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Raptor Boyfriend

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Raptor Boyfriend
Developer(s)Rocket Adrift
Publisher(s)Rocket Adrift
Engine
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux
ReleaseJuly 15, 2021
Genre(s)Dating sim, visual novel
Mode(s)Single-player

Raptor Boyfriend is a dating sim, visual novel developed and published by Canadian studio, Rocket Adrift. The game's premise revolves around a teen girl who moves to a small secret community of cryptids, set in a fictional Ontario town called "Ladle". Like Hatoful Boyfriend and Dream Daddy, the game is an example of the sub-genre referred to as the "absurd dating sim".[1]

Prior to its release, Raptor Boyfriend was featured as one of "21 indie video games to look forward to in 2021" on Polygon.[2]

Setting and gameplay

Raptor Boyfriend is a dating simulator and visual novel, where players are tasked with befriending cryptid teens, set in a fictional Canadian town in 1997. The player character chooses between dating both male and female cryptid love interests: a velociraptor, a Bigfoot, or a fae.[3] The game has been described described as a '90s teen drama, taking inspiration from 90s teen television and featuring an expressive art style, with bold lines and saturated colors.[3] Raptor Boyfriend utilizes choice-based mechanics. Instead of dialogue options, the player must choose from a selection of directions to give the main character, Stella.[4]

Characters

Raptor Boyfriend has one playable character, Stella Starosta, an introverted 17-year-old girl who moves back to her hometown for her senior year of high school.[5] Players have three non-playable characters to romance throughout the game. This includes Robert, the titular velociraptor, a fae girl named Day, and Taylor, a Bigfoot. The characters of Robert and Taylor were named after Twilight actors, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.[4]

Development

While the game’s core concept takes from the Twilight series, Titus McNally of Rocket Adrift cited Doki Doki Literature Club and VA-11 Hall-A as inspirations in terms of visual novel game making.[4]

Other story inspirations include My So-Called Life, the Life is Strange series, Night in the Woods, and Daria. The developers stated they hoped the game would be "reminiscent of a cartoon, in the way that the camera changes to who's talking and stuff like that. We wanted it to stand out a little bit from other visual novels in the design.”[4]

Reception

The game received positive reviews upon release. Reece Rogers of Wired said the game's "tongue-in-cheek concept contrasts with a heartfelt narrative that tackles the complexities of growing up."[6]

References

  1. ^ Henley, Stacey (2021-07-15). "Raptor Boyfriend Understands Where Dating Sims Go Wrong, But Can't Avoid Some Pitfalls Of Its Own". TheGamer. Archived from the original on 2021-09-11. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  2. ^ Carpenter, Nicole (2021-01-01). "21 indie video games to look forward to in 2021". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2023-01-28. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  3. ^ a b Galiz-Rowe, Ty (2021-07-15). "Review: Raptor Boyfriend is the Senior Year I Wish I'd Had - Uppercut". Archived from the original on 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  4. ^ a b c d Henley, Stacey (2021-05-16). "Raptor Boyfriend Interview - What If Twilight, But Dinosaurs?". TheGamer. Archived from the original on 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  5. ^ Hart, Aimee (2021-08-15). "Raptor Boyfriend is bisexual hijinks wrapped in a high school rom-com setting". gaymingmag.com. Archived from the original on 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  6. ^ Rogers, Reece (2022-06-08). "8 Queer Video Games Worth Playing". WIRED. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
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