Kaichu: The Kaiju Dating Sim is, essentially, all about finding Godzilla a love interest. If you think of our review on Speed Dating for Ghosts recently and then, yes, this is the perfect accompaniment to go with it!

From indie team Squiddershins in California, you’ll find here an offbeat little game about finding love for a gigantic monster. And that’s just lovely.

Find True Love in Kaichu the Kaiju Dating Sim

Okay, so this SOB is out on Steam and Nintendo Switch. What’s it about? Well, kaiju is the Japanese genre of media featuring massive, often radioactive, destructive monsters.

There’s also a genre of unusual dating games in Japan, which we documented in our Wonder Project J2 (1996) feature. The genre is bishōjo and often features an idealistic concept of youthful beauty in digital form—in the game, the person tries to win the heart of whatever hot stuff you’re pursuing.

We covered recently in the documentary The Most Beautiful Boy in the World how the Japanese can latch onto youthful beauty and worship it.

Kaichu: The Kaiju Dating Sim plays on all of that by embracing gigantisms!

You take control of Gigachu, a huge monster who sets out to meet six eligible kaiju (huge monsters). And you go on dates across 24 famous global landmarks.

Oh yes, and then you smash the crap out of the landmarks. Fun! Here’s a bit of all this in action to behold.

Right, so in amongst the destruction you’re then able to ask your date a series of important questions. And you can respond to what they ask you, too.

Stuff like whether Gigachu will share a kiss on the second date.

And we’d like to think not! Gigachu should have more respect for itself and only show any more advanced emotional range (beyond wanton destruction) after the third date!

Anyway, as you may be able to tell this is all in the name of daft escapism.

Kaichu: The Kaiju Dating Sim fits neatly into the kawaii culture popular in Japan, whilst also riffing off the ongoing global popularity of franchises like Godzilla.

It’s a good fun little game. One you really shouldn’t be taking too seriously.

And it’s met with positive reviews, although after the initial appeal of the high-concept idea wears off you do realise there’s not too much going on in the game.

You smash up buildings. You ask dating questions, and provide responses, absurd given the concept of enormous, unstoppable, insane monsters.

The game is basically a multiple choice quiz.

However, it’s got a sense of humour about proceedings, features quite lush animation, and the ridiculousness of the dating concept will offer initial appeal.

Not one with much longevity. But a fun little diversion if you wish to while away an afternoon hitting on monsters.