Ren'Py - Lust Harem [v0.40.0] [Xiongmao]

I'm so sad..
I was happy to find this fantasy harem game and I've been enjoying the game for 20+ hours without an issue, the sandbox is not grindy, the events are usually long enough so you don't need to click 20 times to see 5 minutes worth of dialogue.

Then I found out that there are different routes in this game for some reason, so in order to see everything I need to replay it.
Sadly I don't replay games and especially not sandbox games because I don't like wasting my time like that.

I don't know why the dev decided it's a good idea to implement branching in this game so late in the story (not counting LI branching - meaning if you romance/reject an LI), most harem games don't do this, not to mention sandbox harem games.
Nothing indicated that this is going to be a branching sandbox and then BAM pick a demon, pick if you want to find Klaus etc..

Just beware if you don't enjoy replaying sandbox games you'll miss content in this game.

v0.40.0

This game ticks a lot of boxes for me. Girls of varying ages and sizes. I love that you can actually impregnate multiple girls and see the cycle. The dialog is actually pretty funny sometimes. This gets my approval.

One of the funniest games I've played in a long time. Good story with solid renders. Good mix of story progression and sex scenes. One of my favorite games on this site.

The updates are sometimes few and far between but there is always good content when they come.

Absolute banger of a game, this one is definitely more for a laid-back and relaxed approach to playing.
Truly impressive for a sandbox game to be so fun when so many of them are grindy and exhausting. The game features an enormous roster of characters and for them all to actually be memorable and interesting is truly impressive.
Fair warning, if you exclusively prefer games with dedicated character routes, an 'actions have consequences' vibe, and deep emotional connections with characters this might not be for you.
The MC is a total sociopath, lying and gaslighting his way into scores of panties.
But it's totally okay because the game is funny trust me bro.

All things considered, I can understand how this game can be an acquired taste but personally, I absolutely love it and highly recommend everyone gives it a go.

Boring, creepy, and not well written.
As far as I got, there wasn't much of a plot, but there were a lot of poorly written lines. Klaus is just a disgusting creature. I don't want anything to do with him. The events are boring. The dialogue is clunky. Not my most eloquent review, but that's because I want to be done with this game as soon as possible.

Story 2/5
I could proberly have enjoyed this story alot more if you had any choices in what matters, i just turely hate when LIs are forced its will never be a harem that way, a harem is something you as the player build not something forced, by forcing everything it just becomes a mindless fuckfest game and thats just so damn boring and pointless, also means game is only about porn and story comes last and to me story is more importen then the sex aspect, if it wasent i would just hit a porn site and watch hentai/anime.

It starts with MC having a deamon in hes home that he apprently captured? and he then forces her to be hes sex slave? so MC is as evil as the deamon proberly even more so.
MC then has to seduce and fuck as many girls as possible, which is really just an overused plot seen a million times over already.

Virgin scenes are shit as well, no blood no pain just meh.

Girls 3/5
They look ok and there is a decent diversity in builds.

Animations 4/5
Some are average but the custom ones are good so ill be nice and put it above average on this one.

Music 2/5
Standard background tunes, nothing special and gets annoying at some point.

Choices 0/5
Its pretty the standard sandbox shit trying to hide that its really a kinetic story, you follow the set questline and the only freedom you have is which order to do them in.

Sandbox 2/5
Its each enough to get around but it feels pretty pointless really and the grind and mini games are really shitty but atleast you can turn mini games off.

The sheer grossness oozing off of every main character in this game really puts me on edge and makes it hard to enjoy any other element. There's almost always a thin layer of it with harem games, but it's especially bad here, especially when it's being played for laughs at the narrative level (instead of a character just having a shitty sense of humor). I feel like a worse person for having inhabited this story.

This game is alright but pretty shallow some interesting storylines that never really go anywhere and there is virtually no overarching plot and your given no choices to influence anything but which sex scenes you unlock

The way characters are done in this game is odd there's basically 2 girls who feel like main characters and everybody else is a side character, the side characters are pretty good but there's not much to them except sex scenes. Some of the other characters felt somewhat important early on but it just fizzled out

The sex scenes are generally good they are well written and erotic, although they are visually just moderately better versions of standard honey select scenes and models. I can't really rate the game like it's purely porn though even if there is a lot of scenes because most of the playtime is spent doing other shit.

