Romance is a vital part of a compelling story – without it, the story may sometimes feel lackluster and like it’s missing something important. It’s a great source of drama and conflict, but even a simple side relationship will suffice.
Today we’ll take a look at some great examples of romances in video games and how they helped these games and entire franchises to shine when compared to competitive productions.
These games are definitely perfect examples of Valentine’s Day games for couples and can be enjoyed with your loved ones as an alternative to a romantic movie or a book. Here’s the list of the 8 best games with love stories. Naturally, beware of spoilers ahead.
| Game | Couple | Genre | Type | What Makes It Special | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Final Fantasy X | Tidus & Yuna | RPG | Romantic, Tragic | Love challenged by sacrifice; iconic kiss in Macalania Pond. |
 | Halo series | Master Chief & Cortana | Action & Shooter | Platonic, Emotional | Deep emotional bond between human and AI; loyalty and heartbreak. |
 | Uncharted series | Nathan Drake & Elena | Adventure | Realistic, Long-term | Believable chemistry, humor, and partnership through dangerous adventures. |
 | The Witcher series | Geralt & Yennefer | RPG | Turbulent, Magical | Love entangled by fate and choice; passionate yet volatile. |
 | Life is Strange | Geralt & Yennefer | Adventure | Teenage, Rebellious | Opposites attract; a coming-of-age story of trust, risk, and deep connection. |
 | The Last of Us: Part II | Ellie & Dina | Survival & Horror | Queer, Intimate | Comfort and warmth in a brutal world; genuine moments of joy and grief. |
 | Firewatch | Henry & Delilah | Indie | Flirtatious, Unresolved | Romance built entirely through voice; chemistry left to the player’s interpretation. |
 | To the Moon | Johnny & River | Adventure | Subtle, Emotional | A love slowly revealed through memories; quietly powerful and heartbreaking. |
Tidus and Yuna (Final Fantasy X)
| Genre: | Role-playing game |
The first story on the list plays a huge role in the tenth installment of the Final Fantasy series. So, what is this romance all about?
Tidus is the protagonist of Final Fantasy X. He’s a young man and a promising blitzball player. A bit naive at first, but matures over time. Due to certain events, he leaves his own world and finds himself in the world of Spira, where he meets Yuna shortly after – a young summoner girl tasked with defeating a powerful evil being.
He becomes her guardian and the two quickly start to enjoy their own companionship, but their relationship is tested on numerous occasions. Once Tidus learns that Yuna’s pilgrimage will inevitably end her life, his love drives him to convince her to find another way to fulfill the quest. Unfortunately, the only alternative solution he managed to find would result in him fading away, and the only thing that would soon remain from their love would be that beautiful kissing scene in the Macalania pond.
Master Chief and Cortana (Halo)
| Genre: | First-person shooter |
While it’s hard to call this relationship a typical love story, as you can’t really love an AI, it surely does deserve to be mentioned on the list.
Cortana is artificial intelligence. She’s Master Chief’s partner and assistant, and she always stands by his side, providing support and intel during missions. They are best friends, they rely on each other, and they’ve been through hell together – undoubtedly, they do love each other, but hardly in a romantic sense.
It’s a beautiful example of platonic love without any sexual context. However, all good things must come to an end at some point – their relationship changed significantly in Halo 5, where Cortana was no longer the helpful AI, we all knew and liked, which surprised and divided the franchise’s fans.
Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher (Uncharted series)
| Genre: | Action-adventure |
Despite all the highly improbable situations these two often find themselves in, they are still probably one of the most realistic couples in the history of gaming.
Usually, even in the law of physics, it’s the opposites that attract. In the case of Nathan and Elena, however, things are quite different – the two are so similar, you could confuse them if it wasn’t for their naturally different appearances.
