Romance Design in Video Games
summary
Romance design is framed as a systems problem: Baldur's Gate 3 includes a branching companion romance that forces moral tradeoffs, notably an Aarian abuse scene where choosing the obvious sex options retraumatizes the character and empathetic choices unlock sustained trust. Advice includes integrating romance across gameplay (Fire Emblem style), avoiding trophy sex or endgame proposals, and exploring breakups, gaslighting and abuse rather than wish fulfillment. The game also contains the notorious bar scene gay bear, and the designer published don't wake me up, a choice-driven game whose beta made at least one tester break up.
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chapters (9)
- 0:00Introduction
- 1:06The importance of romance
- 7:00Romance beyond fan service
- 12:31Community and cultural impact
- 16:41Designing better systems
- 20:16Handling complex themes
- 25:24Avoiding tropes and cliches
- 29:08Concluding thoughts
- 31:14Q&A and closing
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