How to Date Mateo in Date Everything! - Complete Romance Guide & All Endings
Mateo
Overview
Of all the romances in Date Everything, Mateo's might be one of the purest and most heartwarming. As the local rescue runner and a soft, snuggly blanket with an enormous heart, Mateo has dedicated his existence to helping all the inanimals that live in the house. His gentle nature, unwavering compassion, and selfless dedication to others make him one of the most beloved characters in the game.
What makes Mateo particularly special is his role as a caretaker figure who always puts others' needs before his own. However, one task has proven too difficult for even this dedicated helper to handle alone. Mateo has lost his dear friend and companion, Davi the Tassel Hound, but his humble nature makes it incredibly difficult for him to ask for help. This creates the central emotional conflict of his romance: learning to accept help from others while maintaining his caring spirit.
Character Appeal: Mateo represents pure, unconditional love and the beauty of selfless service. His romance explores themes of mutual support, the importance of asking for help, and finding love through shared acts of kindness.
Where to Find Mateo
Location: Mateo is the blanket draped across the chair in the living room. He is available from the start of the game, but is only located in one spot in the house.
Finding Mateo Guide:
- Enter the living room on the first floor of the house
- Look for the comfortable chair with a blanket draped over it
- Interact with the blanket to begin speaking with Mateo
- Available immediately - no special requirements or unlock conditions
- Consistent location - Mateo never moves from this spot
Important Note: While Mateo is stationary, his emotional availability depends on the time of day and your interactions with other inanimals. Building positive relationships throughout the house will make Mateo more receptive to your help.
Character Routes & Endings
💕 Love Route
Mateo's love route centers around the quest to find his lost friend Davi the Tassel Hound. This isn't just a simple fetch quest—it's an emotional journey that tests your commitment, compassion, and ability to work alongside someone who gives endlessly to others.
Core Romance Philosophy: Mateo's love must be earned through actions, not just words. He needs to see that you share his values of kindness, patience, and dedication to helping others. The romance develops naturally as you prove yourself to be someone worthy of his pure heart.
The Davi Rescue Quest: The central storyline revolves around finding Davi, Mateo's beloved companion who has gone missing. This quest serves as both the primary game mechanic and the emotional foundation of your relationship with Mateo.
Quest Structure and Emotional Beats:
Phase 1 - Initial Approach: When you first meet Mateo, he'll be visibly distressed but trying to hide his concerns. His natural selflessness makes him reluctant to burden others with his problems.
- Key Strategy: Show genuine interest in his wellbeing
- Important Dialogue: Ask about what's troubling him multiple times
- Emotional Goal: Get Mateo to open up about Davi's disappearance
- Character Development: Begin breaking down his barriers to asking for help
Phase 2 - The Search Begins: Once Mateo admits that Davi is missing, the real quest begins. This involves searching various locations throughout the house and interacting with other inanimals who might have information.
- Search Locations: Multiple rooms throughout the house
- NPC Interactions: Speak with other characters for clues
- Patience Requirement: Some leads will be dead ends
- Emotional Support: Comfort Mateo during setbacks
Phase 3 - Overcoming Obstacles: The search won't be straightforward. You'll encounter various challenges that test both your problem-solving skills and your commitment to helping Mateo.
- Environmental Puzzles: Navigate through difficult areas
- Character Challenges: Deal with unhelpful or difficult inanimals
- Emotional Moments: Support Mateo through frustration and fear
- Teamwork Development: Show that you work well together
Phase 4 - The Discovery: Finding Davi creates a powerful emotional climax that determines the nature of your relationship with Mateo.
- Rescue Moment: The actual discovery and rescue of Davi
- Emotional Peak: Mateo's overwhelming gratitude and relief
- Relationship Revelation: Mateo realizes his feelings for you
- Choice Point: Decide between love and friendship
Critical Success Factors:
Kindness to All Inanimals: Throughout the quest, you'll encounter various other characters. Your treatment of these individuals directly impacts Mateo's opinion of you. He watches how you interact with others and judges your character accordingly.
Patience and Persistence: The quest can be frustrating, with false leads and dead ends. Showing persistence without complaint demonstrates your dedication to Mateo and his values.
Emotional Support: Mateo will have moments of doubt and despair during the search. Your ability to comfort and encourage him builds the emotional foundation of your relationship.
Genuine Care: Mateo can sense the difference between someone helping for personal gain versus someone who genuinely cares. Your motivations must be pure to earn his love.
🤝 Friendship Route
The friendship route with Mateo follows the same quest structure as the love route but concludes with a platonic bond. This route is perfect for players who want to experience Mateo's character development while maintaining appropriate boundaries.
Friendship Development: The friendship with Mateo is incredibly meaningful because it shows him that not everyone who helps has romantic ulterior motives. This can actually be more healing for his character in some ways.
Key Strategy:
- Complete the entire Davi rescue quest with full commitment
- Show the same level of kindness and support as the love route
- When Mateo confesses his romantic feelings, gently redirect to friendship
- Final Choice: "I'd rather be friends, but I'll always be here for you"
Benefits of Friendship Route:
- Experience Mateo's full character arc without romantic complications
- Maintain a pure helper relationship that aligns with his core values
- Unlock unique friendship dialogue that explores platonic love themes
- Continue helping other inanimals together as a team
Post-Quest Friendship: After completing the quest as friends, Mateo becomes one of your most reliable allies. He'll provide support for other character quests and serve as a source of emotional grounding throughout the game.
