Otome Lovers! We made it to the end of another year and 2024 has been a really good one for the otome games fandom in the West! In 2024 there were 15 otome game localizations released on the Nintendo Switch! And that’s not even including all the indie games and localizations on PC! We have come a long way as a fandom since I started this site back in 2015 and it is amazing to see the growth of a space I hold dear.
Whether you’re looking for a rom-com or some angsty drama, there is literally an otome game for you. This abundance of choice is thanks in part to the tireless efforts of publishers working behind the scenes to bring us these great games to the west and the fandom for being so vocal in their love for otome! With the new year around the corner, I thought it would be fun to look back at all the Switch otome games to make their way over to the West in 2024!
2024 Switch Otome Releases
Oops, I Said Yes?! (Voltage Inc.) – January 25, 2024
Great job, fulfilling hobbies. You’re loving the single life. That is, until you end up married and all on a drunken impulse!
A sparkling ring on your finger, kisses to welcome you home. It’s a marriage of convenience, so why does it feel like you’re falling in love? Neither your vows nor your wedding certificate are proof of affection in this case.
Can marriage be a starting point for love?
I played a handful of routes in this one and it’s the usual Voltage fare—fake marriage hijinks and pretty middle of the road love interests. That said, Oops, I Said Yes is one of their better recent titles delivering on the usual staples of the genre. Its a fun weekend play.
Best Boy: Karanosuke Kiba
I dunno what it is about the way Voltage writes their kuudere love interests, but I eat these men up!! Karanosuke is no exception, the cool and blunt man, who is secretly sweet and caring—SIGN ME UP! He might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I really enjoyed the 90’s rom-com vibes of the leads butting heads only to realize their more similar than they thought in the end.
Sympathy Kiss (Idea Factory Intl) – February 27, 2024
About a year has passed since you started your new job as a designer at Estario, a mobile app company.
Just as you were finally getting used to your job and the routines that came along with it… You were suddenly asked to switch departments and join the product team for a failing app that’s slated to be discontinued.Switching into this new role, you find yourself surrounded by some of the most highly qualified (and highly eccentric) men Estario employs. To add to this new work challenge, you even have to pair up with one of them! You and your idiosyncratic partner will be working together to revamp the app and get it back on track. This is all so new to you, and things are moving so fast… Will you be able to handle it?
And who knows, maybe by the end of the project, you’ll find yourself with more than you could’ve ever imagined…
Sympathy Kiss lets us live our OL fantasies as we navigate working a full time job and romancing our coworkers. This otome is very much grounded in reality and considering every game loves to up the stakes, I appreciated the more relaxed stories. The self insert heroine was an interesting choice, but I loved the autonomy that gives players to truly be themselves and craft their own experience.
Best Boy: Kohei Minato
The way I love this stoic man! Minato is a gentleman in the streets and a freak in the sheets~ It takes a bit to break down his walls, but when you do he is a sweetheart. Minato is the perfect partner, both in the office and out!
Also the way this man blushes when he’s flustered had my heart doing backflips!
Tengoku Struggle -Strayside- (Aksys Games) – April 4, 2024
It is year XX of the Reiwa era. Through an agreement between the Human Realm and the Hell Realm, Asakusa was transformed into a tourist attraction where the living can meet the dead. One day, the Spider’s Thread was dropped from Heaven down into Hell, allowing many of Hell’s prisoners to escape.
King Enma thus orders his novice Hell Guardian daughter, Rin, to capture the escapees along with Goemon Ishikawa and a few other trustworthy prisoners. When they descend to the Human Realm for their mission, their investigation leads them to an event held by a former prisoner of Hell, Shinobikuni, where she reveals a pardoning app that will forgive people for their sins. What is Shinobikuni’s goal? And what will become of the humans who were promised entry into Heaven?
This is a story that encompasses Heaven and Earth—what fate awaits this world?
Overall, Tengoku Struggle Strayside is a lot of fun! I know some folks might be put off by how sexist the LIs come off in the beginning of the game. But, do get better as the story progresses. There’s a real genuine familial bond between Rin and the LIs that’s super sweet. On paper this should be a hot mess, but it kinda works and I really love this game!
