Hatoful Boyfriend

Title: Hatoful Boyfriend
Series: Hatoful Boyfriend #1
Publisher: Epic Games
Developer: Mediatonic, Hato Moa
Release Date: July 31, 2011
Genres: Otome, Visual Novel
Platform: PlayStation 4, iOS, Android, macOS, Playstation Vita, PC, Steam
Where to Find It: Website
Rating:

Congratulations! You’ve been accepted as the only human student at the prestigious St. PigeoNation’s Institute, a school for talented birds! Roam the halls and find love in between classes as a sophomore student at the world’s greatest pigeon high school. Finding happiness won’t be easy, but it’s not all academic - there’s always time for a little romance in this delightful remake of Hato Moa’s popular visual novel / avian dating sim Hatoful Boyfriend!

Please Note: No birds were hurt in the making of Hatoful Boyfriend. In fact, many found love.

Review

Hatoful Boyfriend is a satirical otome game that centers on dating birds. Yes, birds. The game made a splash when it was first released in 2011 for it’s zany premise and abundance of bird puns. But the book was surprisingly more compelling than you would expect at first blush.

The game starts off as you would expect, with a packed roster of birds to date that align with common character archetypes from anime and manga. The paths vary from sweet childhood friend romance to others that are somber and dark. The idyllic school setting and silly humor on the surface masks a darker story in the background. You go through each path, unlocking hidden paths and a few bonus characters until you hidden true route that changes the story dramatically. Trust me when I say that the juice is absolutely worth the squeeze.

Without spoiling any of the surprises, this game is worth the look if you somehow missed this game during it’s meteoric rise to prominence over the last decade. Hatoful Boyfriend is one of the most unique and fun stories I’ve encountered and it’s an easy recommendation for those looking for something a little off the beaten path.

Quote

“Hmph, another peasant. None of you have the right to even be in this school. Go back to the Philippines and bang some coconuts together, why don’t you.”