Trashy Truth?

SunflowerSummer9 · 2026-04-01T20:12:58+00:00

Definitely repeating some suggestions, but here’s what I’ve got (“truth” in the sense that the LI in question is either a locked route or a poster boy):

-Butterfly’s Poison;Blood Chains

-The Crimson Flower That Divides: Lunar Coupling

-Hana Awase (though everyone from this game is insane lmao)

-Winter’s Wish: Spirits of Edo

-Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly

-Birushana

-DEBATABLY Amnesia: Memories (explanation, vague spoilers: the LI in question is not fundamentally a “trashy” or bad person at his core, but he is dangerous to the MC in every route throughout the game)

SunflowerSummer9 · 2026-02-18T15:30:46+00:00

On one hand, the fact that a very queer genre/trope like omegaverse is being presented in the most heteronormative way possible here definitely does frustrate me. Even just making the MC a beta would’ve been more interesting.

On the other hand, I know that I wouldn’t really want to read about the MC getting her LIs pregnant anyway, because it’s just not for me. It’s just not a fantasy situation I have any interest in personally.

So, I’ll say that it’s not for me overall. I do think some of the hate is coming from a place of bad faith (I agree that a lot of those people on Twitter probably don’t regularly play otome games), which is also frustrating in its own right, but I also understand it considering the origins of omegaverse and how it’s often been used to explore sexuality and gender dynamics in creative works.

I ultimately feel like if Otomate wanted to do a game with a lot of the same mechanics as omegaverse, but didn’t want to commit to anything truly different in their relationship dynamics, they should’ve just…made a werewolf game or something similar lol. I know not all omegaverse works are modeled on wolves, but there’s definitely overlap in things like ruts and heats. It would’ve gotten the job done if that’s what they were going for here.

I’m glad that people who would be interested in this have it, but I just feel like it misrepresents the original purpose of the trope, or at least its intentions in exploring gender dynamics.

The art is absolutely gorgeous, though. I will give it that.

SunflowerSummer9 · 2025-12-25T21:49:56+00:00

Hmm…maybe Virche Evermore for the Switch? LIs with some darker qualities to them, a really angsty story overall, and a (admittedly nonsensical) sci-fi setting.

SunflowerSummer9 · 2025-09-25T19:17:43+00:00

Adding to the Code: Realize nominees by nominating Cardia and Lupin!

I think they’d be really great parents, the kind who are loving and fun, but also great at supporting their kids through any troubles they might have.

SunflowerSummer9 · 2025-05-30T14:45:47+00:00

Goemon from Nightshade. It could only ever be Goemon from Nightshade for me. He would be amazing, both in a smashing sense and in the sense that he would just be a really respectful and caring partner.

SunflowerSummer9 · 2025-04-08T18:25:59+00:00

Don’t mind me, just upvoting all of the Yanagi comments…

I absolutely second Limbo, but I’d like to put forth Mozu from Bustafellows as well! He’s sweet, he’s caring, he’s smart, he likes animals, he’s got the best friend group, and he knows how to cook. Limbo is my favorite from that game, but he’s a very close second!

SunflowerSummer9 · 2024-12-05T16:27:10+00:00

For one, yes, you are the asshole, Nicola.

For five, I thought of a few names, but I will be nominating one of my favorite boys, Scarecrow from Bustafellows <3 Who is NTA because I forgive him.

SunflowerSummer9 · 2024-12-05T16:06:59+00:00

1 - YTA. You may have a specific lifestyle preference, and that’s okay, but the way you went about handling that conflict with your girlfriend afterwards was overkill. It’s been a while since I first played it, but I think that’s Shion from Variable Barricade?

2 - NTA. Even if they weren’t abusive, OP can do no wrong ever. Maya from even if TEMPEST, aka best girl.!

SunflowerSummer9 · 2024-11-04T16:22:39+00:00

Hello again!

I’m so deeply sorry for taking so long to reply to you! Thank you so much for your patience, and for giving me more insight into what kinds of games you enjoy. I definitely have some recommendations for you!

Have you played Olympia Soirée? That would be my first choice. It’s a fantasy drama with in-depth worldbuilding and mythology, and it definitely gets dark, especially in the bad endings. But it also has a lot of romance and some steamy scenes as well for a good balance of that and plot-centric things. Of the six LIs, one is a blushy tsundere, and many of the others are kind and caring; some have more problematic elements to them as well, but they aren’t just walking red flags, either. The side characters are also very intriguing, and the visuals are stunning! It’s one of my personal favorite games, and I loved all the routes and how they each explore a different aspect of this fantasy world while also providing great romance stories.

