MaggieROBOT

I'll admit that I only picked up this otomege because I grew up playing RPGs and I have a soft spot for 8bit era games, even if I was born when that era was looong gone. In the end, the game itself have no 8bit whatsoever, aside of the menu, nor does it have "many H temptations" like the VNDB summary suggests, but it DOES have a lot of RPG-style fun that made me satisfied in the end. (OBS: VNDB says that the translation is partial, but it's actually complete already, for all three games.)
 

Second game's title screen
 
Dot Kareshi is a series of three short VNs by Rejet that tells the story of a girl that played lots of RPG (totally not me) but sucked hard at them (totally not me, seriously this time). Then, she ended up inside the game by mysterious circumstances and found out that the characters she controled become corrupted by her terrible play style. All three games follow the same formula and not even once the game explains to you how the hell you ended up in that situation. Even better, in the second game it pokes fun at itself because of this lame plot device and by the third game they're not even trying. Just by this, you can see what these games are all about: comedy. The game is constantly making jokes about various RPG tropes and situations that I often run across when I played these types of games myself. The corrupted personality of the guys? I would probably have created some of those myself, like the Wizard that was always angry and feeling neglected because the girl always skipped his magic effect animations.
 

Token shota, look how adorable (?) he is.
 
The routes work in a very easy way. Pick the boy you want, clear the quest associated with him and try to score points with him along the way. Don't worry, no gameplay involved. Just don't expect chuuni level of description in the battle parts of the quest, as they are narrated by the characters themselves, describing what item and magic they used or merely saying something like "ha!" when they used physical attacks. Each route have two endings, "stay in the game" and "get out with your boy" and which one is the best depends on the boy, as I see it. But the game thought that getting out was the best for everyone, since it requires you to max the guys affection... And that's another easy feat, because the game have a status screen, so you can pick a choice and see this screen to check how many points you got. Oh, but if you score way too few points, you get a more or less harem (bad?) ending that's really worth to see, especially in the second and third games.
About the boys, the cast includes lots of classic RPG classes in the first two games. The first one gives you a Thief, a Wizard, a Hero and a Priest. The second gives you more unusual choices, like a Dancer and a Beastmaster. And when they run out of ideas, the third game gives you the "villain routes", with options like a Slime and even the final boss, that, this time, got corrupted by the action of the girl indirectly. Like the rest of the game, they also are massive jokes. Take one trait of them, usually the one that got warped by MC's gameplay, and exaggerate it a lot. You got the gist of the boys's personalities. The games are very short so the jokes never felt overused and I laughed a lot of the boys interactions, especially during the second game. The party only reached the end of the "game inside the game" because MC was controling them, because geez, they're a bunch of idiots (in a funny and not enfuriating way)!
Unfortunately, if you're looking for romance with your fantasy boys... Better look elsewhere, it's the weakest part of the game. Firstly, the main character simply don't exist. She's referred as "You" (but it's totally not me!) every time and she doesn't have a single speaking line. Not only she's unvoiced, she only reacts with exclamation marks and other color coded symbols (like a red one for anger and a pink one for embarrassment) that appear in a bubble at the side of the screen. She actually appears in CGs, but it's always the same generic girl with a shadow covering her eyes. On top of that, because the game is super short, there's like no development in the romance. Sure, you can say the guys are in love with her already because they wouldn't be able to do anything without her, literally. But what about the girl? We have hug and kiss CGs for most of the normal and best endings, but we'll have to just believe that things went well between them... somehow.
 

This line only appears because it was right after a choice. Usually, the protagonist don't say anything.
 
Speaking about the games in separate now... Please note that they have completely independent stories and can be read in any order. The first chapter was the weakest one. I had a few laughs through it, but the perviness of the boys was a bit tiring and not very funny. Thief's (yeah, no one have a name, only their classes, FF1 style) character was also supposed to be all flirty, but he never convinced me, so his character felt a bit bland. My favorite route ended up being Wizard's, simply because the conclusion of his battle was priceless.
 

First four boys
 
The second chapter. THE SECOND CHAPTER. Now, this one is good and definetely the best. It's very very funny, I can't even choose my favorite part of it. Knight is surely the best boy, but meathead Monk is a pervy executed in a way more ridiculous and funny than the first chapter cast. Even the weakest route, Beastmaster's, because he's an ass sometimes, ended up being really enjoyable because of Knight and Monk. And Dancer's random dances just adds to the mess that it's this party. Believe it, they managed to ruin all the sexiness that could be an hot spring scene and I loved it.
 

These guys together are way too funny
 
The third chapter is also pretty good, but not as funny as the second one (but still funnier than the first). Why's that? Because somehow or other they decided to make the villain routes... the most moe ones. The guys are so adorable and harmless, I wanted to protect them all! Of course, the game also make fun of their harmlessness, and I laughed, but it didn't stopped me to find a certain tsundere extremely cute. And just to mention, there's not only villains in this chapter, there's also an NPC named only Villager. He's da man, I'm only saying this. Just leave the "bad" ending for last!
 

The one in the right is not a girl, it's one of the heroes. Actually, it's not a guy either, it's a slime!
 
Soundtrack is fine, and some songs even have some 8bit beats that add to the charm. Voice acting is really good, as expected of some well known names in the cast, like Hirakawa Daisuke (Saint Germain from Code Realize), Toriumi Kousuke (Saito Hajime from Hakuouki), Namikawa Daisuke (Sasazuka Takeru from Collar x Mallice) and Sugita Tomokazu (Kitagawa Yusuke from Persona 5).
In the end, Dot Kareshi was an overall positive experience, even more after I finished the first chapter. But even then, it worked well as an introduction to the game. It's a short journey, more or less 2,5 hours for each game (may vary, I'm a slow reader), but full of laughter and a bit of nostalgia, of my own time playing fantasy RPGs. And moral of the story: treat your RPG characters well!
Recommended if you like RPG and short comedic novels. Skip it if you want important romance plots and a protagonist that actually exists.

Hello Ladies & Gentlemen!
The western visual novel market, unlike the high-budget JP scene, thrives mostly through amateur passion projects and products of small, indie development teams. While this causes most of the Western VNs to be of relatively poor quality, it also promotes creativity and good stylization over huge word-counts and high production values, which are simply unattainable with highly limited budgets and manpower. This philosophy is further supported by various events oriented towards indie developers, such as NaNoRenO and Yuri Game jam – and while most games produced there might be extremely simple and rather forgettable, there are important exceptions to this rule. And, what’s probably worth mentioning, the rare, memorable games coming from these contests are still just as free as all the other ones.
Today, I’m presenting you a list of top 5 Yuri Game Jam VNs – although short and often minimalistic, these games will provide you with enjoyable and creative f/f romance stories, without asking for anything more than a few hours of your time (you can download each game for free through the links in the titles).
 
The Sad story of Emmeline Burns

The Victorian drama by Ebi-Hime is the best know and probably most-appreciated Yuri Game Jam entry - and not without good reasons. While short and, as a kinetic novel, following a purely linear formula, this tragic story offers excellent writing, emotionally impactful storytelling and a great aesthetic, all way above the level you would normally see in a contest like this. It also doesn't rely on shock value or leave the reader with a depressing conclusion - with all the titular sadness still in place, it's a hopeful, touching story of love cut short by fate and a great reading experience - one which might have yuri romance as its main theme, but offers much more than just that.
 
Syrup and the Ultimate Sweet

While extremely sweet when it goes to artstyle and even the main theme (candy), Syrup and the Ultimate Sweet by Nami is a wonderful short story about prejudice and friendship, that delivers much more than its cutesy exterior might suggest. With well-written dialogues, charming atmosphere and cast of quirky characters it’s a great casual experience – in many ways a polar opposite of The Sad Story of Emmeline Burns, but equally worth reading. Also, with romance being implied rather than in any way explicit, it can appeal to anyone looking for a funny, warm story, rather than just fans of the genre. 
 
Once on a windswept night

Once on a Windswept Night is most likely the most ambitious Yuri Game Jam VN, with an intricate meta-narrative and multiple mysteries for the player to uncover. With two touching romance stories, multiple hours of content and very solid writing, it delivers much more than you would normally expect from a free game. The visual side of things suffered slightly from the relatively short development cycle, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a very creative and in many ways unique experience and, for a game jam entry, an impressive artistic achievement, in many ways on par with Ebi-Hime's commercial projects.
 
First Kiss at Spooky Soiree

While not as interesting and brilliantly-written as Syrup…, this tiny VN has a lot of the same charming artstyle and heart-warming mood as the previous Yuri Game Jam game by Nami. Even if it’s too short to offer a comprehensive story of any kind, it works great as an amusing distraction between “serious” readings, with some great lines and creatively-designed characters. Closer to what you would typically expect from a game jam entry, it’s still a pleasant, worthwhile experience.
 
To Libertad

This story of a runaway slave and a warrior who saves her life and leads her to a safe haven of Libertad is a pretty standard, but well-written fantasy tale with mild f/f romance added on top of it. The author’s focus on the main characters’ journey and fight for survival, and the bond that forms between them during that struggle effected in something rather universal, that should prove appealing not only for fans of yuri VNs or love stories, but anyone looking for a solid, short adventure tale.
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Once again, I hope you’ve found this list interesting and if you want to see more recommendations for short VNs, that are too small to offer material for full reviews, but are still worth looking into, please let me know by liking this post or sharing your thoughts in the comment section below (as YouTube'y as this might sound, I'll be really thankful for feedback).
Have a great week everyone!

Or: The ballad of the girl that couldn't control some borderline shotacon impulses.
 
Hiii guys and gals! This week I'll just post this quick rambling because I have tons of studying left to do for my master's degree entrance exam. So let me tell you a short story about something I love in VNs: pretty boys. (Don't worry, there's moege too, the title isn't a lie like the cake)
Okay, it's not like I don't like 2D pretty girls. They're awesome too, in their ways, but... I don't know, my eyes just got pulled to the boys, in all the wrong places.
I read tons of varied stuff. I don't put a link for my VNDB list on my profile because that wouldn't help anyone in giving me recommendations. Even I never found a pattern in that list, an amalgamation of otomege, BL, galge, Yuri, OELVN and one obvious troll VN made purposely bad but still so bad it's so good. BUT! I noticed I never read a single moege. Of course, my (preconceived) opinion of them are that they are boring and have way too many routes and excessive length. I'm a completionist, but read all routes in a moege seems like a chore I'm not sure I want to go through. But preconceived notions are bad, like real bad, so I started to look for something that picked my interest.
And I stumble upon something called Haruoto Alice * Gram. Judge me all you want, but I clicked in it just because this adorable Hatsune Miku expy in winter clothes! Kyaaaaa~ Because first you see the heroines, then if the game is shit.
 

 
Okay, the character design is already pleasant enough for my eyes (wait, but all moeges have cute designs, that isn't the problem with them!)! I mean, these girls are all kinda cute!
 

