Date of the Dead is a horror dating simulator that recently reached it’s Kickstarter goal. Set in the town of purgatory in the underworld players will explore and try to make their way back to the world of the living. While you’re in the underworld however, you may as well have some fun and flirt with the town’s inhabitants.
Of course with any dating sim the most important thing is the romance options, there has to be one that appeals to you. Luckily, in Date of the Dead there are seven options to choose from and no one can say they are boring. With romanceable characters ranging from suave vampires to jock zombies, even dating death himself is an option. So ditch tinder and swipe your way through this colourful cast of characters:
Death
We have to start with the main man himself, Death. Looking exactly the way you’d imagine, with a scythe in hand and a black cloak covering a spooky, scary, skeleton, this character has more personality than you might expect. Death is the first character you’ll meet in the underworld, this burdens him giving you the grim news that you’re dead… or maybe not. When you first meet the Reaper he might come across as being a bit of a jobs worth, you might even think he works too hard. However, get to know him and you might get to know the man behind the myth.
The game’s designer, Katriona Gillon, describes her version of the angel of death ad a ‘DILF’ and that if he wasn’t a skeleton he’d be a bit pudgier for that iconic dad bod look. After playing through the games demo you’ll see what she means, Death’s jolly undertone outside of work and his care for the residents of Purgatory, makes a fatherly figure within the town.
Having an impossibly difficult job and being forced to work insane hours our good friend Death might just need an opportunity to let his hair down… metaphorically speaking, after all he his a skeleton.
Ken
Ken is the delightfully dull jock bartender at Purgatory’s premier pub the 9th Circle, oh and did we mention he just happens to be a zombie. For any fans of the 2013 cult classic, hipster flick Warm Bodies, this could be your opportunity to for fill that zombie dating fantasy. That being said, make any references to the film and Ken just won’t get them, the only film he seems to have seen is Air Bud … and he thinks its a documentary.
Ken can be found behind the bar in the 9th Circle talking to his friends Peanut and Fay, admittedly he struggles to keep up with their conversation about the early days of cinema. Clearly, his friends still like having him around, even if peanut thinks he can be a bit loud.
The Zombie bar tender may seem a little dim (mainly because he is) but his optimism and happy go lucky attitude makes him incredibly endearing. Katriona admits that Ken is one of her favourite characters (even if he isn’t at the top of that list), his overall energy and welcoming personality has earned him a spot in fans hearts.
Take Ken on a date and you’re bound to have a good time. However, if he asks to pick your brains maybe avoid that, he might mean literally.
Fay (Vampiress)
Do you fancy an evening of sophistication, perhaps sipping red wine while discussing Hollywood’s golden age? Fay the Vampiress (she may correct you if you call her a vampire) could be your ideal date. However, now that you know she’s a vampiress you may want to rethink what’s in that wine glass because it may not be the fine merlot you thought it was.
Typical of a succubus, Fay is elegant and does not reveal much about herself. However, we do know that she is a Singer. Perhaps you may find her performing in everyone’s favourite pub from time to time.
If you fancy a night at the opera Fay would be more than happy to accompany you, just make sure she sticks to her diet or you may get a little more than a love bite.
Peanut
Fancy a guy with an air of mystery? Are you too a hipster who loves sharing unpopular opinions down the pub? Can you look past a set of gills?… yeah, gills. You see, Peanut is a fish man. His name isn’t actually peanut either, however, your mortal ears just couldn’t comprehend his birth title. For that reason, our fishy friend goes by peanut. Maybe if you get to know him better you might even find out why.
He may come across a little pretentious when we discusses the nuanced acting acting and superior film making quality found in silent movies, however, he is very friendly and definitely not like any boyfriend you’ve had before… unless you’re not allowed into aquariums anymore, in which case he’s your type!
Ken assures us that you’ll get used to Peanut’s hipster tendencies and we trust Ken, he’s nice! So why not take out this fish man, you’ll have a halibut time!
Vince
Tall, dark, handsome … and hairy. That describes the next eligible bachelor you’ll find in Purgatory. Vince the werewolf can be found in the 9th circle with his sister, Drew. He is incredibly protective of his younger sister, however, his tough love might be just what you’re looking for. Vince’s overall dark and broody exterior could be hiding a heart of gold.
Getting to know him wont be easy though, the first time you’ll meet him he’ll likely not pay much attention to you. That being said, all relationships require work and if you’re looking for a conventionally attractive guy and you can look past the wolf ears poking out of the to of his head, Vince might be the guy for you.
Remember, if you run out of date ideas you can always take him to the park for a game of fetch.
Drew
What do you get if you cross Buffy the Vampire slayer with a werewolf? This isn’t a bad joke. The answer is, Katriona’s personal favourite romanceable character, Drew. This outgoing werewolf is full of energy and might just have a little crush on you. Despite not getting along with her brother she is welcoming and friendly to any new face in in Purgatory.
This young werewolf wants fun and adventure, she might be a handful but her angsty attitude and outgoing nature ensures there will never be a dull moment.
Throw on you’re favourite My Chemical Romance album and howl the lyrics with this werewolf as you get to know each other.
Tippy
If you’ve got the hots for this next spectral singleton you might want to proceed with caution. She may be cute but she’s also jumpy and extremely anxious. This particular relationship may take time.
Another fan favourite, Tippy is endearing and will be well worth the effort to get to know her. Admittedly if you play the demo available on Itch.io now, you won’t see much of her. However, they do say absence makes the heart grow fonder and after an incredibly brief encounter in the 9th Circle, her absence has been duel noted.
Getting yo know Tippy could result in a Spook-tacular time!
So that’s the seven undead cuties you’ll be flirting with in Date of the Dead. If you’d like to see more from Date of the Dead, we played through the game’s demo with Katriona on our YouTube channel: SGN TV.