A Beginners Guide to Otome Games: Part 1 “What Are Otome Games?!”

Hey there newbie! Welcome to the amazing world of Otome Games! It can be a bit daunting starting out, what with all the terms and references out there. So, I’m here to help with this handy dandy, Beginners Guide to Otome!

So, you might be wondering, “What makes me the authority on otome games?” And the short answer is, nothing (LOL), I’m just a huge lover of otome games and I just so happen to have been playing them for years, so I’m pretty comfortable with my working knowledge of them! So, it only makes since that I share that knowledge with you!

So, whether you’re new to the fandom or just looking to brush up on your otome knowledge, this is the series for you!

• YOU ARE HERE ▶ A Beginners Guide to Otome Games: Part 1 “What Are Otome Games?!”
• A Beginners Guide to Otome Games: Part 2 – Types of Otome Games
• A Beginners Guide to Otome Games: Part 3 – Common Character Archetypes

What Are Otome Game?

So, the best place to start is to explain what exactly otome games are, and for that we’ll have to look into the etymology of the term. Otome Game (乙女ゲーム lit. otome gemu) is a Japanese term used to describe a series of story based games targeted primarily towards women. Otome is a feminine term that literally translates to maiden, so “otome games” can be directly translated to maiden or female games. 

 Otome Game (乙女ゲーム lit. otome gemu) is a Japanese term used to describe a series of story based games targeted primarily towards women.

Generally speaking, the main goal of otome games is to foster romantic relationships between a female protagonist (also often referred to as the MC or Heroine) and a group of male love interests. The number of love interests/heroine characters can differ between games, but there must be at least one heroine and one male love interest for a game to be considered an otome game. Some games can be considered otome have non-male romanceable character, so long as they feature a female heroine and male romanceable characters. While romance is a big part of the otome narrative, many games feature stories with non-romantic plotlines.

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Examples of Otome Based on Romance Structure

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A Brief History of Otome Games

So, now that we know what otome games are, let’s look at the history of otome games. Koei’s 1994 Angelique series is credited with being the “first” otome game as it was created by an all female development team and geared primarily towards girls and teens. Angelique ushered in a new age of female oriented games paving the way for more series over the years, many of which borrowed heavily from shojo and josei storylines. 

The first officially translated Japanese otome game released in the West was Two-Five’s historical fantasy game Yo-Jin-Bo (which is totally worth playing for OG otome fans), which was released in English for PC in 2006. Since then there have been more otome game releases in the west including the successful Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossoms which single handedly catapulted otome games into prominence in the West.

Not to mention the booming mobile otome market with early publishers like NTT Solmare (Shall We Date series), Voltage Inc. (Otome Romance series), and Cybird (Ikemen Romance series). This growth in mobile gaming and otome led to the 2024 release of the first 3D otome game, Love and Deepspace from Infold Games/Paper Games, which has become extremely popular worldwide.

Initially the genre was established for a primarily Japanese female audience, but in recent years otome games have gained a considerable fanbase in the West. As a result of this growth, there have been several Western produced otome game titles since the mid-2000’s. Officially referred to as Original English Language Visual Novels (OELVN for short), Western otome can be alternatively referred to as English Otome and Indie Otome.

Because Western publishers tend to expand on the traditional Japanese formula, alternative romance games are commonly categorized as otome. Most prominent are Amare titles, which encompass romance visual novels with no restrictions on the gender/identity of the protagonist or romanceable characters.

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Examples of Otome Games by Platform

Note, that games can be available on multiple platforms. I tried to give examples of games that are exclusive to each one for this guide.

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Otome games are not a one-size fits all can cover a wide range of genre, tropes, and character archetypes. While these games were originally targeted at female audiences, can appeal to a wide audience of players form many different identities.

Otome games are available on a number of platforms, from the now dated platforms like the PSP and PS Vita to more widely use platforms like mobile/tablet (Android & iOS), PC (via Steam or direct download), and console (Nintendo Switch, Playstation 3, Steam Deck).

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Otoge, Visual Novels, and Dating Sims… Oh My!: Common Terminology Used to Refer to Otome Games

Otome games are often referred to by a number of names and while some are more prevalent than others, most are considered “correct”. The term “otome” is used as an umbrella term to refer to the more traditional reverse harem styled video games like Hakuoki or Code Realize. However, “dating sims”, “romance visual novel”, and the short hand “otoge” are generally acknowledged as appropriate terminology too. But, when you are just starting out all of these terms can be a bit confusing without context, so I’ve compiled a few of the most common terms along with a brief definition.

Otome Game/ Otoge

Otome game: As stated above, this is the most common term used and serves as a catch all for story based games targeted at female audiences; typically focusing on building romantic relationships with one of several male (or female) love interests.

• Otoge: This is just a shorthand for “otome gemu”,  OTOme GEmu. It’s not used as much as it was in the past, but is still common in some circles.

Otome Game Examples

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Doujin/Indie Otome

Doujin/Indie Otome: Any otome game that was created by an independent developer or group. These are usually created by small groups or fans of otome games.

• Doujin typically refer specifically to Japanese indie titles created by Japanese developers/groups.
• Indie Otome refers to all independently created otome games, but is mostly used to describe English language/Western otome titles.

Doujin/Indie Otome Examples

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Visual Novel

Visual Novel: Like otome, this is a general term for ANY story-based game regardless of whether there is romance involved. Often times shortened to VN. Keep in mind that while all otome games are visual novels, but not every visual novel is an otome.

