Anybody Else Share My Experience?

[pzahhak]

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.

I count it. Was absolutely a pleasant surprise for me as well, since I am a fan of darker themes.

 

[DoDoPopping]

The first otome game that truly inspired me was QuinRose's Heart No Kuni No Alice.
I never imagined the script could reinterpret such a well-known story so brilliantly!
Especially the twist of setting Alice as a realistic heroine within a fantasy world—it was such an interesting twist.
Sometimes a character seems like they're not the type I usually like,
but through multifaceted character development and detailed interactions,
I gradually fell in love with each distinctive character !

I'll never forget Blood's neurotic voice; I love it so much!
The way Julius and Alice interact, like a familiar, long-married family, is so heartwarming.
Seeing a Nightmare character who's sickly and prone to coughing up blood was so funny.
The complexity of Ace's mind makes him someone I absolutely wouldn't want to offend in society XD
After finishing the Truth ending, I just sat in front of the screen, completely blown away.
I really admire how the scriptwriter blends different layers of human psychology and their projections into the fairy tale so seamlessly.

 

[RenaLin]

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

Yeah! I was actually sure I got the bad ending. I was so confused and immediately started wondering what answer I screwed up to get it :D

 

[mikoto]

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?

My first foray into otome games was Angelique (the original version). Thanks to a localizing company that imported and translated it, I got to play the PC edition. I absolutely adore the art style of the original release. I highly recommend you give it a try—the original game isn't very long.
As for the remake, it features full voice acting and additional romance scenarios, making it a more suitable pick for players who are new to the series.

English isn't my native language, so please excuse any awkward phrasing.

 

[tf_charge]

Obey Me was super fun back before I decided to quit all gacha games.

You made the right choice. Gacha games are just too addictive and will zap your free time away, even when I was a f2p player!
I just wish less visual novels are made as gacha games but rather as standalone titles that one can enjoy at any time, even when the company/service shut down.

 

[RenaLin]

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

Cool! It's great to know there are people who remember this old otome. I haven't seen any mention of it in a long time.

 

[pzahhak]

My first foray into otome games was Angelique (the original version). Thanks to a localizing company that imported and translated it, I got to play the PC edition. I absolutely adore the art style of the original release. I highly recommend you give it a try—the original game isn't very long.
As for the remake, it features full voice acting and additional romance scenarios, making it a more suitable pick for players who are new to the series.

English isn't my native language, so please excuse any awkward phrasing.

It sounds great, I'll definitely add it to my list of games to play, thank you so much for replying.

And don't worry, your English is great.

You made the right choice. Gacha games are just too addictive and will zap your free time away, even when I was a f2p player!
I just wish less visual novels are made as gacha games but rather as standalone titles that one can enjoy at any time, even when the company/service shut down.

Preaching to the choir there! There are so many mobile vns that I would love to try because the art or story seems up my alley, but gacha games are far too dangerous both for my wallet and my time.

 

[Shanice]

The first otome game that truly inspired me was QuinRose's Heart No Kuni No Alice.
I never imagined the script could reinterpret such a well-known story so brilliantly!
Especially the twist of setting Alice as a realistic heroine within a fantasy world—it was such an interesting twist.
Sometimes a character seems like they're not the type I usually like,
but through multifaceted character development and detailed interactions,
I gradually fell in love with each distinctive character !

I'll never forget Blood's neurotic voice; I love it so much!
The way Julius and Alice interact, like a familiar, long-married family, is so heartwarming.
Seeing a Nightmare character who's sickly and prone to coughing up blood was so funny.
The complexity of Ace's mind makes him someone I absolutely wouldn't want to offend in society XD
After finishing the Truth ending, I just sat in front of the screen, completely blown away.
I really admire how the scriptwriter blends different layers of human psychology and their projections into the fairy tale so seamlessly.

（My native language isn't English, so please forgive any weird grammar or wording.）

I finished this game a little while ago, but you took the words right out of my mouth!. If you like the theme of fairy tales, i'd recommend playing the Taisho x Alice if you haven't already

 

[tf_charge]

The first otome game that truly inspired me was QuinRose's Heart No Kuni No Alice.
I never imagined the script could reinterpret such a well-known story so brilliantly!
Especially the twist of setting Alice as a realistic heroine within a fantasy world—it was such an interesting twist.
Sometimes a character seems like they're not the type I usually like,
but through multifaceted character development and detailed interactions,
I gradually fell in love with each distinctive character !

