It’s a great time to be an otome fan right now, with a ton of localized options to choose from on Switch. With the end of the year in sight, publishers have discounted their titles for the holiday sales. Some games are even priced at an all time low, so make sure to check them out before December 3rd or 4th, depending on the publisher! (December 1st in Europe.)

Rated T

Radiant Tale Series

We reviewed Radiant Tale and its fan disc, Radiant Tale: Fanfare!, and really enjoyed them. They’re fairly lighthearted otome set in a fantasy world with elemental powers, spirits, and Fey Beasts.

These have some of my favorite art in an otome (up there with Cupid Parasite for me). Although there is some conflict in each storyline, the stories are interesting and have a nice amount of romance. Paschalia (pictured above) has one of the most romantic routes, in my opinion.

Jack Jeanne

Content warning: Brief mentions of suicide in one route

Jack Jeanne is another otome we’ve reviewed, and it’s a unique one. It’s not just an otome – it also has rhythm game sections that accompany the performances at the all-male drama school our character attends! Making a deal with the principal, Kisa must keep her gender a secret from everyone in order to stay at the school.

It’s fun and zany with a great cast; Kisa’s love interests are all in her class, but we also get to interact with minor characters from the other classes. I’d say it’s not too heavy on romance, but I really liked Jack Jeanne overall. I’ve had the soundtrack stuck in my head since last June, so prepare yourself for extremely catchy songs.

Code: Realize Series

I believe that the Code: Realize series is the only otome series with 3 entries on Switch, with the first game and 2 fan discs. Set in a steampunk version of 19th century London, you play as a woman whose skin poisons anyone she touches. The love interests, based on literary and historical figures, protect her from an organization that’s trying to capture her.

I still need to play the fan discs, but I liked the first game a lot. That one isn’t as lighthearted as the games mentioned above, and it has much more suspenseful routes. The setting and technology are really interesting, and I enjoyed the romance. With each entry on sale for $19.99, you can get 3 otome for the price of 1 right now, so I think this series would be higher priority if you have to narrow down your options.

Tengoku Struggle -Strayside-

Content warning: Violence, some misogynistic comments, discussion of Buddhist concept of Hell and sins, one character previously performed sex work

Tengoku Struggle -Strayside- is another favorite we’ve written about before. It tells the story of Rin Enma, the adopted daughter of the King of Hell, who has been tasked with taking so-called “model prisoners” to the human world to recapture some escapees.

You wouldn’t expect a story about Hell to be funny, but this game defied my expectations – I cackled a lot. There are serious moments of course, but it’s billed as a “comedic battle fantasy” from the team behind Olympia Soirée (below, M-rated section). Great art and soundtrack, and mascot Tamao is an adorable, loyal friend.

Sympathy Kiss

Content warning: one route has a stalker, suggestive scenes with kissing audio

Sympathy Kiss stands out as an otome that takes place in the real world in the office setting. As professionals in the workplace, the characters are all more mature as well. I don’t know if I’d say this is one of my favorites, but it has pleasant characters and is more relatable to adult players.

The art is gorgeous in this one, too! And it also has a neat mechanic where you respond to the love interest using “Emotion Select,” or you can respond to their text messages.

Winter’s Wish: Spirits of Edo

Content warning: mentions of criminal punishments in Japan in the early 1700’s, also the red light district and brothels

Winter’s Wish: Spirits of Edo is another nice option, with a story that takes place in eighteenth century Japan. The citizens of Edo are on high alert after a series of monster attacks. As such, the shogunate established the Oniwaban to protect the people. They come to main character Suzuno on orders from the shogunate, as she has the ability to see emotions and predict when tensions are high enough for conflicts to occur.

We get more pretty boys in this one, and the mascot character is super cute. The story isn’t overly dark despite the time period and monsters, having just enough conflict to make things interesting.

Amnesia Series

Content warning: 2 obsessive love interests, 1 with a notorious reputation in the otome community due to his criminal behavior

I remember playing Amnesia: Memories on my PS Vita. As the title would suggest, it’s about a main character who has lost her memory. With the guidance of a cute little spirit, she must hide her amnesia from everyone, as she doesn’t know who she can really trust.

While I dislike the 2 obsessive love interests, I really like the other guys. It’s been a while, so I don’t remember everything that might need a content warning, but I think it’s a good series. There are even some fun mini games. For $30 you can get both the first game and the fan disc, which seems like a good deal to me.

Norn9 Series

I have yet to play the Norn9 games, but I’ve heard good things about them before. The titular “Norn” is apparently a gigantic airship, where “Espers,” those with the ability to control elements or human minds, are taken. As everything is controlled by an organization known as The World, I’m assuming the Espers’ relocation is involuntary.

There are 3 (voiced!) heroines to play as, which is unusual in an otome. I understand that there are also some fun mini games to unlock. Without having played them yet, I can’t give a recommendation, but I hope to play them in the near future!

My Next Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! -Pirates of the Disturbance-

I haven’t played this one yet either, but that massive discount is very tempting! Your character has been reincarnated into an otome game as a villainess after living her previous life as an ordinary high school student. She managed to avoid the bad ends that would have occurred, and now she’s made it to spring break.

She encounters her friends on a luxury cruise, which is spoiled by pirates boarding the ship. Catarina remembers this as the story from the otome’s fan book, which contained a “canned doomed ending.” But worry not – it’s described as a romantic comedy. I plan to watch the Anime first, but I might get this now for my backlog. 😅

Paradigm Paradox

Content warning: Dystopian society, unethical scientific practices, one love interest struggles with suicidal ideation. Abusive behavior from some LIs, one LI is 26 years old to the MC’s 16.

