Otome game
Encyclopedia
An is a video game that is targeted towards a female market, where one of the main goals, besides the plot goal, is to develop a romantic relationship between the female player character
and one of several male characters. This genre is most established in Japan
. The label includes both visual novel
s and simulation games. As of 2007, the most representative otome game title available in English is Hirameki
's Yo-Jin-Bo
personal computer game series. This genre is also referred to as GxB games by western fans (Girl player and Boy characters).
, released in 1994 by Koei in Japan for the Super Famicom
, and created by an all-female team. The game was originally targeted to pre-teen and younger teenage girls, but became unexpectedly popular with older teenagers and women in their 20s. Angelique is credited with "set[ing] up the specifics and conventions of women’s games: a focus on romance, easy controls and utilizing other multimedia." In 2002, Konami
released its very successful Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side
, which brought many new fans to the still-new genre. In 2006, Famitsu
's listings for the Top 20 selling love games included seven otome games. Early games borrowed heavily from the iconography and story conventions of "retro shoujo manga", "the archetypical girly heroines, the emphasis on pure, sexless, tranquil romance and on a peaceful, stable setting", but as the category expanded, other narrative and gameplay elements were introduced, including action/adventure, combat and plots in which "the heroine can ‘save the world’ and ‘get the guy’ at the same time".
Commercially available English-developed otome games in modern times include Date Warp
, Fatal Hearts
, and Heileen. The latter two also include options for lesbian romance. McKenzie & Co
(1995) from American Laser Games
and Girl's Club
(1992) from Philips Interactive were simulation games for girls developed and released in the US in the past.
Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan
was announced for a North American release on February 14, 2012 by Aksys. It will be released under the name Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom for the PSP handheld console.
elements in otome games, but the two genres are usually kept separate.
Otome games are usually targeted towards the teenage market, and thus have little sexuality in them. This is also due to the fact that many otome games are released for the PlayStation 2
platform, on which no pornographic content is allowed by Sony. Some games that were originally released on a PC platform with some sexuality (e.g. Dessert Love), were later toned down and re-released for the PS2.
Other common elements in otome games are the importance of voice acting, CG
stills, and a small epilogue or set scene at the end of the game when a character is successfully finished.
While the plots of otome games differ greatly, there is usually a single female main character, and several good-looking males of varying 'types'.
In the visual novel
examples of the genre, the player proceeds in the story by selecting dialogue or action choices which affect their relationships in a decision tree format.
In simulation otome games, there is also other gameplay which affects the plot, either by playing minigames or by raising stats. The main character (the player) often has several parameters, such as looks, style, intelligence, talent, etc., that can be raised through various activities in normal gameplay. The potential partners usually require a certain parameter or parameters to be at a certain level for them to fall in love with you.
There is also often a pure dating aspect of gameplay in simulations. This involves asking or being asked on dates by the love interest, doing an activity with them, and responding to their questions or comments. The player has a choice of responses, and a correct answer will raise your standing with that character.
One feature of otome games that has become common is 'full-voice', or having voice acting throughout the game, not only at major plot points. The love interests are often voiced by well-known seiyū
or voice actors, and sometimes having well-known voices takes precedence in the development (and budgeting) stage over interesting characters, polished graphics, or an engaging plot. This is more prevalent in console games (for PlayStation 2
and Wii
) and is still rare in handheld games (for Nintendo DS
and PlayStation Portable
).
At certain points, or when the player passes certain requirements, special events can occur, often with a 'CG' (computer graphic) as a reward. This CG is a set picture featuring the love interest and sometimes the main character in a pose, and some dialogue.
manga
, with popular titles often spawning a manga series (e.g. Neo Angelique and Meine Liebe
), and popular manga
series getting adapted to videogames (such as Nana
and Lovely Complex
). Some examples of simultaneous releases of a manga and otome game also exist such as Angelique
and Full House Kiss
. It's also common to find doujinshi featuring popular characters from otome games.
Very popular games may also be adapted to anime
OVAs or series, as Angelique
has.
