Ephemeral -the residents in the dark-

Ephemeral -The residents in the dark- is about a cute zombie (who, in this game, is a race that is low class and despised by the other races) defaulted name Cloe, who has the dream of attending this academy where supposedly, “discrimination is strictly prohibited.” However, despite that, she still finds herself being insulted and shut down.

And, well, because zombies are weak, the teacher suggests that Cloe should choose one of the four: Shiba, Nagi, Natsume, or Ray to become her partner and protect her from any signs of danger. Hence comes the blooming romance…

This game is pretty straightforward. Once you download it (for iOS or Android), you’ll receive a download screen. Unfortunately, the downloading takes an extremely long time, but in the end it’s all worth it.

After you download it, the game will direct you to the prologue, which is completely free. Every bachelor’s first episode (out of ten) is completely free as well. However, after that, you either have to pay for the entire story or pay with points.

Paying with points will allow you to play the entire story for free, but will take a really long time. While each episode requires 40 points to proceed, you get 30 points per every 20 hours. There are ways to get free points, but it’s all spam (except the ones that get you only 1 point, which are completely useless).

The other option is buying an individual story for $3.99 (which is a little much for 10 episodes and 2 endings) or buy all stories for $12.99 (which is supposedly a discount. Without a discount, it would be $16.00; you’d be saving 3-4 dollars on that.)

Now that the system is good and explained, I’ll move on to the actual story. The story is decent, but the translations may need a little more work. Especially on the character profiles; they are just hard to understand.

After reading it for the billionth time, I think I can finally get my finger wrapped around how they act. Shiba is nice to Cloe, but he has his pride. Nagi is kind, but he exudes a sense of enigma. Natsume is cold and distant, not wanting to make friends with Cloe. Ray is arrogant and very prideful because of his rank as a vampire (vampires are the second-highest rank, with mermaids being the first).

Out of all the stories, I found Natsume to be the most interesting, although that’s more of a personal opinion. So, right now, I’ll be working on Natsume and hopefully post a walkthrough of him soon, both spoiler free and full.

To be honest though, this game is a lot easier than Voltage’s. The choices are somewhat obvious as well. Well… for Natsume, the choices are slightly more difficult, but I think I know a little bit how I should act in front of that sucker. (Literally a sucker: if you read Ray’s first episode, Natsume- a low class mummy- walks right past Ray, a high class vampire like it was a normal thing to do, which is not).

More or less, this game is so far enjoyable. I would recommend to others who like: (1) beautiful art. The art in this game is incredible! (2) Fantasy; and supernatural because there’s a zombie heroine, a werewolf, vampire, invisible/hollow man, and mummies. Plus demon and mermaid side characters.

The story line is honestly very good minus the fact that the translation needs some considerable work. However, if you can get used to it (I got used to it after reading all the bachelors’ first episodes), then it’s an enjoyable read through; I definitely look forward to reading the stories that this game has to offer.

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Heart of Thorns: Extra samples.

These do not come directly from the script. They were the samples that I was asked to write before I was deemed an official writer of Heart of Thorns. Ichigo no Kokoro productions has asked me to write romantic scenarios for each character and a random get-together scenario in the mansion.

You can visit their Tumblr, which is regularly updated: heart-of-thorns-otome-game.tumblr.com

Click here to view what I had wrote! Enjoy.

Top 20 visual novels.

Please note that these visual novels are ranked by my opinion (you don’t have to agree), and are not just a list. Thank you for visiting this, and I hope you enjoy. The ratings are probably not official, but are reasonable in my eyes.

20. Diabolik Lovers [16+][supernatural, vampire, dark, romance]

This game is full of rich moments, ranging from simple chatting to him biting and sucking the blood of Yui, the heroine of this game. Also, one can’t deny that the voices are very seductive for every character.

The story line is a mix of darkness and romance, which results in a romantic obsession. There are three endings: Brute End (one or both get killed), Manservant End (he still has his twisted thoughts, but Yui still loves him), and Vampire End (happily ever after end), which are determined by the choices.

