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Believe it or not, harem games are quite popular in their own right among players. Although the concept may be old as time, there are several gems that are nestled in the harem genre of video games. These ten games present several potential love interests for the main protagonist while also thoroughly engaging the player.
10 Mass Effect 2
Although Mass Effect 2 has been criticized for a lackluster story, there no denying that it fleshes out Commander Shepard as well as their love interests. With a total of nine potential love interests in the game, many elements from the harem genre are present as well.
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The game revolves around Shepard and their team’s quest to save the Milky Way from the Collectors. Not only can the plot be impacted by the decisions Shepard must make, but Shepard’s choice of a love interest can also prove to be either beneficial or detrimental.
9 Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning?
Much like its two predecessors, Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning? puts players in the shoes of main protagonist Ichiro Ogami as he interacts with his all-female team and protects the city of Paris from Salut and his Phantoms of Paris. In addition to its turn-based battle system, there are additional sections of the game called Elegant Day in Paris and Dinner Mode, in which Ichiro can have the Parisian experience and form a romance with a female teammate of the player’s choice respectively. Naturally, the game’s final scenes differ based on the chosen love interest.
8 Shining Resonance
The latest entry in the Shining series, Shining Resonance is a JRPG starring Yuma Ilvern, a young man born with the soul of the Shining Dragon. Upon realizing this fact, Yuma and his party take it upon themselves to protect the dragons, which were thought to be extinct, from being exploited by the Empire.
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Much like Sakura Wars 3, Shining Resonance includes a relationship meter that keeps track of Yuma’s interactions with his party. Regardless of gender, if handled correctly, many of these interactions will result in dating scenes in later events of the game.
7 Helltaker
One of the more unorthodox harem titles, Helltaker literally starts with the main protagonist waking up one morning with one goal in mind: to create a harem of demon girls! Needless to say, the game’s premise is extremely simple.
Each demon girl embodies an archetype that can be seen within the harem genre, such as the shy, nerdy girl, the absurdly curious girl, and the mature secretary lady. Gameplay-wise, players must complete a short maze set in hell to reach each demon girl before time runs out.
6 HuniePop
For players with a cruder sense of humor, HuniePop may be a game worth checking out. After being approached by Kyu the Love Fairy, the protagonist takes charge of their dating life and ends up courting a grand total of twelve women in town.
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While nine women are available at the start of the game (with Kyu eventually becoming an option), the player must meet certain conditions in order to unlock the remaining three. In regard to dating, players must complete a match-three puzzle game within a set number of turns, which has become a beloved staple among HuniePop fans.
5 Azure Dreams
Much like Helltaker, Azure Dreams styles itself as a dungeon crawler, having Koh, the main protagonist, traverse through the giant tower of Monsbaiya. Although Koh’s main goal is to search for his missing father, climbing the monster tower also nets him a chance to save some of his potential love interests.
Azure Dreams has a total of seven girls with whom Koh can pursue a romance. Although some of them can be saved from the tower, pursuing certain side quests, namely helping to develop Monsbaiya, will help kindle the relationship between Koh and his chosen partner.
4 Conception 2
Also known as Children of the Seven Stars, Conception 2 follows in the footsteps of its predecessor by incorporating the ability to create Star Children with the female cast. In this case, however, protagonist Wake Archus’ goal in creating Star Children is to fight monsters and defend the world of Aterra.
In order to create more Star Children, Wake must develop his relationship with the female cast to the S-Rank, the highest rank available. Not only will this improve the strength of the Star Children, but the heroines will also become stronger in battle as a result.
3 Persona 5
Persona 5 is easily one of the most popular JRPGs out there today, with fans citing the game’s visual representation and battle system as standout qualities. But in addition to its graphics and gameplay, the game includes some elements from the harem genre as well.
While there are exactly twenty-one possible Confidants available, only ten of them will result in a romance with Joker. Like with other harem games, the deeper the relationship between Joker and his romantic interest, the better they will fare in battle, with some Confidants going as far as to shield other party members from lethal attacks.
2 Riviera: The Promised Land
The Grim Angel Ein is accompanied by four sweet heroines as he attempts to suppress the four Fountainheads of Evil. While the game employs a turn-based battle system that can be found in other JRPGs, Ein is able to pursue one of his female companions as a romantic interest as well.
In particular, pursuing each girl will affect the trust between her and Ein. Naturally, the game’s ending will also be affected by Ein’s choice, with a special scene featuring him and his love interest being present at the end.
1 The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 4
In addition to its fine combat system, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 4 also features a variety of romantic options for Rean Schwarzer, the game’s main protagonist. Similar to HuniePop, by gifting certain items to the female members of his party, Rean can deepen the affection between them, resulting in romances ranging from wonderful to lackluster.
Despite Alisa having a romantic interest in Rean from the start, he is able to ignore her in favor the other girls in his party. Out of his party, Rean has eleven girls he is able to court, more than any other entry in the Trails of Cold Steel series.
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