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
and one of several male characters. This genre is most established in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The label includes both visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
s and simulation games. As of 2007, the most representative otome game title available in English is Hirameki
Hirameki
Hirameki International Group Inc. was an American company founded in March 2000 which specialized in translating visual novels from Japan and releasing them to the American market. It is named after the Japanese word for the noun "flash" or "insight"...
's Yo-Jin-Bo
Yo-Jin-Bo
is a Japanese visual novel produced by Two-Five. In October 2006, Hirameki International released an English edition of the PC version in the United States....
personal computer game series. This genre is also referred to as GxB games by western fans (Girl player and Boy characters).
History
The first otome game is generally acknowledged to be AngeliqueAngelique (video game)
Angelique is a group of GxB dating sim videogames developed by Ruby Party, which has been extensively remade, re-released, and ported to other platforms...
, released in 1994 by Koei in Japan for the Super Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
, and created by an all-female team. The game was originally targeted to pre-teen and younger teenage girls, but became unexpectedly popular with older teenagers and women in their 20s. Angelique is credited with "set[ing] up the specifics and conventions of women’s games: a focus on romance, easy controls and utilizing other multimedia." In 2002, Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
released its very successful Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side
Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side
is a female-oriented dating sim video game released by Konami for the PlayStation 2 game console on June 20, 2002. It was also rereleased with enhancements for the Nintendo DS as Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side: 1st Love on February 15, 2007...
, which brought many new fans to the still-new genre. In 2006, Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
's listings for the Top 20 selling love games included seven otome games. Early games borrowed heavily from the iconography and story conventions of "retro shoujo manga", "the archetypical girly heroines, the emphasis on pure, sexless, tranquil romance and on a peaceful, stable setting", but as the category expanded, other narrative and gameplay elements were introduced, including action/adventure, combat and plots in which "the heroine can ‘save the world’ and ‘get the guy’ at the same time".
Commercially available English-developed otome games in modern times include Date Warp
Date Warp
Date Warp is a visual novel video game about a young Indian-American woman, a college student who goes on a date and disappears. It was released on May 22, 2010 for Windows, Mac OS and Linux. It is a science fiction game with elements of romance. The game uses anime-style graphics and is written in...
, Fatal Hearts
Fatal Hearts
Fatal Hearts is an adventure/visual novel video game in which players control a teenage female protagonist who is having strange dreams while people are being murdered. Because some of the endings include romances with male characters, it counts as a ren'ai otome game. The game uses anime-style...
, and Heileen. The latter two also include options for lesbian romance. McKenzie & Co
McKenzie & Co
McKenzie & Co. was an full-motion video CD-ROM dating sim game released by Her Interactive in 1995,designed to be played by girls. It was available for Windows 3.1/Windows 95 and Mac OS....
(1995) from American Laser Games
American Laser Games
American Laser Games was a company based in Albuquerque, New Mexico that created a wide variety of light gun laserdisc video games. The company was founded in the late 1980s by Robert Grebe, who had originally created the system to train police officers under the company name ICAT , and adapted the...
and Girl's Club
Girl's Club
Girl's Club is a fantasy dating game published by Philips Interactive Media for the CD-i in 1992. Starring Nickelodeon's Heidi Lucas as the leader of the club who helps the player choose which date to go on....
(1992) from Philips Interactive were simulation games for girls developed and released in the US in the past.
Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan
Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan
is a video game series by Idea Factory, first designed for the Playstation 2 and then later ported to Playstation 3, Playstation Portable, and Nintendo DS. A Nintendo 3DS version is soon to be released as well. It has been adapted into two 12/10-episode anime series animated by Studio DEEN; the...
was announced for a North American release on February 14, 2012 by Aksys. It will be released under the name Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom for the PSP handheld console.
