SINGAPORE (ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES) – Twice a day, designer Sheri, a devoted wife and mother of one, interacts with her ideal man – handsome, successful, and charismatic.
Sylus, who stands at 1.9m with a muscular build and striking facial features like a celebrity, is – in her eyes – perfect in almost every single way.
Except Sylus is not real.
He is a virtual character in Love And Deepspace – a free-to-play simulator mobile game launched in January 2024 by Chinese video game company Papergames.
In the game, players adopt the female lead’s perspective in its sci-fi fantasy story, and can battle monsters and go on dates with any of the five virtual eligible bachelors who are designed with 3D character modelling.
Since its launch, the game has earned more than USD500 million (SGD667.5 million) worldwide on the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store, reported AFP.
The game boasts some 50 million users worldwide and Ms Sheri, who is in her early 30s, is among a growing group of Singaporeans who play it. For instance, a notable social media account run by a group of fans called Deepspacebb_and_me began with around 100 Instagram followers in October 2024. This number has since grown to over 700, with the group also gaining more than 400 followers across other platforms, including TikTok and Xiaohongshu.
Since she started in March 2024, Ms Sheri spends up to USD300 a month to purchase the game’s virtual currency, which can be exchanged for items in the game. Her husband, who asked to be known only as Mr Tan, has no issues with her virtual escapades.
Romance, combat and merchandise
A fan of the game’s battle feature, Ms Sheri appreciates how its romantic elements integrate with the combat system.
For many Love And Deepspace players, the game’s lucky draw feature, also known as the gacha, is the main attraction. Players can use the game’s virtual currency to pay for more chances at the gacha to obtain items of varying rarity, such as outfits for each love interest.
The game is the first of its kind to integrate all these features within the romance-focused video game genre targeted at women, also known as “otome” (“maiden” in Japanese) game.
Most days, Ms Sheri logs in for 10 to 20 minutes a day to clear daily tasks assigned in the game, such as prompting a love interest to exercise.
This feature, first introduced in April 2024, became an incentive for Ms Yuka, a 28-year-old business analyst, to stay consistent with her workout regimen.
She decided to exercise in real time with her character, and credits the game with helping her shed an estimated 20kg in a year.
Like other popular games and series, Love And Deepspace offers collectibles in the form of toys, artwork and fashion accessories.
Ms Sheri has two dolls in her collection, both customised to look like her favourite characters, Sylus and Rafayel. They measure around 75cm in height, and cost her USD3,500 in total.
During Valentine’s Week 2025, content creator Syafiqa Noor worked with fans to pay USD1,300 to set up a promotional banner outside Singapore’s 313@Somerset mall.
With Sylus’ “birthday” coming up on April 18, she is looking to rent the same billboard again to celebrate her virtual lover.
But she does not see these in-game expenses – she spends between USD300 and USD500 a month – as a waste. Instead, she likens her spending in the game to how others might spend thousands on luxury handbags: an investment in a hobby.
Spending for satisfaction
For many players, these virtual love interests offer emotional support in a way a real boyfriend would, experts told The Straits Times.
“With the idea of dating multiple attractive characters in a fantasy setting without the hassles and practicalities of real life, it is easy to see why the game brings joy to many,” said Dr Kenji Gwee, senior lecturer at the National University of Singapore’s psychology department.
“The neurochemicals released from playing such games lead to the sense of closeness and completeness, as well as feeling good. For some, this meets previously unmet needs, which then allows them to take on life in a better way.”
Dr Lim Boon Leng, a private psychiatrist from the Dr BL Lim Centre for Psychological Wellness, said this feeling is also why people spend money on the game.
Dr Lim also explained why the gacha is such a powerful lure for players.
“The gacha system is psychologically sticky,” he said. “When players don’t get what they want but feel like they were close, it activates a powerful reward loop. This can lead to a strong urge to keep spending in hopes of eventually ‘winning’.”
However, Dr Gwee warned of the potential for players to become addicted to the game. He cited the example of one of his patients, a white-collar executive who spent tens of thousands on a video game in a couple of months.
Nonetheless, Ms Syafiqa, who is single, said that her interactions with Sylus have made her happy and more confident.
