There are a lot of dating sims on the market, and there's a number of pet simulators out there too. There are even games where you can date as animals. But, until today, I can't think of a pet simulator that also was a dating simulator. Best Friends Forever changes that and it was announced for PC and Nintendo Switch.
Best Friends Forever takes place in the (fictional) world's dog friendliest place Rainbow Bay. To start off with you'll adopt one of four dogs, and you'll get to spend time with them and fill in a dating profile. Like you, the singles of Rainbow Bay are dog lovers and have their own cute little friends with them. As you play more, you'll be able to train your new best friend in a variety of ways and raise its stats so that it can pass Paws Academy. Unlike many games with a pet, your doggy won't be waiting at home or oblivious to what's going on, instead they are with you everywhere interacting with the story. You'll also be able to play around with your buddy in an optional sandbox mode.
As for the dating side of things, Best Friends Forever puts a focus on a diverse cast, with developer Starcolt noting that they come at the game from being a woman-dominant studio and want to see more varied perspectives in these types of games. On the topic of diversity, Calliope Ryder, the game runner said,
Every person on the core team belongs in the LGBTQ+ community, so being inclusive in BFF's design was paramount. We needed to ensure that everyone is able to play the game however they want to. We're also a tiny team, which meant that every developer has had creative input and advice for the varied NPCs and love interests -- they've really become treasured characters, and we can't wait to see how players respond to them.
Best Friends Forever releases on PC and Nintendo Switch on February 14, 2020.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zbD9R6zjeE&feature=youtu.be
