Happy Holidays everyone! Did everyone get their shopping done yet? You’ve only got a few days before Christmas! And even if we don’t believe in Santa anymore (or think that, like Tuxedo Mask, there’s a hot man hidden under a costume) we can still snuggle up to a good story. Which favorite otome/amare game do you like playing during winter? I think mine still remains CxM but with these new titles coming out next year, that might quickly change! So let’s snuggle up and have some tea one last time before the new year while I dish the gossip on these new titles~
DIFFRACTION~
Last week on December 15th, the small otome dev team met their Kickstarter goal with over 600 backers and more than doubled their original funding! Boasting a large £24,970 amount, they’re able to provide some upgrades beyond creating the game like character sprites, upgrades and my favorite addition – epilogues for each love interest.
“Diffraction is an otome/romance visual novel game, exploring coming-of-age and slice-of-life themes in a small rainy town. Inspired by introspective shoujo manga such as “Natsume’s Book of Friends” and “Skip Beat”, Diffraction is filled with quiet atmospheres, photography dreams, and romance abound. “
When you’re playing the demo and see the main title screen, there’s an instant feeling of serenity. Even though MC might be caught in the pouring rain it brings you a sense of peace, maybe back during a time when we didn’t have everything figured out. This is exactly where we begin our journey with April, who can be renamed, as she pursues her passion for photography while balancing life, bills, and an unexpected romance.
Something about having a proper after story for your whirlwind romance always hits the right spot, like whipped cream floating across a yummy sundae. I’d love the OST for this game because the music is so pleasantly chill but hopefully in the future, we may have a chance yet to purchase it separately! As far as the story, right now I’m having a blast playing the demo so while I can’t give the full review right now but you can check out my Twitch to see my Hen playthrough and stay tuned for Faine’s soon.
Diffraction was made by a four-friend dev team who’ve called themselves Rain Droplet Atelier (as a fan of the Atelier games, I love how whimsically cute this name is) who each contribute their own talents to creating this amare title! Be sure to congratulate them for meeting budget and support them by enjoying their demo below.
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DiffractionVN
DEMO: https://mellodrawmatic.itch.io/diffraction
KICKSTARTER: http://kck.st/3hJ060w
STEAM: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2183100/Diffraction/
TOUCHSTARVED~
And for those who are like me and facing a chilly snowstorm soon, might I interest you in some skin-to-skin contact? Well TOO BAD cos you have to wait until Spring next year to get your cuddling on with this title!
Will you gaze into the abyss?
Intertwine your fate with 5 monstrous lovers and hunt for a cure for your curse in Touchstarved, a gothic horror romance visual novel. – Official Twitter
Anyone who knows me can confirm that I’m a certified SLUT for gothic horror romances and gorgeous art so I know deep from within my heart this game was manifested from my depraved imagination. Listen I don’t make the rules here, just stating facts! And even though we have awhile to wait, the lovely dev team at Red Spring Studio has been so generous to quench our thirst by leaving little hints about the game.
From what we can gather from their Twitter posts, we know that the MC was born with a curse that can affect the minds of other people and we’re trying to find answers in the city of Eridia. Depending on what path we choose, we may glimpse at both the gilded and underbelly side of this place but it’s unknown if this also affects who we meet along the way. So to summarize… we have an aggressive arm condition with a desperate need of a cure but also some water because we’re going to encounter some very attractive people on this journey.
But my favorite bit of news has to be with the customizable options with our MC. Not only do we get to choose what kind of backstory our MC had growing up and their name, we also have the ability to choose pronouns! Having this much creative freedom in a visual novel is always appreciated and it gives me the same fuzzy feeling I get when creating a new character for D&D.
We love inclusivity in this house!
If you’re impatient like me and want to get your feet wet in character creation, I’d highly suggest taking a look at their most recent Twitter prompt! They’ve already provided an empty template, and the font types to fill in the blanks so all you’ll need is some art of your OC. If you’re going to use commissioned work, make sure the art was either for you and/or given permission with proper credits to the artist!
Thank you Red Spring Studio for bringing us an exciting game to follow into the new year! Hopefully with time, we’ll have the opportunity to know about your team more so we can personally congratulate every person who has helped inspire this game.
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/redspringstudio
LOVE SPELL: ASLAN’S STORY~
For those who’d like their holidays to be a little more magical but avoid snow storms and crowded places, why not hang out with the lovable Philia and explore the magical world of Love Spell! Two years ago in July, Great Gretsuki Studios gifted us a romantic visual novel our MC, and her magical shenanigans with her sassy, cheese-obsessed penguin. Four love interests, four wildly entertaining stories that explore the daily struggles of a college student but with a magical girl twist.
But what happens when we cross paths with a magical boy?
The Love Spell fun continues in this brand-new additional content expansion featuring Aslan’s Story.
Follow Luna’s adventure through different worlds when she accidentally ends up chasing the mysterious pink-haired wizard named Aslan through a magical portal and straight into a parallel universe!