 
There's one more, but she was too meh, I didn't bother with her too much. Okay, their tits are a bit too balloon for my tastes, but I can easily ignore this. I'm determined to give some moege a chance, I can't give up so easi...
 
I kept scrolling the vndb page...
 
And stumble on... him.

 
KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! OMG, SO CUTE!!!! WHY THERE'S NOT A ROUTE WITH HIM HERE?? A TRAP ROUTE IS FINE TOO!! I WANT HIM!!! DAMN, WHAT A WASTE!!!
Wait, this is a moege... Of course... there's no route with him...
 
I gave up on my moege quest. I'm too far gone.

Or: The ballad of the girl that couldn't control some borderline shotacon impulses.
 
Hiii guys and gals! This week I'll just post this quick rambling because I have tons of studying left to do for my master's degree entrance exam. So let me tell you a short story about something I love in VNs: pretty boys. (Don't worry, there's moege too, the title isn't a lie like the cake)
Okay, it's not like I don't like 2D pretty girls. They're awesome too, in their ways, but... I don't know, my eyes just got pulled to the boys, in all the wrong places.
I read tons of varied stuff. I don't put a link for my VNDB list on my profile because that wouldn't help anyone in giving me recommendations. Even I never found a pattern in that list, an amalgamation of otomege, BL, galge, Yuri, OELVN and one obvious troll VN made purposely bad but still so bad it's so good. BUT! I noticed I never read a single moege. Of course, my (preconceived) opinion of them are that they are boring and have way too many routes and excessive length. I'm a completionist, but read all routes in a moege seems like a chore I'm not sure I want to go through. But preconceived notions are bad, like real bad, so I started to look for something that picked my interest.
And I stumble upon something called Haruoto Alice * Gram. Judge me all you want, but I clicked in it just because this adorable Hatsune Miku expy in winter clothes! Kyaaaaa~ Because first you see the heroines, then if the game is shit.
 

 
Okay, the character design is already pleasant enough for my eyes (wait, but all moeges have cute designs, that isn't the problem with them!)! I mean, these girls are all kinda cute!
 

 
There's one more, but she was too meh, I didn't bother with her too much. Okay, their tits are a bit too balloon for my tastes, but I can easily ignore this. I'm determined to give some moege a chance, I can't give up so easi...
 
I kept scrolling the vndb page...
 
And stumble on... him.

 
KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! OMG, SO CUTE!!!! WHY THERE'S NOT A ROUTE WITH HIM HERE?? A TRAP ROUTE IS FINE TOO!! I WANT HIM!!! DAMN, WHAT A WASTE!!!
Wait, this is a moege... Of course... there's no route with him...
 
I gave up on my moege quest. I'm too far gone.

Now, I love nothing more than an interesting setting, and I'm tired of normal charage in general... so one of the biggest points that can be used to draw me into a charage is a crazy setting. 
Crazy charage settings are settings that have no possibility whatsoever of happening in real life or are so far outside of common sense that they are inconceivable as a real possibility to most people.  This includes fantasy settings and sci-fi settings, but more often it includes a simple concept taken to an extreme.  There are several types that have become common in the last ten years (common as in they've popped up at least five times in the last ten years in different companies' VNs).
The Love City/School Setting
This is the second most common crazy setting that pops up in charage.  To be blunt, it is a setting where love and romance are encouraged as a part of the law or by school rules.  In  this setting, love, sex, marriage, and/or children are desirable outcomes and the 'system' in those settings goes to weirdly extreme levels of effort and expense to create the desired result.  This can be seen as a part of other crazy settings (such as Kamikaze Explorer, where having children as a student was encouraged) or on their own (as in Love Revenge, where romance was essentially forced on the students by the school's new owner), but this particular crazy setting has popped up at least fifteen times that I can think of off the top of my head in the last ten years.
The Virtual World Setting
This is the most common sci-fi setting, often mixing with fantasy ones, where a virtual world (partial or complete) is put into place either in common use or as a part of the main characters' lives.  This has a relatively low rate of occurrence for a crazy setting on this list, but it has popped up six times that I can think of in a charage in the last ten years that I can think of.  Some where 'enhanced reality' types like Harvest Overray and others were 'jack-in' types like Hoshi no Ne Sanctuary.  However, the key to making this list is that the virtual world element is key to the progression of the story, at least through the common route.
The 'Get/got sent to another world' Setting
This is the second most common fantasy charage setting.  It can range from 'After I defeated the Dark Lord' types (Valkyrie Runabout is an example of this type) and 'school life somehow in a half-medieval setting' type to ones where the protagonist just shrugs and starts living with the heroines whom he just met (Unlucky Re:Birth).  I've come across this six times from VNs made in the last ten years, and mostly they are fun.
The 'Magical/mystical school' setting
The most common fantasy setting.  This can range from Alia's Carnival types where the school is the only place where the magic/mystical element is practiced to charage based in mystical worlds (Such as Racial Merge).  I can think of about seventeen VNs that chose this type of crazy settings.
The Cross-dressing Boy attends a Girl's School
This one is... well, insane on so many levels.  However, it is also the most common 'mundane' (non sci-fi, non fantasy) crazy setting.  I can't count how many times this has popped up since Otoboku and Shugotate started the main trends of this crazy setting (for silly/weird reasons vs for serious reasons), but it is also one of my favorites, since you can usually enjoy the protagonist's antics as he tries to fit in... or fits in almost too naturally, as the case might be.
My thoughts
Crazy settings can often be amusing and add flavor to an otherwise trite concept (fall in love stories, which dominate charage), but some people are put off by them.  Also, utilizing a crazy setting in a relatively believable fashion is a rare skill amongst charage writers, and many such games fizzle in the end.  Nonetheless, I'll probably keep diving into crazy settings, if only to keep myself from going insane with boredom at all the dating and romance that dominate charage.

Before I read this 2011 game from Pil/Slash, a developer infamous for doing weird shit, I heard several people in the BL community say that this game is like the kamige of BL games. Sure, I took it with a grain of salt, since fanbases in general hyper-inflate scores like no tomorrow. Even the most popular Nitro+Chiral BL games are good but nowhere near kamige level. I accepted it and started this game, one that felt very different from your average BL right from the start.
Turns out that they were right about the kamige-tier thing.

The cover with our heroes.
Written by Kusaka Matsuri, same scenario writer of Black Cyc's Gore Screaming Show, Shingakkou tells the story of Michael, a boy enrolled in a boarding religious school going back home for Christmas Eve... only to find his family murdered, an inverted cross painted with blood in the wall and the entire house burning down. And all of this is like, ten minutes into the game. With only his twin brother Gaby by his side, Michael turns his back on God and go back to the school only to get his revenge, because is there that the possible culprit is hiding, along with a secret cult that worships the devil.
Despite the anti-religious feel of the prologue, and good part of the common route where Michael mocks internally all his old habits that he's only reproducing not to be expelled, the message of the game is really one of love and forgiveness, a journey where Michael needs to learn to believe in God, other people and himself again. It's really incredible the amount of development he goes through the novel, I was almost shocked when I went back to the common route after finishing a route and saw irritable Michael again. And fortunately, said development isn't just him growing a spine, because he have one from the start. And I'm not a religious person myself, but even then I found the message (and the endings) extremely beautiful and touching, and not a propaganda of sorts, like some exorcism themed movies.

Gaby is the one on the left, Michael on the right.
But! Before we can go to those positive messages, we have to pass some horror stuff. And with "horror stuff" I mean: bizarre surreal images flashing, unknown sounds interrupting the conversation, jumpscares, cute (but in the end not really) laughing coming from nowhere, tons of allucination sequences, have to hear a character called Lucifer say things he wasn't supposed to know and even the music stops when he does so. Remember to play it in bright places! Seriously, the slice of life parts are the calm before the storm and you'll feel it. There's always that sense of dread after the story takes its turn for the worse so Michael (and you) is constantly unease. So the balance SoL/Plot is handled pretty well. And of course they have to turn it up the horror part for the bad endings, making Michael goes insane with some supernatural brainwashing, showing us all types of surreal scenarios. And when you're feeling all down for failing the choices, the Devil even appears on screen to laugh at you. My first bad ending was almost a traumatizing experience.
Speaking of the supernatural, lots of occurrences are blamed in the "powers of the Devil" and, lacking other explanations, Michael and you're kinda forced to believe that it exists and it can totally screw you over masterfully. If you're looking for a story where every single occurrence of mysterious shit is explained, better look elsewhere. Although I could argue that explaining stuff here would kinda ruin the atmosphere...
A thing worth mentioning is that the game have a "grotesque switch" to censor the worst CGs (even if there's nothing really gory here, just nightmare inducing). But this also blurry the text of said parts, so for the sake of the experience, bear it and leave it on.

Speaking of jump scares... This screams really pierces your ears.
Now to the routes. We have five guys to choose, but only three are available at start. My recommended order of the first three is Leonid (long white hair), Cecil (short brown hair), then Neil (red hair). While I agree the last two should be locked, forcing you to play all of the first three seemed a bit too much for me. Finishing the game once is enough. Sure, all of the routes offer you something nice to read, but this VN is not a multiple routes mystery. There's one culprit and he's correctly guessed in every single route. So why this huge lock is in place I have no idea. The first routes can be a bit slow, especially if you go with my recommended order, but the game REALLY picks up when you reach Neil's route. There's some repetition even in the characters routes, but this game features one of the fastest skips I ever saw. But at least the game provides you with some choices that you can pick whatever you want and see some different scenes (that are very far from the choice itself, and not just some "different hero reaction right afterwards") that don't really affect the outcome of the story.
So why did I put the two slower routes first? Because Leonid's twists works better if you read his route first. Cecil is a nakige-like (there's still horror parts, it's not all fluffy, but it's full of feels) route that can be read at any point. And Neil's the one most strongly connected with the main plot. So it feels a lot better to read all the plot at once, since the last two routes are also super plot heavy. And weird. Good weird stuff.
The relationship between the characters moves in a pleasant pace, with their romance gradually kicking in. There's plenty of time for them to know each other and the sex scenes are usually located in the end of each route. It's nice to see the romance actually growing and not starting out of nowhere leaving you to believe that the heroes fall for the MC at first sight. Maybe some of those interactions are kinda overlong, but nothing in an annoying level. And since the boys grew in a religious school and the story happens in the '50s or so, expect them to be a bit torn about liking other boys, "this is a sin" is a sentence you'll see multiple times.

