How brands are tapping into trending Otome games (乙游)
Otome games, also known as romance simulation games, are designed specifically for a female audience. Female gamers number 330 million, almost half of China’s gaming population. After the success of Mr Love: Queen's Choice (恋与制作人), a mobile romance simulation game in 2017, developed by Paper Studios, it has once again captured the female gaming market with the launch of a new 3D romance mobile game Love and Deepspace (恋与深空) in January.
Love and Deepspace quickly drew a large player base. According to huo1818.com (炼丹炉), on its launch day, the game’s topics garnered over 6 billion views, with first-week revenue exceeding ¥150 million ($21m), averaging 48,490 downloads, and peaking at 113,268 downloads in a single day. At the same time, NetEase's otome game Beyond the World (世界之外) also performed impressively, with weekly revenue surpassing that of Genshin Impact (原神).
Trending Otome game Love and Deepspace. Image: 36Kr
Trending Otome Game Beyond the World. Image: Netease Game
According to Fastdata, China's gaming market generated ¥303 billion ($42b) in revenue in 2023, marking a 13.9% year-on-year increase. The demand for anime-style games was particularly strong, with the market size reaching ¥31.7 billion ($4.4b) in 2023, reflecting a 31% year-on-year growth, significantly outpacing the overall industry growth rate. Role-playing games remained the most dominant genre, accounting for 31% of the top 100 mobile games by number and 29.6% of the total revenue share for top 100 mobile games in China in 2023.
The commercial value of otome game IP has been widely acknowledged across various industries. Many brands have taken the opportunity to collaborate, blending game elements into their products or services. This creative fusion has turned collaborative marketing into a tangible game content experience. Such cross-industry partnerships have not only increased the exposure of otome game IP but also boosted the market performance and brand influence of the associated products, creating a win-win scenario for everyone involved.
Brands use collaborations to blend game elements with their own products or services, creating a unique marketing experience. For instance, on Valentine's Day, HEYTEA collaborated with Tencent's immersive Otome mobile game 'Love of Light and Night (光与夜之恋).' HEYTEA transformed its stores into 'Light City Marriage Registration Centers,' where consumers could purchase special packages, get game-related items, and "marry" their favorite in-game characters, replicating the romance found in the game. Images: Xiaohongshu @HEYTEA喜茶
Unilever’s ice cream brand WALL’S 可爱多 x Otome mobile game 'Love of Light and Night (光与夜之恋) collaboration. Each ice cream flavour matches a male character in the game. Image: WALL’S
Judydoll x Otome game Tears of Themis (未定事件簿) collaboration. Image: Xiaohongshu @Judydoll 橘朵
Female players find self-satisfaction and emotional value in these virtual romance games. For brands to tap into the commercial potential of otome game IP, they must first understand the otome game audience, respect their preferences, and recognize their emotional needs. Brands should also look for common ground between the game characters and their products, creating marketing content that closely aligns with the characters' personas to maximize the impact of the collaboration.
