I love a good bit of bowling every now and again, but a lot of games get a little too technical with it. I also happen to love games that are a little quirky or different in practice. Date Night Bowling brings fun minigames and dating elements to a bowling simulation game and is surprisingly fun.

In Date Night Bowling you can play one of ten different characters, taking part in a bowling date with another character. There are five male and five female characters, though a few could be considered non-binary I think. You can choose to play a game of Bowling by yourself with no mini-games, play with a friend in two-player, or play with an AI partner.

I should also mention that unlike a lot of other “sports” titles on the Nintendo Switch, Date Night Bowling doesn’t utilize motion controls. This is great from an accessibility standpoint since motion controls can be difficult for people with limited range of motion, muscle weakness, or other disabilities.

If you aren’t playing a solo game, then after each round (of a 10 round game), there will be a mini-game. The mini-games consist of all sorts of different things, from finding the right shoes for your date via a matching mini-game to trying to high-five them without missing. It all sounds somewhat simple, but the mini-games are fun and some can even be a bit challenging.

Depending on how well you do at the mini-games, your “connection” meter will increase, which shows how much chemistry you have with your date. At the end of the game of Bowling, after all the mini-games are done, your connection bar will show just how well the date went. Did your Date have the same sparks you did? Or was this a mismatched connection?

Personally, I love the bowling gameplay. The controls are great, the environments are done with beautiful pixel art, and the game is just plain fun. The mini-games are creative, and really do make you feel like you’re out on a date night with a friend, trying to see if that connection will bloom into something more. I also like that there’s nothing stopping you from making same-sex relationships, so you can live out your bowling-date fantasies all you want.

The only issue I have with the game is that one of the mini-games (High Five) is a little too steep in terms of difficulty. The AI is absolutely nuts, and it is difficult to predict their movements. Other than that issue, Date Night Bowling is a hidden gem.

In truth, I think Date Night Bowling is a great game for Bowling fans. However, it is also fun to play with a friend, a spouse, significant other, or family member, just to see how well you do. Date Night Bowling is a unique (yet cute) casual gameplay experience.

A Nintendo Switch review copy of Date Night Bowling was provided by Serenity Forge for this review.

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Date Night Bowling

$9.99 USD

9.5

Score

9.5/10

Pros

• Cute Pixel Art
• Great Bowling Mechanics
• Simple Controls
• Fun Mini Games

Cons

• A Few Mini Games are Super Hard