Starfield: Is there Romance? Romance Explained

Starfield is a massive RPG with countless named NPCs, locations, and quests. Becoming friends with companions is natural, and expected if you have the Empath trait. From there, you may be wondering if things can blossom further. So is there romance in Starfield?

Is There Romance in Starfield? Romance Explained

Unlike previous Bethesda games, there are slim pickings when it comes to dateable characters in Starfield. Less than a handful of companions are open to love, potentially leading to a lack of romance options. If you’re like me, you already know who you’re going to woo each time you play, but others may find the meager offerings discouraging. With such a diverse cast of companions, wanting to date some others is understandable.

Similar to dating in Fallout, you befriend your companion, start flirting, and can become a couple. This involves completing companion quests, as well as a romance quest. The quests further expand your knowledge of your partner and give you more content to delve into.

Can You Get Married in Starfield?

Unlike Fallout, you can actually show your commitment by marrying your chosen love in Starfield. Once you’ve tied the knot, you won’t be able to date other eligible singles, so make sure you’re satisfied with the companion you’ve picked. There’s a unique way to marry each person, so you’ll need to complete their quest to be off the market officially.

Like Skyrim, when you sleep next to your spouse, you get a buff. Called Emotional Security, you can see that it’s applied when you wake up. The text at the top right of the screen will say “you awaken filled with a newfound sense of emotional security.” It gives you a 15% XP bonus for 24 in-game hours. You’ll also be greeted with a line or two from your spouse about the night’s… activities.

When romancing someone, whether you’ve just put out there that you’re a couple or went all the way to the altar, you’ll get specific dialogue options related to your relationship. You can check in on them, flirt with special lines, or ask how your relationship is going.

Starfield Divorce Explained

If you’ve grown tired of your spouse, you’re able to part ways. Check-in on your marriage, and after hearing how great it’s going from your partner, select that you don’t think it’s working out. Prepare for tears and heartbreak because separation is in the stars for you. You must go through a few different dialogue screens, and you can change your mind. If you do end the commitment, the companion will be angry with you, no longer follow you around, and only consider you an ally.

Should There Be More Romance Options?

When looking at other titles from Bethesda, we can see the influence of the Fallout franchise again in Starfield. There are 12 romance options in Fallout 4 and over 60 in Skyrim. While 12 is a far cry from 60, having a third of that available in Starfield is pretty low. Understandably, the game is focused on space exploration, building outposts, and artifacts. However, dating is an often asked-for and enjoyed aspect of any RPG or simulation game. If you can have companions, you can have romance. With limited options, it feels a bit like that part of the game was an afterthought.

That answers the question: is there romance in Starfield? We have multiple guides on who you can romance, and how to swoon them, in our guide vault. We also cover a variety of quests, how to get free ships, and if you should join the Crimson Fleet or UC SysDef.