How many love interests do you think is the ideal number for an otome game?

[osanajimimi]

I must say i like when we have a lot of love interests, but sadly the writing loosens up, and the characters don't shine as expected. For example, 9 R.I.P. Despite loving the game, the overall quality isn't consistent.

An ideal number for me is five, where the LIs can get their time to shine and develop. Here I'm referring to console games. What about you? What do you think?

 

[mikiuu]

I personally think five is already quite a lot, though it really depends on how the game is structured. Take Sangoku Rensenki ~Otome no Heihou!~ for example—it has a huge cast of romanceable characters, yet the overall plot flows smoothly without the common route feeling messy or overcrowded.

My sweet spot is 2 to 3 love interests, like the cast in Butterfly series. With fewer routes, every character gets ample screen time and in-depth personal development. I also really enjoy games that split the love interests into separate story arcs,like Blackish House. That format works incredibly well for tight, well-polished character writing.

 

[Liiiii]

I think 5-6 LIs is ideal. But it always depends on the writhing and overall length of the game. I also love it if a new LI is added in the Fandisc, even if his route is shorter than the rest.

 

[MsFangtasia]

2 to 3 love interests with 3 being the max is ideal for me.

 

[SmallEagle]

3 or 4. So that there is diversity in the routes, but it's still manageable enough to give proper depth to each route.

 

[Xyer]

Whenever I play otomege or vns in general, what I look forward the most is reading compelling characters, so I prefer a low number of LIs with compelling characterization. I'm okay with even a single LI if I end up liking him, but If I'd have to come up with a fixed number for a good balance between variety and character depth, it would be 4. Games that have much more than that usually end up with a shallow plot and unsatisfying character arcs, or at least that's my experience.

 

[dogiwall]

Depends on both the length of the game and the budget. I would rather have a few good routes rather than creators biting more than they can chew and creating some routes that aren't as well written as the others. Anything more than 5 or 6 is a bit too much, unless they were either split into multiple games, between different MCs, or, in rare cases, they managed their resources wisely between them.

Though, when it comes to live service otome games, I would rather them stop at 4 or 5 and focus entirely on the writing and content. They are not meant to be like one of those RPG gachas where they need to constantly release new characters that will eventually stop being irrelevant at some point until their reruns lol