Dating sim has a period tracker designed with help from gynaecologists

A surprising amount of research has gone into a new dating simulator, where the heartthrob male leads offer support and advice to would-be suitors.

Dating simulators are often overlooked by the games industry but the sub-genre is arguably one of the most inclusive and considerate, between the likes of Boyfriend Dungeon and Hatoful Boyfriend – where you romance sentient birds.

One popular dating sim, titled Love And Deepspace, caught people’s attention earlier this year when it implemented a period tracker as part of a new update. This Remind Me feature is basically an in-game calendar which includes an option where players can put in the dates of their actual menstrual cycle, which will trigger a reminder from the dreamboat male cast.

Beyond just a reminder though, the game’s publisher, Infold Games, have revealed how they went one further with the feature, in order to offer support for women.

In the game itself, the male leads will remind players and provide comforting advice when a player is experiencing menstruation. As described in an interview with 4Gamer (translated by Automaton), these messages of support were a key part of the feature’s design.

According to the developers, the idea of a period tracker stemmed from the thought of, ‘How nice would it be if your partner, who you spend each day with, cared about you and helped you affectionately during those days’.

This feature was also apparently requested by players through official surveys, with the devs describing its implementation as ‘natural’.

When it came to researching the idea, the team consulted gynaecologists from several of the best hospitals in China. As such, all the statements and advice from the male leads in Love And Deepspace has been reviewed by experts on the subject.

As for what these responses involve, the male cast will offer to buy you pads and give you massages. One character, Zayne, even discusses how ‘the fluctuations in hormone levels and stress from menstruation can lead to insomnia’ and offers music to help you sleep.

‘Even when you’re not on your period, you should always be mindful of how much pressure you apply to your abdomen,’ Zayne remarks, as shown on YouTube. ‘This helps prevent your internal organs from being damaged.’

While period tracking functionality is new to games, it is used in apps centred around female health. The use of the technology, however, has raised some privacy concerns over the sharing of sensitive data, especially in the US where many states have banned abortions.

In light of these concerns, the developers behind Love And Deepspace have stressed that the period tracking feature is entirely optional.

Love And Deepspace, developed by PaperGames in China and published by Infold Games worldwide, was released on iOS and Android devices last year and has since become a huge success.

According to reports, it was the second most lucrative mobile game released in 2024 behind Dungeon & Fighter: Mobile.

Email [email protected], leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter.

To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here.

For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.

ArrowMORE: Best new mobile games on iOS and Android – March 2025 round-up

ArrowMORE: Sony is renting out PS5 consoles for £11 a month in the UK

ArrowMORE: Xbox handheld out this year and will go up against Nintendo Switch 2 says source