Dating of the Future turns PC-98 vibes and sex-positivity into a brave visual novel bet

Why this announcement actually grabbed me

Dating of the Future isn’t just another neon-soaked VN pitching “spicy content” and calling it a day. GeoWaffle’s setup – a post-post-apocalypse, sex work, race and gender politics, and a protagonist rebuilding autonomy – aims high. That caught my attention because too many adult-leaning games mistake provocation for depth. If this one sticks its landing, it could sit closer to VA-11 Hall-A’s character-first sincerity than the usual edgelord bait.

Key takeaways

• Premise: You play as Vee, an entertainer in Crimson City, recruiting partners for shoots while navigating trauma, race, and gender identity in a “post-post” wasteland.
• Style: PC-98-inspired pixel art and a chiptune-jazz soundtrack suggest a deliberate throwback – not just nostalgia, but mood and restraint.
• Scope: A demo is out now, with a Steam wishlist open; the real test will be how its consent and autonomy mechanics work in practice.
• Watch outs: Handling sexual trauma respectfully and meaningfully is tough; the writing needs to do more than gesture at big themes.

Breaking down the announcement

GeoWaffle’s pitch puts Vee at the center of Crimson City’s entertainment scene. “Recruit partners for shoots” reads like a management layer grafted onto a branching narrative: scheduling talent, planning sets, and building rapport. If they’re smart, it won’t just be charisma checks and affection bars; it’ll be a system about boundaries — consent checklists, aftercare conversations, and the way power dynamics shift based on identity and circumstance. That’s where this premise could distinguish itself from flirty-but-frictionless dating sims.

The PC-98 inspiration matters. Those machines forced artists to do a lot with a little: 640×400, limited palettes, heavy dithering, and crisp text boxes that make every pose silhouette and glance carry weight. Games like VA-11 Hall-A proved modern audiences still respond to that look when it’s tied to good writing and a strong soundtrack. A chiptune-jazz score is a clever fit — think FM-synth brass and tight drum programming that can swing cool for club scenes and turn brittle for harder memories. If the music tracks the emotional arc — not just the vibes — it can make dialogue hit harder.

Guest artwork is a double-edged sword. It’s great for flavor and showcasing community talent, but it risks tonal whiplash if pieces don’t adhere to the same “language” of color and line. Consistency across CGs and UI is crucial in a story about identity and autonomy; if the visuals fracture, the themes can feel performative rather than cohesive.

Industry context: post-post apocalypse and sex in games

“Post-post” apocalypse usually means the collapse is history, and culture has grown around the ruins — less “fighting for water” and more “what kind of society do we build now?” That sandbox opens doors for stories about labor, bodies, surveillance, and pleasure economies. We’ve seen pieces of this in narrative indies orbiting cyberpunk and late-capitalism themes, but few commit to sex work as the core mechanic rather than a background aesthetic.

There’s an audience for this done right. Players flocked to titles that treated adult relationships as actual relationships — messy, tender, occasionally funny — not just a reward screen. If Dating of the Future offers tools to negotiate boundaries, depict aftercare, and let Vee say “no” without punishing the player with a fail state, it’ll feel more honest than the “max hearts to unlock the CG” routine still haunting the genre.

What gamers need to know before diving in

• Demo first: There’s a demo right now. Use it to gauge tone; you’ll know within minutes if the writing respects its subject matter or just flirts with it.
• Content warnings: A story centering sexual trauma needs clear, granular toggles — not just a blanket disclaimer. Scene skips with summaries, optional intensity filters, and the ability to set Vee’s pronouns/presentation would go a long way.
• Mechanical stakes: Recruiting partners should mean more than min-maxing stats. Reputation systems, worker safety, and revenue versus well-being trade-offs can give choices teeth.
• Accessibility: Visual novels rise or fall on readability. Text size options, colorblind-safe palettes, text speed/auto-mode, and input flexibility (mouse, keyboard) are table stakes.

Price and length aren’t in the pitch, but they’ll matter. If this leans episodic, I want transparent release cadence. If it’s a full-length release, a clear content scope beats vague promises — especially with subject matter that demands narrative closure.

My read, and what I’ll be watching for

I’m optimistic about the aesthetic and the premise. The PC-98 look can do incredible work conveying intimacy without explicit excess, and chiptune-jazz is a chef’s kiss pairing for late-night city storytelling. But the bar for writing is high. If Vee’s journey treats identity and trauma as texture rather than trophies, if consent is a mechanic and not just a line of dialogue, this could be one of 2025’s standout narrative indies.

Bottom line: put the demo through its paces. If the early hours show thoughtful systems around autonomy, strong character work, and a cohesive visual language, it’s worth a wishlist — and a close watch through launch.

TL;DR

Dating of the Future blends PC-98 pixel art, a chiptune-jazz vibe, and a sex-positive premise in a post-post-apocalypse. The pitch is strong; the execution hinges on respectful writing and real consent-driven mechanics. The demo’s out now — try it and see if the tone clicks for you.