Another Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and you know what that means: tons of holiday-themed articles from websites like ours, scrambling to clumsily link videogames with romance and reminding the lovelorn that fictional characters have it better than they do. That said, it can be fun to reflect on some of the great love stories games have given us over the years – and no, those things aren’t mutually exclusive.

Trendy as it is to treat videogame romance like some great undiscovered frontier, the truth is that involving, even genuinely touching romances have been a key part of game stories for decades. Some are sappy, some are tragic and some are slow boils that have taken years to really bloom. Whatever their circumstances, the 14 that follow are our favorites.

Contributors: Mikel Reparaz, Brett Elston, Henry Gilbert, Chris Antista, Lizzie Cuevas, Tyler Wilde, Carolyn Gudmundson

1. Link and Midna

From: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006)

First met when: She sprang him out of prison.

Why they’re the best: It’s easy – and cliché – to say that Link and Zelda are the classic videogame couple, but if you really examine their relationship across all their various appearances and incarnations, there’s never been any real chemistry between them. Sure, they’ve gone so far as to adventure together in a few titles (Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker and Spirit Tracks), but for the most part they’ve never progressed past rescuer/rescuee, and have shared a grand total of one (implied) kiss in the last 23 years.

Above: You call that a couple? Pfft

Enter Midna. Not only does she subvert Hyrule’s normal gender dynamics by rescuing Link (who’s been turned into a wolf) from captivity, but her relationship with him is constant, symbiotic and at times a little touching. She’s also genuinely interesting, chattering away at Link and goading him onward without ever quite coming off as annoying.

Above: Now THERE’S an inseparable duo

Oh, sure, her innate nastiness rubbed us the wrong way at first, and the fact that she spends most of Twilight Princess as a squat, sinister-looking imp makes the idea of an actual romance… troubling. But as the game progresses, her harsh exterior (and, eventually, her weird appearance) melts away, revealing genuine feelings for Link – or, at least, as close to genuine feelings as anyone in a Nintendo game’s ever expressed. (Spoiler alert!) And Link, for all his staring muteness, clearly felt something for her as well – just look at the surprised almost-expression he made when she disappeared at the end of Twilight Princess:

2. Dom and Maria Santiago

From: Gears of War series (2006-present)

First met when: They were 11 years old!

Why they’re the best: Gaming has its share of Romeos and Juliets, but to know just how tragic the saga of Dominic and Maria Santiago is, you would’ve had to engage in our absolute least favorite element of Gears of War’s gameplay: the books.

Most of you know Dom as the loyal sidekick to Marcus Fenix, but did you know that Dom and Maria grew up as next-door neighbors, only to become parents at the age of 16? As if that weren’t an ominous beginning for familial happiness, just when the couple was starting out on their new life, both of their children were killed by Locusts on Emergence Day. And that’s why they’re the best couple! (No it isn’t.)

Fenix is too high on his own testosterone to express this thing called “love,” drawing a sharp contrast to Dom, who reflects on Maria often – most notably during a domestic daydream while on a field trip through an alien’s asshole in Gears 2. Unfortunately, the loss of her children sent Maria into a spiral of depression that ended with her just vanishing one day without a trace. By the time Dom found her in an underground prison years later, she was too emaciated and traumatized to speak to or even recognize her devoted husband. They shared one final, heart-wrenching embrace before Dom cut the reunion short with a single bullet of merciful euthanasia.

Tragic? Sure. But as some of these other entries will demonstrate, sometimes it’s the saddest love stories that leave the most lasting impressions.

3. The Prince and Farah

From: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2003), Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (2005)

First met when: His father invaded and sacked her father’s kingdom, kidnapping her as a prize.

Why they’re the best: Drawn together by adversity when the Sands of Time were unleashed on the kingdom of Azad, Farah and the Prince rapidly developed a strong bond that would change them both. While he initially viewed her with distrust, the Prince eventually came to rely on Farah’s level-headed help, as well as her skill with a bow.

Above: One of the first non-irritating sidekicks ever

More importantly, her strength of character and realistic outlook helped the Prince grow from a spoiled, annoying brat into someone far more likable and considerate. By the time they had a dreamlike, implied love scene near the game’s end, the Prince was a changed man, trading in his short-sighted ideals of honor and glory for a little wisdom and maturity. And then, in the name of stopping the evil of the Sands from spreading, he changed the past and erased his adventure – and his romance with Farah – from existence.

Above: At least one of them would remember this later

Unlike some of the other, more tragic couples on this list, the Prince and Farah got a happy ending years later in The Two Thrones, when – thanks to the Prince’s mucking around with time – they were reunited as the Sands of Time were unleashed again, this time on the Prince’s father’s kingdom. This Farah had a harder edge to her, but given time, the two were able to rekindle their romance and end the Sands of Time trilogy on a high note.

4. Ico and Yorda

From: Ico (2001)

First met when: He jumped on her dangling cage, releasing her from captivity.

Why they’re the best: Trust. It’s the very heart of Ico and Yorda’s relationship. Even though they both speak different languages and are poorly equipped to handle the labyrinthine castle that imprisons them, they both take off, hand in hand, on a quest for freedom. However, even though they’re fast friends, there’s an ever-present melancholy to their escape, as both Ico and Yorda are outcasts who may have nowhere to go even if they find a way out. All they have is each other, and as a player, you become inextricably connected to them and their intimate escape. Fable III is touting “touching” as a groundbreaking feature – Ico did it wonderfully nearly 10 years ago.

Above: Sweet and innocent, their affection is a subtlety unmatched in videogames

Despite being a very G-rated romance, their feelings are no less intense, as instead of hearing about saving a spoken-for damsel, or rescuing a princess in the final act, Ico is constantly by Yorda’s side, always ready to pull her away from the smoky demons and their ruthless queen. Then, when it’s all over, it’s Yorda who carries a weakened Ico to safety. Stay past the credits and you find that she’s stuck around, likely ready to see what else will happen with her horned (not horny!!) savior. Truly one of the most heartwarming and feel-good moments in all of gaming.