Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), Nintendo Switch
Genre: Romance, Visual Novel, Strategy, Dating Sim, Management

Finding meaningful love is indeed an imperative aspect of our lives, albeit not to the same extent in the realm of video games. While it is possible to engage in romantic endeavours through various means such as gift-giving, akin to Stardew Valley, and strategically selecting appropriate choices and sentences in Baldur’s Gate 3, love encompasses more than just these superficial aspects. At its core, love is about finding the ideal person who you can share a profound connection with and ultimately embark on a journey of everlasting happiness together.

Enter the Matchmaker Agency, a game that combines light management with the primary objective of facilitating this magical encounter. Through its features, players have the opportunity to become the ultimate matchmaker in finding the perfect soulmate for each client, navigating a captivating blend of romance and strategy along the way. However, this indie title feels more like a fling than a long-term relationship. I’ll tell you why.

First Impression

In this game, you are faced with the challenge of taking control of your family’s matchmaking agency, which once belonged to your grandparents. Unfortunately, the agency has fallen into disrepair, and potential clients currently have no one to assist them in finding a suitable partner. However, you receive a letter bequeathing the agency to you, provided you can pay the debt of 25,000 in 12 months to the landlord.

Matchmaking is not an easy feat, but fortunately, you have a talking cat familiar named Charles to lend you a helping hand. He will guide you every step of the way, teaching you how to attract clients and identify their ideal matches. Charles serves as your wingman, assisting you in replying to potential suitors and even coming to your defence when necessary. Although his response can be somewhat sassy, he is a great addition to the game.

To attract customers and gain entrance, it is essential to promote your services through advertising. This entails implementing marketing campaigns, which necessitate investing financial resources. While there are various advertising methods available, the simplest and most affordable alternatives involve placing ads in local newspapers or on the radio. However, if the demand for clients remains low, a more proactive approach can be taken by spending a week on the streets distributing flyers.

When you succeed in attracting potential suitors to your door, you will have access to their files, which contain details regarding their sexual orientation and preferences. However, some of the files are incomplete, and it is your responsibility to conduct further interviews to obtain a comprehensive understanding of your clients.

Playing Cupid

The most challenging aspect of playing Matchmaker Agency is the interview phase. In this stage, you are required to make accurate guesses regarding the clients’ responses, or the interview will abruptly end. Most of the time, the responses don’t match the answers from the client. So if you failed the interview, there’s no explanation given for how you offended them or why they left, and that can be frustrating. Plus, you can only interview three clients in a week which I find to be quite inefficient since you can’t earn money with it so it’s not something you can do regularly as the weeks progress.

As for planning and executing the dates, you are mostly in control. Your tasks involve identifying two suitable partners from your extensive list and finding the common interest between them. Next, you will select an ideal date location that caters to the preferences of both suitors. During the date itself, your role involves assisting both partners. This assistance will take the shape of five trivia questions that you will have to solve within a designated timeframe. The outcome of these trivia questions holds great significance, as the games indicate that the success or failure of the relationship you match.

The trivia questions made me puzzled, even when my answers seemed destined to fail, the outcome declared that the couple matched and was a success. Conversely, when I gave all the right answers based on the responses and discovered shared similarities in their profiles, the match was deemed to be a failure.

The questions felt the same as the ones in the interviews. The options provided included responses that reflected common courtesy or the ideal behaviour on a date, along with responses that would not be given if one aimed to secure successful matches. It doesn’t actually train your wits as it’s essentially common sense. This can get pretty tedious in the long run.

Once you’ve helped find love for your clients and started raking in the money it’s time to invest back into the business, which you can do by buying upgrades that’ll make you a more effective agency. A better waiting room will stop the clients from getting bored while they wait for their match, upgrades to help raise your agency’s reputation or gain extra money from each client you help, or even expand your cabinet file to expand the suitors’ list. Ultimately, the game was so easy that I didn’t have to spend a cent on upgrades to pay off all my debts and become a five-star establishment. In other words, having the option to purchase upgrades serves no purpose.

Thank You, Next

Throughout the game, you will mostly find yourself sitting in your office, occasionally being greeted by the presence of Charles, who will appear on screen as the story unfolds. Additionally, the landlord might occasionally make an appearance to collect payments. However, as you obtain more clients, the number of characters you encounter will increase, but you will continue to remain in the office with your phone positioned on the left side, your note in the middle, and your iPad for online purchases. The only times you will leave this location are when you choose the designated dating spot of the potential couple. Despite that, it is only for a few minutes and disappears once you’ve completed the date’s trivia.

After playing for a while, I gradually grew tired of the game during in its fourth week, primarily due to the absence of major progress. It seemed as if the story underwent limited development, which resulted in a monotonous experience for players, such as myself.

In terms of character, you’ll get to meet people of different backgrounds and genders. While some may pose challenges in finding a date, others may surprise you with an unexpected reward if their dates turn out to be successful. For instance, Thomas Moore, a savvy businessman with a strong background in marketing, will offer valuable insights into boosting your marketing skills in exchange for helping him find a date. On the other hand, Brian Powell, a professional gamer, will provide a list of dislikes and if the date fails, your agency’s reputation will be at stake. With the uncertainty of the date’s outcome, it’s anyone’s guess whether you will score the perfect match or fail without knowing why.

The Matchmaker Agency has the potential to shoot further with its cupid arrow but falls short in its many flaws. Although love knows no boundaries, this agency failed to make a lasting impression to make for a meaningful relationship.

Pros

• Short gameplay.
• Soothing background music.
• Reliable and likeable character, Charles.

Cons

• Overused of the same trivia questions.
• Easy-yet-randomized gameplay.
• Limited storyline progression.

FINAL SCORE: 40/100

Matchmaker Agency launched on 14 February 2024 for Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.