The whole battle system did not appeal to me at all I quickly found it boring and tedious and then disabled it. It felt a cut above normal porn game combat but still massively below an actual video game.


Overall the game is decent, pretty mindless and the only emotion I ever felt was sheer dread about having to read through more shitty comedy scenes which isn't great. Either spend more time fleshing out any characters or just have less filler between sex scenes

Story 4/10
Writing 3/10
Characters 6/10
Hentai 8/10

Overall 6/10
would be a 7 if this season 20 peter griffin knock off klaus wasn't so fucking prevalent

Better than expected. The MC turned out to be somewhat expressionless. There are not enough choices defining his character. There is some gameplay (with a lot of spells), which is already good for such novels. The main disadvantage is of course Klaus (coworker MC), all the humor with him is extremely banal. Well, or almost, there may have been a few good jokes, but it's always just a theater of the absurd. He just does what he wants and gets away with it for no reason.
It makes sense to try now, it is clear that the developer was not sitting around. There is a lot of content and some scenes are voluminous.

one of the best i've played, love the combat and variety of skills, humor is on point with the whole british shtick, great selection of women and sex scenes. really looking forward for the future of this game

Review For Lust Harem (v0.32)
Right from the start, Lust Harem has proven to be an exceptional game. I must confess, I had somewhat low expectations, assuming it would be a mediocre experience. However, it completely shattered those expectations and I found myself completely hooked on the captivating characters and the world they exist in.

1.The Main Character
Starting with the main character, this guy easily ranks in my top 10 best avn mc's of all time. Initially, I had reservations when I saw his model in the game because he looked way different from the other characters. However, as I continued playing, he grew on me.
I appreciate how the developer made him a Brit and incorporated jokes related to his character. It's amusing to see the girls trying to figure out his british slang based on context.
One running joke that always cracks me up is everyone teasing him for drinking milk with tea.
Overall, he has a great personality and is quite funny. While he may come across as the cliché horny main character that sticks his meat in all the pies, he does have specific preferences in women and depending on the choices made, he can be either a loyal and laid-back guy or an absolute player who dates and fucks multiple girls in his school simultaneously even when half of them hates each other.
Additionally, I find it quite enjoyable how he consistently breaks the fourth wall by referencing in-game mechanics like the map and the girls that appear on it. Remarkably, these breaks seamlessly integrate into the lore as he is guided by a succubus to pursue the *Main Girls* and disregards any other characters unless they have the potential to join his harem.

2.Klaus
Now Klaus, the best friend of the main character (although it's more accurate to say that the main character barely tolerates his antics), is truly a remarkable character. You can tell a character is exceptional when they have an entire section dedicated to them in a review.
Personally, he is my absolute favorite side character in the game. Every time he makes an appearance, I know that some ridiculous situation is about to unfold, and I can't help but burst into laughter.
He embodies everything that a comedy relief character should be, especially when compared to the other guys in the game who are not the main character. Most of them are either weaklings or simply there to be laughed at, only showing up for specific events to create conflict or move the story forward. What sets Klaus apart from them is that he appears frequently throughout the game and actually feels like an important character. Moreover, he is responsible for a lot of the hilarious shenanigans that occur in the main plot. It's always amusing to see him escape consequences, even when he commits the most devious and absolutely insane crimes that should land him in a maximum security prison.
As the story progresses, he does mellow out for valid reasons, but he still manages to bring the humor back with his regular tomfoolery.
I've come across people who find him annoying (and I completely agree), suggesting that the game would be better off without him. However, in my opinion, Klaus plays a crucial role in the plot, and removing him would undoubtedly diminish the excitement of the game.
All in all I can't wait to see how his character develops from here on out.

