History ChildhoodFriendRomance / VideoGames

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' presents a LoveTriangle variant, with Cecil and Kain both having known Rosa from their younger days, and both had feelings for her. But she only had feelings for Cecil, which caused Kain to briefly betray Ceil out of jealousy. The three eventually reconciled, with Kain finally accepting his friends' relationship.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': Cloud and Tifa have known each other since their days in Neblehiem, and she was the reason he eventually decided to join SOLDIER. Though Tifa didn't develop feelings for Cloud until after he'd left. They finally got together when they confirmed their feelings for each other ''[[PreClimaxClimax "Beneath the Highwind".]]'' Confirmed by WordOfGod.

** Mayor MacCready of Little Lamplight in ''Fallout 3'' isn't necessarily friends with Lucy due to his abrasive personality, but they were certainly acquaintances and allies. By ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'', they are married with a child [[spoiler:until Lucy's death]].

*** The 3DS remake of the game however [[SubvertedTrope subverts]] this, allowing the hero to marry Jesssicia, a fellow party member.

*** Also [[spoiler:Chrom]]'s daughter Lucina and any of her suitors save the Male Avatar, but ''specially'' the aforementioned Gerome. Right before their mutual LoveConfession, she calls him her "most stalwart companion ever since childhood."

*** In the Hoshido side, Prince Takumi and his little sister Sakura's best friend Hana used to train together. The same goes to Takumi's older sister Hinoka and Hana's partner Subaki, who actually was her BigBrotherMentor. ''And'' it also turns out that a retainer of Takumi and Hinoka's eldest brother Ryoma (Saizo) and one of their mother Mikoto (Orochi) met as pre-teens. Therefore, this trope takes place if either of these duos hook up.
*** Among the [[spoiler: Second Gens]], where the localization downplayed some of their romances in favor of JustFriends-like interactions (and some romantic rejections), the most blatant examples would be Female Kana and Kiragi (who make a ChildhoodMarriagePromise) and Male Kana and Selkie. Though it's all but stated that Male Kana will [[MaybeEverAfter eventually]] hook up with either Nina, Rhajat or Mitama, shall he reach a S Support with either of them, and Female Kana ''may'' also do the same if she has one with Prince Siegbert.

*** ''Breath of the Wild'' also had Kodah, another Zora who was in a LoveTriangle with Link and Mipha.

* [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RPGShooterStarwish RPG:Shooter Starwish]] has the protagonist Deuce work as a pirate with a crew. His childhood friend Tessa serves as the ship medic. Whether or not she is victorious depends on the player.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': Cloud and Tifa have known each other since their days in Neblehiem, and she was the reason he eventually decided to join SOLDIER. Though Tifa didn't develop feelings for Cloud until after he'd left.

* The third VideoGame/GoldenSun game, [[VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn Dark Dawn]], confirms Isaac and Jenna hook up, and father Matthew.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': Cloud and Tifa have known each other since their days in Neblehiem, and she was the reason he eventually decided to join SOLDIER. Though Tifa didn't develop feelings for Cloud until after he'd left. They finally got together when they confirmed their feelings for each other ''[[PreClimaxClimax "Beneath the Highwind".]]'' Confirmed by WordOfGod.

* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI'' begins with the player character DreamingOfThingsToCome, including a specific woman... [[GoodMorningCrono followed by his mother waking him up]] and mentioning he was yelling their neighbor's daughter's name in his sleep. Since TheHero is a SilentProtagonist, you only have other people's reactions to go by in interpreting their relationship, which can come out reading like he is an Unlucky Childhood Friend since it's soon revealed she has a new boyfriend. It turns into a plot-critical [[SubvertedTrope subversion]] because he was actually dreaming of the Heroine, who has the same name but is otherwise nothing like the neighbor girl.

* All of the romance options in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 2}}: Innocent Sin'' are one of these, as the final party is composed of a group of childhood friends [[spoiler:many of whom forgot one another over most of a decade apart, partially through trying to forget a traumatic separation and partially through the implied influence of supernatural forces]].

** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade The Binding Blade]]'': Lilina, if paired with Roy.

* In any other game, Osana Najimi would be attempting this trope with her best friend, Taro "Sempai" Yamada. Unfortunately, she's in ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'', therefore has Ayano "Yandere-chan/Yan-chan" Aishi attempting to prevent this trope from happening by any means necessary.

** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden Gaiden]]'': Alm and Celica were raised together in Ram under the watch of the knight Mycen. They followed separate paths, with Alm joining LaResistance and Celica being sent to a monastery [[spoiler: since she is a FallenPrincess]], but ultimately they joined forces to end the war they were involved into. [[spoiler: At the end of the story, they marry and rule together over the new Kingdom of Valentia.]]

*** Among the [[spoiler: Second Gens]], where the localization downplayed some of their romances in favor of JustFriends-like interactions (and some romantic rejections), the most blatant examples would be Female Kana and Kiragi (who make a ChildhoodMarriagePromise) and Male Kana and Selkie. Though it's all but stated that Male Kana will [[MaybeEverAfter eventually]] hook up with either Nina, Rhajat or Mitama, shall he reach a S Support with either of them.

* In ''HarvestMoon'' "Back to Nature" ([[NoExportForYou For Girl]]), "[[VideoGameRemake Friends of Mineral Town]]", or "[[DistaffCounterpart More Friends of Mineral Town]]", Rick and Karen are a rival pairing but you can marry Karen (boy versions) or Rick(girl versions) thus making one of them this if you marry them. You can also get them married.
** Also, "Back to Nature"'s version for boys is especially notable because it includes a backstory for the male player character in which he met a girl and played with her as children. This is an unusual case, however, because you learn this in a flashback and the flashback is deliberately designed to ''not make it clear who this is'', since the little girl in the flashback has features that look like they could belong to any of the girls. And guess what? No matter which girl you romance, that girl will ''always'' turn out to have been whoever it was you played with as a little boy.