💔 Hate Route
The hate route with Mateo is particularly devastating because it requires you to betray everything he stands for. This route explores what happens when someone exploits his kindness rather than reciprocating it.
Hate Route Triggers:
Cruelty to Inanimals: The fastest way to lose Mateo's respect is to be unkind to the other characters he cares about. This immediately marks you as someone whose values don't align with his.
Refusing to Help: When Mateo finally works up the courage to ask for help finding Davi, refusing or being dismissive cuts him deeply. This betrayal of trust can end the relationship immediately.
Selfish Motivations: If your dialogue choices consistently show that you're only helping for personal gain rather than genuine care, Mateo will become disillusioned with you.
Impatience and Rudeness: Being consistently rude, impatient, or dismissive toward Mateo's concerns will gradually erode his opinion of you.
Sabotaging the Quest: Actively working against the rescue effort or being intentionally unhelpful during critical moments will trigger the hate ending.
Psychological Impact: The hate route is particularly cruel because Mateo is one of the gentlest characters in the game. Seeing his faith in others destroyed is emotionally difficult for many players.
Alternative Hate Triggers:
- Mock his dedication to helping others
- Call his rescue work pointless or stupid
- Be dismissive of his relationship with Davi
- Show no empathy for his emotional distress
- Treat him like a servant rather than a friend
Character Psychology & Development
Understanding Mateo's Caring Nature
Mateo represents the archetype of the selfless caregiver, someone whose identity is built around helping others. This creates both his greatest strength and his most significant vulnerability.
Core Psychological Traits:
Pathological Helpfulness: Mateo's need to help others goes beyond normal altruism into potentially self-destructive territory. He struggles to prioritize his own needs, even when doing so would better enable him to help others.
Difficulty Accepting Help: Despite being surrounded by characters who would gladly assist him, Mateo has tremendous difficulty asking for support. This stems from his belief that his role is to give, not receive.
Fear of Being a Burden: Mateo's reluctance to ask for help with finding Davi comes from a deep-seated fear that his problems will burden others. He'd rather suffer alone than inconvenience anyone.
Identity Through Service: Mateo's sense of self-worth is entirely tied to his ability to help others. When he can't solve the Davi situation alone, it creates an identity crisis that forms the core of his character arc.
Romance as Healing
The romantic relationship with Mateo serves as a healing journey for both characters. Through your partnership in finding Davi, Mateo learns several crucial lessons:
Accepting Help is Strength: Your willingness to help shows Mateo that accepting assistance doesn't diminish his worth—it actually enables him to help others more effectively.
Shared Burdens are Lighter: Working together to find Davi demonstrates that some problems are too big for one person and that sharing responsibilities can lead to better outcomes.
Love Through Action: Mateo's love language is acts of service, both giving and receiving. The quest becomes a way for both of you to express care through concrete actions.
Vulnerability as Connection: Learning to be vulnerable about his fears and needs allows Mateo to form deeper connections rather than maintaining the emotional distance that comes with constant giving.
Advanced Romance Strategies
Building Trust with Mateo
Consistency in Kindness: Mateo pays attention to how you treat everyone, not just him. Consistent kindness across all interactions builds his trust in your character.
Respecting His Pace: Don't push Mateo to accept help faster than he's comfortable with. Respect his process of learning to be vulnerable.
Demonstrating Reliability: Follow through on every commitment you make during the quest. Reliability is crucial for someone who's learned to depend only on himself.
Validating His Feelings: When Mateo expresses worry about Davi or reluctance to ask for help, validate these feelings rather than trying to immediately fix them.
Quest Optimization Tips
Systematic Searching: Approach the Davi search methodically rather than randomly. This shows Mateo that you take the quest seriously.
Information Gathering: Talk to every inanimal you encounter. Some will have crucial information, while others will test your patience and kindness.
Emotional Check-ins: Regularly check on Mateo's emotional state during the quest. This builds intimacy and shows that you care about more than just the task.
Celebrating Small Victories: Acknowledge every piece of progress, no matter how small. This helps maintain morale during difficult portions of the quest.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The White Knight Complex: Don't try to "save" Mateo or fix all his problems. The goal is partnership, not rescue.
Rushing the Process: The quest is designed to take time. Trying to speed through it misses the emotional development that makes the romance meaningful.
Ignoring Other Characters: Focusing only on Mateo while being rude to others will ultimately backfire. He values how you treat his chosen family.
Taking Over: Don't try to solve everything yourself. Mateo needs to feel like an active participant in finding Davi, not a passive observer.
Dismissing His Expertise: Mateo knows the house and its inhabitants better than you do. Respect his knowledge and insights.
Character Connections & Relationships
Mateo and the Inanimal Community
Mateo serves as an unofficial social worker for the house's diverse population of living objects. Understanding these relationships helps you navigate his romance more effectively.
His Role as Helper:
- Mediates conflicts between different character factions
- Provides comfort during difficult times
- Organizes community activities