Best Boy: Yona
Okay, I loves me a cute, dumb, hotheaded redheaded boy, so I was ALL OVER Yona from the first time I laid eyes on him. This man checked off all the boxes and then some! This route ended up being one of the most emotional ones for me and a lot of that has to do with how well Yona is written. You feel all the emotional highs and lows and I won’t lie he and Rin had the best chemistry!
Romance MD: Always On Call (Voltage Inc.) – April 25, 2024
Tokyo. Present day. The ICU at Seimei University Hospital.
You’re a young female doctor stepping into the lion’s den of five brilliant surgeons. Every failure here is deadly, but one may show you what it takes to succeed.
We don’t deal in miracles or pretty lies. All we have is hope. “I’ll do whatever it takes to save you.”
I LOVED Kiss of Revenge, so I was excited to see another medical romance title from Voltage. But, I was fighting for my life trying to get into Romance MD: Always on Call. The beginning of this game reads like if someone made Grey’s Anatomy into an otome and I wasn’t into it. Which sucks, because I have heard really good things about Romance MD… maybe I’ll circle back and give it another go in the new year…
Cupid Parasite Sweet & Spicy Darling (Idea Factory Intl) – May 28, 2024
While working for a major marriage agency named Cupid Corporation, Cupid the goddess of love herself, strived to become the top bridal advisor. She was assigned five hopeless clients known as the Parasite 5!
Even after guiding them through mock dates, matchmaking seminars, and the reality show “Parasite House,” all five abruptly canceled their memberships!
Yet their departures brought all their personal challenges to the surface. As she confronted these issues with them, they overcame many unexpected obstacles…
And she fell in love with “him.”
This is the continued love story of the goddess of love, Cupid, experiencing love firsthand. It’s the tale of when she becomes a goddess “only” for him.
Marriage wasn’t the end goal, but the start of a new chapter. Whether they began dating or got married, the only thing awaiting them is a series of unexpected challenges!
A mysterious new creature has appeared in Los York! Could it be a divine message or evidence of an unknown civilization?
A love story so sweet, it’ll make your heart melt! The whirlwind of feelings taking the world by storm is far from over!
An endearing, joyful, and chaotic tale that’s richer and more exhilarating than ever! This romance featuring a former goddess is so sweet and spicy, it’ll make your teeth ache and set your soul ablaze!
And in Merenice Levin’s route, her days as Cupid are far from over! A romantic and comedic story in the world of matchmaking is set to unfold!
Cupid Parasite Sweet & Spicy Darling is a lot of fun it brings back a lot of the quirky charm from the first game while offering a new twist. The tone can be really out there, but I love the direction the story takes with the original characters, improving on their characterizations from the first game. The spicy scenes are pretty steamy and the art highlights each and every tantalizing moment.
Best Boy: Merenice Levin
Merenice is a fantastic addition to the cast, it’s almost like he was always a part of the Cupid Parasite family. Bro was the standout this time around (Allan not included, man is untouchable). He is cute, dumb, and an all around sweetheart! This is the only man that would have me entertaining the idea of living in a trailer in the middle of nowhere.
Radiant Tale (Aksys Games) – June 27, 2024
The fandisk for “Radiant Tale” includes all-new stories, including sugary sweet after-stories that follow the happy endings with the five love interests in the original game, as well as new routes with two side characters following the normal ending of the common route. Additionally, the fandisk contains a collection of mini-episodes of events that occurred throughout the original main story, allowing fans to further enjoy its contents.
Not gonna lie, I tried to play this and just did not care lol. Maybe it was the time I tried to play it, maybe I was happy with how the OG game ended, maybe I wasn’t as into some of these characters as I thought I was—whatever the reason, it wasn’t for me. I’ll probably give it another go later and see if I feel differently.
Astoria Fates Kiss (Voltage Inc.) – July 24, 2024
It’s a dangerous thing, gods and monsters living among mortals. Good thing your agency exists to keep them in line. With big dreams and an even bigger heart, you aspire to climb the agency’s ladder… That is, until one day five mythical beings ask for your help!
Played this one back when it was on the Lovestruck app and I am so happy to see Voltage bringing it back. A super fun urban fantasy, with deep lore, a fun modern adaptation of Greek and Roman mythology (which I love)! Astoria Fates Kiss has plenty of action, steamy romance, and fantastic representation… what’s not to love?! Now if Voltage could give the original staff and writers royalties on the Switch port everything would be great!
