7 min read

Tiny Bytes XOXO for 1/18/23

Here is the Tiny Bytes: XOXO for 1/18/23, where we discuss romance visual novels and adjacent games! Read about news, game releases, game jams, and more!
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Himbo Harem Homicide is coming soon to Steam!

Someone has been murdered, and the culprit is someone among this harem of dangerously handsome himbos. It's your job to find out who did it before they kill more of your housemates, so interrogate your love interests and get to the bottom of things. Keep in mind, all of the himbos are already head over heels for you. Tread carefully!

Himbo Harem Homicide has puzzle games, a mansion to explore, and ten himbos to interrogate. The game is expected to release sometime in 2023.

You can now wishlist Himbo Harem Homicide on Steam.

Himbo Harem Homicide is created by Mouse Potato Games, run by Dr. Ashley Godbold. The developer is also working on a farming sim called Harvest Harem Husbandry.

There's a farm dating sim on the horizon: Harvest Harem Husbandry

Harvest Harem Husbandry is still early on in development, but what we know so far is this farming sim will have animal companions that transform into helpers for your farm. The developers describe the farm handlers as "hotties," and with that term alone we can safely expect romantic interactions.

It's uncertain how much of the visual novel element Harvest Harem Husbandry will implement alongside the farming elements, but if the game offers a combination of both, then it may be one of the first VNs in a while to trek down the farming sim path. Peachleaf Valley: Seeds of Love is coming soon, but that game is solely a visual novel, with only the story's theme being inspired by farming sims. Flower Shop: Summer in Fairbrook (and the sequel, Flower Shop: Winter in Fairbrook) are romance visual novels with farming sim gameplay, but both were released over a decade ago.

You can follow Harvest Harem Husbandry's development on Twitter.

Kiss/OFF, an intergalactic dating show game, is coming soon!

Shark and Pelican Games brought us Bard Harder!, a romance game about a tabletop RPG session where you use flirtatious pick-up lines and your musical talent to save your friends from a Grim Reaper-looking type known as The Big Bad Evil Guy.

Now they're working on their upcoming title, Kiss/OFF, an alien sci-fi romance game where the player must compete to have the Best Kiss after just three dates. But there's more than just romance: you're also fighting for your life, and if you don't successfully win the challenge, you could face an untimely death. Complete each route and escape with your life!

You can wishlist Kiss/OFF on Steam and look forward to the release in 2023. A standalone demo, titled Kiss/OFF: AUDITION, is available on Steam and itch.io.

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Operation Matchmaker

In Operation Matchmaker, three friends set out to play cupid for two classmates who have yet to confess their feelings to one another. The trio devises their evil plan to force the soon-to-be couple into romantic bliss. Nothing can go wrong in matchmaking schemes, right? Operation Matchmaker is a classic romcom with a budding romance, friendships, and even heartbreak. The story can be completed in about ten minutes and is entirely kinetic with no choices.

You can play Operation Matchmaker for free on itch.io.

Sacrarium Gelus

A submission to the Winter VN Jam 2022, Sacrarium Gelus is a fantasy-romance VN that tells the tragic story of a protagonist branded with an evil curse that forces them into solitude. As they traverse to Mt. Gelus, they encounter the god of winter and medicine: Heimos. Will this deity offer a cure for the MC's afflictions?

Players can forge either a friendship or a romantic relationship with Heimos. The game is pronoun-inclusive, allowing players to choose the MC's name and pronouns.  

You can play Sacrarium Gelus for free on itch.io.

The Last Lords of Ice

The Last Lords of Ice is a gothic horror visual novel following Tell, a woman tangled in the mess involving her childhood friend's passing. Tell's past is blotted with tragedy, but she's desperate to live a normal life—that is, until the demons of her past come to haunt her. Quite literally. In The Last Lords of Ice, you can choose to seek friendship or romance with a demon. The story reads like a book and offers an array of choices that affect the story's outcome.

The Last Lords of Ice is a visual novel submitted to the Winter VN Jam 2022, and you can play it for free on itch.io.

Gingerbread Holiday

Gingerbread Holiday is an otome visual novel centered around the long-term relationship between Gabby and her boyfriend Mikael. The game tackles real-life issues and focuses on the support Gabby receives from her boyfriend as she deals with her negative feelings toward Christmas. Are you ready to bake gingerbread cookies and fall in love?

Gingerbread Holiday is available to play over on itch.io.

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Guinea Pig Babe

On a distant alien planet, there lives an advanced species that looks nearly identical to guinea pigs. Humans are looking to bridge communication with this new civilization, so they created an experimental high school where humanity can co-exist with these advanced guinea pigs. Guinea Pig Babe is a cute romance game with three guinea pigs you can date, but tread carefully, because you don't want to feed the guinea pig something they can't eat on your date!

You can play Guinea Pig Babe's demo on itch.io.

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This week we are highlighting a set of visual novels that are loaded with parody. All of the titles below are based on other video games!

SNAGGEMON - A Grunt Dating Sim

In SNAGGEMON - A Grunt Dating Sim, you play as a SnaggeMon Master on an adventure to save a broadcast tower with your fellow companion and SnaggeMon, Kinerret. Unfortunately, on your quest to save the day, you find yourself kidnapped by a handsome Team Golde grunt named Garrett. SNAGGEMON - A Grunt Dating Sim is your chance to experience an enemies-to-lovers romance with the villainous love interest.

Play the demo of SNAGGEMON - A Grunt Dating Sim for free on itch.io.

me? on a date with KAZUHA?!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go on a date with a character from Genshin Impact? Look no further: me? on a date with KAZUHA?! is an otome game centered around Kaedehara Kazuha, a samurai from Genshin Impact that wants to go on a date with you.

The fan-made game is filled with fun dialogue exchanges and an in-game chat where players can read messages from Kazuha. The setting takes place in our modern world but references Genshin Impact throughout the game. Get ready to date Kazuha and laugh your socks off too.

You can play me? on a date with KAZUHA?! for free on itch.io.

Resident Evil 4: Otome Edition

Are you a fan of Resident Evil 4, specifically the infamous Leon Kennedy, Luis, the Merchant, and Lord Saddler? In RE4: Otome Edition, experience the events of Resident Evil 4 all over again, but this time with romance, as you play as Ashley, the president's kidnapped daughter. The game features actual in-game snapshots from the original game, but with a wacky (and romantic) narrative.

You can play Resident Evil 4: Otome Edition for free on itch.io.

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Leon Kennedy

Leon Kennedy is a renowned heartthrob and rookie police officer turned secret government agent. What's special about him is his ability to persevere in the face of danger, but his flippy hair and aloof personality make him pretty cool too. Leon Kennedy is from the Resident Evil series, and thanks to Shimmersoft, he's now an otome love interest too.

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