ValiDate: Struggling Singles in Your Area

ValiDate is a visual novel and dating sim where players interact as 13 creatives living in the fictional Jercy City area, as they navigate "9-to-5s, quarter-life crises, and harsh truths millennials must navigate in their 20s".{{Cite web |last=Colbert |first=Isaiah |date=2022-09-01 |title=This Sexy Game Might Have The Best Romance Writing Of 2022 |url=https://kotaku.com/validate-queer-dating-game-person-of-color-romance-1849480800 |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Kotaku |language=en |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307023351/https://kotaku.com/validate-queer-dating-game-person-of-color-romance-1849480800 |url-status=live }} The game features a cast of Black and brown characters, with different body types, backgrounds, and sexualities.{{Cite web |last=Lawrence |first=Briana |date=2022-06-16 |title=My Fat, Black, Queer Self Rarely Gets Shown in Media, but 'ValiDate' Has Got Me Covered |url=https://www.themarysue.com/validate-character-roster-is-fantastic/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=The Mary Sue |language=en |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307023353/https://www.themarysue.com/validate-character-roster-is-fantastic/ |url-status=live }} The characters weave in and out of each other's routes, with varying levels of success depending on their unique dynamics.{{Cite web |last=Doran |first=Virginia |date=2022-11-07 |title=ValiDate Switch Review: Not Quite A Perfect Match |url=https://screenrant.com/validate-switch-game-review/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=ScreenRant |language=en |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307023353/https://screenrant.com/validate-switch-game-review/ |url-status=live }}

ValiDate{{'}}s first volume launched with four playable characters:{{Cite web |last=Carpou |first=Madeline |date=2022-10-11 |title=REVIEW: 'ValiDate' Is the Sort of Game We Need More Of |url=https://www.themarysue.com/validate-review-the-sort-of-game-we-need-more-of/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=The Mary Sue |language=en |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307023356/https://www.themarysue.com/validate-review-the-sort-of-game-we-need-more-of/ |url-status=live }}

• Malik, a 26-year-old Bopeye's manager and rapper who cannot seem to find his footing when it comes to relationships.
• Isabelle, a 27-year-old theater teacher who still lives with her family and feels like she is being smothered.
• Inaya, a 25-year-old "Instaglam" chef who struggles with anxiety and self-image, and whose insecurities are reflected in their dates with others.
• Emhari, a 28-year-old bigender mom of two and HR specialist, trying to ignore his immense baggage, while dating and being a parent.

ValiDate{{'}}s first volume features over 30 routes and over 60 possible endings, with the option to play as Malik, Inaya, Isabelle, or Emhari.{{Cite web |last=Watton |first=Neil |date=2022-09-29 |title=Grapple with the millennial life in ValiDate: Struggling Singles in your Area |url=https://www.thexboxhub.com/grapple-with-the-millennial-life-in-validate-struggling-singles-in-your-area/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=TheXboxHub |language=en-GB |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307023352/https://www.thexboxhub.com/grapple-with-the-millennial-life-in-validate-struggling-singles-in-your-area/ |url-status=live }} When the game begins, players choose a character and are paired with another member of the cast. Each character has a chapter dedicated to a love interest where the narrative can lead the player through a good, bad, or secret route.{{Cite web |last=Rosseau |first=Jeffrey |date=2022-12-23 |title=ValiDate: Struggling Singles in your Area {{!}} Games of the Year 2022 |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/validate-struggling-singles-in-your-area-games-of-the-year-2022 |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307023352/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/validate-struggling-singles-in-your-area-games-of-the-year-2022 |url-status=live }} These paths are contingent upon the player's choices. Achievements are earned with each completed route.

File:ValiDate Gameplay Screenshot.jpeg

ValiDate features a blend of roleplaying and self-insertion, with the narration referring to the player in the second person.{{Cite web |last=Richardson |first=Trevor |date=2022-04-13 |title='ValiDate' demo impressions: a dating sim you'll want to make plans with • AIPT |url=https://aiptcomics.com/2022/04/13/validates-demo-teases-dating-sim/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=aiptcomics.com |language=en-us |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307023352/https://aiptcomics.com/2022/04/13/validates-demo-teases-dating-sim/ |url-status=live }} However, in selecting a character to assume, rather than playing a generic self-insert for each route, the game allows the player different opportunities depending on which pair of characters is chosen for the date. A date with Malik, while playing as Isabelle, will provide one perspective of the characters, while playing from Malik's perspective can offer an entirely different view of the characters’ personalities.

The game's menu allows the player to choose from a wide range of characters and dates, and the choice of whether or not to continue interacting as the same character, or to choose someone new. Each chapter allows players to gain an additional date for the character they've been playing, or alternatively, a new character altogether.

