Do you prefer otome game with gameplay element or just text reading element only?

[Artina]

Recently i've been thinking about this after sharing hana awase(an otome game with hanafuda battle), even japanese community is discussed about this too before on twitter after love and deepspace (恋と深空/恋与深空) booming successfully on otome game market nowadays.

So what do you think? do you prefer an otome game with full visual novel reading style format or otome game with visual novel with some gameplay? like maybe simple simulation/dungeon crawler/rpg maker style,etc.

Personally i like full visual novel format but i don't mind some gameplay element too, but in my opinion the bad side of mixing gameplay element is i'll be focusing on grinding instead rather than continuing the story thus making the game longer than i imagine. (laugh)

 

[Beannie]

I like to play all kinds of games, so technically, I do not mind gameplay elements in visual novels. HOWEVER, in the case of VN, I go for 100%, and if my completion is locked behind 20 hours of clicking through menus (Brothers Conflict, I am staring at you), then I am not very happy about that.

Also, in terms of learning a language, pure VNs are more condensed in terms of language than those with more prominent gameplay features *shrug*. At last, I feel like many of those minigames are a bit like filler? Solid otome JPRG would be awesome imo.

 

[Artina]

I like to play all kinds of games, so technically, I do not mind gameplay elements in visual novels. HOWEVER, in the case of VN, I go for 100%, and if my completion is locked behind 20 hours of clicking through menus (Brothers Conflict, I am staring at you), then I am not very happy about that.

Also, in terms of learning a language, pure VNs are more condensed in terms of language than those with more prominent gameplay features *shrug*. At last, I feel like many of those minigames are a bit like filler? Solid otome JPRG would be awesome imo.

this is why skip system is really important. one of the reason too why i'm grateful with BYAKKO UI system that let you jump through chapter + figuring which eps/chapter that contain cg/option.

this one too pure vn is good for those who learn language and of course solid jrpg otome games is what i am anticipate too (not solid but "the silent kingdom" is fresh too imo). yeah, minigames that filler/fast minigame is good too or maybe an option to skip or enable them. the challenging/concerning part about minigames/gameplay element in otome/vn games is as always language barrier, especially rpg theme one, like finding some item to craft, buying item from shop or looking for certain enemies in order to progress the story, if player didn't know anything about due to language difficulty i find it doom unless there's proper translation version.

 

[Yara010]

Text reading is more easier for me. I don't mind some minigames but it depends on what you have to do there (for example card games in Hana Awase look fun)

 

[Beannie]

this is why skip system is really important. one of the reason too why i'm grateful with BYAKKO UI system that let you jump through chapter + figuring which eps/chapter that contain cg/option.

this one too pure vn is good for those who learn language and of course solid jrpg otome games is what i am anticipate too (not solid but "the silent kingdom" is fresh too imo). yeah, minigames that filler/fast minigame is good too or maybe an option to skip or enable them. the challenging/concerning part about minigames/gameplay element in otome/vn games is as always language barrier, especially rpg theme one, like finding some item to craft, buying item from shop or looking for certain enemies in order to progress the story, if player didn't know anything about due to language difficulty i find it doom unless there's proper translation version.

Oh ye, I can understand the dialogue in most cases pretty well, but those damn item/quest descriptions just kill me T-T

 

[sophiamolin]

This is a really interesting topic to discuss. Early otome games weren't purely text-based; they often incorporated management and RPG elements. I think games that successfully integrate these elements into the storyline without disrupting the narrative flow are truly excellent. Such design prevents players from losing focus during long reading sessions. In fact, many modern pure visual novel style otome games tend to make me zone out—I often find myself picking up my phone to scroll through social media while playing...

Recently, some outstanding classic games have been ported to the Switch. For example, Hana Awase: Saku (華アワセ 朔) is a fantastic example that combines hanafuda card battles with romance. The card game was so engaging that I ended up paying less attention to the romantic storyline and became completely addicted to playing cards... I spent every day back then playing on my Lite!

