Five Dates
Vinny, a millennial from London, joins a dating app for the first time while living in lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic. With five potential female matches, Vinny must pluck up courage to video date with wildly different personalities, starring Mandip Gill (Doctor Who) and Georgia Hirst (Vikings).
The viewer’s choices will define Vinny’s interactions with each date and their interest in seeing him again. Amidst a branching, multi-directional chain of conversation topics and deep-dive questions, Vinny is faced with digital game dates, awkward scenarios and unexpected truths.
Five Dates is an exploration of the unpredictable modern dating experience, which follows an average single man as he navigates the world of digital dating. Through his journey, the decisions the viewer makes for him will challenge their own conceptions of attraction and compatibility.
From the publishing studio that brought you The Complex, The Bunker and The Shapeshifting Detective.
Throughout the game, your choices and your interactions will either strengthen or weaken your relationship with your date. The relationship scores are calculated from the start right through to the very end and will affect certain scenarios as well as having consequences in the concluding scenes.
Features
- A completely live-action romantic comedy, directed by Paul Raschid (The Complex)
- Entirely conceptualized, filmed and developed during lockdown
- Over 7 hours of filmed footage, the most amount of FMV footage in any game
- Real-time Relationship Status Tracking that influences the story as you play
- Multi-optional storytelling with 10 different outcomes
- Starring Mandip Gill (Doctor Who), Georgia Hirst (Vikings), Sinead Harnett (singer) and Taheen Modak (Two Weeks To Live)
Steam User 9
Nice game. Vinny is a pretty cool guy, and the girls are alright.
But you know whose even better? My boy Callum!
Callum the real OG.
Should make my buddy Callum as a dating option, cowards.
Steam User 3
This game has a good variety of options to make your way through it with all the different girls. I really liked that of the girls you can date, no two are alike. They are all unique and have different personalities with pros and cons. When I first saw all the profiles for the dates, I thought I would like Paige the most, but surprisingly, I ended up enjoying the dates with Shaina the most.
Shaina and the MC had a lot of natural chemistry that seemed effortless and true. Shaina's dates were definitely the most fun.
There were times when I thought the acting of people was a bit...off, especially from Callum - it seemed very forced and a tad too obvious that he was playing a character.
It also often felt like I was a third wheel on these dates, and at times, I felt very awkward watching things unfold on screen, lol.
The only issues I would urge to be fixed are that the volume levels do fluctuate with no rhyme or reason, so it was annoying having to readjust them so often. Also, the save function is shite. You cannot manually save. It saves just before you exit the game, and you are forced to pick up there. I wish you could make multiple saves and pick among them. It would make more people want to keep playing and try the various available paths and options.
I acquired this game when it initially came out and wasn't fully released, thus it was free. Seeing the price now, I would say the nearly 15 bucks for it is a bit steep for how short it is. But overall, I give the game a thumbs up.
Steam User 4
GRADE: C++. i really wish there was a neutral review option. this game is not bad its just kind of generic and not very deep or, to me, very interesting. I got it as part of a bundle with other FMV games (Full motion Video). I remember, in times long past, when everyone thought these FMV games were the future of video game because the "graphics" were so close to life like, and at the time it seemed that was the goal. And when they came out it was impressive Tech at the time. But besides the nostalgia, i generally like FMV games and there were more then a few i have played that stood out as fun or even great games. More then just some video clips strung together. This Developer has quite a few FMV games in their catalog and they use decent actors and generally good scripts and i have enjoyed several of their games already. But this game doesn't have alot of "GAME" in it. Its essentially just a visual novel but one with no real plot or story direction, a sort of "COZY" visual novel. But for some people i guess that's the appeal with these types of games. And for those people this is not a bad version of that, and this might be for you! i just personally like visual novels, as a genre, the least and the ones i do like usually have lots of other clever, or well done, game play elements and the Visual novel game play parts are not the sole or even main focus.
First of all this developer has several FMV titles and so far all the ones i have checked out have been worth the time i spent to do it. And with this game. like i usually do with most FMV games, First i played it through once myself with no knowledge of whats about to happen, besides the general game description on its page. Then, after ive played through it once or twice, i might boot it up a few more times when a friend comes over and hand them the controller and see how there movie goes. And then, for better or worse, that's it. And really this is descriptive of the whole genre and not just one specific game. After playing through it once, or sometimes twice, your self. You already know the broad strokes and There's just usually not much to encourage replay, besides seeing a few different responses to your choices or "MAYBE" watching one or two other people play through it.
This game, FIVE DATES, is a dating app sim. you get to check out some profiles and then go on some dates and then chooses who you like best at the end. then, if you really liked that, you can do it all over again and choose different people. Its a pretty linear setup where the videos play and just pause for second when you need to make a choice. So theres not much to "explore" in five dates. But the actors are competent and the game works well. Maybe If it were just one part of a larger narrative and my choices had some impact on the story then it would have held my interest longer. Or the inclusion of some fun mini games or something that felt like i was playing a game more then watching an episode of a reality dating show. HOWEVER its not so long as to wear out its welcome. And id say its Worth a play through if this game theme appeals to you especially if you get it on sale or as part of a bundle. Its not my favorite FMV game but as i said before i dont generally gravitate toward visual novel games. And only played this one because i like FMV Games and it came in a bundle with several other FMV games i did want. Still this is not a bad Visual novel game. But its also not a great or very distinctive one and if i could id give it a neutral rating, then i would.