Visual Novel Examples

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Joseimuke

Joseimuke:  is a much broader term that encompasses all media targeted towards women. It covers everything from boys love media to card-raising games, and yes, even otome games. But, what’s great about joseimuke is that it can be used for things like shojo manga and anime as well.

Joseimuke Game Examples

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Dating Sim/Life Sim

Dating Simulator/Dating Sim: It’s all in the name with this one. While these games may borrow some elements from other game genres, the end goal of a dating sim is to successfully romancing love interests. Unlike otome games, dating sims are not restricted to the female protagonist/male love interest formula. Like visual novels; otome games can be considered dating sims, but not every dating sim is an otome.

• These can also include stat-raisers and life-simulator games that include some level of management and stats grinding gameplay.

Dating Sim Examples

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Romance Game

Romance Game: Any game that features developing romantic relationships with the characters as part of the gameplay. While otome games can be considered romance games, not every romance game is an otome.

Romance Game Examples

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Amare

Amare: This is a new term that was created by the Western fandom to describe any romance visual that is not restricted to the traditional otome identity/gender formula. LGBTQ+ characters and relationships are often explored in these games. An otome game can be considered an amare game, but not every amare game is an otome.

Amare Examples

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Mobage/Mobile Game

Mobage: Short for Mobile Game, these games are exclusive to mobile devices (ie. cellular phones and/or tablets). There are a few variations (ie. free to play, freemium, pay to play, etc), but the differences really boil down to cost and type of gameplay.

Mobile Game Examples

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Fandisc/Fan disc/FD

Fandisc: Also known as Fan Disc or FD, is supplemental content released to supplement an existing game. FDs can feature additional storylines, CGs, music, minigames, etc; anything that expands on an existing game title. (Suggested by April)

Fandisc Examples

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Ports

Ports: Games that were available for one platform (ie. console) that have been adapted for a newer platform.

• Example: The mobile version of Amnesia Memories is a port of the Vita version. While the PS Vita version of the game was ported again to the Nintendo Switch.

Game Port Examples

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Gameplay and In-Game Terminology

Right, so otome games are technically a sub-genre of Adventure Games alongside Eroge (mature/pornographic/18+) and bishoujo (or galge; games featuring female characters targeted at a male audience), but with the end goal of building a relationship with a particular male love interest.

Otome games feature a female player, often referred to as either the MC (Main Character) or Heroine. This character serves as the in-game proxy for the player, typically these characters don’t have a well defined personality or backstory allowing the player to superimpose themselves into the game through her.

Most games feature customizable MCs, either through their name or their appearance. Players alter the course of the story by making decisions in the form of various action and dialogue choices that appear at regular intervals throughout the story.

“Correct” choices will result in a favorable outcome, a Good/Happy End, with the players chosen love interest, while “incorrect” choices will result in an unfavorable outcome, a Bad End.

Some games feature a stats raising element that requires players to maintain character specific stats either by performing specific activities or interacting with certain characters. But, the bulk of gameplay typically focuses on the relationship building between characters and raising affection points with the player’s chosen love interest.

Some games feature a route based system, where players can romance one love interest at a time, while the other love interests are regulated to supporting cast members. While other games feature a free for all gameplay style where in-game choices are used to determine which character you end up with at the end of the game rather than just the quality of the ending.

Of course there are few additional features that enhance overall gameplay, such as special events with characters, mini games, full voice acting (usually with well known voice actors), animated graphics, and of course CGs (special reward images awarded when players complete certain requirements.

Common In-Game Terminology

• CG: Computer Graphic, a reward image, usually given to players upon completion or specific in-game requirements. These images are highly stylized, featuring the MC and her chosen love interest in a specific pose or situation.
• MC: Main Character, the heroine of the game, the in game proxy for the player. Typically the MC has little to no personality, so that players can insert themselves into her role in the game. Recently some game developers have taken to creating heroines with a bit more substance than in earlier titles.
• Love Interest: The romanceable characters, while they are typically male, some games have taken to including female and other non-traditional love interests. Usually these characters fall into one of many common character archetypes
• Sprites: The in-game depictions of characters, some characters are given full body renders while others (like the MC) are given no in-game sprites or only given partial body renders.
• BGM: Background Music, it’s the music that plays throughout the game.
• Routes: Storylines/situations specific to a particular love interest or ending/outcome. Some games have multiple routes each with their own branching storylines, while others feature a more linear plot progression.
• Good End/Bad End: Final outcomes for a game or route. Some games/routes may have one end, while others have multiple obtainable endings (Good, Bad, Normal, Alone, etc.).

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Let’s wrap-up! You now know the basics of otome!

I know that was a lot of information, but I hope it was helpful in getting you acquainted with the wonderful world of otome games! Of course, there is so much more to otome games, so I plan on releasing a few more Beginners Guides to help you all on your way to full fledged otome lover! After reading this guide you have leveled up from NPC to relatively well informed Protagonist!

If there is anything you think should become a guide, please let me know by using the suggestion either in the comments section or via the below contact form!

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• YOU ARE HERE ▶ A Beginners Guide to Otome Games: Part 1 “What Are Otome Games?!”
• A Beginners Guide to Otome Games: Part 2 – Types of Otome Games
• A Beginners Guide to Otome Games: Part 3 – Common Character Archetypes

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