Some people don't accept gacha otome games, but the genre is genuinely huge, and that doesn't make it inferior. There's nothing wrong with spending money on gacha games, either. In fact, a lot of gacha games are really high quality. The mainstream buy-to-play otome games are made by Otomate, and their stories aren't necessarily all that great. When it comes to sexy content, Chinese gacha games definitely can't go too far, but gameplay-wise, gacha games are more fun. The exception is Koei's otome games—though even Koei has jumped into gacha, which proves gacha is what capital and the market have chosen. Ordinary buy-to-play otome games don't get much investment, and the ones that did get big investment never went anywhere—like Capcom's Toraware no Palm series and Konami's Girl's Side. One good thing about gacha games is that you can openly play for free and no one gives you crap, whereas with buy-to-play games, if you don't pay, people will accuse you of freeloading or buying pirated copies.
Just a ramble
- Thread starter neverenough
- Start date
- Aug 19, 2026
- 108
- 202
I totally get what you say but I have to disagree a bit. Free gacha otomes are nice for people who want to play for free and have no means to buy at all and can't get free copies. I used to play free mobile otome games for years when I was in middle school, the ones with 5 tickets per days lol.
But the thing is the base game is free yes, but it's inherently pay to win. For the 5 tickets per day type game, I was never able to get the best ending, only got normal ones as you had to pay for better clothes, some cgs were locked behind paid diamond clothes.
The last gacha I played wasn't so much better in that case (love and deepspace) but at least the paid contents are entirely skippable and not really important to the story, except for the myths cards but they are easily obtainable for free. My issue is that the companies focus on milking the players. I stopped playing Love and deepspace because of that. And I was not free to play at all, I put like 1000 dollars in that game. They only really release gacha pulls and events but rarely updated the main story. I was happy with what I got with the money I paid, I wasn't forced to buy so I won't blame them for that, even though it gets quite expensive for a single limited 5 stars card.
Also Gacha aren't necessarily funnier to play. It's subjective of course, but the thing is that gacha works like gamble, because in the end that's what it is. It's just playing on dopamine and Companies know that. And I think most otome game players, don't really care about the gameplay aspect tbh. We're mostly here for the story, cgs and if it's voiced for the voices too. I personnally treat my otome games like romance novels but with choices and visuals and sounds.
The reason we complain is because even if we pay we can't get the story and as for the 5 tickets per day type games, it's even worse. Most of the games I used to play and love are now complete lost media and their ToS made it unable for us as a playerbase to record and upload on internet for other people. And the thing is we will never be able to play or watch it again.
I think some people might be elitist and think gacha otomes are bad because it's "mainstream" (Only love and deepspace because it used to male lots and lots of money) and bad quality. But the reality is that most of us just don't like how greedy companies are and anti-consumer. It's not something inherent to otome games, it's just because we live in a capitalist society. Every companies want to make profit to a point that it's completely indecent. Bought games are not owned anymore and you could have your games removed from you just because. Xbox want to implement ads in games you bought. I think we people are just tired because rich people get richer and poor, poorer.
And yeah once again it's all tied down to politics because it's just how it is.
The young me love playing mobile otome games but felt sad not being able to fully experience the story and the adult me just feels sad because now that I can pay I cannot most of the games I liked became lost media. I think that's also something that prevents people for putting money into the games and criticize it. We put money into something that we don't know how long it will last.
I'm sorry for the big answer and yap lol. I hope I was able to share my thoughts clearly. As someone who has been playing otomes for more than 10 years now (omg) and experienced both free mobile otomes and paid console otomes, I hope my experience and thoughts on this matter will be relevant lol. I can't wait to see what you think of my answer!
- Aug 11, 2026
- 190
- 339
I also disagree, my main issue with gacha games are that they're inherently anti-consumer and predatory. They are designed in a way to encourage you to spend money little by little and gamble your money away.
Even if you never spend money, the games are designed in a way to drip-feed you content unless you pay more. They don't respect your time at all, and they don't prioritise the enjoyment of the player.
It makes me really sad that the state of gaming today is a result of the popularity of gacha games. I wish more people would commit to playing ordinary buy-to-play games, rather than getting hooked on the temporary dopamine gacha games give them.
I have always advocated for people to pirate games if they can't afford them instead of resorting to free-to-play games.
Even if you never spend money, the games are designed in a way to drip-feed you content unless you pay more. They don't respect your time at all, and they don't prioritise the enjoyment of the player.
It makes me really sad that the state of gaming today is a result of the popularity of gacha games. I wish more people would commit to playing ordinary buy-to-play games, rather than getting hooked on the temporary dopamine gacha games give them.
