Review: Saeko: Giantess Dating Sim Is a Treat That Could Be Yummier

Having a girlfriend is great and all, but you know what would make the experience better? If your girlfriend is a giant and can kill you like a bug at any time. Despite the almost joke-like title of the game, SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim is a visual novel with an unconventional, dark, and Stockholm syndrome-adjacent romance that can leave the player wanting more. SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim puts you in the miniature shoes of Rin. He was walking home one rainy night when he mysteriously shrinks to the size of an ant. A university student named Saeko finds him and places him in her drawer for protection. In there, Rin encounters a collection of other little people. It doesn’t take long to learn that Saeko is not just the culprit behind the shrinking, but she’s also a cannibal who eats a little person every day. After Saeko kills the previous supervisor of the drawer for failing in his duties, she promotes Rin to the position. Rin’s job is simple: feed a little person every day to make them more delicious for Saeko and make sure no one’s health falls below zero, lest Saeko murders them all. The gameplay loop of SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim revolves around three segments: Day, Night, and Midnight. During the Day segment, you can hang out with the other little people and learn about them before sentencing one to be devoured. At Night, you can have a one-on-one conversation with Saeko. These talks shed some light on Saeko’s personality and past. Saying too much or too little, or giving the wrong answers will prompt Saeko to kill Rin. Finally, at Midnight, you can use Saeko’s cellphone to read news about the outside world or play a mini-game. Screenshot by Siliconera The main emotional core of the game centers on Rin and Saeko, as well as their relationship. As someone who’s not into macrophilia, I can’t speak on how much Saeko appeals to that community. While the seeds are there for some nice ol’ “cannibalism as a metaphor for love” deliciousness, the game sadly never quite takes that route. Though Saeko makes for an interesting character, she’s not that compelling of a romantic interest. We don’t get a lot of Rin’s thoughts, and whatever attracted Rin to Saeko (and vice versa) in the first place is lost in Rin’s forgotten memories. It makes the Stockholm/Lima syndrome romance a little hard to get behind, even as someone who supports women’s rights and wrongs. I want to clarify that I eat up a lot of the tropes and ideas that SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim presents. That’s precisely why I wanted to see the writer do more with it. It’s easier to avoid thinking of it as an actual “dating simulator” as the title suggests; rather, it’s a story of morality, masking, and attachment. Screenshot by Siliconera Aesthetically, the game looks fantastic. It has a clean interface, and the segments of chatting with Saeko are reminiscent of those Lofi girl streams. The contrast between the calm music and Rin’s palpable fear works great. The pixel art and animations are delightful as well. Though it’s frustrating to replay conversations with Saeko, I still enjoyed watching her facial expressions and hair animations. For all her cruelty and callousness—or, perhaps, because of her sociopathy—Saeko is a charming antagonist in the same vein as Tomie, and her face card never declines. Crude, salacious, yet surprisingly beautiful, SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim is a fun short story for those who enjoy a fantastical take on dark romance. It only took me about three and a half hours to see all three endings in the game. But, like how a part of Rin remained in that drawer even after he escapes from it, it’s easy for your mind to linger on the implications and promises the story brings. SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim is available on Windows PC via Steam. The post Review: Saeko: Giantess Dating Sim Is a Treat That Could Be Yummier appeared first on Siliconera.

Jun 16, 2025 - 04:55

Review: Saeko: Giantess Dating Sim Is a Treat That Could Be Yummier

Having a girlfriend is great and all, but you know what would make the experience better? If your girlfriend is a giant and can kill you like a bug at any time. Despite the almost joke-like title of the game, SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim is a visual novel with an unconventional, dark, and Stockholm syndrome-adjacent romance that can leave the player wanting more.

SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim puts you in the miniature shoes of Rin. He was walking home one rainy night when he mysteriously shrinks to the size of an ant. A university student named Saeko finds him and places him in her drawer for protection. In there, Rin encounters a collection of other little people. It doesn’t take long to learn that Saeko is not just the culprit behind the shrinking, but she’s also a cannibal who eats a little person every day. After Saeko kills the previous supervisor of the drawer for failing in his duties, she promotes Rin to the position. Rin’s job is simple: feed a little person every day to make them more delicious for Saeko and make sure no one’s health falls below zero, lest Saeko murders them all.

The gameplay loop of SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim revolves around three segments: Day, Night, and Midnight. During the Day segment, you can hang out with the other little people and learn about them before sentencing one to be devoured. At Night, you can have a one-on-one conversation with Saeko. These talks shed some light on Saeko’s personality and past. Saying too much or too little, or giving the wrong answers will prompt Saeko to kill Rin. Finally, at Midnight, you can use Saeko’s cellphone to read news about the outside world or play a mini-game.

saeko giantess dating sim review feeding — Screenshot by Siliconera

The main emotional core of the game centers on Rin and Saeko, as well as their relationship. As someone who’s not into macrophilia, I can’t speak on how much Saeko appeals to that community. While the seeds are there for some nice ol’ “cannibalism as a metaphor for love” deliciousness, the game sadly never quite takes that route. Though Saeko makes for an interesting character, she’s not that compelling of a romantic interest. We don’t get a lot of Rin’s thoughts, and whatever attracted Rin to Saeko (and vice versa) in the first place is lost in Rin’s forgotten memories. It makes the Stockholm/Lima syndrome romance a little hard to get behind, even as someone who supports women’s rights and wrongs.

I want to clarify that I eat up a lot of the tropes and ideas that SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim presents. That’s precisely why I wanted to see the writer do more with it. It’s easier to avoid thinking of it as an actual “dating simulator” as the title suggests; rather, it’s a story of morality, masking, and attachment.

saeko giantess dating sim review 2 — Screenshot by Siliconera

Aesthetically, the game looks fantastic. It has a clean interface, and the segments of chatting with Saeko are reminiscent of those Lofi girl streams. The contrast between the calm music and Rin’s palpable fear works great. The pixel art and animations are delightful as well. Though it’s frustrating to replay conversations with Saeko, I still enjoyed watching her facial expressions and hair animations. For all her cruelty and callousness—or, perhaps, because of her sociopathy—Saeko is a charming antagonist in the same vein as Tomie, and her face card never declines.

Crude, salacious, yet surprisingly beautiful, SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim is a fun short story for those who enjoy a fantastical take on dark romance. It only took me about three and a half hours to see all three endings in the game. But, like how a part of Rin remained in that drawer even after he escapes from it, it’s easy for your mind to linger on the implications and promises the story brings.

SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim is available on Windows PC via Steam.

The post Review: Saeko: Giantess Dating Sim Is a Treat That Could Be Yummier appeared first on Siliconera.