Aaaaaaaaw...
Sex scenes are divided in three categories: vanilla, rape and weird shit. They aren't thaaat important to the plot so it's safe to skip them, just remember that they happened, but I must add that at least the ones in the weird shit tier (one in a character's route, another in a bad ending) are completely disgusting and involve some non-human beings (just allucinations, but still horrible to look at) and should definitely be watched for nausea reasons. Disclaimer: I'm a bit weak so maybe it's not that bad...
The vanilla ones are kinda charming since they are a bit awkwardly cute. Unlike most VNs that I read, the boys are a bit confused at how sex should goes. And that's perfectly normal, since they're innocent 16 or so years old boys that lives in a seminary with pretty much zero exposure to anything sex related (of course, because they're all goody two shoes, but the deliquent Neil is a completely different story and he actually have some experience). In one particular scene, the kissing just stops and Michael even wonders what he and his partner should do next. And also, you can pick who's the one that will be on top, a fine addition that pleases both people that want the MC to have the upper hand in the relationship and people that thinks it's weird tiny and cute Michael to top his tall senpai. And for sensitive people, look at these guys. Half of them are kinda girlish (Cecil is the most), so no excuses! Imagine some flats and play the damn game!
The rape scenes... In fact, this game have a rapist route. I had pretty low expectations for this route, since one thing I really hate is rape-turned-love (when brainwashing and drama are NOT involved). But this game surprised me yet again because the rape scenes were handled with the necessary seriousness. Some particular scenes were disgusting to see and a bit painful to hear the voice acting (and it wasn't because it was bad acting). It was very very heartbreaking to see the victims confused, avoiding other people, feeling guilty and crying of shame. So when the victim decided to actually end the relationship because there's no love in it, my opinion of the route improved greatly, because sadly this development is incredibly rare. And this route's ending is so beautiful, bittersweet and satisfying that was one of the best endings of the novel, even better than the true ending.
Another thing worth mentioning is that this game also contains incest. Twincest, in fact. And the excuse they gave to it is nothing like "but they're not blood related" (well, they're twins, that wouldn't work) or "it's fine because it's true love" and it was weirdly good for me. Just be prepared for some surreal, dream-like sex scene.

Cecil is asking who should top. And after this question they tossed a coin, seriously.
The art is a bit old shoujo manga style, and that maybe isn't for everyone, but it grew on me kinda fast. The sprites have lots of facial variation and even some minor characters have sprites, which is a plus. And we also have corpse-like-people sprites for some allucination sequences. It's super creepy.
The music are all very good, using chorus to some great effects, be to sound solemn or creepy. Except the ending song, that is some upbeat thing that have nothing to do with the game, except maybe the routes that end very happy, but oh well. Voice acting was also very good, everyone is full of emotion and even the side characters do a nice job. Michael is probably the best, but damn, that principal was two times more annoying because of the voice acting. Lucifer's chilling voice is another worth mentioning, since the secret society parts wouldn't be as terrifying without him.

Quote aside, this is the kind of CG that keeps flashing.
Without spoiling too much, I need to share a few words about the ending(s). The villain was fearsome, I liked who they choose to be the culprit and see his plan working left me at the edge of my seat. But his motivation is really hard to get. His character as a whole is a bit hard to understand. The game gives you lots of backstory, and what happened to him over the years, for you to think about, but the workings of his mind was a bit beyond me. Of course, read with the possibility that maybe I'm a bit dumb.
In the end, Shingakkou was one of the best visual novels I ever read and I really wanted to find another that packs such a powerful punch. It was pure when it was supposed to be pure and scary when it was supposed to be scary. The characters were amazing and the plot was good not only comparing it with the other BL titles I read (that would be an overkill for them), but even with other bishoujo eroges I played. BL titles are a bit niche, I know, but I can't recommend this game enough.
Read it if you like horror and mind fucking in general. Avoid it if you dislike long novels (some parts drags a bit), incest, pedophilia and some questionable religion talk (Lucifer is the worst offender, obviously).

I felt like giving a you all a preview of the first quarter of 2018, after reading this blog post:
I generally choose to refrain from posts like this that cover the future of an entire year, but I feel that I have a good grasp on what is coming out over the next three months that is worth paying attention to, based on my own experiences.
Grisaia Phantom Trigger Vol. 4
This is something to look forward to for anyone who has liked this series so far... more assassin action based in the same universe as Kajitsu and the others.
Yorite Konoha wa Kurenai ni
Let's get something straight... I don't have an absolute faith in Lump of Sugar as a company.  If anything, their work over the last five years has proven to me that this is one of the least predictable moege companies out there.  For every great VN they make, they make at least two games (usually three) that are pure crap or mediocre.  The reason I keep going back to this company is for experiences like Hello,Goodbye, Tayutama (the original, not the sequel), and Sekai to Sekai no Mannaka de.  This game looks like it is based in the far future of the same universe as Tayutama, where coexistence between humans and the spiritual beings have stabilized somewhat (based on the content from the Getchu page).  As such, I'm willing to give this the benefit of th doubt, despite the somewhat sour experience I got from Tayutama 2.
Sora no Baroque
So far, Light has yet to produce a bad game.  I have no reason to think this game, another work from Light's more prolific second team, will be an exception.  For chuunige fans, this is the game to pay attention to for the first part of the year.
Chuuni Hime no Teikoku
With a scenario team that was involved with both the original Love Kami (the later games had a different set of writers) and Haruka ni Aogi, Uruwashi no, this is definitely a VN that will be worth looking at, despite being the first work of a new company.  Of course, it could end up being delayed for the seventh time... it wouldn't surprise me at this point.
Shin Koihime Musou Kakumei Son Go no Ketsumyaku (note: The title used on vndb is incorrectly romanized)
Originally planned for a release this upcoming summer, this game has been moved forward to February.  Like the release of Gi's rewritten route this past summer, we can look forward to a nicely reworked version of the original Go route from Shin Koihime Musou, which was already an excellently-written work.
Hataraku Otona no Ren'ai Jijou 2
This is worth noting because this series (of which this is the third game, despite the numbering) is one of the few non-nukige VNs out there that is set outside a school, and the previous games were enjoyable experiences. 
Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteiru Mitsu no Kiraboshi (note: again, what is with the shitty romanizations on new entries on vndb of late?)
This is the third game in the Otoboku series, a third game made over seven years after the second, which was a kamige.  Caramel Box has been a lot less prolific in the last few years than it was, so I was gleeful to find a new release by them coming up so soon.
Unjou no Fairy Tail
A new VN based in the same universe as Hoshi no Tsukurikata, meaning that we can look forward to yet more antics in a dystopian steampunk setting.
Kieta Sekai to Tsuki to Shoujo
This is the game for fans of Japanese horror mysteries to pay attention to this quarter.  A dark-looking game about a young man who has returned to his hometown, only to find the people around him disappear one by one.
Butterfly Seeker
A new game by Silky's Plus.  I am unsure if I want to hold out hopes for this game, as the writer is mostly an unknown, though he has worked for Liar-soft in the past.
 

Hey everyone! Today I'll talk about one of the most popular japanese otomeges from one of the most popular japanese developers: Hakuouki! Seeing there's tons of releases/sequels/prequels/spin-offs of this game, in different platforms even, I'm doing a simple guide for everyone trying to start your journey but have no idea where to begin.
First, what is Hakuouki? It's a game by Otomate/Idea Factory, released back in 2008 for PS2, it tells you the story of some beautiful men in the Shinsengumi (that is, long story short, a special police force of the late shogunate period, 1864). The name of the guys are all from real existing persons, but some extra supernatural elements like demons and vampires were throw in the story for fun. If you're a fan of stories set in Japan's past so this game is just for you because the atmosphere is the best part of the game! Also with you like katanas. The main character is a bit bland and mostly useless, but the samurai boys are interesting enough! The fights are also fun, not super epic chuuni style, but good with some tragedy stuff. Also good to note is that it was first localized in 2012, a time where otomeges in the western market were still rare.

Anyone wanted long haired bishies? They're all (except that second one from the left) so beautiful~
Still with me? Want to give it a go? Okay! Let's put things in order!
Looking at the english versions, the very first you should get is one of the following: 
    1) the Android or iOS version that's named simply "Hakuoki"; 
    2) the Memories of Shinsengumi version for 3DS, that have some side stories that wasn't included in the first PS2 version (that's also not included in the Android/iOS version);
    3) the Stories of the Shinsengumi version for PS3,  that also includes the fandisc (there's actually NO other way of reading the fandisc in english outside of this version); 
    4) the Steam version (the age check is because of violence and not porn), although I advise against this one simply because this version (also available for PSVita) was split in two parts AND PART TWO WASN'T LOCALIZED YET! YOU'LL ONLY BUY HALF THE GAME! Supposedly there new routes here, since it's a remake of the original, but you'll have to wait until next year to see the full game, or you can just pick the other versions. Part one's name is Kyoto Winds and part two is Edo Blossoms.
That's enough to understand the general idea of the game. Did you liked and want more? What's the next step? If you bought the PS3 version, read the fandisc, Hakuouki Zuisouroku, since it expands some stories of the main game (those stories aren't sequels, they happen in the middle of the first game)! And of course, there's some extra short stories for each of our guys, including ones that weren't available first time around! It's fun and fluffy most of the time, to break the serious atmosphere of the main scenario (Well, that's what fandisc are for...) ^.^ Unfortunately, you need to understand japanese to keep going...
Next entry in your journey is Hakuouki Reimeiroku, a prequel. The catch here is that title is not an otome. WHAT? Yeah, you read that right. The protagonist is a guy (no, sadly no BL), there's no romance to be found here and the focus is actually fighting, bloody fighting, even with the MC loses tons of them. And honor, friendship and loyalty stuff. Pretty cool actually, especially for people that don't play otomeges for romance! There's plenty of versions for you to choose (DS (should work with an emulator), PSVita and PS3), but no PC (I noticed that otomate seems to hate PC for some reason... ¬¬).

With no girls around, no BL is a waste of ikemens...
After that, comes Hakuouki Kaikoroku, a mobile game that expands even more the lore of the original. It's like a second fandisc, with more short stories and tons of interactions between our characters.
And, with that you just finished the main dish of the Hakuouki series! Wait, there's more? Well, of course, let's go over the spin-offs! I should note that all of them are completely useless to the lore, so only play them if you end up being a Hakuouki completionist.
On the serious side, we have the Urakata Hakuouki games (the first one and its fandisc). It's set in the same world of the main series, but with a new MC and new boys (all of them still based on real people). Weirdly enough, you can actually start here, since the story here is mostly recycling some ideas from the first game. So either you play this if you really REALLY liked the original's ideas or start with this title. This game also have RPG elements, something that didn't let the otomege fanbase all that happy...
On the silly side we have three more games: Hakuouki Yuugiroku and its sequel, just a collection of mini games with chibi characters and some short stories and CGs in between (but I don't think it's worth playing these for the story), and Hakuouki SSL, an officially made fanfic-of-sorts high school AU story. Yes, really. It's cute and happy, unlike the more serious main game, so if you want some giggles, this game is good enough.

Blush boys in a doki doki school scenario
And that concludes aaaaaaaaaall entries of the Hakuouki series. Phew! Was it worth? That's for you to decide. Lots of fans of the series were a bit annoyed by the constant milking of the frachise by otomate, but I think they finally stoped. I just hope they don't do same with Code Realize, bc I'm following this series for now, and I don't need more games than I can buy... In my humble opinion, a good place to stop is either after Reimeiroku or Kaikoroku. Or before Reimeiroku, if you're in for the romance.
Oh... there's still all those anime adaptations to talk about... Eer, this blog is about gaming so I'll stop here! For now. Next time, in BL news, I'll try to do my first review!  Until then!

