Category: Recommendations

5 Free Indie Otome Games You Should Be Playing

Published on by Blerdy7 Comments

I don’t know about you dear readers, but hobbies can be pretty expensive! I can’t even begin to tell you how much I spent on manga just last month alone, but even that pales in comparison to the amount of games I buy each month. Most indie games are pretty cheap, anywhere from two bucks to $25, and some of the more mainstream releases can sometime take you back $40 or more and that can add up! Not everyone has the disposable income to buy every new game that comes out, and no that doesn’t mean I condone piracy, because NO. 

But, rather than pirating a game, there are some free indie game options that are just as good if not more so than the bigger budget games on the market—and who doesn’t like saving a bit of cash and getting a quality game? So, whether you’re an avid gamer or someone who plays only a handful of games a year, here are some free games that’ll be a welcome addition to your gaming library. 

While these games are free, throwing the devs a few bucks in tips is always appreciated~

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5 Wholesome Indie VNs to Brighten Your Day

Published on by Blerdy1 Comment

I love video games, but even I get burned out on all the gameplay mechanics and strategy. Sometimes I just want to turn off my brain and play a game that makes me feel good—games where I can just sit back, relax, and enjoy some chill vibes. Sometimes we get so caught up on the destination that we don’t take the time to stop and enjoy the journey, so that got me thinking about some of the more wholesome visual novels out there. So I compiled a list of five games that are sure to brighten your day~

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Short Otome Games You Can Finish in a Weekend

Published on by Blerdy6 Comments

Most of us are still kicking it in our homes, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the world stops. Between work, school, and family, it can seem like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything we want done. Finding time for your responsibilities and your hobbies can be a bit of a balancing act, and for a lot of folks that means that our hobbies get relegated to the weekends (or late into the night).

Well if you’re looking for some games you can play through in a single weekend, I have the list for you! Each of the games on this list have fantastic stories and characters, but without the long gameplay hours of other otome game releases! So, with the weekend right around the corner, consider adding some of these games to your library!

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5 Games Like 7’scarlet

Published on by BlerdyLeave a comment

Hey Hey Blerdy Tribe, it’s time once again for another Games Like post—the blog series where you guys vote on the otome game and I go out and find five games that are similar to them. Last time I wrote a list of 5 Games Like Cafe Enchante , so definitely check that post out if you have the chance, there are a LOT of great games to discover! For today’s post, I ran a poll over on Twitter and 99 of you guys voted for 7’scarlet!

For those of you unfamiliar with the game—7’scarlet is a mystery romance otome game developed by Otomate and Toybox Inc. It was originally released in Japan in 2016 for the Playstation Vita. In 2018, the game was released internationally by Aksys Games. It was one of three otome games to be released as part of the Aksys Games, ‘Summer of Mystery’ alongside, Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly and Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk. 

Take on the role of Ichiko Hanamaki, as she journeys into the unknown to uncover dangerous truth surrounding the disappearance of her older brother. Her investigation takes her to the remote crescent moon shaped town of Okune-zato, a place shrouded in dark myths and legends. She and her childhood friend Hino arrive in town hoping to find clues about his disappearance only to find themselves caught in caught up in a dangerous murder mystery. 

So for those of you that are looking for more games with a mystery vibe to them, here are FIVE games like 7’scarlet.

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Diverse Games to Keep an Eye Out for in 2021

Published on by Blerdy8 Comments

Hey Blerdy Tribe! It’s a brand spankin’ new year and you know what that means… new game releases!! But, if you’ve been around for awhile you know that there is one thing that I look for in my games: REPRESENTATION! As a black female gamer, I am always on the look out for games created by and featuring characters of color and of course that sweet, sweet LGBTQIA rep! The gaming community is made up of all sorts of people, so don’t you think the games we play should be representative of the people that play them? Well, I do! And I’ve made it my mission here at Blerdy Otome to create a space where we celebrate diverse games and creators. Every Monday I spotlight one game that tell stories centering on characters of color or from the LGBTQIA community.

But, this week I wanted to shake things up a bit by not just spotlighting one game, rather I wanted to bring attention to several diverse games making their debut in 2021! However, I am just one person, so I did an open call on Twitter for diverse indie games set to be released in 2021… and boy did you guys come out in full force!!

The response was overwhelming! Thank you to everyone who sent me their projects or shared the tweet–you guys are the real MVPs! So, I spent a week going through all the responses and checking out game pages for this post and y’all I am excited for all of these games! If you’re like me and you’ve been craving more diversity in your games, this is the list for YOU!

