The words ‘love’ and ‘video games’ aren’t usually said in the same sentence, as it is rare to find video games with romance. Video games that do include love and romance in their plot usually end up either being cheesy or unrealistic. In real life, love isn’t just about Prince Charming and Sleeping Beauty. Love can be messy, complicated, confusing… imperfect. But these imperfections are what make romance stories so compelling.

With the holiday of love approaching and if you’re a super single person who planned to spend the day all by yourself, there are lots of things that you can do other than contemplating why you don’t have someone that loves you, yet (wink wink). You can hop onto Spotify and listen to our Super Single playlist, hangout with your fellows at North’s Valentine’s Day Dance. Or, if you’re a video game enthusiast, turn on your gaming system, sit back and relax as you delve into these games that have their love stories done right.

1. ‘Portal’ series

Lovers: Chell and the killer robots. ATLAS and P-Body

Often regarded by critics and fans as the best puzzle game of all time, ‘Portal 2’s plot also employs the element of romance. While it wasn’t necessarily a major part of the game, and one might think that the love-hate relationship between a mute protagonist and a bunch of robots sound awkward, it plays an important role for Chell in order to solve the puzzles. And there are couple times when the robots are able to relate to Chell as a human being.

Your ability to cooperate with your partner can also be tested in Portal 2’s co-op mode. You and your partner will assume the role as two robots; ATLAS and P-Body, to solve test chambers that will challenge the wits and cooperation of you and your partner.

Not to mention, the series have two of the best breakup songs of all time, ‘Still Alive’ and ‘Want You Gone’. Both are composed by guitarist Jonathan Coulton, and they are featured in our Toxic Love and Vengeance playlists, respectively.

2. ‘Half- Life 2’

Lovers: Gordon Freeman and Alyx

While being the lover of a mute man might not sound promising for some, but if that mute man’s Gordon Freeman, you’re in for some great adventures. Gordon Freeman is a type of man who would always be there to protect you, whether you got your head munched on by a headcrab or you got a pack of deadly and otherworldly Combines coming at you. Sure, there’s not a whole lot of sweet moments throughout the game’s plot as you get fully immersed in killing aliens, but the moments that the lovebirds share are pure enough to tell without the exchange of words.

3. ‘The Sims’

Lovers: Whoever you want

This one might sound like a gag inclusion, but if ‘The Sims’ series were supposed to be a life simulator, then the romance side of it is just as realistic as it gets. Of course, not everyone’s love in real life dies for accidentally removing the ladder from the pool, but considering that you have to put so much effort into your character in order to make them have a smooth relationship with their partner, it’s actually pretty realistic.

4. Telltale’s ‘Walking Dead: Season One’

Love: Clementine and Lee Everett

The story of Clementine and Lee Everett certainly wasn’t a romantic one, but rather, is a perfect example that love isn’t only about man and wife. It is a perfect representation of familial love in video games. Although Clementine and Lee weren’t related by blood, Lee is a father figure for Clementine, as he taught her everything in order to survive on her own. And despite the seemingly endless adversity in the post-apocalyptic world of the ‘Walking Dead’, the depiction of the father-daughter relationship of the two, and their constant support for one another despite however hard life hits them, is one of the few things that brighten up the plot. And that’s why the story of the two is worth mentioning in this list.