The otome game phase is finally starting to kick off in 2024 with some new and old games making a fantastic comeback. The otome industry has been around for years, first starting in Japan as a genre catering to young girls looking to romance some boys. The games are pretty straightforward since most of them include the same mechanics where players have to read the main story, make certain choices, and gain love points with their favorite suitors.

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The industry has been rather niche so far, with only a small community interested in these visual novel romance games, but since the community has been growing within the past year, here are some otome games on Steam that new players should try out.

1 Taisho x Alice

Romance In Wonderland

• Release Date: November 2019
• Steam Price: $29.96 USD (All Episodes)
• Genre: Adventure, Visual Novel
• Developers: Primula

The premise of Taisho x Alice has the main character, Yurika, diving into a fantastical world through a suspicious Looking Glass. This antiquated fairytale dreamscape introduces her to a colorful cast of gender-swapped characters that players might recognize. Each of these suitors takes after fairy tale characters, ranging from Cinderella to Snow White, and this entire game series has a total of three episodes that follow a set route before players are able to unlock the final epilogue.

Although the routes are separate, the most interesting aspect about Taisho x Alice is the connections between each route. Most of the characters and their past traumas are linked through others, and as the player helps them overcome them, they also in turn find more answers to their lost memories.

2 Amnesia Memories

Lost Memories & Lost Love

• Release Date: August 2015
• Steam Price: $5.49 USD
• Genre: Mystery, Romance, Visual Novel
• Developers: Idea Factory

Amnesia Memories is a visual novel game that has been around for quite some time, and has garnered enough fame that it also has an anime adaptation as well. However, the anime differs greatly from the game, and it would be best to first experience this visual novel at its finest to gain an idea of the real story. The premise behind this game is a little different from most otome games, as players don’t really have a common story to play through or love points to accumulate with suitors. There are five love interests in the game, but players cannot choose their routes specifically. Instead, the main character is given a choice of different worlds to go into where she can recover her memories, and only then, playing through the route, will she be able to eventually choose her suitor.

Unfortunately, this game does indeed have bad endings if the suitors' suspicion gauge increases, as one of the main goals of the game is to balance her part-time job, relearn her friendships and date a stranger who she essentially knows nothing about. It creates a very immersive gaming experience, since the heroine is starting from a clean slate, and she has no choice but to slowly put the pieces together whilst hiding her memory loss from the people she’s close with.

3 Hakuoki Edo Blossoms

Hidden Romance In A Historical Setting

• Release Date: March 2018
• Steam Price: $5.49 USD
• Genre: Historical, Visual Novel
• Developers: Idea Factory

As one of the oldest otome game franchises to date, Hakuoki is a classic romance set in the Edo period centered around Japan’s famed Shinsengumi. This game is a sequel to the original Hakuoki Kyoto Winds, yet there are some routes in this that do not require players to finish in the first game. Players can choose whichever route they prefer, in any order, since there are around 12 suitors to choose from.

If players want a game with more romance, this second installment of Hakuoki is a much better option than the first. In addition to that, there are multiple endings players can achieve with the suitors they pick and, unlike other otome games, chapters are usually much shorter.

4 Nameless ~ The One Thing You Must Recall ~

High School Romance With A Touch Of Angst

• Release Date: November 2013
• Steam Price: $29.99 USD
• Genre: Mystery, Romance, Visual Novel
• Developers: Cheritz

Nameless is a pretty straightforward and simple game released by a South Korean gaming developer. The story follows the protagonist, Eri, who is introverted and has a hobby of collecting ball-jointed dolls. The game takes place within Eri’s school where, one night, her doll collection comes alive, and each doll becomes a potential suitor for the player to romance.

The main difference between Nameless and other otome games is that there is no development in romance from the suitors' side, because all the suitors are already in love with Eri. The only romantic development players will see is from Eri’s side, and she is the only one who slowly falls in love with each of them.