Hello Ladies & Gentlemen!
As much as most of us might be completely broke after Christmas, there's still 5 days before the giant seasonal Steam Sale comes to an end and at least until late spring, this is the best opportunity to grab some quality Western VNs on the platform for very little money. Because of this, today I present you with a completely subjective list of 12 OELVNs that you should probably buy while they're unreasonably cheap - you definitely won't regret having them on your 2018 to-read list. The games will be sorted by discounts, rather than quality, but all of them are solid titles definitely worth your attention.  Just for the note, every game here was listed with the US pricing, the cost might be slightly different in other regions.
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Highway Blossoms (-75%, $2,49)

One of the highest-rated western Yuri visual novels is a heartwarming and emotionally engaging road tale, that might grasp even those that are not fans of the f/f romance, thanks to an interesting setting rarely seen in VNs and consistent storytelling. For yuri fans, it's still one of the best games of this kind available in English - while waiting for another chapter of Flowers or other big JP release coming to the West, there's maybe no better title to fill the void.
Ace Academy (-75%, $4,99)

PixelFade's first project is one of the very few successful attempts at adapting the typical romance VN formula in the West, with an expansive plot, high production values and full voice-acting. While definitely retaining an "indie" feel and having some clunky elements (like the super-simplistic mecha "combat" mechanics), thanks to a fairly spectacular Kickstarter success Ace Academy was able to become one of the most impressive non-JP VNs to date. It's not an eroge, so it might disappoint fans of H-scenes, but offers a good story and well-crafted characters that should be satisfying to most readers. It also features one of the most adorable little-sister characters in history, which for me counts as a huge positive, even if she's not romanceable.
Asphyxia (-75%, $1,49)

My list might feel heavy on yuri, but this simply reflects how important the genre is for western VN scene, being a much bigger part of the market when compared with Japan. Ebi-hime's most appreciated commercial title is an unusual, allegorical tale with a lot of references to classic literature, XIX century English authors and A LOT of heavy themes, including unrequited love, substance abuse and depression. While a rather heavy read, requiring some patience and attentive reading, it's one of the most unique VNs produced in the West and one that fully embraces its cultural heritage, rather than unnecessarily borrowing tropes and setting from JP scene.
Cinders (-75%, $4,99)

Otome is another genre that definitely receives more attention from western VN producers than in the Japanese market (among other reasons, because there's a lot more woman involved in the western scene proportionally to Japan). This retelling of a classic fairy tale might not give it as strong of a spin as Cinderella Phenomenon, but offers a striking visual style and an expansive, well written story - even if otome is not your thing, for a mere few dollars you're asked to pay for this game it's something definitely worth your attention.
Strawberry Vinegar (-75%, $2,49)

If you don't feel like reading through depressing dramas of Asphyxia or The Sad Story of Emmeline Burnes, ebi-hime got you covered with this incredibly sweet, heartwarming experience. This tale of an unwelcome, supernatural guest and a lot of delicious food might look diabetes-inducing, but with its unique artstyle and relaxed storytelling should definitely leave you in a good mood - especially if you enjoy yuri themes.
Starlight Vega (-60%, $5,99)

Starlight Vega might be one of the more obscure VNs on this list, but just as I've shown in my review, it's not without some fresh ideas and undoubtedly delivers on the aspects of visual quality and yuri romance. This rather relaxed, fantasy tale in modern setting avoids many most common VN tropes, offering a pretty distinct, fun experience, although with the heavy focus on the relationships might be less attractive for those not interested in f/f romantic stories.
Long Live The Queen (-50%, $4,49)

This sweet-looking VN/dating sim hybrid might seem innocent, but under that cutesy surface, there's hidden a grimdark political simulation, with a very complex story, many branching paths and dozens of ways to meet early demise as the future queen of the realm, surrounded by enemies and layers upon layers of intrigue. A must play for everyone that looks for a VN-hybrid with actual challenge and stakes in it - exploring different options and trying to reach satisfying ending will give you many, many hours of engaging fun.
Magical Diary: Horse Hall (-50%, $7,49)

This Harry Potter-inspired tale of a novice student in a magic academy is another rather unique dating sim/VN hybrid made in the West. While its simple, cutesy artstyle might suggest something light and straightforward, there's a surprising amount of depth, story variation and interesting mechanics in this game, including a wide selection of unusual romance options. While mostly cheerful, it will surprise you more than once with fresh ideas and fairly bold storytelling.
Royal Trap: The Confines of the Crown (-50%, $9,99)

This otome game by Hanako might follow a somewhat standard formula but introduces a very strong, proactive female lead and a deep political intrigue at the centre of the plot, offering much more than just a sappy romance story. With multiple routes, both romantic and friendship-oriented, it's one of the more expansive and complex western VNs available on the market and should prove interesting to readers of various tastes, not just typical fans of the genre.
A Little Lily Princess (-50%, $7,49)

A Little Princess should be a title not only known by enthusiasts of classic English literature but also devoted anime fans, thanks to the highly-regarded show Princess Sara and a few other adaptations. This VN version of the story, developed by Hanabira, stands out not only through its well-done aesthetic, matching well the setting of Victorian-era London, but also by a mild yuri spin. Thankfully, it never goes overboard with the romance, maintaining the charm and heartwarming message of the original story, while also giving additional depth to some of the characters not really explored in the book or earlier adaptations. The end effect is a great, emotionally engaging tale not only for yuri fans.
VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action (-34%, $9,89)

VA-11 Hall-A might be pretty far-detached from the typical VN formula, but its striking artstyle, strong storytelling and a cast of memorable character won it pretty much universal acclaim from both game critics and players and should provide a satisfying experience for any VN enthusiast. While it might be one of the more expensive games on this list, it's also one that shouldn't disappoint even the most demanding readers.
Analogue: A Hate Story (-33%, $6,69)

Christine Love's sci-fi mystery VN is definitely worth its full asking price, but when it's on sale, you have even fewer excuses not to buy and play it. Well developed intrigue, immersive visual design and memorable characters make it one of the best Western VNs ever made, still having few serious competitors 5 years after its release. If you don't fixate on its clear ideological message, it offers an amazing tale of oppression, hate and vengeance that can hardly be read without leaving a lasting impression.
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I hope you've enjoyed my recommendations and I wish you a Happy New Year, full of both non-JP and JP VN-reading pleasures, among many, many other happy moments. ^^

Shirogane no Soleil -Successor of Wyrd- <<Unmei no Keishousha>>
( "The soliel of silvery-white" - Successor of Wyrd << The Fated successor >> )
 
This is the first game in Skyfish's epic norse mythology series. I had never even heard of this game before Clephas made a blog post about it a little earlier this year, and that might be the case for many. Having finally played the game myself, I have to ask... how is this possible? Why is such a great game not more well known? This VN truly deserves more exposure than it currently has.
Introduction:
Shirogane starts off with our main character, Ryuuhei, and his sister Tamako on their way to a set of ancient ruins in Iceland. Ryuuhei is not an archaeologist like his sister, but was dragged along by her on the pretense of being her "bodyguard." Ironically, that is exactly what he ends up being. Ryuuhei's group gets pulled into an encounter with a strange creature called "Berserk", a monster made up by the broken soul of an ancient warrior, which fell in battle ages ago. Powerless against this incredibly dangerous foe, Ryuuhei prays for help, asking for power-- the power to protect the people he loves. His call is answered by a slumbering Valkyrie, Sol, who makes a contract with Ryuuhei. She will fight for him, in exhange for his life force. Every time she uses her powers, she drains some of Ryuuhei's life force out of his body, shortening his life. They fight off the Berserk together, but this is merely the beginning of their tale. This seemingly random encounter might not have been as random as they thought. One might even call it... fate.

Story
The story in Shirogane is fantastic. It's told in two parts, "Valkyrie in love", and "Successor of Wyrd." Some of the story takes place in the present, while certain other parts takes place in the past. Shirogane contains tons of refrences to norse mythology, though the descriptions of characters and events from norse mythology in the VN are not necessarily identical to the "real thing". Therefore, while familiarity with norse mythology helps with appreciating certain aspects of the game's story, it is not at all needed. What matters in terms of refrences are all explained well enough in game, and seeing as they usually put a unique spin on things, it is not at all needed to know everything there is to know about norse mythology before reading this. (That being said, knowing some of the general concepts about who is who, and what is what will certainly make it an even more enjoyable read.)

 
Although Shirogane is a very serious story, with tragic themes riddled all over it, just like normal stories from norse mythology, the game contains a good number of humoristic slice of life moments as well. That being said, all of these moments fits very well into the flow of the story. We are seeing things from Ryuuhei's point of view, as he deals with the fact that his own life span is constantly being drained because of his contract with his Valkyrie. As a result, you feel a little more attatched to these everyday moments, since they are seen through the eyes of someone who only has so much time left to enjoy them. In addition, the comedy is pure gold most of the time. The slice of life moments very rarely feels out of place, and never gets in the way of the story. The humor in the game had me literally laughing out loud so many times, I lost count.

Characters:
One of the biggest strengths of this game is without a doubt the characters. Each character feels unique and is well fleshed out. They all add something to the story in their own ways, and it's hard not to grow attatched to them, be it heroes, anti-heroes or straight up villains at times. The interactions between the characters truly pulls out all sorts of emotions from the reader, making the story feel like one hell of a roller coaster ride. (In a good way. Prepare your tickets to the feel train, folks.) While the "good guys" are all very well done, my favorite characters were honestly the villains / anti-heroes that are introduced throughout the game.
On top of making fantastic "villains", the "duos" in the game are brilliant. Essentially every single character is paired up with another in some way, and they all complement each other greatly. These "duos" were without a doubt one of the best parts about the game in my opinion. Be it heartbreaking moments or hilarious ones; nearly all the most impactful moments in the story stems from one of these duos' interactions.


Art, Music and Writing:
As shown in the screenshots above, the art is nicely detailed. Considering this game was released in 2007, the art is very impressive. The amount of special effects, cut-scenes and CGs is no joke either. Sadly, things aren't as good in the music department. The music is by no means bad, but it does feel a little bland at times. Certain tracks do work very well with the tone of the story, and are straight up beautiful to listen to, but others feel repetitive and aren't that impactful. So, my complaint with the music would be the inconsistent quality of the tracks. That being said, this is hardly a big issue, as the writing, art and story makes slightly repetitive music matter very little in the end.
Overall, I have very few complaints about this game. It was a fantastic read from beginning to end, and I strongly recommend reading it. I don't use the term kamige a lot, but this definitely qualifies in my personal opinion.
You can buy all the Soleil games on DMM. (NSFW LINK!!!)