By the way, if anyone's interested, you should look up the videos comparing how Chinese and Japanese girls reacted differently to the cosplayers at the Love and Deepspace (恋と深空) event commissioned by the organizers—it's absolutely fascinating!

 

[blackflag]

I dont only play otome, but I prefer if a VN has some sort of small gameplay, not a lot -- if not, have really good transitions and direction for videos etc not just text then fade to black then a cg.

 

[lncogneato]

This is a really good question! I don't mind gameplay elements, but I think the subject of mechanics make me really picky. I think it can really make or break someone's experience. An illustration would be what if someone really liked the story but the gameplay could just get repetitive or is not aesthetically attractive enough? My standards for visual novel or text-reading can be much lower than fighting gameplay.

Another thing is what if grinding for the game or working really hard to get to the next level is difficult or takes too long that it's jarring to someone's reading pace?

One thing that's really important to me though is that so long as the romance or the story doesn't get overshadowed by the gameplay (like there should be a sizeable narrative proportionate or larger than the time spent playing), I'd be fine with it! Integrating other game-y elements is a really ambitious step, but I like that developers try to test those creative bounds.

tl;dr: it's a hit or miss, but i'm willing to take those chances B)

 

[baybridge]

I love reading so got lucky in branching out to otome games.

It does depend if if I find the interactive gameplay interesting. I will try them but wouldn't try very hard unless certain quests are tied to a character route.

 

[Arielle]

When it comes to otome games, I prefer ones where you just read text because they're easier to start casually,
but in reality, the ones with gameplay mechanics like Rune Factory, La Corda d'Oro, Harukanaru Toki no Naka de, and Tokimeki Girls Side are the ones that stick in my memory.

 

[Fishish]

I love when games incorporate gameplay elements as I think it's a fun way to expand and get new people interested in the genre, but I can also be picky about what gameplay elements I prefer! I love rpgs so if there is any element of monster fighting or exploration I'm completely down as well as games that incorporate "character stats" (like a game allowing you to pick daily actions that increase character stats and certain stats allow for certain actions to be able to be picked or characters to be romanced). I also enjoy mystery and puzzle solving elements in visual novels or games like farming sims with visual novel elements!

I'm not a super big fan of the "written" gatcha style games or games with any element of real life time constraints (such as what's commonly seen in mobile games) like mystic messenger or nu carnival as I'm just too impatient and don't enjoy when games incorporate luck or a paywall in order to see certain things (like I would rather buy a game outright and be able to see it all then to pay for some gems to get a CHANCE at seeing something!). Despite enjoying games with gameplay I still completely love the traditional written format also!

 

[6161xx]

Compared to games that are purely about moving through scenes, I prefer gameplay that allows for more interaction. Games that only involve switching scenes can make me feel sleepy if the story isn't engaging enough. However, highly interactive games can become tedious in the later stages if there's no option to quickly skip repetitive content.

 

[Artina]

This is a really good question! I don't mind gameplay elements, but I think the subject of mechanics make me really picky. I think it can really make or break someone's experience. An illustration would be what if someone really liked the story but the gameplay could just get repetitive or is not aesthetically attractive enough? My standards for visual novel or text-reading can be much lower than fighting gameplay.

Another thing is what if grinding for the game or working really hard to get to the next level is difficult or takes too long that it's jarring to someone's reading pace?

One thing that's really important to me though is that so long as the romance or the story doesn't get overshadowed by the gameplay (like there should be a sizeable narrative proportionate or larger than the time spent playing), I'd be fine with it! Integrating other game-y elements is a really ambitious step, but I like that developers try to test those creative bounds.

tl;dr: it's a hit or miss, but i'm willing to take those chances B)

agree with this one. balancing otome games or vn in general with their story focusing and gameplay format is hard, maybe this one too is the other reason why JP bigger company like otomate didn't add any gameplay element to their titles/IP ever since psvita era.

This is a really interesting topic to discuss. Early otome games weren't purely text-based; they often incorporated management and RPG elements. I think games that successfully integrate these elements into the storyline without disrupting the narrative flow are truly excellent. Such design prevents players from losing focus during long reading sessions. In fact, many modern pure visual novel style otome games tend to make me zone out—I often find myself picking up my phone to scroll through social media while playing...

