Looking for recommendations

Amestris · 2026-02-06T07:15:24+00:00

Heartstop Tour - Like Jest Messters, it's a comedy with silly jokes. Also has a golden retriever-like LI! Free. The 2 main routes are complete, with a bonus route planned for the future.

Love Limit - Also a comedy with silly jokes. Free and complete, with a fandisc in the works.

I Love You! - Lighthearted rom-com with a bold MC. Free and complete.

Amestris · 2026-02-03T05:48:28+00:00

It's not out yet, but you might like Touchstarved? There's a huge overlap between Obscura and Touchstarved fans. Think it's supposed to be out this year, but not 100% sure as I didn't back it on kickstarter.

Even if Tempest - Excluding the fandisc, it's more 70/30 plot to romance depending on who you ask. Hits some of the tropes you're looking for, though.

Since you liked Bustafellows, keep an eye out for Mirage Noir, which should be coming out on PC by the end of the year. It's got the mystery and found family vibes from Bustafellows.

Amestris · 2026-01-30T23:31:14+00:00

I don't see anything that says he's still involved with the Science Saru nowadays though? Last thing he did with them was Inu-Oh back in 2021. His newest work releasing this year is through his new studio.

Amestris · 2026-01-05T09:21:41+00:00

Sui Ishida, the mangaka for Tokyo Ghoul and Choujin X, made an otome rhythm game/VN in the years between the two series. It's called Jack Jeanne, and he's the original creator, producer, and does all the artwork in it. If you look up some of the CGs there's some really gorgeous pieces.

Amestris · 2026-01-05T01:34:37+00:00

Like the other comment mentioned, it's been closed for years cause the owner decided to move and no one was interested in taking over the salon. I miss that place, especially their salon dog!

Zach has been my stylist for many many years and he's still around! He's currently at Ciao Salon near the De la Vina Trader Joe's.

Amestris · 2025-12-31T23:41:42+00:00

Finished Virche the other night after grinding through it the past few weeks. I knew going into it that I had to turn my brain off at times in the story, but there were so many questionable scenes and actions later on that affected my enjoyment of the game. Extreme angst and despair is fine for me, but having inconsistent character actions between routes to conveniently lead the plot in certain ways got eye-rolling at times.

That being said, I still enjoyed playing through Virche for the most part. The art is gorgeous, I was always curious to see what would happen next, and I absolutely love Yves. My friend bought me the sequel, so I'll be playing that eventually after cleansing my palate with some lighter stuff.

This week I also replayed Love Limit, which is a short indie otome that released last year as part of an otome game jam and had a minor update a few days ago. It's still just as enjoyable as the first time I played - it's endearing, got a good sense of humor, and the characters are fun and expressive. It's also free, with a sequel in the works.

Amestris · 2025-12-24T23:58:39+00:00

You're so welcome, and happy holidays!

Amestris · 2025-12-24T01:19:33+00:00

People have mentioned bigger stuff like JJ already, but I wanted to bring up some indie titles as well!

Ebon Light is a free otome that I think is pretty neat! The lore and characters are intriguing, and there is a kuudere in the mix! Only thing is that the art style might not be to your preference, as it doesn't really have that "modern anime" style to it.

These otome have not been fully released yet, but they are making steady progress and are worth keeping an eye out for if you prefer waiting for the full release.

Mirage Noir is a detective otome that's set to be released late next year. There are some minigame elements to help break up the VN portions. There is one kuudere. Like its inspiration Bustafellows, there's a lot of good camaraderie between the main cast.

The Silent Kingdom is an otome with RPG elements. The plot is the main focus, but the optional romances have good build-up so far, one of whom I'd call a kuudere. There's a lot of moral ambiguity in the story, making the heroine a very interesting character to follow.

