I’ve gotten back into otome games recently, and I’ve got a lot of games to recommend! So be warned, super long post ahead.
For the PC
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Nightshade: It’s pricey, at almost 40 CAD, but it’s worth it. Enju (MC) is a shinobi who just got assigned her first mission, and is now accused of murdering Toyotomi Hideyoshi. She is a bit young, I think 16 or 17, but the characters are all fantastic. I think there’s 60-70 CGs, fully-voiced (except for Enju), and the OST and sound effects are fantastic. Lots of angst, plot-heavy, with a slight dose of incest, per the typical Sengoku feel (1 RO is Enju’s cousin and teacher, and 2 others are her adopted brothers). Recommend playing Goemon / Hanzo / Kuroyuki / Chojiro / Gekkamaru for maximum angst. All the ROs are wonderful, though some may not like Kuroyuki. Also, to get all the CGs, you have to complete the Good Ending and the Bad Ending. However, if you just want the plot, the Bad Ending is not necessary. There’s sort of two plots to this game, which is why the recommend playing order is what it is. Each route builds and I remember when I finished Gekkamaru, I just sort of sat there for a good 10 minutes trying to wrap my head around it. Total gameplay would be anywhere between 20 to 50 hours, depending on whether you want full completion, and how fast you read.
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Ozmafia: Same price as Nightshade, but again, worth it. Fuka (MC) has no memories, and is taken in by the Oz family. The town is run by the various mafia. Now, Fuka is a bit dumb at times, but there is a very good reason for it. Again, lots of CGs, must play all endings to obtain the CGs, but also to read the Epilogue. The OST is quite nice, and it is almost fully-voiced, and the voices are fantastic. The characters are what make Ozmafia so great, and how they interact with each other. No particular play order is recommended, but I would leave Soh last, and play Scarlet, Robin Hood, and Hamelin together. The only routes that can get touchy are the Brothel route and Robin Hood. The plot is sort of scattered about, so you have to complete all endings to really get it, but I would say the Oz boys, Hamelin, Soh, Caesar, and arguably Scarlet have the most to do with the overall plot. I hope whoever plays this will keep an open mind for Hamelin. #JusticeForHamelin #HamelinDidNothingWrong. Total gameplay could be anywhere between 30 to 60 hours, again, depending on how much you want to complete.
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Cinderella Phenomenon: It’s free! And it’s one of my favourites. The player is Lucette, the cold princess, who receives the Fairytale Curse, and is now forgotten by her family, and without a penny. The music is nice, the graphics and CGs are lovely, and the characters are so very memorable and endearing. The recommended playing order is Rod / Karma / Rumpel / Fritz / Waltz, though I do believe that Karma and Rumpel can be switched around, and the last 2 are locked until you’ve completed 2 of the 3 other guys. Once you start Fritz’s route, it gets angsty. Each guy has 2 endings, and full completion is needed to obtain all the CGs, but to get the full plot, only the Good Ending is needed. Total gameplay is about 20 to 30 hours.
Mobile Games
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Ikemen Sengoku: Romances Across Time: A 5 ticket a day free-to-play game that I highly recommend. The MC is assertive, sassy, and a little bit reckless. All the characters are absolutely fantastic, and with 11 ROs, there’s bound to be 1 that you like (also, it seems that in Japan, they might be adding another 3 guys, bringing the number up to 14). It’s a time-travel game, and it takes place in an alternate Sengoku Japan, where somehow all of the famous warlords are still alive and handsome young men. It starts with MC saving Oda Nobunaga in the Honno-ji incident, and he takes a shining to her, and takes her back Azuchi. The game is partially voiced, has 3 CGs per route, and side stories that you can purchase or get through various gachas and draws. There is no Good/Bad Ending, rather, there is a Romantic Ending (sugary sweet, everyone is happy and nobody has to suffer), and a Dramatic Ending (heartbreak before the sweet romance). Personally, because I like hurting my heart, I prefer the Dramatic Endings, and if you max out the Love Meter, you can read an epilogue at the end, which is typically very cute and fluffy. If you finish both endings, you get a bonus voice clip and a bonus story. At the moment, Oda Nobunaga, Date Masamune, Sanada Yukimura, and Tokugawa Ieyasu have been released in the west. The game is lighthearted, in that it does not take itself too seriously, and the best features of this game, again, are the MC and the ROs. There is no overall plot, as each RO has his own story.
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Destined to Love: Ikemen Samurai Romances: By the same company as Ikemen Sengoku, and the same layout. It’s another time-travel game, taking place in Kyoto during the Bakumatsu period. This time, there are 13 ROs, and the ones that have been released in the west are: Hijikata Toshizo, Saito Hajime, Katsura Kogoro, Sakamoto Ryoma, Keiki, Okita Soji, Shinomiya Kyo, and Kirisato. Again, the characters are what make this game, as they are all wonderful, and the plot is much heavier than Ikemen Sengoku. It doesn’t take place in an alternate timeline, so if you know your history, this game is pretty depressing. There are also 3 CGs per route, 2 different endings, though there is no real way to tell which is the better one. The His Affection Ending usually involves the RO doing or giving up something for the MC, while the My Affection Ending has the MC doing or giving up something for the RO. For example, Soji’s My Affection Ending tore my heart out, while the His Affection Ending was much sweeter and happier, however, Kirisato’s My Affection Ending was much more satisfying and happier than the His Affection Ending. Also, this game can be played either in the free-to-play mode, or in another app called ‘Otome Romance Novels’ where you can buy the route and read it whenever.
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Love, Lies & a Heist: Can you tell that I really love this company? This game is only available through Otome Romance Novels, and you have to purchase each route to read it. At the moment, you can read Alexander, Logan Bradley, Ewan Bradley, and Luca Sinclair. This game is great, the MC is the predecessor of Ikemen Sengoku’s, and is very similar to her, only a bit less spunky. The game takes place in a Roaring 20’s-esque country, where the MC works as a waitress in a cafe. Again, the characters are fantastic, not only by themselves, but how they interact with each other. There is only 1 CG, and like Ikemen Sengoku, uses the Romantic/Dramatic Endings.
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Several Shades of Sadism: MC is a concierge in a hotel, and gets assigned to work for 1 of 5 Kira brothers. Definitely not a game for everyone (rated M 17+ on Google Play), but if you don’t mind the themes, it’s fantastic. The brothers all are fantastic characters, with noticeable flaws and virtues, and all have some major daddy-issues. It’s a free-to-play 5 ticket game too, but I think that the slow pace works well with this game. Not plot-heavy, but rather, the story is mostly working through the guy’s issues.