Finished Yuu's route. Liked the story of his route better than Ari's but liked Ari better. But now I've playing all routes of Gilded Shadows.
I pulled up Speakeasy, because I backed it in Kickstarter and got my Steam Key. Didn't grab me outright but intros can be a slog even if the story is good. Mostly just got school stuff to focus on right now that really slows down my reading time.
I started a finished Rose of Segunda, 6 routes. 2 hours for the first route, 90 minute or less read for the subsequent routes. I laughed so much! if you like Pride and Prejudice movies/books, you'll like it.
I'm also finishing up Yuu's route in Gilded Shadows which is my favorite visual novel so far ever in the 4 years of reading them. I am enjoyed myself.
And then after I think I'll play Heroine for Hire.
I'm playing Even If Tempest. Bought on sale in the summer but didn't touch until I was on vacation with my Switch.
Long common route where there where there was two events you could choose what you say/do but it literally doesn't matter because it's scripted to fail. Which is frustrating. I like more heavily interactive games. I don't remember who's romanceable so I'm playing blind. But worried her own knight supervisor that watched her grow up is an option! Gross.
I've been playing Baldur's Gate 3 which has romance but not as much as I'd like.
I PLAN to play Yu's route from Gilded Shadows, which is an Indie VN, as soon as I get done with that.
Vampire Hunter looks interesting. The other two have art where the woman seems passive or background so they don't appeal to me on their face.
Is it this one? https://synokoria.itch.io/halloween-otome
Sometimes I'm still too in love with the last LI to enjoy being away from them on the new route. That happened to me twice on Gilded Shadows. but I generally don't replay a route, or replay a game for that matter.
I prefer to pay for content, 100%, but it gets ridiculous that last decade or so, the shops themselves stop supporting digital content from their servers. So one is not guaranteed the content they bought 'forever'. And that kinda feels like stealing in a way, on their part. At the same time, I think it is close to never that I replay any game. Even my favorite, Dragon Age, I played 5 times each. I still talk about the world and want to see more, but I don't know if I'd ever sit down and play them again all the way through, every quest. So do I really need them to support the content beyond 10 years? probably not. But they are even stopping selling physical content so it's like, I'm losing my right to store a game on my dusty shelf while they max their profits.
I relate to this a lot. I don't think my sleep schedule is every good when a riveting story is occurring. I did this so hard with Gilded Shadows.
Inspired by Bo from Lost Girl being a mature succubus story that still gets steamy and has strong romance. Coming of age story about a succubus figuring out their powers and making decisions about what they care about and what they want their future to be. Navigating difficult parental relationships. And definitely lots of mature steamy sex, romance optional.
Also just kind of haunting epic fantasy hero stories, more like Oathbreaker 1 and 2. But I'm like anti slice of life and super into Dragon Age so I'm biased. :D
Oh ya, that was my issue with Yune in Steam Prison. I don't care if you're 1000 years old immortal person, you look like a little boy. At least there was zero spice in the route so it didn't get awkward.
Demonheart:
one of the romantic interests becomes obsessed with MC- I think he's just a meathead that literally can't tell lust from love. Tries to kiss and rape you you no matter what you say or do. She can fight him off and kick him in the balls. And somehow you can get an "let's be together" confession from this creature.
It's insane.
That's the least offensive but still bad route I've completed. I won't bring up the game I've nicknamed "The Rapists of Yoshiwara."
I guess I'm a weirdo. I don't go CG hunting. Especially bad end CGs, definitely not looking for those. XD
I personally don't think flashbacks ever go well in a visual novel. I'll take a couple of lines during a "didn't you see I was the villain all along? " Or detective wrapping things up. Everywhere else, come on. Change the story to make it work present time.
I didn't know how far out you wanted this thread to be. Are you planning it for a monthly
Mystic Messenger is the gold standard for mobile for me. I'm tolerating the grind of The Arcana but it's not a game you should focus on 100%. Definitely need something else to play. Collect your dailies in a pile, and then read 2-4 chapters a week.
Mystic Messenger is the gold standard for mobile for me. I'm tolerating the grind of The Arcana but it's not a game you should focus on 100%. Definitely need something else to play. Collect your dailies in a pile, and then read 2-4 chapters a week.
But more VN are getting adapted to Android on Ichio. So The Arcana is likely the last mainstream ?mobile I'll try
Alaris: Demo
Same author as Intertwine, which was released among the Otome Jam 2023 project. 115 min to get through the demo.
- Unseen Protagonist, can pick name and pronouns.
- 6 LIs, 4 male, 2 non binary (they/them) and one of them looks femme
There is this concept of an energy aura you can toggle on and off. Don't know if it wouldn't be better if seeing it was more tied to the narrative, but cool that you can control your MC magic sensing eyes.
