A downloadable game

As of November 11th, 2024, Dates & Wires is now available on Steam in an all-new Augmented Edition! This updated release replaces the old Itch.io versions -- if you previously purchased D&W through the Itch storefront, please see this post for details about how to claim a complimentary Steam key.

The year is 1995, and you're newly single, ready to mingle... and fresh off the plane in Stradania, the dysfunctional micronation whose chief exports are pig iron, human misery, and radioactive souvenir mugs. 

Your travel guides have steered you to the hottest nightclub in town. Now it's up to you to seize the evening by getting up close and intimate with Stradania's Most Eligible Vaguely Handsome Self-Absorbed Guys You Happened to Spot in the Club:

  • Dan - Half man, half existential crisis; subsists on a steady diet of Rimbaud, imported cigarettes, and unmarked pills. 
  • Fixer - The kind of person whose opinions have opinions. Don't get him started on data tapes - you'll be there all night. 
  • Sandman - Mysterious hacker of few words and even fewer discernible emotions. Smells vaguely of anti-flea shampoo. 
  • Shitparade - The leading authority on terrible VR trips, forever on the lookout for somebody to inflict them on. 
  • NoK00l - Stradania's techwear king. Once spent a month's salary on a package of "tactical socks," a fact he still brags about. 
  • Jack - Your friendly neighborhood bartender, always ready with a word of encouragement and a novelty cocktail. Oddly unfazed by his club's creepy decor.

You soon realize all these characters have other things going on, something far bigger than trying to get laid on a Saturday night... but what? It's up to you to find out!

Dates & Wires is the official otome spin-off of weekly webcomic Drugs & Wires, featuring the music of NINGEN.

FEATURES

  • 6 available dates with multiple possible endings and unlockable souvenirs
  • 2 - 3 hours of playtime, with more than 25,000 words of dialogue
  • Hidden scenes, dialogue, and more depending on play order and choices - multiple playthroughs recommended!
  • Gender-neutral protagonist

RATING & CONTENT

Dates & Wires is rated PG-13 for minor language and drug references, mild suggestive content, and general cynicism. 

Also contains harsh experimental noise and two minor jump scare-ish moments. 

TIPS FOR FIRST-TIME PLAYERS

  • The order in which you choose to tackle the dates will have long-term effects on dialogue, scenes, and options - don't be afraid to save and experiment a little to see what happens.
  • There are nine unlockable souvenirs in the game, eight of which are obtained from the main characters' best outcomes. The ninth? Save your energy for someone special that night, and perhaps the dark prince will answer your calling...
More information

Development log