itch.io

there's over 300 views on this post alone lol! we're all still checking in after all these years... other devs on here would kill for that level of commitment

**spoilery**

i was sooo sure ep.5 would end on the literal cliffhanger but the actual ending has me in even more tears than that & I AM NOT OKAY ;; 

ppl sleeping when Episode 5 is out: 🏃🏽‍♀️🛏

you're welcome! sometimes it can really feel like we've exhausted the supply of otome/visual novels available lol

god calderon is just almost too smoldering to handle! i love the flirts between him and a flirty/rebellious MC most

+ oops found some more in my library:

A Hand in the Darkness:  LGBT romance at school! MC can be with varying guys P2P / COMPLETE

Chasing the Stars: steampunk-y universe where MC is a researcher. BxB / P2P / COMPLETE

Monstrata Fracture: MC basically enters Monster High but its freakier lol. 5 lovers / IN DEVELOPMENT

RockRobin: stat-raising & all about creating the best band you can and possibly dating a bandmate. IN DEVELOPMENT

Hustle Cat: a cat cafe centred game where MC works & can date co-workers P2P / COMPLETE

Asagao Academy: (eh.. this game is awks to play now considering lol but... ill include it here too)

Us Lovely Corpses: a horror-tinged game with puzzles and romance! LGBT / COMPLETE

The Glass Coffin: two guys work together and are both learning about each others BxB / Demo

Four Eyes: a sci-fi spacefaring love story with an alien! LGBTQ romance / COMPLETE

Demon Kiss: MC can date a demon and its super cute BxB /  COMPLETE

Cute Demon Crashers: all about consent and boundaries & can be played SFW but also the option for NSFW too! COMPLETE

Your Dry Delight: set in the roaring 20s with prohibition! BxB / COMPLETE

Straight Up: Sister-Zoned: girl has crush on childhood BFF and tries to pursue him. COMPLETE

Crimson Spires: horror + mystery with serial killers about! same devs from Miraclr & has 4 romance routes. DEMO

Arena Circus: world-building on point & set in a circus! MC is human in a caste-driven society that has them serving others. IN DEVELOPMENT

Night & Day:  MC is an artist who moves to Paris! BxB/ 4 lovers / DEMO

ok im done i swear!

ooh do i have the list for you all! (i'm on a mac so unless otherwise stated these are all playable on mac)

Heartbaked: a super cute dating sim about baking & true love featuring a nameable protagonist that is gender-locked as female. GxB / F2P / COMPLETE

Pipe Dream:  you play as 'Robin'  it's set in university and she is rooming with her bestie. 6 romance options / LGBT / DEMO

Amplitude: body-snatched! protag died but is now brought back in the body of whoever (girl or boy!) you decide.  Lots of romance options / P2P / COMPLETE

Pinewood Island: murder mystery & 'whodunit' visual novel with a customizable protagonist with romance options available. GxB / P2P / COMPLETE

Mannequin Academy: super gay and set in an academy with A/B/O dynamics! LGBT / 5 Romance options / BXB / P2P / WINDOWS

Enamored Risks: MC with a knack for mystery set in college. GxB & GxG / 3 romance options / F2P / COMPLETE 

An Otaku's Guide to Santa's Reindeers: 9 romance options / DEMO (probably an indefinite hiatus at this point...)

Candied Carols: a wintry love story about toys! christmas toys, that is. MC is customizable & love is in the air!  4 romances / BETA

Aloners: play as a gal in an apocalyptic wasteland with what appears to be a lone surviver named 'Trash'. GxB / COMPLETE 

Perfumare: !!! MUST- PLAY gods people it is amazing please just play it i can't even explain just do!! dark fantasy with 3 romance options /  IN DEVELOPMENT

Truths Untold: regency era!!! you play as a lady and have 3 possible suitors; an aged oldie, a swashbuckling sailor or your slimy cheating paramour. i don't like him XD

Heart Fragment: currently playing this lol;; in progress but so far sad and cute check it out! MC has personality!!! and negative traits too?! 100+ choices will be in the complete version too GxB / DEMO

XOXO Droplets: AMAZINGG PLAY IT!! i have the extended version but the F2P one has 3 options the P2P (extended) gives you 3 more. nameable female protag with an adorable personality and is seriously thirsty after guys lol. GxB / 3 (or 6  if you pay) romance options / COMPLETE

Changeling: a fantasy in a high-school setting! MC is nameable & actually awesome! i highly recc this with  6 romance options!! you can date Vampires, a Werewolf, a Fairy?! and a goofball Wizard! mystery after mystery and uncovering the forgotten past of MC! GxB / 6 romance options / COMPLETE / P2P

