northNavigating the perils of the contemporary dating scene is a formidable task for any singleton. How much do you really have in common with this stranger? Do you share the same values? Can you be vulnerable enough to let him in? With Building Relationships, game developer Tanat Boozayaangol considers all of these pressing questions, while posing one more: what if you, too, were a house?
Yes, the title of this dating adventure game is meant to be taken literally. In Building Relationships, you play as the last eligible “bachelor pad” on an island of romantic opportunities. Your main goal is to get along with its other citizens, which include himbo tents, punchy houseboats, and a windmill, for good measure. “Millie (the windmill) is quite flirtatious, and sometimes she pops up out of nowhere,” Boozayaangool says. “People either really like her or they don’t like her at all.”
Building Relationships is inspired by the absurd 2011 visual novel Hatoful Boyfriend, which featured courting pigeons. Boozayaangool wanted to create a parody of dating in their own style, drawing on real-life experiences and the surreal to tell a human story. “[Players]go on different dates, which build towards a story arc that takes place within the island,” they explain. “And you get to choose who you want to have a picnic with.”
In addition to getting to know the island’s inhabitants through irreverent exchanges (obviously, not all of them will be to your liking), players can roam the environment at will. Along the way, they’ll find talking treasure chests that provide additional movement abilities and fishing spots where they can bring out cars (or carp, as they’re jokingly called in-game). “I wanted to play with exploration as a gameplay mechanic in a small open world,” says Boozayaangool, inspired by the emotive and beloved indie A Short Hike. “I call it A Short Hike, but it’s stupid,” they joke. The intention is to mix the conventions of dating sims with the curiosity-driven guidance of small-scale adventure games.
A low-poly, razor-sharp art style frames your island exploits, which is also an homage to Building Relationships’ humble beginnings in a college gaming jam. Cylindrical trees and jagged rocks are swathed in low-resolution textures, evoking a nostalgic aesthetic that fits the melancholic mood.
Despite the cozy visuals (and the fact that the game was shown off at June’s Wholesome Games Direct stream, a list of fun, non-violent games that sets the tone for the rest of the year’s indie releases), Boozayaangool is wary of that loaded adjective. “A lot of people see it as a cozy game, but I don’t call it that in the marketing material… I wrote most of the story arcs when I was still in my day job, and things were pretty tough there. A lot of the story is a reflection of that. The themes I want to tackle are pretty personal; so we’ll see how that authenticity comes across.”
Without wanting to give too much away, Boozayaanwolf wants players to be prepared for the more emotionally difficult parts of Building Relationships that come with tackling the tricky topic of dating. “There’s a surprising amount of depth to this game about a very silly, stupid house.”
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