3.The Harem
Next up is the main and side girls of the Harem, The harem features a diverse selection of women to date and have relationships with. You can even make multiple of them your official girlfriends all at the same time, which leads to some entertaining drama.
Personally, I couldn't get enough of them with only two girls I don't really care about.
My favorites are Asara, Asuka, and Mia. However, all the other girls are also fantastic. They are not just sex toys, but rather have unique personalities and feel like real girls. This adds to the immersion of the game.
Although there are still many women we can't romance yet, the harem is already quite large. You can even impregnate some of the side girls.
While the side girls content is decent,this in turn really makes the main girls' content truly shine. I also appreciate that a few side girls play important roles in the story and harem. The only downside is that some girls fall for you too quickly, but it aligns with the lore of the game. The succubus's passive skills make the girls more receptive to your charisma, but you still need to form a connection with them first so it is not too bad.

4.The Main Story
Now, let's move on to the main storyline of the game. It's not your typical "save the world" or "take over a kingdom" kind of plot. Instead, you assume the role of a student mage who forms a pact with a succubus, all with the help of one of your lovers.
The story primarily revolves around your daily life, where you seduce your classmates and other women, often finding yourself in various troublesome situations. Alongside this, you embark on adventures with Klaus, who always manages to land you in the most bizarre scenarios imaginable.
The game's comedy is exceptional and seamlessly integrates into the world and its characters. Playing it truly feels like living within the game, and I'm always excited to see what the main character and his companions are up to. However, don't be mistaken into thinking that the game solely focuses on funny dialogue and explicit scenes. It delves into darker themes at times, particularly when Klaus is involved. His reckless actions often lead to chaos and mayhem, making you question how this man hasn't been killed yet by the amount of enemies he makes everytime he appears on screen.
This adds an intriguing layer to the game, reminding you that even insignificant NPCs are impacted by your actions and those of your friends, sometimes on a global scale.
Personally, I believe the game doesn't need to be anything more than what it is. The story is fantastic, and I enjoy the sudden shifts between light-hearted moments and darker tones. It gives the game a sense of seriousness while still maintaining a lighthearted atmosphere.

5.The Sex Scenes
Finally, let's talk about the last aspect of the game, which is the sexual content. The game offers a variety of sex scenes, ranging from short and simple animations to longer and more creative ones, especially in the orgy. While there is a good amount of sex in the game, I wouldn't say it's excessive, as there are still side characters who haven't had much involvement with the main character yet.
The scenes can be brief and unexpected at times, but they are still enjoyable to watch. In my opinion, the story itself is so entertaining that even if there was a less focus on sex, it would still be an amazing experience. This game strikes a good balance between the sexual content and the story, and the huge orgy party showcases the developer's creativity for future scenes.
Personally, I think it would be interesting to see a threesome involving Bella and Mia, especially with the magical elements in the story. With more bizarre situations, the sex scenes could reach even greater heights.

Final Thoughts
This game is truly a hidden gem. I initially started playing with low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover a treasure trove of enjoyment. Now I am not saying this is the best game ever, it does have its flaws, such as subpar graphics compared to the industry giants that dominate avns and a few unappealing character models. However, the game succeeds in delivering a worthwhile experience.
Having completed all the content in the current version, I eagerly await the next update to immerse myself in this world once again. I sincerely hope that the developer continues to deliver.
Thank you for taking the time to read my detailed review. Now, it's time for me to search for another game that can fill the void left by this one, only to repeat the cycle until the game hopefully reaches its completion.

Review for v0.30.1

Lust Harem is a true sandbox game among sandbox games. This almost feels like what our world would possibly be like if it happened to be a modern day fantasy setting with magic and mythical beings. It's strangely... real in some senses. This is because the game doesn't have any grand plot or story, but really just is "a day in the life" where you play as a modern day young wizard. And it's done a great job of creating that feeling.

This may be one of the most interestingly mundane games I have played to be honest, and I mean that as a good thing. I say this because nothing truly significant happens in this game. You're just living day by day as a magic guild exchange student doing whatever various events you choose to do, and it's almost relaxing really. There's a very casual/almost nonchalant attitude from the MC that ends up leaking into a lot of everything else. This is not to say the events themselves are boring either. There's a lot of witty dialogue and humor that makes scenes interesting to view. It keeps you hooked in a way.

What I think surprised me most is how much I actually like some of the love interests. Asara, Varess, and Mizuki specifically are great characters. Very charming in their own ways, and I'm always glad to get more of them. They feel rather unique among a sea of AVNs.

