Serious questions guy please answer me: Does this game have romance? Or just Manipulate go brrrr?
It varies depending on the character. The game's mind control theme has two parts: first you reveal someone's secret, then you can manipulate them ("remove inhibitions"). Most of the manipulation in the game is optional, but you have to do some of it to win the game, and for two out of four romanceable characters, you have to do it to become their boyfriend.
1. Nell can be romanced without removing any secrets at all. (you have to reveal her secrets to win, but you can do that after you've legitimately become her boyfriend by non-skeevy means. You don't have to remove any of her inhibitions to win the game)
2. Primrose can be romanced without removing any inhibitions. (you have to reveal her secrets to get things to the point where she sees you as boyfriend material, but there's no manipulation involved)
3. Evelyn has an inhibition that must be removed before you can romance her.
4. Callie cannot be romanced without revealing all of her secrets, manipulating her into being willing to do nude fashion shows for you, and altering her sexuality, so her romance path is the most icky in the game.
The other main characters are either not romancable during the game or don't have any secrets/inhibitions.