Thrifty Gaming: Games That Won’t Blow Your Budget #51

Hey there Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs, it’s once again that special time of the week—Thrifty Thursday!

In a world where it’s all about the almighty dollar, sometimes it’s a little tough to make our pennies stretch enough to accommodate our hobbies. But, there are plenty of ways to balance your budget while still enjoying the things you love, you just have to be a little thrifty about it. So, I created Thrifty Gaming in order to spotlight some lesser known indie titles that are both entertaining an affordable.

If you’re a new follower or someone who has been following since my Nice Job Breaking It Hero days and has been gone for awhile, here’s a refresher… Thrifty Gaming, is a weekly post series where I spotlight three games/visual novels that are under $10.00. These can be mobile games, PC games, and a few times I have found some nice indie console titles too. The list used to focus on just otome games and romance visual novels, but after requests from a few readers I have since expanded to other gaming genres. I don’t include sales or limited time offers, each title has to be consistently priced at $10.00 or less without any promotions to be included in this line up.

Note, these are not reviews, rather recommendations so your mileage may vary with some of these titles. This week’s post will include a brief synopsis and links to each game so you can add them to your gaming library! You don’t have to break the bank to enjoy your hobbies, so save a little bread and check this week’s thrifty gaming picks!

**Lemures Blue’s 2 A.M. (2017) – *Kenkou Land***

Windows, Mac, & Linux

Aoi, a third year middle school student who attends an all-boy’s junior and senior high school. Hinata, the mysterious “Dead of Night Man” who only appears at 2 A.M. beneath the sakura tree. An intense sense of intrigue deepens as they encounter through a chance meeting that expands into secret rendezvous… what will come of it?

“——’Aoi’s heart must be mine.’
It seems that is the one and only way to obtain the Lemures Blue.”

A rose that is said to bring eternal youth to the living and give life back to those who have died. What could be the secret behind this phantom flower, the “Lemures Blue”, and the lost prodigy, Akane?

-Synopsis

Lemures Blue 2 A.M. is a boys love visual novel published by Kenkou Land and translated in English by HiragiHOUX. The game contains anywhere from 6-12 hours and contains 15 unique endings. Note: Your computer must be set to the Japanese locale in order to run the game

*Suggested by Bánh

Loading Story (2020) – Mochakingup

Cost: Free

Windows, Mac, & Linux

You play as Memu@,
a young software who’s just doing her best to keep her job.
As she explores the cyberpunk(ish) little town and interacts with its inhabitants.

-Synopsis

Loading Story is a short adventure game developed by Mochakingup for the IGSI Game Jam and released on May 2, 2020. The game takes roughly 30 minutes to get through and can be played from your browser or by download. Explore a colorful town and interact with the townspeople on your quest to save your job! There were a few puzzles and also a cute rock paper scissors mini game!

Crooked Time (2020) – abi

Cost: Free

Windows, Mac, & Linux

Your love is missing.

The townsfolk say they saw him go down to the valley, they say time moves differently down there. For some it’s fast, for others slow. It’s dangerous in the valley. If he’s down there, in the valley where time is crooked, you should forget about him move on.

But you love him, so you’ll follow him anywhere.

-Synopsis

Crooked Time is a short visual novel developed by Abi and released May 5, 2020. The game contains roughly 20 minutes of game play and has 4 unique endings to achieve. Interact with various townsfolk and others on a quest to find your lost love. Your choices and actions will determine the course of your story and whether you’re successful at your quest.

That’s it for this week’s thrifty buys, but, don’t worry I’ll have more titles for in next week’s post, so be on the look out for that next Thursday! But, if all that extra money you saved is burning a hole in your pocket and you just can’t wait for next week’s list, definitely check out some of my previous Thrifty Gaming posts, there are tons of games for gamers who like me are ballin’ on a budget!

Thank you for reading and Supporting Blerdy Otome! If you like what you see be sure to drop a like or a comment to let me know your thoughts on this week’s Thrifty Picks!!