Here's where things gets a little funky for me though. The game definitely has some near-fuckfest levels of pacing sometimes. Sex scenes kind of just happen without much build up, and most of them are pretty quick/standard, which leaves an unsatisfying feeling for me. This is whatever for side girls, but it leaves me wishing the main girls had more events exploring relationship build up with them and just having some focus on that aspect in general, rather than whatever other shenanigans their stories involve (not that I want those things gone, but more of a balance on both would be nice). Especially since I like some of them as much as I do.

To touch on humor more, some of it is gritty. Klaus, the main comic relief character, is someone I genuinely wish the MC had the ability to kill. Other people love him. It really just depends on your tastes. But overall I enjoyed a lot of the little quips that pop up.

Mechanically this game is your average sandbox. World map filled with different locations and characters, earn money, play minigames (with the option to turn them off, which I did), etc etc. The glossary is a pretty nice touch though, and I will say the jrpg style battle system is pretty unique for RenPy. But I didn't feel like bothering with it truth be told. There's also a surprising amount of choice and variance. Though I haven't done a ton of experimenting, it seems you can completely alter some of the girls routes.

This isn't perfect for me, but it does do a good job of scratching that occasional itch I get for more open-ended sandbox games.

UI is terrible, no sugarcoating! Almost everything looks like it's made out of text boxes, with little icons. Text for every single commands. Terrible UI design, so unintuitive. I know UI design is a bane to devs, but it looks shit! I mean sure, the UI does provide information to the players, but it looks unappealing and confusing to use.

The game looks average for an Honey Select game. Renders look flat with not much lighting and shader work. Sex animation ranges from default Honey Select to custom animations, which looks decent.

Gameplay is generic Sandbox, though made less unbearable due to an actual functional map (the only good part of the UI). As well as a generic RPGM-like Turn Based RPG. There are mini games, which are mediocre, but not painful to play.

Story is good, except some twist and turns that are just meanspirited (not in funny way), and comedy tend to be hit or miss. Character writing good.

Overall, the game is eh.

+ Hot sex scenes
+ Hilarius humor
+ Nice minigames
+ Music matches with gameplay and sets mood for every scene.
+ Lots of special events progressing the story with every character.
+ Hint system helps with everything, no need to remember what to do.

- Sometimes its insane and cruel.
- Klaus is an annoying and dangerous idiot. Yeah, sometimes it leads to a good joke, but most of the time I want to get rid of him.
- reading a long lecture with Helen about some fictional gods of china was super boring. Barely made it.
- using japaneese(or chineese) letters in minigame is unfair. Its just a lot of random lines for anyone who doesnt read this language.

Game gets worse over time. Starting with jokes and parody it moves to school bullying, animal cruelty, killing innocent people. Its not funny anymore, just stressing with new plot twists.

This has good scenes.
A large amount of scenes plus girls.

Fairly good story

The succubus helping corrupt makes sense for harem given some of the girls thoughts on their infidelity to their SOs when banging the mc, plus the occasional girls who are like all girls should be and want exclusivity/commitment.

I'm not sure about what this typa art is called. I know I'm not the greates fan of this art. Still good overall.

I suppose klaus is mainly for comedic relief. I've personally had it with him and would like to have a game without him.

Waiting for the story to allow the mc to knockup more LIs. klaus being killed or discontinued would be good too

Review of Version: 0.27.0

I have to say that this has quickly become one of my favorite games that I've found here.

Pros.
It actually has some (completely optional) interesting and fun gameplay, an extreme rarity for this sort of game. Most of the minigames are fine for what they are, but I got bored and turned them off after playing them a few times as they aren't my thing, EXCEPT for combat. While the basic battle system isn't breaking new ground, being the turn based fighting that anyone who's ever played a JRPG will know all too well, the Dev has obviously put a lot of thought and work into balancing the spells/powers that you and your foes use, making for a rather engagingly tactical experience that I honestly enjoyed. It even supports shenanigans like using the clothing destroying spell in battle, which gives you exactly the kinds of results that you'd hope for. (Though I do wish that particular spell was relevant more often.)

Hilarious and often down right good writing. The characters are almost all very well written and memorable in their own ways (not to mention quite sexy when applicable), and I always felt invested in all of the various story/plot threads that are being woven throughout the game. I don't think I was tempted to skip dialog once in my entire playthrough.