I finished this game a little while ago, but you took the words right out of my mouth!. If you like the theme of fairy tales, i'd recommend playing the Taisho x Alice if you haven't already

Japan really do like Alice in Wonderland don't they? Maybe more than Britain themselves! I wonder why tho?

 

[mikoto]

Japan really do like Alice in Wonderland don't they? Maybe more than Britain themselves! I wonder why tho?

I guess it might be associated with the Lolita culture.

 

[Shanice]

Japan really do like Alice in Wonderland don't they? Maybe more than Britain themselves! I wonder why tho?

You're right, but I also have a lot of friends in Europe who like this game. I was immediately drawn to it for its humor and storytelling, although after Dandelion - Wishes brought to you , any hint of time management puts me off

 

[ramtam]

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?

If you want to play the original, I recommend the PS1 version, "Angelique Duet."

The differences are as follows:

SNES Version Angelique: No voice acting
PS1 Version Angelique Special:
Voice acting added by voice actors
Important scenes such as confession scenes will be animated.
PS1 Version Angelique Duet:
Same content as Special, but you can play as Rosalia, who was a rival character.
Only "Angelique Duet" is playable on Rosalia.
Overall events are enhanced, including night dates and friendship events between queen candidates.
(There is also a DS version, but it lacks voice acting.)

PSP Version: Angelique Rétour
Content is largely the same as the above titles, but includes additional romanceable characters.
Character designs and event stills have been completely revamped to match the era, making its graphics arguably the most beautiful.
Additionally, some non-romanceable characters no longer appear.
Instead, each candidate now has an assigned butler.


Character designs outside of Retour were consistently handled by Yura Kairi.
She also worked on the manga adaptation at the time and was extremely popular.
Consequently, a very small number of players found the redesigned characters difficult to accept.

Personally, I highly recommend "Angelique Duet" for those who wish to fully appreciate Yura Kairi's character designs.
Another recommended feature is the ability to play from both the protagonist's and rival's perspectives.

Of course, considering current availability and ease of play, "Retour" is also a good choice.

 

[xavk]

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.

Lol the dating sims on Deviantart got me addicted too! There was a time when I searched for all the flash dating sims on Newgrounds and DA to scratch that itch I didn't know I had! I remember using cheat codes because I wanted to skip the grind
Also some others not from Pacthesis that I liked such as Moonlight dating sim (my first dark vampire game hello) and Kaleidoscope (part 2. The first one was about dating girls. The art wowed me during that time)

I think these games can still be found now, I might do a quick playthrough just for nostalgia some time <3

 

[DoDoPopping]

I finished this game a little while ago, but you took the words right out of my mouth!. If you like the theme of fairy tales, i'd recommend playing the Taisho x Alice if you haven't already

Wow, what a coincidence !
I absolutely love this game. it's so dazzling and captivating!
As for Taisho x Alice , since I'm a fan of Shinigami to shoujo,
I was super excited when I saw that the same scriptwriter was working on this title back then!

No matter which episode, Yurika sama is just amazing !
Those dialogue choices are hilarious or full of hidden plot twists.
When I was playing EP3 on the Wizard route,
I couldn't take my eyes off the text—my heart was racing the whole time.

EP4 was a bit disappointing for me, though, because Alice's personal story was pretty short.
Most of the time you're just hopping between different world lines.
The branching endings weren't enough, but I really loved that BE.
Matsuoka's voice acting for Yurika sama was just delicious~

 

[lncogneato]

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.

AH, Hatoful Boyfriend! That brings up a lot of funny memories for me. Also a vouch from me on this. The routes are still surreal, but the depth they manage to insert while you stare at bird PNGs is crazy good. My introduction to it was really silly because I had my brother buy it for me as a birthday gift under the impression that there was a setting where you can switch the bird avatars to their gijinka versions. Imagine my surprise when I started playing... I dropped it for a few months but then came back into it with a vigor I didn't know I had in me HAHA. I was and always will be a Yuuya-lover.

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.

My first otome is hazy but the oldest I can remember are Shall We Date, OKKO, Voltage, and Prince of Tennis on the DS. I was always a romance-nut as a kid and I think I was more proactive in my search for similar content. As for non-JP, </reality> was the first visual novel-esque I remember buying on Steam right after Hatoful. It really expanded my options.

Edit: OH, how could I forget the Ikemen series?? That one is relatively more recent than the rest I've mentioned but IkeSen was the hardest I ever got back to that style of dress up characters in this and wait for a story ticket type of mechanic. Kind of revitalized my love for mobile otomes.

