Today I’d like to talk about a short visual novel called *deep breath* I’m a love interest in my childhood friend’s reverse harem!!!

Now, despite how the store page describes it, this is not an otome in any way, shape, or form.

When the description says it’s “a not-so-generic otome game” and “a spin on your average otome game,” what it really means is that it’s written with the idea that you are playing from the perspective of a love interest in an otome game while your friend is the main character.

You are Geum, a teenage boy whose best friend Emily is supposed to be an otome game protagonist, with two other guys she could become interested in. However, you don’t think they really love her, so you decide to either win Emily’s heart first or make the two guys fall for you instead.

In other words, you play a male protagonist with one female and two male love interests.

I’d go a step further and say I’m a love interest in my childhood friend’s reverse harem!!! is stronger without its meta elements. Jokes about Emily’s nickname being MC or Geum noticing she seems to be looking at invisible choices in the air are good for a smile, but this visual novel is at its best when it focusing on the routes themselves.

The routes are split, so early on you decide if you want to try to win over Emily or the guys. Choices that favor any of the three characters still show up regardless of which path you pick, so I’m not sure why it’s split at the beginning. Once you do Emily’s route and at least one guy’s route on the same save file, you’ll also unlock a polyamory route (although it’s more like a harem).

No matter which route you’re on, you get a variety of cute scenes as you pursue your love interest of choice. While simple, the stories are sweet and heartfelt, and it has quite a bit of variability in the outcomes.

That’s part of why I feel it would be stronger if it didn’t try to play into the idea that Emily is an otome game protagonist. The actual routes here are sweet and humorous enough on their own without breaking the fourth wall, and the premise works fine on its own.

I’m a love interest in my childhood friend’s reverse harem!!! is very short and will probably only take you a couple of hours to beat, but it’s a sweet visual novel with more heartfelt romance than I expected.

Yes, you read that right. In honor of the holiday season, I decided to kick off this year’s celebrations with the… questionable holiday visual novel Santa’s Big Sack.

You play Rudy Noel, Santa’s new assistant who has just arrived at the North Pole.

He quickly learns that the North Pole has more going on than just toy-making and holiday cheer… like his unexpected attraction to Santa, Mrs. Claus trying to seduce him, and a sinister plot unfolding in the shadows.

In keeping with the Christmas theme, most of your choices are presented as simply “Naughty” or “Nice,” with a helpful explanation ahead of time telling you what actions they’ll lead to.

However, there aren’t really branching paths or multiple routes. It’s a pretty linear story where a few key choices lead to optional sex scenes (with non-explicit imagery but dialogue and screen-shaking to give you the idea) and different dialogue before returning to the main path to continue the story just as if you’d picked the other option.

Santa himself is the main romantic interest. I don’t think there’s any way to not hook up with Santa (which is not a sentence I ever expected to write).

There actually is a bit of a plot here in addition to the romance, but it’s fairly absurd. Don’t expect anything too serious or meaningful, just a goofy story that is so outrageous it does manage to be somewhat funny… and will present you with all the Christmas-themed innuendos you could ask for.

Let me put it this way: if you’re considering playing a visual novel with as questionable a title as Santa’s Big Sack, you probably already know what you’re getting into and that’s what this visual novel will provide. No big story or heartfelt romance, but innuendo-laden antics with Santa Claus and other denizens of the North Pole.

Don’t worry, the next review will be a bit more romantic. In the meantime, feel free to share your own thoughts on Santa’s Big Sack in the comments below!