Have otome games gotten better or worse over time?

[Cardia31]

How do you think otome games have changed in recent years: have they become better, more mature, or, on the contrary, have they lost their former atmosphere? I think they've only gotten better.

 

[AmnesiaArya]

Otome games have been developing for so many years that they have undoubtedly become more mature. From a technical standpoint, they now have more technological options, such as Live2D and 3D, and have even branched out into different gameplay genres.
However, otome games remain primarily narrative-driven. Just as novels have different audiences and directions in different eras, otome games follow a similar trend. As modern women become increasingly independent and open-minded, the storylines of otome games have become vastly different from those of a few years ago. But when it comes to plot, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and everyone experiences it differently—so that aspect is hard to judge.

 

[nerim-w]

I think production wise they've gotten better definitely, especially with VNs and the lip syncing, dynamic backgrounds, and just overall better art honestly. Visually otome is in a good place and also feature-wise i think companies have also come up with more ambitious/unconventional stuff (i loved the 4 mcs in Him the Smile & Bloom). Ermm plot-wise we're still pretty static, just reading the synopsis of some of the newer games i just dont feel lile YES omg i need this. i would really like for more adult mcs too no 16 year old please

 

[lanying]

The technology has undoubtedly matured.The art is even better, with more refined and beautiful visuals.But I didn't see much progress in the story - it was mostly just the same old tropes with a success formula.Novel and more daring plots are rare.

 

[ruruchan2u]

Maybe if they genderbent BL MCs; I'd feel more excited playing/pretending it's worthy otome. I think it's getting better with more proactive MCs but most still feel too safe even with mature themes. Listening to ASMR/ Drama CDs have short but better creative/spicy plot.

 

[myfrral]

I think the art style of otome games has become more refined in recent years, and there have been many innovative settings for the themes.
I believe the plot will get better and better. There are also many classic games released in the past. As time goes by, everyone's viewpoints and thoughts are different.
Perhaps there are differences in game ideas and experiences.

 

[Towaトワ]

In my humble opinion as someone that has played casually, they got better. Older games are good but nowadays we have more mature themes (even on mobile might I add) and otome games did get a bit more less niched (it's still niched, but less than decades ago when I started playing) which helps for companies to actually launch games overseas and get more creative as well, I love how the designs changed over the years and how more mature themes CG's are as well, I love a cutesy otome but having those mature ones just fit me because I did grow up playing otome so having games that fit my age is actually refreshing. We fans sometimes grow up with x game series so changes are necessary

 

[shironyan]

They got better in term of visual and design. for story? It's still the same for me.

 

[nekoky]

I think overall they've gotten better. The visuals, systems, and variety of themes have all improved. As for the story, while there are still formulaic works, more writers are daring to try new settings, such as ABO, road trip stories, anti trope heroines, and so on. That said, it's not that older games are bad; classic titles can still hold their own today. I'd say the lower bar has dropped lower (because there are more mass produced games), but the ceiling has also risen higher. I'm really looking forward to seeing otome games continue to break new ground in the future.

 

[LapisWhale]

On a technical level? Yes, it has improved a lot. But story-wise? Not quite, it's still flooded with generic tropes and storylines. Although occasionally, indie games do offer something fresh xDdd

I'm just happy our community is getting a bit mainstream, though it's definitely still niche =)) But looking at Love and Deepspace's massive revenue, it proves this market is highly lucrative, which will probably attract more investors? Hopefully =)) especially since we have another upcoming 3D title that looks like it'll go head-to-head with Love and Deepspace.

 

[藍色水珠]

I think the girl game has become better. More game manufacturers have invested in resource development plans, launched various peripheral activities, and ever-changing mobile game works. The system has been improved more conveniently, the painting style has improved, and there have been more voice actors. There are various story scripts, and there are good new theme games every year, making the market more active and attracting more players to join.

The game can also be ported to various platforms, add more languages, and make it easy for people who don't know Japanese to play. It's great.

 

[Watera]

I like how otome games are now, they have improved really well

 

[YoshiMomoi]

It's not that they've gotten worse; at the beginning, everything feels new and amazing, but later on, you start to find the guys' personalities repetitive—there always has to be a *tsundere*, a serious guy with glasses, a sweet one, a normal one, a tough guy, and a flirt.

 

[khatruong1804]

Otome games have improved in graphics, voice acting, and character development over time. However, some players feel that older games had more creative and emotional stories. Overall, whether otome games are better or worse depends on what players value most.

 

[Ted]

I wouldn't say it's worse, but I definitely think otome games in general have gotten stuck in a rut when it comes to gameplay mechanics. We have the traditional visual novel/time-management/gacha RPG, but... what else?

 

[q1w3e5]

Actually, from a business perspective, things have gotten worse, haven't they?

There are far fewer players than before—more than a decade ago, sales could reach over 100,000 units, but now even 10,000 is considered a lot—so there are also far fewer developers than there used to be.

Since it's a niche market serving a niche audience, the scene is becoming increasingly insular.