PC Critic Reviews

Do you ever dream about a love story with a dove? Do you ever feel that your life will be better with a bird on your side? If the answers are 'yes', try Hatoful Boyfriend.

The true BBL story is gripping and an absolute must-play for anyone with an open mind who is a fan of visual novels. The game doesn’t make things obvious, though. I had no idea this route existed until I actually put in the effort to do more endings, and I’d recommend you do the same. If nothing else, it’s nice to see Devolver and Mediatonic bringing something so new and unusual to Steam.

Hatoful Boyfriend makes fun of the dating simulator genre by turning it on its head, making it weird and outrageous. The witty dialogue and absolutely bonkers scenarios are genuinely fun to discover, and the handful of different storylines make repeated playthroughs worthwhile.

Yes, Hatoful Boyfriend is a dating game with a bird gimmick, and that alone will be enough to keep many players at arm's length. But to pigeonhole your time at the St. Pigeonation's Institute as a mere gimmick would be a grave misjudgment of a game that is far more delightful and unexpected than even its bizarre premise would suggest.

Devolver Digital and Mediatonic's Hatoful Boyfriend is a faithful upscale to the original game by Hato Moa and has the same charm and humor.

Though it has some pacing issues and a seemingly useless upgrade system, the funny, meaningful stories had me reading right past them.

It is a very clever, very charming thing.

Come for the hilariously stupid premise, stay for the constant surprises.

Hatoful Boyfriend is a memorable visual novel. The birds in this dating sim are surprisingly interesting and have big personalities that unfold in a story that is deeper than we would have thought. In the base Hatoful Boyfriend is a funny game which will make you go WTF?! pretty often.

Hatoful Boyfriend has lots of funny moments and absurd characters, but it’s also charming in its own, plumy way.