Billed as “an interactive rom-com,” Ten Dates is an FMV game where you can choose from a male or female lead and pursue a number of different potential relationships. With hundreds of scenes to unlock, there’s definitely a lot to see here, if you’re so inclined, and the two leads are played well enough to keep the proceedings interesting. Where Ten Dates stumbles a bit is in its lack of diversity and some frustrating gameplay issues.
After starting a new game, you choose between red-head Misha and boyish Ryan, two millennials who are reentering the dating scene after the isolation of the global pandemic
That Ten Dates doesn’t shy away from some challenging political and social topics is admirable for sure, even if the conversations available don’t go too in depth. After some initial protestation about participating, Ryan eventually agrees and ends up meeting four women, each of whom seems to (at least at first) fit into a fairly clear archetype: the Ph.D. student who never leaves the library or the soccer player who eats, drinks, and breathes sports. Misha’s options include a bookish teacher, a jokey frat boy type, and an introverted software engineer. Overall, the cast is played well, and it was easy to find favorites among them whom I wanted to get to know better.
During the speed dating event, which is considered the first date, each pair makes chit chat and occasionally broaches a more serious subject, albeit briefly. During these five-minute or so interactions, you’ll be given a handful of multiple-choice prompts to respond to, such as answering a question, shutting down a particular discussion, or providing a reaction. Given how little of a description you get for some of the choices, it’s not always clear how Misha or Ryan will act based on your choice. Continue reading