Kitty Powers' Love Life review - A worthy follow-up to Matchmaker?

Don't want to find love for yourself, but love giving other people relationship advice? Kitty Powers' Love Life is going to be right up your street then.

In a world where you work for Kitty herself and oversee a Love Village, it's your job to stop couples from killing each other 24 hours a day.

Though, if you're expecting a rehash of Matchmaker I've got some news for you. This one stands on its own two feet.

I think I love you

Love Life follows on from Matchmaker's core gameplay. Rather than finding suitable singles and getting them to mingle, you're dealing with what comes next.

Moving in with a significant other can be a strange and stressful time, but that's where you come in.

Whether it's to give the couple advice for their problems, give them hypnotherapy to get rid of awful habits, help them take the next step in their relationship, or just help them pick a conversation topic, the life or death of their love is down to you.

To start growing your village you need to build more houses, invest in attractions like theme parks and libraries, and try to get your couples to make friends with others to keep them happy.

The longer you're guiding a couple, the more they'll reveal to each other and to you, and that includes the negative stuff.

When you do have to step in for whatever reason, interactions take the form of cute and quick mini-games. Conversations can be chosen by spinning 'love eggs' in a bingo-like manner, though you have to pay attention to your residents to know what subjects are a little touchy.

The interaction in Love Life has definitely increased from Matchmaker. You have to keep an eye on your Kitty Mail and keep checking in on the Kitty Feed (like Twitter) to learn about your clients' likes and dislikes.

Information gathered will help you respond appropriately to your partner, especially during those extra-special events like proposals and marriage.

At the end of the week, Kitty'll come and inspect your work. If you've done a good job you'll get a nice bonus for your efforts.

I don't know anything about you

The game can be pretty slow-going at first. There's a lot to learn and a lot to remember, so you have to push through the initial week while you're getting a grip on it.

It is pretty overwhelming, but you'll learn what parts to focus on, what to look for, when to say yes or no to requests, and the best ways to keep your clients happy.

Gold is a tricky beast to come by in the first couple of weeks as it doesn't grow on trees, but once you start bringing in more pairs you'll earn more revenue. You just need to have the patience to get there.

Kitty Powers' Love Life takes a little while to get into, but once you're there you're as good as stuck.

It's addictive, colourful, funny, and surprisingly strategic. Granted, it won't be for everyone but if you're into the whole dating sim/management genre this one's a must-have for you.

Kitty Powers' Love Life review - A worthy follow-up to Matchmaker?

Though slow-going at first, Kitty Powers' Love Life is as good - if not better - than its predecessor and is perfect to play in both long and short bursts
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Emily Sowden
Emily Sowden
Emily is Pocket Gamer's News Editor and writes about all kinds of game-related things. She needs coffee to function and begrudgingly loves her Switch more than she lets on.