Nathan is a treasure hunter and the protagonist of the Uncharted series, while Elena is a journalist and someone who’s sometimes described as his female version. They are both very believable characters and they share the sense of humor, their personalities, and interests, so they appear to be a natural match. But Elena is not just Nathan’s romance option – she’s also a valuable ally who won’t think twice about giving his future husband a helping hand when he’s in danger.
Geralt and Yennefer (The Witcher Series)
| Genre: | Action role-playing |
Can a monster-slaying mutant who’s been stripped of emotions really feel love?
Geralt and Yennefer is a peculiar example of a couple that is forced to be together as a result of a spell. Their history is a complicated one. They hate each other as much as they love. Sometimes they argue, sometimes they are fed up with their partner’s behavior and decisions they make, but in the end, they always return to each other and share a bed.
Their fates are connected, and only in the third Witcher video game players are given a choice – the spell can be finally broken and players can decide if it was true love, or if this entire relationship was nothing more than a Djinn’s trick all along. So, can a witcher feel love? Looks like it’s up to players to decide.
Chloe and Rachel (Life is Strange)
| Genre: | Graphic adventure |
We all know that love doesn’t choose and it’s been made even clearer in Life is Strange.
Chloe and Rachel are characters of drastically different personalities, but it didn’t prevent the girls from starting a relationship. Chloe at first is shy and introverted – she finds social interactions difficult and thus she prefers to keep a low profile most of the time. Rachel, on the other hand, is the complete opposite.
She’s kind of a rebel and she’s quite popular in school – she rarely backs away and she’s not afraid to confront others. Despite being so different, the two build a relationship that quickly evolves into something more and leads the teenage couple to some adventures that are as much exciting as they are perilous. If you’re looking for true love story games, Life is Strange is a definite must-play.
Ellie and Dina (The Last of Us: Part II)
| Genre: | Survival Horror & Adventure |
As pointed out earlier, you don’t choose who you love – it just clicks. And it clicked between Ellie and Dina, two young girls who found comfort in each other’s company in a harsh, post-apocalyptic world.
Ellie met Dina during her stay in Jackson and it caused something Ellie truly needed after everything she’s been through – a spark of genuine joy and a promise of a better tomorrow. What started as an innocent friendship quickly took a turn for a more intimate relationship, eventually leading to sharing a kiss and moving on as a couple.
It’s just so heartwarming to be able to have someone who’ll support you no matter what, especially in such a depressing and sorrowful post-apo setting we’re dealing with in the game. There is, however, more to that story, but you’ll have to uncover the rest of it yourself
Henry and Delilah (Firewatch)
| Genre: | Adventure |
Some romance scenarios are more complicated than others and require a lot of time for proper development. Here’s an example of something that was left to players’ imagination.
Henry is a fire lookout who finds himself in the middle of a series of unusual events. As he tries to learn more about what’s going on, he remains in touch with his supervisor, Delilah, via walkie-talkie.
The two are technically taken and there’s nothing particularly romantic in their relationship as shown in the game, but at some point, Delilah starts to flirt with Henry. And it’s up to you to decide whether she’s serious about it or not. It’s hard not to see some chemistry going on here, though, but she also makes it clear that she doesn’t want to see him in person.
Johnny and River (To the Moon)
| Genre: | Adventure |
To the Moon offers a very touching and complex story with interesting and unexpected twists – it’s a real treat if you’re looking for a storytelling masterpiece.
To the Moon revolves around Johnny, who’s got one foot in the grave, but wants to have his final wish fulfilled before he kicks the bucket. And that is what’s in the title: going to the Moon. He can’t say why, be he has a strong desire to get there. Unfortunately, it’s too late for him to just jump into a space suit and become an astronaut.
But there’s still hope; there’s a company that can create artificial memories, and so it’s decided that they’ll use that technology to make Johnny believe he actually did go to the Moon. By exploring Johnny’s inner world and his past experiences, you’ll gradually learn all about his relationship with his wife, River. How it started, how it went, and how it’s connected to Johnny’s inexplicable desire. Make sure to bring tissues – you may need them.
