Five games that can teach us about love and loss on Valentine's Day
Together or alone, these are the games you should play on Valentine's Day
Ah, love is in the air once again. Or is that desperation? I've never been able to tell, but this cocktail of nose-nagging aromas can only mean one thing: it's Valentine's Day, and it's time to think deeply about the ones we love, the ones we've lost, and the ones that don't know you exist. Happy days.
Since it's a glorious time of the year, we've decided to put together a list of games that have something to teach us all about love, loss, and everything in between. Whether you're all alone this Valentine's Day, have a long-distance lover, or will be spending your time with the one you love, these are games that we can all learn something important from.
So, on this most magical of days, let's feel the love by playing one of the games below. Believe me, no matter how you're feeling or who you're spending Valentine's Day with this year, you'll find one of these to be a valuable experience…
1
Love Island: The Game
It's the big one. The best one. The one no-one can deny, and the one that makes me scream "I've got a text!" out loud for no reason, it's Love Island: The Game.
Love Island is one of the very biggest shows on TV right now, it has taught me what the word grafting means and what women really look for in a man. Usually it's "cheeky chappie smooth talker with a six pack" which is illuminating if nothing else.
Love Island: The Game might be exactly what you need to learn how to talk to the opposite sex - or the same sex, whatever you prefer - and how to model yourself and graft on others in order to appear desirable. Possibly. Probably. I don't know, good luck though.
2
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
A new Animal Crossing game comes out in just over a month, and if that isn't making you feel better about your life already, I don't know what will.
Yes, Animal Crossing is a wonderful reason for you lonely lovers out there to just keep on living, but it doubles as a great game for loved-up couples to play together, improving an island gradually over time together - like raising a child without the commitment or potential trauma.
Animal Crossing has something to teach us all about working together, partnerships, and what it's like to lose the ones we love. Have you ever lost a villager to a friend? I have. It hurts.
3
Telling Lies
Love, greed, selfishness, ignorance, they all make us do crazy things, and Telling Lies is a wonderful game with a lot of messages regarding all of the above.
In Telling Lies you'll dive into a world of lies, and you'll have to cut through those lies and find the truth. Does our male "protagonist" have an online porn addiction, is he cheating, has there literally been a murder covered up?
The twists and turns of this tale are just as engaging whether taken apart as a duo, or by yourself. It might make you feel better about being alone, frankly. Relationships get complicated.
4
Sayonara Wild Hearts
Love knows no gender, sexuality, or whatever else. Love is love, and in Sayonara Wild Hearts, love is a neon-drenched pop album which you can play. And that's incredible.
While running through the stages of Sayonara Wild Hearts, you, the player, will guide characters through a magical music-fuelled collection extravaganza, which jumps between a simple collect-em-up like Temple Run, to an action segment with bombastic results.
This Valentine's Day, you won't play many other games that are this filled with love, from the visuals, to the music, to the content, and beyond.
5
LEGO Builder's Journey
LEGO Builder's Journey is a simple game with a simple premise: moving forward. You take a few simple LEGO bricks, and you make a path for a simple LEGO man. Easy.
As you play through the game, you'll experience themes of love, longing, starting over, exploring new things, and much more. It's the perfect game to play with your partner, solving puzzles together, and enjoying the experience.
This is a beautiful game that might not be about romantic-love, but it's certainly about the ones we love. And that is just as important as romance.