I have always advocated for people to pirate games if they can't afford them instead of resorting to free-to-play games.
- May 18, 2026
- 250
- 412
The mobile market isn't even as profitable as it used to be:
Bankruptcies among Japanese mobile game developers surge to record pace in 2026, data shows
Being too greedy didn't pay off, huh?
Bankruptcies among Japanese mobile game developers surge to record pace in 2026, data shows
Being too greedy didn't pay off, huh?
- Oct 27, 2019
- 529
- 1,227
There is nothing bad with enjoying any type of games you like.
What is bad, however, is to belittle things you don't like. Hating on other games doesn't make your favourite game look better, it only make all players look worse
What is bad, however, is to belittle things you don't like. Hating on other games doesn't make your favourite game look better, it only make all players look worse
Thanks for taking the time to write such a long reply. Honestly, I like both types of otome games—buy-to-play and gacha. I just don't think gacha otome games should be dismissed so harshly, since the two play pretty differently. Most buy-to-play otome games are basically visual novels with multiple branches and endings, and the story wraps up fairly quickly. The ones I've played that are more gameplay-heavy are Koei's otome games and Konami's Girl's Side. Others like Otomate, Rejet, and D3P are traditional text adventure games. So gameplay-wise, I'd say gacha otome games are generally more varied than buy-to-play ones, which is why I called them more fun.
As for the five-tickets-a-day games you mentioned, I haven't played them, and I haven't played Love and Deepspace either. I've heard players complain a lot about its rough combat, the devs doing nothing, or pitting players against each other. That said, the models are gorgeous and the outfits look great. That's progress too.
Second, gacha does get criticized a lot, but I often lower my expectations and treat it like a transaction, and that makes me feel better. Don't gacha games usually have pity systems? At least the ones I've played have one.
Third, paying and still not getting the full story—I've played games like that too, but I wasn't as emotionally invested as you were. It really is a shame; all that's left is memories and a lingering sense of loss.
Fourth, I agree with some of your points about companies. These days, buy-to-play games really do sell you a license rather than ownership. Physical cartridges probably don't have that problem, though.
Thanks again for your reply. A few final thoughts on gacha games: I definitely can't experience everything in a gacha game. Even though players share the story online, experiencing it yourself is very different. I treat that kind of playthrough as my own. It is a shame, but that's also what makes it unique. Same with spending money—whether it's buy-to-play or gacha, you pay because it makes you happy or because you're satisfied. I don't think one is superior to the other, and I don't think it's about whether it's "worth it." As long as you can afford it, I think that's fine. I guess that's a bit naive of me :)
Thanks for explaining your view. I actually agree with a lot of it: some gacha games are designed in a predatory, anti-consumer way. Limited banners, FOMO, energy systems, and content that feels deliberately withheld unless you pay—those are real problems, and I get why people are frustrated.
Where I see it a bit differently is with treating the whole genre as inherently like that. Gacha games vary a lot. Some have pity systems, give enough free content to be enjoyable, update the story regularly, and let you make progress just by playing. I know pity systems don't erase the gambling-like psychology, but for me they make it feel more like a guaranteed exchange than pure gambling. I also don't think "not respecting your time" applies to every game—some do reward the time you put in, and the story keeps moving. I know not being able to see everything is a real downside for many people. For me personally, though, I don't mind playing at my own pace; sometimes I drop a game and come back later. That's my choice, and it shows in my account. I think that's actually nice. I guess it's a weird way of thinking.
I also don't think buy-to-play is a clean alternative. Digital purchases are often just licenses, games can be delisted, and paid games can have DLC, microtransactions, or rough launches. The industry's problems are bigger than gacha.
As for piracy, I understand the argument when someone truly can't afford games, and I won't moralize at people who have no other access. But I wouldn't see it as the default solution instead of free-to-play. People play free games for many reasons, not just because they can't pay.
So if we're talking about specific predatory mechanics, I'm with you. If we're talking about the whole category being anti-consumer and ruining gaming, that's where we probably disagree. Maybe it comes down to which games we've played and what we expect from them. I'm not trying to dismiss your experience—I just see it differently. :)
Yeah, the mobile market has definitely gotten a lot rougher, and I'm not surprised bankruptcies are up. But I don't think it's simply greed coming back to bite them. There are a lot of factors at play—market saturation, rising development and marketing costs, player fatigue, and revenue being concentrated in a handful of massive titles. Greed probably doesn't help, but it's not the whole story.
There is nothing bad with enjoying any type of games you like.
