Boyfriend Dungeon is the queer game to watch out for

Swords are cool, but you already knew that, right? Well if you didn’t, then you’re going to have to learn because Boyfriend Dungeon is a game that not only lets you kiss a lot of cute people – but these people also end up being pointy, sharp objects that we know as swords. Awesome!

I had the chance to look at Boyfriend Dungeon last week, and despite having only played one other Kitfox Games game before, I think I’m going to have to seriously start keeping up with this studio because… Wow, Boyfriend Dungeon is bloody awesome.

Its premise, for those of you who want to know just what you’re getting into here, is a simple one: you’re spending your summer in Verona Beach – a seaside town that’s known to bring lovers together – to work as a dungeon adventurer. Along the way, you’re encouraged by your cousin to meet people and actively date…because you know, you’ve never dated before! So, this is a perfect time to start.

The game starts off strong from the very get-go by allowing you to pick just who you are with a character creator that is simple, but lets you know from the very beginning that pronouns won’t affect your chances with anyone. It allows you to play as someone who is male, female, and non-binary. Naturally, I decided I’d rock they/them pronouns and give it a go.

As you can tell, you’ll be able to change your hair colour, hairstyle, eyes, as well as your name. You can also alter this anytime when you’re at your apartment, and that of course means your clothes too. You start off with six basic starter clothes at first: a dress and shirt and jeans combo with three colour swatches each. It’s nothing too fancy, but it gets the job done and doesn’t allow me to conform to gender norms which is always a victory in my eyes.

Fast forward, and you’re meeting your cousin Jesse. It’s at this point you get the low down about Verona Beach – some people can turn into swords, some can’t, don’t make it a big thing, oh and everyone is really hot – and what you should be doing in the meantime. At least, you sort of get that. One of the things that threw me off in the meeting with Jesse is that the game automatically assumes you want to meet new people straight away and as such, instructs you to go on these ‘dates’ which turn out to be…not dates? That’s fine, but it doesn’t really give you much time to get a handle on things.

After meeting Jesse, you’re introduced to Isaac – a man that actually made my ovaries hum in anticipation. He is very sweet, and due to his ability to turn into an Epee, introduces you to the shopping mall. ‘Oh good, we’re going shopping to get some new clothes’, I thought. I have never been more wrong. Buckle up buttercup, because we’re going to the mall to FACE OUR INNER DEMONS!

As Isaac explains, these dungeons – also known as dunji in-game – are places where we confront our inner demons and insecurities. Basically, with our future boyfriend in hand, we’re going to be going through some serious therapy while fighting these monsters. Wonderful! I wish I could get this sort of thing in real life, but I have no money.

Fighting in these dungeons is…interesting. Combat feels very strange on a mouse and keyboard, and the game isn’t (currently) compatible with DualSense controllers. So, I had to assign almost every button outside of moving to my mouse. It feels VERY weird, but after a while it works just fine and I got used to it pretty quickly. Controller still feels like the best way to play, though.

You have a main and secondary weapon attack, as well as the ability to dodge. You get an ‘ultimate’ move that allows you to spit out fire, but you can also craft other abilities as you progress throughout the game and find more exciting loot and recipes. The same goes for clothes, but unlike these abilities, what you wear doesn’t affect how well you do in these dungeons.

The dungeons also have levels, and with each level you get through the time spent with your weapon increases the ‘love’ meter you have with them. Much like other roguelikes Hades and Sword of the Necromancer, Boyfriend Dungeon rewards player death by granting players with an incentive to continue: a deeper relationship with your weapon of choice and the strength and experience needed to get stronger and thrust the narrative forward. It’s fulfilling, satisfying and fun.

It isn’t all fighting though, you also get the chance to hang out with the weapons you meet by taking them on dates, whether that be the museum, the beach or even a quiet cafe. But first you’ve got to meet your bae blades in the first place, and the only way to do that so far is by meeting them in a dungeon, aka the Mall. The only weird thing about ‘meeting’ these weapons though is that they can’t ever remember why you find them in a dungeon, or how they got their in the first place. Sounds like a mystery to me…

This is only a sneak peek of Boyfriend Dungeon, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the game. If you’re curious to find out more, check out the game over on Steam, as well as on the official website.