★ Prompt
Draw or write about your character playing a dating sim or in a dating sim! They can be romanceable, an NPC, or the protagonist!
✦ What’s the setting of the game? A horror romance with vampires haunting a dark castle? A deep sea romance with merpeople and deep sea monsters? A kingdom of handsome yet tortured princes? Or maybe it’s a mundane, everyday game, such as a university setting or a new neighborhood.
✦ Does your character fit into one of the archetypal tropes commonly found in a dating sim? Are they a rich CEO with a secret lonely side, an overexcited gamer, or the grumpy barista who never serves the right order? Do they have a dark past and do they cover it up with a smile, or are they gloomy for the sake of gloominess?
✦ Are there any key moments that a player would need to pay attention to in your character’s route? A point of conflict with your character’s family, a rival for your character’s affections, or a looming destiny that will tear them from the player?
✦ Does your character have any particular catchphrases? Are they the type to conceal their interest in someone, or do they go all out with affection? If they were in a dating sim, would they be the easy route for first time players, or the secret route only unlocked after completing every other character’s story?
✦ Maybe they’re not interested in romance at all. Some dating sims have characters with platonic endings. What kind of friendship would your character be interested in?