How long does it take to make an otome game?

So my best friend's birthday is coming up and we haven't met up due to [CURRENT EVENTS] and I really want to make something special for her. I decided that I was going to make an otome game for her. I had past(?) experience in making one? I made a couple using Powerpoint for my school projects and they turned out alright?

But I want to know if there is any program that a total amateur like me can use easily? I was also wondering for those actual otome game creators out there, how long did it take you?

I was just thinking of making this a short game just cute and fluff but please do give me tips! Or just tell me if this is a bad and tough idea that will bring me too much pain, suffering, and sleepless nights. Thanks!

Hi guys, Miko from Crystal Game Works here again! First I want to thank Chinomi for giving me permission to post this, as it's a bit different from the regular posts.

I've been making visual novels for over 5 years now, and I'm always learning new things and meeting new people- but through it all, I've also seen a lot of people start really cool projects but end up quitting because they got off on the wrong foot. So, I wanted to make a post on some guidelines and tips!

1) Don't Overscope Your Projects

Scope is everything that goes into making a game- it's the amount of characters, the amount of scenes, the expressions for the sprites, the music, the CGs, the minigames, the choice variations... it's everything! When you start a new project, you get starry-eyed and start dreaming about all the cool love interests and CGs and endings you can add... but stop! The biggest enemy of projects being put on hiatus is a big scope!

For any project- and especially your first project- you should be aware of the scope and what's actually needed to finish the project vs stuff you think will be cool. Every finished game had to cut scope in some form, whether it was characters, scenes, etc. Sometimes this means cutting love interests, or scenes, or music...

But fear not! Cutting scope is to get a game *finished* and released- but games are a medium that is always updated. You can always go back and add in features, to add back love interests and add new scenes. Never be afraid to update your games once they're released!

More on what scope is and cutting it

2) Your first game might not be great...

...and that's fine! Games are just like every other creative medium- they're a learning process. Your first drawing won't be great; your first video won't be great; so why does your first game have to be perfect? I started off making a quick, 15 minute long visual novel and then worked my way up to dating sims and longer VNs... after I had to put several VNs and dating sims on hiatus due to not being good enough at the time. I couldn't finish them because I didn't have the work ethic, I didn't know how to finish them, and they were way too big (I overscoped!).

Like I said before, games can always be updated, so don't stress about making a perfect game!

3) Make a demo and post it on itch.io

Make your goal be to finish a demo first before working on the full game. Once you finish the demo, you might realize a lot of things like "I need to cut out some characters" or "I don't like this setting". Once you're done with the demo, post it to sites like itch.io and get feedback on it! Feedback really helps make a good game become great.

4) Be wary of bringing money into the mix

When you bring money into the project, whether that be from Kickstarter, Patreon, or making the game commercial, it means you're turning the project from a hobby thing to more of a business venture. You're taking in money, and even if that money will be used to pay the staff, you're still taking in money that typically has taxes attached.

I'm not saying don't make commercial games- I've made several commercial games- but instead to make sure you have things in order and know what you're doing, especially if you decide to do something gigantic like crowdfunding.

5) General tips

I recommend Ren'Py to make otomes! It's a software that's free that is frequently updated and easy to start. You can publish visual novels made with it on PC, android, and iOS. There's several other visual novel engines out there though, so if it doesn't work for you there's other options!

If you want people to play the game, consider making a Twitter on Instagram and post progress about the game as you're making it! Show off progress and get the word out as you're making it- you can also get good feedback this way!

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That's just a few tips I have for anyone who wants to make otome games! There's a lot more I haven't gone over such as source control, how to make the assets, etc. but I hope I've shed some light on the subject! Of course, I have one more tip...

6) Ask for help

Don't be afraid to ask for help and advice! There are so many visual novel and otome developers out there if you know where to look who've been where you are.

If you're looking for one such community... try the Otome Dev Discord! A few of us even frequent this Amino, so we're familiar with other circles!

Otome Dev Discord

If you guys have any specific questions, feel free to ask there or in the comments, I'll try to answer them! Thank you for reading my long post, and remember to have fun when making otomes <3

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