The Best Otome Games on Switch

With the holidays a few months away, it is a good time to make a list of our best Otome games. Over the years lots of new games have come out and the bar for Otome games has been set way higher then before. I myself have only just started reviewing Otome games a year ago and fell in love with these types of games. So, we have made the perfect list with games for you to enjoy and put on your holiday gift list. These are games which we have tested and reviewed ourselves.

Code Realize – Guardian of Rebirth and Future Blessings

You may consider it cheating that I put (technically) three games into one category. I believe you can’t really have the full experience of Future Blessings and Wintertide Miracles unless you first play Guardian of Rebirth. Therefore, they are one big long game.

Guardian of Rebirth

The story revolves around our heroine (as otome games are wont to do): Cardia. A young girl doomed to live alone in a decrepit mansion. Cardia has a deadly poison running through her entire body, and anything she touches is doomed to melt and die. Her life of eternal solitude is disrupted one fateful night when master-thief Lupin swoops in and takes her away.

Then, in true otome game fashion, a rag-tag bunch of handsome men join Lupin’s crew to try to figure out a way to rid Cardia of her poisonous curse. Each of these handsome men can be romanced, and each has an intriguing and compelling story. This all takes place in a fictional, alternate London with lovely characters like Victor Frankenstein and Van Helsing. On top of that, you must play through all of the bachelor’s stories before you are able to unlock Lupin’s route. Providing plenty of tenses, nail-biting, replay value, especially if Lupin is your favourite character

Anyway, Guardian of Rebirth is a great story, with excellent Japanese voice acting, cute and compelling characters, a tonne of drama and romance, and amazing artwork. Find more of my thoughts on the Guardian of Rebirth in my review.

Future Blessings

Future Blessings continues the story from where you left off, allowing you to see what happens with Cardia and her chosen love at the end of the first game. As well, Future Blessings has some side stories and a fancy alternate romance as well, making it well worth the purchase if you loved the first game. You can read more thoughts on Future Blessings in our review. 

Wintertide Miracles

This game continues the tale of Cardia and the various people she met on her previous adventures. This is an otome game but for the most part, the “paths” were completed in the previous titles in the series and this is simply a collection of short stories, some of which took less than 20 minutes to complete.

The stories are broken into 4 categories: triangle dates, Christmas scenarios, a handful of character side stories that run alongside paths in the last two games, and a series of special epilogue scenarios that are unlocked after everything else is completed. For more thoughts read our review for Wintertide Miracles.

Collar Malice

In the game you are a young police officer, Ichika Hoshino, in the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo, who finds herself unwillingly involved in the shadowy organization Adonis’ nefarious plans to bring about a “rebirth” for Japan.

In their minds, they’ll be purging corruption and failure in the local police force by committing a series of mysterious crimes that they clearly consider to be a form of justice. Your character is kidnapped and fitted with a collar that will inject her with poison if she discloses its existence to the authorities. Driven by her duty to protect her city, and hoping to save her life in the process, she finds herself walking a tightrope between the police she’s serving with, a group of ex-cops investigating the crimes, and the mysterious organization Adonis that has the power to kill her at any moment.

This game is a perfect example of two people having very different opinions. Two years ago, this game has been reviewed on the website by one of our other writers, CJ, and the rating was an ‘I’m Not Sure’. (CJ’s review for Collar Malice is here!) But having played the game recently myself, I have to say I would rate it an ‘I like it a lot’. The crime solving story really intrigued me and I was on the edge of my seat during playing it. The ex-cops that Ichika involves herself with also have interesting backstories.

Definitely a must play Otome game in my opinion!

Variable Barricade

Variable Barricade follows Hibari Tojo. Hibari is the sole heir to the Tojo family fortune. Her grandfather, who is the current head of the family, has decided it is time for Hibari to find a husband. Her grandfather selects four suiters that who will be living with Hibari in their luxurious vacation home. The men try hard to persuade her and win her heart, but Hibari is not having it and is dedicated to not falling in love. Especially after finding out that each of the men have skeletons in their closet.

The storylines and the characters were really good. It was nice to see characters having their own flaws for a change. This game also made me laugh loads of times with the interactions between Hibari and her grandfather and between Hibari and the guys. And the Chibi images also were very funny. And another plus is the music in this game, every song sets the tone well and I often opened up the game just to listen to the music.

If you love to play an Otome games with more realistic romances this is definitely a game for you. Find our review for Variable Barricade here!

