XOXO Droplets

About

In "XOXO Droplets", a free-to-play dating sim, you play as a protagonist starting their junior year at a new boarding school. The challenge: don't alienate your peers while also pursuing the attractive love interests in your afterschool group for chronically unpopular students. With an optional paid DLC, the game features 3 distinct romanceable guys and additional features. The characters are bluntly described as a "jerk squad", making for an unconventional yet intriguing narrative.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 269 reviews

humor79 positive mentions

grinding22 negative mentions

The characters are unique and memorable, with strong personalities that make the game engaging.
The humor is well-written and consistently funny, providing a refreshing take on the dating sim genre.
The game offers a substantial amount of content for free, allowing players to experience a full story with multiple routes.

The main character can be unlikable and abrasive, which may turn off some players.
The gameplay mechanics, particularly the clique management system, can feel tedious and overwhelming.
There are technical issues, such as slow text display and volume sliders that don't work properly.

humor
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
4%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing and engaging character dynamics, with many players finding the interactions and dialogue genuinely funny and charming. The main character's boldness and the overall satirical tone contribute to a lighthearted experience, though some critiques mention that the humor can become repetitive or cringeworthy at times. Overall, the game is considered a delightful blend of comedy and romance, appealing to those who enjoy witty banter and quirky characters.
- “The characters are great and the writing is hilarious.”
- “This game is absolutely hilarious.”
- “It's excellently written, frickin' hilarious, the characters are charming, and most importantly...”
- “So… is this supposed to be funny?”
- “The jokes fell flat and felt forced.”
- “I expected more laughs, but it was mostly cringeworthy.”
story
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
64%
5%
The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its humor and character interactions, while others criticize it for being shallow and linear, lacking depth and meaningful choices. Many users express a desire for a more engaging narrative, feeling that the grind between story elements detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while some find the story enjoyable and fun, others feel it falls short of expectations, particularly when compared to other RPGs with richer storytelling.
- “Now, I really enjoyed the story and it was fun to watch play out.”
- “I love this game; the story is amazing and the love interests are amazing.”
- “The story is really good and I like all of the six original characters.”
- “There isn't enough story to this game; it gets tedious and boring after a while.”
- “I wanted more of a customized experience, and instead I got cringey high school interactions and a crappy linear storyline.”
- “Overall, the game just feels like you are in the back silently following someone else's story that most people don't even want to be part of.”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
79%
11%
The gameplay in this visual novel is characterized by a complex balance of managing relationships and cliques, which can feel overwhelming and tedious for some players. While it offers unique mechanics and a fast-paced experience, many find the grind and lack of meaningful interactions detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite its aesthetic appeal and potential for engaging gameplay, the execution leaves some players feeling frustrated and disengaged.
- “The gameplay reminded me of the Tokimeki Memorial series (which is a pretty grindy game too), especially in terms of stat raising.”
- “The mechanics are easy to use and the whole thing is so aesthetically pleasing to look at.”
- “It also has a very unique style of gameplay, leaving no room for a lull in the mood or a dull moment, something I usually find to be a problem in dating sims I've played!”
- “However, I agree that the gameplay is very overwhelming at first; it is fine when you know what you need to look out for, but I understand why it keeps people away.”
- “The gameplay felt less like an otome/romantic visual novel and more focused on scoring points with popularity cliques that you never really seemed to have cut-scene interactions with while you jumped from mandatory meeting to mandatory meeting with a bunch of whiny obnoxious guys who didn't want to be in the room together or with you.”
- “I stuck it out through an entire playthrough but quickly found myself losing interest in the day-to-day mechanics of the same and then in the relationship I chose.”
grinding
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and time-consuming, often leading to frustration. While some appreciate the depth it adds to character interactions and story progression, others feel it detracts from the overall enjoyment, suggesting that the game may not appeal to those who dislike grinding. Cheat codes are available to alleviate some of the grind, but the repetitive mechanics remain a significant point of contention among players.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “There isn't enough story to this game; it gets tedious and boring after a while.”
- “I spent hours and hours grinding for those clique guys, and nothing—there was nothing.”
