Anybody Else Share My Experience?

[pzahhak]

Just wondering how many other otome fans had the same start into it as I did. As a kid I was obsessed with the flash dating sims by Pacthesis on Deviantart, and it totally opened the floodgates for me. Just absolutely blew my mind that there were games all about making anime guys fall in love with you.

Now I have over a hundred games combined on my Steam & Switch libraries.

 

[ramtam]

My entry point was the SNES version of Angelique.
It's no exaggeration to call it the progenitor of otome games on home consoles in Japan.

I addressed the playable characters with honorifics like "-sama," treating them as if they were real people.
I felt my emotions rise and fall with their dialogue.
This was a sensation I'd never experienced before.
It must be what they call "moe."

I was too young to play PC games back then, so this genre might have already existed in the PC gaming world at that point.

 

[pzahhak]

Oh I have absolutely been meaning to play Angelique, especially after doing more research on the history of otome games. Would you recommend the original Snes game, or the remake released for PSP to get started?

 

[Licky]

For me it was thanks to Obey Me! I started playing it on my iphone and slowly I searched for similar games and a new world opened up for me

 

[Shanice]

My introduction to visual novels began with a friend's recommendation to play Seduce Me, and from there, there was no stopping me! But I still have a special love for Japanese games

 

[Anie_Reichi★]

In terms of romance, my first game would be harvest moon MFoMT gba back then. But for "otome vn" thing, the first one would be either Boku no Chocolate (English version) and Starry Sky in Spring (Japanese version and first time trying to use Atlas and their friends). Though I don't remember how I can stumble onto playing vn in the first place...

 

[Arisara]

I started playing otome games coz i read a lot shojo manga. And MC always play otome games. So i was just curious and my first otome was The Second Reproduction and Boku no choclate.

 

[plumtree]

I'm also a Pacthesis girlie (Wonderland Days Sim Date was my first Pacthesis game). I think I played a game by nummyz too (RIP Flash games). From there I moved on to lemmasoft forum games (Planets, Re: Alistair ++) haha. (I feel old looking at the publication dates now).

 

[plumtree]

I started playing otome games coz i read a lot shojo manga. And MC always play otome games. So i was just curious and my first otome was The Second Reproduction and Boku no choclate.

!!! Second Reproduction mention in the year of 2026!! Jin's secret route was a revelation for me. I heard about the remake but I don't think it'll reach the stretch goal of English localisation sadly (jokes on me for not learning Japanese)

 

[Shikuromi]

I watched a lot of anime adaptations of otome games and started out with Hakuouki on the PSP! Though its been a while so I don't exactly remember if I started playing eroge or otoge first, because I also tried out Otoboku and Katawa Shoujo around the same time~

 

[ichigomilk]

I learned about otome games thanks to watching anime. I used to watch otome anime and didn't know some of them were based on otome games. After learning that I started playing otome games and visual novels. I've also always loved reading shojo manga so I was really happy and excited when I learned otome games existed. I think the first otome game I played was either Amnesia or Starry Sky in Spring.

 

[RenaLin]

Hi! My first otome sim game was Re:Alistair++. It was a really, really long time ago. Does anyone else remember it?

 

[Arisara]

Привет! Моей первой игрой в жанре отомэ-симулятора была Re:Alistair++. Это было очень-очень давно. Кто-нибудь ещё помнит её?

Yes. Re:Alistair was my third otome i played.

 

[tf_charge]

Does Hatoful Boyfriend count as an otome game? Cause that was my first otome game, and the final route kinda blew me away! I don't remember what the exact reason for me starting the game was in the first place, but I do remember that I wasn't expecting something like that in the "silly bird dating sim", so it was a welcomed pleasant surprise.
I have yet to play Holiday Star though, I really should sometime.

 

[Fishish]

I remember Pacthesis! Pretty sure they first one I played was Chrono days from her but my first published visual novel probably would of been like 999 on the ds (if that counts as a visual novel). Before I had any form of pc gaming platform I would watch others play otome visual novels on youtube but now I own to many to even read myself XD.

 

[Arisara]

Does Hatoful Boyfriend count as an otome game? Cause that was my first otome game, and the final route kinda blew me away! I wasn't expecting it in the "silly bird dating sim" so it was a welcomed pleasant surprise.
I have yet to play Holiday Star though, I really should sometime.