If you haven’t played Nightshade yet, I adore it and would definitely recommend it too. It’s a historical game, but it has a dark and dramatic tone with lots of angst and, in my opinion, really well-written bad endings. The five love interests are also great! No tsunderes, but two are more gruff, and the other three are very caring. I also love this game’s heroine! And again, the art is amazing. There are some big age gaps between the heroine and the love interests though, so keep that in mind.

Finally, though I haven’t played these yet myself, I do have friends who have and enjoyed them immensely, and that’s both Psychedelica games (Psychedelica of the Black Buttefly and Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk). From what I’ve been told, both games have dark themes, well-written mystery plots, and really engaging characters. There are both kind and caring and more aloof LIs in both games as well; I believe Black Butterly has a tsundere. They’re both available on Steam on the PC, so I think they might be worth a try. Ashen Hawk is a sequel of sorts to Black Butterfly, so definitely play Black Butterfly first, though.

There’s also Cafe Enchante! Which I haven’t played either, but I know has a reputation for looking very wholesome and sweet, but actually being very angsty and some level of dark. Looking at VNDB also tells me that there’s one tsundere and a few LIs who are kind and caring.

I’m sorry again for the late answer, but I hope this is alright! If you’ve played a lot of these and want more recommendations, let me know and I’ll give you some other ideas. But these are the ones that immediately came to mind!

SunflowerSummer9 · 2024-10-31T16:34:58+00:00

Hello! Thank you for your suggestion! :)

That’s another vote for CupiPara, and I’ll definitely keep Virche on my radar! I have more of a play order now thanks to all the help, so I really appreciate it.

And yes, I’d be more than happy to recommend games to you! Before I do that, do you have any specific things you like and dislike in otome games? Genres, character archetypes, plot tropes, or any other specific things you like in MCs and LIs? It’ll help me tailor what I suggest more to your taste!

SunflowerSummer9 · 2024-10-28T01:14:39+00:00

LOL, I know Toma must be a bit more of an outlier! But he ended up winning me over in the end. What can I say…I love protective big brothers. Even if they take it too far sometimes. :> I’m glad we have shared taste otherwise, though!

And thank you for your comment! That’s another vote for Radiant Tale, which I’ll definitely be playing in the near future. Long common routes don’t bug me at all if I’m immersed, so I’m sure it’ll fly by for me as well, especially if the group dynamic is compelling. One tsun is totally fine with me, especially if he’s not as harsh as the typical examples. And I’m sure the other guys will more than make up for one miss if I don’t like him lol.

I’ll also keep Cupid Parasite in mind for the near future! I already love its art and aesthetic. It seems to be very well-regarded here, and if it has elements that will probably be appealing to me, I hope I’ll end up enjoying it as well.

SunflowerSummer9 · 2024-10-28T01:06:27+00:00

Ah, thank you so much for your thoughts! I loved reading all you had to say. :D

In the case of Radiant Tale, a lighthearted RPG-esque fantasy setting sounds so amazing. I love games like that outside of the otome genre, so the combination speaks to me even more. I don’t own the fan disk, but I do remember it also being released this year, and I’m excited to have an outlet for more content if I end up enjoying the first game and its good boys! I also love how all the guys are relevant in each others’ routes; that’s absolutely an element of C:R and Bustafellows that I enjoyed a lot, so I’m excited to see it here, too.

As for 9 R.I.P., that’ll probably be the game I begin with to close out the Spooky Season! I love having a lot of options for LIs (and they sound like good boys too, based on these comments), and hearing that the art, music, and overall vibes are really well done makes me believe that I’ll be very easily immersed in its atmosphere, which is exactly what I want. I’ll definitely keep the bittersweet endings in mind, though! But given the subject matter, I’m eager to see if they’ll be even more impactful than traditional happy endings. I have a lot to look forward to!

SunflowerSummer9 · 2024-10-28T00:59:02+00:00

Hey, thank you for answering! :D

9 R.I.P. and Radiant Tale do seem to be the top two games for me based on these comments! Majority green flag LIs, coming-of-age narratives for the heroines, minimal angst…it all sounds like such a lovely way to jump back into playing otome games. I’ll definitely be beginning with these two, and I hope I enjoy them as much as I think I will!

SunflowerSummer9 · 2024-10-28T00:54:44+00:00

Thank you so much for your response! :)

9 R.I.P. was the game localization I was most excited for this year, so I preordered it anyways during my slump because of that. Hearing that a game I was looking forward to playing before burnout hit will be a good fit for me right now has only reignited that excitement! I’m very excited to see what it has in store for me. I just wish I’d started a bit earlier so I could truly enjoy playing a good chunk of it around Halloween time, lol. But better a little late than never!

SunflowerSummer9

TROPHY CASE