- “Even if you use cheat codes, it's still somewhat tedious, and the amount of time you spend to get one piece of story, or learn something new about a character, or go out with someone... this system was really just not my thing.”
graphics
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
59%
18%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players finding them decent and aesthetically pleasing, particularly praising the beautiful sprites and background artwork. However, others feel the art style is less impressive compared to similar games, describing it as "meh" and noting a chibi/scribble style that may not appeal to everyone. Overall, while the visuals are charming and contribute positively to the experience, they may not meet the expectations of all players.
- “The character graphics were good.”
- “+ gorgeous sprites and background artwork, and cute CG artwork.”
- “Combine this with eye-catching, smooth design and visuals, a witty, well-written and clever script, and phenomenal voice actors and actresses, I can say with full certainty, this is one of the best dating sims I've ever played!”
- “The graphics are meh.”
- “First off, if you did come from the aforementioned game then you will notice that the art style is a bit lesser in comparison.”
- “In this, however, it's very apparent that the writers are trying to appeal to a younger demographic without any actual knowledge of how said demographic speaks/acts.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
36%
27%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players find it cute and enjoyable, others describe it as grating and repetitive, particularly after extended play. Overall, the soundtrack is appreciated for its lightness and ability to enhance the game's atmosphere, though a desire for more variety is noted by some users.
- “The soundtrack is just lovely and don't even get me started on how immersive and well-casted the voice actors are.”
- “The colors are cute, the music is nice and it's just an all-around great game!”
- “I have no complaints about the art or music, and the voice actors are great too.”
- “The music is grating, and getting to choices takes forever.”
- “The music is straight-up obnoxious.”
- “It would have been nice to have a little bit of variety in the music, but that's more of a personal gripe than against the game or dev.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the games reviewed is characterized by a blend of sentimentality and humor, with "Our Life" being praised for its heartwarming and wholesome nature. In contrast, "Xoxo Droplets" is noted for its bizarre elements, lacking the same depth of emotional storytelling. Overall, players appreciate the quirky charm of the characters, finding them both endearing and amusing, despite some darker themes present in the narratives.
- “The Our Life series is sentimental, heartwarming, and wholesome.”
- “Personally, I really love this game; the characters are adorable (for being jerks and all), and even the side characters are wholesome.”
- “This is one of the funniest games I've ever played; it's bizarre and heartwarming as well as completely hilarious.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is mixed; while the main characters exhibit realistic growth and consistency in their personalities, the side characters lack depth and interaction, often resulting in minimal engagement. Players appreciate the strong character designs and art, but desire more substantial development and interaction to enhance the overall experience.
- “The character development felt so real, and the character stays true to their personality all the way.”
- “The art is great, character design just as much.”
- “I very much enjoyed the character designs and backgrounds, too.”
- “There are also 'side boyfriends,' but they don’t have character graphics or as much character development.”
- “If there was more character development and character interaction, it would be much better, but many times it feels like you just [say hi to him] and then it moves on to the next day.”
- “The character development felt so real, and the characters stay true to their personalities all the way.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The game offers significant replayability, with players enjoying the humor and the opportunity to explore different routes. Many users find it addictive, leading to extensive playtime, with some accumulating over 150 hours.
- “It has moments that are very funny and quite a bit of replayability.”
- “But it is replayable to me because I enjoyed the process and want to see a few of the other routes personally.”
- “It's so replayable and addicting that before I knew it, I'd racked up over 150 hours.”
- “Replayability is lacking; once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to return.”
- “The game feels repetitive after the first playthrough, diminishing its replay value.”
- “I found the lack of varied outcomes and choices made replaying the game feel tedious.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization strategy is perceived as a blatant cash grab, lacking any effort to provide value to players.
- “No effort cash grab.”
- “The game feels more like a money-making scheme than a genuine experience.”
- “Every feature seems locked behind a paywall, making it frustrating to enjoy the game.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by its hilarious writing and beautiful art, particularly the charming chibi-style scenes, which contribute to a thoughtfully crafted experience.
- “The writing was hilarious, the art gorgeous, and I really liked the cute, scribbly-style chibi scenes - they fitted perfectly with the game's atmosphere. It's obvious that a lot of thought was put into crafting this game.”