Best Boy: Hades
Okay, hear me out… Hades has always been the gold standard of otome men! He’s sexy, sophisticated, compassionate, and just everything I want in a man (IRL or fantasy). Also, did I mention the melanin?! Because the man is brown~ He’s a guy who knows when to work and when to play, and when he flips the switch—the man will have you walkin’ crooked for a week!
Man has the sexiest CGs… this one is cropped, but his whole ass is on display and it is gorgeous!
Hakuoki Chronicles of Wind and Blossom (Idea Factory | Eastasiasoft) – August 1, 2024
Players take the role of young heroine Chizuru as she is surrounded by the handsome warriors of the Shinsengumi. As battle ensues, who will emerge victorious and who will claim Chizuru’s heart?
Embrace the political and interpersonal drama of feudalism while navigating romantic scenarios and witnessing events inspired by Japanese history, brought to life through beautifully illustrated cutscenes and passionate dialogue sequences. Explore multiple story routes across both epic visual novels, renowned by long-time fans of the series while serving as a standalone jumping-on point for new players.
Okay, but for real, it’s another re-release of the first Hakuoki game… IDK what I can say that hasn’t already been said. I do plan on doing a deep dive into it in 2025 just to get it over with, but this is the millionth time this game has been ported… But, if you’re a newbie that’s never played Hakuoki, this is the version to play!
Best Boy: Saito
Saito will always be the bestest boy in the world. I just wanna scoop him up and run away from all the political nonsense. He deserves to be free and happy. You know what would be cool? A modern retelling of the story… IDK, and I’m just spitballin’ here, but what if it was set in a school… 😏
The Villainess Is Adored by the Prince of the Neighbor Kingdom (Opera House) – August 5, 2024
The sweet and tender love by the prince awaits you―
This game is based on the popular novel “The Villainess Is Adored by the Prince of the Neighbor Kingdom” Volume 1-3. Enjoy the full voice acting by famous voice actors and high-quality still images! There will be alternate endings compared to the original novel depending on the choices you make throughout the story.
We all know how the Opera House otome translations go and from what I heard this one was rough (and that’s being nice). We all knew something was up when we saw the screenshots in the Nintendo eShop. On top of that there’s only one LI… this is an otome adaptation that probaby should have stayed with the original source material…
Him the Smile & bloom (MintLip | Edia) – August 8, 2024
Romance, heartbreak and flowers!
Refreshingly adult Otome that charts the lives of four couples – centered around a local flower shop. ‘Him, the Smile & bloom’ is a mature exploration of the flourishing relationship between two adults and the highs and lows of their budding romance. With twelve endings to enjoy, it is sure to make both your heart melt and your pulse race.
Top tier otome! No crazy misunderstandings. No drama. No world ending conflicts. Just a sweet slice-of-life romance following four couples as they navigate the highs and lows of being in a relationship. I loved all the couples (except Hokuto, the man can kick rocks) and their journeys. Him the Smile & bloom is a quick, chill play that will leave you feeling refreshed and even a little giddy.
Best Boy: Tenya Minami
I saved Tenya’s route for last and his route absolutely delivered! This is the best route in Him, the Smile & Bloom! This is the most emotionally resonant and well written route. King of consent, all around great guy, and HORNY AF!!
Celestia Chain of Fate (Agate | PQube) – September 12, 2024
The perfect life you’ve known as a daughter of a Duke is about to change forever. With the revelation of your new hybrid identity, as a descendant of Angelus and Daemon, you must learn to live in a new world.
Compelled to accept an invitation to the Academy of Celestia to explore the world of magic, you must set out on a fresh journey in a world filled with demons and angels.
I had high hopes for Celestia Chain of Fate. The first (that I know of) Indonesian otome localization and a fantasy romance where I can smash a demon, an angel, and a prince…say less. But, where this had the makings of a new fresh otome experience, Celestia is just very middle of the road. It’s mobile roots really detract from the experience on the Switch and it doesn’t feel like it was optimized for the new format. Also, I will never be over PQube keeping quiet about this only being a PART 1… y’all were disrespectful for that!
