Tag: diverse game

Diverse Games to Keep an Eye Out for in 2022

Diverse Games to Keep an Eye Out for in 2022

Published on by Blerdy2 Comments

Hey there Blerdy Tribe, it’s a brand new year and there have been some huge strides within the gaming community. Indie games are becoming more prominent, with more mainstream sites covering them much more frequently than they have in the past. But, for me the most exciting is the shift towards more visibility for traditionally underrepresented groups in games! Don’t get me wrong, there is still a ways to go, but, I’m happy to see that there has been an effort to create more representative games and a lot of that has to do with a diverse creators stepping in to create games that reflect their own experiences, identities, and cultures.

As a Black gamer I am always on the look out for diverse games, so once again I did a call for games with planned 2022 release dates that feature characters and stories centered around often underrepresented groups–and as always the community provided!

Thank you to everyone who sent me their projects or shared the tweet–you guys are the real MVPs! So, I spent some time shifting 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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Game Devs Who Do Diversity Right

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Hey Blerdy Tribe, it’s Monday and that means it’s Melanin Monday here on Blerdy Otome! Instead of bringing you another Melanin Friendly Game, I wanted to shake things up a bit this week by spotlighting some of the game developers I love who always bring us amazing diverse titles! Each of these devs have consistently brought us games chock full of great representation, telling stories that feature characters a wide range of backgrounds, identities, orientations.

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Celestia Indie Otome Review

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Celestia is a regency style sci-fi fantasy indie otome game developed by (my fave) indie dev, Jellyfish Parade for the two-month game jam, Otome Jam 2021. Follow Iluna, a newly awakened Celestial as she descends from her moon to find a partner who will rule the heavens by her side. Among the many glittering stars are three Celestials who catch her eye—a dignified Sun, an enigmatic Black Hole, and a flirtatious Meteor… Choose your partner wisely as your choice will effect not just Iluna, but the fate of the planet she rules… 

Game Details

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War of Roses Indie Otome Review

Published on by Blerdy3 Comments

War of Roses is a short slice-of-life indie otome/dress up game developed by one of my absolute fave indie developers, Jellyfish Parade. Take on the role of Rose as she attempts to save her family’s flower shop by entering in a local flower competition. But the road ahead won’t be easy, especially when the CEO of a rival corporation has made it her mission to take you down. Not to mention juggling the affections of three very different men… can you save the shop while sorting out your love life? 

War of Roses Game

Game Details

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Heroine for Hire Indie Otome Review – Fai’s Route

Published on by Blerdy2 Comments

Heroine for Hire is a fantasy romance indie otome game developed by Jellyfish Parade. The game follows Lyre Harmoniel, a young woman who can’t seem to hold down a steady job. After losing eight jobs in the span of just 2 months, Lyre is starting to get desperate—is it too much to ask for a gig that is both fulfilling and pays well?! Just when she thinks the perfect job doesn’t exist, Lyre sees a promising job listing and she thinks maybe, just maybe her luck has finally turned around…

I played the game last year when Veris’s route was released and now I’m diving back in to play the broody blacksmith, Fai’s route! It’s been a some time since the initial release and Jellyfish Parade has been hard at work making some improvements to the UI and the story and I am excited to see those updates in action! When H4H was first released, Fai’s route was still in progress and after getting an early sneak peek, I can honestly say he was worth the wait! 

Game Details

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Melanin Friendly Games: Mercenaries Blaze: Dawn of the Twin Dragons

Published on by Blerdy2 Comments

Hey  Blerdy Tribe!! It’s Monday once again and I want to kick off the week with some melanin friendly games! If this is your first time here at Blerdy Otome, welcome!

Every Monday I spotlight video games that focus on stories surrounding more diverse casts of characters—for folks like me looking for a bit more representation in their games. Video games are for everyone, so shouldn’t their stories and characters be just as diverse as the people that play them? So I created this series to celebrate games that strive to tell much more diverse stories centering on Black and Brown individuals. But, I welcome all diversity and the series has expanded to include games featuring LGBTQIA rep and characters from other underrepresented groups.

So, if you’re interested in seeing previous melanin friendly games posts, click HERE. This week, I’m spotlighting the tactical RPG, Mercenaries Blaze: Dawn of the Twin Dragons, from RIDEON Games.

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Melanin Friendly Games: The Space in Between

Published on by Blerdy4 Comments

Hey  Blerdy Tribe!! It’s Monday once again and I want to kick off the week with some melanin friendly games! If this is your first time here at Blerdy Otome, welcome!

Every Monday I spotlight video games that focus on stories surrounding more diverse casts of characters—for folks like me looking for a bit more representation in their games. Video games are for everyone, so shouldn’t their stories and characters be just as diverse as the people that play them? So I created this series to celebrate games that strive to tell much more diverse stories centering on Black and Brown individuals. But, I welcome all diversity and the series has expanded to include games featuring LGBTQIA rep and characters from other underrepresented groups.

So, if you’re interested in seeing previous melanin friendly games posts, click HERE. This week, I’m spotlighting the emotional visual novel, The Space in Between, from Sondering Studios.

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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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Melanin Friendly Games – Stars and Snowdrops

Published on by Blerdy5 Comments

Hey there Blerdy Tribe, it’s Melanin Monday here on Blerdy Otome and that means I’m spotlighting another Melanin Friendly Game! For those of you just joining the party—every Monday I spotlight games that feature Black and brown characters for anyone looking for titles with just a bit more representation. As a blerd and a gamer, I am always on the lookout for representation in my games. This is largely a personal project for me—there are almost no “diverse game” tags on major game sites—so, it can be pretty difficult find games with characters of color… unless you already know where to look.

In last week’s post I spotlighted demo for Perfect Garbage’s upcoming queer positive cyberpunk visual novel, Love Shore. This week I’m looking at the fantasy romance visual novel Stars and Snowdrop from Ithaqua Labs. I’ve covered a few of this team’s games in the past and they are among the growing number of indie developers dedicated to creating more representative stories and characters. Gamers come in all shapes and sizes and yet it’s not easy finding games take that extra step to include diverse characters in their narratives. So when I come across a game that attempts to bridge that gap, I take notice!

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Melanin Friendly Games – ‘Mermaid Splash! Passion Festival’

Published on by Blerdy4 Comments

Hey there Heroes, Travelers, and Wandering NPCs, it’s Melanin Monday here on Blerdy Otome and that means I’m spotlighting another Melanin Friendly Game! For those of you just joining the party—every Monday I spotlight games that feature black and brown characters for anyone looking for titles with just a bit more representation. As a blerd and a gamer, I am always on the lookout for representation in my games. This is largely a personal project for me—there are almost no “diverse game” tags on major game sites—so, it can be pretty difficult find games with characters of color… unless you already know where to look.

Mermaid Splash 1

This week, I’m spotlighting the debut visual novel, Mermaid Splash! Passion Festival, from Sofdelux Studio—made up of NomnomNami, creator of Syrup and Ultimate Sweet and DarkChibiShadow, a comic creator who also makes visual novels on the side. Mermaid Splash! is a short yuri visual novel that follows CiCi, a mermaid who wants to participate in the upcoming Passion Festival. There’s only one hitch… she doesn’t really have anything that she’s passionate in—so it’s up to you to help her hone her skills and focus on a specific hobby for the festival. You have just one month tho help CiCi get her act together and maybe you’ll help her find love in the process!

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