VN - Ren'Py - Completed - Dating Joyce: a Deckbuilding Game [v2025-02-07] [Omshinwa18]

Ive never posted a rating because it was too much work, but for this hidden gem I will. I wont say anything that will spoil the game but I rec you play it and just try to get to act 2 and it'll be unforgetable.

TLDR: Not my thing but I can appreciate a well created game. Kudos to the dev even if I am deleting the game and will try to forget it.
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I feel like this game should come with a warning label. When you see BDSM in the tags, it's not like some games where this is one of many fetishes that you can opt out of, skip, or otherwise ignore. This is pretty hard core, in your face, and not avoidable.

There is no denying the game is very well done from both a story telling and gaming perspective. The deck building is challenging, changing, and a lot of fun. The story has a number of surprise twists and mostly well told. The art work ... it wasn't my favorite but I have to admit it grew on me and I have to say by the end I really appreciated it.

With all that being said, and with proper and well deserved kudos given to the dev, I will be deleting this game and never looking back. Extreme BDSM is not my thing. This goes well beyond handcuffs and light spanking.
I did consider holding on to the game because the deck building is really good .... but no. With all that being said, I do want to reiterate, that for what this is, even if it isn't my cup of tea, the dev put together an extremely well crafted game. I hope he does something vanilla romance in the future. I would totally play it.

Wow, what a hidden gym. That shit was so fucking good.
The deck building is really in depth and if you enjoy deckbuilding, you will 100% enjoy this game too.
One of the rare game on f95 that I will give 5 star.
Can't wait to see more games from this dev

An excellent game. I am always a lot more positive towards games that have some actual gameplay, and the deckbuilder in this one is actually kind of fun and offers a decent enough challenge. And while it can sometimes be a bit grindy when you're either looking to add a certain card to your deck or you try to increase certain stats, I could still tolerate that level of grind.

I also genuinely like the art style, which has a little more scrapyness to it, that isn't just entirely smooth.

Something I personally could take or leave is the whole domination aspect of the story. I would have been more than happy enough if this game had just been a wholesome love story. It's a bit of a shame that most of the sex in this game takes place in a dungeon and is really toeing the line of CNC and non-consensual.

One thing that I would have loved to see is if we as players had the opportunity to have two separate decks, one for dating and the other for sex. Building a deck that can do both just has too much bloat and would end up failing. In my playthrough, after the dates in act three, the MC nutedt almost instantly during the sex scenes because I had built my deck entirely around raising trust and attraction and had gotten rid of all the "dungeon" cards. And then in Act 4, you once again switch back to a deck to help you last longer. If there was the opportunity to have a dedicated dating and a dedicated sex deck, none of this would be an issue.

This has to be one of my top games of all time

This is not a long game.. It is not a complicated (plot wise) game

The plot is not complicated but without giving anything away explores dom elements with a mystery girl in unexpected ways. It's really simple but done really well. It rewards constantly with twists and evolutions and results throughout this short game..

It's that combined with the deckbuilding gameplay. It probably ranks among the best gameplay in this space. Some would say it could be difficult but because it's combined with the excellent plot it gives a strong feeling of 'progression'

What ties it all together is this is a labor of (lewd) love and it touched me in a way no other game has. A lot of nice details in this game. There's the dom element but also a bit of a corruption development, relationship development, in a lewd yet also wholesome way.. It really just has a lot of elements that evolve unpredictably over a story that's pretty damn brilliant

A must play

This is my first review, usually I dont reviews this games(since i not fluent in english), but I must say that this is one of the best ones i play. This game have a interesting story and its pretty fun. If you a card game and a porn game this is a must play game

One of the best game I have ever played, Hope this will get a sequel or something. The art is excellent and the plot is good. the card game itself is really fun.

If I really have to nitpick this game. I find the stamina part and the act 3 is a little bit grindy for me, and I was hoping for more relationship development part tbh. but the game right now is already good enough.

Gets 5 stars simply for the fact it genuinely surprised me with its act 2 plot twist. The fact that even your style of cards change is fantastic. Heres a quick list of the many pros and few cons.

