Date with Us: A Dating Sim Podcast

What a Catch! with Developer Emily Merritt

Happy International Women's Day! We were SO lucky to get to chat with Emily about her game What a Catch! As a little treat to ourselves and you, dear listeners, we got together to get into it as women in STEAM. 
Regardless of your level of comfortability with game development or coding, there's something for everyone as Emily walks us through the process of developing What a Catch for use on her Twitch streams, we weigh some HEFTY and spicy pros and cons, and wax on womanhood in storytelling. 
Our guest today is Emily Merritt (aka Egg) from No Small Games! She is a freelance web developer who specializes in building web apps and websites for small businesses and non-profits. She has a lifelong love of video games, beginning when she was just 5 years old, playing computer games on her parents’ work computer. In addition to games and coding, she also loves gardening, playing with her dog and, of course, listening to podcasts! Find Egg's web dev and other services at https://eggplanted.io.

Speed Dating: No ICE in Minnesota itch.io Bundle

Join us as we dive into the No ICE in Minnesota bundle curated by JesTheHuman! We're trying a new format for this type of bonus episode, so let us know what you think! 
 
Get the bundle here before Feb. 28 to be a part of this great work! 
 
We Played: 
Catgirl Truckers, 3/4 Spell Swap, Seascape Paradiso
Sugar Cookie, Spicy Love, Don't Tell My Wife
Code Romantic
 
Also Mentioned in the Episode: 
Calico, PomoFarm, Dead End Job, Become a First Rate Artist in Just 30 Seconds
 
Find us online at datewith.us or as DateWithUsPodcast on social media (instagram and bluesky) 

Hades 2 Featuring DannyNat20

LAST EPISODE OF WINTER SEASON, BABES!!! Thank you to Danny for hopping into the episode with us to chat about the romance (and more) in Hades 2! Don't forget to rate, review, share, etc. and let us know your who you wanted to spend some quality time with in the bath?
SPRING SEASON IS ON THE WAY and looking bright <3 We'll see you sooooooon... 
Keep fighting the good fight out there, lovelies, we believe in you! (Did you tell your crush about us yet??)

Hades featuring PeachyCatXO

Get in besties, we're going to defy the gods. Join Kanisha, Claire, and Shelby as they break out of the underworld and try to smooch death, fury, and perhaps even a gorgon... Let us know what you think... is Hades a dating sim? How do you define dating sim?
 
FEATURED GUEST BIO: Shelby/Peachy (she/they) lives in the Midwest as a teacher of the Deaf. When she's not teaching, she's probably getting sacked in Mario Kart against her son, taking pics of her five cats, rolling dice for d&d, editing her first book, or finding potential romance in video games. Find her online as PeachyCatXO.
 
Released: September 17, 2020
Developed By: Supergiant Games
Published By: Supergiant Games
Price: $24.99
Content Warnings:
I went looking for the content warnings, and mostly just found "mature, bloody dungeon crawler" or "mild blood, suggestive character designs," but in general this is a PG --> PG-13ish game
 
Don't forget to rate and review!!!

Pixel Puzzle Makeout League featuring Frankie Bradley

Pixel Puzzles GALORE as Kanisha and Claire date with Frankie Bradley from the Reignite podcast. We get into it about our lives, Murdle, and Rude Ghost's game: Pixel Puzzle Makeout League. Apologies for some of the sound quality issues, I (Claire) am still learning how to edit!!! <3 <3
 
"Solve pixel puzzles, date superheroes, and save the day! Dating sim meets puzzle game in this romantic comedy adventure." - Steam
"You are Pixel Girl, a superhero with the power of "pixel puzzle-solving." Turn your problems into nonograms, then solve 'em to save the day! Join the Puzzle League and date up to four of your fellow puzzle-themed superheroes, before the Villain third-wheels you with his doomsday plot!" - Game Description on Nintendo
Released: Oct 30, 2020
Developed By: Rude Ghost -- SPECIAL THANKS FOR THE KEYS
Published By: Skymap Games
Price: $14.99
Available on PC (steam, itch, etc) and Nintendo Switch
 
Content Warnings: Suggestive Themes: Mild provocative references or materials

Error143 featuring Marcy Laycelle

Join us as we explore the first dating sim any of us have played with a video chat component! Claire learns the phrase "discord kitten"! Marcy tells us her kink?! If you enjoy the show, be sure to rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts and follow us on socials as @datewithuspodcast. Seriously, it means a lot.
 
