Screenshots
Watch trailer on Steam ↗Don't Make Love
Maggese · Published by Maggese · Official site ↗
Very Positive — 84% positive (496 reviews) · 42 achievements
Last updated 27 Sept 2026
Assume the role of a praying mantis in a relationship dilemma. Torn between their mutual love and the instinct to have sex – which could lead to the male mantis’s death – the couple is on the verge of making a decision. Type anything you want in response to your partner during this life-changing conversation.
Free to PlayDJCTQ l
Free
Indie, Simulation, Casual · 2017 · More free games
Explore the delicate balance between affection and instinct as you navigate a relationship dilemma in Don't Make Love. Experience the tension-filled dialogue choices that define your mantis' fate in this unique simulation game.
About this game
Reviews
About the Game
Will you make love and risk death?
Assume the role of a praying mantis in a relationship dilemma. Torn between their mutual love and the instinct to have sex – which could lead to the male mantis’s death – the couple is now on the verge of making a decision. Try to keep their relationship in balance by typing anything you want in response to your partner during this life-changing conversation. Do your best to convey your feelings in a situation without satisfying solution.
Feature list
- Type your responses without any restrictions and watch the conversation unfold
- A lively character that reacts to you in a meaningful way
- Play as either male or female
- Multiple endings and nonlinear playthroughs
- Hand-drawn art style with a cinematic feel
- Dynamic soundtrack that changes according to your partner’s mood
Games/Media that inspired us:
- Emily is Away
- Façade
- The Green Porno Series
- A Lover's Discourse: Fragments
FAQ
Can I really type anything?
Yes, you can, but the interaction depends on what you type. This game puts you in a specific situation: a conversation about a relationship in stalemate. If you don’t take on that role, the game will ignore most of what you type. If you try to “stick to the script” you’ll notice how the game can understand you and respond appropriately.
One playthrough is pretty short. Why shouldn’t I get a refund after I finish it?
How many times have you put a lot of effort into something but that effort wasn’t acknowledged? It’s often difficult to understand how much time and money goes into what we experience as entertainment, but we’re sure you can see where we’re coming from. That’s why we hope you’ll consider this a fair price for the kind of experience “Don’t Make Love” is.
Why is the game only available in English?
We would love to cover as many languages as possible but converting the system to support more languages would be a tremendous amount of work. Since we are only three people, it would be too much for us to take on. If the game proves successful, we’ll consider this possibility.
System Requirements
Will my PC run this? →Minimum
Minimum:
- OS *: Windows 7
- Processor: Intel Core i3 2100
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: Intel
- Storage: 500 MB available space
Supported Languages
English
Latest news
AnnouncementsOfficial
In Memoriam
Dear all, It’s been three years since the release of Don’t Make Love. Three wonderful years, full of amazing people and all kinds of emotions. This game was developed by a great human being out of the need to communicate personal experiences, thoughts, and emotions. It isn’t meant to portray just a relationship problem, but also the difficulties that every one of us encounters when facing a crossroad in our life. Dario’s dream was, indeed, to create a game that could reflect that. Something that could be not only a short and entertaining distraction, but a small and intimate life experience, and to do so, he poured his own soul into the game. To remember him and allow everyone to catch a glimpse of his beautiful soul, from today, Don’t Make Love is free to download. Thanks to all of you that supported us, criticized us, and made us better. Thanks to all of those that shared their emotions with us. This game was made by Dario for all of you. Experience it. Live it. With love, Giorgio, Nina, and PatrickRead full article on Community Announcements (Patrick)Patch NotesOfficial
Small Patch Released
Hi everyone, We just pushed a small patch with the following changes: Natural language recognition was slightly improved Some minor bug fixes Now the game doesn't comment on the absence of the player if it's paused or if you are reviewing the text at the end of the game The game checks the resolution and sets itself at fullscreen only once at startup We're planning a sligthly bigger update in the future, which will allow you to review past conversations in the menu but there is no fixed date for it yet. Thanks again for all your support!Read full article on Community Announcements (Patrick)AnnouncementsOfficial
Thank You & Roadmap
First of all, thank you very much for all your positive feedback since launch!Read full article on Community Announcements (Patrick)Press Coverage
Unknown Pleasures: the best new indie games on Steam
Welcome back to Unknown Pleasures, our weekly digest of hidden gems embedded into the vast mountain of new Steam releases over the past seven days. This week: praying mantises gettin’ it on, 80s neon puzzling, obscure Russian Doom clones and the shmup where every enemy is your own past. (more…)Read full article on Rock, Paper, Shotgun
