Since Boyfriend Dungeon’s Kickstarter campaign began, I knew the developers at Kitfox Games had something special on their hands. There was something immediately intriguing about the idea of weapons that are people, who fight alongside you in dungeons and grow closer to you in the process. However, I wasn’t expecting Boyfriend Dungeon to be a game with so much heart and love infused in it.

Boyfriend Dungeon puts you in the role of a protagonist, in which you get to choose their name, gender, and sexuality. The amount of customization involved here is impressive, and the game gives you a lot of diverse options. You are a socially awkward, withdrawn, neurotic sort of person, who has come to Verona Beach for the summer to try and tackle the most horrific of demons… Dating!

Okay, so the premise seems a little goofy, but it actually has an endearing quality to it. This world is a world in which there are normal humans who are referred to as Wielders, as well as weapon/human (or weapon/cat, I’ll get to that in a sec) hybrids who can transform at will. Monsters appear in various places such as The Mall, and you are paid to go in with a weapon and exterminate them.

It turns out, that those monsters are actually manifestations of your inner fears, things like change and intimacy. As a result, you traverse the dungeon (shortened to the dunj) to not only bond with your weapon friends, but also to deal with your personal issues. At the same time, weapon-people are going missing, and being attacked by an unknown assailant.

As you meet these weapon people and grow closer to them, you unravel the threads of this mystery. This is where I should mention that people sensitive to topics such as stalking and manipulation may find themselves having a hard time with this game. However, the developers include a trigger warning and are actually working to update it to include more information for potential players.

Some people have had reservations as to how these things are portrayed, but personally, I think they are portrayed more respectfully than other media I have seen. You aren’t forced to just sit idly by while it happens, you’re given the tools to push back against it. While the villain tries to make themselves out to be more sympathetic, the writing doesn’t excuse their actions. Go into this with an open mind, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Additionally, at the beginning of the game, you are asked whether or not you want to get text messages in-game from your Mom. This may not seem like an important option, but for people that have horrid relationships with their parents, it is a great way to minimize discomfort. With all that out of the way though, Boyfriend Dungeon is different than most Roguelikes, in that it has a definitive ending, at least for now.

You traverse the dungeon, getting money, crafting materials, and leveling up bonds with your weapons. You then spend some time crafting clothes, zines (magazines that give you powers), and gifts for your weapons. At each love level, you get to go on a date with your weapon dates. These dates can be platonic, romantic, and some of them are even fine with polyamory, so you can date more than one that catches your eye.

Each character is unique and fun, with their own distinctive story arc. I should mention that two characters will be coming in future updates as well, so there is some replay value involved even beyond the current launch version. I’m hoping we might get an expanded storyline after the main game or extra dungeons because there are currently only two main dungeons right now.

That isn’t to say there isn’t much content though. Boyfriend Dungeon has a large amount of content in the dungeons and out of them, so while I’m used to experiences like Hades or Dreamscaper, this one is a little shorter but no less sweet. It is more about the story and the bonds you make with your friends in Verona Beach and the love you find along the way.

Honestly, that’s the only issue I find with Boyfriend Dungeon. I wish there was more, particularly in dungeon variety. I mean, there is a love interest in particular that I wish had a happier ending, but not all stories end that way. I’m hoping that this launch version is the start of something great for Kitfox Games and for Boyfriend Dungeon though. It is a really fun game, with great music, great diverse representation, fun characters, and a great aesthetic.

Truthfully, it has a lot of heart, and if Verona Beach’s summer of love is all we get, I’ll at least cherish the experience each time I play through it. It may not be perfect in how it handles some elements, but I think it covers important ideas nonetheless. Sometimes the most satisfying games leave you wanting more, rather than overstaying their welcome.

A Nintendo Switch review copy of Boyfriend Dungeon was provided by Kitfox Games for this review.

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Boyfriend Dungeon

$19.99 USD

9.5

Score

9.5/10

Pros

• Engaging Cast of Characters
• Fun Combat and Dungeon-Crawling
• Heartfelt Story
• Diverse Customization Options
• Smooth Controls

Cons

• Needs More Dungeon Variety