Building Relationships is a surprisingly delightful dating sim developed and published by Tan Ant. Set upon a charming Island with multiple biomes, you play as an eligible building on a mission to find love amongst the “bachelorx pads.”

Gameplay

The demo dropped me in a green grove with Mint, a swanky building who acts as a guide to the player. Immediately, I was faced with what had partially interested me in the first place: the movement.

Since I was a building (without legs), navigation consisted of rolling around in hopes that I would tumble into the right location. Admittedly, I got stuck a few times. But the game is very generous with upgrades, so I was zooming and flying across the map in no time, like buildings often do.

I quickly met the demo’s two bachelorx pads: A windmill and a tent. And listen, the tent, Tenent, was nice and all, but the tension between Millie and I left me blushing.

Building Relationships is an open world game. So, while I had goals, I took the opportunity to go everywhere except where I was supposed to. I stumbled across my objectives in a timely way, so I could meander while also organically progressing the story.

Minigames

In the ocean and ponds, the player can play a fishing minigame, and before you ask if the fish are also buildings, the answer is no. They are, of course, cars. These cars are of interest to a character called Doktor, a bachelorx pad who showed no romantic interest in me (which means that I was VERY romantically interested in Doktor). Doktor wants the player to collect every type of fish/car, providing an incentive to fish.

Speaking of collectibles, coins are scattered throughout the map, high and low. Literally. Prepare to jump. The purpose behind the coins (besides fun) isn’t yet revealed, but they’re a good excuse to bounce around the world.

The demo also features the date portion of the game, which consists of cooking a delicious piece of furniture for the hopeful bachelorx pads. The full game promises more date minigames, allowing the player to make deeper connections with their potential true love.

The Developer

So who is the mastermind behind this romantic stroke of genius? Tan Ant is a one-man developer that self-diagnoses the studio as “equally silly and serious”, the perfect adjectives to describe Building Relationships. This is Tan Ant’s official debut game, finding its origins in 2015 during a Game Jam.

Humanity in Absurdity

I came into this demo expecting a couple of laughs and nothing more, and I certainly did laugh a lot. Talking to the characters not only got me excited for the full game, but it also pulled me into the story in a way that I didn’t expect.

On Tan Ant’s website, this statement encapsulates that feeling:

“There’s a joy in absurdity, suspending all levels of disbelief and immersing yourself in the wildest world. And there you’ll find the most human story, anchoring the most ridiculous narrative. It’s a different take on what you might think as ‘surreal’, it’s something that feels subversive, yet grounded.”

While speaking to the characters in the game, the player will find jokes throughout. However, the characters don’t feel shallow at all. Each of them are unique, and some betray a complexity that surprised me. 

Ironically, the characters that intrigued me the most were the ones we can’t date in the demo, namely Chester and Mint. Chester is filled with existential dread that left me contemplating life while gazing at the ocean. And Mint, who, while not explicitly a romance option, might like you? Maybe? Hopefully? 

Although Building Relationships has a silly premise, it blends surrealism delightfully with its heartfelt lightheartedness. I am confident that this aspect of the demo will continue throughout the full game, and am looking forward to seeing more.

This demo was reviewed for LudoNarraCon. Building Relationships is set to release on Steam in 2025.