Meet new and old faces alike as you venture together with Philia, Aslan, and an adorable new little penguin named Merlow, Aslan’s own familiar, as you set off on a quest to find a way to get you home. – Official Webpage
We finally get to know more about the sweet bartender! He’s always listened to us even when we were too deep in our cups, observing in the background as we chase adventure and love stories so it’s a pleasant change that we can finally build our own story with him.
Given the description, you don’t have to play the original routes in order to understand or enjoy Aslan’s story. They will be involved in the story but it doesn’t impede what happens in Written in the Stars so it’s suggested to play the original game first, it’s not necessary.
I wanna play the new DLC but I wanna finish the original game first…
If starring in your own romantic time-traveling Hallmark movie isn’t enough to convince you to get this game though, what would you say if I mentioned that it was on sale – this very instant?
Their holiday sale is on right now and you can get Aslan’s chapter at a special discount of $4.27! If you still haven’t picked up Written in the Stars yet and fancy artbooks, consider getting all three for $30.00. It’s really nice seeing the different outfit ideas our MC went through and also how our sweet familiar was inspired. Have you seen baby Philia? SHE’S SO CUUUUUTE!
Thanks GGS for the amazing hustle this year! You’re still developing the highly anticipated farming sim romance, Peachleaf Valley, and creating more fun DLC stories for Love Spell. Aslan’s chapter will undoubtedly be fun but I’m crossing my fingers that we finally meet Sergio soon – the aloof, bad-boy mafia leader..
If you haven’t met him yet, just play Marcello’s route and you’ll know exactly why I need to kiss this man. If we manage to support them enough on their Patreon, they’ll release his story too. Right now we’re 172/300 for patrons so lesgo people, we got some ground to cover! Philia’s cheese sticks don’t come cheap!
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/gretuskigames
WEBSITE: https://www.gretuskigames.com/
PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/gretuskigames
ITCH.IO: https://itch.io/s/84280/itchio-winter-sale
WHEN THE NIGHT COMES~
But if you’re not in the mood for cozy romance by the fire and craving for something a little more mature and spooky, please consider Lunaris Games LGBTQ+ mystery thriller When The Night Comes that’s on sale now!
Play as a renowned Hunter; a creature slayer who has been called to the quiet, strange little town of Lunaris to assist the local Enforcers with an investigation into a series of unsettling and unexplained supernatural murders.
Immerse yourself in the world of witches, vampires, demons, and Lycans as you slowly unravel the dark mystery that lies deep within the roots of the town.
The question is, are the creatures of the night the ones you should really be afraid of?
You might even fall in forbidden love along the way. – Lunaris Games
This has been on my To Play list for a long time now because I’m a big fan of dark romances especially when we’re the hunter instead of being caught in the middle as prey. I’m not against being chased around by a hot monster but there’s just something empowering about being able to stand toe-to-toe with a creature of the night, especially when we have the power to reflect ourselves in the MC by choosing our own pronouns and whom to love with an open LBGTQ+ cast.
What also caught my attention is their assurance that even if we choose someone to romance, we’ll still be able to meet other characters throughout the story. This is something I specifically look for when reviewing visual novels so knowing this already deepens my desire to play, as it’s my belief that in order to make a great romance story, you need to have a supporting cast to help define it.
Did I also mention Gideon Emery voices one of the characters? Fenris from Dragon Age 2 – yeah, him! Seriously, for almost $11 you shouldn’t need any more reasons to get this game! Christmas is in a few days and you deserve to treat yourself but just in case, here are a few more features:
– 11 chapters totaling 490,000+ words
– 6 individual romances + 2 polyamorous pairings
– 60+ gorgeous collectable illustrations
– Codex entries with character backstories, lore, and more
– Pronoun selection and a fully LGBTQ+ cast
– The choice to play without pursuing romance
– Partially voiced with over 2,000 voiced lines
– 3 post-game DLCs unlocked after you complete the main game
– Over 80 hours of potential gameplay across all possible routes
– Multiple endings, good and bad
Lunaris Games was founded in 2018 by a small group that shares a passion for creating fun, diverse and narrative-driven stories. They self-publish their own titles and collaborate with many from across Europe and America with a clear message to their fanbase:
We believe that representation matters, whether it be solving supernatural murders, saving a kingdom, taking a deep dive into an eldritch-horror-infested world, or battling the forces of darkness.
And as a demisexual afro-Latina, that makes me feel safe and happy. So please consider giving them your undying love and support as they continue to weave these stories for us.
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LunarisGames_
WEBSITE: https://www.lunarisgames.com/
PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/lunarisgames
ITCH.IO: https://lunarisgames.itch.io/
In closing, I’m bummed there wasn’t more time to look at more holiday-oriented titles before Christmas but I still plan to enjoy them regardless! Hopefully before New Year’s Day because where I’m from – winter gets worse after December and I’ll need all the holiday cheer I can get.
See you next year!
Bonne
The Pretty Blerd Guardian! 
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