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Uplifting Games to Get You Through the Holidays

Published on by Blerdy2 Comments

Hey Hey Blerdy Tribe!! The holidays are a time when most of us make the annual trek to see our families filling our days with joy and good cheer. But, the ongoing pandemic has made it difficult for us to connect with family and friends, so many of us are choosing to stay at home and that can really take a toll on your mental health. So it’s important to keep your spirits up and do things that make you feel good during the holiday season.

What better way to do that than by relaxing with some nice feel good games. So, whether you’re with family and need a break from the holiday hustle and bustle or you’re staying home till everything blows over, here are 5 uplifting games to get you through the holidays! 

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5 Games Like Cafe Enchante

Published on by Blerdy1 Comment

Hey Hey Blerdy Tribe, it’s time once again for another Games Like post—the blog series where you guys vote on the otome game and I go out and find five games that are similar to them. Last time I wrote a list of 5 Games Like Taisho x Alice, so definitely check that post out if you have the chance, there are a LOT of great games to discover! For today’s post, I ran a poll over on Twitter and 75 of you guys voted for Cafe Enchante (no surprises there)!

For those of you unfamiliar with the game, Cafe Enchanté is a fantasy romance otome game developed by Idea Factory under their subsidiary, Otomate and published by Aksys Games. The game was originally released in Japan on October 10, 2019 for the Nintendo Switch. The English language localization was released on November 5, 2020.

Take a peek behind the doors of the mysterious Café Enchanté, a coffeehouse that serves a rather strange clientele. Magically hidden from the everyday hustle and bustle of Tokyo, the shop is a meeting place for an assortment of beings from multiple, mystical worlds. When Kotone inherits the café from her grandfather, she has no idea of the adventures in store, or the potential romance that awaits. Meet the king of demons who can brew a perfect cup, an otome-playing fallen angel, a lonely headless knight, and many more. When government agents monitoring non-human activities show up at your door, your new café is about to become much more colorful!

 

So while we’re waiting for the next big otome game to be released here in the West, here are five game titles that are sure to help fill the void! As always, I tried to go with games that have a similar vibe to Cafe Enchante so don’t expect games that are play by play clones. Now, with that out of the way, let’s check out five games like Cafe Enchante!

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Scare Up Some Romance: Four Visual Novels to Get You in the Mood for Halloween

Published on by Blerdy4 Comments

October is upon us once again and even though we’re all stuck inside there’s still plenty of spooky good fun to get into at home. I’ve been using the extra time to check out a few new games and since Halloween is right around the corner, I figured this was a great time to spotlight four spooky romance visual novels to get you in the mood for the spooky season!

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5 Women of Color Led Indie Games You Should Be Playing

Published on by Blerdy4 Comments

Video games are becoming much more diverse, with more and more creators of color are setting out and starting their own studios, which in turn means more representative games. Upcoming titles, Ocean Pearls and Validate are both being developed by entirely BIPOC teams and feature characters of color in prominent roles. As a Black female gamer, I am thrilled with this shift towards diversity in games, because it provides greater storytelling opportunities and more visibility for people of color—particularly women of color! 

So, I took about compiling a list of games featuring Black and Brown female leads! Since I am but one humble blogger,  I took to Twitter to solicit help with this post and as always my followers more than rose to the occasion! 

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[Pride Month 2020] Even More LGBTQ Positive Visual Novels

Published on by Blerdy4 Comments

Hey Hey Blerdy Tribe, it’s LGBT Pride Month, the annual celebration dedicated to the richly diverse LGBT+ community!! Now more than ever, representation matters, especially in the wake of the recent string of injustices carried out here in the United States and abroad.

These past few years I celebrated Pride Month with lists of 10 LGBTQ positive visual novels–2018’s List and 2019’s List–and  I highly recommend giving those a read, there are some seriously great titles there that definitely warrant a look. Because it’s June once again, I have compiled another list with even more LGBTQ+ positive Visual Novels!

I tried my best to choose games that presented members of the LGBTQ+ community in a positive light, focusing less on sexual orientation or gender identity and more on telling meaningful stories that focus on the human experience. As in previous years, I have include links to each of the games, a synopsis of the story, and a short summary of the types of representation you’ll find in the game. So, without further ado, here are Even More LGBTQ Positive Visual Novels that you should totally check out this Pride Month!

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