* A childhood connection with the main winnable character is a staple of the ''Franchise/TokimekiMemorial'' series. Whether the player character chooses to pursue a romance is up to the player; whether or not they ''succeed'' is up to how well the player understands the game.

* In any other game, Osana Najimi would be attempting this trope with her best friend, Taro Yamada. Unfortunately, she's in ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'', therefore has Yandere-chan attempting to prevent this trope from happening by any means necessary.

** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade The Blazing Blade]]: Wil, if paired with Rebecca.

** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemMysteryOfTheEmblem Mystery of the Emblem]'': [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Princess Sheeda/Caeda]] and Prince Marth, who end up married at the end of the third game.

* Childhood friendships are very common in ''FireEmblem'' and can often go either way, thanks to the [[RomanceSidequest support system]] of some of the games. However, some are out of the player's control:
** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemAkaneia Mystery of the Emblem]]'': [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Princess Sheeda/Caeda]] and Prince Marth, who end up married at the end of the third game.
** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemAkaneia Fire Emblem Gaiden]]'': Alm and Celica were raised together in Ram under the watch of the knight Mycen. They followed separate paths, with Alm joining LaResistance and Celica being sent to a monastery [[spoiler: since she is a FallenPrincess]], but ultimately they joined forces to end the war they were involved into. [[spoiler: At the end of the story, they marry and rule together over the new Kingdom of Valentia.]]
** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemJugdral Genealogy of the Holy War]]'', if the player pairs them: Tailtiu and either Azelle or Lex, Ayra and Chulainn, Erinys and Lewyn, Seliph and either Lana or Larcei, Lana and Ulster (and probably Diarmuid). Since the majority of the second-generation playable characters grew up together, it's kind of inevitable.
** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemJugdral Thracia 776]]'': Leif and Nanna, raised together by [[spoiler: Nanna's father]] Finn and later living with [[spoiler: Lana's amnesiac aunt]] Eyvel.
** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe The Binding Blade]]'': Lilina, if paired with Roy.
** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Fire Emblem]]'' (''Blazing Sword'' in Japan): Wil, if paired with Rebecca.

** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius Radiant Dawn]]'': Sothe and Micaiah (although [[LikeBrotherAndSister Sothe mentions that he sees her as a sister]]) end up married if you keep their preset A-Support for the entire game. [[InternetBackdraft Arguably]], Soren if paired with Ike. Also, Geoffrey if paired with Elincia, and the aforementioned Sothe and Micaiah.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': Cloud and Tifa have known each other since their days in Neblehiem, and she was the reason he eventually decided to join SOLDIER. Though Tifa didn't develop feelings for Cloud until after he'd left. They finally got together when they confirmed their feelings for each other ''[[PreClimaxClimax "Beneath the Highwind".]]'' Confirmed by WordOfGod.
* Irvine and Selphie in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' grew up together in an orphanage (along with Squall, Zell, Quistis and Seifer), but due to exposure to Guardian Force summons Selphie didn't remember him at first. They hook up at the end of the game.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'', Noctis and Lunafreya (called 'Luna' by Noctis) grew close as children when Luna kept him company while he recovered from a [[NearDeathExperience near-death experience]]. As young adults, they are betrothed to be wed in a political marriage, although it is yet to be seen whether they already have or will develop romantic feelings for each other.

* In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', Link grew up together with Mayor Bo's daughter, [[DoesNotLikeShoes Ilia.]] The game does everything short of outright stating they're couple, [[EveryoneCanSeeIt as several characters make note of how close they are]] and, late in the game, there's [[SidequestSidestory a sidequest]] dedicated to restoring Ilia's lost memories. At the end of which, Cor Goron and the others [[LeaveTheTwoLoveBirdsAlone give them a moment alone.]] After giving Link the Horse Call, she urges him on his quest and tells him that whenever he finally returns to Ordon Village, [[IWillWaitForYou she'll be waiting for him.]]
* The incarnations of Link and Zelda from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' are stated to have been very close for a long time prior to the game's events (their entire community is well aware, and one of whom, Groose, even harbours extreme jealousy over it) and there are hints of deeper feelings between the two, both in the game and in the marketing material. The end of the game doesn't state whether they choose to be a couple, but it does end with them choosing to stay together.

* Childhood friendships are very common in ''FireEmblem'' and can often go either way, thanks to the [[RomanceSidequest support system]] of some of the games. However, some are out of the player's control.\\
** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemAkaneia Fire Emblem Gaiden]]'': Alm and Celica, the main protagonists, were raised together in Ram under the watch of the knight Mycen. They followed separate paths, with Alm joining LaResistance and Celica being sent to a monastery [[spoiler: since she is a FallenPrincess]], but ultimately they joined forces to end the war they were involved into. [[spoiler: At the end of the story, they marry and rule together over the new Kingdom of Valentia.]]

** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemJugdral Genealogy of the Holy War]]'', if the player pairs them: Tailtiu and either Azelle or Lex, Ayra and Chulainn, Erinys and Lewyn, Seliph and either Lana or Larcei, Lana and Ulster. Since the majority of the second-generation playable characters grew up together, it's kind of inevitable.
** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemJugdral Thracia 776]]'': Leif and Nanna, raised together by [[spoiler: Nanna's father]] Finn and later living with Eyvel.

%%** ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemAkaneia Fire Emblem Gaiden]]'': Alm and Celica, May and Boey.\\