It’s been a bit of a rough time lately, and indie games have been a total light in the darkness, old favourites and exciting new experiences alike. But I don’t really talk about the games I love here very much, so… here I am—rectifying that. Here are five of the best games I’ve played in the indie/romance space:
Cursed Covenant by @larkylabs (18+)
A fantasy adult otome/amare game
A visual novel about magic and disaster; about regret and resolve; about a love that transcends time and death and sanity—plus, smolderingly hot sex scenes! This game somehow both broke and mended my heart, and I can’t recommend it enough if you dig the concept of facing down a tragic, doomed fate and striving to carve out a moment of happiness anyway. (Plus did I mention the sex scenes???)
Our Life: Beginnings & Always by @gb-patch
Grow from childhood to adulthood with the lonely boy next door in this near-fully customizable visual novel.
Everyone knows this one, right? A slice-of-life visual novel with an insane amount of character customisation and choice. Cove Holden is one of the most textured, endearing love interests I’ve ever encountered, and following his relationship with the protagonist through their childhood and into adulthood is one of the warmest, most satisfying experiences you could gift yourself.
Shepherds of Haven by @shepherds-of-haven (DEMO)
A dark fantasy interactive fiction RPG.
A dark fantasy interactive fiction with an incredible story, breathing world, and some of the most compelling love interests you’ll ever encounter. Though the world of Blest is dark and perilous there is still this found family of messy heroes who strive to do good, and the vibe is over-all so refreshingly hopeful and warm. The public demo is substantial and well worth playing, and if you enjoy it then there’s a lot more of the alpha available via the creator’s Patreon.
The Symbiant by HeartCoreDev (18+) (M/M ONLY)
Space gays, tentacles and good food. A bit of bara.
This is for my fellow monster fuckers out there. Things get a little freaky in this one! The Symbiant is a gay visual novel set aboard a spaceship transporting a very handsome passenger and his very interesting cargo. If you enjoy it, there’s also a fandisk that I highly recommend! (And, if the concept intrigues you but not the explicit stuff, there is also a PG-13 version available.)
The Wayhaven Chronicles by @seraphinitegames
I’m preaching to the choir with this one, I know—but how could I not mention this IF series? Vampires, the supernatural world mingling with our own, and a bunch of mysteries to solve—what’s not to like? The love interests get so much love and attention in the story, and the whole thing just feels so cozy and heartfelt. Three books are already complete, and the next is on its way. A great world to get lost in for a while, if you haven’t already.
Some of our games are now open for a one-time purchase at Patreon, including Cursed Covenant and Oathbreaker series. If you've ever wanted to play the games without subscription, hop on over at Patreon and check out the shop collection!💜
Sometimes I really want to read a short summary of what to expect from a game with a very particular description that CATER to my OWN SPECIFIC interests, so here we go.
(click here for other videogames)
what to expect from CURSED COVENANT: THE DEMONIC PURSUIT
(the game can only be purchased through patreon. Keep in mind it is 18+ and nsfw)
The game is a visual novel, romance and 18+ game. The 18+ is very needed, as the visual novel has extensive nsfw scenes and also sex mini-games
This is what I would call a "plot with porn" game, with lot of both (and I ended up crying and really liking the story)
You play as a nameless adventurer who finds themselves summoned to help a powerful Magi defeat an annoying imp
You can choose she/her, he/him or they/them as pronouns and you can choose two voices (one masculine and one feminine)
The game is not voiced a part from laughter and moans, so that is what the voices will be
You can also choose the skin color of your character as you will see part of their bodies (mainly hands)
At the start of the game you will also choose the gender of the Magi and you will romance the Magi: they will be Exon if male or Imazz if a woman
Through the game you will be sent into three different fairytales and meet three characters (Snow White, Cinderella and Red Riding Hood) and you will choose the gender of these characters too as they are characters your protagonist will sleep with
In particula: each of these fairy tale will have a sex mini-game where you will choose which part of their body to touch/kiss etc. and the other character this happens with will be the Magi you romance
There is only one romance
Through the game you will also find out who the imp is and why you seem to not remember anything about your past
Plus, who the people in the fairy tale are and why you seem to love the Magi dearly
The full mystery is revealed through the game bit by bit and the game is at its core a love story
There are four endings in total that depend on choices that you can do at the end of chapter 6 and will lead to a different state of the world/romance and a different epilogue
Also some d/s present too and the player character can be dominant
and a top
plot? You play as a nameless amnesiac adventurer summoned by a fae magical creature who needs help getting rid of an imp.
gameplay? visual novel, dialogue choices plus mini games (nsfw)
characters? The protagonist, the Magi, the three fairy tale characters, the Magi's companion plus another spoiler character are the only characters in the game.
gain the trust of sadness level? very high
Adding a small personal opinion slightly spoilery:
I felt like the presence of the fairy tale was mainly an excuse to have the sex minigames. Also for some reason the Snow White sex minigame was a different format of the other. I do wish there was a way to skip some of them, but they are not too long.
