Playing Otome/BL games on your commute

[arson194835798]

My commute is quite long (around 3 hours in total), so I like to play my games on the bus or train. However, it does get a little embarrassing sometimes, either because I'm the only one with a handheld out, or because there's just a lot of handsome men on the screen of my phone.

I've played Obey Me, Love and Deepspace, Light and Night, Ikemen Vampires/Villains for mobile games, and Jack Jeanne for console games. LADS and LNN is usually embarrassing because the boys are usually in various state of undress, or they lean super close to the screen for fanservice. Basically all the yummy parts of the game haha.

For handheld console games, it's just a bit unwieldy to take it from my bag, then out of the case, put the case back in my bag, and start playing. I've rarely seen people with their handheld on my commute, maybe only once before, with them playing Pokemon ZA on it.

Does anyone else like to play on their commute? Which ones have you played? Have you gotten any weird looks about it?

 

[satory]

I don't often use transport, but when I do, I use emulators on my phone to play, it's easier than bringing a console. And often get strange looks from people around because I play in Japanese but don't live in Japan. Kind of waiting for someone to be brave enough to ask "Is this ANIME?". Games with huge amount of text and darker colouring usually is a safe bet to choose. Also historical setting - you just have a lot of people in traditional clothes on screen and it looks presentable

Playing LADs in public is... an interesting choice. I wouldn't be able to play it in front of anyone (;´∀`)

 

[yousoro]

I usually just space out in public transport. Not exactly otome or BL, but I've played anime rhythm games in public before, that got me some weird looks a few times ˙𐃷˙

 

[florabinge]

I should feel lucky that my commute doesn't take that long haha... so I don't play games on my way. I might doom scroll social media though.

Hypothetically speaking even if the trip was long, I wouldn't be able to focus enough to play games. The time I go to work and get off work collides with many other people during rush hours, so the bus would be packed with people standing. I can't immerse myself in games when I'm aware others can see my screen. Otome is a personal hobby of mine, and with anime character designs, playing it on public transport can get me weird looks where I live.

 

[arson194835798]

I don't often use transport, but when I do, I use emulators on my phone to play, it's easier than bringing a console. And often get strange looks from people around because I play in Japanese but don't live in Japan. Kind of waiting for someone to be brave enough to ask "Is this ANIME?". Games with huge amount of text and darker colouring usually is a safe bet to choose. Also historical setting - you just have a lot of people in traditional clothes on screen and it looks presentable

Playing LADs in public is... an interesting choice. I wouldn't be able to play it in front of anyone (;´∀`)

I don't really enjoy phone emulation because of the button ui on the screen. Also my phone is sorely lacking in storage haha!

I'm sorry that you're getting strange looks because of the language of the game you play. Where I live, tons of people watch videos (with subtitles), scroll through social media, and play games in a language that isn't the national language. I've never expect that language could be a source of strange looks.

For LADs, sometimes I just want to get my dailies done early in the morning. Or, today is the last day of the event and I'm trying to read all the event stories before they go away forever. My friend did convince me that they're nothing shameful in playing an otome game in public, which I agree with, but sometimes Sylus just really likes the revealing outfits I got for him and can't wait to show it off

(I'm so glad you're comfortable around me, but other people are starring at your Sylities!)

I usually just space out in public transport. Not exactly otome or BL, but I've played anime rhythm games in public before, that got me some weird looks a few times ˙𐃷˙

When I'm really tired I just space out too, or try to catch a snooze (extremely dangerous and stressful because missing a stop is a minimum extra 10~20 minutes of commute time.

I play gacha rhythm games a lot on my commute too! Someone actually came up to me and gave me their number to talk about mobile rhythm games more, and I also got to show off my skills in front of some elementary aged students.

I should feel lucky that my commute doesn't take that long haha... so I don't play games on my way. I might doom scroll social media though.

Hypothetically speaking even if the trip was long, I wouldn't be able to focus enough to play games. The time I go to work and get off work collides with many other people during rush hours, so the bus would be packed with people standing. I can't immerse myself in games when I'm aware others can see my screen. Otome is a personal hobby of mine, and with anime character designs, playing it on public transport can get me weird looks where I live.