This game also contains character songs, duet songs, drama CDs, and some other games, including More Blood, Dark Fate, and Dark Eden, all of which are “sequels”.

19. Love is a Game [17+][romance, slice of life, drama]

This upcoming game by audilis revolves around a girl named Willow, who unexpectedly meets her favorite characters from her favorite game. She promises to bring them back, but something else blooms along the way.

The story line is interesting, with a decent variety of characters. For a commercial game, it looks somewhat promising. Although, the writing style and the system is a 100% duplication of Voltage Inc.

Therefore, it’s better to just drop the game if you’re not into Voltage. It’s not worth paying for games you don’t like. If you don’t like Voltage, don’t play this game. If you do, then play it. That’s pretty much all.

18. Amnesia: Memories [16+][romance, mystery, drama, fantasy]

Amnesia has a very interesting plot. The characters are heavily based upon the shapes of the deck of cards, and all share a certain connection to the heroine, who has lost nearly all her memories by clashing into a spirit named Orion.

The story line is in fact quite emotional after you read through the final character: Ukyo, who represents the “Joker”.

This game is a little bit more slow-paced than companies like Shall We Date? / NTT Solmare, Voltage Inc., or Hunex Ltd., but it is still worth the payment and time.

17. Castle Break [PG13][supernatural, fantasy, mystery, adventure, romance]

Like Amnesia: Memories, the heroine has fragmented memories. She finds herself imprisoned in a castle by the Demon Lord, Astaroth, and she finds three people mysteriously connected to her: Lancelot, Jordan, and Roy.

Each route will explain the connection in the past and will unveil different memories whilst attempting to escape the castle by solving the many mysteries of the castle.

It is definitely recommended; many mysteries will come to be solved whilst developing romance.

16. Fantasia: Requiem of the Abyss [16+][supernatural, adventure, romance, fantasy, mystery]

Valencia is an immortal who goes with Raven, Cyrus, Volg, Cain, Klavios, and Ciel to stop Thanos, who is becoming a threat to the world of Fantasia.

The story is very engaging, and it has many comedic moments mixed in with romance, bitter-sweetness, betrayal, and even death.

This story will definitely bring you on a different ride; a wild but addicting ride. It is definitely worth your time (takes about 2-3 hours to read through on average) and read through.

15. Hakuouki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom [16+][supernatural, historical, drama, war, romance, tragedy]

This takes place around the time when the Shinsengumi existed with a twist of demons and the creation of supernatural creatures called “rasetsu” with the use of a helpful but deadly medicine.

With all the twists, it’s actually a considerable story. Not to mention that if you do like demons and vampires, this is definitely one worth reading through.

It’s an unforgettable mix of Japanese history and fantasy, and to top it off, they provide an encyclopedia, where they explain Japanese concepts. Quite useful, no?

14. Backstage Pass! [PG13][romance, drama]

This story is about a normal girl who gets caught up in famous people’s lives. Despite this crappy description, it’s very well-made.

You can read through a huge variety of scenarios and experience romance with some pretty hot guys! In addition, you can dress up as the main protagonist and raise her stats to catch the attention of a guy.

Despite being commercial and… pretty expensive, it is worth the read through and definitely worth the payment!

13. Lads in Distress [PG13][fantasy, romance, mystery]

This has characters heavily based on the traditional and classic fairy tales. Except, there are a few little and interesting quirks there as well.

The twists include everybody being gender bent from the original fairy tale they were based upon. Another thing is that they add a touch of mystery. Each bachelor supposedly holds a (dark?) secret…

If you like fractured fairy tales, then by all means this is 100% recommended. The pacing is a bit rushed, but what can you expect from NaNoRenO?

12. Heartbaked [PG][romance, fantasy, food, drama, slice of life]

This is a story about Ginger, who is an elf owning a bakery. She spends time with three boys: Carver, Radley, and Benjamin in an attempt to bake a cake about love. At first, it was for deceit, but later, is it really the same?

The story is fantasy, as it does have elves, but these elves don’t have any special abilities or anything. However, the friendship, rivalries, and romance are very adorable.