Style
The genre has many style elements in common with shōjo manga, and plotwise they are often similar to harem manga. There are also games targeted towards females that are focused on romance between males, called , and sometimes there are Boys' LoveYaoi
In careful Japanese enunciation, all three vowels are pronounced separately, for a three-mora word, . The English equivalent is . also known as Boys' Love, is a Japanese popular term for female-oriented fictional media that focus on homoerotic or homoromantic male relationships, usually created by...
elements in otome games, but the two genres are usually kept separate.
Otome games are usually targeted towards the teenage market, and thus have little sexuality in them. This is also due to the fact that many otome games are released for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
platform, on which no pornographic content is allowed by Sony. Some games that were originally released on a PC platform with some sexuality (e.g. Dessert Love), were later toned down and re-released for the PS2.
Other common elements in otome games are the importance of voice acting, CG
CG artwork
CG is a term most commonly known in the West for its use in Japanese webpages to denote digital artwork. In traditional Japanese, it is an abbreviation of the Japanese gairaigo , used to refer to any form of digital artwork, from digitally shaded dōjinshi to legitimate cinematic art...
stills, and a small epilogue or set scene at the end of the game when a character is successfully finished.
Gameplay
The goal of these games is to have your desired partner fall in love with you (with a confession of love or proposal at the end) and have a relationship with them, but the requirements for gaining a 'good end' differ from game to game.While the plots of otome games differ greatly, there is usually a single female main character, and several good-looking males of varying 'types'.
In the visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
examples of the genre, the player proceeds in the story by selecting dialogue or action choices which affect their relationships in a decision tree format.
In simulation otome games, there is also other gameplay which affects the plot, either by playing minigames or by raising stats. The main character (the player) often has several parameters, such as looks, style, intelligence, talent, etc., that can be raised through various activities in normal gameplay. The potential partners usually require a certain parameter or parameters to be at a certain level for them to fall in love with you.
There is also often a pure dating aspect of gameplay in simulations. This involves asking or being asked on dates by the love interest, doing an activity with them, and responding to their questions or comments. The player has a choice of responses, and a correct answer will raise your standing with that character.
One feature of otome games that has become common is 'full-voice', or having voice acting throughout the game, not only at major plot points. The love interests are often voiced by well-known seiyū
Seiyu
Voice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
or voice actors, and sometimes having well-known voices takes precedence in the development (and budgeting) stage over interesting characters, polished graphics, or an engaging plot. This is more prevalent in console games (for PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
) and is still rare in handheld games (for Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
and PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
).
At certain points, or when the player passes certain requirements, special events can occur, often with a 'CG' (computer graphic) as a reward. This CG is a set picture featuring the love interest and sometimes the main character in a pose, and some dialogue.
Links with other media
Otome games have strong links with shōjoShojo
The term refers to manga marketed to a female audience roughly between the ages of 10-18. The name romanizes the Japanese 少女 , literally: "little female". Shōjo manga covers many subjects in a variety of narrative and graphic styles, from historical drama to science fiction — often with a strong...
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, with popular titles often spawning a manga series (e.g. Neo Angelique and Meine Liebe
Meine Liebe
is a series of dating sims by Konami for the Game Boy Advance and PlayStation 2.Meine Liebe has been adapted into an anime series produced in 2004 by the studio Bee Train, which was broadcast across Japan by the anime television network, Animax...
), and popular manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series getting adapted to videogames (such as Nana
Nana (manga)
is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Ai Yazawa, serialized in Cookie published by Shueisha. The manga derives its title from the name of the two main characters, both of whom are called Nana. Nana Komatsu is a small town girl who goes to Tokyo to follow her boyfriend and...
and Lovely Complex
Lovely Complex
, also known as Lovely Complex, is a romantic comedy shōjo manga by Aya Nakahara. It was published by Shueisha in Bessatsu Margaret from 2001 to 2006 and collected in 17 tankōbon volumes. The series is about the romance between a tall girl and a short boy who are treated as a comedy duo by their...
