Variable Barricade - Nintendo Switch

I'm still fairly new to the otome world, but I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of writing in this romcom game. The MC is intelligent, bold, and not another submissive led through the story like far too many of these protagonists found in this genre. When I started playing, I didn't like any of the LIs, their flaws were very glaring, but as the game goes on, the MC gets to know each of them individually a little before you get to the point of choosing a route. Some of the best bits of the game is how familial all the characters become with one another. The game mixes funny scenes well while not going overboard and ruining the atmosphere of the serious points where the drama unfolds. Wonderful character growth archs for both the LI and the MC. Quite an enjoyable experience! (And my biased opinion with no spoilers, Ichya! Wow! 2nd board reveals left me enamored with him! Ha ha! Thank you game for giving me so many feels! :D)

This is probably my newest favorite otome, haven’t played Cupid parasite yet, but I hear good things about it as well. This one had me laughing for beginning to end. The protagonist is very solid, she has strengths and weaknesses as a teenager which are very believable. I like that we are starting to get more of these types of protagonists instead of ones that are blanks. The love interests seem typical in the beginning but they do really get fleshed out well in each of their stories. It does introduce a new gameplay system I never have seen before in an otome, but it wasn’t anything that detracted from the experience for me. Just a neat quirk. The barricade battles were pretty amusing actually. The only thing I think I disliked was the the scenario involved with the true end. I’ve seen this in otomes before and it’s just not my cup of tea, It was handled better in this game than I’ve ever seen before, which I think helped saved the true end for me. The protagonist being one that doesn’t take any crap and telling it how it is was just so refreshing. Thanks aksys for bringing another gem over to the US

I love so many darker otomes (Collar x Malice, Nightshade, Taisho x Alice, Steam Prison, etc) that I wasn't sure how much I'd enjoy this. This game is excellent. I'm constantly bursting out laughing and then showing and trying to explain it to my very confused husband. He has mentioned he prefers me laughing to the sobbing I did during Nightshade. But I digress.I described this to my husband as a romantic comedy of errors and I stick to that the more I play. I haven't played Cupid Parasite, though I absolutely intend to ASAP, but I've seen a lot of comparisons on reddit. From the screenshots of CP, I am absolutely sure it's going to be my next after this.For the serious part. The storylines and characters are deeper than I expected. Even the characters I couldn't stand initially became far more real and sympathetic the longer I played. I pre-ordered this, and Amazon again delivered my package to the neighbor, likely so they didn't have to walk up my driveway. But I'm not knocking off anything because this game deserves every single star. I love it.

Was a good game, though all the romances felt a bit lackluster in ways. Still a decent otome if you're looking for something a bit on the sillier side, with a nice colorful cast.

Variable Barricade is one of the funniest otome games I've played! Each character has an issue with them romantically (similar to Cupid Parasite) but it's still super enjoyable--the game is a just nonstop romantic comedy! It feels well made too; the artstyle and menu design is eye-catching. Very happy with my purchase! 😍

Great game! Lots of funny bits, solid voice acting (Japanese), and a charming cast. It also has the best art I've ever seen in an otome game.I especially liked Hibari Tojo's intelligent, no-nonsense character. She has a voiced option, which is a huge plus for me.Variable Barricade is a good intro to the otome genre. I highly recommend it!