Best Boy: Val
I love this man with all my heart! My cute himbo demon bae~ He’s not the smartest, but he has the biggest heart! Val had my full attention from the moment I laid eyes on him and he lived up to expectations! I fully expected him to be a jerk, but he is the sweetest guy and goofy as hell (and y’all know how much I love when guys make me laugh). Throw in extra sexy scenes and CGs and there is no competition!
Meiji Tokyo Renka Full Moon (Dramatic Create) – October 3, 2024
The main character, Mei Ayatsuki, an ordinary high-school girl, is transported back in time to the Meiji era by the self-proclaimed magician Charlie, whom she meets on the night of a red full moon.
It was a slightly mysterious Meiji period “Tokyo” where the existence of Mononoke was recognized.With Charlie’s guidance, she arrived at the Rokumeikan.
The protagonist sneaks into the party and is met by historical figures such as Ougai Mori, Syunso Hishida, Otojiro Kawakami, Kyoka Izumi, Gori Fujita, Yakumo Koizumi, and Tosuke Iwasaki.
Full disclosure, I went through the trouble of snagging this from Playasia and it’s been collecting dust since I got it. That’s on me. I’ve heard good things about this one—a time travel isekai fantasy sounds pretty interesting—so I’m definitely excited to give it a go when I have more time.
9 R.I.P. (Idea Factory Intl) – October 15, 2024
They say this town has always been known to have many people be spirited away…
They also say that confused people or those struggling are more likely to get spirited away.
You think you’ll be okay…?In the beginning of autumn, during her second year of high school,
that’s what Misa Isshiki, was told by her best friend, causing her heart to skip a beat.I’ll be fine. I don’t really believe in any of that stuff anyway.
That’s right… She doesn’t believe in that kind of thing…
It’s just… Her life had been filled with so much stress, all related to what her future would hold…
I expected an actual horror otome and what I got was a fantasy that just happened to be about “traditionally” scary shit. Just because their are ghosts in a game does not make it horror 🙄 Sad? Yes. Scary? Not really. Like I said in my review, the story was tonally all over the place and would have benefitted from following ONE storyline instead of four disconnected paths.
Best Boy: Koyo
I love him. Koyo is like a kitty, you have to work to get him to let down his guard and show affection, but once you do, he’s yours for life. Fun, teasing banter and chill vibes make Koyo one of my favorite routes in the game. I also love that Koyo has genuine relationships with the other LIs, so he feels more like a fully developed character all around.
Virche Evermore -EpiC: Lycoris- (Aksys Games) – November 7, 2024
The small country of Arpéchéle is surrounded by the sea and filled with black flowers known as Lycoris Noirges. Every island resident is cursed to die at the age of 23.
Many years of research have led to the creation of a “memory download” system, allowing the body to die while memories live on in a clone known as a “Reliver”.
The original story of Virche Evermore -ErroR: Salvation- followed a girl known as “Death” who brought an early end to any person she was involved with. With the assistance of others, she was able to discover the truth behind some of the dark workings on the island.
This year has been hard enough without me diving back into the Virche world. No thank you. I’ll save this one for another time. The first game hurt enough, I’m not about to invite more heartbreak into my life… maybe next year.
Steam Prison -Beyond the Steam- (HuneX | MangaGamer) – November 28, 2024
This story takes place two years after the “Grand Ending” from the original Steam Prison.
While riding the “buggy” invented by the engineer (and information broker) Ulrik, our party arrives in the new land of Cainabel, where they meet a pair of kings. The story unfolds from there.
This release also includes an additional story titled A New Theory.
In A New Theory, our heroine must confront the injustice of her world.
She makes contact with the HOUNDS in order to clear her name, and decides to forge a new path for herself…
I’ve heard some mixed reviews on this one. And given the other games I want to play before the end of the year, I can be forgiven for putting Steam Prison Beyond the Steam on the back burner. The biggest draw for me is the Sachsen route, so we’ll see how that goes…
2024 PC Otome Releases
My Forged Wedding – March 12, 2024
“Marry me… Only a month would do.” Due to a twist of fate, you’re now pretending to be the wife of a man you’ve just met. At first, you’re against the idea of this fake marriage, but as the days go on and you get to know one another, your mutual attraction deepens…
One of my all time favorite Voltage games! My Forged Wedding is a classic rom-com with a fun cast of characters that you’ll immediately fall for!
