Love Thyself - A Horatio Story is a free, real, Endless Space dating sim
Horati-ew
I've always liked how Amplitude set their games in the same universe. From Endless Space to Endless Legend, whether their games are flavoured sci-fi or fantasy, each one forms an act in a space opera that spans millennia.
Surprise! The latest act came out yesterday. It's a free visual novel where you play as a fresh clone in the Horatio empire, a people born from an eccentric trillionaire determined to reforge the galaxy in His image. You fancy Him, obviously.
Yep, this is a real game you can grab from Steam for free, right now. Behold, a trailer featuring a much less real quote from RPS:
I've enjoyed my first few days at clone school. After proving my authentic Horatiocity by praising 'the great forehead in the sky', I tried to befriend the Horatio at the cafeteria. He tricked me into over-spicing my breakfast slop, and now I'm pretty sure the whole school hates me. It's like 6th form all over again, except we're all identical copies of a bald cylinder-head man who's convinced he's the prettiest being in the universe.
You're free to skip back and forward through conversations as you please, if you fancy seeing how different options play out. The blurb tells me you can date one of four lovely-looking Horatios, or ignore them entirely and get up to some naughty business. The naughty business of disobeying fascistic space colonialists who all have a god complex.
The writing isn't fantastic, though did elicit a grin or two. It's the setting that I'm really sold on, and despite what Amplitude say I wouldn't really recommend dipping in unless you're already familiar. I didn't realise I wanted to see the Endless world from the perspective of a bumbling Horatio clone, but now I can and I am glad.
This is only part one. Part two is due sometime in Spring.