Her Love, Like Poison

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Her Love, Like Poison is a single player action game with horror, romance, drama and anime themes. It was developed by ebi-hime and was released on July 28, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

A dark lesbian horror/romance story so toxic it's emitting spores. Ethel, a shy university student, ventures into the wintry woods late one night, where she meets an enchanting raven-haired femme fatale - but all is not as it seems.

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96%

Audience ScoreBased on 201 reviews

story49 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The writing is deeply immersive and portrays the protagonist's depression and self-loathing with authenticity and nuance, making Ethel a relatable and realistic character.
The art and soundtrack are highly praised for their beauty and ability to enhance the eerie, melancholic atmosphere of the story, complementing the dark romance and horror elements effectively.
The story offers a unique blend of toxic yuri romance, psychological horror, and emotional depth, delivering a haunting, memorable experience that resonates with players long after completion.

The pacing is occasionally sluggish due to extensive and sometimes repetitive inner monologues and tangents that can detract from the story's momentum and cause reader fatigue.
Some players found the protagonist's self-deprecation and negativity overwhelming or frustrating, which may limit the appeal for those not drawn to such a bleak and introspective narrative.
The linear structure offers no player choice or branching paths, and certain secondary characters and scenes (like Mr. Browne's segments) felt unnecessary or underdeveloped to some, leading to a feeling of missed opportunities for deeper engagement.

