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!
Continue reading “Scare Up Some Romance: Four Visual Novels to Get You in the Mood for Halloween”
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.
This week, I’m spotlighting the sci-fi mystery romance visual novel, Date Warp, from Hanako Game. This was one of the first English otome games I played when I started out on my journey into otome hell and even 10 years later, this game still stands up! Date Warp follows Janet a college student who left her dorm one night to go on a blind date with one of the most popular guys on campus—and never returned. Was she kidnapped? Murdered? Solve puzzles and piece together clues to uncover the truth… but, be warned the truth might not be as straightforward as you’d hoped…
It’s that time of year again! October marks the beginning of Halloween season, the time of year when we celebrate all things spooky. From ghosts and goblins to gothic horror and all things macabre, there are 31 days of spooky good fun ahead of us! I absolutely love the horror genre, so this is the month when I’m really in my element and I really like to do it big here on Blerdy Otome. So, for the entire month of October I will put out a series of horror themed posts and content to get you in the mood for Halloween! Kicking things off is a list of five horror themed romance visual novels!
Continue reading “Romance to Die For: Five Romance VNs to Get You in the Mood for Halloween”
For someone that shies away from incomplete series, I’ve been really getting into episodic visual novels. Rather than blazing through a game in one sitting, the plot unfolds over a series of chapters/episodes and because there is usually a bit of a wait between new releases, this gap in new content gives you a chance to really dig down and fully explore the different story elements and scenarios in the interim. It’s a much more comprehensive gaming experience than I’m used to, but one that definitely allows for a much more immersive experience overall.
Recently I had the chance to give Asif G.’s Arabian Nights inspired fantasy visual novel, One Thousand and One Days a try and I was blown away by what I played so far. The game borrows heavily from ancient Persian mythology and Islamic lore AND features an all POC cast that draw inspiration from Middle Eastern, North African, and Mongolian cultures. On top of that, the game is LGBTQ+ friendly, with love interests with differing gender identities and sexual orientation. There are even poly romance options in addition to the standard one on one romances choices.
Game Details
Continue reading “One Thousand and One Days Game Review – An Enchanting Fantasy VN”
When the Night Comes is an episodic supernatural fantasy otome game from indie team, Lunaris Games. I’ve played my fair share of supernatural otome games, each promising a fresh take on an already over-saturated genre, but, When the Night Comes is truly something special.
Each new chapter builds on the momentum of its predecessor drawing you into the complex world of magic and mystery. In the game, you are a hunter that has been called to the quiet town of Lunaris to assist with an ongoing investigation into a series of grisly murders. But, there’s more to this case than your superiors are letting on, delve into the world of Witches, Vampires, Demons, and Lycans to slowly uncover the secrets of the town. The closer you get to the truth the more dangerous things become, forcing you to rely on the very creatures you’ve been tasked with hunting. But, with more sinister forces at work, you will need all the help you can get and maybe you’ll discover a little romance along the way.
Pillow Fight adds a truly outrageous detective visual novel to their portfolio, big hair and even bigger cases will keep you captivated in Ghosts of Miami. I covered the demo back in the early stages of production and now that the full game is out, I just had to sit down and give this title a spin and it did not disappoint! Follow Chelo, an up and coming private investigator as she explores the beaches and back alleys of sunny Miami. Her stomping grounds, Dade County, is ground zero for the drug cartels and scores of undocumented immigrants all looking for a place to call home. With so much activity, it’s easy for a few lost souls to slip through the cracks… and when they do, you can count on Chelo to find the ghosts of Miami.
Continue reading “Big Hair and Even Bigger Cases: Ghosts of Miami – Game Review”
Last week, Xand Arts released their debut title, Love Ritual, a richly imaginative detective fantasy that blends together the team’s seductive characters and designs with an immersive investigative narrative. Love Ritual follows Riilai, a young Ritualist hired on as a consultant for a local police investigation tasked with uncovering the truth behind an illegal summoning ritual. The police currently have two suspects in custody, a Necromancer and a Druid, both of whom have retained counsel to help prove their innocents. The two delegates, a suave Necromancer named Kalaseth, and a naïve good-natured Druid named Shanrae will do anything to get their clients off the hook. But, the deeper Riilai delves into the case the less black and white things become, and with two handsome advocates working so closely Riilai has a rough road ahead.
Xand Arts markets Love Ritual as an adult otome, and it’s easy to see why, with its captivating mystery adventure narrative and seductive character designs, Love Ritual delivers a sophisticated gaming experience.
Game Details
Spirit Parade is a commercial supernatural romance English otome game from Lettuce Waltz. While the concept of the game is wholly original, many of the characters and themes featured in the game are taken from various Asian mythologies and legends. The game follows seventeen year old Nara (name changeable) a young girl who unwittingly stumbles upon a portal to the Spirit World. Unfortunately for our young heroine, the portal she used to enter the Spirit World won’t reopen until the end of a month long festival. After spending a month among the youkai and spirits, will Nara finally be able to return her old life in the Human World? Will she want to?
This game has been in development hell for about two years, and to be completely honest I thought Spirit Parade would never see the light of day. But, miracles do happen. Originally slated to be a full game release with five romanceable characters and full English voice acting, Lettuce Waltz decided to release the game per route (as routes are completed) without the voice acting (due to scheduling issues). While I’m fine with the per route release schedule, I will say I am a bit disappointed that the voice acting won’t be included in the initial route releases (though, you can still hear the voices in the demo version of the game) and the team has promised that an additional patch with voice acting will be included at a later date.
*There will be some spoilers…*
Hey hey guys not even my busted laptop could keep me from telling you guys about the kickstarter campaign for Ebullience Games’s upcoming murder mystery English otome game, Masquerade Killer! This isn’t Ebullience’s first foray into the world of otome games, but there newest title promises to add a bit of spice the genre, besides who doesn’t like a good mystery?
I’ve been following the production of this game for awhile, and I am super excited for it, so I’ll be doing my best to boost it throughout the campaign. This looks like it’s going to be a fantastic game, but if you still need a bit of convincing, I’m going to do a rundown of all the great features the team has in store for you guys in the full version of the game. The kickstarter campaign for Masquerade Killer will run until August 9th, 2017!
Continue reading “Let’s Show Our Support for The Masquerade Killer!!”
Back in November Naive Sprites launched their first Kickstarter campaign for their Alice in Wonderland inspired English otome game, A Very Important Date. However, they were not able to meet their original funding goal by the end of the campaign… Well, I am excited to write that they have not given up on the project and are back with a second revamped campaign!! This time around the team is looking to raise funding for the main game and a spin-off game featuring a male protagonist! Plus there is a ton of new content and features that expand on the original concept.
I have been following this game’s development for a long time now and I absolutely adored the demo!! I really want to see this project become a reality! So when Naive Sprites announced that they were giving Kickstarter another go, I knew I had to show my support!
Continue reading “Let’s Show Our Support for “A Very Important Date” (Relaunched)!”
