10 Best Dating Sim Apps in 2023 (Mystic Messenger, Hatoful Boyfriend, and More)

The bulk of Mystic Messenger takes place in a chatroom, where you're able to speak to several characters at once. The chats happen in realtime and if you miss one due to being busy, you have to spend the in-game tokens (called hourglasses) to replay it. Characters will also contact you via phone calls, email, and text messages!

The realtime aspect of the game is difficult for some reviewers as they say that having a 9 to 5 job will result in missing some conversations. There are even occasional chats at 4 am!

Reviewers like the depth of the storyline and characters. They also like that the characters will show concern for the player's health—both mental and physical. 

Unlike most of the other apps on this list, Episode is more than a romance sim. Although romance is an important part, there are also mysterious, dramatic, and adventurous stories. You can even create your own stories for other players to play. 

The app is updated each week and also has stories licensed by entertainment properties such as Clueless, Pretty Little Liars, and Mean Girls.

There are many criticisms of the lack of choices in some stories, and that some stories require premium tokens (known as gems) to be spent to create more choices.

Reviewers praise the diversity of the stories that are available and the artwork. They also like creating their own avatar. Many reviewers compliment being able to play stories created by other players, as that just adds to the diversity offered. 

Arcana is a dating sim that is split into 22 episodes, with each episode relating to one of the major arcana cards in a tarot deck. This is a major theme of the game as you can pick your own tarot cards throughout the story and get a reading. 

The core storyline of the game centers around a mysterious murder that needs to be solved, but you can also romance the other characters as the story develops. This app is LGBTQ friendly as you can choose the pronouns for your character.

The tarot readings receive many compliments from users. However, some reviewers have complaints about how long it takes to get enough coins to make story choices.

Reviewers praise the balance of romance and murder mystery, and how the two themes fit together to create an intriguing story. There are numerous compliments for the art style of the game as well!

The story of Hatoful Boyfriend sees you as the only human student at a school for birds. The personality types you'd expect to see in a dating sim are all here—they're just in bird form! 

There is more to the game than just a dating sim with birds, however. You can choose which classes to attend to help your character's stats, and the story has many dramatic and unexpected turns.

Several reviewers state that they downloaded this game expecting something wild and funny, but were instead blown away by the quality of the story. 

They say that the game has surprising depth and replay value and is very well-written. The final story (only unlocked when the main story is finished) gets particular praise.

Lovestruck has one of the widest selection of stories among the apps in this list. There is no consistent theme linking the stories. Instead, you can choose from stories about magicians, shapeshifters, gangsters, or even Greek gods. The game boasts over 70 unique characters to choose from and is LGBTQ-friendly.

There are some criticisms for the game, as it doesn't allow you to replay any of the stories without using tokens. Reviewers also criticize how often the free tokens are given and how long it takes to read a story without paying.

Reviewers enjoy the variety of the stories and the art created for each one. Reviewers also comment on the diverse options that allow players to romance male or female characters and play as a gender-neutral character. 

In Dream Daddy, you're a dad looking to date other dads. You can create your own dad and then choose from seven distinct men to romance. There are several mini-games to play, the characters are voiced, and it is crammed full of dad jokes!

The game is free to download, and you can play through one character route for free. For $15.99, you can unlock the entire game.

Reviewers praise the art style, score, and sound effects. They say that the story and characters are funny and moving, and they note that the LGBTQ themes of the game are well-handled. 

Reviewers also comment on how interesting each character and their dates are. They also like how impactful player choices are for the rest of the story.

As the title of this app suggests, this is a dating sim with vampires. Your character is a student that works as an au pair, and both the school you attend and the family you work for are full of vampires. 

Although there are several characters in this game, it concentrates on just one—Drogo. The other characters have their own, similar games.

Like many dating sims, it operates on a token system and there are many comments criticizing how little progress can be made each day without spending money.

Reviewers enjoy the storyline and say that it is as dark and intense as one might expect from a vampire romance sim. They also praise the mysteries of the plot and how it unfolds. 

This iOS app includes several stores, but we want to just focus on the "Love Tangle" narrative!

In this game, you've just moved to a new city and apartment where attractive and single neighbors surround you. You can change your avatar using a wide range of designs. There are multiple minigames to play, such as cooking, and these games unlock bonus items and scenes. 

To play the premium routes, you need to spend diamonds, and many reviewers comment that these are difficult to obtain without paying.

Reviewers like that instead of choosing one character to romance, you start with two potential partners that you can choose from. Several reviewers praise that your avatar is more independent and intelligent than the main character in most dating sim games. 

Choices allows you to design your own character, and that app has a variety of stories that go beyond romance. As well as the romance stories, there are ones themed around fantasy, adventure, murder, and mystery. New chapters are released weekly, so you won't run out of content!

There are several criticisms that the best options in the game require premium currency to be obtained and that this is very hard to get without paying.

Reviewers praise the variety in the writing and development of the characters and stories. Many reviewers enjoy the depth of the narratives and appreciate the life lessons contained within them. 

In this app, you have a choice of four male characters to romance. While doing so, you play as a character who is trying to develop her career as a media producer. Both love and career development are essential parts of the game. 

The male characters have both Japanese and English voices, and the Japanese voice actors are all famous for their anime work. The game mechanic has you collect cards while playing minigames and progressing the story.

To progress in the game, you need to level up your company, and some reviewers express frustration at how slow and difficult this process can be. Several others also criticize how difficult it is to get the best cards.

Reviewers love the artwork and say that collecting the best cards can become addicting. They also comment on the well-written and interesting personalities of the characters that you can date.