The best vampire dating sims, ranked

Summary

• Monster dating simulators offer no-holds-barred romance options with vampires, werewolves and more.

• Games like Ballads at Midnight and Boyfriend Dungeon offer unique vampire dating experiences.

• Explore vampire romances in games like When the Night Comes and Doomsday Paradise for varied and engaging stories.

Dating sims have been around for decades, and in that time there have been some really weird characters for players to date. But monster dating simulators have emerged as a style of dating simulation all their own. Perhaps the most popular monster so far in these simulators is the vampire. These vampires are often male, tormentors, and have an aversion to button-down shirts.

While conventional dating simulators might be restricted by gender and sexuality, these monster dating simulators are often much less restrictive. These dating sims don't always exclusively feature vampires; in fact, they are usually part of a cast of classic monstrous creatures that the player can choose from. Here's a ranked list of games that let you meet vampires or be the dating vampire.

Use discretion when playing any dating simulator games. Always pay attention to warnings and trigger ratings.

7

Ballads at midnight

I thought we were past human sacrifice

• release date: 2022
• Developer: Synstory
• platform: PC

In Ballads at midnightthe player character is a young bard who is brought to a vampire's castle as a prisoner. She becomes a captive in the castle of a beautiful but toxic vampire. It has beauty and the beast vibes, being a more linear visual romance than many of the more humorous entries on this list. She is independent, resourceful and intelligent; he is aggressive and predatory, and it is the story of them coming to love each other.

It's a vampire dating simulator in the most serious Gothic Romance sense. The target demographic, those who love text-heavy visual novels and romance novels, will appreciate the writing style. But those outside the demographic may be a little perplexed as to its appeal. The developer knows his audience and knows what they like. It's very descriptive and atmospheric and maintains the tension as the mysterious secret at the heart of this fantasy world begins to unravel.

6

The lover's dungeon

Sword Dating and Dungeon Crawling

• release date: 2021
• Developer: Kitfox Games
• platform: Windows, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5

The lover's dungeon The genre-bending game has standard dating sim elements, including juggling multiple characters' affections and choosing between branching dialogue options. But it's also a dungeon-crawling RPG where the characters players love are sometimes humans and sometimes swords.

As if drawing characters with part-human weapons wasn't weird enough, one of them is also a vampire. His name is Sunder and he owns the local nightclub. If players choose to meet Sunder, his story involves less subtle hints of his vampirism until the inevitable reveal. Relationships are not limited by gender and there are also non-sexual relationship paths.

5

When the night comes

A romantic fantasy crime mystery

• release date: 2019
• Developer: Lunaris Games
• platform: PC

When the night comes is a classic visual novel dating sim set in a fantasy world with a supernatural cast. The player character is a hunting general who investigates a series of gruesome crimes in the city of Lunaris. The vampire character is named Finn, who is loyal to his friends and a caring father who helps the player character with their questions.

The romance options are varied and there is the possibility of a polyamorous relationship between the player, Finn the vampire and Ezra the witch. Players can nominate their character's gender, and the characters available to date are not limited by gender.

4

Imprisoned vampire

Mayu The Underground Idol

• release date: 2024
• Developer: ebi-hime
• platform: PC

Imprisoned vampire is a yuri dating simulator. Aijou Mayu used to be a successful idol until she was bitten by a vampire on Halloween night. Now she's stuck at home and has to find a way to pay her rent. He works as an online artist but also has to manage his money, thirst and stress levels.

There are multiple endings, and a player may not meet every romantic character in one playthrough. There is some repetitive dialogue on certain days that doesn't always make sense in context, but the writing is still solid and the characters are likable. That's quite a feat considering it was done by a small developer in a month.

3

Monster Ball

Those were the best times of our lives

Monster Ball is a dating simulator in the classic visual novel sense of the genre. It features a cast of romantic creatures with different characteristics and an RPG-style stat system. The player must answer questions and select prompts during interactions. Depending on the player's choices, they can “court” certain characters. The player can choose their avatar and gender, and characters can be loved regardless of gender.

The vampire of the ensemble, Liam, is romanticized through answers that demonstrate “INTELLIGENCE” and “CREATIVITY.” Liam is described as a hipster who is on the pretentious side. The player will also have to earn hearts by answering story scenarios. There are a certain number of interactions leading up to prom with which to complete the requirements.

2

Doomsday Paradise

Will you save the world or let someone else do it?

• release date: 2023
• Developer: Flashbang Lemonade
• platform: PC and Switch

Doomsday Paradise combines a supernatural dating sim with turn-based combat. The world is about to end, and the player character can be the one to save it. The romantic vampire character is Vando, an aspiring sorcerer who is obsessed with human sacrifice.

Encounter paths are substantially harder than combat, and it's difficult to get a specific ending. Doomsday Paradise has over 100 endings and it's quite easy to get stuck in a narrative path that won't have the desired outcome. But the game design is delightfully quirky and playful, and the game has an audacious humor of its own. It's a lot of fun and has a lot of replayability.

1

Romanceylvania

This time YOU are Dracula

• release date: 2023
• Developer: The Deep End Games
• platform: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch

Romanceylvania it was originally funded through Kickstarter and therefore has a very specific audience in mind. The game blends Metroidvania side-scrolling platforming and combat with a classic dating simulator, complete with pick-up missions and multi-variable dialogue. Drac can be female or male and is able to love characters regardless of gender.

Romanceylvania takes its inspiration from Castlevania series. It features a lonely and troubled vampire named Drac who is forced to participate in a dating show as a strange form of atonement. The humor is delightfully cheesy and the platforming is surprisingly challenging and complex. His available dates range from Medusa to a genie to a person made of pumpkins. This may be the most distinctive dating simulator yet. Of course, it's easier to tell the characters apart when one of them has hair made of snakes.