The term "Love Lab Mod" generally refers to a suite of modifications (most famously associated with The Sims 4 's "Wicked Whims" or "Wonderful Whims" ecosystem, though standalone versions exist for games like RimWorld and Skyrim ) that focus on the science, psychology, and mechanics of romantic attraction.

“I built a proof of concept ,” she corrected, though her heart was hammering. “It’s not for humans. It’s for—look, the grant said ‘novel approaches to pair-bonding in isolated populations.’ Mars missions. Submarines. Whatever.”