Rush hour commute is the worst. I'm lucky that I get onto and off at the terminus stations, so usually I can snag a seat.

Immersion is really important. I totally keep adjusting my brightness lower when I feel like people would stare, and then adjust it brighter because I can't read the text

 

[voIuvreles]

I'd like to play but I'd suffer from motion sickness whenever I try to do so @_@ so most of the time i just... take a light nap during commuting

 

[arson194835798]

I'd like to play but I'd suffer from motion sickness whenever I try to do so @_@ so most of the time i just... take a light nap during commuting

That sucks so much! Motion sickness is the worst!

 

[boysluvboyslove]

I don't have that long a commute, but sometimes it does get boring. The buses I take is structured so that if you sit in the very back corner, pretty much nobody besides the person right next to you can see your screen, and not even them if you hold it at an angle. The bus is usually very crowded, but if I'm lucky enough to get that seat I can play whatever I want, usally BLVNS via emulators. If there is someone sitting next to me, they usually don't notice or just don't react if I hide my phone, although sometimes they'll look at me weird, which is understandable. If I don't get that seat, I usually just space out and listen to music, although if I'm really bored I'll play pjsk or watch anime, which has earned some weird glances but nothing beyond that.

 

[arson194835798]

I don't have that long a commute, but sometimes it does get boring. The buses I take is structured so that if you sit in the very back corner, pretty much nobody besides the person right next to you can see your screen, and not even them if you hold it at an angle. The bus is usually very crowded, but if I'm lucky enough to get that seat I can play whatever I want, usally BLVNS via emulators. If there is someone sitting next to me, they usually don't notice or just don't react if I hide my phone, although sometimes they'll look at me weird, which is understandable. If I don't get that seat, I usually just space out and listen to music, although if I'm really bored I'll play pjsk or watch anime, which has earned some weird glances but nothing beyond that.

Oo! What BLVN have you played on your commute?

 

[0x0]

I can't do anything because of motion sickness

 

[NoveiaVonGeorgia]

I'd like to play but I'd suffer from motion sickness whenever I try to do so @_@ so most of the time i just... take a light nap during commuting

Same. I was hit with awful sea sickness at a family trip because I was playing my psvita while inside a moving car. I swore to never do it again.

 

[arson194835798]

I can't do anything because of motion sickness

Same. I was hit with awful sea sickness at a family trip because I was playing my psvita while inside a moving car. I swore to never do it again.

Motion sickness/car sickness sucks

 

[Harumichi]

I don't really play games while traveling very often because I get a little motion sick.

I usually just take out my phone and look at it for a short while. Sometimes I do play games, but I can't play for very long.

 

[arson194835798]

I don't really play games while traveling very often because I get a little motion sick.

I usually just take out my phone and look at it for a short while. Sometimes I do play games, but I can't play for very long.

It looks like what deters most people from playing games is motion sickness, rather than weird looks from others.

 

[tsuki09_]

I really wish I could because my uni is far
but I don't want to get my stuff stolen gkjlsdhgf

so it's either nap time or daydream time

 

[arson194835798]

I really wish I could because my uni is far
but I don't want to get my stuff stolen gkjlsdhgf

so it's either nap time or daydream time

I totally get that! Sometimes, I get worried that my console will get stolen.

Nap time is scary because I'm afraid of missing my stop, so I end up waking every 3 or so minutes out of stress. Daydream time is good.

 

[haylie2019]

Well I drive to work so no, but I did try to play on a bus ride and motion sickness is too much for me.

 

[e_11]

I can't really play games during my commute because I get motion sickness quite easily. My sense of balance is pretty sensitive

I only look at my phone a little, enough that I don't start feeling sick.

Even if I didn't get motion sickness, I probably still wouldn't play otome game on public transportation because I'd be too self-conscious about other people seeing my screen

 

[801_9ma]

I'm also part of the motion sickness gang here. I can't even look at my phone for too long if I'm in a bus or the subway, so playing games is kind of a lost cause on my end unfortunately. It'd help me get through so many games though...