"A bickering and bantering rivals-to-lovers visual novel where you fall in love after first hack."
 
Error 143 is developed and published by Jenny Vi Pham.
 
Featured Guest: Marcy Laycelle (she/her) is your Black sapphic friend, cozy content creator, and professional laugh queen. Known for dreamy Sims builds, Stardew riches, tarot pulls, and expressing herself through bold, creative makeup looks, she’s here to gush over dating games with a mix of whimsy, humor, and heart.
Find Marcy Online:
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/marcylaycelle/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@marcylaycelle/
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/moonlightwreath/

Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star featuring Jared from the Play Along Podcast

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE, EVERYBIRDIE! Our inaugural man joins us once more as we explore what happens in another unreality in the Hatoful Boyfriend Universe, this time HOLIDAY EDITION!  
This season at Date with Us, we're so so grateful for you, dear listeners! If you're having fun here, consider dropping a comment, like, or sharing an episode! Rating and Reviewing can really help a fledgling show like ours find its audience and we are so thankful to be connecting with so many fellow romance gamers out there.
 
Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star: The loveable birds of Hatoful Boyfriend are back in the remastered holiday-themed sequel Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star! Developed by Mediatonic Games and Published by Epic Games.
 
FEATURED GUEST:
Jared (He/Him) Graphic Designer and Podcaster. I have a love of everything Nintendo, especially Pokemon and Zelda, two franchises that made me fall in love with gaming. I am a big fan of music, play both the guitar/piano, and love how music in video games can connect people on an emotional level to the worlds they are playing through. I host the Play Along Podcast with my other two co-host, Ky and Ben where we play through video games in a book club format.
 
HATOFUL BOYFRIEND CONTENT WARNING: 
None listed on the Steam page, but when searched from tumblr user atroquiniine:
"my full trigger list for hatoful boyfriend (and its sequel), for anyone curious is:
war & genocide
suicide (including coerced suicide)
murder (including decapitation and dismemberment)
cannibalism
guns
terminal illness and biological weaponry
perusing monster-based horror
unreality
scientific experimentation-based horror
racism
childhood trauma and parent death
infanticide (or more accurately, bird abortion)
emotional manipulation
unhealthy/codependent relationships
death of a romantic interest
twisted morality and gray morality
general heartbreakery "
Oh... and have you told your crush about us yet?? Find them under the mistletoe!

Hatoful Boyfriend featuring Jared from the Play Along Podcast

HELLO SEASON TWO!!!! Everybirdie get ready to fly on the wings of love and darkness as Jared, the first ever MAN GUEST, joins Claire and Kanisha to deep dive into the pigeon dating sim turned beloved cult classic, Hatoful Boyfriend. CARVE IT ONTO YOUR SOUL!
If you enjoy the show, be sure to rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts and follow us on socials as @datewithuspodcast. Seriously, it means a lot.
 
"Congratulations! You’ve been accepted as the only human student at the prestigious St. PigeoNation’s Institute, a school for talented birds! Roam the halls and find love in between classes as a sophomore student at the world’s greatest pigeon high school."
 
FEATURED GUEST:
Jared (He/Him) Graphic Designer and Podcaster. I have a love of everything Nintendo, especially Pokemon and Zelda, two franchises that made me fall in love with gaming. I am a big fan of music, play both the guitar/piano, and love how music in video games can connect people on an emotional level to the worlds they are playing through. I host the Play Along Podcast with my other two co-host, Ky and Ben where we play through video games in a book club format.
 
