14 DAY TRIAL // 
Timothy and Catherine are in the middle of an arcade date, the only location I have unlocked which is almost guaranteed to draw a positive reaction from both of them. It all starts off well, with a nice conversation between the two, a stockbroker and a firefighter. They have both been waiting for a great date for some time and I am determined to deliver it.
A kid does his best to annoy the couple, but I suggest they move to another place and that seems to solve the issue. Timothy has to take a call but explains the situation and no one is aggrieved. Catherine leads the pair into a deep conversation that turns out to be interesting. The date ends with a decision to exchange phone numbers and go for another date in the future.
Back at my executive desk, I celebrate that two clients found love and move on to business matters. I make two new long-term ad buys, on the radio and in a magazine. Three new clients get on the agency’s list, and I mentally make a note that two of them need interviews. I have enough money for my next landlord payment, and I decide to splurge on some extra items to enhance future performance.
Matchmaker Agency is developed by Niji Games and MelonCat, with publishing handled by Soft Source Pte. Ltd. I played using Steam on the PC. The game uses management mechanics to tell the story of many different individuals finding love.
Players get to name both their character and the agency they will be running (go for puns if possible) before getting a tutorial from Charles, a cat that talks. The simple fact that no one is too surprised by an animal conversing with humans is a clear indication of the general whimsical and fun story approach.
Gamers inherit the agency, alongside a sizable debt. Initially, the focus is on repaying the landlord, but new characters are introduced at a good pace. Each has trouble with romance and all will be familiar to genre fans. The title’s writing is good, clearly aware of the tropes that it is engaging with, and, at times, the humor hits home.
Matchmaker Agency is all about attracting clients and fulfilling their romantic needs by finding their perfect pair. The player gets a dossier that reveals sexual orientation and a lot of other details, although they can be incomplete. Based on these, clients get sent on dates. When two people are successfully paired players get a monetary and reputation reward.
Because of mystical love powers that Charles the cat quickly introduces, players will go on the dates and will choose how their clients respond to situations. Should they mention an ex or is it better to focus on the present? Is it a better idea to look for excitement or for comfortable moments? The game’s events are varied but after enough dates, they will start to repeat. Focus on acting like a loving, caring human being when in doubt.
There are also moments when the location and the event type do not match, which is weird, or when certain answers affect characters in ways that don’t seem to match their personality traits. These inconsistencies are weird and affect gameplay negatively, even if they sometimes result in good matches even if the date seems to go bad.
Running an agency also involves advertising its services. Players can choose to go out and hand out fliers but it’s more efficient to use the press, radio, TV, or even influencers to spread the word. Clients who wait too long for dates can become disgruntled while players can purchase upgrades that will alleviate the problem. The shop also offers items that can be used during dates and currency is used to unlock more locations.
Unique characters quickly enter the picture, with a unique set of traits and needs and extra dialogue. Getting them the right partner will net players a special reward which will in turn boost their ability to successfully deal with the rest of the client list. It is possible to get into a downward spiral, especially when the landlord demands payment, a bunch of people are already losing their patience, and the last two matches have failed.
Matchmaker Agency's premise and fast core loop make it an accessible and positive experience. But it’s really weird to see date events that appear without any connection to characters or location, and it really breaks immersion. Dialogue options also often feel too limited during interviews.
Matchmaker Agency is pretty spartan in terms of graphics. Players spend most of their time looking at the same desk and date locations are little more than simple background images. There’s a lot of character variety and all clients look good, in a slightly anime kind of way. The game’s interface is easy to use, which is important given the many attributes players have to take into account while creating a match.
The sound design is less successful. There’s no voice acting and it’s a good idea to turn off the sound effects associated with the text scroll. The music is jaunty and optimistic, a good fit for the positive overall theme, but shifts a little too abruptly when going in and out of dates and tends to become repetitive quickly.
The Good
- Matching and date systems
- Character variety
- Interview system
The Bad
- Narrative is very familiar
- Some vents do not make sense in context
- No voice acting
Conclusion
The core character selection is good, as is the variety of people coming to the agency for help. Over time, the selection of date locations starts to feel limited, and it becomes annoying to see repeated situations. Matchmaker Agency could have used some extra polish but still delivers the satisfaction of creating new couples via the magic of a carefully considered match.
Review key provided by the publisher.
