While the genre started in the 1980s, arguably the first dating sim to make it big is Tokimeki Memorial, first released for the PC in 1994. Tokimeki made it big thanks to word of mouth.

What is the first social simulation game?

Tenshitachi no Gogo (1985)—One of the earliest dating sims, released for the 16-bit NEC PC-9801 computer. Jones in the Fast Lane (1990)—by Sierra Entertainment is one of the earliest life simulators.

When did dating become a game?

The Dating Game is an American television game show that first aired on December 20, 1965, and was the first of many shows created and packaged by Chuck Barris from the 1960s through the 1980s. ABC dropped the show on July 6, 1973, but it continued in syndication for another year (1973–1974) as The New Dating Game.