Recently, some outstanding classic games have been ported to the Switch. For example, Hana Awase: Saku (華アワセ 朔) is a fantastic example that combines hanafuda card battles with romance. The card game was so engaging that I ended up paying less attention to the romantic storyline and became completely addicted to playing cards... I spent every day back then playing on my Lite!

By the way, if anyone's interested, you should look up the videos comparing how Chinese and Japanese girls reacted differently to the cosplayers at the Love and Deepspace (恋と深空) event commissioned by the organizers—it's absolutely fascinating!

oh! i'm interest with this too! might search it up later.

I dont only play otome, but I prefer if a VN has some sort of small gameplay, not a lot -- if not, have really good transitions and direction for videos etc not just text then fade to black then a cg.

same! a little gameplay even like little buster with little fight gag joke element or rewrite with their map interactive exploration too. that's unique.

I love reading so got lucky in branching out to otome games.

It does depend if if I find the interactive gameplay interesting. I will try them but wouldn't try very hard unless certain quests are tied to a character route.

yeah as for me it depend on my mood whether i want to play with some gameplay element or not, maybe due to the story focus in otome games i also tend to lean more on storyline focus rather than the gameplay, unless if it's not taking too much time/unlock certain extra story or even CG i'll be willingly to try it too. it may be more helpful if some otome game element that has gameplay can let player choose between skip or going along playing with it.

edited for changing some of my reply.

 

[Artina]

When it comes to otome games, I prefer ones where you just read text because they're easier to start casually,
but in reality, the ones with gameplay mechanics like Rune Factory, La Corda d'Oro, Harukanaru Toki no Naka de, and Tokimeki Girls Side are the ones that stick in my memory.

i agree. for example love revo is a fantastic otome game experience that i never forgot. tmgs simulation system is remind me like otometeki love revo even though the purpose of the simulation gameplay is really different. there's also prince maker that similar with princess maker series/volcano princess that let you to raise boy not a girl.

I love when games incorporate gameplay elements as I think it's a fun way to expand and get new people interested in the genre, but I can also be picky about what gameplay elements I prefer! I love rpgs so if there is any element of monster fighting or exploration I'm completely down as well as games that incorporate "character stats" (like a game allowing you to pick daily actions that increase character stats and certain stats allow for certain actions to be able to be picked or characters to be romanced). I also enjoy mystery and puzzle solving elements in visual novels or games like farming sims with visual novel elements!

I'm not a super big fan of the "written" gatcha style games or games with any element of real life time constraints (such as what's commonly seen in mobile games) like mystic messenger or nu carnival as I'm just too impatient and don't enjoy when games incorporate luck or a paywall in order to see certain things (like I would rather buy a game outright and be able to see it all then to pay for some gems to get a CHANCE at seeing something!). Despite enjoying games with gameplay I still completely love the traditional written format also!

a game that related to gacha is not only depending to luck tbh, it's also need you to consume more times to grind and finishing event that ended on some limited times that sometimes tiring to be hones lol. sometimes offline games especially with visual novel format is not need to its player to rushing to finishing the game.

Compared to games that are purely about moving through scenes, I prefer gameplay that allows for more interaction. Games that only involve switching scenes can make me feel sleepy if the story isn't engaging enough. However, highly interactive games can become tedious in the later stages if there's no option to quickly skip repetitive content.

especially if the gameplay part didn't really add anything like extra scenario or even CG, sometimes if it's creative gameplay system like rpg or exploration with defeating enemies or a simulation that has some purpose is more engaging imo.

if it's me not only sleeping it ended making me sleepy and drop the game too.

 

[wednesday]

It really depends on my mood! Usually I tend to gravitate towards otome games without any gameplay elements, since it's easier to get all of the endings. Stat raisers like TokiMemo or LoveRevo are fun, but the schedule management can become repetitive and boring if I play for too long. Now I just finish a route or two in stat raisers and then go back to text-based otome games until I crave something more interactive lol. All things are good in moderation.

