Getting married in the virtual world can be a dream come true, especially if you are a fan of any number of these games’ characters. It’s just meant to be, right? In this list, we have compiled the best games that has a marriage system in place that you may very well not have known about before. While we have covered some rather expected entries, we hope you can take away some new information, especially with the newfound knowledge of a little indie game that lets you marry a treasure chest. It can’t get any weirder than that!
Atomicrops
Atomicrops is a unique experience of a bullet hell roguelike. As well as that core design and genre mix, it is also part farming sim and dating sim, making it something truly distinctive. Where the latter in particular is concerned, you can marry a townsfolk and have them fight and farm alongside you once you build up enough of a bond with them. This is tracked by its friendship meters.
To increase bonds, players should aim at gifting each marriageable character a total of 21 Roses. The game later received an update upon its release to allow polygamy, meaning that they can romance and marry any number of the 5 marriageable candidates. It’s an achievement worth getting that even its developer wanted to know from its player base if and when players obtained the ultimate marital status possible in the game.
Littlewood
Littlewood will have you hard at work in rebuilding your small town to its former glory and run it even better than before. But despite your busy schedule, there’s surely time for love. Within Littlewood, every single townsfolk are dateable with the exception of Dudley. Players will be able to compliment the apple of their eye on a daily basis to eventually unlock the option to flirt with them from thereon.
Doing anything with them such as travelling, adventuring, or making any joint action when they are accompanying you will increase your bond with them. Eventually, you will probably be intending to date and marry them.
Fire Emblem
The Fire Emblem series has seen a Love System in place for a few of its entries over the many years since its conception. This was first introduced in Genealogy of the Holy War, and would later be implemented in more modern titles that has the player character able to marry an array of its wide playable cast. This would include Awakening and Fates, both available on the Nintendo 3DS and Three Houses on the Nintendo Switch.
This results in a tactical RPG where players have the option to matchmake the majority of their army and units up with one another. Marriage also links to child units on the 3DS title, which incentives pairing up said units during battle to hit the S support rank to unlock the full roster of playable characters. Players will then be able to unlock and play through the prologues of the children’s stories and playstyles.
Spirit of the Island
Spirit of the Island is possibly the most obscure of the life sim genre we have recommended here, set on a tropical Archipelago. With the initial appeal of the title coming from leaving your mark in a new home, restoring the tourist paradise and uncovering your player character’s backstory, a recent update added even more to it. Namely, marriage.
While the game released with activities one would expect for its genre, such as cooking, farming, foraging and fishing, it would not be until a week ago from the publication of this article that a marry system was implemented. Alongside a revamp of its relationship system, obtaining a Wedding Ring and gifting it to the Trader, Witch, Captain, Pub Owner, Fisherman or Artist will get you experiencing married life in Spirit of the Island.
Alchemy Story
Alchemy Story is the cutest of any farming sim, and its 1.2.0 update increased exactly that appeal of it. Already proving to be a package that was filled with wholesome, family friendly entertainment upon its release, Alchemy Story continued to bring the goods for its player base with plenty of updates. Who doesn’t appreciate being able to woo and date its sweetest NPCs?
With a total of 9 romanceable characters you can now invite out on dates, each with their own likes and dislikes when it comes to providing them with gifts, there is someone out there for everyone. Just be sure to play through the game and turn them back into humans rather than leave them as their animal counterparts if you intend to put a ring on any of its key villagers here.
Sun Haven
Sun Haven is the only title on the list that is still in early access, so the expanding of all of its features will certainly change over time from what we can mention about it here. As of now, romance is an element to this fantastical farming sim RPG. With a total of 15 romanceable candidates, players can bond with every named townsperson across the three worlds of Sun Haven.
These romanceable characters are all of different races and genders, and players can win over any one of them if they wish to. By increasing friendship points, this can lead into going out on dates if the relationship takes a romantic turn if the player desires it so. They will become a couple by the second date and maxing out the heart level from there will open up the opportunity to propose to them. Players can instead date their very own co-op partner – truly fitting if they are an actual item.
Princess Remedy in a World of Hurt
In this short, free-to-play retro inspired bullet hell adventure game, players take control of Remedy, a school graduate from a healing school. With its design being based on exclusively healing anything sentient from diseases rather than deal any kind of damage in its world as a purely pacifistic title, Princess Remedy already sounds like a unique and delightful take on its genres.
What makes it really stand out however is its impressive array of marriageable candidates – it quite literally has every single NPC you meet along the way being able to be romanceable regardless of gender, species and even if inanimate. This consists of a duck, a ghost, an empty chest, a flower, and a frog. Intrigued yet?
Related: 9 Best Family Building Video Games
Growing Up
Growing Up is the definition of the life sim genre as players take control of their player character from toddler into adulthood. Throughout their time in education, developing new skills and unlocking more of their brain tree as the game itself puts it, each and every choice in every step of their personal journey and development will set in motion and shape their future. This relates to all aspects to the player character – job aspirations, preferences, and if the player wants to settle down with another character later in life.
From deciding on how to shape their player character’s hobbies, career aspirations, and how they fair in education, another defining aspect to Growing Up is the friends that you make along the way. Depending on the characters’ sexual preferences and bond with the player character, they can start dating in school. This can lead into married life later down the line, but with such a keen focus on having the game be grounded and realistic, marriage is not always on the cards even if you are childhood sweethearts. Think ahead but just know that doing your best isn’t always going to be enough.
World’s Dawn
As a title akin to Stardew Valley but as a RPG Maker creation, World’s Dawn is a tiny and neatly contained little journey if you are needing more farming sims goodness in your life. If it had one especially appealing feature however, it is in its marriageable candidates who are all the most lovable of the entire array of video game characters here on this list.
Each one being as endearing as the other for their unique backstories and individualities, players can feel out their favourite from eight candidates right from the get-go with its four female bachelorettes and four male bachelors. By gifting them, attending festivals with them and eventually confessing and tying the knot with them, players can experience everything that this cosy, little title can offer when it comes to virtual, farm life romance.
That was our list in compiling a variety of titles that offer a marriage mechanic players can have a hand in. I hope you enjoyed reading this article. Join in on the discussion and stay up to date with our content over at Gamer Journalist on Facebook. Interested in seeing more PROJECT: PLAYTIME content? Check out our articles of 10 Best Dating Sims on Nintendo Switch or Top 5 Best Weird Dating Sims.
