★★★★★ Kinda a steal for the price
Tue May 25 2021 Concerned costumerThe few things I would say I maybe don't like are the amount of profiles without pictures, it's hard to tell if those are supposed to be just dud accounts or if they'll be filled in later or what. If you're someone who forgets things or has a unstable schedule the dates can be easy to miss sometimes too. I think that's kinda it. Oh, I also don't like that George always unmatchs bc I love the over detailed ramblings and I want him to stay :'(
The pacing is slow but I think it really adds to the story in the sense of giving the app a realistic feel to it. I also like how characters are a mixed bag, some are pretty much dead ends or the conversation can't go anywhere. Not only is this also realistic, but those interactions can be just as fun and entertaining as the gems you find on the app. There's also a high replayability, I've replayed a couple times now and you can not only go after different people but also play around with different conversations and see how responses might change. Looking forward to how they may add to this game in the future, but right now it's def worth the price for an entertaining story and endearing characters.
★★★★★ Fun, but not for healing
Thu Jul 20 2023 Rrwqertyaaxfgtg ddI got the game after a rough breakup and was hoping to date some cute aliens. Of course, it’s my bad that I didn’t notice in the description that this game was more than just a dating sim. It really goes deep into all the ways people just don’t click, relationships are messy, and most connections you make on dating apps don’t work out or don’t go anywhere. It is a really fascinating concept and the game is written in a fun way that makes it very realistic and colorful. But you can imagine that this is not an experience for someone who is looking for cuddles and affirmation. The characters in Tender won’t give you that.
One thing that really rubbed me the wrong way is that one of the “good” endings you can get is with an ex. Whom you can name. I made the mistake of giving the ex a real name and regretted it a lot. It’s not fun when your recent and very unpleasant memories get bent into a fictional world that doesn’t know anything about your experience. Honestly my expectation when asked for a name was that I’d get to roast the ex with Annie, or that I’d meet a character who “accidentally” has the same name.
So… I think this is an well-made game, a fun and varied experience that really makes you think about online dating, but it left me mostly with negative emotions after playing.
★★★★★ love it :)
Sun Nov 21 2021 jennwithonenI’ve never written an app review before so this is saying a lot! I’ve only had the app for a couple days, and I already love it. I have really bad social anxiety and I didn’t expect this to help with that at all, but it really has. I have a few real dating apps, but I always end up never responding to messages and eventually deleting it because it gets so overwhelming. I’ve restarted my tinder at least 5 times at this point. I highly recommend the app for anyone who has experiences like this (or just needs practice for socializing in general). the characters are weirdly realistic, but the knowledge that everything is fake is so freeing, and seeing all the personality quirks in my matches makes me realize that my real matches are people too, and probably just as nervous as me :) It’s such a good way to get used to messaging people regularly instead of putting it off over and over again for months, which is what I usually do (and am currently doing!) Again, I haven’t had the app for long, but I really think it’s gonna help me in the long run (hopefully!!)
★★★★★ A cute VN for people (like me) who aren’t big VN fans
Thu Apr 29 2021 brianlovesyou623Tender is a cute and creative dating sim VN where you date fellow-millennial monsters through a dating app. The gameplay is similar to real life Tinder: swipe left or right on the profiles and communicate with those you match with. The game takes place over a number of days where people respond in an amount of time based on their respective personality. For some, that might inspire impatience and frustration, but for those coming at it from a more casual perspective, it’s a nice relaxing pace that rewards you being selective about who you match with.
But all of that is available in screenshots and other reviews so I’ll answer one question that you may still have: “is Tender worth the 2.99 USD price point?” Yes, and it’s worth even more to me. There are no ads or locked paths, not to mention plenty of replay-ability to boot. I would have gladly shelled out 5 bucks for this and still have been absolutely delighted. If you’re on the fence because it’s a premium game, please take a chance and support these artists’ work.
★★★★★ Woah
Thu Jun 23 2022 Dulingo birds sidekickI came across the pride section and scrolled and saw this, I liked the art style and it looked cute, so I got it. Oh. My. Gosh. The art style is truly as good as it looked on the app store, the mechanics run smoothly, and the ending I got was pretty cute. The ending I got was joining Leela, and its a really sweet ending. I likes the first date at their little dance at the farm, and liked how theres ending dialogue. Overall pretty fun.
I love this game, however I wish that the dates were longer, on the first date I did with a character I forgot the name of I noticed that the date didn’t take me more than a couple minutes, which made me a bit sad since you wait so long for the date. Thats really my biggest pet peeve about the game, you wait a long time for things. But, its accurate. Love doesn’t develop overnight, and it makes sense that goes the same for a simulated one. Overall the game was really fun, I've only played one play through, but definitely will start another!
★★★★★ i don’t mind the pace!
Mon Apr 26 2021 0valenciai was disappointed by the pace at first, but quickly started to appreciate it! i find it really refreshing to play a real-time game that only has a few minutes of content at a time. since it’s already premium, they aren’t trying to waste your time or guilt you into more purchases. i haven’t exactly found love or even more than a first date yet, so i’m curious about how in-depth the storylines go. but even if it’s not much further, i’ve definitely gotten my $3 out of it just from sending screenshots to my friends (of me getting rejected LOL remy’s meme hits too close to home). the art style and general interface is very charming! great work devs and designers!!!
the only thing that feels like a missed opportunity is the profile creation. i get having limited quotes (if they’re used for matches?) but for the picture, it would’ve been real fun to have more options or picrew-style customization!
★★★★★ Amazing!
Fri Dec 17 2021 ChilePeppersIf you are wanting a dating game where the people are head over heels for you in the first instant, this game is not for you. If you are interested in a game that emulates real world dating, you are in luck.
This game is frustrating in the same way Tinder is. You match with people, go on dates, and more often than not they fizzle into nothing. You’ll feel connected with a person, only for them to ghost you or tell you it won’t work. It is heartbreaking and honest.
I was not expecting this game to make me so emotional. There is an option to have an ex on the game. I swiped right on him for giggles and ended up feeling some sense of closure in our relationship.
The art is super cute and very interesting. Many of the aliens do not go by human notions of gender. Many females dress more masculine and males more feminine, so it is a bit difficult to see who is what gender if you have a preference. That would be the only thing I would change. It would be nice to see the aliens pronouns listed in their Tender bios for both my own personal preferences and to see how different alien species/races present their gender.
Overall this is a very sweet and honest dating game that perfectly encapsulates the frustrations and heartbreak of irl dating in an online age.
★★★★★ I want to love it…
Thu Jul 14 2022 MehnousernamejustpostThe concept and art style for the game are great! The pacing and actual stories… not so much. If I wanted to wait hours for barely any matches and a couple of lack luster messages, I’d re-download tinder. None of the replies are something I would actually say. For example, one of the characters genuinely tries to start a conversation with you and the only options are short one or three word replies. So of course the character unmatches you. What even am I supposed to do with that? I’m not this boring or short with people, and frankly I wouldn’t want to date the player either. Have yet to have a date go right… just seems frustrating that everything goes south and there are no good options to make things go right. I want to get to know the characters and enjoy a story, not act like a closed off jerk to them and end up feeling lonelier than when I started. I’d even take a crazy dramatic cheater or yandere twist over this lukewarm small talk. Ugh.
