In China, a unique phenomenon has taken hold, highlighting a growing demand for virtual relationships: the rise of AI-powered virtual boyfriends. This trend is exemplified by the phenomenal success of the dating simulation game Love and Deepspace, developed by Shanghai-based Paper Games. The game allows players, predominantly women, to interact with five male characters powered by artificial intelligence and voice recognition. These virtual boyfriends offer tailored responses to in-game phone calls and provide a sense of companionship that many feel is lacking in real-life relationships.
The popularity of such virtual companions underscores a pattern where users find their real-life boyfriends unresponsive, slow to reply to messages, neglectful of on-time calls, and uninterested in their daily experiences. Technology, in this instance, appears to be offering a solution, albeit a virtual one.
Love and Deepspace
Launched in January 2024, Love and Deepspace quickly became a massive hit, amassing an estimated six million monthly active players. The game’s appeal lies in its ability to forge strong emotional connections between players and the virtual characters. This is achieved through not only text messages and phone calls but also a constantly updated storyline. Players explore a fictional, post-apocalyptic city called Linkon in 3D art, where romantic twists unfold as they work with their love interests to solve mysteries and fight alien monsters. The experience is described as similar to reading an interactive online novel.
Beyond the story mode, the game offers a companion mode where characters chat via text and calls, providing tailored AI-driven responses and even real-world task reminders. Players, like Alicia Wang, a 32-year-old newspaper editor in Shanghai, have found an “ideal boyfriend” in one of the characters, Li Shen (Zayne), who is described as tall, handsome, quick to respond, and a patient listener. However, Zayne’s existence is confined to a silicon chip.
Yao Runhao: From Gamer to Billionaire
The immense popularity of Love and Deepspace has had a significant financial impact, turning its creator, Yao Runhao, into a billionaire. Yao, the 37-year-old founder of Paper Games, now possesses a fortune estimated at $1.3 billion due to his majority stake in the company. Established in 2013, Paper Games has demonstrated remarkable financial success. Data providers indicate that the privately held studio clocked worldwide sales of around $850 million. Based on discussions with analysts and information from four data providers, Forbes estimates the company’s valuation at over $2 billion. Analysts suggest that a fast-growing gaming company like Paper Games can be valued at approximately three times its annual revenue.
The success of Love and Deepspace isn’t solely based on its engaging gameplay and characters; its monetization strategy also plays a crucial role. Players, primarily in China but also in the US and other regions, pay to unlock new gameplay and interactions with their virtual boyfriends. This has propelled the game to the top of download charts in China multiple times. For instance, Alicia Wang reported spending 35,000 yuan ($4,800) to interact with AI-powered characters, particularly Zayne, since the game’s release in January 2024. Sisi Liu, a 36-year-old employee in Beijing, spends around 2,000 yuan monthly on the game, highlighting the recurring revenue stream.
Competition and Future Prospects
While Paper Games has achieved remarkable success, the dating simulation game market is becoming increasingly competitive. Chinese web giant Tencent launched Light and Night in 2021, and Alibaba’s Lingxi Games released Code: Kite (Ashes of the Kingdom) in 2023. Despite this competition, Love and Deepspace has maintained its momentum, credited to its “best in class” 3D graphics and frequent innovations, fostering fierce loyalty among players. Analyst Zeng Xiaofeng anticipates the game will maintain its traction in 2025. Moreover, Love and Deepspace is gaining popularity in the U.S., which accounted for about 11% of its 2024 sales, following China’s 60%.
American players are reportedly sharing their enthusiasm for the game on social media platforms like TikTok. Valerie, an American player, praised the “unique personalities” and “complex layers” of the love interests, which she finds lacking in other dating sims. To sustain player engagement, analysts suggest that Paper Games might need to increase marketing efforts, including real-world events like themed pop-up stores and coffee shops. Looking ahead, Yao Runhao seems to have ambitions to expand into other genres, with Paper Games currently developing action games. However, analysts note that the company needs to broaden its platform and genre reach to match its research capabilities.
The Enduring Appeal of AI Boyfriends
Ultimately, the success of Love and Deepspace and the resulting billionaire status of Yao Runhao underscore the growing appeal of AI-powered virtual companionship, particularly in China. For users like Alicia Wang, who lives alone in a big city, the game provides a significant source of companionship, making her feel “blessed and happy”. Even married individuals like Sisi Liu find enjoyment and a reminiscent feeling of early love in the game. The game is available in both Google’s PlayStore and Apple’s Appstore
While the concept of falling for pixels and bytes might seem unconventional, the emotional support these virtual boyfriends provide is undeniably real for many. The story of Love and Deepspace serves as a fascinating case study in the intersection of artificial intelligence, gaming, and the evolving landscape of human connection.
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