Pros

1. Art is really good. animations are fluid and even things like the plant in your room have so much charm. Not studio ghibli level but charming and nice to look at
2. SFX, from music to moaning sounds great
3. Cute, pretty well written dialogue
4. Unique gameplay that actually requires you to think. Is surprisingly fun, although not super detailed.

Cons / Nitpicks (PLAY THE GAME FIRST ITS WORTH YOUR TIME, THEN COME BACK TO THESE)

1. I feel as if the tone after the big act 2 twist seems off. Im pretty sure you can
   Spoiler: spoiler for act 2

   You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.
   , (EDIT. YOU CANNOT, BUT MY ARGUMENT STILL STANDS) but still, it seems a bit jarring to go from act 2 - 3. I think it would of benefited from 2 branching paths after act 1, with one being more femdom oriented and one being the other way around, rather than the mix of the 2 we got
2. I don't want to go back and replay the entire game just to unlock the scene for ejaculating in the gallery. I shouldn't be punished for beating it first try
3. I wish you had 2 separate decks for dating and sex, it made my deck feel very bloated and a bit luck reliant to pull my date related cards while on the date and sex related cards while having sex. (might just be a skill issue idk)

Overall, one of the most unique and surprising games i have played in a while, scratched my femdom itch. Underrated and totally worth a play!

It may look like some usual shit at first. Finish the second act and you will not regret.

Great thanks to author, one of the best degenerate game with best story so far.

Story 10/10
Gameplay 8/10 (I was hoping for more new cards in later acts)
Visuals 7/10 (no AI)

p.s. : it maybe working better for those who don't like femdom

Great game witha ver enjoyable card deckbuilder. It is a really good game with great animations as well.

Recommended for everyone who appreciate good deckbuilders and porn with a twist.

Challenging to find the good mechanics, and good puzzles

This game surprised me in several ways. On the surface, it presents itself as another adult visual novel built in Ren’Py, but it tries to go beyond the usual formula. The deckbuilding system, while not particularly deep or innovative, at least adds a layer of interaction that distinguishes it from pure kinetic storytelling. Unfortunately, the deckbuilding itself is not very interesting: strategies are limited, and after a few rounds it becomes repetitive. Still, the simple fact that it works without major bugs is reassuring, and everything runs smoothly as expected.


The use of Ren’Py is noteworthy. Instead of relying on the usual minimal structure that so many adult projects default to, the developer made an effort to twist the engine toward something more interactive. This makes the overall experience feel less like a static slideshow and more like a game. Combined with the mix of action and strategy, the title encourages the player to think, plan, and engage. It’s refreshing to actually reflect on decisions rather than mindlessly clicking forward.


On the artistic side, the visuals are better than average. The character artwork is appealing and polished, clearly crafted with care. While the style might not reach the heights of professional studios, it carries charm and identity. I personally appreciated the design and found it immersive enough to keep me engaged through the short runtime.


In the end, the project is not flawless — the deckbuilding needs more depth, and the story feels brief — but it shows promise. The combination of Ren’Py innovation, functional systems, and decent art makes it stand out from the crowd. It’s the kind of experiment that, with more refinement, could evolve into something genuinely memorable.

"I used a writing tool to help me express my ideas, since English is not my native language."

Review of Dating Joyce: a Deckbuilding Game [v2025-02-07] ...

... as a game:
* Great story. The story evolves as you progress in the game and has some interesting plot twists.
* Good dialogs.
* Has music and sounds but no voices.
* Beautiful art style.
* No bugs, perfect performance.
... regarding its erotic side:
* Character design is great. Only one character, your date Joyce, but she is hot and you know her personality through the game.
* Scenes are good. All scenes are dates so their design are related to the story.
* Great animations.
* It has music sounds and moans (no fully voiced).
* Has Gallery mode. You have to unlock it through achivements.

A very pleasant surprise which I found randomly here. It mix a great story with a more than decent lewd content plus a good deck building game system. Honestly, if you don't dislike deck building game, I can see people saying this is the best game "as a game" of the site.

As you can see, I could't find any flaw to the game. Yes, you can ask more scenes, more dates, a second part with more girls... but the game actually is pretty solid.