). Some examples of simultaneous releases of a manga and otome game also exist such as Angelique
Angelique (video game)
Angelique is a group of GxB dating sim videogames developed by Ruby Party, which has been extensively remade, re-released, and ported to other platforms...
and Full House Kiss
Full House Kiss
is a shōjo manga as well as a PlayStation 2 Otome Game. The manga was created at the same time as the video game, and was drawn by Shiori Yuwa and published in Hana to Yume & The Hana to Yume. The videogame used the same character designs and plot in a love simulation published by Capcom in 2004...
. It's also common to find doujinshi featuring popular characters from otome games.
Very popular games may also be adapted to anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
OVAs or series, as Angelique
Angelique (Japanese series)
' is a video game series. Currently, the series has only been released in Japan, with the exception of a Chinese PC version of the first game in the series. It is somewhat popular with overseas import gamers, who have started petitions in the hopes of English-translated releases of various games in...
has.
List of commercial otome games
- Akazuki to Mayoi no Mori
- Alice in the Country of HeartsAlice in the Country of Heartsis a Japanese female-oriented romance adventure visual novel developed by Quin Rose. The game is a re-imagining of Lewis Carroll's classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. A manga adaptation illustrated by Soumei Hoshino was serialized in Mag Garden's Monthly Comic Avarus between the October 2007...
(series) - Always Remember Me (English)
- AMNESIAAmnèsiaAmnèsia is an Italian drama film directed by Gabriele Salvatores and released in 2002.-Plot:Several stories unfold simultaneously over three days on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza...
- AngeliqueAngelique (Japanese series)' is a video game series. Currently, the series has only been released in Japan, with the exception of a Chinese PC version of the first game in the series. It is somewhat popular with overseas import gamers, who have started petitions in the hopes of English-translated releases of various games in...
(series) - Arabians Lost: The Engagement on DesertArabians Lost: The Engagement on Desertis a Japanese female-oriented romance adventure Otome game developed by QuinRose. It has been released in Japan for three different consoles. The PC version was released by Quin Rose on August 8, 2006...
- Arcobaleno!
- Armen Noir
- Arubarea no Otome (series)
- Asaki, Yumemishi
- Asuka! ~Bokura Seitou Koukou Yakyuu Dan
- Avalon CodeAvalon Codeis a fantasy action role-playing game for the Nintendo DS released in Japan on November 1, 2008 and on March 10, 2009 in North America. The game was created by Matrix Software.- Story :...
(English/Japanese) - Bakumatsu Renka Shinsengumi (series)
- Beastmaster & prince
- Bionic Heart Bionic HeartBionic Heart is a visual novel video game for the Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux platforms. The game was developed and published by Tycoon Games and was released on July 17, 2009. On November 4, 2011 an updated version of the game was released and also a version without voice...
(English) - Brothers ~Koisuru Oniisama~
- Butlers: Meshimase Ojousama
- Café 0 ~The Drowned Mermaid~ (English/Japanese)
- Clock Zero
- Crazy Rabbits ~Wakaresaseya no Usagiri Jimusho~
- Da Capo: Girls Symphony (spin-off from the Da Capo series)
- Dare ni Demo Ura ga Aru
- Darling (series)
- Date WarpDate WarpDate Warp is a visual novel video game about a young Indian-American woman, a college student who goes on a date and disappears. It was released on May 22, 2010 for Windows, Mac OS and Linux. It is a science fiction game with elements of romance. The game uses anime-style graphics and is written in...
(English) - Death Connection
- Desert Kingdom
- Dessert Love (Series)
- Double Reaction! Plus
- Dragon Penance (single title)
- Drastic Killer
- Duel LoveDuel LoveDuel Love（デュエルラブ 恋する乙女は勝利の女神） is a Japanese otome video game for the Nintendo DS by Namco Bandai Games. It was released on 13 March 2008. The story concerns a female protagonist who becomes friends with the members of her high school's boxing club...
- Edel Blume
- Fantastic Fortune (series)
- Fatal HeartsFatal HeartsFatal Hearts is an adventure/visual novel video game in which players control a teenage female protagonist who is having strange dreams while people are being murdered. Because some of the endings include romances with male characters, it counts as a ren'ai otome game. The game uses anime-style...