Gilded Shadows: ^^ same dev as Changeling and that's why its so damn good guys. MC is an Esper and ofc we're a QUEEN. in power i mean. up to 4 chapters out now more on the way so get it!! GxB / 9 romance options / DEMO

Tailor Tales: customizable MC who creates clothes (mini-game feature) with different storylines the F2P is SFW with 3 guys so far. the patreon version has the explicit NSFW version and lots more content + James' route!!! GxB / MORE ROUTES TO COME

Manor Hill:  a mystery with attractive people at a party hosted in a luxurious manor. LGBTQA / IN DEVELOPMENT

The Pretenders Guild: fully customizable MC with 3 romance-able cuties ;) your BFF, a freaking Prince, and a choco-loving ninja warrior. LGBT / COMPLETE

Fujiwara: MC can fall in love with guys who are all multifaceted and have more depth to them than first impressions let on. 6 romance options !! / GxB / F2P / COMPLETE 

Belong: customizable MC ftw!! cute slice of life MC at a part-time job. GxG & GxB / COMPLETE

1st Degree: murder and more murder! MC is gender-locked as a man who is a serial killer. yup, we be livin Dexter. 4 routes (one is 2in1 with twins...) /  DEMO / BXB

Miraclr: on PC its P2P but also on IOS for free! you date archangels basically. text you in real-time too! choose your pronouns!! 5 romance options & secret route too! COMPLETE

Mnemonic Devices: amnesiac MC who is customizable!~ you have 2 suitors to choose from and memories to (literally) unlock! LGBT / COMPLETE

& lastly,  a2 ~a due~; a hidden gem about music + and differences in people.  GxB / COMPLETE

i meant 'alternate dimension" more as in how the "canon" in A6 plays out, not how players play their MC. so like, the canon universe in Damon's route (regardless of MC) acts as if he and Alisa are not a thing Pre-Cursa, but in other routes the canon plays out as if they already are—albeit loosely, intimately involved before they rekindle the feelings that are still there. 

side romances don't bother me at all btw! i do love games where romanceable characters can be together, like with Dragon Age.

lol that makes sense! just thought the wording was literal i guess 😅whattt you rejected him?! i have no strength to reject him how did it go 👀

Wait.. in the other routes the option of accepting Damon's apology keeps him as a possible LI? Even though he and Alisa rekindled their relationship?? 

i feel the same! Alisa/Damon is like this natural course in all other routes but Damon's. they talk in his like they're a thing of the past, and that would work if that continuation was there in all routes, but instead they def still have a thing going on. it's like Damon's route is an alternate dimension where he and Alisa's feelings are strictly platonic. but.. that's not the case for the other routes so like you said it feels less real. 

i think there being personal relationships or just a possibility of more between crew-members (like w/ Bash & his crush on Ryona) is cute and adds character building. but since MC can be romantic with any one of them the idea of anyone already being "involved" makes any relationship MC forms with them less solid

i have no issue with Damon and Alisa having been a couple in the past regardless of the route, but it's the way it's dismissed as being over in his route but still a present relationship in the others that's seems spotty 

Every so often, I scroll through the games on itch.io, and I just couldn't stop myself (as if I would even want to) from playing this! No seriously, you had me at:

Ebon Light is a dark fantasy visual novel with romantic subplots, lots of choices, a customizable protagonist, and multiple ways to die.

What. 

This has everything. 

Romance? Choices? Love 'em. Multiple endings? To die for. Being able to customize MC? Awesome. But, being given a diverse range of skin tones? Lovely! 

I've always felt that I exhausted the supply of otomes that were readily available but stumbling into the trove that is itch.io proved that false. And now playing Ebon Light, it's like discovering an entirely different take on what I'm used to in otomes! 

And this is free too?

Again: what. 

I didn't mention this above but, being able to attune MC's personality how I want is super cool and will make the replay value 100x better! (Also, being able to call Laceaga "Lacey" all throughout the game was the easiest choice to make lol).

Though I did not like Laceaga when we first find him following (read: stalking) MC, to kidnapping her (not two seconds later!), and (potentially) hurting Vanya. I had him pegged as non-romanceable for me right away.

But, of course, after learning what the others thought about him, picking every choice that irked him, calling him Lacey, and making sure MC told every Elf about the Cuthintal, I ended up finding Lacey kinda likeable. Haron and Vadeyn are still the top tier romance options for me though. 

So excited for what's to come! I'll be sure to keep up with the updates :)

Reminds me of a manga called "Absolute Boyfriend" I love the concept of this game. I'm sooo stoked to play the demo XD

The Lady's Choice has made me soo emotional holy cheese. I admit I had a lot of feels for these characters. Each were so unique in personality and how they interacted. I admit Guy was frustrating at times but such a gentle person. I can't wait to start Amesbury's route right away! Also, "The Crossroads" is next on my list for sure XD