Great game for someone looking for a decent deck builder mechanics. its a good 20-30 hours of play despite its simplicity and small size. The art work seems to be simple yet great to look at. The puzzles section was quite challenging... all in all probably the best game I have played in a long while

My new favourite game here. I will avoid spoilers because yes, there are a few.

First of all, the game actually has decent gameplay. But if you don't enjoy the puzzly kind of deck building it has, you probably won't enjoy the game.

Secondly, both the story and the mechanics keep being surprising throughout, each act significantly changing both the mechanics and the tone of the story. This keeps things interesting, and I was always looking forward for more. And finally, the game doesn't overstay its welcome and finishes while it's still good and not a chore.

I especially enjoyed the slow buildup in Act 1, getting to know a bit about Joyces habits and personality. We get sexy hints about her naughtiness, with mild but slowly escalating porn stuff.

Act 2 kind of turns the gameplay upside down, which was fun. The sex gets explicit from here on, and I enjoyed the weird mild humour which starts showing up. It lightens the tone, which is needed for spoiler reasons.

Act 3 mixes the two gameplay styles from the previous acts and is a nice challenge. The story culminates in a sort of a full circle. The final act is basically an extended ending, with more relaxed, easier gameplay. (Or was it all act 3? I don't remember.) I enjoyed how it contrasts the plot from previous acts and provides a kind of closure to the characters' relationship.

I’m genuinely blown away. I’m a huge fan of NSFW games and have played a ton of them. But for the last three months, not a single game I tried clicked with me. I was starting to think this genre just wasn’t my thing anymore. Then, by some stroke of luck, I downloaded this game. At first, it feels like just another dull Ren'Py visual novel with art that’s not exactly top-tier (not bad, just not the best). But holy crap, this game opens up fast with its cool deck-building system. I’ve never been into card games, but this one hooked me hard. Sometimes you’re stuck for ages, puzzling over how to get past a tough spot, thinking you screwed up your build and need to restart. Then you figure out the right move, and it’s such a damn rush. The story’s pretty solid too, no spoilers, but I dug it. The art grows on you and ends up feeling plenty hot. I freaking loved this game, binged it in one evening, and now I’m hyped for whatever the dev drops next (if they ever do).

Holy sheet, well done it was so seductive. Even thought the art style wasnt something that attracted me, the story and all of it was too damn good. It was veryyyyyyyyy gooddddddddddddd. Plus the card game was very fun, low key it was a well cooked game.10/10

One of the unique adult games that has a strong gameplay element.

If you enjoy slay the spire of TCG single player card building type of games, this game is up your alley.

The gameplay is significantly better than the story; the story is a bit average to the lower side.

The sex scenes are enjoyable and feel well rewarded with the game loop

Great gameplay, unique art, solid scenes/content. However, the story makes little sense and the characters never get any substantial development. You will enjoy it if you are looking only for a good game with sexy content, but if you want story/characters to care about, find something else.

Gameplay: By far the strongest point, which is great considering it's a proper deckbuilding game. Even after only one playthrough, the levels present many unique challenges that require you to change your deck around.

Art/Content: The art has a distinct and compelling style, which already makes it more memorable and interesting than the vast majority of H games with anime/cartoon-style art or overused 3D models. There's solid BGM/SFX as well, although it's not an especially strong point. The writing of the texting/dialogue is well done, building tension and keeping things moving.

Story/Characters: A major weak point. If the game as a whole wasn't so well executed, I'd dock a point. It would be fine if it was just a generic hentai plot -- the game is really apparently hentai-inspired -- but everything kind of falls off a cliff at the end of Act 2. The writing in this sense was handled in an incredibly disappointing way. It could've taken a much darker turn, with MC plotting a true revenge, or it could've explored proper BDSM/roleplay with consent and boundaries. MC and Joyce could've been fleshed-out characters with real reasons behind their fucked-up actions and relationship. Alas, the potential was wasted.

Awesome gameplay and story, really well done and underrated!

I love slay the spire, so this sort of deck building gameplay is something I really enjoy, and it’s crazy to see it well implemented in a visual novel.

The art style is also really nice, a refreshing change from Daz3d for sure.

This is the best NSFW card game I've ever tried and the way the game flows and presents twists is amazing. I've never played anything like it and the quality is very high.


Would give 6/5 if I could.