The games does a great job at making your choices feel like they actually matter, and more often than you might think think, they really do. Sometimes your decisions might completely change a girl's storyline. At other times it just lets you have more of a say in the MC's personality, as while he'll always be a pervert and a bit conceited, you can sometimes choose if you want to be more of a empathetic individual, or if you're the kind of guy who'd much rather give others a hard kick while they're down.

The sandbox never really leaves you feeling lost. Between the hints in the characters glossary and the exclamation points on the map I didn't ever find myself having to randomly look around trying to figure out what to do next. You should still do a bit of exploring though, there are minor scenes and repeatable events that the game doesn't go out of its way to draw attention to.


Cons.
There is some grinding sadly. It's not TOO bad, but you will probably be spending more time just trying to get more money than you really want to (talk about immersion!). However there is a cheat mod if you get really sick of it, so it's not that big of a deal.

Seriously, do yourself a favor and just read the fucking help screen, it won't take long at all. The game mostly does a good job at explaining things while you play, but there were a few things I was completely confused by until I finally got around to clicking that question mark and realized “oh, that's where it tells you what that means”.

It didn't really hurt my enjoyment at all, but it's probably worth mentioning that almost everyone in this game is some flavor of terrible person, and sometimes bad things happen to random people. Don't worry too much, this isn't some fucked up Asanagi manga, or anything like that, it's mostly just used (rather effectively) for black comedy. And as someone who's not generally into that sort of thing it only went form humorous to a bit of a boner killer maybe twice in the whole game for me, but if you're super sensitive to that kind of stuff it might be something to keep in mind.

Speaking of terrible people, guess I'll weigh in on Klaus. He's a comedy relief character who's main, and possibly only, trait is being just the absolute worst in general. Personally I like him. Yes, he's the human equivalent of a trash fire started in a cursed Indian burial ground that someone keeps dumping nuclear waste on top of, but who could look away from a spectacle like that? When he shows up you know that he's going to do something inane, insane, and/or down right horrible, which will then immediately backfire on him in some humorous way. But some players do absolutely despise Klaus as the worst part of the game and you do see quite a bit of him, so if you find yourself to be a part of that group I recommend just getting used to skipping dialog, you won't miss all that much important plot.

The sister of batt... I mean the chort needs more content! Being indescribably adorable, her status as a semi-optional minor waifu is an unforgivable crime against all humanity. Why, her amazing display of stealth when asked if she had the power to conceal herself was more than enough to cement her as best girl all by itself!


TLDR.
The game is sexy, fun, well written, and I regret not finding it sooner.

(Review of 0.27.0)

If Heathers were a game, it would be this one. The MC has more derring-do than common sense, but it makes for a solidly off-kilter experience that never seems to lose momentum once you get past the beginning -- see below. I'm not sure if this is my favorite MC so far, but it's definitely close.

The game has a number of rough edges that are worth keeping in mind. I tried it about a year ago and gave up out of boredom because I hadn't discovered the combat sections. At first it feels like a divorce between a charismatic drunk and a 40-year-old Harry Potter fan. You have to tolerate this dissonance for a bit while you're starting the storylines and getting things moving. Also, many of the core mechanics of the game are poorly explained; I went with a cheat mod to remove the grind.

Both the plot and characters are strong, the plot being stronger but both standing out. Asara and Varess are two of the best characters I've seen in porn games -- they remind me of Azraesha but lean into the chaotic/crazy side a bit harder. Klaus is Derek from a popular college game, but with a negative moral compass, a blast radius with more chaos than tragedy, and self-made (and hilarious) terrible outcomes. I get why he's controversial, but within the larger scope of the game he fits perfectly.

I will probably come back to this one when updates are released, but I might wait a while. It's not quite my usual fare, as I prefer character-driven stories -- and while the characters here are well-written, they get drowned out by the plot hijinks more than I tend to like for frequent replays. Either way, it was well worth the time and download size and had me laughing harder than anything else in recent memory. Highly recommend.

The greatest strength of this game is also its weakness.

