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The Nintendo Switch has become a great home for the otome genre, with dozens of releases for fans to play. But which are the best? Here are the selections of the Siliconera staff. Tell us yours in the comments!
I mean, it depends on the genre.
If someone wants a more traditional otome game, the visual novel Cafe Enchante is my favorite recent release. The characters are fun. It carefully treads the lines between literary genres. The result is a cast of likable characters and stories that can have both silly slice-of-life and dramatic, romantic moments.
If someone wants to go non-traditional? I have to go with Rune Factory 4 Special. Hey, you can farm! You can fight! You can romance an array of men and women! The latest version added new brief stories after you get married, as well as DLC that involved short stories from the love interests’ perspective. — Jenni
I’m going to follow in Jenni’s footsteps and choose a somewhat unconventional Switch otome, and that game is Stardew Valley. Like Rune Factory, I absolutely love that in between giving my future spouse all the random things I find during my day, I can also farm, explore mines, decorate and attempt to learn the fishing mechanic.
Otome games often have a singular focus that removes a lot of the replayability factor for me. I don’t often find myself wanting to go back and complete every romance and ending, as the journey there tends to feel too similar. With each Stardew Valley save file I make, I can romance a different person in town while also progressing in the game with a completely different play style. There’s always something to do. It makes the romance aspect feel like a treat after a hard, 20-minute day of hitting rocks. — Dani
My love affair with otome games started with Hakuoki on the Nintendo DS. But I got burnt out when the series started to feel extremely repetitive. Although I dabbled here and there with others like Hatoful Boyfriend and Sweet Fuse, it wasn’t until Jenni convinced me to check out Collar x Malice for Siliconera that the passion was re-ignited. The thriller mystery angle was just what this wayward soul needed to dive back into the otome pool. — Annette
What are your favorite Nintendo Switch otome games? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter! And read our other handy roundtables for more thoughts from the Siliconera team.
