JAMES
TRIBE
.png)
City of Love was developed as my final project during my 3rd year at Bournemouth University.
A queer, heartfelt dating simulator and visual novel set in Paris. You play as an exchange student meeting a diverse cast of characters, forming friendships, navigating romance, and making choices that shape the story.
WATCH THE TRAILER NOW!
CORE CONCEPT
City of Love is a 2D visual novel dating sim designed around the idea of giving players real agency in how relationships unfold. Unlike traditional dating sims that focus on linear romance paths and binary success/failure outcomes, City of Love lets players form both romantic and platonic relationships through branching dialogue, performance-based minigames, and dynamic relationship bars.
​​Set over the course of 2 weeks in Paris, the game allows players to explore a diverse cast of characters, each with their own emotional arc, background, and identity. Whether pursuing a quiet connection with a poetic bartender or a chaotic fling with a celebrity actress, players choose how and if those relationships develop. Every decision influences the tone, depth, and outcome of the story.
VIDEO PRESENTATION
To further explain City of Love, I created a video presentation covering all core areas of gameplay and development.
00:01
00:54
04:55
PROJECT OVERVIEW
DESIGN GOALS
TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION
05:46
GAMEPLAY DEMO
07:40
FINAL THOUGHTS
MEET THE CHARACTERS!
Early on, the player is introduced to a diverse and captivating group of individuals, each with their own aspirations, struggles, and secrets waiting to be uncovered. As the player navigates their time in the city, they’ll have the chance to go on dates, attend events, and engage in heartfelt (or hilarious) conversations, learning about each character’s past and how their experiences have shaped them.
​
Inclusivity was at the heart of the concept. The cast reflects a wide range of sexualities, gender identities, ethnicities, and body types, with every route supporting romantic or platonic progression. This flexibility creates space for all players to feel seen and to play in a way that reflects their own preferences and values.​ At its core, City of Love is about connection, expression, and letting players shape their own version of romance.
Gameplay
City of Love combines narrative choice, relationship systems, and contextual minigames to create an interactive and emotionally engaging experience. The game is structured over seven in-game days, with each day split into morning, afternoon, and evening segments. Players choose how to spend their time going on dates, attending events, or exploring solo scenes with each decision influencing relationship outcomes with each datable character having 4 key features.​
BRANCHING DIALOGUE TREES WITH MULTIPLE OUTCOMES.
DUAL RELATIONSHIP METERS FOR ROMANCE AND FRIENDSHIP.
UNIQUE DATE SCENES, EACH WITH A BESPOKE MINIGAME.
MULTIPLE ENDINGS FOR EACH CHARACTER AND DATE SCENE.
​Minigames are integrated into each date and tailored to reflect the character’s personality and story. For example, players help a model co-parent manage a hectic park trip, or assist a stressed bartender during a busy brunch shift. Performance in these minigames can boost (or damage) relationships, adding another layer of agency beyond dialogue.​
Camille's Paparazzi Chase Minigame
Jade's Picnic Basket Minigame
Isabella's Penalty Shootout Minigame
Francois' Boat Spotting Minigame
Gerard's Hurdle Dash Minigame
Beau's Bartending Brunch Minigame
Relationship bars provide instant feedback on player choices, visually tracking how connections evolve.
A soft audio cue and animated UI reinforce progress, ensuring players always feel the impact of their decisions.
At the end of the first week, players are given the option to narrow down their romance options ahead of the second week (currently in development). After spending time with all six characters, this moment allows players to reflect on their connections and choose who they want to focus on going forward. It’s designed to give players ultimate agency in shaping their romantic path, ensuring that future content builds on the relationships they’ve genuinely invested in.
DEVELOPMENT
HOW CITY OF LOVE CAME TO BE
DEVELOPMENT
City of Love was originally conceptualised in 2020 under the working title Someone, Somewhere, but the project remained undeveloped until it became the focus of my final-year dissertation. Reimagined from the ground up, the game was redesigned with a stronger emphasis on diversity, narrative agency, and emotional complexity.
​
Development was handled entirely solo, using Unity for systems, Ink for branching dialogue, and Photoshop for sprites, UI, and backgrounds. I followed a milestone-based workflow, building out one character route at a time from writing, to scripting, to sprite animation and minigame design. Dialogue was first mapped out in Twine before being implemented in Ink, allowing me to visualise branching paths clearly.
​
To manage scope, the full game was split into a 7-day vertical slice demo, showcasing all core systems: relationship progression, minigames, branching outcomes, and UI feedback. Extensive playtesting was conducted with participants from a range of backgrounds to refine pacing, difficulty, and accessibility. Feedback was used to rebalance gameplay, redesign certain minigames, and enhance visual and audio polish.
​
Despite initial plans for a larger 14-day structure and free-roam exploration, the project was re-scoped to focus on delivering a polished, tightly contained experience. The final result is a complete and scalable foundation for future development.