Hey everyone! Today I'll talk about one of the most popular japanese otomeges from one of the most popular japanese developers: Hakuouki! Seeing there's tons of releases/sequels/prequels/spin-offs of this game, in different platforms even, I'm doing a simple guide for everyone trying to start your journey but have no idea where to begin.
First, what is Hakuouki? It's a game by Otomate/Idea Factory, released back in 2008 for PS2, it tells you the story of some beautiful men in the Shinsengumi (that is, long story short, a special police force of the late shogunate period, 1864). The name of the guys are all from real existing persons, but some extra supernatural elements like demons and vampires were throw in the story for fun. If you're a fan of stories set in Japan's past so this game is just for you because the atmosphere is the best part of the game! Also with you like katanas. The main character is a bit bland and mostly useless, but the samurai boys are interesting enough! The fights are also fun, not super epic chuuni style, but good with some tragedy stuff. Also good to note is that it was first localized in 2012, a time where otomeges in the western market were still rare.

Anyone wanted long haired bishies? They're all (except that second one from the left) so beautiful~
Still with me? Want to give it a go? Okay! Let's put things in order!
Looking at the english versions, the very first you should get is one of the following: 
    1) the Android or iOS version that's named simply "Hakuoki"; 
    2) the Memories of Shinsengumi version for 3DS, that have some side stories that wasn't included in the first PS2 version (that's also not included in the Android/iOS version);
    3) the Stories of the Shinsengumi version for PS3,  that also includes the fandisc (there's actually NO other way of reading the fandisc in english outside of this version); 
    4) the Steam version (the age check is because of violence and not porn), although I advise against this one simply because this version (also available for PSVita) was split in two parts AND PART TWO WASN'T LOCALIZED YET! YOU'LL ONLY BUY HALF THE GAME! Supposedly there new routes here, since it's a remake of the original, but you'll have to wait until next year to see the full game, or you can just pick the other versions. Part one's name is Kyoto Winds and part two is Edo Blossoms.
That's enough to understand the general idea of the game. Did you liked and want more? What's the next step? If you bought the PS3 version, read the fandisc, Hakuouki Zuisouroku, since it expands some stories of the main game (those stories aren't sequels, they happen in the middle of the first game)! And of course, there's some extra short stories for each of our guys, including ones that weren't available first time around! It's fun and fluffy most of the time, to break the serious atmosphere of the main scenario (Well, that's what fandisc are for...) ^.^ Unfortunately, you need to understand japanese to keep going...
Next entry in your journey is Hakuouki Reimeiroku, a prequel. The catch here is that title is not an otome. WHAT? Yeah, you read that right. The protagonist is a guy (no, sadly no BL), there's no romance to be found here and the focus is actually fighting, bloody fighting, even with the MC loses tons of them. And honor, friendship and loyalty stuff. Pretty cool actually, especially for people that don't play otomeges for romance! There's plenty of versions for you to choose (DS (should work with an emulator), PSVita and PS3), but no PC (I noticed that otomate seems to hate PC for some reason... ¬¬).

With no girls around, no BL is a waste of ikemens...
After that, comes Hakuouki Kaikoroku, a mobile game that expands even more the lore of the original. It's like a second fandisc, with more short stories and tons of interactions between our characters.
And, with that you just finished the main dish of the Hakuouki series! Wait, there's more? Well, of course, let's go over the spin-offs! I should note that all of them are completely useless to the lore, so only play them if you end up being a Hakuouki completionist.
On the serious side, we have the Urakata Hakuouki games (the first one and its fandisc). It's set in the same world of the main series, but with a new MC and new boys (all of them still based on real people). Weirdly enough, you can actually start here, since the story here is mostly recycling some ideas from the first game. So either you play this if you really REALLY liked the original's ideas or start with this title. This game also have RPG elements, something that didn't let the otomege fanbase all that happy...
On the silly side we have three more games: Hakuouki Yuugiroku and its sequel, just a collection of mini games with chibi characters and some short stories and CGs in between (but I don't think it's worth playing these for the story), and Hakuouki SSL, an officially made fanfic-of-sorts high school AU story. Yes, really. It's cute and happy, unlike the more serious main game, so if you want some giggles, this game is good enough.

Blush boys in a doki doki school scenario
And that concludes aaaaaaaaaall entries of the Hakuouki series. Phew! Was it worth? That's for you to decide. Lots of fans of the series were a bit annoyed by the constant milking of the frachise by otomate, but I think they finally stoped. I just hope they don't do same with Code Realize, bc I'm following this series for now, and I don't need more games than I can buy... In my humble opinion, a good place to stop is either after Reimeiroku or Kaikoroku. Or before Reimeiroku, if you're in for the romance.
Oh... there's still all those anime adaptations to talk about... Eer, this blog is about gaming so I'll stop here! For now. Next time, in BL news, I'll try to do my first review!  Until then!

First, a short intro... this is the second Clock Up game where Kurashiki Tatsuya (one of Light's second team of writers) has been involved, and those who played the previous one, Maggot Baits, will recognize the atmosphere and 'flavor' of the story instantly.  This is a game devoid of salvation in any real sense.  The protagonist and the other characters are universally the scum of the Earth (Mirei being the only exception, though she is a bit screwy too), and their lifestyles and pasts range from the distasteful to the outright disgusting.
While there are relatively few of the violent h-scenes that defined Maggot Baits, they do exist, so I do feel a need to warn you that a lot of the content in this game is graphic and not for those with a weak stomach. 
The protagonist (who never reveals his true name in the entire story) is a professional killer who needs to kill people in order to sleep (it is more interesting if you read it yourself, so I won't go into detail).  One day, he gets the order to investigate/find the killer of a paparazzi killed at the love hotel at which he works most of the time.  What he finds is... Azami, a serial killer, whom he gets into combat with immediately.  The end result of the battle is them having sex... and her getting obsessed with/attached to him.  He returns the obsession in part due to the fact that, after having sex with her, he can sleep.
I'll be blunt, there is no point in this game where the characters can really be said to 'shine'.  There are three endings, two of which are different based on how the protagonist pursues his relationship with Azami.  The final path, the true path, brings their relationship to the final stage (visibly inevitable, if you get to know Azami), and you are presented by a predictably depressing ending.
This game has excellent writing, which goes without saying really, since it is done by Kurashiki Tatsuya.  However, the unending dark atmosphere that infuses the story is energy-draining in the extreme.  This is made worse by this general sense that the game is just trying to say 'humans are worthless' throughout its entire length.  While the battle scenes are excellent, there were too many points in the story where cruel turns of event occurred simply to push things forward or to titillate the reader.  This was true of Maggot Baits as well, but this game lacks the 'sort of good ending' you saw in that one, which gave you a sense of satisfaction, even if it was only in comparison to the rest of the game.

2017 has been a pretty cool year in terms of VN releases. I'm not even close to Clephas' level of reading, so I have only scratched the surface of what was released this year, but I did still read what I think is a pretty decent chunk of VNs, and now that the year is coming to a close, I'd like to go through some those games and talk about which ones I liked the most etc. This blog post will only cover NEW releases in 2017. I might make a separate blog post about VNs that weren't released in 2017, but that I still read this year later on.
 
I started the year with Ryuu Kishi Bloody Saga, a cool fantasty game by Akabeisoft 3. The prequel to this game was a dark nukige-ish story, which didn't really impress me. But, Ryuu Kishi went into a completely different direction, and ended up being a really entertaining read. I wrote a blog post about Ryuu Kishi around the time I finished it, so I'll link that here if anyone wants to read it.
Summing up though, Ryuu Kishi is a good fantasty VN, with great action scenes, an interesting plot, and good romance. (With a functional harem aspect, which was interesting.) It's by no means a kamige, but it was definitely among the better games released this year in my opinion.
After this I played a few games, but none of them were anything special. Amanatsu Adolescence had some aspects I liked, but fell flat on its face with the heroine routes, which was disappointing.
The next game worth mentioning is Majo to Tsurugi to Sen no Tsuki. This was my first time playing one of Kai's Mahou Shoujo games, and the only reason I picked this one up was because Ban'ya had helped write it. (I love Ban'ya's stuff.)
The game honestly blew me away. I'm not saying it's a kamige or anything, (not by a long shot,) but considering that this is meant to be a nukige, it really went beyond my expectations. The story was legitimately interesting, the characters were great and the writing was satisfying. Reading this game made me interested in checking out the rest of the works in the series, which I'll get around to reading at some point. Hopefully they are similar in structure, as I took quite the liking to the way this game's structure. You basically have a nukige with a story, where making the right choices lets you skip most of the H-scenes, and move through the true route. But, if you make the wrong choice, you are thrown down "bad routes", filled with bad endings and H-scenes. So, depending on what mood you're in, you can choose what type of game you're playing, essentially. (There are of course still a decent number of H-scenes in the true route, but the bulk of them are in the bad routes.)
My review of this game can be found here, on Clephas' blog.
 
Now, next on the list is Chrono Box, and well, I'm just going to come out and say it right away: This game is amazing. It's without a doubt one of my favorite VNs of all time. Actually, it's tied for 1st place with the ChuSinGura series.
I went into the game without knowing much about the story, and I got sucked into the game right away, finishing the whole thing in about 4-5 days. (Considering it's a rather hard game to read in Japanese, that's pretty crazy fast for me.) The ratings on VNDB aren't the best, which is to be expected tbh. It's a hard game to read, and it's a denpa game where every single small detail matters. I'd imagine a chunk of VNDB votes comes from people who try reading JP games with machine translations, and well, that is not recommended for this game. In fact, there are many parts of the game that cannot be hooked, as they are either in image files in the game itself, or in voiced lines without any text. In addition, it's a game with some pretty dark content here and there, and I know some people just rate games badly because of that. (This is a story driven mystery/denpa game, and similar to SubaHibi, all the dark elements are there for a reason, driving the story forward.) I don't mean to come off as an elitist saying "EOP's opinions doesn't matter!" here, by the way. I do think the difficulty of the game, and the content in it might have caused a bit of a change in the votes from English readers, though. In comparison, the game is rated very highly on EGS, being #23 of the whole year so far, (and it also has a rather high amount of votes, in comparison to some games above it on the list, which just has a handful. Like, seriously, 2 of the games on the list only have 5-6 votes, kek.)
Overall, this is just a fantastic read. I strongly recommend it to anyone who can read it. It truly just blew my mind. If you ARE going to read it, do yourself a favor: Do NOT look up anything about it. No CGs, no story summaries, no nothing. Just go in blind, and enjoy the ride. Seriously, you have no idea what's in store for you.
 
Moving on from Chrono Box, we have Pure Song Garden, the first "normal" charage I played this year that I feel deserves a spot among the "better" releases I've read in 2017. This is Pulltop's newest "club-themed game", similar to Konosora and Miagete Goran, focusing on a future world where AI and VR has become an important part of our lives. It has fantastic romance, (in the true route at least; I have to admit, I skipped the other routes for the true route. It was all I wanted,) the story is surprisingly good, and the characters aren't just stereotypes, like they tend to be in similar games. Suzu and Iroha, the characters with the main focus in the true route, definitely makes the game worth it by themselves. The MC also isn't bad, though I do wish they added a bit more to his backstory. They introduced an interesting conflict with him, which just kind of resolved itself rather quickly, something that irked me a bit. But, definitely a solid game overall.
You can read more of my opinions on the game here, on Clephas' blog.
 