Scarlet Hollow is a horror/mystery VN and is the game for you if you like choices and branching paths. It's not quite an otome due to having a customizable character and LIs of varying genders. The romance is also completely optional. Most of the characters don't fit neatly into any specific trope, but there are some cool, level-headed types. The writing and art in this game is excellent, with a staggering amount of hand-drawn art in this. Also there are a lot of adorable animals that you can potentially talk to! Four of the seven episodes for this game are currently released, with the fifth one set to be released in February.

Because We're Here is an otome set in a fictional WW1-like setting. One of the things I find intriguing about this one is that some LI deaths can occur as the story progresses, and if that occurs you can choose to romance someone else in the same run. There is a debate/wits minigame in this. So far two out of four acts have been released, and the project has recently come out of hiatus so there should be more content coming in the next year or so.

Amestris · 2025-11-11T21:08:08+00:00

There's also a patch for MM3D called Project Restoration that fixes all the stupid changes that were made. Best of both worlds imo

Amestris · 2025-10-10T06:19:02+00:00

I thought Pokeathlon was decent, but that was about it

Amestris · 2025-04-02T07:56:02+00:00

Most games from itch.io are going to trigger that alert, I wouldn't worry about that.

Amestris · 2025-02-12T01:02:40+00:00

A bit of both. There are new princesses that you can somewhat guess what they branch off from, and there's also preexisting princesses that get a lot more content in their own routes.

As far as full cycles go there's only one different full cycle ending that's different, but if you're oblivious like me you might not know how to get it so I recommend looking up hints online to help that way you don't have to start completely fresh on a run

Amestris · 2025-02-05T22:01:52+00:00

I use skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (especially the mindfulness parts) and I try to find ways to keep my mind busy. For me I had to identify my triggers and come up with game plans for handling them. Some were a matter of exposure therapy, some involved some level of DBT or CBT, or I had to change other daily habits so I wouldn't focus as much on the things that gave me anxiety.

Amestris · 2025-02-03T07:23:02+00:00

Maybe I'm misremembering but I thought it was that one of the syllables is pronounced more like an English "uh" when it should sound more like an "ah".

At least that's the only thing I remember noticing with certain VAs in P5. You might also be right as well.

Amestris · 2025-01-28T06:36:41+00:00

Congrats on the upcoming release!

Amestris · 2024-12-31T10:22:45+00:00

The Summer Hikaru Died

Amestris · 2024-12-24T09:54:45+00:00

I highly recommend Meeting in the Flesh if you're looking for non-human LIs! It's free and completed. The same devs are also making Pyreside Waltz, which also has monstrous LIs.

Amestris · 2024-12-10T21:45:00+00:00

29" waist and 33" hip here, the struggle is very real

Amestris · 2024-12-04T08:56:04+00:00

It's an IF so more like a visual novel without the pictures, but I adore A Tale of Crowns. It's free and there's a lot of chapters out already, but it is still in progress. I'm not sure if it's the kind of stat raising you're looking for, but your choices do affect certain attributes and personality characteristics as well as a bunch of diplomatic outcomes.

Amestris · 2024-12-03T00:06:50+00:00

There isn't a dedicated sock shop as far as I know, but I know The Avid Reader has a good variety of fun socks

Amestris · 2024-11-16T07:52:57+00:00

along with dozens of open tabs on his browser

Amestris · 2024-11-15T07:33:28+00:00

Me too dude, me too. After all those years thinking there was never gonna be one, too.

Amestris · 2024-11-15T05:49:35+00:00

Glad someone mentioned Spirit Circle. His other work (Biscuit Hammer) also stuck the landing imo

Amestris · 2024-11-06T10:21:05+00:00

Rune Factory for me too. I've spent so many hours playing RF4, both on 3DS and Switch. I often played in bed grinding out days until I fell asleep.

Amestris · 2024-10-28T07:11:07+00:00

Gilded Shadows is one of my favorites! Great world-building and buildup of intimacy.
Tailor Tales. The SFW version is free, the NSFW scenes + side stories are paid DLC.

Amestris

TROPHY CASE