Otome games are one of my biggest guilty pleasures. I love taking on a new life, meeting potential romantic interests, and seeing how my choices affect what happens next. Good or bad routes, otome games offer a rollercoaster of emotions that keep me on the edge of my seat.
There are several reasons why people play otome games. Some do it to escape reality and interact with well-written, vulnerable fictional characters. Others simply do it because they are suckers for good love stories, and a love story where you are Y/N just doubles the heart-fluttering feelings.
Looking for an otome game to dive into that will have you clutching your heart or kicking your feet? Here are ten of the best otome games, ranked from #10 to #1!
10. Obey Me!
Obey Me! is available for free on Google Play and the App Store. As the protagonist, you end up becoming an exchange student at the Royal Academy of Diavolo (RAD). There, you meet seven brothers, who also happen to be demons, waiting for you with a series of tasks to accomplish. Can you handle it?
One of my favorite things about Obey Me! is the dance battle mini-games. They are fun, simple, and provide more entertainment than just sitting and waiting for the next choice. Another great part of this game is that the characters use they/them pronouns when talking to you. As otome games are traditionally made with cisgender women in mind, Obey Me! feels more inclusive; anyone can fall in love with Mammon, no matter how they identify!
9. Tears of Themis
That’s right—the company that gave us Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail also brought us their own otome game, Tears of Themis! The game is available on Android and iOS.
In this game, you are a defense lawyer at Themis Legal Office. You and the four male leads join the NXX Investigation Team, taking part in both legal and underground detective work. For those who love card games, debates for each trial utilize a card battle format with cards won through a gacha system. (Hoyoverse can NEVER let go of the gacha system, I guess.)
Besides the handsome male leads—Artem Wing, you have my heart—the story of trying to bust crimes involving the drug X-Note is an interesting story. That, combined with the romantic side quests, will have you glued to your phone for hours.
8. Dream Daddy
As I mentioned before, otome games are usually targeted at a cis female audience. However, that is not always the case. Introducing Dream Daddy, available on Windows, Mac, Linux, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS! The story follows a single father who moves to a new home with his daughter. Soon after moving in, he discovers that most of the fathers in his neighborhood are single; thus begins the player’s journey of romancing these men.
Besides being one of the very few otome games revolving around gay romance, Dream Daddy also teaches the player about fatherhood. The characters also rarely discuss their sexual orientation in explicit detail, simply because that is not the most important aspect of their identity. Instead, their dreams, feelings, and insecurities are the focal point. It’s a refreshing change of pace in the boy-crazy world of otome games.
7. Cinderella Phenomenon
Cinderella Phenomenon is available on PC and Mac. The best part? It’s free! This otome game is perfect for those who are new to the genre. You play Princess Lucette of Angielle (whose name can be changed), who grew up bitter and cold due to her mother’s influence. As she continues her hateful nature, she is one inflicted by the Fairytale Curse. With the kingdom forgetting who their Crown Princess is, Lucette must try to find a cure for her curse.
The thing I love about this game is the lead character. Countless otome games have fallen into the damsel-in-distress trope, with weak protagonists who constantly need the help of their romantic partner. Lucette, on the other hand, is strong. She knows her worth and is not easily swayed by those around her. Having the MC start off cold and seeing her grow through the choices the player makes is what makes Cinderella Phenomenon such a good game.
6. Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom
Is this list even complete if I don’t mention Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom? This game birthed a seven-season anime series, a stage play, a manga series, and an animated film! The game is available on PlayStation, Nintendo DS, 3DS, Switch, iOS, and Android.
Hakuoki is set in Japan, around the Edo Period in the 1860s. You, the MC, were attacked by a group of men and saved by the Shinsengumi, who then took you into interrogation. After discovering that your father created the coveted Water of Life, you are kept as an aide in their search for him. This game has a lot of twists and turns, but is mostly comprised of simply watching the text go by and making choices during critical conditions. Despite lackluster gameplay, the story itself is what earns its rank.
5. Gakuen Club
Were you a fan of Ouran High School Host Club as a teen, just like me? Then this is the otome for you! Available on Steam for Windows, Gakuen Club is an otome game set in an affluent private academy. One day, you, the heroine, forget your notes in school. Returning at night, you discover your school holds an illegal host club, where both students and teachers cater to guests with the goal of helping them achieve success after high school. The leading men serve as the club’s hosts. Due to the illegal nature of the club, you are forced to work in the host club to keep your mouth zipped!
Do you see why I compared it to Ouran High School Host Club? For those who dreamed of being Haruhi, this otome game may be the closest thing to achieving your dreams!
4. My Vow to My Liege
My Vow to My Liege is a visual novel that takes place in ancient China. This in itself is already a rarity in the otome sphere; most games are produced by Japanese developers, and if not set in a mystical fictional world, they are likely set in Japan.
Setting aside all the amazing love interests, what makes this game special is the main character. The main heroine (a.k.a. you) in the story is Ji Tengyu, who impersonates her older brother, the late King Fuchai, who ruled the Ng Dynasty. As she pursues her goal of killing the dragon god amid war and chaos, we see how calculated and strong she can be. Having such a strong character as a female lead in an otome game is rare, and yet she pulls off strength and vulnerability so well. It’s exceptionally well-written and a must-play for otome lovers.
3. Tailor Tales
At first glance, Tailor Tales seems like an easy-going, light-hearted otome game. You play a female character who runs her own boutique. After a certain fateful encounter, you are tasked with designing clothes for your clients while also being able to romance eight male leads! Sounds simple enough, right?
Except it’s not as lighthearted as you think. Each character has their own struggles and traumas that you can uncover during their respective route. Of course, if you wish to skip this, the game offers a list of trigger warnings that you can access with each route. However, I think the ability to mix a fashion game with romance as well as real-life issues is what makes Tailor Tales such a standout game. Plus, it’s free!
2. Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly
Something about Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly haunts my thoughts, even years after playing it. Your character (whose given name is Beniyuri) and several young men wake up in a mysterious mansion with no recollection of how they got there or who they are. Banding together to find a way out of the mansion, Beniyuri must fight off the monsters and collect kaleidoscope shards. However, as they do so, they uncover the secrets of the house as well as the owner.Â
Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly deals with some pretty heavy stuff: death, grief, regret, and many others. Each character has gone through something traumatic that shaped their morals, which makes them more interesting and not as one-dimensional as in other otome games. The mystery and the character-building are really what make this game shine, and it is a must-play for even non-otome gamers!
1. Mystic Messenger
How can we forget the OG, the one that probably got you hooked on otome games to begin with? This game makes use of a unique mechanic: chatrooms that only open up at certain times. If you miss a chatroom and another one opens, you cannot play the chatroom you missed unless you pay with gems. I remember setting alarms so as not to miss a single one!
In Mystic Messenger, you play a female character who downloads a mysterious app. After following the instructions of an unknown man, you are forced to live in an apartment owned by Rika, the founder of the RFA. On the app, she meets the remaining members of the RFA and must organize a charity party by inviting guests through emails. As you try to organize the party, you are able to talk to the other members of the RFA and learn about them, with the opportunity to romance them as the chatrooms progress.
(featured image: Dogenzaka Lab/Cheritz)