5 Ozmafia!!

Mafia Romance In The Land Of Oz

• Release Date: April 2016
• Steam Price: $11.99 USD
• Genre: Adventure, Visual Novel
• Developers: Poni - Pachet SY

Players looking to dip their toes into the otome genre should consider starting with a game like Ozmafia!! This otome puts a twist on The Wizard of Oz where the protagonist wakes up to find herself in a new land with no memory of who she is. After running into the Famiglia Oz, one of the many Mafia groups in the town, the heroine then has to navigate this new life while also finding love.

This exciting combination of fairy tale and mafia story puts players in an enticing situation where they'll only find the real truth behind each of the suitors and the heroine, until the epilogue. This game is also fairly easy, as there are not a lot of serious choices to be made that could jeopardize the flow of the route.

6 Ephemeral

Pure Fantasy Romance

• Release Date: September 2018
• Steam Price: $12.99 USD
• Genre: Supernatural, Romance
• Developers: Dramatic Create

Ephemeral is a great choice if players are looking for a short and sweet otome game to try out. The plot isn’t too in-depth, and the romance is quite light-hearted for any first time otome players. The setting of the story is in a fantastical world where the heroine is a zombie and is sent to an academy with other supernatural creatures.

There are a total of four love interests, each a different species of monster that the protagonist will come to befriend and eventually love. Since the game is pretty simple and laid back, there are no bad dramatic endings and only good endings that players can enjoy.

7 London Detective Mysteria

Murder Mystery In Old London

• Release Date: July 2019
• Steam Price: $10.49 USD
• Genre: Mystery, Action, Visual Novel
• Developers: Karin Entertainment

Set in 19th century London, this game is a trip to the past with some of literature's best known figures. The suitors are fashioned after famous characters or figures in 19th-Century England, and Emily Whitley is the protagonist who romances one of them while solving various murders along the way.

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London Detective Mysteria can be quite mature for some audiences due to the gore-ish themes it includes, but if players enjoy a good historical romance with a touch of murder-mystery, this is a perfect otome to try out on Steam.

8 Cinderella Phenomenon

A Riches To Rags Romance

• Release Date: April 2017
• Steam Price: Free to play
• Genre: Adventure, Romance, Visual Novel
• Developers: Dicesuki

The fairy tale trope in otome games has been re-enacted countless times, and it can often get quite repetitive for many players. Cinderella Phenomenon is quite frankly the only one out there that goes against the status quo and twists the typical fairy tale premise. In this game, players follow Princess Lucette, who is not the usual cheery sunshine female lead like in most otome games.

She’s cold and bitter from the trauma of her past and, because of that, becomes a vessel for a curse. In this case, the riches to rags curse, and the heroine then needs to find a way to flip her life around with the help of the suitors. The art is the most spectacular part of the game, followed by the riveting story, making this as a must-play for any otome addicts out there.

9 Dandelion - Wishes Brought To You

Raise Stats To Find Love And Reach A Happy Ending

• Release Date: August 2012
• Steam Price: $29.99 USD
• Genre: Adventure, Mystery, Visual Novel
• Developers: Cheritz

Dandelion is another South Korean game worth trying out and is actually a product of the same developer as Nameless. If players are looking for something light & fluffy, this game is the one, since it addresses some pretty traumatic themes.

In addition to that, Dandelion is a stat-raising game, and the player is given a limited number of days to complete tasks that will increase intimacy with their chosen suitor. This is the perfect way to figure out the standard otome game mechanics and gain an understanding of what choices are best for each playthrough to attain the highest points.

10 Nightshade

Ninja Romance In The Sengoku Period

• Release Date: April 2017
• Steam Price: $11.99 USD
• Genre: Historica,l Visual Novel
• Developers: Red Entertainment, LANTERN ROOMS

Nightshade may be the one otome game where players find it hard to find a bias. The characters are well-thought-out and bring an element of excitement to each route with the dramatic flair of the Sengoku Period. The suitors are based on famous Japanese warriors from that period, and the heroine is part of a Ninja Clan.

If players are looking for a historical romance set against an angsty backdrop, Nightshade is the perfect otome to try out.

