ValiDate: Struggling Singles in your Area

Played awhile back so take it with a grain of salt: I couldn't really get through the game? It felt like it defeated the purpose of a dating game. I feel that dating games are about a relationship blooming, badly or not, and perhaps even experiencing character growth. I didn't really get any of that here and i dont know if it's because of what the devs have planned for the future or if i played it wrong when i did. I don't think a dating game should be about not even getting past a first date. It felt like someone took a swing at making a game as diverse as possible without letting you actually date the people there. More than half of the achievements are about how the main character sucks, is crying, and nobody likes them. It's... kind of insufferable. I don't really enjoy that person. I know that person irl. I used to BE that person, so it's not rlly fun to play the personality of 100% made of insecurities and no other traits. If this game keeps going I do hope the main character gets some character growth??

I wish I could be more positive but the other volumes still do not exist and the text broke sometimes too, which made playing difficult. 3/10 Dates Validated

This game will never get finished. Every character is so unlikable and the writing for them is not very good. It's also very buggy. Does not feel good to play at all.

Game is a big ol scam. Don't buy anything that only offers you 10% of what it promised 4 years later.

[i]This review will explain what I liked and disliked about the game, as well as some workarounds for bugs on Windows in 2025. Updated December 2025 to add opinions.[/i] [h2]Pros[/h2] One of the most unique visual novels I've ever played. This isn't a traditional dating sim: characters ending up in romantic relationships together isn't the goal. The "Good" endings seem to be whatever allows the lead character to move forward. You get to watch them grow and change through their relationships with one another. The stories balance humor with serious moments. While some characters' stories cover serious or sad topics, the overall tone of each narrative is hopeful. The characters feel human and flawed and are written with love. The art is all amazing: the sprites, character designs, backgrounds, end cards and cinematic graphics (the illustrations in the middle of the story). There's a large cast of NPCs who help the characters and their worlds feel real. I liked the music: there were a few tracks I stopped to listen to a bit more when they first came on. [h2]Neutral[/h2] Each of the first 4 characters is written by a different person. The writing styles are noticeably different. […

Listen, I've played alot of visual novels, and this one definitely has it's own vibe. The characters are unique and sort of interesting, the stories are pretty good, the graphics are great, and the different endings for each character is fun to play through. It's not the best visual novel out there, but it's certainly not the worst. I'd give it a 6/10, and tell you to grab it on sale to give it a shot.