Lunar Maiden, River-side Angel, Godlike Moment – May 12, 2024
“I make you real.” Only he knows me. The identity of the young man who thought so was a serial killer. An 18+ novel game for maidens where a woman obtains divinity along with her ruin.
Bruh, those are some insane mommy milkers on that MC… it’s giving male gaze coded. But, I am curious because we rarely get any R18 otome games. So, I’ll give it a go, just to see what’s up for myself.
Guardian Goddess – July 1, 2024
In order to save money, the main character works at a store called “Gokurakudo” in a different world. She will be working with a young doll called “Yoruichi” who works there, but….
Guardian Goddess has some of the horror I was hoping to see in 9 R.I.P. but in a bite-sized gameplay experience. Interesting premise and I am always excited to see another indie Japanese otome localization!
Princess Paradise – September 27, 2024
“I want that person.” The princess’s life trajectory intersects with the hearts of the two men.
I heard through the grapevine that this translation sucks balls… which is a shame because dom-MC was kind of on my horny heroine bucket list… I’ll probably give it a go in the new year… for the lolz.
Melty Amethyst – Oct 1, 2024
The main heroine went to Tokyo because she admired her older sister, who worked here as a model. She spends her days working part-time at a convenience store. She likes working with her fellow friends though, something is missing from her life… One day, a new friend rushes into her life.
We don’t get nearly enough indie Japanese otome games, so I’m glad to see Melty Amethyst getting an English release. Looks like a quick play, so I’ll check it out in 2025.
The Garden of the Gods – Oct 30, 2024
―Do you believe in Gods’ existence ?――This is the story of a young girl led by an unexpected fate― “”The Garden of the Gods””, a love simulation game (otome). The curtain is opening now on a life with the Gods in an alternate world of Japanese style and gorgeous Live2D illustrations!
The art is pretty, but that Steam rating leaves much to be desired. Let’s see how good or bad this is in 2025 shall we?
Vibrant Frame – December 16, 2024
An otome novel adventure that captures a slice of life and sweet romance of youths striving for their dreams without despairing over reality.
I played the demo and immediately fell in love! Vibrant Frame is literally everything I love from k-dramas and webtoons all baked into a fun slice-of-life otome game! I’d like more of this in 2025 please and thank you!
Phantom of the Twilight – December 16, 2024
Enjoy a sweet romance with vampires in this otome novel adventure.
Vampires! This isn’t the first vampire otome, and it won’t be the last. But, given Rejet won’t let us have an official localization of Diabolic Lovers, I’ll take my chances with this one!
Here’s to more otome games in 2025!
There were a lot of otome games this year, it was a struggle to keep up with everything…but, that continues to be a good problem to have! We’re getting so many games that we finally have the choice to pick and choose which games we play and which we pass on. Gone are the days of picking at crumbs, now there are several dedicated publishers that are delivering consistent romance goodness!
I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for the otome community in the coming months and years and from the recent announcements, 2025 is going to be another amazing year for the fandom! So as we close out 2024, whether you’ve played all the latest releases or like me, you are still working your way through your backlog, I wish you happy gaming!
Let me know which games from 2024 have been your favorites? Which games are you looking forward to playing in 2025? I want to hear from you in the comments!
A+ writing as usual, especially LOVE your blurb about wanting a modern telling of Hakuoki…maybe in a school… Thank you for the laughs for the past year and here’s to more Otome in 2025!
Thanks Vki!! Lissen I will never stop asking for SSL with every single breath! Thank you for being such an awesome friend and here’s to more fun and laughs in the new year!!
Looking at the page for “Lunar Maiden, River-side Angel, Godlike Moment” I’m thinking it’s NOT an otome game at all considering all the other posts on the page by the creators are standard hentai games. The camera angles in the screens seem bog standard hentai as well. (focus on face of the woman over the dude VS the R18 otome I’ve seen where the dude’s face gets screentime)
There’s also been a slew of devs that tag their hentai as “otome” for who knows whatever reason. (trolling?? Some kind of gamergate thing??)
I’m going to give it a hard pass. A shame the other R18 game on your list also got a censor for Steam. (Guardian Goddess) cuz it seems to be the thing that otome games get censored 😐 even for Steam.