HATOFUL BOYFRIEND CONTENT WARNING: 
None listed on the Steam page, but when searched from tumblr user atroquiniine:
"my full trigger list for hatoful boyfriend (and its sequel), for anyone curious is:
war & genocide
suicide (including coerced suicide)
murder (including decapitation and dismemberment)
cannibalism
guns
terminal illness and biological weaponry
perusing monster-based horror
unreality
scientific experimentation-based horror
racism
childhood trauma and parent death
infanticide (or more accurately, bird abortion)
emotional manipulation
unhealthy/codependent relationships
death of a romantic interest
twisted morality and gray morality
general heartbreakery "
Have you told your crush about us yet??

First Bite featuring Kate Hunter from No Small Games

It's the HALLOWEEN SPECIAL!!!!!! One Night, Three Vampires, will we survive, thrive, or feel extra alive in bed with some extremely hot vampires????? Only one way to find out! 
 
Content Warnings: 
“First Bite is rated 18+ for strong language, violence (potential player death), blood and gore, (optional) non-explicit sexual scenes (including consensual kink and BDSM), (supernatural) emotional manipulation, and other content that some players may find disturbing. Player discretion is advised.”
 
Guest Info:
Kate (she/any) Has a background in technical theatre and currently works in academia, focusing on arts administration/program management. She discovered video games in March 2020 when the world shut down and now has a deep passion for exploring the artistic elements of indie games. Kate loves all things musical, comedy, horror, and spends free time studying astrology and enjoying the outdoors. She is a founder and co-host of the indie gaming recap and review podcast No Small Games!
Find Kate online through: Blue Sky, No Small Games Site
 
First Bite is created by First Bite Games. Special Thank You to Darius_Minis for Claire's key to this game! 

Slasher U: Act I featuring Emily Merritt from No Small Games

Join us as we discuss our steamiest game to date with special guest Emily from No Small Games!
If you enjoy the show, be sure to rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts and follow us on socials as @datewithuspodcast. 
"Slasher U is an 18+ character-driven RPG dating sim, set in the open-world campus of America’s Horniest Horror Movie University! SLASHER U is a horror-comedy dating sim RPG with full-blown sex mechanics, tons of heartwrenching romance and friendship storylines, and a wicked sick 90's theme sure to make even the most deep-fried saw dungeon aesthetics/dick jokes fans jealous."
FEATURED GUEST:
Emily Merritt co-hosts the No Small Games podcast, along with Kate Hunter. Together they recap and review indie games of sizes and genres, plus dig into indie game news, events, new releases and demos! Most of all, No Small Games emphasizes the personal impact of the games they cover and the stories they tell. Emily also writes and curates content for the NSG website, and streams indie games several days a week on Twitch.
SLASHER U CONTENT WARNING: 
"This game contains three main censorship options: STREAMER MODE, FADE TO BLACK, and FIVE ALARM CHILI. Streamer Mode will censor ANY sex acts, sexual jokes, and obscene references from the game. Fade to Black will censor all sex acts and nudity. FIVE ALARM CHILI will leave everything uncensored. These settings can be selected at character creation and changed at any time.
This game contains a TOGGLEABLE OPTION to turn sex-based minigames and nudity on or off. These minigames include narrative-based sex acts, including but not limited to: full penetration, oral sex, BDSM, consensual acts of roleplayed nonconsent if the player selects this option explicitly, consensual acts of stalking, and supernatural possession. All acts WILL ASK FOR IN-GAME CONSENT via the course of normal gameplay before unlocking this content and can be turned on/off at any time in the Settings menu. All potentially triggering content (here including suicidal mentions, mentions of parental alcohol abuse, and non-sexual slapping) can be adjusted on the game's Settings page. This will remove the content from your game unless unchecked again. This is a game set at a college and contains copious amounts of mentions of drug use and alcohol among adult characters."