I've never played this game before but read some reviews. It's fun? dating pigeons is strange for me hehe

 

[Fishish]

Hatoful boyfriend is definitly fun. Its got bird characters that are all kinda a joke on like otome tropes, the "childhood friend" with a sad backstory, the snobish popular type, the susspicious one with weird dark endings XD. I only ever played like the complete original tho, im sure a lot has changed since the version I played back in 2010 ish. doupt it would of aged badly though, silly fun kinda stays silly fun

I've never played this game before but read some reviews. It's fun? dating pigeons is strange for me hehe

 

[tf_charge]

I've never played this game before but read some reviews. It's fun? dating pigeons is strange for me hehe

Hatoful boyfriend is definitly fun. Its got bird characters that are all kinda a joke on like otome tropes, the "childhood friend" with a sad backstory, the snobish popular type, the susspicious one with weird dark endings XD. I only ever played like the complete original tho, im sure a lot has changed since the version I played back in 2010 ish. doupt it would of aged badly though, silly fun kinda stays silly fun

Yeah it's fun, I liked how silly it can be at times. Admittedly in the 1st game, the actual "romancing" part is only like half the game; the final route in itself feels like it has just as much content as all the other routes, and it turns into a somewhat serious plot-focused visual novel rather than anything.

I played the -complete edition- which originally released in 2011, and iinm, only the complete edition has the final route I was talking about? To me though without said final route, Hatoful Boyfriend would actually just be the "silly bird dating sim" most people think it is.

 

[RenaLin]

I started playing otome games coz i read a lot shojo manga. And MC always play otome games. So i was just curious and my first otome was The Second Reproduction and Boku no choclate.

Oh my god, I remember The Second Reproduction. I even cried halfway through the game. I loved the Demon Lord — he was so gentle and calm.

 

[Arisara]

Yeah it's fun, I liked how silly it can be at times. Admittedly in the 1st game, the actual "romancing" part is only like half the game; the final route in itself feels like it has just as much content as all the other routes, and it turns into a somewhat serious plot-focused visual novel rather than anything.

I played the -complete edition- which originally released in 2011, and iinm, only the complete edition has the final route I was talking about? To me though without said final route, Hatoful Boyfriend would actually just be the "silly bird dating sim" most people think it is.

Hatoful boyfriend is definitly fun. Its got bird characters that are all kinda a joke on like otome tropes, the "childhood friend" with a sad backstory, the snobish popular type, the susspicious one with weird dark endings XD. I only ever played like the complete original tho, im sure a lot has changed since the version I played back in 2010 ish. doupt it would of aged badly though, silly fun kinda stays silly fun

Thank you so much! I avoided playing because of the pigeons. But maybe I should try..

 

[Fishish]

Yeah it's fun, I liked how silly it can be at times. Admittedly in the 1st game, the actual "romancing" part is only like half the game; the final route in itself feels like it has just as much content as all the other routes, and it turns into a somewhat serious plot-focused visual novel rather than anything.

I played the -complete edition- which originally released in 2011, and iinm, only the complete edition has the final route I was talking about? To me though without said final route, Hatoful Boyfriend would actually just be the "silly bird dating sim" most people think it is.

Yeah either memory eludes me about the part your talking about or the version I played didnt even have this, maybe I should replay it also!

 

[Arisara]

Oh my god, I remember The Second Reproduction. I even cried halfway through the game. I loved the Demon Lord — he was so gentle and calm.

Same. I was shocked by the unexpected "bad ending" and cryed a lot T.T

 

[laeria]

Just wondering how many other otome fans had the same start into it as I did. As a kid I was obsessed with the flash dating sims by Pacthesis on Deviantart, and it totally opened the floodgates for me. Just absolutely blew my mind that there were games all about making anime guys fall in love with you.

Now I have over a hundred games combined on my Steam & Switch libraries.

One of my first experiences with dating sims were with flash games too. Saccharine by Amiralo was my first, and I still love it to this day.

I played a lot of indie dating sims back then, and I eventually got into commercial otome visual novels with my entry point being the Psychedelica series

 

[pzahhak]

For me it was thanks to Obey Me! I started playing it on my iphone and slowly I searched for similar games and a new world opened up for me

Obey Me was super fun back before I decided to quit all gacha games. I still love Beel and even have a plushie of him. Who's your favourite character?

 

[pzahhak]

Hi! My first otome sim game was Re:Alistair++. It was a really, really long time ago. Does anyone else remember it?

I do! That's also a super early game in my otome journey. ^_^