Why are some women in Singapore embracing digital love and virtual boyfriends in this popular mobile game? - CNA Lifestyle

Players of popular mobile game Love And Deepspace exchange couple rings, discuss periods, and throw birthday parties for their digital idols. Some are even "marrying" them. CNA Women finds out how “committing” to these very romanceable avatars is helping some female players feel more confident about themselves.

Female players of mobile game Love and Deepspace exchange rings, discuss their periods, and throw birthday parties for their digital idols, in the name of love. (Photo: Facebook/Love and Deepspace Global Official Group)

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Aaron De Silva 26 Apr 2025 07:59AM (Updated: 06 Nov 2025 10:16AM) Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST Across Singapore, a curious phenomenon is unfolding: Young women in their twenties and thirties are getting “hitched” to virtual male characters in a mobile game. In Love And Deepspace, players step into the role of customisable female protagonists, navigating romantic storylines and action-packed combat sequences – all set against a futuristic fantasy landscape.

One particularly intriguing feature? The game includes a built-in period tracker, allowing players to log real-life menstruation dates, set reminders, and receive supportive messages from their in-game “boyfriends” or “husbands”.

Love And Deepspace is a 3D otome game developed by Chinese company Paper Games. Otome games are narrative-driven romance games that typically target a female audience.

Since launching in January 2024, the game has amassed around six million monthly active users, including a few thousand in Singapore, according to players CNA Women spoke to.

Some of these spend thousands on in-game purchases, while others go as far as renting digital billboards at 313@Somerset or hosting themed celebrations at cafes for their favourite characters.

To be clear, the game’s five romanceable, not to mention attractive, male leads – Caleb, Rafayel, Sylus, Xavier, and Zayne – aren’t AI-powered but rather digital avatars. Their interactions are scripted, with pre-programmed dialogue trees that respond to player choices, creating a sense of immersion within structured storylines.

Think of it as a digital age Choose Your Own Adventure-meets-1980s romance novel – with a blend of emotional depth and interactivity rarely seen in mobile games.

For player Dawn, who declined to give her full name, these characters evoke the “book husband” phenomenon in China, where female novelists craft idealised male protagonists who provide their readers with a deeply satisfying romantic and emotional experience.  

“We don’t see these characters as our romantic interests, but at the same time, they do satisfy some elements of what we want from a romantic relationship,” said the 29-year-old market developer.

Said Jeanice Cheong, clinical psychologist at Bright Psych of Life: “Parasocial relationships developed in games can provide players with a sense of companionship and social connectedness. It can potentially foster their sense of autonomy as well as boost their sense of adequacy, self-confidence and esteem.”

Indeed, while the assumption is that players play for the opportunity to romance the male leads, the reality is that they are drawn to the characters for more than just romance.

The characters demonstrate acceptance, understanding and respect for the players, providing them with emotional support and ultimately, a confidence boost that might be lacking in their real-world relationships.

This became apparent after CNA Women spoke to nine players between their early twenties and early thirties. All are single, with the exception of Natasha Conceicao, 28, a content creator who is engaged in real life but who "wed" her in-game paramour, Sylus.

"He is the character who understands me, anticipates my needs, and is able to take charge and plan things," Natasha explained. “In real life, I take charge of everything. [In the game], I just need to show up.”

That she "married" Sylus before marrying her fiance Erwin Chong, 30, isn’t a big deal for the couple. “Erwin doesn’t really care because he knows that it’s not real. It’s a small joke to us, we don’t take it seriously.”