get that smooch, you still have to remember that you're toying with gods that can end your life whenever they want.”
  • grinding24 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is often described as tedious, particularly when replaying chapters to achieve different endings, which can feel punishing due to sensitive mechanics and repetitive dialogue. While some players appreciate the checkpoint system and fast-forward option to alleviate the monotony, others find the need to repeatedly chant or navigate through familiar content to be a significant drawback. Overall, while the game is engaging, the grinding elements can detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The 'reading' is really sensitive and fails often, in a way that feels more tedious and punishing than challenging.”
    • “It can be tedious to have to chant things slow enough to count, especially during chapter 2 where going too fast or having something wrong means death and lost progress.”
    • “The only complaints I have is that while it's rewarding to try different paths to get the different endings, it can be rather tedious to hear through the same dialogue over and over again but thankfully, the developer offered a fast-forward button to skip what you may have heard already.”
  • replayability21 mentions

    The game offers decent replayability typical of the visual novel genre, featuring multiple endings and branching routes that encourage exploration of different story permutations. However, some players note that its relatively short length and certain chapters may limit overall replay value. Despite this, many find the engaging narrative and character interactions make it enjoyable enough to revisit.

    • “The replayability value is also pretty good with the usual multiple ending mechanic of the visual novel genre.”
    • “The horror, the 'loves' are all interesting and makes this game very replayable even after you finish the game.”
    • “Also once you get past the first chapter the game breaks off into more routes which gives it decent replay value.”
    • “There isn't really replay value and fairly short, so don't expect to get 100 hours out of it.”
    • “Also, once you get past the first chapter, the game breaks off into more routes which gives it decent replay value.”
    • “Which is where trying to discover the different permutations will get each ending as well as some alternate scenes adds some light replay value.”
  • optimization13 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing significant lag and crashes even on high-end PCs, indicating potential optimization issues. Conversely, others report smooth performance despite the game's small size, suggesting that while some users face challenges, others have a more favorable experience. Overall, the CPU power requirements seem higher than expected for a game of this nature.

    • “The game is less than 1GB (as of right now) and runs smoothly all the time.”
    • “While all three voice actresses deliver cosmically stellar performances, a special shout out goes to Kayli Mills for her performance as Estir.”
    • “[Interesting, unique premise, terrific vocal performances, succeeds as both a comedy and a horror].”
    • “I believe there is some poor optimization; I have a $2000 PC and somehow still lag at the menu. Sometimes I even crash mid-game.”
    • “There are definitely some optimization problems. The CPU power requirement is higher than you'd expect from this kind of game. I know my PC is a relic potato from the old times, but it yells louder running this game than when I play AOE2 DE.”
    • “I believe there is some poor optimization; I have a $2000 PC and somehow still lag at the menu. Sometimes I even crash mid-game.”
  • atmosphere11 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is a blend of horror and charm, featuring fantastic voice acting and memorable character designs that enhance the experience. While it may not reach the tension of its successor, it effectively balances cutesy elements with genuinely creepy moments, creating a unique and engaging environment. The music and writing further contribute to an immersive atmosphere that keeps players on their toes.

    • “I love the characters, the atmosphere, the core mechanics, the general art style, the voice acting, and... just about everything in this game.”
    • “The writing is great, the character designs are memorable, and the music creates that perfect atmosphere where while you're trying to get that smooch, you still have to remember that you're toying with gods that can end your life whenever they want.”
    • “While it lacks the tenser atmosphere of its successor, this game contains as much horror as the amount of cutesy jabs at the mythos that you would expect.”
    • “There's always a bit of a creepy and horrifying atmosphere, but there's some truly scary moments.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

78% average critic score

Buy Sucker for Love: First Date

Play time

6hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
5-6hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 14 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games