Rrrrrrrrromance! Recommend me something where I can charm NPCs. 💕

[jadetine]

I just like games where you can build relationships with NPCs. I love getting lost in the narrative. Any rating is fine, and I have multiple consoles / a gaming computer.

Example games I've played and loved that contain romance mechanics:

• Bioware Series (Mass Effect / Dragon Age)
• Stardew Valley
• Fire Emblem Series

I just finished Littlewood, which was cute and relaxing. I might go back and finish My Time at Portia, except I spend like 80% of that game mining.

 

[fairysyndrome]

the harvest moon / story of seasons games (known as harvest moon from the one on SNES to a new beginning on the 3ds and then story of seasons after for the other 3ds games and the switch ones) are farming sims & what stardew is inspired by, and they have befriending and romancing npcs as a core series mechanic! those are on like, every generation of nintendo system both console and handheld. old series. been around a while.

rune factory, a jrpg farming sim spinoff series of HM/SOS, also has romance mechanics -- there are 3 games for that for DS, 2 for Wii, 1 for 3DS, and 1 for Switch (a remaster of the 3DS one), currently, with another one set to release on Switch in EN early next year.

 

[DarkDesertFox]

Romance is really such an underrated element in games and needs to be included more. By far the games with the best romance I've played is Persona 4 and 5. It's very in-depth and not half-assed in the slightest. Story of Seasons games also include relationship building as well as romance/marriage. Fable 2 and 3 also have marriageable NPCs you can have kids with. Though I have only played Fable 2. Skyrim has marriage in it, but if you really want to flush out the romance mods would be the best thing to look into for it. I feel like I'm missing some I've played. I'll make an update if I find any more.

 

[DJStarstryker]

You can try looking at visual novels, if you don't mind reading. There's a lot of romance ones out there that you may enjoy. There are many out there, so it's hard to give recommendations without knowing your particular tastes and interests. But some recommendations I can mention off the top of my head is: if you are a girl (or don't mind being forced to be a girl character) and prefer/don't mind your character dating guys, there is the genre called otome games. My favorites are:

- Hakuoki: You are a girl in Japan during samurai times and end up running into the Shinsengumi (they were a real life group of samurai). You go through some real Japanese historical timeline stuff mixed with some fantasy things and you get to romance samurai guys.
- Code:Realize: It takes place in a steampunk-inspired alternate reality of London, where you are a girl whose very skin and touch is poisonous. A group of guys are trying to help you get cured.

Both have really good plotlines, so it's not just romancing guys.

I do +1 to Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons too. I personally think Stardew Valley does the whole farming aspect better, but if you really enjoy farming games, it's definitely worth giving the series a look.

 

[jadetine]

@vanivon
Harvest Moon / SOS / Rune Factory I had sampled back in the day, but I don't recall why I gave up on them. I'll have to give the ones I have another try, though my old lady eyeballs may suffer on the 3DS / roms, so that might be the deterrent.

@DarkDesertFox
Fable series and Skyrim I thoroughly enjoyed, and completely forgot to mention.
Persona?! I received P4G as a bday gift and dismissed it after 30 minutes; I will have to dive back in!

@DJStarstryker omg, I am a very active Otome Isekai webtoon / manga reader, but I didn't think to try the games! (Facepalm) Thanks for the recs!

 

[Belle T]

I'm not sure if by romantic games you want to include games that are just romantic stories, or if you prefer games where romance is an option but not necessarily the point. Furthermore, I don't know if you prefer romance games where there's a variety of romantic options or if you also wanted some where there was a singular relationship that grows and develops. But since you mentioned that you enjoy otome webtoon and manga, I figured I'd give some recommendations that I thoroughly enjoyed. Keep in mind that my tastes in romantic fiction may dramatically differ from yours and also that I don't know you or your preferences in partners, so remember that these are things that I enjoy and not an assumption about you.

Also bear in mind that some of these titles may contain adult content as DLC; however, they can be switched off in the options menu. Just keep that in mind when you search for them.

If you want a free to play otome game, I really enjoyed Cinderella Phenomenon. It's not a perfect game, as there are some issues I have with its script (and in my opinion, the route that is supposed to be "canon" is honestly the worst one, though I'm apparently in a minority of people who feel that way), but the beautiful art and music as well as extremely well-defined characters really make it worth a play. I think it took me around 40 hours to go through all the routes.

One of my absolute favorite kinetic (no choices) visual novels is Highway Blossoms. It's an adorable love story with many emotional ups and downs, beautiful art, and an interesting musical direction. It's always fun to pick up and read again from time to time. The game recently got a voice acting patch, which is a bit of a mixed bag in terms of performance quality. My first time playing it was without voices and I think it's perfectly fine like that. But the voice acting is there if you want it.

