Hey Blerdy Tribe, if you’ve been following me for awhile you are well aware that I am a lover of boys love media for everyone else… surprise, I’m a proud fujoshi! I won’t bore you here with the details of my hilarious introduction to the boys love genre, but if you’re curious definitely check out one of my earliest posts, Wait, Are those Guys Kissing for all the deets!
But, long story short, I enjoy most things BL from manga to anime, fanfics and yes, even games—and because this is a game review site I figured why not take a look at some of my fave indie BL games! Yes, indie. If I did a list of my fave Japanese BL games, it would just be a list full of Nitro+Chiral games and while I love them, that just seems a bit one-sided and variety is the spice of life, don’t ya think? And trust me there are tons of great titles out there to delight even the most seasoned fujoshi and fudanshi! It can be a bit daunting, so today I’m narrowing down the list to include a handful of my absolute favorite indie boys love games!
Beyond Eden
Developed by Studio Pieplus | Available on Steam
It is the late Victorian era, a time of drastic social upheaval and shifting values.
Yet everything seemingly remains routine and unchanged in ‘Ashgrove Park,’ a stately mansion surrounded by a vast forest.
But then a man arrives to disturb its tranquility—a man who spent his boyhood at the estate has now returned after 10 years.
The Baron Edenic—the master of the house—and his four sons, the doctor, and the servants greet him with wariness, joy, or unfamiliarity.
A story of discord and destruction between and the people of the mansion and a man who hides his thirst for revenge beneath a calm demeanor.
Does the fall await beyond Eden?
Or—-Official Description
Revenge is a dish best served cold and that’s exactly what’s on the menu in the debut visual novel, Beyond Eden, created by Korean developer, Studio Pieplus. Set in the Victorian-era, players can step into the shoes of Alex Wake, former ward of Baron Edenic as he returns to his childhood home to enact his vengeance on the Baron and the rest of the residents of the palatial Ashgrove Manor. There’s a very Count of Monte Cristo vibe to the game as we follow Alex through his carefully planned revenge plot to tear the Edenic family down from within by corrupting each of Baron Edenic’s sons. Alex will use any means at his disposal to expose each and every one of the family’s secrets, even if that means dirtying his own hands. Smartly written and intriguing, Beyon Eden is a twisted psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish! There’s also a spin-off game, Beyond Eden: Dear Edward where you play as Edward Edenic!
*Censored Naughty Bits and Some steamy scenes*
Check out the full review: Beyond Eden BL Game Review: A Steamy Victorian Revenge VN
To Trust An Incubus
Developed by Y Press Games | Available on Steam
To Trust an Incubus is the story of Kenta, your average temp worker, who gets a job in a lab that’s holding four muscly incubi in quarantine. They came through Professor Raiden’s interdimensional portal like several other beings who visited before them.
The problem is that past interdimensional visitors have warned Professor Raiden about incubi that look just like these ones. They might be ravagers scouting Earth to plunder it.
The top linguist who works for the lab can barely communicate with the incubi. He’s figured out the incubi need to bond with someone in order to learn their language.
Will Kenta be the one to ‘bond’ with one of the incubi? And if so will he be able to figure out if they’re the evil ravagers or some other benign race?
-Official Descrpition
Buff bara demon daddies… that’s it. Seriously, Y Press Games is well known for giving us much more manly looking BL characters and their steamy sci-fi visual novel, To Trust an Incubus is full of tasty bara daddies to ogle over! Not gonna lie, this game has lots of steamy scenes (there’s a nifty 18+ patch if you’re itching to see all the naughty bits) and while most of the interactions between Kenta and the incubi are consensual there are some instances of non-con. This is definitely a much more mature entry on this list, but definitely worth giving a try if you’re in the mood for something a bit more hot and heavy.
*Explicit NSFW scenes and a bit of non-con*
Seiyuu Danshi!
Developed by Meyaoi Games | Available on Windows, Mac, Linux
You’ll play as a newbie voice actor who’s on the verge of being kicked out from his agency. Going back home is not an option, and thus begin his journey to become a good-enough-voice-actor-to-not-get-kicked-out-of-the-agency! Join his journey and woo some guys on the way!
-Official Description
For folks looking for a bit more bang for their buck, Meyaoi Game’s Seiyuu Danshi! is definitely right up your alley. Part stats raiser, part visual novel, Seiyuu Danshi is an immersive boys love experience that boasts a lot of great features from character dress up, foreplay, dating, and more. Follow Haato, a slacker voice actor who is given one year to get his act together and win for the year-end Seiyuu Award or get dropped by his agency. Audition for voice acting gigs, complete tasks around town and mix and mingle with some of the attractive singles around town! Of course, this is a life simulator game so be prepared for a lot of stats grinding and quests, but there are some built in cheat codes that make each successive playthrough easier.
*Uncensored NSFW scenes*
Check out the full review: [First Thoughts] Seiyuu Danshi: BL Game Review
Chasing the Stars
Developed by Ertal Games | Available on Windows, Mac, Linux and Steam
After building some satellite cities as a test, the Earth is finally terraforming its first colony, the planet Alaya.
Tirs Abril has always dreamt of going to space, and now he’s determined to take part in the colonization. Following his dream, he’s currently studying the last year of Environmental Engineering in college.
After breaking up with his boyfriend, he finally finds his sought-after chance: working as a scholarship researcher with Professor Marc Rossell, a prominent figure in the field of Environmental Engineering, and right now in charge of building the dome that will cover the inhabitable part of Alaya. However, Tirs soon will find out things are more complicated than he thought and his path won’t be precisely a rose garden.
