The Spanish Privateer first came into view in 2018, when it was a prologue-only demo submitted to the Otome Games Jam. After a successful Kickstarter campaign in May 2021, it has since been expanded into a full game and sailed forth into the world. Released for the PC (Windows, macOS, Linux) in September 2022, this […]
My first encounter with Synstoria was through their visual novel, Ballads at Midnight. It was a game jam entry made in no more than one month and had no more than five hours of content, but it left me looking forward to more nonetheless. At that time, Imperial Grace was already a work-in-progress with an […]
Set during the final decade of the Heian period, Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei is a historical fantasy otome visual novel developed by Otomate, Idea Factory, and RED Entertainment. Originally released as Birushana Senki ~Genpei Hika Musou~ in September 2020, the game was localized into English by publisher Idea Factory International in June 2022. Available for the Nintendo Switch, Birushana: […]
A light novel series written by Sarasa Nagase and illustrated by Mai Murasaki, I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss is an isekai fantasy romance title about an otome game’s villainess who has to conquer the final boss’ heart in order to survive. Also known as Akuyaku Reijou Nanode Last Boss wo Kattemimashita, this Japanese series was initially […]
Within Enigmarella’s 19th-century nautical steampunk universe, a passionate romance along with a deep-seated mystery entwined around a dreamy fiancé and a thorny suitor blossoms. Released on 28 February 2022 for PC (Windows), Enigmarella is an indie otome Original English Language Visual Novel (OELVN) by Metal Dragon Studio. It tells of a heartfelt tale of love and hate centered […]
A NaNoRenO 2022 entry by Synstoria, Ballads at Midnight sings of a dark and romantic tale involving a sarcastic bard who was exiled to an abandoned castle and a bored vampire living in the said castle. Updated with its last ending and more voiced lines among other features, the full version of Ballads at Midnight […]
Featuring six love interests, more than 30 side characters, and approximately an 80-hour long playtime, Reimei no Gakuen is easily one of the most ambitious indie otome Original English Language visual novels (OELVN) I’d come across to date. Developed by Raikon Kitsune, Reimei no Gakuen was successfully funded on Kickstarter in 2018 and released for PC (Windows, Linux, macOS) […]
Developed by Otomate, Idea Factory, Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani is a fantasy otome visual novel that brings players into a world packed with Japanese mythology and folklore, supernatural encounters, and love. Originally released in May 2020 in Japan, this Nintendo Switch title has subsequently been localized into English and published by Aksys Games in December 2021. […]
Variable Barricade, the latest otome visual novel from Otomate and Idea Factory localized by Aksys Games, is a romantic comedy about a girl guarding her heart from a gang of overenthusiastic suitors. It’s a blast when it leans into humor and lighthearted fun but less effective when it veers into melodrama. An Immodest Proposal As […]
Romance is an essential ingredient in all otome visual novels, but I have yet to play one that examines the concept of love and relationships as holistically as Cupid Parasite does. Developed by Otomate, Idea Factory, and published by Idea Factory International, Cupid Parasite is a fantasy romantic comedy (rom-com) otome visual novel that is as fun as it […]