What Is Boyfriend to Death?
Boyfriend to Death is an 18+ horror visual novel that twisted the dating sim formula into something far more sinister. Created by Gatobob, Darqx, and ElectricPuke, this free-to-play game was released on June 3, 2016, and has maintained a cult following that continues to grow nearly a decade later.
What started as a joke between friends about turning their villain characters into terrible love interests became one of the most influential horror visual novels in the genre. The game asks a simple question: What if instead of falling in love, you were fighting for survival?
The Premise: A Night Out Gone Horrifically Wrong
You play as a nameless college student with a drinking problem. After waking up from one bender, you immediately decide to head to another bar. This time, your poor decisions lead to something far worse than a hangover—you’re kidnapped by one of three serial killers who develop twisted feelings for you.
The game subverts traditional dating sim mechanics. That affection meter? It’s now a tool for survival. Those dialogue choices? They determine whether you live through the night or become another victim. Boyfriend to Death doesn’t just kill you—it gives you dozens of brutal, creative ways to die.
The Characters: Meet Your Captors
Strade – The Face of Boyfriend to Death
Strade is arguably the most iconic character from the original game. He’s the friendly stranger who offers you a beer at a bar, only to reveal himself as a sadistic killer who livestreams torture for profit. Strade represents pure, calculated evil wrapped in a disarming package.
What makes Strade terrifying isn’t just his actions—it’s how plausible he feels. Players have described him as genuinely threatening because he could exist in real life. His route is the most straightforward horror story: a hookup gone catastrophically wrong.
The game tracks your health meter, sanity meter, and Strade’s “love” for you. The cruel twist? If Strade loves you too much, you die. The only way to survive is to become his pet, wearing a shock collar like his other captive, Ren.
Sano and Akira Kojima – The Twisted Twins
Found at the Snake Pit, Sano Kojima is a calculating man with a chilling demeanor who performs human experimentation. His twin brother Akira displays a short temper and complicated feelings about his sibling. Their routes introduce supernatural elements and psychological horror that differ from Strade’s grounded brutality.
Rire – The Demonic Wildcard
Rire brings supernatural horror to the table as a demon with tentacles and inhuman abilities. His route explores body horror and the complete helplessness of facing something beyond human comprehension.
Gameplay Mechanics: Dating Sim Meets Survival Horror
Boyfriend to Death uses the Ren’Py engine to create an interactive horror experience with:
- Health and Sanity meters that determine your endings
- Multiple choice decisions where every option carries weight
- 36,000+ words of branching narrative
- Dozens of death endings with unique scenes
- Survival endings that feel more like prison sentences than victories
The sanity meter is particularly clever. As you witness traumatic events, your sanity drops. Low sanity unlocks impulsive choices that a stable person wouldn’t consider. Hit zero sanity during day scenes, and you might end up starring in one of Strade’s snuff films. Hit zero at night, and you might get your revenge—though you still won’t survive.
Why Boyfriend to Death Still Matters
It Created a Genre
Boyfriend to Death essentially pioneered the “murdersim” subgenre. Before BTD, horror dating sims existed, but few committed so fully to the premise. The game proved players were hungry for experiences that genuinely challenged and disturbed them.
The influence is visible in countless games that followed, from Till Death Do Us Part (its spiritual successor) to The Price of Flesh and the upcoming You Kill Me Every Time series that’s reimagining the original characters.
It Respects Player Intelligence
Unlike many horror games that hold your hand, Boyfriend to Death trusts you to figure things out. The game is deliberately cryptic about what choices lead to survival. This difficulty makes finding a survival ending genuinely rewarding—you’ve earned it through trial, error, and learning how your captor thinks.
It Doesn’t Apologize
Boyfriend to Death contains graphic content: torture, sexual violence, gore, and psychological abuse. The game never tries to soften these elements or make them palatable. This uncompromising approach is precisely why it resonates with its audience—it treats horror seriously.
The developers include extensive content warnings and an 18+ rating. If you play this game, you know what you’re signing up for.
The Community and Legacy
The Boyfriend to Death fanbase remains remarkably active. Players create fanart, write analysis pieces, and develop theories about character motivations. Archive of Our Own hosts thousands of fan works exploring alternate scenarios and character depths not fully realized in the game.
The game sparked discussions about fetish content in horror, the ethics of extreme fiction, and where the line exists between artistic expression and glorification. These conversations continue in 2025 as new players discover the series.
Sequels and Expansions
Boyfriend to Death 2: Fresh Blood (March 18, 2017) expanded the universe with new characters including Lawrence Oleander, Vincent Metzger, and Cain. The sequel offers more survival endings and deeper character development.
You Kill Me Every Time: Strade represents Gatobob’s vision for updating the original Strade route with improved artwork, expanded storylines, and refined gameplay. Updates continue through the creator’s Patreon.
Should You Play Boyfriend to Death?
This game isn’t for everyone. Actually, it’s not for most people. But if you’re interested in:
- Horror that doesn’t pull punches
- Subverted gaming tropes
- Dark psychological exploration
- Challenging, puzzle-like gameplay
- Influential indie games
Then Boyfriend to Death deserves your attention—with all appropriate warnings considered.
The game is available as a free download for PC and early Mac systems from the official Dirty Murder Games website. You’ll likely need to disable antivirus software to run it (a common issue with Ren’Py games distributed as executables).
The Verdict: A Classic That Earned Its Reputation
Boyfriend to Death by Gatobob remains relevant nearly a decade after release because it committed fully to its premise. It’s rough around the edges—the artwork can be awkward, the writing varies in quality, and the plot is essentially “survive your captor”—but these limitations somehow add to its authenticity.
This isn’t a polished AAA experience. It’s three creators making something genuinely disturbing and seeing how players respond. The answer? Players responded with enthusiasm, creating a legacy that influenced the entire horror visual novel landscape.
Whether Boyfriend to Death traumatizes you depends entirely on your tolerance for extreme content. But there’s no denying its impact on the genre. It’s a game that understood horror isn’t about cheap jumpscares—it’s about powerlessness, impossible choices, and the thin line between survival and something worse than death.
Content Warning: Boyfriend to Death contains graphic depictions of violence, torture, sexual assault, gore, and other disturbing content. This game is only appropriate for adult audiences aged 18+.
Exploring the Dark Side of Gaming
Boyfriend to Death exists within the broader landscape of love horror visual novels, a subgenre that has exploded in popularity since BTD’s release. If you’re drawn to the psychological terror of Gatobob’s creation, you’ll find a wealth of similar experiences worth exploring. Games like Your Boyfriend, The Price of Flesh, and My Dear Hatchet Man carry forward BTD’s legacy of romantic horror with their own twisted takes on obsession and captivity. For those seeking atmospheric dread over visceral violence, Mushroom Oasis and Where Winter Crows Go offer hauntingly beautiful alternatives. If you’re interested in understanding what makes these games tick, our comprehensive guide to love horror visual novels breaks down the genre’s appeal, while our list of free love horror novels helps you discover more games without spending a dime. The horror doesn’t stop at visual novels either—check out our roundup of the best horror games across all platforms to continue your journey into gaming’s darkest corners.