Plus, don’t forget the humor. This is the perfect game for humor. In addition, it’s completely family friendly and PG!

11. Nusantara: Legend of the Winged Ones [16+][fantasy, historical, war, tragedy, psychological, romance, dark]

This story revolves around Tamara, who gets transported to the time when her ancient ancestors existed by the Goddess of Fate to stop an upcoming war, but along the way something else blooms…

I like the story very much. The characters are all cute in their own way, and they all have backgrounds that shape who they are.

Aside from being a pretty slow-paced game, this is a very great story about hope within the most despaired and bloody times.

10. Ephemeral -the residents in the dark- [PG13][romance, supernatural, school life]

This story is about a cute zombie girl who gets into an extremely prestigious academy, where mermaids, vampires, werewolves, hollow men, and mummies are.

I also like the premise of this. It’s a nice mix of romance and fantasy. Also, note that there is discrimination. A lot of it; enough to gain awareness, I should think.

Even though this game is originally commercial, you can also play it for free by receiving points every day (the latter will take a really long time though, but if gives people with little to no budget an opportunity to still play through the game). Plus, this has incredible art!

9. Cute Demon Crashers! [R18][romance, demons, supernatural]

This is an R18 game, so it will include some really sexual content, but the good news is that you can stop any time if you get uncomfortable!

Putting aside the sexual content, I thought this story was really well-made, and the characters are all adorable in one way or another.

Therefore, I thought this was really good and descriptive writing. It’s very original, and I recommend it 100%!

8. Blood and Roses+ [PG][romance, mystery, vampire, supernatural]

This story is about a girl who gets lost and ends up in a hotel run by two vampire brothers. The story goes on from there.

In addition to the two vampires, there are two “alternative” routes, which are two werewolves. One of them is a vampire hunter, the other s searching for the same thing the heroine is looking for. With this variety, it makes for a good dating simulation.

This is by far one of Shall We Date? / NTT Solmare’s best free-only games. It’s definitely worth your time!

7. Seduce Me [16+][supernatural, demons, romance]

Made by Seraphim Entertainment, this is a very well-made visual novel about a girl who meets a group of incubus. She helps them get back into shape after “a fight”, but on the way she falls in love with one of them…

The story is very original, and very well-written and paced. I like all the characters and their personalities; they all have their quirks, which are always fun to read through.

If you like supernatural elements, go play this game. It is completely free-to-play, and it’s one of the best ones yet.

6. My Last First Kiss [PG13+][romance, drama, slice of life]

The story is about the heroine meeting her childhood friends again in town, and she gets rejected by her crush. One of her friends cheers her up, and it goes on from there.

I love the story. There were many funny, sad, and sentimental childhood memories that we as readers get to experience, and the romance is very slow but heart-warming at the same time.

If you like heart warming and bittersweet stories, I would give this a go. Honestly, it’s worth paying for.

5. Heart of Thorns [16+][romance, vampire, mystery, tragedy, drama]

This is about Catherine, who runs away from a tragedy and ends up at a mansion resided by four vampires: Kei, Tomoya, Ryuto and Hinata.

In addition, there are two alternative routes: Shiro and Eiji, which will explain any questions that may come up unanswered in other routes, and there is one unlock route: Daisuke, a childhood friend of Catherine.

I am a part of the team as a writer, but the artwork is gorgeous, so it would definitely be a good thing to take some of your time to visit and check this game out!

4. Butler Until Midnight [PG13+][romance, drama]

Butler Until Midnight is about the heroine ending up getting five butlers to make her a sophisticated woman for her father’s 65th birthday, but along the way she runs into love… when the clock hits 12:00.

The story is actually very appealing, both plot wise and art wise. There is a reasonable variety of characters in this game (none of the personalities are way too exaggerated).

So, in a nutshell, go check this out. Especially if you are into forbidden romance; you will not regret this.

3. Mononoke Kiss [PG13][fantasy, romance, adventure]

This is about the heroine going with mononoke, who protect her from any incoming danger. One the way- as we all know- romance blooms.