On the DLSite page for Lunar Maiden, where it was originally published, both it and other works of the same studio are indeed qualified as ‘otome’ – I don’t think this is a sorting/tagging error. That said, it’s nothing new for *some* of the R18 works coming from Japan to feel male-gazey, or straight-up be written by men. I remember feeling pretty perplexed at the H scenes in a Kalmia8 game, only to look into it and realize, as per vndb, that the writer listed first and the one with the most prominent number of credits by far had worked on *significantly* more galge than otome- and, well, it shows. Either it’s due to cultural differences or the production circuits working differently than in the West, but to me, this would explain certain games feeling like they’re not otome to a player, even as they technically are.
As for Lunar Maiden’s studio, I’ve looked into another of their works, and saw that the writer more or less apologized for that game “not feeling like an otome” in the Extras’s notes- when it was one, from a technical standpoint (female perspective, focus on the buildup of a relationship, etc.). I haven’t played Lunar Maiden but I’m guessing we might be looking at something similar here.
From a personal perspective, I think that’s pretty interesting. Because otome remains a niche genre as opposed to the galge norm, there’re those gray areas on what it isn’t and isn’t to this day, and ngl the topic is kind of fascinating to me. I would still personally classify games like Lunar Maiden as otome (not all male-gazey focus necessarily means the female POV narrative presented to the player isn’t believable, and those games still work within the constraints of this genre) but that’s me, and I completely understand why others wouldn’t (and would feel dissatified when those games are labeled as such, and/or refuse to engage with them due to the male gazey aspect feeling too overt). I fully get why people would think this way, especially considering otomege’s history of being unknown/disregarded in relation to their male protag dating sim counterparts, and honestly, FAIR AND VALID.
“There’s also been a slew of devs that tag their hentai as “otome” for who knows whatever reason. (trolling?? Some kind of gamergate thing??)”
Whoooh I feel ya on that, this is a paaaain D: D: D: Definitely not a fan of scouring the otome tag for future releases and being bombarded with full t&a on the regular D:
… I’m naive and optimistic enough to think that gamergate is far enough behind us that this isn’t related- or some sort of *organized* malicious effort- … I’m leaning more towards 1) trolling, 2) wanting to attract more sales (since I routinely see some of those h games also being tagged with *other* completely unrelated tags like “rhythm games” and such), 3) complete ignorance of the genre/laziness (they see “otome”, understand it means “girl” and go “well, we’ve got girls as characters, so surely this is the right tag” with no willingness or incentive to do ANY further research…) or 4) some sort of unholy combination of those three. Honestly, who knows how thos guys work.
It doesn’t help that steam’s interface/moderation don’t seem to be thought up to mitigate such cases. I report incorrect uses of the tags whenever I can but the lack of feedback mostly makes it feel like screaming into the void. 😀 I’ve seen people on Reddit and such making entire lists of games with the otome tag used incorrectly, however, and those people are heroes. ^^
(sorry for all the yapping, those were just really interesting points!)
Just wanted to mention “Lunar Maiden, River-side Angel, Godlike Moment” uses AI-generated assets. Didn’t see them mention that so I thought I’d let yous know.
Lovely blog! Cheers.
Thanks for the heads up! It feels like more and more games are just throwing in AI. Do you know how much of the art in the game is AI generated?
Yeah, forget the Steam & Switch retrospectives, THIS is the one recap I’m interested in 😀 Like last year this post took me by surprise (I have no object permanence) but like last year it was a friggin joy to read – so happy you’re keeping the tradition going!
I’m also glad to see how many of your impressions have partially positive/very positive for a lot of the main Switch releases, since I’ve been playing less of those in proportion lately… Good to have nice things to look forward to in the ol’backlog! <3 And it's a good trend that many of the latest locs have been such hits- seeing you praise Him the Smile & bloom so consistently makes me especially hyped, given that for all my excitement at release I've yet to start it (yup. For shame Oo)
Your reaction to Radiant Tale Fanfare! makes me laugh, because while I absolutely agree with your opinion that the main game is self-sufficient… I've been a Jinnia Truther since that one Common Route End, and I was fully convinced that this alone hinted at a fandisk with his route in it. This was my main reason for buying Fanfare!, and- rationally speaking, I'm not even sure the route is good (the pacing and relationship buildup are unaccounted for, for one) but you better believe I was INVESTED in it. I laughed, I cried, I kicked my feet, I went full delulu, and only when it was done did I blink and go "wtf did I just play?" Still, 10/10, would experience the emotional rollercoaster and terrible workplace etiquette all over again Oo;
Liyan's route was pretty cute, as was the After Ending content for the main LIs, so while Fanfare! wasn't needed I actually ended up enjoying it more than most fandisks I've played… I'm not usually much of a FD girl but in this case I think the fact that the main game was already pretty fluffy and wholesome and introspective for the *most* part helped – it wasn't as much of a tonal shift in this case as in others.
