Software:Raptor Boyfriend
| Raptor Boyfriend | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Rocket Adrift |
| Publisher(s) | Rocket Adrift |
| Platform(s) | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Release | July 15, 2021 |
| Genre(s) | Dating sim, visual novel |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Raptor Boyfriend is a dating sim, visual novel developed and published by Canadian studio, Rocket Adrift. The game's premise revolves around a teen girl who moves to a small secret community of cryptids, set in a fictional Ontario town called "Ladle". Like Hatoful Boyfriend and Dream Daddy, the game is an example of the sub-genre referred to as the "absurd dating sim".[1]
Prior to its release, Raptor Boyfriend was listed as one of "21 indie video games to look forward to in 2021" on Polygon.[2]
Setting and gameplay
Raptor Boyfriend is a dating simulator and visual novel, where players are tasked with befriending cryptid teens, set in a fictional Canadian town in 1997. The player character chooses between dating both male and female cryptid love interests: a velociraptor, a Bigfoot, or a fae.[3] The game has been described described as a '90s teen drama, taking inspiration from 90s teen television and featuring an expressive art style, with bold lines and saturated colors.[3] Raptor Boyfriend utilizes choice-based mechanics. Instead of dialogue options, the player must choose from a selection of directions to give the main character, Stella.[4]
Characters
Raptor Boyfriend has one playable character, Stella Starosta, an introverted 17-year-old girl who moves back to her hometown for her senior year of high school.[5] Players have three non-playable characters to romance throughout the game. This includes Robert, the titular velociraptor, a fae girl named Day, and Taylor, a Bigfoot. The characters of Robert and Taylor were named after Twilight actors, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.[4]
Development
While the game’s core concept takes from the Twilight series, Titus McNally of Rocket Adrift cited Doki Doki Literature Club and VA-11 Hall-A as inspirations in terms of visual novel game making.[4]
Other story inspirations include My So-Called Life, the Life is Strange series, Night in the Woods, and Daria. The developers stated they hoped the game would be "reminiscent of a cartoon, in the way that the camera changes to who's talking and stuff like that. We wanted it to stand out a little bit from other visual novels in the design.”[4]
Reception
The game received positive reviews upon release. Reece Rogers of Wired said the game's "tongue-in-cheek concept contrasts with a heartfelt narrative that tackles the complexities of growing up."[6]
References
- ↑ Henley, Stacey (2021-07-15). "Raptor Boyfriend Understands Where Dating Sims Go Wrong, But Can't Avoid Some Pitfalls Of Its Own" (in en). https://www.thegamer.com/raptor-boyfriend-dating-sim/.
- ↑ Carpenter, Nicole (2021-01-01). "21 indie video games to look forward to in 2021" (in en-US). https://www.polygon.com/gaming/2021/1/1/22175264/best-indie-video-games-2021-preview.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Galiz-Rowe, Ty (2021-07-15). "Review: Raptor Boyfriend is the Senior Year I Wish I'd Had - Uppercut" (in en-US). https://uppercutcrit.com/review-raptor-boyfriend-is-the-senior-year-i-wish-id-had/.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Henley, Stacey (2021-05-16). "Raptor Boyfriend Interview - What If Twilight, But Dinosaurs?" (in en). https://www.thegamer.com/raptor-boyfriend-interview/.
- ↑ Hart, Aimee (2021-08-15). "Raptor Boyfriend is bisexual hijinks wrapped in a high school rom-com setting". https://gaymingmag.com/2021/07/raptor-boyfriend-is-bisexual-hijinks-wrapped-in-a-high-school-rom-com-setting/.
- ↑ Rogers, Reece (2022-06-08). "8 Queer Video Games Worth Playing" (in en-US). WIRED. https://www.wired.com/gallery/gay-video-games/. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
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