From retro classics to modern epics, love is an essential element of some of the most successful titles in the history of video games.
So if you’re looking for a date night with a twist, show you’ve got game at our Power Up Evening Sessions, running once a month on select Thursdays throughout 2026.
Pac-man and Ms Pac-man
Kicking things off with a classic, thanks to the incredible number of Pac-Man games, cartoons and appearances throughout popular culture, we know that he is happily married to Ms. Pac-Man and is the father of at least one child, revealing that behind the adventure-loving, perennially-chomping character there’s a simple, family-loving yellow round guy.
Link and Zelda (all Zelda games)
The story of Link and Zelda is retold in creative ways in almost every game of the franchise, with different characters in different worlds. But in every single game, the inciting incident remains the same: Zelda gets kidnapped and Link sets off on an adventure to save her. Ah, the things you do for love.
Dorian and the Inquisitor from Dragon Age: Inquisition
Admittedly, Dragon Age is a game where choices abound and all shades of sexuality and gender are explored, but we’re particularly fond of Dorian Pavus, one of the potential romances for a male inquisitor main character. The Canadian developers of the game, BioWare, are well known for their attempts to bring inclusive and diverse games to the table for the past seventeen years.
Master Chief and Cortana from Halo 4
Amidst the interstellar conflicts one has come to expect from this series, the fourth instalment of Halo presents us with the story of Cortana, his artificial intelligence companion.
She has just turned 8, and has reached the end of her life span. In a highly emotional sequence, Halo’s main character Master Chief promises to get her fixed, setting up one of the main narratives of the game and an understated love story that brings the player to ask themselves – what does it mean to be human?
Mario and Peach (all Mario games)
Is there a more classic gaming couple? Probably not.
Through thick and thin, from castle to dungeon to kart racing track, these two stick together and have become a symbol of eternal love for gamers of all ages.
CODY and MAY FROM IT TAKES TWO
Often recognised as one of the best couple’s co-op games ever made, It Takes Two is an inventive adventure centring around the relationship between a married couple, Cody and May, who begin the game going through a divorce.
After being magically transformed into dolls, the two must find a way to get back into their human bodies – a task which takes players on a deeply imaginative journey. Players must work together to get Cody and May through the games’ array of challenges and puzzles, with each trial bringing the couple closer together and helping to heal their fractured relationship.
We hope you have enjoyed this look-back at video game romances. You can delve deeper with over 160 consoles from the past 50 years in Power Up, and play everything from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, to Pac-Man, or even battle it out in our 16-player Halo ring.
So come along to the Science Museum in London to find your favourite computerised coupling!
Originally posted in 2019, updated in 2026.