While dating simulation games are not super popular in the United States there is a free indie one threatening to bridge that gap.
It's called "Jurassic Heart" and no, it has no relation to that other book about dinosaurs. The game follows a high school girl who has a crush on her classmate Taira, a Tyrannosaurus. The story really picks up after the girl startles Taira causing him to drop his ukelele. Can you feel the charm yet? No? How about when Taira can not pick up his instrument with his stumpy Tyrannosaurus arms and there's embarrassment all around. Then the fun starts.
This kind of visual novel was in fashion several years ago on sites like Newgrounds back when the internet was still edgy. "Jurassic Heart" has an innocence to it that draws you in.
"Jurassic Heart" is not the weirdest game dating sim available. There's a game called Hatoful Boyfriend that's popular in Japan. It features large sentient pigeons in romantic situations which is just as weird as it sounds. "Jurassic Heart" has only been online for a few days and as you might expect, the game is all over Tumblr and even generating non-scary fan-art. With an upcoming expansion that adds five more dinosaurs to the mix it's safe to say that the attention will not be stopping anytime soon.