How much is Tirs willing to sacrifice to pursue his dream? What risks or actions is he going to deem acceptable to achieve his goal? Will he reconsider his options or advance as an unstoppable force, no matter what? His decisions are up to you!
-Official Description
What would you sacrifice to pursue your dreams? That’s exactly the question that Tirs faces in Ertal Games’s steampunk adventure visual novel, Chasing the Stars. When Tirs finally gets the opportunity to finally fulfill his lifelong dream, he’s not going to let this chance slip through his fingers, even if that means working with a dangerous vigilante group. With his life and his dreams hanging in the balance, Tirs will need to keep his wits about him if he’s going to make it out unscathed.
*Hidden Naughty Bits and Some steamy scenes*
Check out the full review: Chasing the Stars BL Game Review – A Cyberpunk Fantasy That’s Out Of This World
Summer at Marisol Bay
Developed by Legend EX Games | Available on Windows, Mac, Linux
Welcome to Marisol Bay Resort, the premiere summer destination for families, couples, and singles alike! We are now hiring seasonal summer staff to create memorable experiences for our guests.
Are you a creative and hardworking individual? Do you like to meet new people? Are you looking for a rewarding hands on job opportunity? If you answered yes to these three questions, Marisol Bay is the right place for you!
If hired as an entertainer, you’ll be tasked with interacting with guests and making them feel like they’re one in a million. Entertainers will lose themselves in their characters and draw people in to their attraction. Guests will leave Marisol Bay wanting to come back again and again!
Send all inquiries and resumes to Ms. Amelia.
Take control of Kyro Ivanovski, the new hire at Marisol Bay Resort. Help him navigate his summer working as the resident entertainer. Can Kyro create lasting memories or will he just be another seasonal worker? Will he make new friends? Enemies? Possibly fall in love?
-Official Description
Like a breezy summer day, next entry is a refreshing and lighthearted experience. Summer at Marisol Bay, a short free to play, slice-of-life visual novel from LegendEX Games! The game was originally created in 2 months for the game jam, Yaoi Game Jam 2020. Unlike some of the other options on this list, Summer at Marisol Bay is completely SFW—perfect for folks looking to ease their way into the BL gaming world. Get to know folks of Marisol Bay Resort, make friends (and enemies) and maybe even start a summer fling with one of two handsome men! If romance isn’t your thing keep things platonic instead—the choice is yours!
*Safe for Work*
Camp Buddy
Developed by BLits Games | Available on Windows, Mac, Linux
At Camp Buddy, Keitaro, along with his childhood friend, meets his fellow campers, each of them having distinct personalities and stories to be told.
Keitaro has also yet to discover the divisions among the campers that threaten to close the camp down. It’s up to Keitaro to unite the campers once again and make Camp Buddy a great place to be for everyone.
Help Keitaro with his decisions and create a special bond with your chosen partner. Take the chance and make the greatest memories!
-Official Description
Looking for something cute and chock full of feel good vibes, look no further than Camp Buddy, a scout-themed visual novel developed by BLits Games. Join ray of sunshine Keitaro as he navigates the ups and downs of life at the adventure camp, Camp Buddy. Meet Keitaro’s fellow campers and the camp’s quirky cast make tons of fun summer memories! Camp Buddy has tons of awesome features, like animated CGs and foreplay minigames—for hours of enjoyment. While most of the game is pretty lighthearted, with a heavy emphasis on friendship, there were a few storylines that ramp up the drama *cough* Taiga *cough*.
*Uncensored NSFW scenes*
Check out the full review: [First Thoughts] Camp Buddy: 18+ BL Visual Novel
*whisper* Seiyuu Danshi protagonist name is Haato not Haru.
Lolol good catch! I must still have Sentimental Trickster on the brain
Some of these look very intriguing, you always find really fun looking games 🙂
Thank you, I tried to pick a variety of games that’ll appeal to a wide range of folks, but they’re all so good!!
Still not as much of a BL player as an otome one, but you may have sold me on Beyond Eden. Heck yeah, plot-heavy ‘dating’ sims with psychological elements and grey morality! That is absolutely my jam, thank you!!
And hey…. I’m regurlaly tempted to try Nitro+Chiral games, so I’d definitely enjoy reading a non-indie Top 10 ^^; . I’ve been eying sweet pool/Togainu no Chi in particular for their dark elements, but I still haven’t taken the plunge, because 1) the only firsthand knowledge I have of N+C is following an LP of DMMR/ReConnect some years back, and while this was an interesting experience and some scenes will remain with me, I can’t say this was exactly a ‘good’ time… If that makes sense, The way certain aspects of sex were presented and fetishized made me feel unconfortable and voyeuristic more than anything else – I’ve been afraid of a repeat experience with those games and 2) while I have a rather high tolerance for gore and violence, I also don’t know how to stop when it’s obvious that I’ve reached a mental limit, so… not great.
So, I’ll always be curious to hear more of your thoughts on the games, but since that WOULD be a bit biased a post, I’ll just settle for re-reading your reviews!
PS: Re: DMMD/ReConnect. I wanted to make clear that my comments on the games stemmed from personal experience and were in no way a slight about DMMD fans. It’s a very YMMV kind of thing, and this kind of writing just wasn’t for me (which is why I’d be interested in knowing more about where Togainu and sweet pool stand in that regard). I’ve come across people who have been swept away by DMMD, or who thought it was the hottest thing ever, or who’ve been empowered by its existence, and more power to them. To me, it’s a very interesting beast if nothing else (also it gave us Koujaku, so I can’t entirely be mad :D)