The story is interesting with the different obstacles along the way. They even mix in romance and adorable moments for each character (some more cute than others), but cute nonetheless, no?

This is also a really good free Shall We Date? / NTT Solmare game, but it’s probably better to pay for their stories so you can get all their beautiful CGs!

2. After School Affairs [PG13+][romance, school life, drama]

The heroine works at a school where dating is strictly prohibited, but she later finds herself falling in love with her teaching partner in home room.

The story is actually quite thrilling, and each route has a unique plot. The characters are all very good, and they were consistently in character as well… as expected from Voltage Inc.

The forbidden romance aspect has you desiring more of what’s going to happen next. Hence, this game ranks at number 2.

Honorable Mentions:
– Lunescara [16+][fantasy, romance, psychological, supernatural]
– Scarlet Fate [PG13+][fantasy, romance, supernatural]
– Nachtigal [PG13+][romance, supernatural, vampire]
– Autumn’s Journey [PG][romance, fantasy, supernatural, drama, slice of life]
– The Pirate Mermaid [PG13][romance, fantasy]

1. Star-Crossed Myth [PG13+][romance, fantasy]

Coming at number one is Star-Crossed Myth, which is about the heroine having a normal life until six handsome gods appear before her, saying to absolve them of their sins. She accepts reluctantly, but later she finds herself falling in love.

The story is well-done. Every single one of the routes have their unique plot based upon the character, and they naturally mix in romance very well.

This is one of Voltage Inc.’s most popular games, and it’s well-rated for a reason. 120% recommended especially to fantasy-loving users.

 

there you have it: 20 ranked (opinion) visual novels. Of course, this may change over time (for the better or worse). Any recommendations/comments? You can do so below in the comments section. I’m always willing to hear you out :-). Thank you for reading! -otometea.

 

 

 

 

Love is a Game

Love is a Game is about a girl named Willow who is really into her otome games, and one day, she meets these boys who seem awfully familiar, and then she later realizes that these boys actually come from her favorite game.

Well, the system is straightforward: you download the game, you agree to their terms and then it will take you to the main screen, where you can start a new game. After that, you play the game. As far as I know, this game is the prologue only so far, and they’ll release the first route in 2017.

As for the actual story, I think it’s a little bit interesting. However, after I read the prologue, I was thinking to myself: “Just what in the world have I gone through?” First, Willow goes to work, comes back home and plays some games, goes to sleep, wakes up, and then on her way…

She meets nearly all bachelors on her way to work. Literally, every 2 minutes she just runs into a bachelor, and I am just sitting on the couch reading while my thoughts are just all over the place (at least spread out meeting time and places a little more!). Also, the way the prologue ended…

It’s just like Voltage. Not that it’s bad or anything of the sort, but I felt like this game is Voltage all over again. I kind of would have liked a little bit more originality, but it’s obviously also not bad to base the system off of others.

I don’t want to be too harsh: the artwork isn’t the best. I noticed some parts of the art that could be improved, especially on the sprites; the hands. I know the hands are a hard part of drawing, but some of the characters’ poses… their hands are just weirdly shaped. Also, the eyes could have been a little bit bigger, but that’s not a big issue.

Art aside, I think I like Alister and Jin the most. Also, there is one thing I wish this game had: free and paid versions. Don’t know what I mean? You can check out this review. The features there are more open.

I mean, obviously you can still make money, but at least give people who don’t have a lot of money (like me) the opportunity to play this game! Well, if I can afford this game, I’ll post a summary (which will contain spoilers) and a review (spoiler-free) for the characters I purchase, hopefully. Maybe a walkthrough or two.

In conclusion:
– If you like Voltage, this game’s for you.
– If I were to rate the prologue, I would give it 7.5/10
– I would pay audilis (like, literally) to be a part of their team. (It would be awesome if I could join as a writer/editor/proofreader, yeah!)
– I hope I can join someday
– Let’s just hope this gets better and more original.

Note that this post may be updated.