What is bad, however, is to belittle things you don't like. Hating on other games doesn't make your favourite game look better, it only make all players look worse
You're right. People should be able to enjoy whatever kind of game they like, and putting down other games doesn't make anyone's taste better—it just makes the community worse. Sorry if my tone came off as harsh. What I meant is that paying in either buy-to-play or gacha can be a voluntary choice, and I don't think one is inherently better or worse. I've played and enjoyed both, so I wasn't trying to belittle anyone. If it sounded that way, that wasn't my intention.
This started out as just a ramble and a bit of venting. After I posted it, I realized my tone came off a bit harsh, but I couldn't delete it. Usually people only reply to discussion posts, so I didn't expect anyone to respond to this one. Thanks for your replies.
- Aug 19, 2026
- 108
- 202
I personally didn't think your ramble sounded harsh at all, and I sure hope my answer didn't sound harsh. I don't care who plays what kind of otome. Some are elitist indeed but I don't believe we got that kid of people here, but as long as everyone is nice to each other there's no issue really. My problem with gacha in general is that it plays like money gamble so it can become quite serious, but if the player knows everything and is cautious or rich enough to not even care, then go for it lol!
Also sice you said you didn't play the games I talked about I know wonder what kind of games did you play? I used to play tears of themis as well as a gacha otome but I don't really remember any other.
Thanks for your reply! I'm surprised you've played Tears of Themis. I've played it too and really enjoyed it. I love its story — the way it explores love and friendship, the balance between human sentiment, fairness and justice, plus the deep, unfolding mystery investigations in the main storyline. Since the game keeps updating, there's always new story content for me to read, which is why I like it so much!Love and Deepspace is indeed a phenomenal hit otome game. I was shocked when I first saw its promotions! After all, the male leads weren't nearly as polished and handsome in the initial reveal PV. I do have some interest in it, but I've remained on the fence because of the controversies surrounding its developer.
As for other gacha otome games, the big studio releases have naturally stayed online, while those from smaller developers either shut down or stopped receiving updates. Take To the Moon: Please, Manager, for example. It was made by a smaller team and closed due to poor revenue numbers, which was really heartbreaking. This is an inherent problem with gacha games. At least with buy-to-play titles, you still own the game after purchase. That said, there are some discontinued gacha games that ended on a relatively good note, though they aren't otome games.The buy-to-play otome games I play are mostly from studios such as Otomate, Aromarie and QuinRose.
- May 3, 2026
- 52
- 54
Overall, I agree with your view that spending money on gacha games is perfectly fine as long as you're comfortable with your decision to do so. You also seem to have a good understanding of both gacha games and buy-to-play games, and I found your perspective balanced and insightful.
However, when I read your initial comment about playing buy-to-play games without paying, I couldn't help thinking that if someone is actually using a pirated copy, isn't it reasonable for them to be criticized for that? That said, I know this might not be the most appropriate thing to say on a site where games are shared. I think you're probably aware that the development of gacha games, or online games more broadly, has also been partly driven by efforts to combat piracy.
I love Japanese otome games, so I can't help feeling sorry for the developers when I think about how many of the otome games being pirated are Japanese titles. I did wonder whether you might have made those comments in an attempt to defend gacha games, but seeing developers' hard work being pirated and then criticized for its supposedly low quality makes me feel sorry for them.
However, when I read your initial comment about playing buy-to-play games without paying, I couldn't help thinking that if someone is actually using a pirated copy, isn't it reasonable for them to be criticized for that? That said, I know this might not be the most appropriate thing to say on a site where games are shared. I think you're probably aware that the development of gacha games, or online games more broadly, has also been partly driven by efforts to combat piracy.
I love Japanese otome games, so I can't help feeling sorry for the developers when I think about how many of the otome games being pirated are Japanese titles. I did wonder whether you might have made those comments in an attempt to defend gacha games, but seeing developers' hard work being pirated and then criticized for its supposedly low quality makes me feel sorry for them.
Last edited:
Thanks for your reply!I feel sorry for them too. What I'm trying to say isn't that they're poor quality, just that some aren't all that great. After all, high-quality games are always few and far between. Maybe every game is born from love and passion, yet some of these games end up being influenced by commercial pressures, which is especially noticeable in gacha games. It's truly a shame.
My favourite otome game used to be Amnesia. There are four games in the series. The first three follow the heroine as she meets, falls in love, marries and lives together with the five male love interests. I thought it was lovely. The fourth entry has very little post-marriage content, which is a bit of a pity. The various built-in minigames were also a nice experiment; I rarely get to play games like that these days. Though many people say Amnesia is just mediocre, I still think it is unique and I hold it in high regard.