A new free dating sim, Lovebirb, is putting players in the feathers of birds searching for love—with romance options available for any gender, goose or gander. All it will cost you are your best dance moves.
As its title suggests, Lovebirb is not quite what you’d expect. You play as a lovelorn finch trying to dive into the dating scene after your birbfriend has flown the coop. In order to get back out there, you download the legally distinct dating app Bumbird and swipe through profiles, choosing between erudite crows, penguins with shady pasts, or whatever fowl floats your boat. Once you get a match, you go on a date and put on the charm for your new feathered friend.
RelatedThere are so many gender-affirming games out there, here are just a few.
So far, it might sound like your average dating sim (avian theme aside), but Lovebirb has more than a few surprises in store. For one, dates involve much more than casual squawking: you’ll have to strut your talons by performing a mating dance. How well you execute the dance determines how suave your finch comes across.
In the premiere trailer featured at last year’s Wholesome Direct, a sample date conversation turns to favorite foods. The finch chooses a response based on their dance moves: breadcrumbs from a nearby bakery or cigarettes from an ashtray. The finch fails, resulting in social awkwardness of the cutest variety.
Subscribe to get a twice-weekly dose of queer news, updates, and insights from the INTO team.in Your Inbox
Anonymous Penguin Studio, the Philippines-based developer behind the game, has teased a number of other rhythm-based minigames. On a date, you might pose for a sultry photo, play a game of simon-says, go dance-fishing, or conduct a seance. When your finch needs a pick-me-up after a particularly bad date, you can raise its spirits by petting it. And in run-ins with the evil ex, you can use your wings to swat them away (to the beat, of course).
As with any dating sim, the real fun comes with who you get to date, and each species you find on Bumbirb has their own distinctive personalities. There’s the book loving woodpecker Scott Peck, successful CEO cockatoo Avril Carrion, the smooth-talking frigatebird Dorian Grain, a pair of goth tits Mona and Mellon Collie, and many more.
Lovebirb is now available for free on Steam and Itch.io for PC.