8 Video Games to Fill Your Lonely Heart on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is here! The day of love, sugary heart-shaped chocolates, plushie teddy bears, and secret admirers. Who cares about all that cheesiness when you can experience a memorable, in-game story of romance like no other? Video game relationships can sometimes be some of the best ones. Think about it: they always have something to teach you, and they love you unconditionally.

Whether you’re in a relationship or single, feeling lonely isn't fun. Unplug from social media today, or whenever you’re looking for a bit of extra love. Get lost in one of these eight dreamy, heart-filling video games instead. There’s a game for every kind of lover to feel all the feels. 

1. The Sims (for those who see everyone as their Valentine)

A true essential: The Sims (any of them, really). You’ve got your amazing family and friends, loyal pet, and best of all: your dream partner. In a world created by you, you can enjoy spending the day building your dream house and motherlode-ing your way into a life of luxury. Plus, there are plenty of DLC’s and expansion packs from “Get Famous” to “Realm of Magic” to play just the way you want to. Imagine this: you fall in forbidden love with a vampire, or you experience an extraterrestrial romance with the alien next door, or even better yet: the mysterious Grim Reaper steals not only your soul but your heart too. Next thing you know, you’re married with kids. There’s plenty of pixelated “WooHoo-ing” along the way, and if you cheat on your wife you can probably high-five her until she becomes happy again. Hopefully, you won’t die of embarrassment if you go over some hurdles along the journey too. The possibilities are endless, especially when it comes to dating and romance mods for The Sims 4, so don’t wait on satisfying your deepest desires.

2. Pokémon Go (For the animal lovers)

Pokémon Go is perfect for animal lovers and fur parents alike, especially if your pet is your Valentine. It’s a wonderful time to spend some extra time together, venturing the great outdoors and feeling some extra love for nature. Or, you can always cuddle up with your pet at home and travel around your favorite Pokémon game on any console. Pretty much any Pokémon video game can quickly bring a burst of fuzzy feelings and nostalgia, whether it be the newly released Pokémon: Legends Arceus on the Nintendo Switch, or back to the good ole classic Pokémon Yellow on Game Boy. I’d recommend checking out Pokémon Go as there is a Valentine’s Day event happening until the end of today, the 14th. An Evolutionary line of Fairy-type Pokémon will even make its Pokémon GO debut! It’s basically impossible to feel sad or lonely when you have hundreds of lovable pocket monsters by your side. Enjoy catching them all and healing your lonely soul to feel loved unconditionally. 

Dream Daddy is a good-hearted, diverse dating simulator that can be easily loved by everyone. This one specifically focuses on navigating being a single parent while moving to a new town alongside your young daughter. In your free time as a dad, you romance other hot dads in the area and decide which one is the perfect match for you. The handful of characters you’ll meet start to open up, and emotional connections grow quickly. Every single one of the dads has such a unique charm and design to them, making them all stand out, making your ultimate decision even harder! Plus, Dream Daddy just gets romance right: it’s not all about the boning, it’s about the intimacy outside of the bedroom too. This dating simulator genuinely covers all bases, making it a definite must-play. With plenty of dad puns, a witty script, and appealing design, follow your heart and see where your strongest emotions lie.

4. The Witcher 3 (For those wanting to feel emotional and possibly shed a tear)

All three sword-and-sorcery Witcher video games offer plenty of romantic subplots in the RPG fantasy world. However in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, love truly blossoms. Playing as the legendary warrior Geralt of Rivia, you’re presented with a heart-wrenching choice: continue pursuing a relationship with the lovely Triss Merigold who has been by your side since the first game, or reconnect with the mysterious and alluring Yennefer: Geralt’s long lost first love. Deciding between them becomes quite difficult as you learn the depth of both women. But it’s a choice you must make, lest Geralt lose them forever. Discover a more personal take on this role-playing game with gorgeous landscapes and enticing quests, and you may just not pick up another game for a while. 

