SIMGIRLS

SimGirls is a Dating Simulation game. A beta version (currently updated to version 6.6) was the most popular (and subsequently highest rated) submission in Newgrounds history, before Friday Night Funkin'.
A completed version was uploaded on Apr 25, 2012, while an additional two visual novels based on the original game were uploaded in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
== Story ==
The story takes it's premise from a classic manga, DNA². However, the whole plot (or at least the pieces available, due to still being incomplete) takes a life of itself after the beginning. In fact, besides the premises and the characters' appearance and basis of their personalities, and a few scenes, the only things remaining are a few plot skeletons.
At the start of the game, the player chooses a name for their character. The character is a teenage boy who goes to Fukoma High School. The protagonist is a mostly unremarkable fellow, who lacks the strength, knowledge, or personality to get a girlfriend. He has a good friend called Ami, her best friend Kotomi,a crush on the popular girl Tomoko Saeki, an enemy called Ryuji, a lesbian teacher named Akira. One day, after praying to God for a miracle that will make him more attractive, he is visited by a girl from the future. Apparently, she had gone back in time to manipulate the DNA of a "megaplayboy," who eventually had over 100 children, in order to help fight overpopulation. She claims the "megaplayboy" is the protagonist, much to his disbelief. She fires a special DNA gun at him and goes back into the future. Fortunately, the gun actually has the reverse effect; it gives the protagonist the ability to become the "megaplayboy" that the girl traveled back in time to stop.
Within a few days, the protagonist is exponentially smarter, stronger, and more charming, and is developing stronger relationships with the female characters. Three weeks later, the girl from the future returns. She realizes that she has made a critical mistake, and must now kill the protagonist. However, the hero is able to distract her and knock her unconscious, and moves her to the basement. When she wakes up, she has completely forgotten who she is. The protagonist convinces her that she is his pet kitten, and that she should stay in the basement from now on. It is now his duty to take care of her on a daily basis. He discovers that she had a necklace on her, and decides to take it to his teacher, Akira, who hangs out at the Fight Club. Meanwhile, on the way to Fight Club, the hero encounters Ryuji. Ryuji wants the protagonist to avoid all of the girls in town, who he feels are rightfully his. His hired thug beats up the protagonist and steals the necklace. Ryuji's family is too powerful for the protagonist to call the authorities, so he is forced to accept this turn of events.
== Design ==
SimGirls has a remarkably open design. Other than a few story elements, the player is free to do what they want. The game is structured into days, with 100 energy points that can be invested into different activities. These activities can be used to improve various stats. The three main forms of stats are: strength, which can be improved by fighting and swimming; charm, which can be improved by winning swim races and having sex, and knowledge, which is obtained through studying. All three of these attributes will help the player form relationships with the game's characters.
The centerpiece of the game is the relationships that the player can form with four characters: Ami, the childhood friend, Karin, the amnesic time traveler, Kotomi, Ami's best friend, and Tomoko, the hottest girl at high school. Players need to slowly build their relationships through a variety of activities. First, it is necessary to talk with the characters in order to build a relationship. Then, the player needs to ask them personal information, such as their favorite movies and phone numbers. Eventually, players can give them gifts and go out on dates. Talking to the girls during dates will prompt the players to answer questions about their personal information. If the player answers correctly, a gauge will go up. The gauge can also be increased by giving gifts and taking pictures. Eventually, the gauge will fill up, and the player will be able to kiss the girl, making them a girlfriend.
There are also various events throughout the game. Depending on how the player reacts during these events, various stats will either increase or decrease.
== Presentation ==
SimGirls depends largely on a system of menus in order to control the game. What graphics there are consist of still images and a few basic animations. The style is based on the idea source's manga and anime. Considering the game's size, relatively little music or sound effects are used.
== Reception ==
Despite being released in beta form, SIMGIRLS version 6.6 is the second most viewed submission in Newgrounds history, with over 49.8 million views as of March 2023. Despite being about twenty years old, ancient in the realm of Flash games, it maintains a respectable average review of 9.3/10. The game is featured in three collections: Dating Sims, Dress-Up Hentai, and Flash Portal History. This game was also extremely influential for future sim date games on Newgrounds. A wide variety of Dating games have been made since then. Games like Pico Sim Date, LoZ - Simdate RPG, and Elf Girl Sim Date RPG have all had over a million views, despite barely deviating from the basic formula.
By comparison, the full version uploaded ten years later only has 4.7 million views as of Jan 2024 and had only won a Daily Feature. However, it is only rated M as opposed to the beta's A-rating.
== Links ==
SIMGIRLS can be played here:
* Newgrounds (version 6.6)
* Newgrounds (full version)
* Gamcore (version 7.0)
* Gamcore (Generation 2, complete rework)
Category:Flash games
Category:Adult Games
Category:RPG
Category:Adult