 

[pzahhak]

If you want to play the original, I recommend the PS1 version, "Angelique Duet."

The differences are as follows:

SNES Version Angelique: No voice acting
PS1 Version Angelique Special: Voice acting added by voice actors
PS1 Version Angelique Duet:
Same content as Special, but you can play as Rosalia, who was a rival character.
Only "Angelique Duet" is playable on Rosalia.
Overall events are enhanced, including night dates and friendship events between queen candidates.
(There is also a DS version, but it lacks voice acting.)

PSP Version: Angelique Rétour
Content is largely the same as the above titles, but includes additional romanceable characters.
Character designs and event stills have been completely revamped to match the era, making its graphics arguably the most beautiful.
Additionally, some non-romanceable characters no longer appear.
Instead, each candidate now has an assigned butler.


Character designs outside of Retour were consistently handled by Yura Kairi.
She also worked on the manga adaptation at the time and was extremely popular.
Consequently, a very small number of players found the redesigned characters difficult to accept.

Personally, I highly recommend "Angelique Duet" for those who wish to fully appreciate Yura Kairi's character designs.
Another recommended feature is the ability to play from both the protagonist's and rival's perspectives.

Of course, considering current availability and ease of play, "Retour" is also a good choice.

Oh wow, thank you for such an in depth answer! I'll definitely attempt to play Duet first then. The pixel art is gorgeous!

Lol the dating sims on Deviantart got me addicted too! There was a time when I searched for all the flash dating sims on Newgrounds and DA to scratch that itch I didn't know I had! I remember using cheat codes because I wanted to skip the grind
Also some others not from Pacthesis that I liked such as Moonlight dating sim (my first dark vampire game hello) and Kaleidoscope (part 2. The first one was about dating girls. The art wowed me during that time)

I think these games can still be found now, I might do a quick playthrough just for nostalgia some time <3

Oh my gosh I almost forgot about Moonlight & Kaleidoscope! You've got me wanting to replay them now too.

 

[Mn94]

I got my start playing otome games through anime. I watched Hakuouki and found out that it was based on a game. The game was actually in english, so I played it.
After that, there was a year when Code Realize, Amnesia, and Norn9 all came out and there were none announced for the next year. I had gotten spoiled and decided I had to learn Japanese. Since then, I've been playing otome games for over 10 years and still love them.

 

[DoDoPopping]

Japan really do like Alice in Wonderland don't they? Maybe more than Britain themselves! I wonder why tho?

I'm not entirely sure about the exact reason,
But based on my impression, after the original Alice works were introduced to Japan,
there have been countless adaptations over the years.
You can find many stories inspired by Alice across different media—
manga, anime, and games—all using it as a theme or backdrop.
Because of that, Alice has become a truly classic and iconic archetype in Japan.
The way it uses a surreal, chaotic world to satirize real society is also one of the reasons it resonates with people so much.

 

[Nastya]

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

Wow, blast from the past! I wouldn't be able remember its name on my own, but yes, I'm pretty sure Re: Alistair was my first otome game too (I loved it). Kinda want to replay it now...

 

[Czekola]

Omg yes! I remember playing Pacthesis games a lot when I was younger. It was probably my gate towards otome games overall!
I especially loved Star Days!

 

[Syntaxcha]

Lmao what got me started is Zeiva Inc. games as well as the Shall We Date's earlier games... I still remember the grind for Shall We Date..

Surprised that no one has mentioned Zeiva Inc. games at all, considering that the demos of their games are available in Y8 games.

 

[RenaLin]

Wow, blast from the past! I wouldn't be able remember its name on my own, but yes, I'm pretty sure Re: Alistair was my first otome game too (I loved it). Kinda want to replay it now...

Now that you say that, I want to replay it too. There are at least twenty new games I need to play. Nope. Replaying RE:Alistair — here I come.

 

[citrusraymond]

I didn't really much play otome games since I was more on indie horror games & creepypasta back then, but I do remember my friends mentioning Obey me and Mystic Messenger!! I think I did try to play Obey me, but I quitted afterwards due to my busy schedule and strict limitations playing on my phone

 

[Shanice]

I haven't played RE: Alistair, but I have played Backstage Pass, so I guess it's finally time to give it a try!

 

[vienne34]

I started from the summer vacation in 2015, watched a lot of otome anime, then watched a lot of Japanese otome games videos on bilibili
The game I like so far is norn9, but my latest game, heart cage, is the best game I have ever played and the first in my heart.
I recommend everyone to play heart cage.