Dialogues can make or break a game but the writer knows how to make even inane conversations come off as witty or charming. It's a delight to read them but here comes the kicker - There are way too many banal conversations EVERYWHERE. Suddenly you find yourself reading a back and forth between two girls who bicker with each other like children. Is it well written? Yes. Is it entertaining? No, it only clogs up the story or character progression and I found myself groaning at the prospect of yet again having to suffer through some utterly irrelevant conversation.

I really want to give this a higher rating but I simply can't justify all this inanity!

V0.23

This game is really good, not sure why it's not well known. There are few aspects of the game which are lacking but the story is intriguing and the MC's character is a cool.

The characters are all good, both the Main LI's & Secondary ones.

Scenes are done well too.

The sandbox aspect is a little demanding but once you get it it's awsm, combat is just cool, i deactivate all other minigames except combat as it actually test's your skills.

Good amount of content too till the latest version, will surely look out for future updates.

Good Luck with the game Dev.

Reviewed for version [v0.23]

One of the most fun I've had with porn games and a solid game separate from the porn itself.

TL;DR - Fun and creative sandbox with some real player agency, solid combat system, relaxing minigames, and well written characters that are all morally questionable in this magical dark comedy

Sandbox works basically like any other sandbox usually does with day phases and several set locations with repeatable events as you develop your relationships with characters. As someone who likes the repeatable aspect of sandbox games, they feel relatively lacking in that there isn't much interactivity outside repeatable sex scenes which is totally fine and likely preferred with players who are apprehensive about "sandbox" games in general. I'd like more as a fan of them, but all of what is available is solid and they aren't just slightly modified scenes from main events. There are stat increases for certain aspects that play more into the rpg side of things along with a money/item collection grind but it never felt too troublesome though it's far from a few easy clicks as it's tied to a minigame but it can easily be disabled. I kept the minigames and had fun with them for a while as lighthearted sandbox games are mainly a form of relaxation and chill minigames service that feeling well.

Combat in this game is my favorite aspect of it and I'd say it's worth leaving on to both breakup the monotony of the inevitable event hunting (which isn't too bad here but is just a fundamental aspect of sandbox games) as the combat is pretty fun and both simple enough to do and possibly more complex depending on how much you want to invest into it. The only dungeon available has a really lacking enemy variety, but there is very strong potential with the system overall as displayed in the more unique fights. One particularly fun spell can expose your enemy's breasts which can result in interesting outcomes and on a more serious level you can try different builds with the amount of spells and items already in the game such as my favorite strat against mages which is just high evasion and draining their magic until they're useless or for physical bosses I'll summon a bunch of rats and just chip away as they draw all the agro away from my squishy self. Many spells don't only effect the combat but also events within the game where you can encounter various opportunities to use them that give a real feeling of a goofy raunchy magical world that other games and media fail to really capture. This agency doesn't seem too have extremely major effects, but there's plenty of minor ones that are fun to watch unfold as you can sometimes reap the rewards of your magical genius or face consequences such as an in-game week long suspension from school.

Characters in the game are some of the best I've seen, not because they're deep, but because they're just pure fun. The nicest girl is probably kind of racist. A girl retaliating against bullies takes it way too far. A well meaning girl is incredibly bitchy and probably hasn't done any actual good. The main character plays pretty loose with his ethics depending on your choices. Klaus is an objectively terrible person and seems to be pretty controversial but it's clear that's the point and I love hating him and hope to see him get what he deserves, more so than the few scenes here and there. It's all good fun because the game knows what it is and what it's supposed to be, stupid and absurd, and it's good at it.

Porn is pretty good. Found myself the least interested in the porn as porn and was more interested in the scenarios and impact as a lot of sex scenes do a good job in pushing the narrative rather than just being a sort of reward for progress. It's nothing particularly special in terms of art but I liked it and it excels at it's framing of sex scenes, especially pregnancy with the side characters if you enable it. I'd absolutely enjoy the porn on its own and do recommend it, but personally the other aspects of the game drew me in much more. I did discover something about myself when I was given the chance to fuck a pretty horrifying demon and a spirit of pestilence though that's all optional in case you're not a freak.

There is much more I wish I could put into words and it may not be as objectively good as I believe it is, but I had a lot of laughs and fun with the game and recommend it to anyone who wants to relax and play a goofy game. I'm hopeful to see the game improve and progress.