Story: There is some crisis of the fae that really draws me in (narratively) and that brings you to Kuana's route. When an LI needs me to save their world, it's too hard to turn those puppy eyes down. But I was truly smitten and eye gazing with Fenir by the end of it. I felt guilty that I had to turn away from him to help Kuana (I was like, I love you. But this man needs me 😤)
Cons: This demo is a bit unpolished, as some choices I made weren't referred to correctly. But it didn't ruin the demo. Some of the sprite art, especially Kayn and Aisa with their one eye- I hope it's updated for the final release. The music should be longer before it loops or have a smoother looping transition. But may all be fixed in the final product.
I'm going to buy it when it's released. Have you tried it?
Otome Jam 2023 Reviews
https://itch.io/jam/otome-jam-2023/entries
If you've read any of the new entries in the link, please leave all thoughts here in this thread. I've read a handful so far and wanted to dive in in the comments. Keep in mind the comments may have spoilers.
To make a spoilers tag, replace the slashes with brackets: /spoiler here/(#spoiler)
If the game isn't below, start a comment thread. Try to keep to that mini thread to avoid accident spoilers maybe?
Demo: Dual Chroma
Standard fantasy fare- the art is pretty but imperfect . The MC is a powerful mage who gets a bit blushy for my taste. There is a fighting mode you can skip by playing story mode which makes it a little abrupt.
"get ready!" \------battle skipped--- "That was crazy!"
They also have only the one love interest, the Prince. He seems okay. The appeal is apparently having that relationship 8 different ways. Is female led an option? Ruling the throne through my adoring husband king would be a thing I'm into. But don't see that they're sharing clues about relationship ending types at the moment. Rated 16+ and planning a Kickstarter?
I've been curious about Galen Games for a few months but not pulled the trigger on anything. Maybe this VN will be the start.
My top VN: Emotional Engagement
I define emotional engagement as being made to laugh a lot, be anxious in a good way, or straight up bawl my eyes out. If it makes me think about the narrative years later, than it is in my top VN.
- Mystic Messenger did all three multiple times. \<3 Unknown bad ends made me sob for an hour in the base game. Then I bought the after story, got a bad end, and sobbed for another hour. How can I keep failing you my love? v\_v XD
- Cinderella Phenomenon: pushed all my difficult parental relationship buttons and literally made me reach out to reconnect with my dad. \<3 Rod, I cried so hard at his bad end, oh my gosh.
- Gilded Shadows: I cried once but it was a good happy cry of relief. \<3 Quill, Jack, Lance & Ari. One route hasn't been released yet of the 9.
- Akash: Path of the Five. Only VA work I've ever bothered listening to. \<3 Nate, Rocco, and Lux.
- Changeling: I just liked the lore of the world. It's already so long and I wish it was longer on some routes. \<3 William
- Oathbreaker 1/2: The continuity and mature themes really touched and impressed me. Having moving scenes where a lover cries in your arms is beautiful. \<3 Virion
- Animal Lover: This had interesting concepts that were best exhibited by the hamster-turned-man I romanced, Edmund. What is it like to live forever, to lose yourself, to find yourself again, and find what's important about the self. Warning: Character suicide I didn't see coming at all that left me dealing with some emotions for about an hour.
- Arcade Spirits: depression, finding a passion, finding somewhere you fit in, and fighting for it. The sexy dancer, Teo, was a bonus.
- Royal Alchemist: I liked that I could pick the femme looking boy and skip the frilly dress and still keep she/her pronouns. I was invested and the story took turns I didn't expect. \<3 Aurelius for making me want to so badly best him at sword fighting.
- Crimson Spires: The MC is an FBI agent that is pulled into a retrieval mission for a prisoner that was being transported to trial. And then they were like, interesting idea. Let's destroy it with mysterious alien towers and vampires and let you romance the bad guys. \<3 August for making me do the impossible and root for a serial killer.
- Ebon Light: The amount of self expression as well as affection levels with the love interests were great. I told a guy I needed to think about whether or not we should be romantic. They accepted it and brought it up later- asked whether I had made up my mind. \<3Haron & Vadeyn
- Love Ritual: This seemed pretty standard but then Dom/Sub moving explicit sex scenes and the plot twist toward the end got me. Woof. \<3 Shanrae
- Love Spell: Written in the Stars- Sometimes immature, but I adored the mascot best friend there were some very actiony routes that kept me on the edge of my seat. \<3 Florian and Enix
- Veil of Dust: Focus is actually on your sibling and farming, with LIs being optional side content. Can play as brother or sister. I was obsessed with Stardew for a long time right when they came out, so I was fond of the farming mechanic. And I wouldn't give up hugging the brother. \<3 Laan
- Steam Prison: Couldn't put the game down because I found the world lore fascinating. \<3 Ulrik
- Silhouette: So short (\<3 hours) but I was giggling a lot, and then I got downright teary eyed thinking I'd gotten a bad ending that turned round at the last second. \<3 Derrick
Unfinished but author has recent content updates: The Survival of Sarah Rose 18+ content is constant but avoidable. It's a dark dark world and Sarah can rise above it or wallow in it. So many branches, like, wow. \<3 Atilla the orc and wins all around for female representation of healthy masturbation habits.
Happy to elaborate if my blurbs aren't enough in the comments. :) I've read over 100, but these are the ones that made me get attached.