Free-to-play visual novel

Flamebait Dating Sim! Developing games! (and feelings?) is a free-to-play simulator that puts you in the center of a fictional program in Sweden. As you join the production team, you get to know five lovable dudes and choose who you want to work and fall in love with. Rediscover your character’s own backstory as you try to connect with these five love interests. 

The great premise, impressive artwork, and equally compelling voice acting make this visual novel one for the pages. If you love Flamebait Dating Sim! Developing games! (and feelings?), you might also want to try Infinite Stars – The Visual Novel.

Welcome to the Flame Jam

Story-wise, Flamebait Dating Sim! Developing games! (and feelings?) focuses on the fictional Flame Jam event and you, the player, are the lucky participant to join the hosts from Flamebait and bond with them. While this looks like an average show interview, things start taking a turn for the better as they try to pursue their agendas. You get to choose who stays as professional connections and who gets an upgrade.

You get to feel the tension and excitement, thanks to the game’s impressive art style. Each of the characters has a distinct personality, which effectively reflects on their appearances, and their respective voice acting. Also, the developers slightly animate the characters so you get to see them nod, smile, or even wink–a small feature that’s surprisingly uncommon for visual novels. 

However, like most indie games, it has a fairly short playthrough. You can complete a single run in about an hour. This is offset by the fact that there are five leads to pursue. Also, an important point is that you can choose your own pronouns, opening up a lot of story possibilities. A bonus point: one of the male leads looks like Eren Yeager from Attack on Titan.

Feels like a AAA title

Flamebait Dating Sim! Developing games! (and feelings?) has all the makings of a great AAA title despite being an indie title. It has multiple storylines that are mostly fleshed out. Its variety of male leads cater to distinct tastes and are consistent with voice acting and character design, giving players an incentive on replayability. Lastly, its small touch on gender positivity makes the game inclusive to more players.