A New Life is very short at under an hour, but it is a very sweet and emotional story.

Princess Remedy in a World of Hurt is a short, but cute retro style game where you can marry pretty much any NPC in the game. It has a sequel called Princess Remedy 2: In a Heap of Trouble but I've never played it.

Clannad is one of my favorite anime shows, but I've never played the visual novel (which you can purchase from Steam). One of my friends tells me the VN is also quite good, and extremely feature rich and explains some parts of the story much better than the show does. There is an obviously canon route (Nagisa), but there are a variety of romantic options aside from her.

Another free-to-play one that was recommended to me by a friend was Katawa Shoujo. It's a little rough around the edges, but there are a variety of romance options. Bear in mind, however, that this one is very heavy on the angst.

I don't think I've played an ebi-hime game that I haven't enjoyed. The Sad Story of Emmeline Burns is really enjoyable with really beautiful art, though it, too, is a very depressing game in case the title didn't make that obvious. Strawberry Vinegar is also good for a more lighthearted affair. I haven't played it yet, but I have heard good things about The Language of Love.

Anyway, this post is getting quite long. These are just some of the games that I enjoyed; sorry if it's not what you're looking for.

 

[SkyKnight03]

Fable is a more obscure series, but you can marry NPC's after flirting enough. Fable 2 builds on the system, although I haven't done a full playthrough in years so I don't remember it entirely.

 

[ellarella]

i love romance in games. the mass effect games are probably close to being the peak of romance-in-video-games, but aside from that series and those already mentioned:

• star wars: knights of the old republic 1 + 2 (both contain pretty good romances)
• star wars: the old republic (an mmo with a couple of decent storylines and a huge amount of characters)
• the baldur's gate series (mostly the second in the series. i have yet to play the third)
• the fallout games (though they vary a lot from game to game, with fallout 1 basically not having any romantic moments)
• cyberpunk 2077
• arcanum
• vampire - the masquerade: bloodlines
• jade empire
• expeditions: conquistador (expeditions: viking might have too, i don't know)
• ******* bonds (sorta, kinda)
• neverwinter nights 2 + neverwinter nights 2: mask of the betrayer
• pillars of eternity 1+2
• pathfinder: kingmaker
• divinity: original sin 2

 

[TofuIdol]

I personally as well really enjoy some good romance stuff, mostly visual novels. I can try and recommend a few games that I've personally enjoyed that maybe you might see as interesting.

• Ozmafia: Our heroine has amnesia and finds herself in a familiar town full of mafia families. She gets picked by one of them, the Oz family. They’re not just any family though, they are the Wizard of OZ characters, with the leader being the Lion Caramia, and his two right-hand men the Scarecrow Kyrie and the Tin Man Axel. They give her the name Fuka and from that day on she spends her days being a freeloader and interacting with other mafia families in town. -Available on Steam
• Amnesia: Memories: you'll play as the Heroine whose life depends on hiding your recent loss of memory while you navigate complex relationships with five men. Choose your romantic path from the start to piece together that which was forgotten. Will you write the lasting love story you deserve, or will your love – and life – come to an end? -Available on Steam, and PS VITA
• Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds: In this historical fantasy visual novel, you play as the young Chizuru, determined to find her father amidst the drama of Kyoto in the Bakumatsu period. Romance the famous samurai of the Shinsengumi as you uncover their dark secrets and come face to face with the mysteries of your past. -Available on Steam and PS VITA
• Harvest Moon/SOS/Rune Factory franchise: You can play either a male or female character that moves to either farmland or in some older titles an island that was normally once owned by your late grandfather. You do things to help rebuild the farm an the town for the townsfolks, while finding even that special someone along the way. -Available on all Nintendo systems and some friends of mineral town is also on Steam
• Persona 4 Golden: Inaba—a quiet town in rural Japan sets the scene for budding adolescence in Persona 4 Golden.
  A coming of age story that sets the protagonist and his friends on a journey kickstarted by a chain of serial murders. Explore meeting kindred spirits, feelings of belonging, and even confronting the darker sides of one’s self. (Romance isn't it's main focus since it's a JRPG but there is girls you can date from) -Available on Steam and PS VITA

 

[Jaden]

Most games which I played and could recommend have already been named. Especially the Mass Effect and Dragon Age games are worth playing!