 

[橘子猫猫]

I prefer games that are purely in the form of novels and have a storyline. I have some difficulty with other elements. I am more focused on the plot.

 

[mohuwari]

I prefer otome games with just text reading element only. From the perspective of visual novels, I prefer reading. Because I just want to complete a storyline without being interrupted, smoothly and intactly. I don't really want to spend too much time on cultivation or other aspects.
But for other types of games (otome is just one aspect, such as "Volcano Princess"), I believe that good gameplay can make the otome element stand out even more. At this point, I prefer the former.

 

[mikoto]

I can play games of all genres, yet whether they appeal to me all comes down to the developers' design. Take Wand of Fortune and Clock Zero for instance—when they first came out, the gameplay element they introduced were just irritating. Even with polish in their later ports, they still end up feeling pretty tedious.

 

[coopaler2206]

I enjoy all genres, but I like having some gameplay elements. Just reading can get a bit tedious, you know? That said, it shouldn't be too difficult or boring, as that might break the immersion.

 

[tf_charge]

Early otome games weren't purely text-based; they often incorporated management and RPG elements.

Wait... Atelier is an otome game series!? I don't know why that didn't occur to me before, but it does make sense when I think about it.

 

[Fishish]

a game that related to gacha is not only depending to luck tbh, it's also need you to consume more times to grind and finishing event that ended on some limited times that sometimes tiring to be hones lol. sometimes offline games especially with visual novel format is not need to its player to rushing to finishing the game.

Yeah I've played gatcha games before and I'm more forgiving of games like genshin or wuthering waves since they have lots of gameplay outside of the gatcha elements. A lot of mobile visual novels tho only really have the draw being reading text and if I'm reading and then get told to "stop and wait 24 hours!" Or "pull for this card that'll give you more content " it's more frustrating than engaging so I'll usually just end up putting it down and completely forgetting about it. Plus I see a daily grind as the same thing as a "game with real life time elements" since I then start to see the game as a chore and not something fun! Some people have more time to sink into these games or love being able to play for short bursts so these games are probably a treat to those individuals but they unfortunately don't work for me .

 

[Marrychan]

I'm open to various styles of visual novels, and I not only play Otome games, but I also consume a lot of games that are based on interaction (like Persona, for example). I love all styles of games, they're very welcome! Wand of Fortune, the first one, has Lulu's abilities increasing throughout the school year, I really liked it. Or Glass Heart Princess, where you make Kyouko's heart stronger (the 'bad endings' of the game are lovely, it was always tempting to do them). The Zero Escape series, AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES, which has the investigation aspect. But I think Otome games have to balance these elements well so they don't become tiresome. Some Broccoli games have quite a bit of this almost mini-game style, like Jack Jeanne or UtaPri.

 

[Snowcrow]

I used to be able to enjoy just pure visual novel style otome but I get really bored just reading for hours on end without something to break it up, of course I still love them! I really love having some sort of game play though so those are my favorites! I really hope to see more of them like in the early days.

 

[Pastels]

Most of the otome games I've played have been text-based but I'm currently playing bewitching sinners and that one has mini quests you can do to add on to the story. I find the quests to be fun but it could be tedious tho. Sometimes I just want to enjoy the story without having to do extra stuff, but as long as the story doesn't get completely blocked by the gameplay element and I can just skip it, I don't mind.

Except gachas tho, I hate gachas. My anger issues can't handle it. The first and last gacha game I played caused me to rage quit and funny enough it also had an extra gameplay element that completely blocked off the story if you don't complete it.

 

[lilycadence]

i've played some otome vns with gameplay, which sometimes is just clicking to interact with objects in a room. crimson spires was pretty unique because there would be parts were it was a walking sim and you could interact with rooms, items and characters. i don't mind gameplay in vns unless it's heavy or difficult, because i do have to be in the mood for that because while i do enjoy other types of games (horror), usually i want to be more relaxed while playing vns.