Piofiore

Piofiore: Fated Memories is a visual romance novel, that follows Liliana Adornato in the 1920’s. Liliana was raised in the church of an Italian town in Burlone, Italy. Burlone is a city where different parts are ruled by three mafia families. When her life is threatened, and she finds out the real reason why everyone is after her, she turns to the mafia for help. Her life is turned upside down when she encounters the leaders of these mafia organizations and can’t help but step into a dangerous life.

This game had lots of romance and was action packed with mafia plot lines. This was my first Otome game, and this makes me a little biased maybe: this is one of my favourites. I enjoy a good grey character in terms of good and evil and because of this I turned into a fangirl over these characters. Also, the quality in graphics and enthralling storytelling have probably spoiled me for future visual novels, but we will see! Read the review for Piofiore here!

Piofiore: Episodio 1926

Recently the second game of Piofiore came out, called Piofiore: Episodio 1926. This is kind of cheating the system, but I did want to mention this game because unlike some other fandisks, this game had a lot of good plotlines and character developments.

Piofiore: Episodio 1926 picks up a year after the first game ended (in 1926 as the title says). We get to see how all the characters are doing with Liliana Adornato after their Happy Ending routes. In this sequel, we find out more about Lilliana’s past and what links her fate to Burlone. If you love the first Piofiore, you will also want to pick up the sequel. You can read the Piofiore: Episodio 1926 review here!

Cupid Parasite

Cupid (yes, THE Cupid) has had an argument with her father (the god Mars) about whether humans can find love without divine intervention. Determined to prove him wrong, she sneaks down to the human realm to live as a person. Cupid joins Cupid Corp, a well-known match making service in Los York. When she’s offered a promotion on the condition that she help five hopeless cases (known as the Parasite 5) find marriage, she throws herself into the task, determined to earn that promotion and prove to her father that humans CAN find love without divine intervention after all!

I have really been enjoying Cupid Parasite. The characters are interesting, the story kept me guessing, and the design is convenient and easy to use. Cupid is a breath of fresh air as a playable character, since she stands up to some of the behaviors I normally find so annoying in these types of games. If you enjoy Otome titles, you should absolutely consider adding Cupid Parasite to your collection. Click here to see the whole review for Cupid Parasite!

Café Enchanté

You are Kotone Awaki, and you inherit the keys to the café your grandfather, Souan, left you after he died. In a letter Souan Awaki declares that it’s your choice to either continue the Café or close it up, and go back to your own life.

Kotone visits the Café in Tokyo, an elaborate three-story building that looks imposing. She investigates the rooms and finds one that is labeled Staff Only. Beyond it you find a room with a single ornate door with a plaque on it that reads “Closed”. Of course, Kotone can’t resist and turns the plaque around to “Open”.  To find the door swinging open and Kotone herself in the arms of a strange looking man.

This is the start of a very strange adventure, finding that the café has a very strange clientele. What’s great in this game is the friendship and a sense of camaraderie between the guys. You wouldn’t expect this, as after all, what can a fallen Angle have in common with a demon Beast? For some reason it works, and it made me feel good to be a part of this special group of friends.

Love romantic stories? This is one with a twist. Not into overly romantic? This visual novel brings an interesting story to the table, so it may still be one to go for. One of our writers said: “this visual novel is the Hallmark movie of otome games” And we totally agree.

Our review for Café Enchanté is here!

Birushana

The story of Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei follows Shanao, who is living deep within the mountains of Kurama. Shanao is the youngest surviving male heir of the Genji name. The reason Shanao is to remain hidden, out of sight, is because of the Heiji Rebellion fifteen years prior. The Heike and Genji clan had been at odds. At the end of the rebellion, the Heike clan were victorious.

Even though Shanao is trying to live a life of peace, Shanao harbours a secret. The secret of not actually being a man. Torn between warring factions and a desire for a peaceful life, can Shanao forge her own path? And find someone worthy of her journey in this visual novel?

Playing this game, the story reminded me a little of a combination between Mulan and the anime Akatsuki no Yona (Yona of the Dawn). Birushana really shows the comradery between Shanao and her companions.

I enjoyed the storyline of the game. Especially after finding out that it is based on the real history of the Heiji rebellion and later the Genpei war. I even did a little research on this history and found out that even the names had remained the same. For me this added a whole new layer to the game. Click here for our Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei review

So there you have it, our Best of Otome.
What are some of your best otome games, leave us a comment below.