Imagine a boyfriend who is completely attuned to your needs. He cooks you dinner, nightly. He prepares a hot water bottle when you are on your period. And helps you drift off to sleep. He comes with no baggage, no expectations, other than you spend time with him.

The catch? He’s not real. He’s a character in Love and Deepspace, a popular mobile game that’s got women all over the world hooked.

The Economist’s Sue-Lin Wong investigates the Chinese game where women fall in love with virtual men.

Topics covered:

• Modern love
• Dating
• Singlehood
• Gaming monetisation systems
• Otome games
• AI companions

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Music by bluedot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.

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