Speed Dating for Ghosts

Being dead doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not lonely anymore. In Speed Dating for Ghosts, a visual novel style game, you’re an unnamed ghost looking for a partner for the here-after. As strange as this concept sounds, Speed Dating for Ghosts does a relatively good job of drawing you into the story of each ghost you meet.

This game is surprisingly charming, although it’s not what you would expect. Instead of a romance where you go out on a date to a restaurant at the end, you’ll take part in what ever interest is most appropriate for the ghost you chose. This might be kicking around a football or playing fetch.

Quick play

You can finish Speed Dating for Ghosts in about two hours. There are 9 ghosts you can ‘date’ in 3 different rooms, plus one “secret” ghost. Each storyline has very little variation to it, and is definitely more visual novel than game. If you’ve ever played, The Worst First Impression, it’s similar except ghosts are more interested in companionship than love, and—well—they’re dead.

Just because this is more book than game doesn’t mean you should skip out however. The game actually provides a refreshing look at death, the beyond, and what companionship really means.

Cute graphics

The graphics for each ghost are cartoony and unrealistic, but that’s part of their charm. The shape of each ghost tells you a lot about the character, and helps you to know what to expect from them. The art is simple and charming, and lends itself well to the story.

Dave alone is worth the price

While all the ghosts are interesting, and provide a wide range of personalities and stories from humorous to horrifying, Dave is quite possibly the best part of the whole game. A deceased dog, Dave died from his love of eating. When he passed on, a piece of his owner died too, and follows him around like a miniature sprite. His big dream is that when his owner eventually passes on, the sprite will allow them to be reunited once again.

Dave is just one example of the cute, funny, scary, or otherwise authentic characters you will meet during the game, but it’s no secret he’s everyone’s favorite.

Some minor confusing bits

There are a few confusing aspects to the game that may hang up readers as they’re trying to figure out how to play the game. The most difficult bit of confusing navigation is that when a character is selected, it greys out. In most games, when something gets greyed out it means it is not selected, which can lead to confusion for those trying to select a specific character.

Pros:

• Quick play for weekend warriors
• Surprisingly deep insights on death
• Good mix of fun and seriousness

Cons:

• Some confusing navigation