#ityh

[gascoignes-homewrecker]

inspirational quote

from Amiralo's horror visual novel "I Take Your Hand".

"And the worst part? I don't even have any last words to impart to anyone. Here lies Camille Du Bois, a girl who lived her life frivolously. She was known for chasing after cold guys and being a pretty self-centered twat. She left behind absolutely nothing of value and will be remembered by no one."

[englishotomegames]

I Take Your Hand: A Horror Otome

Release date (Windows, Mac OS, Linux) English: December 26th, 2021

“All Camille wants is for the mysterious transfer student Osgoode to notice her. Then Osgoode notices her and she ends up in his basement in chains. A horror otome about first love in the midst of gore and trauma.”

This is a free game by Amiralo! You can download it here.

[otomevibes]

Top 3 Otomes Played in 2022

Hey hey, it's that time again! 2022 wasn't a gaming year in any sense of the word, and I didn't play/finish that many otomes. That's why unlike last year, this is just going to be 3 titles instead of 5! With an included bonus of demos for indie titles I played that I'm looking forward to in the future!

3. ITYH

This was one of the first ones I played this year and it was a wild ride. Horror is one of my favorite genres, so whenever I see a new horror otome I always pick them up. Both of the main characters being unlikable was fun, and each ending brought something new to the overall story. I usually tend not to care much for yandere/monstrous love interests, but this one just worked for me. If you're ok with kidnapping, murder, cannibalism, and really toxic relationships, I recommend.

2. Variable Barricade

And on the complete opposite spectrum, we have Variable Barricade. I feel like a lot of the big otome releases this year just weren't hitting for me, but this one was a lot of fun. I have my grievances with Ichiya's route (specifically how male SA/rape was handled, plus it felt like it came out of no where amidst the general comedic tone of the game), but all the other routes were so much fun. Nayuta and Shion are some of my favorite love interests, I love them so much. I also love the main character, she was so funny and seeing her have to deal with a group of idiots was exactly what I needed during the midst of college graduation earlier this year.

1. Heart Fragment

The otome of all otomes honestly. This isn't just a favorite of the year, this has the potential to be my favorite otome of all time depending on how Book 3 and the Finale go. I'm not sure how to describe the plot of this? Xani Green realizes they have strange mutant abilities and this leads them to wanting to learn about herself and her dead mother's past. It's a unique blend of genres, but the main focus is really on the main character's struggles, and wow I have not related to a main character more in my life. Xani is prickly and closed off and they have every reason to be due to everything they've been through. A lot of their growth is learning how to let others in and how to trust people and that there are people worth trusting. All the routes were also fantastic. Clive, Kay, and Shannon mean everything to me actually, and I related to their struggles so much. Big sis Lana was also an A+ character. My favorite part about this though is that it feels almost like a puzzle. The more endings you get and routes you play the more you piece together about the overall plot. I could rant about this game forever, but I'm going to stop here. This game might not be for everyone, but I do implore everyone to give it a chance. The first book is free, and I think if it clicks with you, it really will click.

Demos played/Full Releases I'm looking forward to

Obscura: The Dark Descent by Rotten Racoons

Our Life 2 by GB Patch

Diffraction by Mellowdrawmatic

[akuakourin]

Celebration art for Amiralo's release of her latest otome horror visual novel I Take Your Hand! Do check it out here, she knows her stuff about horror and dread and overall fun terrible personalities!

[otomevibes]

Ok I've only gotten endings 1 and 4 but ITYH is /wild/ and makes me wish there were more horror otomes out there

[sanguivore]

[phoenixyfriend]

I hope you know you made me cry w/ I'll take you home.

gOOD

I SPENT TWO WEEKS ON THAT FIC

I HOPE I MADE EVERYBODY BAWL