(English) - Favorite Dear (series)
- First Live (single title)
- For Symphony ~With All One's Heart~ (single title)
- Full House KissFull House Kissis a shōjo manga as well as a PlayStation 2 Otome Game. The manga was created at the same time as the video game, and was drawn by Shiori Yuwa and published in Hana to Yume & The Hana to Yume. The videogame used the same character designs and plot in a love simulation published by Capcom in 2004...
(series) - Fushigi Yuugi: Suzaku Ibun
- Gakuen Tokkyuu Hotokenser
- Gin no Kanmuri, Ao no Namida
- Girl's ClubGirl's ClubGirl's Club is a fantasy dating game published by Philips Interactive Media for the CD-i in 1992. Starring Nickelodeon's Heidi Lucas as the leader of the club who helps the player choose which date to go on....
(single title) - Glass no MoriGlass no MoriGlass no Mori is a PS2 otome game published by D3 in their Simple Series . The player character is making a last visit to her deceased grandfather's house, on the edge of a forest in the countryside...
(single title) - Hakarena Heart (series)
- Hakuōki (series)
- Hanayoi Romanesque: Ai to Kanashimi
- Happy☆Magic!
- Harukanaru Toki no Naka deHarukanaru Toki no Naka deis an otome adventure game developed by Ruby Party and published by Koei. It is a part of Ruby Party's Neoromance label.Because of Harukanaru Toki no Naka des success, the game has give rise to a franchise including several sequels, numerous drama and music CDs, a manga series, two OAVs, a movie,...
(series) - Harvest Moon for Girls (series)
- Heileen (English)
- Heroine Dream (single title)
- Hiiro no KakeraHiiro no Kakera, is a Japanese visual novel created by Idea Factory directed at the female market, known as an otome game. Released on July 6, 2006 for the PlayStation 2, the protagonist is a teenage girl who revisits a small village she remembers from her childhood and gets caught up in her family's history and...
(series) - Hime Hibi (series)
- Hoshiiro no Okurimono
- Hoshizora no Comic Garden
- Houkago no Love BeatHoukago no Love Beatis a Japanese-only PlayStation 2 otome game released on June 10, 2004. A notable feature of the game is the integration of real J-pop songs into the gameplay, and the ability to watch and listen to the songs again once you have mastered them in-game, as well as the fact that the main character...
- Hoshi no Oujo (series)
- Hush-A-Bye, Baby
- Ijiwaru My Master
- Imagine - Ballet Star
- Imagine - Figure Skater
- Imagine - Ice Champions
- Imagine - Makeup Artist
- Jingi Naki Otome
- Kaeru Batake de Tsukamaete
- Kago no Naka no Alicis
- Kaitou ApricotKaitou Apricotis an otome visual novel video game for Microsoft Windows. The game was created by Takuyo. It was originally released on March 15, 2002, and was later ported to the PlayStation, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2 and Play Station Portable.-Plot:...
(series) - Kanuchi
- Kare to Kare no Hazama De
- Kare to Kare White Labyrinth
- Kazeiro Surf
- Kimagure Strawberry Café
- Kiniro no CordaKiniro no cordais a role-playing game series targeted at a female audience under the Neoromance series from Koei. The title comes from the Italian for The Golden String....
(La Corda d'Oro) (series) - Kuro to Kin no Akanai Kagi
- L2: Love X Loop
- Last Escort (series)
- LittleAid (single title)
- Love Drops
- Lover’s Collection
- Lucian Bee's (series)
- Lucky Rabbit Reflex! (English)
- Mahou Tsukai to Goshujin ~Wizard and the Master~ (single title)
- Magical DiaryMagical DiaryMagical Diary is a visual novel video game about a young freshman girl at a magical school. It was released on June 19, 2011 for Windows, Mac OS and Linux. It is a fantasy game with elements of romance. The game uses anime-style graphics and is written in English...
