💘 Love, Laughter, and Limited Tickets
Pick Me Pick Me is one of the most chaotic, creative, and conversation-driven games to hit the party game scene this year—and also one of the most divisive. Built around competitive AI speed dating, it’s a clever blend of dating sim absurdity, PvP mind games, and real-time AI interactions powered by a Large Language Model.
The concept? You and a friend face off in a speed-dating match to win the affection of bizarre, fully-voiced AI characters. You flirt, sabotage, play skill cards, and throw verbal elbows—all while the NPC evaluates your charm (or cringe) in real time. It’s a riot. Until the tokens run out.
🎮 Gameplay: Speed Dating Meets Card Strategy
Each round puts two players in front of a single AI date. Players alternate turns selecting responses, using strategy cards to buff themselves or sabotage the other, and trying to outwit both their rival and the date. The AI responds dynamically, creating weird, funny, and sometimes uncomfortably real-feeling conversations. No two matches play out the same.
If you’ve ever wanted to date a smug anime magician, a confused alien in love with pigeons, or a hot vampire with commitment issues, this game’s got you covered.
But the real hook is the back-and-forth between players. It’s one part flirting, one part psychological warfare, and one part improv comedy.
🃏 Cards & Chaos
Beyond the dialogue choices, Pick Me Pick Me introduces strategic depth with its card system. You can play buffs on yourself like “Extra Charm” or “Dramatic Entrance,” or debuffs on your rival like “Sudden Fart” or “Cringe Flashback.” The results range from hilarious to devastating, depending on how the AI interprets the scene.
It’s not a deep card game, but it’s unpredictable and adds a layer of timing and bluffing to the verbal jabs.
👥 Cast of Characters (or Make Your Own)
Out of the box, the game features 20+ dateable NPCs, ranging from “adorably awkward” to “uncomfortably intense.” But it also supports user-generated content. You can create and share your own AI characters using custom models and personality settings. Want to date your cursed OC or challenge your friends with a sarcastic refrigerator? Go for it.
There’s also a solo mode where you can have one-on-one chats with AI characters at your own pace—no competition, just chaos and charm.
🌍 Crossplay, Multilingual Mayhem
The game supports full cross-platform play and even lets people speaking different languages matchmake together. Each player can interact in their own native tongue, and the AI handles the multilingual mediation. It’s surprisingly smooth—and surprisingly global.
💸 Monetization Woes
Here’s where the love story hits a wall.
Despite being labeled as “free,” the core PvP mode is heavily gated by a token system. Players get a very limited number of free games (usually two), after which they must purchase in-game currency to continue. Want to play again today? That’s a ticket. Want to create a custom character? That’s locked too. Want to replay with your favorite NPC? Yep—paywall.
And it’s not just a one-time unlock. The monetization model relies on recurring purchases, likely to cover AI costs, but the implementation feels more like a mobile gacha title than a casual party game.
The result? A great game kneecapped by a frustrating pay-to-play system that’s turning early fans away.
✅ What Works
- Wild Concept: A dating sim PvP game with live AI interaction? Genius.
- Hilarious Dialogue: The AI delivers genuinely funny and surprising responses.
- Creative Freedom: Custom character tools and Workshop support promise infinite replayability.
- Great with Friends: Ideal for parties, Discord calls, or roasting your bestie in front of a tsundere catgirl.
❌ What Doesn’t
- Token System: Core gameplay is locked behind microtransactions.
- Misleading Free Label: It feels like a demo, not a true F2P title.
- Limited Replay: Unless you’re paying, you’ll only get a couple of games per day.
- No Offline Mode: Always-online required due to AI backend.
- Monetization Overshadows Innovation: It’s a brilliant game buried under a frustrating business model.
Pick Me Pick Me: Pick Me Pick Me is smart, funny, and completely original. It reinvents the dating sim by throwing in competitive PvP, live AI interactions, and unpredictable sabotage cards. It’s everything you didn’t know you wanted in a party game—until the tokens run out. If the devs shift to a one-time purchase or a more generous free-to-play system, this could be a breakout hit. Until then, it’s a brilliant game in a frustrating wrapper. – Obsidian
