Amjara

1. Made Marion
I agree completely that this is one of the best otome’s this year. Well written and great artwork despite being in early access, which is its only downfall since you have to wait to experience more!

2. Every Hue of You
This is a VN that is highly thought provoking. It is not fun or light hearted. It has soul and some very deep writing and thoughts behind it. The game embraces concepts about how we view our feelings and emotions and how they are dealt with in various ways by society. A game that stays with you even after you’ve walked away.

3. Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly
Just as great as the first game if not better. It follows characters you meet from the first game and continues the story. The “episode 2” part of the title is misleading. It is the second game so really it should be Coffee Talk 2. It is heartfelt and has great writing. You learn to care about the characters as you serve them beverages in your coffee shop (your the owner). Loved both of them!

Worst game and my only negative review of the year was Cat Spotter. A cat seek & find game that was a jumbled mess. I bought it twice, the second time after updates to give it another fair go. I refunded it again.

Foxxelle

1. Made Marion
Just when I thought Bunny Bond wouldn’t be bested, along came Made Marion. Outstanding early access tale based around the Robin Hood legend. Top drawer production in every aspect.

2. Bunny Bond
Exactly what we’ve been crying out for! Otome lovers’ who can handle steaminess in their F/M games get their rewards as 6 hot men give up both their fantasies and their modesty for our delectation. Humorous, sweet and very spicy all in one.

3. Under Maintenance
What an early year treat! A free F/M otome following a young single woman out on a date hunt, and a possible relationship. Funny and satisfying.

Francisca

1. Bunny Bond
Amazing, unique and spicy +18 Otome game. Highly recommended

2. Shadows of Doubt
The city feels alive with procedural generated cities and NPC’s.

3. Dave the Diver
So much fun and hours worth of content, with all kinds of different genres of games mixed into this gem.

Honorable Mention: Made Marion, would be my number one pick if it had more routes available.

Worst game: Fallen Ninja

JeminiJess

1. Garden of Seif: Chronicles of an Assassin
Enemies to lover trope for both LIs (my fav). While you can choose to find love and get a happy ending, there is something special about choosing to kill the love interest and let Iris go on happily with her life without them. Wonderful art and story with a badass heroine and snarky love interests.

2. Best With Friends: Lethal Company
So many laughs, screams, and endless hours of fun. This game is a blast to play with friends. It’s insane that it was all made by one dev and that more has been added to it since its launch just a few months ago. The game can be modded as well, which can add some more funny, scary, and unique moments to the game (as well as QoL features).

3. Honorable Mentions (played this year, have yet to finish): Hogwarts Legacy & Baldur’s Gate 3
Although I have yet to finish either, these two RPGs were a blast for the time that I put into them. There’s certainly something special about seeing Hogwarts up close and personal in a video game after growing up with the movies and wishing to go there. BG3 is also an amazing RPG that I will be putting many, many hours into that it will take me a long time to truly finish. The hours I spent were so much fun and I am 100% an Astarion simp. There is so much content and the game is continuously getting patched and added to (may have been released a tad too early).

Worst game:
Doki Doki House
I don’t even want to talk about it. While not an absolutely horrendous game (there are plenty others out there), I just couldn’t come to like and enjoy it. Writing felt like something a middle schooler would write and an excessive use of exclamation marks and horrible UI/system choices.