SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim follows Saeko, a girl with mysterious abilities, and the little people she has shrunk to the size of her thumb. Experience Saeko’s and the little people’s fates in the day and at night, through two separate game systems with different art styles.
Developed by: SAFE HAVN STUDIO
Played on: Steam
Length: 3 hours
A review key was provided by HYPER REAL.
You open your eyes to find a giant girl looking down at you… what do you do?
SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim is the kind of narrative that doesn’t settle in one place. To one person, it could be a love story with the toxic giantess girlfriend of your dreams. To another, it could be a tale of survival in an inhumane scenario. To some, it could even be a story about the intense loneliness that comes with feeling alienated by the rest of the world. Or maybe it’s all of the above.
If you haven’t realised by now, SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim isn’t exactly a dating simulator, despite what its title might say. If you’re not comfortable with acts of cruelty and sexual language in your games, this is your chance to turn around. But if this horror visual novel sounds right up your alley, then buckle in for a truly unsettling ride.
In the game, you play as Rin, a young teenager who is walking home one night when they are shrunk down to the size of a thumb. You awaken to the sight of a giant girl named Saeko, who promises to protect you while searching for a way to turn you back to normal, and thus begins your life in her desk drawer with the other little people.
The gameplay for SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim is split into day and night phases, each boasting a distinct mechanic and art style. The day phase takes place in the drawer, where you get to know the other little people and eventually decide their fates. The backgrounds are dark and crudely doodled to match the unhinged gazes of characters that cross our paths, while the narrative is equally bleak as you begin to realise the gravity of your situation.
While there is limited gameplay to be expected from a visual novel, SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim lends a lot of weight to your choices in the day phase. Depending on which characters you favour over others, the consequences of your choices are swift and heartless. The game does railroad you to a certain degree; there are right choices that further the progression of the story, while the wrong choices tend to trigger early endings. But considering the situation we’ve found ourselves in, it only helps set the stakes.
Our cold, dark days are almost in cruel juxtaposition to the beautiful nights that you spend in Saeko’s company. The night phase features stunning pixel animation and soothing lo-fi tunes, which does nothing to subdue the creeping sense of dread as you try to hold a conversation with a woman who could crush you under her finger. The gameplay also pivots away from the typical visual novel format into real-time choices, where one misplaced remark could lead to your bloody demise.
While the daytime dialogue borderlines a little too crude for my liking, the night phase easily contains some of the best writing in the entire game. The game absolutely nails how intimidating Saeko is meant to be, from fourth wall breaking moments when it feels like she’s speaking directly to the player, to moments when you’re pushing your luck a little too far and the music completely cuts out.
At the same time, the game manages to build out her character and motives in spite of its short playtime; leaving you wondering whether there’s a redeemable person inside of this giantess, or whether you’re developing a serious case of Stockholm syndrome. For better or for worse, SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim leaves those questions open ended for the player to ponder long after the game is over.
For the most part, that also sums up the SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim experience. The narrative dances to the tune of several themes and ideas, but leaves the heavy lifting for the player to do after the credits roll. Part of me wishes for a slightly longer playtime to expand on some of the themes or side characters further, but for a bite-sized piece of fiction, it definitely does enough to keep me up at night.
Verdict: We Can’t Look Away
SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim isn’t exactly a dating simulator, despite what its title might say. This avant-garde horror visual novel is both cruel and captivating, cornering you into making difficult decisions while trapped in a bizarre scenario beyond regular comprehension. Its stunning pixel animation and fourth wall-breaking dialogue only adds to its brutal allure, leaving us wishing for more than just three hours of playtime.
Wishlist SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim on Steam, and top up your Steam Wallet on Codashop to earn bonus rewards.
