Hatoful Boyfriend Reviews

Hatoful Boyfriend is ranked in the 48th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
90%
Jan 27, 2016

Hatoful Boyfriend isn't just quirky and bizarre, it's also the smartest visual novel you've never played.

Read full review

NZGamer
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Aug 17, 2015

If you're looking for a dating sim on Vita or PS4, you're not exactly spoiled for choice, making Hatoful Boyfriend a no-brainer. But even if you're not really into the genre, this could be worth taking a look at - just make sure you stick around for Bad Boys Love.

Read full review

85 / 100
Aug 17, 2015

Hatoful Boyfriend tells an endearingly crazy story that will have you smiling, laughing, crying and feverishly turning the virtual page. It takes some buy-in, but pays off if you're looking for something way off the beaten path.

Read full review

7.8 / 10.0
Aug 9, 2015

Hatoful Boyfriend is light hearted and definitely something designed to make you smile. It's not going to set the world on fire but it can be picked up for a small amount of money and is something that anyone can play due to its simplistic controls. Its style of humour may not be for everyone, but for those that do find the absurd hilarious it is definitely worth considering picking it up.

Read full review

70 / 100
Aug 7, 2015

If you can swallow (heh, bird puns) the basic idea, there are a lot of weird and wonderful stories to be uncovered in Hatoful Boyfriend. Just don't expect to do much actual playing.

Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Jul 31, 2015

A great dark story for a take on the classic dating sim, but could do with less repetition.

Read full review

Drew Leachman
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
Jul 30, 2015

If you're into the crazy Japanese stories that eventually lead to some even crazier madness, this is the game for you. If you think cutesy pigeon dating is not for you or if you're not much of a reader, stay away. Stay far away.

Read full review

Jul 29, 2015

Hatoful Boyfriend is a colourful title that utilizes a blend of photography and anime caricatures to tell its story. Animations are few and far between, with its style being more reminiscent of an elaborately crafted picture book than a conventional videogame title. This may disappoint some who will prefer a more thrilling experience, but it does well to set the game apart.

Read full review

IGN
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Jul 27, 2015

Hatoful Boyfriend on Vita has some technical issues, but both versions still hatch a great story with a cool new bird.

Read full review

Digitally Downloaded
Matt S.
Top Critic
Jul 27, 2015

You're not getting a refined game in Hatoful Boyfriend. Surely you already knew that, right? If you were looking for a refined game, please ignore my score below. Otherwise, I'll just let this scene from Friends starring my good friend Chandler do the talking, because, amazingly enough, it actually mirrors the experience I had playing Hatoful Boyfriend:

Read full review

7 / 10
Jul 26, 2015

Behind the bizarre concept is one of the best scripts of the year, and a game that subverts your expectations with effortless regularity.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Jul 26, 2015

But those disappointing moments are ultimately rare. Hatoful Boyfriend earns almost everything else it does. Like those fantastical and ridiculous movies and novels, it demonstrates an ability to rise above its base, absurd concepts and weaves several stories that last. It's much more than it seems, and begs for you to play it and discover its depth.

Read full review

1.5 / 5.0
Jul 25, 2015

Hatoful Boyfriend is the food fight of video games. While you can derive a great deal of entertainment from its complete insanity, this doesn't negate the fact that the end result is a total mess.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
Jul 24, 2015

Underneath the novel, yet slightly dubious gimmick of a human romancing birds is a charming, humorous tale of teen angst.

Read full review

7 / 10
Jul 22, 2015

In simple terms, Hatoful Boyfriend is an infectiously bizarre dating simulator about choosing a partner from a particularly fanciful flock of pigeons. But when all the birds come home to roost, your enjoyment of this comical curio is almost entirely dependent on your ability to truck with its utterly insane premise. Indeed, if you don't take umbrage with a bit of pigeon-on-human romance, you're likely to be taken on a riotous and remarkable romp.

Read full review

Feb 23, 2015

'Hatoful Boyfriend' is a bizarre, sometimes heartwarming, sometimes terrifying adventure where you can also date a variety of birds. Yes, you can date birds.

Read full review

Unscored
Nov 4, 2014

Hatoful Boyfriend made me laugh; it made me smile and appreciate its subtlety; and it made me cry.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Oct 14, 2014

Don't let its strange premise fool you, Hatoful Boyfriend delivers a masterful satire on the dating sim genre and a thoroughly enjoyable experience all the way through. Underneath its absurd setting, Hatoful boasts a well thought out world, enjoyable characters and clever writing that give the game its quirky feel. Plus, birds in maid outfits.

Read full review

5 / 10.0
Sep 18, 2014

It's a poorly-written experience who places too much of a priority on delivering the absurdity as often as possible…

Read full review

7 / 10.0
Sep 17, 2014

Overfall, Hatoful Boyfriend is a joke game that's elevated above its peers thanks mostly to its writing. It will certainly elicit some laughs, especially when played with other people, and while play sessions are usually short it has enough unique endings to both warrant many visits to the academy and justify its relatively low price. Those who decide to get all endings should prepare to use the fast-forward button quite a bit, since many events repeat in every plathrough.

Read full review