Lovecraftian Dating Sim Sucker for Love: First Date Awarded “Best Indie Game of 2022” By Digital Dragons

 

In case you missed the news, independent horror publisher and production company DreadXP announced that it took home the first place award for “Best Indie Game of 2022” at this year’s Digital Dragons award show for its Lovecraftian dating simulator, Sucker for Love: First Date!

Released in January 2022, Sucker for Love: First Date puts the “love” back into “Lovecraftian horror,” tasking players with conducting occult rituals in order to win the affection of an Eldritch goddess. This subversive and bizarre take on the “otome” visual novel dating genre was created by independent game developer Joseph "Akabaka" Hunter, who contributed the original Sucker for Love concept game to DreadXP’s horror anthology game Dread X Collection 2. Sucker for Love: First Date sits alongside second and third place “Best Indie Game of 2022” finalists Batora: Lost Haven (by Stormind Games and Team17) and Lost in Play (Happy Juice Games and Joystick Ventures). 

“Honestly, I’m stunned,” said Joseph Hunter, developer and creative visionary behind Sucker for Love. “I didn’t think that a visual novel could win, period. Sucker for Love tends to score lower with critics/reviewers than with the target niche, so I’m really relieved that the folks at Digital Dragons took to the quirkiness, and that the risk I took with the game’s direction landed! It’s encouraging, too — it means I can make the next game even weirder.”

He added, “But really, I’m grateful ya’ll helped Sucker for Love come so far, and I hope to meet your expectations with the future titles.”



Sucker for Love: First Date stars a trio of bubbly Eldritch goddesses to “romance,” each with their own unique personalities and menacing auras. Players’ hearts will race as they try to survive the many trials of Sucker for Love: First Date, with the fate of their souls at risk, all in a cataclysmic quest to obtain a smooch. There may be many fish in the sea, but the goddesses of the Necronomicon are sinfully sweet!
 

Here’s what critics have said about Sucker for Love: First Date:

 

“Sucker for Love is a fun, fresh take on dating sims that can be both surprisingly chaste and shockingly violent.” - Games Radar
 
“The writing and humor really make it worth playing.” - Geek Tyrant
 
“[A] ridiculous Lovecraftian romance game.” - Kotaku
 
"[O]ne of the most interesting takes on a love story in a long time." - Bloody Disgusting
 
“The writing is hilarious and clever; especially a treat for anyone who has a Necronomicon on their shelf.” - Destructoid

Sucker for Love: First Date is available for purchase on Steam, the Epic Game Store, and Itch.io for $9.99 USD. It is also available at a 27% off discount in the DreadXP Publisher Bundle on Steam.

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