ValiDate gameplay does not allow the player to choose who to romance and how to do it; it only allows players to choose how the date proceeds per route. A route may not end with romance, and instead completes with the player having fostered a new friendship. Similar to interactive games like The Quarry, the players' choices matter and impact a route's ending. But if a player encounters a character they want to explore in-depth, the predetermined desires of the character they're playing can limit their options.

In-game text implies that routes are more branching, and that depending on the character, relationships may have the potential to change later on.{{Cite web |last=Galiz-Rowe |first=Ty |date=2022-04-15 |title=Preview – Validate: Struggling Singles in Your Area |url=https://uppercutcrit.com/preview-validate-struggling-singles-in-your-area/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Uppercut Crit |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307023354/https://uppercutcrit.com/preview-validate-struggling-singles-in-your-area/ |url-status=live }} The game additionally offers an option to skip to certain endings via the pause menu.

The game was developed in an estimated three-year period by a team led by lead developer and CEO, Dani Lalonders.{{Cite web |last=Hart |first=Aimee |date=2023-02-23 |title=GLAAD's Changemakers spotlights Lead Dev of ValiDate, Dani LaLonders |url=https://gaymingmag.com/2023/02/glaads-changemakers-spotlights-lead-dev-of-validate-dani-lalonders/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Gayming Mag |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307024854/https://gaymingmag.com/2023/02/glaads-changemakers-spotlights-lead-dev-of-validate-dani-lalonders/ |url-status=live }} The ValiDate team consists entirely of people of color.{{Cite web |last=Blerdy |date=2020-06-17 |title=Behind the Games - Interview with the ValiDate Team |url=https://blerdyotome.com/2020/06/17/behind-the-games-interview-with-the-validate-team/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Blerdy Otome |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307023352/https://blerdyotome.com/2020/06/17/behind-the-games-interview-with-the-validate-team/ |url-status=live }} The team has spoken about creating a game meant to stand out from other dating sims, by showing characters of color as the main characters, and not simply "side characters or caricatures." The current writing team consists of 7 writers for 13 characters.{{Cite web |last=Galiz-Rowe |first=Ty |date=2023-02-21 |title=How ValiDate: Struggling Singles in Your Area is making strides in representation |url=https://gaymingmag.com/2023/02/how-validate-struggling-singles-in-your-area-is-making-strides-in-representation/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Gayming Mag |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307024854/https://gaymingmag.com/2023/02/how-validate-struggling-singles-in-your-area-is-making-strides-in-representation/ |url-status=live }}File:Artwork - ValiDate.jpegThe title was officially announced in early 2020. A Kickstarter campaign was launched in July 2020 and was successfully funded by August 2020, having raised over US$47,000 to date.{{Cite web |last=Chan |first=Harri |date=2020-08-29 |title=ValiDate is the Visual Novel I've Been Waiting For |url=https://pome-mag.com/validate-is-the-visual-novel-ive-been-waiting-for/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=POMEgranate Magazine |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307023354/https://pome-mag.com/validate-is-the-visual-novel-ive-been-waiting-for/ |url-status=live }} Despite positive reception from the public, the developers have said the game faced unexpected issues and struggles during development, such as fund shortage and difficulty finding a publisher.{{Cite web |last=Martinez |first=Jason |date=2021-09-29 |title=Highlights of 2021 Game Developers of Color |url=https://games.usc.edu/news/2021-game-developers-of-color/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=USC Games |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307023354/https://games.usc.edu/news/2021-game-developers-of-color/ |url-status=live }} The game received the support of Xbox. It was funded in part by their New ID @ Xbox Developer Acceleration Program, which seeks to empower underrepresented creators.{{Cite web |last=Uwumarogie |first=Victoria |date=2023-04-03 |title=The Disruptors: Dani Lalonders And Anika Howard Are Black Women CEOs In The Very White Gaming Industry |url=https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/the-disruptors-black-women-in-gaming/ |access-date=2023-04-04 |website=Essence |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-04-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404132209/https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/the-disruptors-black-women-in-gaming/ |url-status=live }}

The game previously featured character artwork drawn by different artists, in unique styles.{{Cite web |last=Funké |first=Joseph |date=2020-08-31 |title=Talking ValiDate, TikTok, Politics and More with Dani Lalonders - Gayming Magazine |url=https://gaymingmag.com/2020/07/talking-validate-tiktok-politics-and-more-with-dani-lalonders/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Gayming Mag |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307030358/https://gaymingmag.com/2020/07/talking-validate-tiktok-politics-and-more-with-dani-lalonders/ |url-status=live }} During development, Veritable Joy Studios expressed a desire to emphasize that the cast of ValiDate are "average everyday people from the street" and not "drop dead gorgeous Instagram model characters."

