Highlights

• Harem games are not just about choosing love interests, but also feature strategic RPG gameplay and turn-based combat.
• Some harem games incorporate elements of horror into their stories, adding suspense and intrigue to the typical school environment.
• The harem genre has evolved over the years, with newer games offering more diverse romance options, including same-sex marriage.

When most players think of harem games, they may think of a simple game starring a bland male protagonist struggling to decide which love interest to be with. Others may not think of games at all; instead, they may be thinking of a similar anime genre that is immensely popular, from which many successful video games have been adapted.

Believe it or not, harem games are quite popular in their own right among players. Although the concept may be as old as time, several gems are nestled in the harem genre of video games. These ten games present several potential love interests in the main protagonist while also thoroughly engaging the player.

Updated on December 26, 2023, by Izabella Molina: With 2023 coming to a close, there is still time to enjoy the most entertaining of games the harem genre has to offer. From simply choosing a certain love interest to bonding with her in a well-written story, these harem games will stay in the hearts and minds of players even as 2024 arrives in full swing. While some of these harem games are old, highly-praised classics, other games are fairly new and have some time to develop a following. Therefore, this article has been updated to add even more harem games, both old and new, that players should play before the year changes.

18 Agarest: Generations of War

Compared to many titles on this list, Agarest Generations of War is fairly recent and highly recommended for fans of strategic RPGs and turn-based combat. With each character having their own unique powers, gameplay allows players to not only unlock more powerful attacks by earning SP points, but also allows players to combine their powers with devastating results.

Players are put into the role of Leonhardt, a well-mannered young man who seeks to rebuild his lost noble house after its reputation was tarnished by rival noble houses. Along the way, however, Leonhardt can woo one of his three female party members, Fyuria, Elaine, and Luana, to have a child with him and thus continue the story.

17 Little Goody Two Shoes

While most harem games boast bright, cheery settings, Little Goody Two Shoes can be distinguished by its many ominous, unsettling environments, fitting for the horror-themed enemies that players must face throughout the game. But despite its dreary environments, the character designs and minigames give the game the color expected from a typical harem title.

In this game, players control Elise, a young, spirited girl from the village of Kieferberg who has one goal in life: to get rich. After finding a pair of red slippers, however, Elise finds her destiny takes a turn for the crazier, intertwining it with three other female villagers, all of whom she can marry if her bond with any of them is strong enough.

16 Prom Dreams

Like Little Goody Two Shoes, the successful RPG Maker game Prom Dreams implements elements from the horror genre into the game, though this is namely associated with Dolores, the game's main antagonist. Though the game also boasts a seemingly typical school environment and colorful visuals, this is starkly contrasted by the gruesome murders and bullying that occur throughout the game.

Amidst the cruelty occurring in this seemingly innocent game, the main character, Kyle Mason, is determined to find a date to the prom to finally get over his previous girlfriend from his previous school. With a total of three girls for him to woo, and with the help of his friend Randy, Kyle is determined to make his senior prom a night to remember, despite the chaos unfolding around him.

15 Romancing Walker

While Romancing Walker may be the oldest game on this list, having been released in 2001, that certainly doesn't take away from it being a great game; players cite the game's intriguing characters and decent story as reasons why it holds up in the present day. It also helps that the game's combat is similar to that of Agarest: Generations of War, in which characters have their own unique powers that can be used to great effect.

The main character of Romancing Walker is Ryle Last, a young swordsman seeking new excitement away from his village of Lavas. Accompanying him in his adventure-turned-quest to save the world are a total of six love interests (with an unlockable seventh option) that each have their own special ending and illustration if Ryle chooses to marry them.

14 Neon White

Neon White can be considered by players to be one of the more faster-paced and versatile titles in the harem genre. Set in a volatile environment in which "kill or be killed" is the dominant rule, players can expect some exciting high-speed combat in this game, accentuated by its extremely speedy shoot-outs and superfluous card system.

Story-wise, Neon White follows White, the main character who is competing with three other Neons to kill as many demons as they can to earn a spot in heaven. Outside their main mission, White can begin a romantic relationship with any of the female Neons, whom White vaguely remembers as his old teammates.

