I’m a huge fan of visual novels in general, and dove into otome games when the pickins started getting sparse.
Code: Realize and Collar x Malice are great games! Though for some reason I lost interest in the story of C:R, it’s definitely beautiful and well-made. Great translation, too.
Here are some other ones I’ve played:
- Amnesia: Memories (Steam, PS Vita, iPhone, Android) – “It was the 1st of August.
That morning, when she awoke, the heroine found herself without any memories from before August 1st. Everything, from the sort of life she lived, to the relationships she had, was a blank…”
This one is A-OK, not super deep characters, but the art is pretty unique!
- Hakuoki (3DS, PSP, PS Vita, PS3, iPhone, Android) – “A young woman by the name of Chizuru comes to Kyoto in search of her missing father, and soon encounters danger and the Shinsengumi in quick succession. When it becomes clear the Shinsengumi are also searching for her father, Chizuru is put under their protection. But odd things are afoot in Kyoto-possibly even supernatural happenings.”
I LOVED this one! Great story, great historical aspects, and the characters are all very different from each other.
- Hatoful Boyfriend (Windows, Mac OS, Steam, PS Vita, PS4, iPhone) – “Welcome to St. PigeoNation’s Institute, the most splendid and greatest academy of the pigeon, by the pigeon and for the pigeon. Soon, you start to feel emotions you’ve never experienced before…emotions that could even be called…love? The unexpected softness of a pigeon’s rhinophyma…”
It’s a silly game. About dating pigeons.
- Mystic Messenger (iPhone, Android) – “You stumble upon an app called ‘Mystic Messenger’ and download it. Once you open it up the app is connected to a mystic group chat with attractive guys. After a long chat, they ask you to join their secret party planning association called R.F.A…”
This one is pretty fun, takes the form of a series of group chats, texts, and even phonecalls / voicemails from the actual characters.
- Norn9: Var Commons (PS Vita) – “Sorata follows a girl to a ship; a round aircraft that flies using technology that is beyond his imagination. Even stranger, he discovers that the other 12 passengers – 3 young women and 9 men – are all supposedly espers with special powers, and are on some kind of journey at the behest of a multinational entity only known as The World.”
GORGEOUS art on this one! And a pretty unique story.
- Period Cube ~Shackles of Amadeus~ (PS Vita) – “Searching for clues about your missing brother, you and your childhood friend Hiroya begin playing an online RPG called ‘Arcadia.’ You’re suddenly enveloped in a flash of light, and awaken to find yourself in a mysterious fantasy world. You discover you’ve been sent inside of the game, and learn that the only way out is to complete it.”
This one is really cool, great artwork, interesting plot.
I’ll update if I remember more, haha.