5. Catherine (For those craving spicy & spooky drama)

Hot, passionate, yet bittersweet love: the narrative and puzzle game Catherine will bring you down the rabbit hole of love and loss. Our indecisive protagonist, Vincent, has been with his long-time girlfriend for five years. Unsure of the thought of commitment and taking the next step being marriage, a younger, blonde bombshell actually shows up out of what seems like nowhere. She takes quite a liking to Vincent, causing him to spin his head and feelings out of control, soon resulting in an affair. You’d think it’s the typical love drama story from here, right? It’s far from it. Vincent starts experiencing insane nightmares in which, if he dies, he will die in real life. He has to climb for his life and survive the demeaning trials including the immense fear of boss battles. In this close-to-home storyline, you meet many characters along the way and learn the risks of putting your heart on the line. Explore which path you may take in this dark, intense, and intoxicating journey of 13 different possible endings.

6. Super Seducer (For those who want to laugh)

Dating is supposed to be fun! However, feelings of frustration, boredom, and flat-out anxiety are never more true than in Super Seducer. The pick-up artist game is a terrible example of how to talk to women in a realistic simulation. You choose interactions for the main character, dating coach Richard LaRuina, to experiment with to see how it plays out with women you’re trying to win over. Apart from common-sense tips of avoiding being a suck-up or getting flirty too early on, you can be extremely cocky and even make women cry. These choices could result in getting a date with the girl, or getting hardcore rejected. Throughout the cringeworthy moments, you’ll experience so many ways NOT to act around people that honestly just make you want to hide forever. Super Seducer is the perfect game if you need some good laughs, and it’s supposed to increase your dating skills, but pls don’t actually listen to all of his advice though.

7. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (For those long-distance relationships)

Animal Crossing: New Horizons offers a fantastic way to bond for couples who can’t see each other on Valentine’s Day, or those who are even in long-distance relationships. This video game features some multiplayer functionality by allowing players to visit each other’s island no matter where you are in the world. While you live on your own dream island that you created from scratch, you can meet virtually and interact with each other. You can enjoy cute activities together such as visiting the museum, decorating your home, and beautifying your village. Take a stroll over to Brewster’s Café where you can make googly eyes at each other over a couple of lattes. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an adorable, lighthearted way for players to spend time with each other without being in person. Grab your Nintendo Switch, relax, and take in all the beautiful sights and sounds together like you're right there next to each other.

8. Stardew Valley (For the Twitch streamers)

Stardew Valley is an awesome go-to video game for Twitch streamers, especially if you’re in love with your community and want to romanticize them a bit. In this indie farming simulator, you escape from the hustle and bustle of the city to a quiet, comfortable life on the farm. Although, tending to your crops can get lonely fast. Soon enough, you’ll find yourself on a quest for love in the town. As these relationships progress, available bachelors can be married and you’ll watch a cute wedding ceremony. Finally, your true love will move in with you so can start a life together among your farm animals and crops. Just remember, your love interest can actually reject you, or your marriage can dissolve if you don’t give your partner enough attention. You can have your Twitch chat and viewers pick which characters to befriend/marry, gifts to give, what to do in a day, which crops to grow, and even when to build a coop and barn. This is a great opportunity to show some extra love for your twitch community in an easy-going and interactive way. Plus, Stardew Valley offers a deeper take on relationships that can actually make you and your viewers think about the successes and failures that can influence IRL relationships, too. 

These game choices above are just some of my favorite picks. Of course, there is always Doki Doki Literature Club for an unsuspecting twist, or simply Minecraft if you really just want to build a life with someone. 

Also, who could forget to visit Peach’s birthday cake board from the recently released Mario Party Superstars when you’re looking for some love? It’s the dream destination where we could drool over gigantic pudding, sugar wafer cookies, and strawberries together.

If you decide to look even further into video games of love, just remember, you’re never really forever alone <3

Let me know which game is calling you to play today and any day you need a bit of exciting romance and love in your life! Comment below!