13 Potionomics

Unlike Neon White, Potionomics follows a spirited young witch named Sylvia, who recently inherited her uncle's humble potion store. Unfortunately, her inheritance also comes with the tedious responsibility of paying off her uncle's colossal debt, a task which is not helped by the many rival potion entrepreneurs who wish to see Sylvia go out of business.

While the main goal of Potionomics is to efficiently brew potions and make the potion shop successful, players can also have Sylvia pursue romances with her rival shopkeepers. Using certain dialogue options and specific potion gifts to court potential love interests, regardless of gender, Sylvia will officially enter a relationship when she and her partner reach Rank 7. However, this can only be done with one other character.

12 Princess Connect! Re:Dive

Princess Connect Re:Dive blends gacha and RPG elements to create a unique experience, which some describe as watching an anime series. Since its release and subsequent updates, the game has since risen in popularity, to the point of spawning an actual anime adaptation of the same name.

The game follows the story of Yuuki, an amnesiac hero who finds the guild Gourmet Edifice after meeting his guide Kokkoro, and a few other heroines who are denizens of the land of Landsol. Befitting the nature of a harem game, players have the option to raise Yuuki's relationship level with any girl of their choice by either giving her presents or simply using her in battle.

11 Rune Factory 5

One of the most recent titles on this list, Rune Factory 5 follows an amnesiac protagonist as they decide to help out the small town of Rigbarth. During their time here, the protagonist begins to form an attachment to the town as well as its residents as they strive to maintain order within the town and figure out the phenomena plaguing the land.

The player can pursue and ultimately marry a total of 12 love interests, with half of them being male and the other half being female. In addition, similar to Potionomics, Rune Factory 5 also has the distinction of being the first game in the series to include same-sex marriage; in any case, pursuing a bachelor or bachelorette will result in a special cutscene of the player marrying their spouse of choice.

10 Stella Glow

Stella Glow is one of the more colorful recommendations due to its wonderful character designs and settings. The colorful scenery belies the game's serious plot, which involves the protagonist Alto trying to unite four witches of different elements to stop Hilda, the Witch of Destruction, from destroying his hometown of Mithra.

Outside of battle, also known as Free Time, Alto is allowed to bond with the witches in his party, resulting in more abilities becoming available to them. Ending-wise, a total of fourteen character endings are available upon the game's completion, all of which revolve around Alto and the witch to whom he is the closest.

9 Mass Effect 2

Although Mass Effect 2 has been criticized for a lackluster story, there is 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, which may serve as a redeeming aspect for many Mass Effect fans.

The game revolves around Shepard and their team's quest to save the Milky Way from the Collectors, a mysterious group of aliens that collect various living things in exchange for advanced technology. 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 for the player and their squad in addition to the Milky Way itself.

8 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.

7 Shining Resonance Refrain

The latest entry in the Shining series, Shining Resonance Refrain 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.

Much like Sakura Wars 3, Shining Resonance includes a relationship meter that keeps track of Yuma's interactions with his party and multiple moments in which players must make a choice that could impact the affection of their love interest. Regardless of gender, if handled correctly, many of these interactions will result in dating scenes in later events of the game.

6 Helltaker

One of the more unorthodox harem titles, Helltaker 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, but the simplicity certainly does not make the game any less charming.

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, with each time limit becoming much more stringent as players progress through the game.

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 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, a major feature unfortunately absent from the game's Game Boy Color adaption.

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 a female cast. In this case, however, protagonist Wake Archus' goal in creating Star Children is to fight monsters and defend the world of Aterra.

To create more Star Children, Wake must develop his relationship with the female cast, a total of eight girls, 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. Wake's chosen heroine will be the one who accompanies him to the Star Conception Festival at the end of the game.

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, with love interests being referred to as Confidants.

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 amnesiac 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 can pursue one of his female companions as a romantic interest outside of battle.

In particular, pursuing each girl will improve 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, with a hidden ending becoming available if Ein decides to pursue Rose, the only girl in the game who cannot build trust with Ein.

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 can ignore her in favor of the other girls in his group, all of whom deeply care for him and look up to him as their beloved instructor. Out of his party, Rean has eleven girls he can court, more than any other entry in the Trails of Cold Steel series.

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