Finally we have Biman 4. This was my first Biman title, and I didn't really know what to expect of the game. And honestly, I was blown away by it. The writing was fantastic, and felt nearly poetic at times, even. The drama was well handled, and some of the scenes made me take a break from the game for a bit, as they made me feel so many different emotions. These scenes were so well done.
At the end of the day, the game is still a nukige, and I won't call it a kamige or anything, but man, this game is so much more than first meets the eye. Almost makes me sad that it's a nukige, as there could have been even more potential there had it been a little longer, and a little more story focused.
Either way, this is another truly good VN that I strongly recommend people read. Also, it's completely possible to read it without having read the other Biman games, just like I did.
You can read some more details about my opinion on the game here, on Clephas' blog.
 
Overall, this has been a great year with many solid releases. My backlog still has a good chunk of the games that came out this year, many of which might have made it on this list, if I had the time to read them. But, oh well. I'm still happy with the amount of VNs I got done this year, and look forward to seeing what 2018 has in store for us.

Hi there, guys and gals! Part 2 of my Kickstarter special, this time with some BL titles! What new things these guys will bring us? Let's find out! Again, I'm only listing projects that were 100% funded already, but it's never too late to follow them!
OBS: Seiyuu Danshi also fits here, but since I already talk about it in the last BL post, I'll skip it for now.
 
Sentimental Trickster

DEMO ON THE OFFICIAL SITE
Let's start with a normal slice of life college stuff, that seems to be unusual for BL games whatever the reason. This game follows shota MC Haru trying to adapt to a new city and a new home. But then he meets a bunch of new guys and then everything works out... I hope so. Haru seems to be kinda bratty and sarcastic, so I wouldn't be surprised if he actually start picking fights and be all snarky with his love interests... The art seems a bit outdated, but old shoujos also have it's charms, right?

1st degree

DEMO ON ITCH.IO
Anyone remembers them? They posted here on Fuwa some months back, and I'm following it since them! It's story is about a psychopathic detective that decided to dirty his own hands to solve a case. One thing that draws attention in the KS description is this sentence "Who will he [MC] choose to love, and who will he resolve to kill?". Yep, in this game we have to KILL THE REMAINING LOVE INTERESTS TO SEE SOMEONE'S GOOD ENDING. Dear god, can I handle this? Oh, and did I mention we have a threesome route? Not everything is blood and tears here XD The game is expected to release in early 2019.
 
Full Service

DEMO ON THE OFFICIAL SITE
Well, how about we talk about muscular bara guys now? This game tells the story of average MC Tomoki and his chance encounter with the dudes that work in a spa, and then becomes a regular there. Seriously, you can even pick who's gonna massage you there. But this is not a nukige (I think), we'll have plenty of other activities to choose in MC's free time! And of course, he needs to work too, massages aren't for free (maybe in the good ending, but...). The game is expected to release in January 2018.

Chess of Blades

A loli in a BL game? She's the villain, I'm calling it now!
DEMO ON ITCH.IO
Last week, I brought you a masquerade otome. Now, I bring a masquerade BL :3 Guess I just love the theme. Anyway, this game is about a murder that occurs in a ball and our prince-like MC Rivian will have to solve the mystery. And maybe find something more there. The game features 3 boys and 2 versions, one PG13 and other R18, for you to choose. I really loved the art of this one! The game is expected to release around Christmas, wait, this is later this week! Yay!

And that concludes my KS special! Next time, with otomege, I'll teach you guys how to make sense of Hakuouki's releases. Until then!

Warning: this post contains screenshots and (very) minor spoilers from the trial version. If you completely don't want to spoil yourself, or haven't played the trial yet, I'd highly advise to postpone reading until you finish the game first.
If you did not yet stumble upon one of those TIME TO LEARN JAPANESE reminders, you have a damn good reason to finally consider studying moon runes.

Title: 眠れぬ羊と孤独な狼－A Tale of Love, and Cutthroat－ (trial ver.)
(eng. Sleepless Sheep and Lonesome Wolf - A Tale of Love, and Cutthroat / Yourou for short)
Developer: ClockUp
Genre: Psychological thriller
Rating: AO/18+ as f*ck
VNDB
Official website
 
I always had a mixed opinion about ClockUp and their games. It's one of those studios, you will either love or hate with a profound passion and one that's going to be blocked by many game news outlets, websites and forums. Gods forbid you from even talking about their games, unless you're a member of some obscure corner of the internet (like this one) or a member of the perverted sect, known as filthy eroge players. Why? Because their blockbuster games are not only addictive, but often delve into topics, that are - to be blunt - plain repulsive and/or very uncomfortable for most average people to tackle. When they aren't working on their next serious game, they typically tend to churn out low budget porn games, that borderline on rape and mind corruption, with occasional gems in-between (yes, I am looking at you, Zwei Vorter). Joyful, right?
Yourou is their latest addition to that wonderful lineup, best described as a "thrilling crime tale". In comparison to their previous games, Tatsuya dropped fantasy based concepts in favor of a more down-to-earth setting. Yourou seems to focus more broadly on the environment itself, rather than portraying the lives of single characters or a particular group. In that manner, main characters play more of a central role, rather than just being forced into hero/heroine roles. This makes the whole game feel more akin to an actual digital story, rather than a classic visual novel, where everything is told mostly from protagonist's perspective. In all honesty, this was a perfect choice, as the world presented within becomes much more colourful, playing an important role itself, instead of being just a backdrop for the characters to play on.

Heavy filtered, neon-like photographic backgrounds with an added touch of grunge stylistics remind of the reality within - coarse, twisted and brutal, yet insanely vivid. It's a world of prostitutes, carnal pleasures, yakuza and bustling nightlife.
Yourou tells a tale of Takeo - a young man, living in your typical, run-of-the-mill love hotel in Kabukicho district, commonly known as the biggest entertainment zone of Tokyo, Japan. Takeo suffers from chronic insomnia, which turned his whole life upside down. His life is filled with nearly endless days that span across the weeks, while he earns his living as a janitor, cleaning up after guests. We quickly learn of his problems. His daily job is nothing but a cover for his true rason d'etre. In order to survive his disability, Takeo takes upon the offer of one of the leading gang's Bosses and works as an assassin during the nights; killing is the only way he can actually experience sleep.

For both Takeo and Azami - back then still complete strangers, this was ought to be a night like any other. Little did they knew, the following events will make their paths cross again.
This changes, after he meets Azami - a mysterious girl, he spots one day upon leaving to work, as usual. A pretty, young call girl, en-route to her client. Takeo didn't put much thought into it, until the next day his group discovers a dead body in the same exact room, she was supposedly to meet up; A pretty gruesome discovery too boot. upon finding out the man was actually an important member of the neighbourhooding group, Takeo's boss - Mamoru - orders him to find the culprit at all costs and bring her alive to prevent a potential gang war. At this point, Takeo couldn't care less about that, since he already had a reason of his own. Until now, Takeo considered himself a killer sheep - because he only killed upon a direct order. The sole fact of another killer like him, capable to bring down and gut a man of this size, regardless of consequences - an indicator of free will - makes Takeo boil with anger. For him, the mysterious girl becomes an actual wolf, which directly puts his life on the line. Unable to rest in peace, he vouches to find the girl himself at all costs and bloody murder her, so he can finally get a good night's sleep.

Whoopsie~
Takeo's personal investigation takes him across the streets of Kabukicho. Soon, he discovers the girl he chased after sports nearly inhuman strength and reflexes far beyond his own capabilities; he's forced to run for his own life. As it turns out, this was just the beginning of a wild road, that will inevitably bring an end to his current, peaceful existence.
The trial version covers exactly, what could be considered a prologue to the whole story. It's incredibly well paced, drawing you into a vividly painted image of Kabukicho's underworld - back alleys, host clubs, brothels and many of it's criminal groups, fighting for supremacy in this world filled to the brim with human dreams and desires. I was honestly surprised with the amount of detail, that went into every single aspect of the game. Tatsuya is well known for his prose, that often shifts more into psychological side of things and Yourou uses it surprisingly well to create a colourful cast of characters teeming with life. It's one of those rare stories, that make you feel emotionally invested with heroes of the story and you'll often find yourself cheering for them, even though you know they aren't necessarily good people. In fact, the world of Yourou is painted with grey and greyer shades, while it's characters aren't some superfluous paper dolls, but plain people with their own dreams and goals. This is especially prevalent for both Takeo and Azami, as they aren't guided by some invisible hand, but act entirely based on their own assumptions, choices and more than often - emotions - which in turn makes for some really interesting situations. Things don't "just happen"; if they happen, they do happen for a reason.

Each criminal group within the story is given a proper introduction, without sparing any details. This kind of intricate world-building greatly enriches the game and makes you emotionally invested with characters, no matter who they are.
Nemurenu Hitsuji to Kodoku na Ookami convinces me there are still studios capable of creating original, adult-oriented, purely story driven experiences, instead of this uninspired trash relying on commonly found otaku tropes. I have high expectations of this game and - of course - can't wait for the release. No matter if you're a fan of ClockUp, or someone who's looking for a more mature story - one without highly-pitched animu gals, fawning over protag's virtually infinite manhood - Yourou might be what you're looking for.
As of now, Yourou is scheduled for release on 22th of December. I couldn't ask for a better Christmas present.
 
 
PS. Azami is a fantastic heroine. Read the game and you'll understand why

Yo people! I'm back! This time, I prepared a list of VN hybrids for everyone who appreciates a bit more than just picking choices and still wants some boy x boy action. This list is rather limited, sadly, but I still manage to find a game to each degree of gameplay you might like! Here we go!
I want just some stats rising and manage daily life: Seiyuu Danshi
This counts? Yes, it does. Some people just play Persona because of its "Friend Simulator" mode. But unfortunately, Atlus didn't give us the option to date boys in their game while playing with the male MC (actually, you CAN hook up with your childhood male friend in Persona 2, but that game is very different from newer Persona, I still recommend it though). So, how about we, instead of living the life of a high school kid, live the life of guy trying to become a voice actor? That's what this game promises you. But what will you do to make your wish come true? Train a lot? Take tons of jobs? Or leave it all to chance and only date every single guy you encounter? You decide! This game features an interactive map and even have side quests! And the most interesting/different feature is the foreplay mode, you know, a part of the h-scenes BL games loves to neglect, totally interactive here! The game is NOT OUT yet, but their KS was successful and you can play the demo in english already!
 