11 Gakuen Club

First Loves In High School

• Release Date: May 2017
• Steam Price: $10.49 USD
• Genre: Romance, Visual Novel
• Developers: OperaHouse Corporation

Gakuen Club takes place in a high school setting, and if players are looking for a romance along the lines of ‘young love,’ this would be a great place to start. The heroine enrolls in a prestigious academy and comes to discover a secret nightclub that operates after school. She then ends up working in the kitchen of said nightclub, eventually growing closer to each of the waitstaff she meets during her time; AKA the suitors.

The romance is a bit lacking, since the game focuses on the innocent-high-school-love trope and, because of this, all the male suitors are the shota type.

12 Bustafellows

A Tantalizing Crime Drama Romance

• Release Date: July 2021
• Steam Price: $12.99 USD
• Genre: Crime, Noir, Visual Novel
• Developers: NIPPON CULTURE BROADCASTING EXTEND INC.

Bustafellows is an action-packed adventure otome game set in the bustling town of New Sieg, a fictional place in America. The heroine, Teuta, is a gifted journalist who has a unique power that enables her to leap into the past for a short moment of time and take over the body of another. She uses this ability to find clues, solve cases and help the people around her.

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There are five suitors, and each route encapsulates the feel of watching a crime drama on TV. Each of the romance routes has their own individuality, and stories can get a bit heavy, but the game's mechanics are fairly simple, whereby players can unlock secret routes after romancing all the boys.

13 Psychedelica Of The Black Butterfly

A Melting Pot Of Tragedy, Romance, And Grief

• Release Date: November 2018
• Steam Price: $10.49 USD
• Genre: Adventure, Mystery, Visual Novel
• Developers: Intragames

Psychedelica of The Black Butterfly is not for everyone, as it is a mix between an adventure survival game and an otome game. The game revolves heavily around the themes of death and grief, as the heroine wakes up in an unknown mansion with no memories. She is also surrounded by a group of boys who have also lost their memories, and survival is only possible by hunting black butterflies to open up the path to the real world.

For an otome game, Psychedelica of The Black Butterfly succeeds with its in-depth story, which touches on a lot of lessons in life that will have players reflecting on what it means to grow as a human being. It is because of this that the story isn’t heavy on the romance, and focuses more so on the development of each character and how they cope with their own troubles.

14 The Crimson Flower That Divides: Lunar Coupling

Survival Comes First, Love Comes Second

• Release Date: June 2023
• Steam Price: $15.99 USD
• Genre: Drama, Romance, Visual Novel
• Developers: Dramatic Create

For an otome that’s relatively new and has a different setting than most, The Crimson Flower That Divides dares to break with traditional otome with its blend of Middle-Eastern culture. Naala is the heroine of this otome, and things take a dark turn. In this world, women are the only people inflicted with a life-threatening disease, so before they’re wiped out, most of them end up being kidnapped and used as concubines in neighboring nations.

This story is heavily political and adapts customs from the old Middle-Eastern cultures, often going so far as to have laws that work against the women in the story. The heroine is self-sufficient enough to hold her own, but unfortunately, still, gets kidnapped by the King of the neighboring kingdom, who is also a potential suitor. From there on, it is up to the player to go through the routes and find the cure behind saving the women of that world, while also trying not to fall for the men, who are rather unlikable. Spoiler alert: the heroine obviously falls for them, but this twist is what makes for an exciting story.

15 7’Scarlet

A Mystery Romance In A Town Caged By Nature

• Release Date: March 2019
• Steam Price: $10.49 USD
• Genre: Adventure, Horror, Visual Novel
• Developers: Intragames

The final otome game on the list is 7’Scarlet, a mystery romance game with themes of trauma and death. The story is plot heavy as the heroine visits a crescent-shaped town which has almost zero contact with the outside world. It is here that she begins to find clues to her brother's disappearance and unravel the many urban legends surrounding her as well.

Thus, unlike usual otome game mechanics, romantic choices are a scarcity, as the game focuses more on solving mysteries and its plot.

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