Got $7K budget for a game. What would be best setting, hero, fetishes in your opinion?

[Davos2]

A VN about how people see themselves in the eyes of others.

A peek at the darker side of romance in the modern age of swiping right or left or whatever. Would be a bit complex from varying viewpoints establishing how a certain character see's themself (id) vs how others see them (super ego) vs who they really are (ego).

Main Area would be something akin to the Velvet Room from Persona/SMT; only its a high class bar with a lone bartender (gender would be opposite of your chosen gender), numerous patrons and various secluded areas for more intimate drinking. It shows up anywhere, like how the Velvet Room operated in Persona/SMT games. It would be tied to a new tinder-knock off given to the MC by a rather upstanding good samaritian after a night turned wrong (drink thrown at him, slapped, jumped in alleyway after too much drinking, etc).

From this, MC could be anything from a college student to a wage slave and beyond. Story would be casual slice of life, but with a sprinkle of the supernatural via the Main Area (not sure what to call it). Left open-ended with no questions answered because that is what it is (an allegory to sex games maybe?). Only MC knows about it and can enter it.

Two types of main romance arch-types; non-Main Area (real world) and Main Area (whatever it is). Bartender would act like a voice of reason while serving you drinks. To sum it up any Main Area romances would ultimately end up as "bad endings" while non-Main Areas would be the "good endings".

Interesting idea, love the Persona-ish parts. Though I am not sure those descriptions of ego and super ego are accurate.

I would suggest some variety to main area and real world endings [Ex- became a serial killer's victim by getting close to one in real world and some good endings in Main area].

Would there be room for some choices on keeping or ditching some personas to appeal to more potential love interests?

 

[VertexDestroyer]

There wouldn't be anything like Personas in terms of acquiring and using different Persona; the Main Area is simply based off it in that it exists and doesn't exist at the same time; question is whether it is real, some supernatural phenomina or a hallucination (think Danny in The Shining; did he really hallucinate or where those real or is it a mix?)

Instead of Igor you have Bartender. I suppose Nameless and Belladonna would be there but as ambience but as different people.

This is all entirely made up on the spot, mind you. So, uh.. appealing to potential love interests would revolve around "small" things like taste in clothing, interests, topics of conversation and potential future plans (start a family or something to appeal to those looking to start a family for example). Since all sex games are essential self-inserts this would be no different and play upon how you could potentially change either drastically or not at all in pursuit of said romance.

And this is where the aspect of how you see yourself vs how others see you comes into play. Bartender see's you as your ideal self seeks to gently push and prod you along the path of realizing that. The variety of romance partners means there are some who would only be pleased if you change to suit their needs, while others are happy with whom you are and so on. I suppose the aesop would be that it is fine to change small things about yourself to appeal to more potential love interests, but neither should you complete change who you are just for the possible chance at some bumpin' uglies.

 

[ShamanLab]

Better buy guitar.

Nobody guarantee you get back your 7k by making another adult game.

But if you really want to make and sell something, my advise -- spend 5k on promoting and 2k on production.