A demo was released in April 2022. It offered players the choice of three routes to play: Malik's mixtape revenge arc, Inaya and their edible misadventures, and Isabelle's unsure date at Pink Lobster.{{Cite web |last=Funké |first=Joseph |date=2022-04-19 |title=Love is Authentically Messy in the Latest Demo for ValiDate |url=https://www.fanbyte.com/games/features/love-is-authentically-messy-in-the-latest-demo-for-validate/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Fanbyte |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307023352/https://www.fanbyte.com/games/features/love-is-authentically-messy-in-the-latest-demo-for-validate/ |url-status=live }}

ValiDate was featured as one of the Best Games You Might Have Missed during Summer Game Fest by GameSpot in June 2022.{{Cite web |last1=Howard |first1=Jessica |last2=Pereira |first2=Chris |last3=Delaney |first3=Mark |date=2022-06-22 |title=The Best Games You Might Have Missed During Summer Game Fest 2022 |url=https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/the-best-games-you-might-have-missed-during-summer-game-fest-2022/2900-4151/#1 |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307023354/https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/the-best-games-you-might-have-missed-during-summer-game-fest-2022/2900-4151/#1 |url-status=live }}

An update was announced in November 2022, introducing a rhythm mini-game and an auto-save functionality.{{Cite web |last=Brian |date=2022-11-24 |title=ValiDate: Struggling Singles in your Area update announced, patch notes |url=https://nintendoeverything.com/validate-struggling-singles-in-your-area-update-announced-patch-notes/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Nintendo Everything |language=en |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307023354/https://nintendoeverything.com/validate-struggling-singles-in-your-area-update-announced-patch-notes/ |url-status=live }}

Volume 2 of ValiDate was announced on the official game Twitter account:{{Cite tweet|number=1601335889661132803|user=ValiDateGame|title=Play as Bigs, Arihi, Yolanda, and Rocky in Volume 2 of ValiDate: Struggling Singles in your Area, coming 2023!|date=2022-12-09}} The second chapter will feature Yolanda, Bigs, Rocky, and Arihi as playable characters.{{Cite web |last=Carpou |first=Madeline |date=2022-10-19 |title=Not Diverse, But 'Realistic': How 'ValiDate' Rewrites the Dating Sim Script For Femmes of Color |url=https://www.themarysue.com/how-validate-rewrites-the-dating-sim-script/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=The Mary Sue |language=en |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307023352/https://www.themarysue.com/how-validate-rewrites-the-dating-sim-script/ |url-status=live }}

Following a demo release in April 2022, ValiDate{{'}}s first volume was announced in June, with a tentative release date for August 2022.{{Cite web |last=Dinsdale |first=Ryan |date=2022-06-11 |title=Future of Play Direct 2022: Everything Announced and Revealed |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/future-of-play-direct-2022-everything-announced-and-revealed |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=IGN |language=en |archive-date=2023-03-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308005009/https://www.ign.com/articles/future-of-play-direct-2022-everything-announced-and-revealed |url-status=live }} It was ultimately released on September 29, 2022, for Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, and Xbox One. It was later released for Nintendo Switch on October 13, 2022.

ValiDate was featured as one of the games included in Humble Bundle's Love is in the Air collection in February 2023.{{Cite web |last=Bashir |first=Dale |date=2023-02-13 |title=Humble Bundle's Love is in the Air Offer Has The Best Games to Play With Your Partner |url=https://sea.ign.com/humble-bundle/195312/news/humble-bundles-love-is-in-the-air-offer-has-the-best-games-to-play-with-your-partner |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=IGN Southeast Asia |language=en-sg |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307010018/https://sea.ign.com/humble-bundle/195312/news/humble-bundles-love-is-in-the-air-offer-has-the-best-games-to-play-with-your-partner |url-status=live }}

ValiDate received generally favorable reviews upon release, being praised for its character design, inclusive storytelling and believable writing.{{Cite web |last=Ozzy |first=Dave |date=2022-11-24 |title=ValiDate: Struggling Singles in Your Area Review |url=https://www.thexboxhub.com/validate-struggling-singles-in-your-area-review/ |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=TheXboxHub |language=en-GB |archive-date=2023-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307023354/https://www.thexboxhub.com/validate-struggling-singles-in-your-area-review/ |url-status=live }} Isaiah Colbert, writing for Kotaku, commended the game for its writing and it being "unafraid to have hard conversations about whether your choices are the best thing in the moment or the long term for its characters."

The game has drawn visual comparisons to Arcade Spirits, another popular visual novel series that incorporates dating into the gaming sphere.

• [https://validategame.com/ Official website]
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Category:2022 video games

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