(English) - Meine LiebeMeine Liebeis a series of dating sims by Konami for the Game Boy Advance and PlayStation 2.Meine Liebe has been adapted into an anime series produced in 2004 by the studio Bee Train, which was broadcast across Japan by the anime television network, Animax...
- Memories
- Mermaid Prism
- Meshimase Roman Sabou
- MIYAKO ~Tsukiyomi no Yume~ (Series)
- Mizu no Senritsu
- Mystic Mind (single title)
- McKenzie & Co.McKenzie & CoMcKenzie & Co. was an full-motion video CD-ROM dating sim game released by Her Interactive in 1995,designed to be played by girls. It was available for Windows 3.1/Windows 95 and Mac OS....
(single game with an expansion, McKenzie & Co. : More Friends) - NanaNana (manga)is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Ai Yazawa, serialized in Cookie published by Shueisha. The manga derives its title from the name of the two main characters, both of whom are called Nana. Nana Komatsu is a small town girl who goes to Tokyo to follow her boyfriend and...
- Natsuzora no Monologue
- Nise no Chigiri
- Orange Honey
- Otometeki Koi Kakumei Love Revo!!Otometeki Koi Kakumei Love Revo!!is an otome game originally released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2. The main character, Hitomi Sakuragawa , was once a cute, beautiful girl, winning beauty contests in childhood. However, after losing to the temptation of junk food received from fans, she has steadily gained weight... until she...
- Oujisama to Romansu Lipulu no Tamago
- Palais de ReinePalais de ReinePalais de Reine is a PC videogame that was released on November 10, 2006 and was later released on PlayStation 2 on October 18, 2007 from Interchannel. It could be considered both a strategy game and an otome game. The player acts as the young princess of a kingdom who never expected to ascend...
- PANDORA ~Kimi no Namae wo Boku wa Shiru~
- Panic Palette
- Pet Detective Y's
- Petit Fours
- Pretty Flap ~Chocolate Taste~
- Pretty Witch Academy
- Prince Panic (single title)
- Princess DebutPrincess DebutPrincess Debut is a rhythm otome game published by Natsume and developed by Cave for the Nintendo DS.The illustration and package design was done by Kotori Momoyuki, a manga artist serialized in Kodansha's Nakayoshi.-Story:...
(English/Japanese) - Real Rode
- Reijou Tantei Office no Jikenbo
- Riddle Garden
- Sangoku Rensenki ~Otome no Heihou~
- Scared Rider Xechs
- Siesta ~Susuki Nohara no Yumemonogatari~
- Signal
- Sora * Yume
- Soshite Kono Sora ni Hirameku Kimi no Uta
- Sotsugyou M (series)
- Starry Sky (series)
- Step ~Futari no Kankei wa Ippozutsu~
- Storm Lover
- S.Y.K: Shinsetsu Saiyuuki (series)
- Tenkaichi Sengoku Lovers DS
- The Flower Shop (English)
- Tennis no OujisamaThe Prince of Tennisis a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Takeshi Konomi. The title is often shortened to , a portmanteau of the two parts in the Japanese pronunciation of the words "Tennis Prince". The manga was first published in Japan in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in July 1999, and ended...
(series) - Tokimeki Memorial Girl's SideTokimeki Memorial Girl's Sideis a female-oriented dating sim video game released by Konami for the PlayStation 2 game console on June 20, 2002. It was also rereleased with enhancements for the Nintendo DS as Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side: 1st Love on February 15, 2007...
(series) - Tokyo Yamanote Boys (Series)
- Towa no Sakura
- Trouble Fortune Happy Company Cure
- Tsubasa no Oka no Hime ~ A red & blue moon -finite loop-
- Tsundere S Otome
- Under the Moon
- Uragiri wa Boku no Namae o ShitteiruUragiri wa Boku no Namae o Shitteiru, also known as UraBoku, is the title of a Shōjo manga by Odagiri Hotaru. It premiered in the Shōjo magazine Monthly Asuka in October 2005. An anime adaptation began on April 2010 on Chiba TV.-Story:...
