Summary
Romance is all well and good on its own, but it can get kind of stale, right? Many games change things up in this department to keep things fresh, offering unusual romance options or simply just writing them so well that you end upfalling in love with a quiet, bald elfbecause there’s no way that will end up hurting, right?
But there’s another way to add a little variety that a few games and the History Channel have discovered: aliens. There’s a shockingly small number of games that offer extraterrestrial romance options, but which among them really scratch that intergalactic itch the best?
It’s hard to find a more perfect example of alien romance than theMass Effectseries. It’s so infamous that the first game shorted out an entire news network by not only including two women potentially kissing, but making one of them gasp blue.
That would be Liara T’Soni, the spry young106-year-old Asari researcheryou meet in the first Mass Effect. While her humanoid appearance might seem like cheating when it comes to romancing an alien, at the time, it was kind of a big deal, and the next game went even further.
7Namco High
What Is This, A Crossover Episode?
Some games are admittedly a bit less serious than others. But they’re no less valid, especially when they boast unexpected creative talent behind it like Namco High. Created by a collaboration between Namco Bandai and Homestuck creator Andrew Hussie, this now-defunct browser game allows you to date classic Namco characters. Yes, this includes an actual spaceship.
But aside from the Namco characters, you may also date people from Homestuck, most notably the alien Terezi Pyrope. Though, technically, since you’re playing as an alien yourself (one of the cousins from Katamari Damacy), everyone in the game gets the chance to date one. Namco High was sadly taken down, but you can still access it for free via theInternet Archive.
Juhani didn’t just make history as one of the first and most notableLGBTQ+ characters in Star Warswhen she appeared in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. She was also the first alien you could romance in a BioWare game. Kicking off the trend of Courtenay Taylor voicing chaotic women with mind powers was also a nice bonus.
The romance with the Cathar Jedi padawan Juhani is one many players will likely miss, at least if they play as a male character. She’s only receptive to female characters when the love train comes chugging through, and even then, it’s easy to completely bypass if you’re not talking to her regularly. Her story is also particularly sweet for how dark it starts out, so she’s well worth your time.
5Serre
Bee Movie But Cute
Serre’s official synopsis calls it “A visual novel about a girl and an alien drinking tea and falling in love,” and if that isn’t the most endearing premise you’ve ever heard, then you’ve probably played a lot of these games. It’s a super cute little title that feels kind of like a Bee & Puppycat spinoff.
You play as the bumbling girl Arlette who meets the similarly bumbling bee-like alien Oaxa, and things blossom from there. Oaxa is here to conquer your planet, but don’t worry, she kind of sucks at it. So you have plenty of time to fall in love, a far more desirable outcome than world domination.
While the original Mass Effect trilogy remains arguably the most iconic instance of alien love in games below an AO rating,Mass Effect: Andromedatook that ball and ran with it. Any game can involve a romance with an alien you’ve been hanging with for years. But what aboutbringing first contact into the mix?
Andromeda plays the hits by including asari and turian romance options along the obligatory humans. But it also includes a brand new race of aliens known as the angara. They’re emotionally complex, they’re fighting for their lives, and you can flirt with several of them within minutes of discovering their species. This game is iconic.
3Star Wars: The Old Republic
Be A Lover And A Fighter
Yes, BioWare has a bit of a monopoly on the alien romance department. Hey, if anyone else wants to get in on that action, they’re more than welcome. Free-to-play MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic played to the developer’s strengths with a shockingly deep focus on characters and writing for an online game and, of course, space makeouts.
Among the various humans you’re able to smooch, as is tradition, other options include the Cathar soldier Aric Jorgan, Twi’lek scoundrel Vette, Togruta padawan Ashara Zavros, and perhaps most infamously, Dashade menace Khem Val. Whichever origin you pick, you’ve got some real options for love in the void.
2My Alien Roommate
Helping With Rent Is A Love Language
Visual novels both cozy and otherwiseare often the most reliable bastion for those seeking certain types of romance, and yes, that includes aliens. My Alien Roommate is one such offering, and its title helpfully doubles as a synopsis. You play as Riley (gender and pronouns up to you), who suddenly finds a mysterious alien young man named Enoch on their balcony.
So, while you navigate Riley’s already turbulent high school life, you also have to keep your new purple roommate a secret. The game includes a couple of romance options, but really, why choose anyone other than the coincidentally human-looking alien who already lives under your roof? That’s already one of the hard parts done.
Mass Effect 3 may be the climax of the trilogy, but you might be surprised to know that it doesn’t really let you start any new alien romances (aside from Liara, but she’s had plenty of spotlights by the third game). No, thatmissable ‘romance’ fling with Javikdoesn’t count. Mass Effect 2, on the other hand, is where the real stuff lies.
After immediately inspiring legions of fans to lament their lack of romance paths in the first Mass Effect, quarian tech whiz Tali’Zorah and turian merc with a heart of gold Garrus Vakarian finally earned their own in the second game. BioWare clearly knew what it had, because both ended up as arguably the best and most satisfying romance options in the entire series.