Reminiscent of Sailor Moon at first glance, Paradigm Paradox is a magical girl otome with a twist: the male love interests also transform into magical girls! It seemed like an otome that was right up my alley. In the end, it went a bit too “dystopian sci-fi” for my tastes, with our characters living in colonies inside of climate-controlled domes due to environmental deterioration.

I also felt that there were too many love interests (and with similar personalities), although I did appreciate the inclusion of so many antagonists as love interests. Paradigm Paradox does have some good things going for it – especially its art – so if it sounds interesting to you, you might want to check it out.

Café Enchanté

Café Enchanté is another one in my backlog, but it sounds really appealing after refreshing my memory on its premise, so I may get to it pretty soon! The main character inherits a café in Tokyo from her grandfather (which I’m hoping she knows how to run 😱). This café secretly serves as a meeting location for beings from different worlds.

Besides worrying about her profit margins, Kotone must also concern herself with the government agents who monitor non-human activities, as they eventually appear on her doorstep. Sounds like a potential…recipe…for disaster! 🤣 Anyway, I tend to enjoy stories with fantasy elements, and the art looks great, too.

Lover Pretend

Lover Pretend stars Chiyuki as an aspiring script writer who wants to find her father – who she’s never met – after her mother passed away. She’s hired as an assistant for an upcoming film when she’s suddenly cast as its female love interest instead. (Hence the title; she has to “pretend” that she’s in “love.”)

The only problem is that she’s never been in love, so it’s hard for her to act out romantic scenes. Chiyuki also has the search for her father to think about, so I’d assume that would have an effect on her ability to focus. We’ll have to see how she does! As I try to avoid spoilers for games I haven’t played, I’m unfamiliar with the love interests, so I’m interested in seeing what their roles are on set.

Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani

Another otome that sounds really neat, Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani tells the story of Agent Shino Akitsu, a woman who works for a secret government agency that monitors beings who travel between realms. Shino has the ability to see things that others can’t, and her job (“part gatekeeper, part travel guide”) requires her to keep these travelers out of trouble.

I like the art style, and it sounds like Shino’s job has the potential for some comedic moments. Either way, I still really want to play this.

Variable Barricade

I must confess that I’ve never been a fan of certain rose-dispensing dating shows, so at first I was a bit leery of Variable Barricade, which seems to have a similar premise. As she is the only heir to the family fortune, Hibari’s grandfather wants to find her a husband, so he invites some attractive bachelors to live with her and do their best to win her heart.

Hibari is determined to not fall in love, which is fair (did grandpa do any background checks? 🤣). But as this is an otome, she undoubtedly will fall in love. I gave in to my curiosity after hearing that it’s an entertaining game (plus the gorgeous guys don’t hurt). Another for my backlog!

Rated M

Hakuoki: Chronicles of Wind and Blossom

Content warning: “Blood, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence.” Stalking, attempted abductions, mentions of ritual suicide and executions. Supernatural elements. Prepare yourself for a lot of crying.

Hakuoki was the first otome I ever played on PSP back in the day (along with Sweet Fuse). (We recently reviewed the Chronicles of Wind and Blossom version.) I’ve always loved history, so the setting intrigued me, and again: pretty boys. The story takes place in 1860s Japan, when the shogunate era comes to an extremely bloody end.

Even knowing that the tragic events were coming, playing this version still caused me to cry a lot. I hesitate to call the best endings truly “happy,” because many of Chizuru’s friends in the Shinsengumi will die in any route. It’s so sad, but there’s something so romantic and compelling about this series.

Virche Evermore -ErroR: Salvation-

Content warning: I’ve heard there are a LOT of potential triggers in this one.

Oh, and speaking of sadness, I’ve heard that the Virche Evermore series is amazing and pretty tragic, which makes sense seeing as everyone on the island is cursed to die at age 23. Apparently a “watchman” helps the main character – known as Death – investigate the mysteries of this island country.

They say that “Despair is the fate that awaits those who are loved by Death”; with Hakuoki as a classic and exception, I generally do my best to avoid crying – and the migraines that follow – so I skipped this series. But if you think you can handle the content you might want to check it out. There’s also a fan disc, which just came out so it’s not on sale.

Olympia Soirée

Content warning: said to contain sexual assault, dystopian society with misogyny

In Olympia Soirée, Olympia is the only survivor of her clan, and she must travel to Tenguu Island to perform a ritual that will hopefully bring back the sun. She’ll learn more about the island’s class system, and try to find a “mate” to keep her family’s legacy alive.

I don’t tend to like stories with dystopian societies or sexual assault, but I have heard good things about Olympia as a protagonist. However, I have read that the sexual assault is unavoidable and depicted on screen, so player discretion is advised.

Piofiore Series

Content warning: organized crime, apparently involves a lot of drugs, human trafficking, and sexual assault.

The Piofiore series might be the darkest one on this list. The story involves a turf war between 3 criminal organizations in 1920s Italy. Main character Lilian ends up meeting the leaders of all 3 groups, and finds herself in the center of the violence and depravity characteristic of these organizations.

The story and setting might appeal to those interested in history; according to Otome Kitten’s review it goes into some events that took place during that time period.

Collar x Malice Series

Content warning: violence

Out of all of the M-rated otome on this list, Collar x Malice appeals to me the most. You play as police officer Ichika, who is targeted by a terrorist organization and equipped with a poisonous collar around her neck. A group of strangers – presumably the love interests – appear to help her investigate.

Like Amnesia and Norn9, Collar x Malice has some mini games, which I like. The second game looks really exciting, too!

Well, I did my best to keep this as brief as possible for 20+ otome games, which would come to a total of ~$630 altogether (*stares sadly at my thin wallet*)! 😮 I hope you find it helpful in making your decisions on which ones to buy! There are so many great choices!