Fire Emblem: Awakening or Fates for the 3DS might also be to your liking. Or Fire Emblem Three Houses on the switch. On the PC there's also Pillar's of Eternity. I've read there's romance in Greedfall as well but I have not played it, so no idea if it is well written or not.

 

[BlueOceana]

Story of Seasons Friends of Mineral Town and Rune Factory 4 Special (for switch) are both good ones that are similar Stardew Valley. And If you like Fire Emblem then Three houses is a really good one too (also for switch).

 

[jadetine]

I got a very targeted ad for a Disney / Square Enix / Harry Potter otome game today:

Disney Twisted-Wonderland

Characters inspired by Disney villains weave wicked schoolyard schemes in this magical adventure featuring rhythm games and RPG-style battles! ■Concept, main story, and character designs by Yana Toboso (Original creator of "Black Butler") SUMMARY Perhaps there's more to "villains" than meets...

apps.apple.com

Just had a good chuckle at that…

 

[CylieDanny]

Ohh, a fellow Stardew Valley fan! Well I reccomend *My Time in Portia*

In my opinion its pretty close to Stardew Valley, and has similar perks some farming games dont offer. The graphics are bright and charming.

You can raise a verity of animsls, as well as crops. Its also similar to Stardew, as it also has combat options.

Romance ìn it is really cute, like in Stardew, you can marry anyone you would like, regardless of gender, so its a nice open farm game that I highly reccomend.
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If you wanna go mobile, and want a unique adventure, then I susgest *Mystic Messanger*

Pretty much the majority of the story is on your phone, reciving messages from the various characters in it. The overall story is actually pretty good too. Characters are all unique, its a fun, and unique experience.

Yes. You have to wait some time before proceeding through the next few chapters (or you can freemium pay) but its worth the wait. Plus its more realistic to the story. I wont say much more on it.
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I second Harvest Moon and Fable, my friend plays Harvest Moon religiously, even though its not as open as others, its still a lovely, relsxing game. Tree of Tranquility is my favorite.

Fabel is fun to romance in, as well as the game play. It was probably my first fantasy game I've ever played, and I really enjoyed it.
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Fair warning quickly, it might not have been the Clannad visual novel I played, but Im gonna recomend that you dont interact with the blonde boy very much, I think he's your friend. It goes very badly))
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Also im not advertising or anything, but the RPG ive been working on has a romaning feature in it lol. Its not done, but if I ever need a tester you could try it.

 

[Rika092]

The only story-based romance game that I was (and to some degree still am) really engrossed with was Hakuoki. Memorable plot, not to mention that the art is so unbelievably gorgeous and all the guys are super duper hot LOL Also, I love that even though this is somewhat of a fantasy romance, the main male characters and some of the stories are all based off of real historical figures - the strong yet ill-fated samurais of Shisengumi. I'm someone who loves stories from that particular period of Japan so naturally I was drawn to this game. I personally favor Toshizo Hijikata and Hajime Saito lines but I played through all of them just to see the pretty arts and more husbandos <3

A note of caution though, if you have somewhat of a fragile heart (like I was) - beware of sad endings. I don't want to spoil too much but because of the Shisengumi story background not all of the playable lines results in happily ever afters ( this is an understatement)....Still I think it's a great game to play through and if you also enjoy history and Japanese culture then I feel like you would enjoy this one!

P.S: they also made an anime out of it! I highly recommend that as well ^_^

 

[Rubygame]

I know this post is old but can I recommend Coral Island coming out soon on Switch? I can't wait for it to come out, the romance element is assumed to be very, very interesting, plus the style is fantastic!

 

[jadetine]

I know this post is old but can I recommend Coral Island coming out soon on Switch? I can't wait for it to come out, the romance element is assumed to be very, very interesting, plus the style is fantastic!

I was really debating over it because Coral Island’s first impression on me was kind of meh ; I’ll give it another glance!

 

[Firesquids]

Kind of a weird pick for what you're looking for, but if you have a PS2 and haven't played it yet if recommend Prince of Persia:Sands of Time. It's a really good RPG, with an interesting gimmick, and I love the dynamic of the budding feelings between your character and the love interest of the game. They have cute back and forth dialogues when you have to utilize both characters to solve puzzles.

 

[jadetine]

Kind of a weird pick for what you're looking for, but if you have a PS2 and haven't played it yet if recommend Prince of Persia:Sands of Time. It's a really good RPG, with an interesting gimmick, and I love the dynamic of the budding feelings between your character and the love interest of the game. They have cute back and forth dialogues when you have to utilize both characters to solve puzzles.

I actually bought it on Steam during a sale based on positive reviews and the romance; I don’t think I ever opened it, so maybe it’s a good time to revisit