No boyfriend? No problem! A Guide to Otome Games
Down on your luck when it comes to love? Still haven't found the right guy yet? Lots of people in Japan have the same problem, which is why Japan has released games that will make all those worries go away. Through these games, experience a stress-free and romantic relationship with a handsome someone that loves you just as much as you love them! Find out more by reading below.
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What is "otome"?
In Japan, "otome" is a genre that caters specifically to women. Otome games are essentially dating sims, where you play the (female) main character surrounded by a multitude of good-looking guys. The stories range from historical time slips to mystery dramas to typical high school romances. Some are even based on popular anime and/or manga series.
The games listed here are only an introduction to the otome genre. New games for every platform are released monthly, so there are always new stories to try out!
Tennis no Ouji-sama: Motto Gakuensai no Ouji-sama (More Sweet Edition) - Nintendo DS
Love the smash hit manga and anime series Prince of Tennis? Fallen in love with one of the characters? Well this game is designed for the inner fangirl inside! Choose a school and follow around your favourite character and find out if they'll accept you as their girlfriend at the great school festival hosted by none other than the captian of the Hyotei Boys' Tennis team, Atobe Keigo!
Hakuoki ~Demon of the Fleeting Blossom~ - Playstation Portable (PSP)
You play as a pretty young Woman named Chizuru Yukimura (You have the option of changing her first name) who has left her safe home of Edo to search for her father Kodo Yukimura who, coincidentally, Is a dutch doctor who works for the shinsengumi, however, you soon learn that he has been MIA for quite some time now. Nevertheless, the Shinsengumi take it upon themselves to look after you until they find Kodo.
This particular game has also been released in the United States (also for the PSP).
Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side - Playstation 2 or Nintendo DS
Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side (ときめきメモリアルGirl's Side Tokimeki Memoriaru Girl's Side?) is a female-oriented dating sim[1] 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.
Konami's popular Tokimeki Memorial series was aimed at male players, featuring the typical cast of potential female lovers and stat-building activities (such as what you see in LoveRevo). Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side focuses on a female protagonist who, in addition to scouting out potential love interests, can go shopping, change outfits for dates, and earn female “love rivals” along the way.
Uta no Prince-sama (Japanese: うたの☆プリンスさまっ♪ Hepburn: Uta no☆Purinsu-sama♪?, lit. "Princes of Song") is a Japanese visual novel series published by Broccoli. Commonly known as an otome game, it is a popular game franchise targeted towards the female audience. Being a well known series in Japan, the game has been adapted into a manga and anime series along with various franchise-related merchandise such as drama CDs, music CDs, and fanbooks.
Our story takes place in Saotome Gakuen where students go to become either idol singers or song writers. Our heroine, Nanami Haruka has enrolled to become an idol song writer, and lucky for her, she gets to be paired with one of 6 hot men to make her dreams come true. Sadly, the school principal Shining Saotome has made a drastic rule that you are not allowed to fall in love.
The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.
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