Hatoful Boyfriend Review: Open the cage on dating sim parroties

You will never play a dating simulator quite like Hatoful Boyfriend. Your awkward blushing, weakness in breaths, and rooftop confessions have never been to quite the avian level that Hatoful Boyfriend can bestow upon you. As the only young human woman going to St. PigeoNation's Institute, an elite school for elite birds, you must find a way to balance budding relationships, school clubs, grades, while finding the perfect love bird within your heart’s consent.

What originally started as a flash game April’s Fool Joke back in 2001 is now is a full-on Steam game for PC for you to purchase and having meaningful bird relationships in. While this is the first otome visual novel game I’ve ever played, it’s a damn good parody. However, people who have never experienced a visual novel or don’t get the joke nature of this game won’t just dislike it, but will think there is something wrong with you for playing it. You can’t take this game seriously.

As the female protagonist, you’re joining an all-bird school, with both bird students and faculty. As a second year, you enter knowing only a childhood friend, and you’re going to make new friends if you want to find the pigeon for you. Like other dating sims, you’ll be introduced to several characters, and will have to make decisions to increase your relationship. If you play your cards right, you may even be able to establish a nest of your own.

Besides performing in conversation, the protagonist also has three stat scores: wisdom, vitality, and charisma. The importance, or lack thereof, of these stats plays more into the parody of the whole experience. Sure, you’ll a get a few conversation differences, but nothing too impactful. The choices you make don’t make a whole heap of differences. If you’re perusing a certain bird, the choices you should make seem pretty clear.

The game is pretty short. On top of that, you can save whenever. So after your first playthrough, play again and make some strategic save games to pick up and pursue other birdies faster. The game also makes good use of a fast-forward button, so you can fly through conversation you’ve already seen and don’t desire to witness again. If you so wish, you can fly through the game in no time.

So yeah, enjoy the comedic art aspects of this game and don’t expect it to be what it portrays itself as – a real dating sim about birds. The overall short experience is a bit disappointing, but I’m uncertain just how much pigeon dating one person can take. I know someone out there will take the entire Hatoful Boyfriend experience at face value, and that the REAL review I can’t wait to read. Until then, date some men of the avian variety.

Historian, teacher, writer, gamer, cheat master, and tech guru: follow on Twitter @AndrewC_GZ