Because Even The Dead Need Dates

Date of the Dead is an LGBTQ friendly dating sim about romancing the undead.

Looking for a new ghoul-friend? A boyfriend with some bite? A partner that’s just your (blood) type?

Date of the Dead gives you an unforgettable trip to the underworld to live out your most ghoulish of desires. When a bureaucratic mishap leaves you stranded in purgatory, it is up to you to explore the treacherous world of the undead – and maybe flirt with a few paranormal cuties while you’re at it.

Gain your chosen beau’s attention by correctly navigating the story and character-driven interactions. If you’re successful you might leave the underworld in the arms of a supernatural sweetheart. But beware, provoke their ire and you may find your trip to the land of the undead becomes more permanent than intended…

While it’s still in development, a free demo of the game is now available to play via browser or download for Windows, OSX or Linux.

The game is the creation of Katriona Gillon, an Illustrator working in Dundee. We spoke to Katriona and asked how the game came to be developed. She told us:

My illustration has always been narrative and character based, and I enjoy creating anything that lets me tell a story – especially if it’s a scary one! I taught myself how to code in my last year at university, as I wanted to make a dating sim for my degree project. I had actually been mulling the idea for DOTD over in my mind for a few years prior and 4th year was when I finally got a chance to pick my own project.

That project ended up being the ‘beta’ of Date of the Dead and there was a lot of it I was proud of. However, due to strict deadlines and conflicting studio work it was never really the finished game I wanted it to be. I knew there was a lot I could do better. 

I left the idea alone for a year, got a desk job (which I didn’t really like) and picked it up again after successfully receiving the VACMA grant from Dundee Council. It was only a small grant, but it allowed me to create an up to date demo of DOTD- one that I felt better represented what I really wanted the game to be!

Since the demo was released in late August 2020, the game has been played over 1000 times. The response from players has been very positive, with great comments from players and even fanart of the characters.

It’s a response Katriona has described as ‘incredible’. She said:

Putting your work out there, as a self-taught game dev working alone on a project, it’s really intimidating, so it’s been fantastic to see people enjoying my work.

Plans for the final game are in motion, and I’m looking at launching a kickstarter mid October (if everything goes to plan). If enough people are interested, hopefully we’ll see a full length version of the game around this time next year. 

You can find the demo for Date of the Dead on Katriona’s Itch.io page. You can also follow the project on Instagram and Twitter.

We’ll let you know as soon as the KickStarter campaign is launched. Keep your eyes (and other body parts peeled).