Regarding what you've yet to play…
– Melty Amethyst is *fine* – I wasn't as into it as say, Dormitory Love (my beloved), but it's fun regardless and I'm glad we got access to it. Very short, I was done w/ it in about an hour, and pretty cute slice-of-life stuff played completely straight, so I'll advise playing it at a time when you crave fluff. The art was the main draw for me, it's lovely. 🙂 The translation is wonky in points, from what I understand it was done by a Russian native, but they're not a mainline publisher, so it's less grating. As you said, more localised JP indies is a good thing!
– I've played about .3 minute of Meiji Tokyo Renka before getting distracted by something else (again, no object permanence) but I'm actually itching to get back to it, and it has the potential to be very charming. I've always held a special fondness for older otome and I find rewrites of fictional/historical figures fascinating so maybe it just caters to my very specific interests, but I think there's a chance it'll end up being a stealth fave as far as I'm concerned.
MC is on the younger side, and a lot of the LI designs seem pretty childish as well, which I don't love, but it's an actually interesting isekai(!!), and I got out of the introduction wondering "What's his deal, then?" about many of the LIs. Some of them seem genuinely fishy/mysterious, which is always fun. <3
(The translation isn't all that great either unfortunately, at least in the prologue, but at least it's readable and WAY more understandable than Neighbouring Prince's. Still, I'm sitting here hoping non-indie publishers do more QA, like, as a rule.)
– Pretty miffed about the Steam Prison BtS reviews as well, especially those saying the focus was more on the new characters as opposed to the main LIs/Brandenburg… As a Fin apologist (I know… I'm ashamed too Oo) my only Christmas wish was more content… 😀
I haven't played it yet either, so hopefully there's still something in it for the both of us!
Happy holidays to you, Blerdy!! You put it best in your conclusion, otome fans have a lot to look forward to next year, so for you as well, here's to a lot more fun discoveries, enticing LIs and causes for joy in 2025!
Adagio your comments have always been among some of my favorites! Thank you so much for always stopping by and leaving such thorough commentary and sharing your thoughts on the games you’ve played!
This was the year of FDs and not gonna lie I WANT new IP, not reboots, not continuations… so those are low on my priority list. I did just start Meiji Tokyo Renka and it is cute so far, but it is not as dramatic (at least the route I’m on now). Like you said it has a lot of potential, so I’ll stick with it.
NOT A FINN APOLOGIST LOLOLOL (but I get it, man was at his limits). We’ll see if Steam Prison BtS is worth it, but my hopes aren’t terribly high.
I hope you had a wonderful holiday and a great new year!! Thank you for always being you and I can’t wait to chat more in 2025! Here’s to good gaming for us in the future!
I hope this isn’t too off topic, but if anyone sees this: do y’all have any good places to buy physical versions of switch otome games/visual novels that’s not Amazon? Game Stop has some, but not a ton, and Aksys has a shop but some of their titles are sold out/I don’t know if they’ll restock, plus other publishers release games. I prefer physical copies (when there are some) but I hate giving Amazon my money and it doesn’t seem like there are many other options??
So, there are a Amazon alternative places you can go to buy otome games. First and foremost is directly from the publisher, Aksys, IFI, and PQube sell directly on their sites. Other JP sellers like Playasia and CD Japan have quite a few physicals for otome and non-otome Japanese titles. If you don’t want to do that, you can also have Gamestop order them to a store closer to you. Hope that helps!
i really enjoy looking at the end of the year/retrospective otome articles! I tend to buy games on sale and so seeing new releases for the year helps me keep track of what I could possibly get for sale in the upcoming years. I also like the short descriptions under the “personal thoughts” since it gives a little preview without any major spoilers (the tiny drawings alongside are also super cute) thank you for making these, i look forward to the 2025 one 😊