I want RPG battles: Angel's Feather

This game got you covered! It have swords, princes, fantasy aspects, angel magic, map movement, all your good old RPG have! Sure, it looks a bit outdated (it's from 2003 actually), but this is inda charming like that, right? At least for me. It have plenty of romance in the plot and all sexual content is avoidable, if you're not in the mood for it (it happens). Only in japanese for now, but there's people interested in translating this in BL-oriented forums, so maybe we'll have a patch soon? Let's pray! Supposedly, there's an OVA of this, but it's too rushed >.<
 
I want Point and Click/ Adventure style: Bizarre school exploration of Kazuma and Kugayama

From doujin circle Sakuraprin, this game may have better porn than exploration. But the horror atmosphere they create, even with 8 bit graphics, is outstanding! Well, they clash a bit with the CGs and sprites, but we can't complain about their voluptuous guys (dem thighs) and fantastic ahegaos. In this game, not only we interact with the creep school scenery, but also with our hero Kazuma. We can raise our affection points with him... poking him. Just don't be rude, guys. And be prepared to CG hunt, because they stuff their game full of CGs! Also, this game is free!
 
I want fast minigames: Chiralmori
Nitro+Chiral, the giant of the BL market, wouldn't be out of this list. Before making DMMD fan disc (that also have minigames, but you have to actually read DMMD first to fully appreciate all there is here), they released this short cute game. It's pretty much a glamurous poker and tetris game with TnC and Lamento characters, without sexual content, but can a fan of these series really ignore this adorableness? It's good to kill some time and a way to not waste money in poker. It also includes a typing mini game, but... I have no idea how this works, nor why N+C have such a obsession with typing mini games...
 
I want something really unusual: The Chiral Night Rhythm Carnival
How about some BL themed Guitar Hero then? No, seriously.

Released back in October, this game contains music from the four major series of N+C and a story mode that put all the boys from those games together, Chiral Cafe style. No sexual content, but still a very fun game! Sadly, there's no sign of a hard copy and N+C site doesn't ship to my country, but there's a demo available in their homepage that contains the intro songs of the four games! If anyone ends up playing, feel free to ask for my high scores for comparison hehehe! I'm not that good though.
Anything else? Not VNs, but you can also find your share of BL in Dragon Age or Mass Effect series. Naturally, they have tons of gameplay.
Those should keep us occupied for a while, so let's end here! Next time, otome news: and KS campaigns! Until then!
EXTRA: If you want a bit more action with gay subtext, try Metal Gear Solid. It's glorious!

Hi there, guys and gals! Otome time again! This week I bring you some interesting titles I found in Kickstarter. If we can support Sekai Project, why not support some indie companies that need the money to release their projects? Well, this time I'm showing only project that were 100% funded already, so let's support them after the release, shall we? All of the following have demos, so we'll know what to expect. Here's my selection:
 
The Masquerade Killer

DEMO ON ITCH.IO
A mystery game set in the Victorian era. Here, the main character wants to solve a murder while attempting to blend into the upper-class society of London! How glamorous, hm? The MC is supposedly cold and lacks empathy, so it'll be interesting to see how she'll warm up to the love interests. Speaking of them, the game features four options: two boys, one girl and one non-binary, so everyone can be happy! The game is expected to be released in February 2018.
 
Caramel Mokaccino

DEMO (ALPHA) ON ITCH.IO
A game about an university student who loves her friends and coffee (wait, is this about me???). MC settles her new life in a new city and it's your job to decide what she should do in her free time! Judging by what I'm seeing, choose to work to catch your pretty boys! It's your good old status rising VN. Apparently it will feature friendship routes as well, and it will be three boys and two girls!
 
Zodiac Axis 

DEMO ON THE GAME'S SITE
According with the developers, Zodiac Axis is a fusion of suspense, romance, and supernatural fiction with a splash of psychological horror. The sprites, the background and the UI are all pretty nice!!! And they're promising us 50+ hours of gameplay. Wow! The game features five guys and loooooots of choices. Damn... I hope a walkthrough will be available... The game is expected to be released in November 2019 (well, the game is pretty long...).
 
Silent Voices

Yes, It would be dangerous bc I wouldn't want to spread your cuteness to common peasants, but I would gladly accept a robot hero here...
DEMO ON ITCH.IO
This is the one I'm following for the longest time >.< Everything about it is just so cool! It's a sci-fi game about a war between two countries, and everyone living in them is a victim either of the dark experiment the government is funding or the widespread prejudice. The game features two protagonist, one that you'll control and use to pick your love interests (that, btw, are all INCREDIBLY CUTE!) and the other for you to see what's happening in the enemy country. A very interesting approach! Also, the routes are tied to a pair of characters, instead of only your love interest. Meaning, you can only end up with one, but you get TWO characters worth of backstory and importance! It have four boys and one girl as love interests! And did I mentioned that this game will be FREE??? The initial release date was set to December 2017, but even if it's delayed I'll wait patiently.
 
And that's it, folks! I had a lot of fun writing this post, so I'm thinking of doing the BL version next! ^.^ Until then!

Yo people! I'm back! This time, I prepared a list of VN hybrids for everyone who appreciates a bit more than just picking choices and still wants some boy x boy action. This list is rather limited, sadly, but I still manage to find a game to each degree of gameplay you might like! Here we go!
I want just some stats rising and manage daily life: Seiyuu Danshi
This counts? Yes, it does. Some people just play Persona because of its "Friend Simulator" mode. But unfortunately, Atlus didn't give us the option to date boys in their game while playing with the male MC (actually, you CAN hook up with your childhood male friend in Persona 2, but that game is very different from newer Persona, I still recommend it though). So, how about we, instead of living the life of a high school kid, live the life of guy trying to become a voice actor? That's what this game promises you. But what will you do to make your wish come true? Train a lot? Take tons of jobs? Or leave it all to chance and only date every single guy you encounter? You decide! This game features an interactive map and even have side quests! And the most interesting/different feature is the foreplay mode, you know, a part of the h-scenes BL games loves to neglect, totally interactive here! The game is NOT OUT yet, but their KS was successful and you can play the demo in english already!
 
I want RPG battles: Angel's Feather

This game got you covered! It have swords, princes, fantasy aspects, angel magic, map movement, all your good old RPG have! Sure, it looks a bit outdated (it's from 2003 actually), but this is inda charming like that, right? At least for me. It have plenty of romance in the plot and all sexual content is avoidable, if you're not in the mood for it (it happens). Only in japanese for now, but there's people interested in translating this in BL-oriented forums, so maybe we'll have a patch soon? Let's pray! Supposedly, there's an OVA of this, but it's too rushed >.<
 
I want Point and Click/ Adventure style: Bizarre school exploration of Kazuma and Kugayama

From doujin circle Sakuraprin, this game may have better porn than exploration. But the horror atmosphere they create, even with 8 bit graphics, is outstanding! Well, they clash a bit with the CGs and sprites, but we can't complain about their voluptuous guys (dem thighs) and fantastic ahegaos. In this game, not only we interact with the creep school scenery, but also with our hero Kazuma. We can raise our affection points with him... poking him. Just don't be rude, guys. And be prepared to CG hunt, because they stuff their game full of CGs! Also, this game is free!
 
I want fast minigames: Chiralmori
Nitro+Chiral, the giant of the BL market, wouldn't be out of this list. Before making DMMD fan disc (that also have minigames, but you have to actually read DMMD first to fully appreciate all there is here), they released this short cute game. It's pretty much a glamurous poker and tetris game with TnC and Lamento characters, without sexual content, but can a fan of these series really ignore this adorableness? It's good to kill some time and a way to not waste money in poker. It also includes a typing mini game, but... I have no idea how this works, nor why N+C have such a obsession with typing mini games...
 
I want something really unusual: The Chiral Night Rhythm Carnival
How about some BL themed Guitar Hero then? No, seriously.

Released back in October, this game contains music from the four major series of N+C and a story mode that put all the boys from those games together, Chiral Cafe style. No sexual content, but still a very fun game! Sadly, there's no sign of a hard copy and N+C site doesn't ship to my country, but there's a demo available in their homepage that contains the intro songs of the four games! If anyone ends up playing, feel free to ask for my high scores for comparison hehehe! I'm not that good though.
Anything else? Not VNs, but you can also find your share of BL in Dragon Age or Mass Effect series. Naturally, they have tons of gameplay.
Those should keep us occupied for a while, so let's end here! Next time, otome news: and KS campaigns! Until then!
EXTRA: If you want a bit more action with gay subtext, try Metal Gear Solid. It's glorious!

Let's first lay out my basic view... I loathe microtransactions.
I'm not an anti-industry activist, and I don't have a serious bone to pick with any individual company about them.  I've had a few bad experiences with them, but the reason for my loathing is something more fundamental, that I came to realize only after I'd put a year or so between my worst experience with them.
First of all, my experience was with an MMORPG on PC, rather than a blockbuster title or a smartphone game.  As such, in some ways my experience is probably the most 'traditional' one for the original form microtransactions took... the 'pay-to-win' model of massively multiplayer games. 
Basically, in that game, you could not only buy clothing and armor with real money, you could also massively accelerate your experience gaining and basically not even do several annoying but important quests that gained you new skills and and access to higher classes if you were willing to fork over enough money.  Now, this was the game that essentially put an end to me playing MMO's, even out of curiosity.  Before then, I'd only played subscription-model games, and as a result, I'd never experienced a game designed to essentially squeeze more and more money out of people in that manner.  My frustration kept growing, because up until then, I'd basically played games when they first came out until I reached the level cap, then dropped them, cancelling my subscriptions and deleting my account.  However, in that game, I kept on running into roadblocks to my curiosity about the world I'd entered, and when that frustration reached its peak... I made the mistake of indulging in microtransactions to speed things along.
I probably wouldn't have realized what it was doing to me or my bank account, if it weren't for the fact that I got caught up in a minor scandal where a GM was raiding players' accounts using his administrative rights and selling off their non-bound equipment and items on the marketplace.  While it wasn't a direct result of my microtransactions, it nonetheless served to cool my head... and make me realize I'd basically thrown away money on virtual items, some of them with frigging time limits for their use.  I got my money back for the stolen items, but only after I flatly stated I wanted nothing to do with the game after that and threatened to lawyer up if they refused.  So, I managed to escape before I reached the degree of financial loss Japanese 'kakinhei' have been casually enduring for years before the concept wormed its way over here (incidentally, it is much, much worse in Japan, China, and Korea than it is here...).
Microtransactions are essentially an outgrowth of the dlc concept, save without even attempting to give you value for value.  Once you've purchased dlc, it is yours, you can leave it installed without worrying the 'time limit' will run out, and you don't need to feel driven to show off how much money you wasted to people who were just as stupid as you were.  However, the most critical difference is that dlc isn't an 'infinite product'.  It isn't constructed to draw ever greater amounts of money out of the user and indulging in purchasing dlc or a season pass for a regular game you like isn't nearly as damaging to your wallet or your mental health as microtransactions are. 
Edit: To be clear, I see microtransactions as being one of the most fundamentally dishonest types of scam directed at consumers to have cropped up this century.  The techniques are well-established, predatory, and poisonous, especially to those too young and inexperienced to realize that money doesn't spray in infinite clouds of green from the cards in their parents' wallet. 