 

[xaioblack]

I played Gakuen Heaven and diabolik lovers on emu during my train ride. Other than I mostly play hoyoverse gacha. I don't think I gotten any weird looks from playing gakuen heaven, no one care

 

[NightingaleDream]

You know, I'd do it if I could, but since I mostly use the subway, I have ended up missing my stop once or twice and it's very troublesome having to return so I mostly avoid playing anything that ocuppies my focus too much xd

 

[boysluvboyslove]

Oo! What BLVN have you played on your commute?

I've played togainu no chi and sweet pool, and am currently playing dmmd. All 3 have either a psp or psv release, which can be emulated pretty well on my phone. Main issue is no eng translation for those versions (psv translation for dmmd soon though i think), but google lens helps and i've played through most of them already, so that paired with limited japanese is enough to understand most scenes. Plus, after the first playthrough i'm not really playing for the plot lol. My phone is older so it struggles with switch emulation, but hopefully once i get a new one it can emulate switch better, which would open up my options a lot, especially with newer titles.

 

[arson194835798]

I've played togainu no chi and sweet pool, and am currently playing dmmd. All 3 have either a psp or psv release, which can be emulated pretty well on my phone. Main issue is no eng translation for those versions (psv translation for dmmd soon though i think), but google lens helps and i've played through most of them already, so that paired with limited japanese is enough to understand most scenes. Plus, after the first playthrough i'm not really playing for the plot lol. My phone is older so it struggles with switch emulation, but hopefully once i get a new one it can emulate switch better, which would open up my options a lot, especially with newer titles.

sweet pool has so many eyebrow raising moments that I don't think I would play it in public haha! It's a shame that there are no translated releases for psp nor psv. Steam link or Steam Remote Play also doesn't work unless you open up your network ports...

Is there any Switch titles that you are particularly looking forward to?

 

[arson194835798]

It'd help me get through so many games though...

Yeah! I think I played maybe a quarter of my Jack Jeanne playthrough was on my commute.

I played Gakuen Heaven and diabolik lovers on emu during my train ride. Other than I mostly play hoyoverse gacha. I don't think I gotten any weird looks from playing gakuen heaven, no one care

I've been trying to decide if I should play Diabolik Lovers on my commute as well. I'm using a console so my screen is much bigger though...

Hoyoverse gachas drain my phone battery so quickly, so I sort of gave up on that.

You know, I'd do it if I could, but since I mostly use the subway, I have ended up missing my stop once or twice and it's very troublesome having to return so I mostly avoid playing anything that ocuppies my focus too much xd

Missing stop is the woooooorst. Especially when you get off at stops where you have to walk up and down stairs to get to the other platform.

Well I drive to work so no, but I did try to play on a bus ride and motion sickness is too much for me.

I can't really play games during my commute because I get motion sickness quite easily. My sense of balance is pretty sensitive

I only look at my phone a little, enough that I don't start feeling sick.

Even if I didn't get motion sickness, I probably still wouldn't play otome game on public transportation because I'd be too self-conscious about other people seeing my screen

Motion sickness really has it out for all of us.

 

[boysluvboyslove]

sweet pool has so many eyebrow raising moments that I don't think I would play it in public haha! It's a shame that there are no translated releases for psp nor psv. Steam link or Steam Remote Play also doesn't work unless you open up your network ports...

Is there any Switch titles that you are particularly looking forward to?

Yeah I usually only play certain games when I'm in said spot and the bus is relatively empty, and even then im sitting like L from death note trying to ensure nobody can see my screen lol. Hashihime of Old Book Town is the main switch title im really looking forward to being able to play on phone, I'm playing it on computer rn and i love it. The switch version also being in english makes everything easier, and I can really see myself enjoying it on a commute. Luckydog1 is another, it has a psv version but for some reason I can never get it working in vita3k. Switch version is in japanese, but being able to play it on my commute at all is gonna be great, it was one of my first blvns and has a special place in my heart.