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"I'm hearing that digital dating is popping off during lockdown."
— Callum

The world is in lockdown during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Vinny has decided to sign up for a video dating app. Can Vinny find love with one of five potential female matches in a world where physical touch is no longer possible?

This 2020 interactive movie by Wales Interactive is entirely composed of live footage and takes place on Vinny's smartphone. Most of the action takes place during video chats with his friend Callum and the five women who have matched with him.

A sequel titled Ten Dates was released on the 14th of February 2022. Unlike the first game, the player gets to choose between playing as Ryan or Misha, with the latter having tricked her friend into attending a speed dating event with her.


Tropes:

    Both Games 
  • Multiple-Choice Past: At the start of both games the player decides what Vinny's, Misha's and Ryan's career, interests and star signs (essentially deciding when in the year they were born). Depending on who they date, the player has several different dialogue options that create a unique past for them.
  • Opposites Attract: Deconstructed, as making any of the main characters too different from their potential dates and disagreeing on every topic means they will have nothing in common even if you're genuinely trying to have the date go well.
  • Player Elimination: You can only have a second date with two of the potential dates, and a third with only one.
  • Streamer-Friendly Mode: Pauses the game at all decisions points.
  • Western Zodiac: You pick your sign for your profile.

    Five Dates 
  • Accent Interest: Maya's accent is the first conversation topic in her date.
  • Ambiguously Bi: Vinny has the option while on a date with Grace that he has experimented with his sexuality in the past. He doesn't go into the details however, only has dates with women, and doesn't say anything about his own sexuality if he finds out that Saffron is bisexual. The fact that only Misha can get his number in Ten Dates implies that he is straight.
  • Fictional Social Network: The unnamed dating app and the "socials" that you can find the girls on after the first date.
  • Hard-Drinking Party Girl: Maya's defining character trait.
  • Hospital Hottie: Averted. While not unattractive, the demands of the pandemic as a hospital worker have run Shaina ragged.
  • Likes Older Women: A possible choice for Vinny when talking with the older Shaina.
  • My Biological Clock Is Ticking: Shaina admits she thinks this.
  • Not a Morning Person: Callum admits that being furloughed has turned him into one.
  • Old Maid: Shaina says her family treats her as one, especially with her sister marrying at 21.
  • Player Elimination: The dating app requires you to select three out of five dates, then after each date eliminate one.
    Callum: You've now got to tell the app which two girls you like, so you can ask them out on a second date.
    Vinny: Do I? Oh, why does it work like that?
    Callum: I don't know, to stop girls getting strung along and catching feelings. Bruv, I don't know, I didn't make the app!
  • Real Life Writes the Plot: The setting of the COVID-19 Pandemic lockdown reflects how it was conceptualized, written, filmed, and released during the same time.
  • The Power of Family: Grace considers hers to be a big reason she got to where she is today. Saying you are on great terms with your family endears you to her.
  • Video Phone: Nearly the entire game takes place through video chats on your phone.

    Ten Dates 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tendatesgame.jpg

  • Another Side, Another Story: Essentially what happens with Ryan and Misha. If you start the game with Ryan you see his perspective of calling Misha, while if you start with Misha you see her answering his call.
  • The Cameo: To get the "Muggy Misha" achievement, Misha must fail at all the speed dates. This leads Maya to meet Vinny, and Misha has the option to accept a video date.
  • Contrasting Sequel Main Character:
    • Justified, since the player can make Ryan and Misha as similar or as different from Vinny as they want. However their friendship is similar to the relationship between Vinny and Callum regardless where they make fun of each other in friendly ways. One way they both differ however is that they can be bisexual while Vinny was straight.
    • Toni is similar to Paige, being interested in athletics and being active while getting defensive when being challenged. However Paige was an influencer and a single mum, while Toni is a professional footballer with a controlling dad.
    • Both Saffron and Azalea are interested in star signs, spirituality and social causes. But while Saffron is a rather relaxed person due to trying to control her anxiety and panic attacks and doesn't mind whether Vinny eats meat, Azalea is a more confrontational person from a wealthy family who gets angry if Ryan is a fisherman due to being a vegan.
    • Both Grace and Brandy are very upfront about their opinions and feelings, which can make them come across as abrasive, as well as have a very clear idea about what they want. Brandy mentions that while she has lived in the UK for some time, she doesn't get the humour since she wasn't born in Britain making her similar to Maya. But while Grace is a partner at a law firm with a rather happy childhood, Brandy is a beautician and student who had to illegally immigrate to the UK as a child, which also makes her the opposite of Maya.
    • Both Kathleen and Maya are immigrants, who previously had complicated relationships. But while Maya was a Spanish language tutor and Hard-Drinking Party Girl who had an amicable relationship with her ex until he tries to get back together, Kathleen is an American student who is far more reserved and is in the middle of a divorce.
    • Like Maya, Jake is a teacher who mentions that he has very amicable relationships with his ex. The difference is that Maya is a Spanish immigrant who teaches languages more as a way to make an income and being more of a party girl, while the more straightlaced Jake was born in England and teaches children.
  • Cutting Off the Branches: On Misha's path Ryan will mention at the start of the game how he missed a payment to his landlord, meaning that he canonically doesn't work in finance.
  • Happy Ending Override: Vinny's cameo has him mention that his last relationship ended a few months ago, meaning that that none of his potential relationships from the first game lasted.
  • Like Brother and Sister: Ryan and Misha are best friends, but there's nothing romantic between them. While on a date with Azalea, Ryan has the option to explain that there was never any romantic chemistry between them or that one of them used to have unrequited feelings for the other.
  • Merging the Branches: Despite having five potential romance options, and being able to start a relationship with four of them, Vinny confirms that he's still single as his last relationship ended a few months ago.
  • More Diverse Sequel: Downplayed, but both Ryan and Misha each have one same-sex romance option unlike Vinny who only had female options. Misha can also date a disabled lesbian.
  • Twofer Token Minority: Hazel is a lesbian and has a missing arm.
  • Video Phone: The game has this twice when Misha and Ryan are talking to each other, but unlike the first game the characters are on in-person dates.

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