Gameplay
The goal of these games is to have the desired partner fall in love and and have a relationship with the player character, but the requirements for gaining a "good end" differ from game to game. While the plots of otome games differ greatly, there is usually a single female main character, and several good-looking males of varying "types".
In the visual novel examples of the genre, the player proceeds in the story by selecting dialogue or action choices which affect their relationships in a decision tree format. In simulation otome games, there is also other gameplay which affects the plot, either by playing minigames or by raising stats. The main character (the player) often has several parameters, such as looks, style, intelligence, talent, etc., that can be raised through various activities in normal gameplay. The potential partners usually require a certain parameter or parameters to be at a certain level for them to fall in love with you. There is also often a pure dating aspect of gameplay in simulations. This involves asking or being asked on dates by the love interest, doing an activity with them, and responding to their questions or comments. The player has a choice of responses, and a correct answer will raise your standing with that character.
One feature of otome games that has become common is "full voice" (フルボイス, furu boisu?), or having voice acting throughout the game, not only at major plot points. The love interests are often voiced by well-known voice actors, and sometimes having well-known voices takes precedence in the development (and budgeting) stage over interesting characters, polished graphics, or an engaging plot. This is more prevalent in console games (for PlayStation 2 and Wii) and is still rare in handheld games (for Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable). At certain points, or when the player passes certain requirements, special events can occur, often with a "CG" (computer graphic) as a reward. This CG is a set picture featuring the love interest and sometimes the main character in a pose, and some dialogue.
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