- Uta no Prince-samaUta no Prince-samais a 2010 Japanese dating game series targeted towards female gamers published by Broccoli. The game has been adapted into manga and anime series.- Plot :...
(series) - Drastic Killer
- Ururun Quest - Koiyuuki
- Vitamin X
- Vitamin Y
- Vitamin Z
- Vitamin X to Z
- Wand of Fortune (series)
- Will o' Wisp
- Yo-Jin-BoYo-Jin-Bois a Japanese visual novel produced by Two-Five. In October 2006, Hirameki International released an English edition of the PC version in the United States....
(single title) (English/Japanese) - Your Memories Off: Girl's StyleMemories Offis the title of a series of Japanese romance visual novel video games released by KID. The first game in the series, simply called Memories Off, was released in 1999 for the PlayStation. Memories Off titles have been released on the PC as well as video and handheld gaming consoles such as the...
- Yume Iro-Iro (single title)
- Yume wa Mou Ichido
List of independent otome games
- Hitotsu Yane no Shita
- KIRA*KIRA Renewal
- Kimi to Ita Jikan
- Koneko to Oujisama (based on the commercial title Tokimeki Memorial Girl's SideTokimeki Memorial Girl's Sideis a female-oriented dating sim video game released by Konami for the PlayStation 2 game console on June 20, 2002. It was also rereleased with enhancements for the Nintendo DS as Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side: 1st Love on February 15, 2007...
) - Ratirica
- Study!
- Amgine Park (English)
- When I Rule the World (English)
- Drawn to You ~ Art School Romance (English)
- Host Love (English)
- The Nettestadt Troll (English)
- Fantasia, The Realm of Thanos (English)
- Fantasia, Requiem of the Abyss (English)
- RE: AlistairRE: AlistairRE: Alistair is a free, English otome game developed and published by SakeVisual for the Windows, Mac OS and Linux. It was released on February 28, 2010.-Gameplay:The player takes control of Merui Lucas...
(English) - Frozen Essence (English)
List of otome game developers and publishers
- BroccoliBroccoli (company)is a Japanese media company that publishes manga, anime, and video games through its various subsidiaries.- About :Broccoli is the parent company of Broccoli Music Publishing, Broccoli International USA, and Anime Gamers USA Inc...
- D3 PublisherD3 PublisherD3Publisher is a Japanese video game publisher founded on February 5, 1992. Current CEO and president is Yuji Ito, and It is known for its Simple series of low-priced console games. Their games have been released for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2,...
- Design Factory
- HuneXHuneXHuneX is a video game developer formed as a partnership between NEC Home Electronics, Ltd. and Human in 1992. HuneX mainly produces Bishōjo games and Otome games.-Games:*77: Beyond the Milky Way*Aikagi: Nukumori to Hidamari no Naka de*Angel's Feather...
- Idea FactoryIdea Factoryis a Japanese video game developer and publisher founded on October 26, 1994 headed by company president Koichi Ota and vice president Shingo Kuwana.-Games published:-Games developed:-External links:* * * * from IGN* from GameSpot...
(Otomate) - Koei (Neo-romance games)
- KonamiKonamiis a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
- Quin RoseQuin Roseis a Japanese games developer specialising in otome games for Windows. They have also made several games for Playstation 2. They have currently made nine games as of 2010, and have released several books as well as drama CDs and other various merchandise...
- TakuyoTakuyois a Japanese civil construction company headquartered in Yokosuka, Kanagawa.They also develop and publish video games for various home consoles and also handheld console, under the name Takuyo....
External links
- GxB English-language games on the Ren'Ai Archives: original free English-language visual novels with female protagonists pursuing male characters
- B's Log: Monthly Japanese language magazine focusing on female-targeted games (mostly otome and BL)
- Dengeki Girl's Style: Japanese language magazine about female-targeted games released in even months (mostly otome and BL)
- Red Panda Games: English visual novel site featuring anime games where girls pursue boys.