story
157 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
67%
2%
The story is a dark, atmospheric visual novel focused on the relatable struggles of the protagonist, Ethel, dealing with depression and toxic romance. While some reviewers found the pacing uneven and noted excessive tangents that slowed narrative progression, the emotional depth, compelling themes, and well-executed blend of intimacy and dread were widely praised. Overall, it offers a haunting, bittersweet experience with strong writing and evocative art that leaves a lasting impression despite its short, linear nature.
- “Another beautiful and well-written story.”
- “This story punches way above its weight, I will be thinking about it for a while.”
- “The story’s strongest aspect is how it blends emotional frailty with creeping dread, crafting a narrative that feels both intimate and chilling.”
- “Most of the plot felt like filler, padding around the late night trysts between the main characters.”
- “I really wanted to like this game, but after the sixth or tenth or fifteenth random tangent that didn't feel like it added anything to the story, I was truly skipping through and clicking faster than I could actually read, until it got to the actually interesting parts.”
- “The story felt pretentious and preachy about Ethel's state of mind, and absolutely did not portray it in a way that would make me feel like she may, perchance, be wrong about how everyone and everything sucks.”
music
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
42%
7%
The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting, eerie, and atmospheric qualities, effectively enhancing the dark, moody tone and emotional depth of the story. Comprising somber, minimalist, and experimental melodies, the soundtrack is considered one of the best in ebi-hime novels, with many noting how it amplifies feelings of anxiety, loneliness, and dread. While a few found some tracks less impactful or quirky, overall, the music is regarded as a crucial element that complements the art and narrative to create a memorable, immersive experience.
- “Solid visuals and atmosphere brought together by one of the best soundtracks in an ebi-hime novel so far (and they are typically great).”
- “The soundtrack, consisting of somber, minimal melodies, underscores the story’s focus on loneliness and longing.”
- “The characters are very charming and are complemented by the artwork so nicely, it gives off a perfect "creepy-cute" vibe, the music also set the atmosphere perfectly.”
- “I also didn't think the music was very impactful or mood-setting to be honest, aside from the initial violin playing - that was great.”
- “The music was very peculiar, kind of evocative, but there's this one track that just sounds kinda goofy because of one of the samples used I think.”
- “The music was just okay - nothing too exciting, but it mostly matched the vibes on screen.”
graphics
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
52%
13%
The graphics feature a unique, charming, and often "creepy-cute" art style that is both detailed and atmospheric, greatly enhancing the game's dark and intricate story. The visuals, combined with an exceptional and mood-setting soundtrack, create an immersive and emotionally powerful experience praised for its style, atmosphere, and presentation. Overall, the artwork and audio are considered standout elements that contribute heavily to the game's compelling and chilling ambiance.
- “Solid visuals and atmosphere brought together by one of the best soundtracks in an ebi-hime novel so far (and they are typically great).”
- “Tense atmosphere with impeccable artwork and music that are soothing as well as eerie, a constant stream of thoughts that are too personal, too human, so much so that it's hard not to feel the rot creeping in.”
- “(Edit: I finished it and I'm shaken. Shooketh. This is such a unique creation. It's so dark, terrifying, chilling but also so tender? And just everything about the presentation and aesthetic is absolutely impeccable, really feels like stepping into another world. One of ebi's masterpieces for real.)”
- “In my opinion, it would have been better to start the plot with Ethel’s family leaving for their vacation, and then use the same pacing the rest of the story had to build into the romance—rather than making the first day of the visual novel feel so unbelievably long through huge amounts of telling the backstory instead of showing it through visuals or dialogue.”
- “This game has its own style; firstly, it's 4:3, then the art style is unique. There are not that many CGs, but they are stylish, atmospheric, and cool.”
- “Cute art style, inconsistent pacing that improves after the introduction, while not detracting from the story in a way that makes me not want to finish it.”
atmosphere
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
22%
14%
The atmosphere is consistently praised for its haunting, melancholy, and immersive portrayal of a small, decaying town, enhanced by soft yet striking artwork and one of the best soundtracks in ebi-hime novels. The tight narrative pacing and evocative music work together to create a focused, emotionally charged experience that lingers long after playing, blending eerie and "creepy-cute" vibes with introspective storytelling. While some note occasional repetitive metaphors, overall the atmosphere is regarded as a standout element that deeply complements the story and visuals.
- “Solid visuals and atmosphere brought together by one of the best soundtracks in an Ebi-hime novel so far (and they are typically great).”
- “The atmosphere of a small English town in the countryside really stresses the struggles and loneliness that dominate the life of the protagonist.”
- “Tense atmosphere with impeccable artwork and music that are soothing as well as eerie, a constant stream of thoughts that are too personal, too human, so much so that it's hard not to feel the rot creeping in.”
- “You're beaten over the head with useless details that fail to even build on the atmosphere, and their creativity must have run out while writing because you'll see the same metaphors repeated so often that they lose what little impact they have.”
- “For some players, this tight control over pacing and direction works well; it allows the narrative to build atmosphere with precision, without the risk of optional paths diluting the intended emotional impact.”
- “Soft gorgeous art pairs surprisingly well with the stomach-churning atmosphere and the bleakness of Ethel's outlook.”
emotional
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the visual novel is deeply impactful, blending heartfelt, melancholy storytelling with moments of intense vulnerability and creeping dread. While some players found the emotional weight heavy and at times unsettling, many praised its raw, intimate portrayal of pain and struggle, particularly resonating with experiences of emotional numbness and trauma. Overall, it is a haunting, emotionally resonant narrative that lingers long after playing.
- “That being said, this story is wonderful, and deliciously heartfelt and a bit messed up, in all the right sorts of ways to lodge it in one's brain.”
- “I cried multiple times reading this.”
- “I have to say, as someone who deeply relates with Ethel in like 4-5 different ways, this story hit like getting punched in the gut for a day straight; I loved reading every second of it even as it was tearing my heart out reading of a character whose struggle and problems are so similar to mine. In the end, she gave up—it's hard to read the ending as anything other than suicide—which is why it made me this emotional, and I can only hope that at least I won't be led to the easy way out like she did.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is relatable and clever, effectively using playful comparisons and witty situations that resonate with players, especially those familiar with procrastination and quirky character dynamics. It also appeals to players new to visual novels through its engaging and humorous marketing.
- “It was very funny to watch the protagonist struggle to work on her thesis since I was also procrastinating working on mine while playing this game!”
- “I liked how both Ethel and Sparky were compared to machines/toys, which creates a really funny parallel between them.”
- “I don't normally play visual novels but I saw the marketing for this on Tumblr and it appealed to me with some funny joke posts.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect tedious and slow-paced, particularly criticizing the lengthy and repetitive exposition that hampers engagement.
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users praised the character designs, highlighting them as a standout aspect of the game’s character development.
gameplay
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The gameplay is linear with a fixed storyline, offering no player choices or branching paths.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Her Love, Like Poison is a action game with horror, romance, drama and anime themes.

Her Love, Like Poison is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

Her Love, Like Poison was released on July 28, 2025.

Her Love, Like Poison was developed by ebi-hime.

Her Love, Like Poison has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Her Love, Like Poison is a single player game.

Similar games include It gets so lonely here, Z.A.T.O. // I Love the World and Everything In It, Kill or Love, Heart of the Woods, The Sad Story of Emmeline Burns and others.

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