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Dating River: The Complete Romance Guide in Date Everything September 2, 2025

Originally posted on Total Apex Gaming | By Alyssa Estep | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 3:14 PM ET

Image of Date Everything courtesy of Steam, Sassy Chap Games, and Team 17

Oh, River. Sweet, complicated, absolutely heartbreaking River. If you’ve stumbled into the wonderfully chaotic world of Date Everything! and found yourself enchanted by this shape-shifting water spirit, you’re not alone. River isn’t just another dateable character—she’s a beautifully crafted emotional journey wrapped in flowing water and endless self-doubt.

Let me tell you something: The River romance isn’t for the faint of heart. This isn’t your typical “give flowers, get kiss” scenario. River’s story will make you laugh, cry, and probably question your own relationship patterns. She’s dealing with identity issues that run deeper than the ocean, and honey, that’s exactly what makes her so compelling.

Who Is River and Why She’ll Break Your Heart

River represents all the water in your house, which sounds simple enough until you realize the profound metaphor at play here. She’s fluid, ever-changing, and desperately trying to figure out who she really is beneath all those shifting forms. Watching her struggle with self-acceptance feels like looking into a mirror—uncomfortable, raw, and necessary.

The girl has serious abandonment issues masked as people-pleasing tendencies. She’ll literally reshape herself to make others happy, and it’s both frustrating and heartbreaking to witness. River’s character arc isn’t just about romance; it’s about learning to love yourself first. Revolutionary concept, right?

Finding River: Your First Encounter

Here’s the beautiful simplicity of it all: River can be summoned by interacting with any running water source in your house. Turn on a faucet, and voilà—there she is, probably already apologizing for existing. You can meet her right after the tutorial, making her one of the most accessible characters early in the game.

But don’t let that accessibility fool you. River may be easy to find, but understanding her? That’s where things get complicated, and frankly, that’s where the magic happens.

Navigating River’s Complex Emotional Landscape

Building a relationship with River feels like performing emotional surgery with your bare hands. She’s insecure about everything—how she looks, how she sounds, whether people actually like her or just tolerate her presence. Sound familiar? Yeah, River hits different because she’s uncomfortably relatable.

Her friendships and romantic connections with other dateables aren’t just background noise—they’re integral to her story. You’ll witness her transform into different versions of herself, desperately trying to become what she thinks each person wants. It’s painful to watch, but it’s also incredibly human.

The Three Paths: Love, Friendship, or Heartbreak

Image of Date Everything courtesy of Steam, Sassy Chap Games, and Team 17

Achieving the Love Ending: Become River’s Safe Harbor

Getting River’s love ending isn’t about grand romantic gestures or smooth pickup lines. It’s about consistency, patience, and showing her that she doesn’t need to perform for your affection. You’ll need to support her through multiple identity crises as she interacts with other dateables.

When River starts shapeshifting to please others, resist the urge to tell her what to do. Instead, be her anchor. Remind her that you appreciate her authentic self—messy, uncertain, and beautifully real. The key phrase here is “authentic self.” River responds to genuine appreciation, not hollow compliments.

Watch for moments when she’s being genuine and celebrate them. When she finally develops true self-acceptance (and trust me, it’s a journey), she’ll open up about her feelings. That’s your moment to reciprocate, but only if you mean it. River can sense insincerity from miles away.

The Friendship Route: Sometimes Love Means Letting Go

Maybe romance isn’t in the cards, and that’s okay. The friendship ending with River is equally beautiful and arguably more realistic for many players. You’ll follow the same supportive path, helping her discover herself while maintaining appropriate boundaries.

When the pivotal moment comes, choose friendship over romance. River will understand, and honestly, she might even be relieved. Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is recognize what someone truly needs.

The Hate Ending: When Everything Goes Wrong

Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat this—the hate ending with River is brutal. To achieve it, you’ll need to consistently dismiss her concerns, treat her with disrespect, and basically become everything she fears in other people.

It’s not fun to play through, but it serves an important narrative purpose. It shows how easily we can damage someone who’s already struggling with self-worth. If you’re going for completion’s sake, prepare for some uncomfortable feelings.

Why River’s Story Matters

River isn’t just a character you romance in a quirky dating sim—she’s a mirror reflecting our own struggles with identity and self-acceptance. Her journey resonates because we’ve all felt like we needed to be someone else to be loved. We’ve all shapeshifted to fit expectations, losing ourselves in the process.

The genius of River’s character lies in how the developers used her literal ability to change forms as a metaphor for the masks we all wear. When she finally learns to love herself as she is, it’s not just character development—it’s inspiration.

Final Thoughts: Dive Deep with River

Romancing River in Date Everything! isn’t just about adding another character to your dating roster. It’s about patience, empathy, and understanding that real love—romantic or platonic—means accepting someone exactly as they are, not as you think they should be.

River’s story will challenge you, frustrate you, and ultimately reward you with one of the most meaningful relationship arcs in the entire game. So, take a deep breath, dive in, and prepare for an emotional journey that’s as fluid and unpredictable as River herself.

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This article first appeared on Total Apex Gaming and was syndicated with permission.

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