Sup dudes! This time, let's talk about otome games! This time, I promise I'll provide 100% doki doki SFW links! I can be a pure maiden sometimes too, you know?
I made a list of titles that big names of the otome market will give us next year, so you (we) can start saving money! After all, to get the full experience, you'll need first a PSVita (I guess it's not really hard to find a cheap used one around now since normies think that Vita doesn't have any games). Again, some titles are japanese only (for now, that's what I hope)!
I'll start with developer Otomate, and as always they are showing us that they have some Unlimited Budget Works, so they are promising us NINE new titles (not bad). So I'll share my highlights! First, we have Fortissimo, our mandatory "MC manages band of idols". And our idol boys are as flashy as expected. There's not much in the site yet, can we expect some musical-like story?
Then, we have the super charming Variable Barricade, a game where the guys proposes to you in the first five minutes, but... the protagonist is too tsundere to accept XD  Of course, they won't give up so easily, but it's interesting to have a game where the guys have to fight for your attention after being downright rejected! This one will also be available for PS4!
Okay, if you don't have a Vita nor wants to buy one, but so want some pretty boys, you can try Library Cross ∞, that will be available (only) for iOS and Android. Here's the catch: you and 9 guys (yep, 9) awake in a strange library-like world, and the only way to escape is... to finish a book by defeating a youkai before the time goes out. Apparently the book also gives orders to them, so maybe it writes itself after the guys do something? Interesting premise!
On the english side, our dear Aksys Games will bring us the following: 7'scarlet, a multiple route mystery involving the disappearance of MC's older brother and her involvement with weird legends and creep folklore stuff... (we even have Garry from Ib as a hero... /okay, reference mode off); Code: Realize's Fandisc aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah I'm so excited for thiiiiiis!!!! And that illustration at the siiiiiiiiiiiiiite!!!! *cough* sorry (I can still finish Lupin's route until then, wish me speed!!!!). It have new scenarios for our five boys and two additional candidates; and lastly we have Kokuchou no Psychedelica AND it's sequel Haitaka no Psychedelica! The art and the colors of the first one are truly mesmerizing and incredibly stylish, but the second one is the one I'm betting all my chips (unfortunatly, I'm not sure if it's a direct sequel or not)! I'm mean, it's a gothic fiction, with medieval setting, fantasy, utsuge and it have a reverse trap MC. SUPER SOLD!
So people, prepare your wallets! And let's discuss more next year! Or complain if any of these is delayed.
Next time, a BL themed... rhythm game???? Until then!

Wooooooo, first blog entry! Welcome to the otomege and BL paradise on Fuwa! Let's discuss new games and old games, and maybe bring new people to enjoy our little (in Fuwa at least we are the minority...) world!
I planned to starting writing next week, but you know what? I found out that some BL developers are actually releasing games this year! (The majority of them loves to make teasers with no release date whatsoever, you know who I'm talking about...), so the hype made me change my plans. Note that those some of those are japanese releases, but I guess it'll not be a problem for some and the rest of you need to know some new names to beg MG to localize right? Or just look at the CGs, no japanese required for that. (Warning: if you click around too much in the companies' website link I provided below you'll probably find something NSFW, like the CGs from the game, so be careful!)
So. We have Fukushuu Teikoku, from newcomers Fetish. It tells the story of Wilfried Helmut, a guy that makes a deal to seduce some key players in the enemy's army to clean his name. Contains sexual slavery (MC doing it), hypnotism and lots of army uniforms, if anyone is interest in a more dark feel. It's at least interesting that's possible to coerce some guys that are more "manly" than the MC. No big names in the team, but the seiyuu of the bara guy also voiced Mink from DMMD, in case anyone liked his voice.
Another title is Paradise, from Pil/Slash of Pigeon Blood (in)fame, coming tomorrow, yay! Guys win some dreamy trip to a tropical island, but then something happens... If you played danganronpa 2, you know that you CAN'T trust that people will be friends forever while trapped on a island. And, knowing Pil/Slash, expect something really really weird to happen! But they usually do a good job handling horror themes, and this project is a collaboration with LOVE&DESTROY, the dj circle that made Cage Open, so they have experience with trapped scenarios. Unlike Fukushuu above, this MC is always bottom. A shame, considering that in Shingakkou the pairings were reversible. This is the one I'm hyped the most!
If you want something in english, I hope you like entering some weird mansions. MG released the english version of Hadaka Shitsuji back in October, so you can already read this insane black comedy with no mosaics at all. This game is pretty infamous, and full of sadism, but it does have some merits. One guy made pretty much everything here, and he made sure that every little weird fetish he have is there. There's big and small guys, short and long haired, bright and gloomy, just pick you favorite and prepare to be on top! Noteworth: male ahegao is da best.
But if you want to be sadistic with the master of the mansion too, and not just the poor butlers, you can try Beyond Eden, also available on Steam! And you can also practice your korean, since it have korean voice acting. This MC here is the only reversible of the bunch I said.
The year didn't ended yet, so there's still time for Full Service full version and Luckydog1 sequel to come out! When? We'll see (or not).
And wait. All of these games are a bit... weird? What other people will think of us???? Maybe I should have look to some fluffy stuff too...
Anyway, what about you guys? Know a title I overlooked? Share with me! ^.^
 
Next week, otomege's hype for 2018. See you there!

Wooooooo, first blog entry! Welcome to the otomege and BL paradise on Fuwa! Let's discuss new games and old games, and maybe bring new people to enjoy our little (in Fuwa at least we are the minority...) world!
I planned to starting writing next week, but you know what? I found out that some BL developers are actually releasing games this year! (The majority of them loves to make teasers with no release date whatsoever, you know who I'm talking about...), so the hype made me change my plans. Note that those some of those are japanese releases, but I guess it'll not be a problem for some and the rest of you need to know some new names to beg MG to localize right? Or just look at the CGs, no japanese required for that. (Warning: if you click around too much in the companies' website link I provided below you'll probably find something NSFW, like the CGs from the game, so be careful!)
So. We have Fukushuu Teikoku, from newcomers Fetish. It tells the story of Wilfried Helmut, a guy that makes a deal to seduce some key players in the enemy's army to clean his name. Contains sexual slavery (MC doing it), hypnotism and lots of army uniforms, if anyone is interest in a more dark feel. It's at least interesting that's possible to coerce some guys that are more "manly" than the MC. No big names in the team, but the seiyuu of the bara guy also voiced Mink from DMMD, in case anyone liked his voice.
Another title is Paradise, from Pil/Slash of Pigeon Blood (in)fame, coming tomorrow, yay! Guys win some dreamy trip to a tropical island, but then something happens... If you played danganronpa 2, you know that you CAN'T trust that people will be friends forever while trapped on a island. And, knowing Pil/Slash, expect something really really weird to happen! But they usually do a good job handling horror themes, and this project is a collaboration with LOVE&DESTROY, the dj circle that made Cage Open, so they have experience with trapped scenarios. Unlike Fukushuu above, this MC is always bottom. A shame, considering that in Shingakkou the pairings were reversible. This is the one I'm hyped the most!
If you want something in english, I hope you like entering some weird mansions. MG released the english version of Hadaka Shitsuji back in October, so you can already read this insane black comedy with no mosaics at all. This game is pretty infamous, and full of sadism, but it does have some merits. One guy made pretty much everything here, and he made sure that every little weird fetish he have is there. There's big and small guys, short and long haired, bright and gloomy, just pick you favorite and prepare to be on top! Noteworth: male ahegao is da best.
But if you want to be sadistic with the master of the mansion too, and not just the poor butlers, you can try Beyond Eden, also available on Steam! And you can also practice your korean, since it have korean voice acting. This MC here is the only reversible of the bunch I said.
The year didn't ended yet, so there's still time for Full Service full version and Luckydog1 sequel to come out! When? We'll see (or not).
And wait. All of these games are a bit... weird? What other people will think of us???? Maybe I should have look to some fluffy stuff too...
Anyway, what about you guys? Know a title I overlooked? Share with me! ^.^
 
Next week, otomege's hype for 2018. See you there!

Wooooooo, first blog entry! Welcome to the otomege and BL paradise on Fuwa! Let's discuss new games and old games, and maybe bring new people to enjoy our little (in Fuwa at least we are the minority...) world!
I planned to starting writing next week, but you know what? I found out that some BL developers are actually releasing games this year! (The majority of them loves to make teasers with no release date whatsoever, you know who I'm talking about...), so the hype made me change my plans. Note that those some of those are japanese releases, but I guess it'll not be a problem for some and the rest of you need to know some new names to beg MG to localize right? Or just look at the CGs, no japanese required for that. (Warning: if you click around too much in the companies' website link I provided below you'll probably find something NSFW, like the CGs from the game, so be careful!)
So. We have Fukushuu Teikoku, from newcomers Fetish. It tells the story of Wilfried Helmut, a guy that makes a deal to seduce some key players in the enemy's army to clean his name. Contains sexual slavery (MC doing it), hypnotism and lots of army uniforms, if anyone is interest in a more dark feel. It's at least interesting that's possible to coerce some guys that are more "manly" than the MC. No big names in the team, but the seiyuu of the bara guy also voiced Mink from DMMD, in case anyone liked his voice.
Another title is Paradise, from Pil/Slash of Pigeon Blood (in)fame, coming tomorrow, yay! Guys win some dreamy trip to a tropical island, but then something happens... If you played danganronpa 2, you know that you CAN'T trust that people will be friends forever while trapped on a island. And, knowing Pil/Slash, expect something really really weird to happen! But they usually do a good job handling horror themes, and this project is a collaboration with LOVE&DESTROY, the dj circle that made Cage Open, so they have experience with trapped scenarios. Unlike Fukushuu above, this MC is always bottom. A shame, considering that in Shingakkou the pairings were reversible. This is the one I'm hyped the most!
If you want something in english, I hope you like entering some weird mansions. MG released the english version of Hadaka Shitsuji back in October, so you can already read this insane black comedy with no mosaics at all. This game is pretty infamous, and full of sadism, but it does have some merits. One guy made pretty much everything here, and he made sure that every little weird fetish he have is there. There's big and small guys, short and long haired, bright and gloomy, just pick you favorite and prepare to be on top! Noteworth: male ahegao is da best.
But if you want to be sadistic with the master of the mansion too, and not just the poor butlers, you can try Beyond Eden, also available on Steam! And you can also practice your korean, since it have korean voice acting. This MC here is the only reversible of the bunch I said.
The year didn't ended yet, so there's still time for Full Service full version and Luckydog1 sequel to come out! When? We'll see (or not).
And wait. All of these games are a bit... weird? What other people will think of us???? Maybe I should have look to some fluffy stuff too...
Anyway, what about you guys? Know a title I overlooked? Share with me! ^.^
 
Next week, otomege's hype for 2018. See you there!