Steam User 4
Gotta love purposefully choosing the worst dialogue options and internally dying xD
Super well made game though and the actors were spot on, played it with a buddy of mine and it was great fun.
Steam User 4
For $5, I think this game is worth trying. It's not for everyone. I am not sure if it is for me. But I am a girl.
I want to see a guy version of this where the 'dates' are males and you can see how crazy men can be. LOL
In this game, you play from the point of view of a hetero-guy, Vinny, who is trying online dating for the first time. You are coached by your bestie, who is really funny. Vinny goes on web dates with various women. The women that are portrayed here have a lot of what are probably 'red flags.' Was that intentional?
I am only a few minutes into the game, but I find as a female it is really easy to guess what the female wants to hear. So maybe this game would be more fun if you were a guy and I can see guys using this as training on how to talk to women. I feel like the responses of the women are pretty believable so far and easy to deduce. I am a little confused as to what the objective of the game is?
There is a score meter that shows how well you get a long with your 'date'. I had one of the 'dates' basically be a druggie who ghosted me for a joint. -.- Then, I had another one that felt like she was judging me really harshly & I found myself trying to appease her. LOL
I am hoping the game ends with a moral of the story to just be yourself. The game is entertaining. But again, I would like to see a reverse version. So many of these FMVs are from the point of view of male characters. I think women are a gaming audience too!
@ Wales Interactive, if you are reading this. There is an customer-base of female gamers too.
Steam User 7
Five Dates – A Surreal, Real, and Fucking Frustrating Dating Simulator
“Finding love is a numbers game.”
Yeah? Fuck that shit. That line alone sums up everything that pisses me off about this game—and real dating.
I sat down to Five Dates thinking it’d be a bit of fun. Some FMV rom-com here, some choices there, easy shit. Girls come to me babyyyyyy.
What I got was something else entirely. There were moments I literally stood up, hands on my head, like what the actual fuck just happened?
It felt so real—that brutal, awkward, tense kind of real where you’re walking a tightrope the entire time. Like “oh my god, when will it end?!”
You meet a girl. You talk. You make choices. You try not to fuck it up. Welcome to dating hell.
Vinny’s Fine—But This Was Me
Vinny’s a good guy, sure. But let’s be real—I played as myself. That’s why it hit so hard. Every choice I made came from my fucking irrelevant values. And when that didn’t land well?
Sorry, Vinny.
I could see it on his face—the awkward pause, the disappointment. Like “shit, why did I say that?”
That’s not just a mechanic. That’s what it feels like when you open up on a real date and get met with dead silence or a weird look.
Oh, you wanted to “win”? Fuck yourself. Next time, put the mask on and tell her how you love yoga or hiking or whatever bullshit people lie about on Tinder.
I’ve played choice-driven games before—The Witcher 3, Quantic Dream stuff. But nothing ever pissed me off like this. Because this? This shit’s too real.
The Girls: Some Great, Some Just... No (Let Me ALT+F4 Out of This)
I ended up with Maya. It just worked, even though I didn’t really try that hard. It felt like two people actually clicking. Natural, simple.
Then there was Grace. Jesus Christ. Cold, cagey, full of mixed signals and logic that made zero fucking sense. I couldn’t read her at all. It felt like she was constantly testing me for... what? Compatibility? Or just for the thrill of the confusion?
And Saffron? No. Just no. I’m not gonna play your lunar crystal mushroom fanfic yoga game, girl. She lives on another planet. I was genuinely relieved that date ended fast. I didn’t have the energy for her cosmic soup vibes or whatever the hell that was.
Immersive as Fuck (but Lockdown? Who Cares)
The game sells itself as a “lockdown dating sim,” but honestly? I didn’t give a shit. It barely matters.
What did matter was how immersive it was. The whole video call setup? Way more intense than expected. And yeah, I’ve done awkward Zoom dates—I know the vibe. This nailed it.
The acting? Solid. Especially Vinny. My man, my boy—sorry for the hell I put you through.
The other performances were fine, but he carried the game. You feel what he feels. It hits.
Truth or Dare? More Like Truth or Fucking Trauma
Those Truth or Dare scenes? Chaos. Especially with Grace. Every single one of those dates felt like a mini panic attack. The game could’ve gone even further, and I wish it did.
Like imagine this: a girl dares you to share your screen and message your last contact—your buddy who you just messaged about her.
And she sees it. Sees the real-time gossip.
The setup was already there. But they didn’t go there. Missed opportunity.
Final Verdict: It’s Real, It Hurts, and It’s Brilliant in the Worst Way
Five Dates nails the performance of dating. It’s not about love. It’s about playing the game, adapting, stats, knowing when to lie, when to shut up, when to nod and smile.
Be real? Get burned.
Play the game? Maybe win.
Either way—it’s a mindfuck.
This isn’t a “fun” game. It’s a stressful, messy, sometimes painfully relatable experience.
And that’s exactly why it’s worth playing.
Sorry, Vinny.
Update: Did Another Run — And Damn, I Was Right
Did another run.
It confirmed everything I thought the first time.
Tweaking the stats and choosing a different path is interesting, but honestly? Not that exciting.
But oh god... I was so on point with some of my impressions.
It’s even worse.
In a good way.
Steam User 2
If you never dated, buy it at least you will experience some dating and get funny insight how might it would work in 766 tries
plus achievements are very easy to get