Otome Jam 2023 Reviews
Otome Jam 2023 Reviews
https://itch.io/jam/otome-jam-2023/entries
If you've read any of the new entries in the link, please leave all thoughts here in this thread. I've read a handful so far and wanted to dive in in the comments. Keep in mind the comments may have spoilers.
To make a spoilers tag, replace the slashes with brackets: /spoiler here/(#spoiler)
If the game isn't below, start a comment thread. Try to keep to that mini thread to avoid accident spoilers maybe?
Candied Hearts: Demo
MC get's isekaied into a candy themed gacha game. The art style is very cute, or should I say sweet. This is a decent length demo, the plot is fairly basic but I'm still looking forward to the full game because of the unique art style.
Let's Misbehave: Demo
This demo has the misfortune of coming out at the same time as another otome set in the 1920's, Speakeasy, and honestly it's not as good. I love the premise; the MC, Gilda, is a recent divorcee on good terms with her ex, who likes to have a good time and has a large alimony. This makes her a very attractive partner to the many pretty men she encounters. My problem with the game is in the execution; there are just a bunch of details that don't quite add up.
- The text makes it sound like they're near New York City (I think it's set in New Jersey like the Great Gatsby is), but the background art and the accents of some of the voice actors scream that they're in New Orleans. The showgirl, Elsie, especially has a sort of southern girl doing a Transatlantic accent, which is exactly what I'd expect a showgirl in New Orleans at the time to have, but it's be pretty odd for someone in New York.
- The character sprite for Gilda makes her look like she's in her 40's but apparently she's 24? Someone else brought this up in the comments of the game's page and the dev said that for the full game they'll be changing all of the character sprites because the artist who did them for the jam isn't available going forward. I think they should just run with it. Make Gilda be canonically 40 and her suitors be in their 30's. It's already implied that that the men pursuing may be gold diggers, this can just add to that. It'd be really nice to see an MC who's not in her 20's.
- The murder at the end of the demo comes out of left field; there's no build up that conflict in this game is going to be centered around murder. In contrast, given that Gilda spends most of her time either in "high society" or at the speakeasy, I'd expect the conflict in the game to focus around a scandal involving either one or something related to her divorce. Once again this demo has the misfortune of being compared to another period murder mystery, A Romantic Murder
As for things I like. I really like the UI design and the music slaps. I think this game has a lot of potential, but it's currently a little bit disappointing.
Lord of the Wings: Demo
It's a Dungeons and Dragons inspired (I think the characters are basically living in a dnd world), romcom featuring a cartoon art style very similar to Total Drama Island. It's heavy on the comedy. If you're a fan of tabletop RPG's I'd definitely recommend checking this one out. If you've never played dungeons and dragons though, you'll likely miss a lot of the jokes. It's fully voiced, and has a good bit of MC customization options.
Potion Panik: Demo
I am here for the this premise. You're a talented alchemist running a potions shop. When your lying bastard of an ex-boyfriend shows up in your shop a year after you've broken up, to "apologize", you quickly grab what you thought was a calming potion so that you can deal with him. Unfortunately, it wasn't a calming potion, it's a love potion! and the only known cure for a love potion is to fall in love for realsys. The two routes will be either your best friend or your ex himself. The potential for drama and angst is just "chef's kiss" top notch.
A Romantic Murder: Demo A murder mystery set in a mansion in the 1930's, but with romance. It's heavily inspired by Agatha Christie novels with a bit of ace attorney and daganronpa. I really enjoyed the demo. The Dev is also doing a really in-depth Jam retrospective which I found quite an interesting read.
Light spoilers:
I really enjoyed that your investigation is going more smoothly because no one is taking you seriously as a lady detective, it's a nice way to deal with the sexism of the time without making the game too dreary. I'm also ready to die for (with? by?) Adrian because I love a man who reads, and out of all the characters he seems to have the least motivation and access to be the murderer