Here’s a master post where you can find most (if not all) of my games. It will be updated, and edited over time. 🎮
Paper Masks - Season 1: Create your own character as you navigate a dark, character-driven story. Romance one main love interest (gender of your choice). Includes optional and non-optional NSFW scenes. This game is intended for adults. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.
(Season 1 FULL version is out!)
Content warnings: sexual assault, trauma, abuse, obsession, self-harm, manipulation, emotional distress, sexual content.
Patreon (Early Access NSFW version)
Itch.io (Public version - only until chapter 3 for now)
Cursed Covenant is an adult fantasy visual novel and dating sim. Choose your love interest, create your own character, and explore a story of love, and its heavy cost.
(Completed: Full Game Available)
Content Warnings: Sexual content, highly explicit sexual scenes (implied and shown), nudity, animated NSFW scenes with sound, adult themes, romance, and mature language. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.
Buy on Patreon or download as a member.
Free demo on itch.io
Voiceless Elegy: A Victorian horror/otome/amare game with five love interests, animated sprites, scary mini-games, and numerous CGs. The Patreon version includes exclusive animated NSFW scenes with sound effects.
(Currently in active development: Chapter 1 available)
Content Warnings: Psychological horror, death, grief, abuse, sexual content, sexual assault (referenced), violence, gore, body horror, mental health themes, trauma triggers, pregnancy and pregnancy loss.
Oathbreaker 2: The second season of Oathbreaker, continue your journey with your Warlock general in this otome / visual novel. Explore seven love interests, enjoy animated CGs and sprites, and navigate a story full of intrigue, romance, and tough choices.
(Completed: Full Game Available)
NSFW Patreon Version: Contains fully explicit animated sexual scenes with sound effects.
Content Warnings: Sexual content (implied), non-sexual nudity, themes of pregnancy, blood, violence, death, mature themes, and intense emotional situations. Viewer discretion is advised.
Buy NSFW version on Patreon or download as a member.
Download the free, sfw, public version on Itch.io.
Oathbreaker 1: A veteran Warlock is drawn into a political conspiracy when summoned by the Sovereignty as the new Court Mage. This visual novel/otome game features five love interests, animated sprites, and CGs.
(Completed: Full Game Available)
NSFW Version: Contains fully explicit sexual animated CGs with sound effects.
Content Warnings: Implied sexual content, implied physical and emotional abuse, manipulation, pregnancy, death, and violence. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.
Buy NSFW version on Patreon or download as a member.
Download the free, sfw, public version on Itch.io.
Cardinal Cross: A sci-fi/cyberpunk visual novel / otome game with three love interests, multiple endings, meaningful choices, an original OST, and numerous CGs.
(Completed: Full Game Available)
Content Warnings: Implied sexual content, drug and alcohol use, violence, death, and other heavy themes. Rated 16+. Viewer discretion is advised.
Buy on Steam.
Buy on itch.io.
Download as a member on Patreon.
I can't believe we've finally reached the end of our journey with our favorite Magi!
It's been such a wild ride. What started as a one-off minigame turned into something much bigger. The moment I began writing the Magi, I completely fell in love with the character. I shared the idea and character design with the rest of the team, and together we decided to turn it into a small series instead!
Never did I expect to get so attached, not just to the Magi, but to every character and the story as a whole.
And I definitely didn't expect it to become LarkyLabs' first official adult game, marking our debut as a full-on NSFW game dev studio.
While it's far from perfect, I am incredibly proud of what we made.
I learned so much during development, especially about animation and Live2D, which I’m hoping to bring into future titles!
This game was also created during one of the most difficult times in my life, while I was deep in grief. Looking back now, I can see how the story ended up telling me something I needed to hear. Seeing bits of my own feelings hidden inside makes this game especially meaningful to me. I can see it becoming as important as Cardinal Cross. (Something's up with those Cs, I swear...)
That being said, I hope you enjoy the complete story of a Magi and their precious Adventurer. 💜
Now, a quick heads-up! We had a lot of pronoun errors in earlier chapters due to the wide range of character creation options and my limited timing for testing. I've gone back and edited the entire game from the beginning to fix most of those issues. Still, some may slip through. If you spot any, please let me know, here, on our official Discord, or on the itch.io Bugs & Reports thread(Beware of spoilers!), and I'll make sure they’re corrected.
I've also updated some earlier text to better support the final chapter. If you've already played Chapter 6, I recommend starting again from the end of it and rereading [Spoiler's] final conversation.
That's most of what I wanted to share, but if I remember anything else, I'll edit this post later!
Looking ahead: Prince and I have already started working on our next NSFW anime game, which I'll be sharing more about soon (along with updates on our non-anime games, too). But for now, I'll be spending a little more time saying goodbye to Cursed Covenant and polishing up anything that still needs fixing.
As always, a HUGE thank you to everyone on Patreon. Your support and feedback brought this game to life. I hope I've returned even a fraction of that love through our chaotic Magi. 💜
One thing I love about endings is that they're also the beginning of something new.
So whenever you're ready... I'll be waiting on the other side.💜