Eden of Ikemen: Love in a Lost World – Why Does The Universe Not Want Me To Sleep?

Hello friends!

Let’s talk about pretty anime boys. Even though I have a clear anime focus on this blog, I’ve made no secret of my appreciation for visual novels, blotomes(TM) and otomes. I have attempted review some with mixed results…

When I first discovered the rich world of what is essentially interactive novels, it was still fairly new in my kneck of the woods and finding anything at all in English was a challenge. It was an exciting time indeed when titles not only started to get localized but you could play them on your phone….for free!!!! What a time to be alive!

Of the few dating sims I’ve actually talked about, I mentioned the company Abracadabra before. (Actually in the post I linked up there) I’m a fan of their games and they are one of the few mobile publishers I regularly seek out and play through. Generally I’ve finished all the games I started of theirs which is not something I can say about many studios.

Imagine my delighted surprise when I received a message from them through my contact page! I have truly made it! (Seriously, there was some dancing at 5 a.m. in the bathroom. Almost dropped my phone in the toilet. Did not! Best day ever!) To be clear, the email simply asked if I would consider talking about their latest game Eden of Ikemen: Love in a Lost World and gave me the fact sheet in handy dandy copy pastable form:

*****From Abracadabra Games******(

~Synopsis~

The luxurious cruise ship that you’re on sinks. :海:
The 14 survivors, including you, are washed up on a desert island. :無人島:
Escape is your main goal, but a series of dangerous traps set by an unknown perpetrator keep getting in your way. :バーン:
What will you do when it turns out that an intricately designed plot was to blame for the sinking your luxurious cruise ship!?

On an island full of conspiracy, you find yourself being protected by charming ikemen with unique personalities! :キラキラハート:
Will the path you’re on lead you to your fated one? :くるりんハート:
Who will you choose to live with in an Eden of love and desire? :胸キュンハート:
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• Official trailer: https://youtu.be/yssizbPsy98
• Download link for Android and iOS: https://go.onelink.me/GgI3/bdc298b3

~Game Features and How to Play~

In this dating sim/adventure game, players proceed through an exciting story while aiming to reach the best ending. Use the 5 free tickets provided every day, or get them via special events or through the in-game Shop. Overcome Skill missions and Avatar missions to conquer the heart of your ikemen! Gather plenty of useful in-game items and Avatars to give your character a unique look. The story changes according to the player’s decisions, and beautiful CGs unlock once they’ve reached the required level of Affection.

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~Characters~

◆ Cool x Stoic: Fenrir the Strongest Soldier
“…It’s dangerous here. Stay close to me.”
His identity and background, including his real name, are all shrouded in mystery and no one knows why he keeps these details in secrecy.
Though apparently, he came to the island after receiving an invitation from someone…

◆ Mysterious x Impish: Joshua the Sexy and Wanted Criminal
“Hey, Eve. Want to try the forbidden fruit?”
An internationally wanted con-artist who deceives the rich.
Since meeting you on the desert island, you’ve been on his mind and he’s been trying to seduce you.
His criminal record as a genius hacker has helped him approach the wealthy from all walks of life, but little is known about his true goal and identity.

◆ Fierce x Passionate: Eiji the Reliable War Doctor
“Hey… What do you say we get on with the artificial respiration?”
An optimistic war doctor who’s been on the battlefield before–at least, that’s how his introduction goes. No one knows what his true goal is.
However, it seems to be related to his birth…

Fenrir and Joshua’s routes have been released.

Eiji’s route is planned to be released in November.

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~Why download it now?~

If you download the game now, you will have plenty of advantages!

For instance:
– Change routes as much as you want♪
┗After you clear the tutorial, you will be given 10 route change keys and 1 fragment which you can exchange for another key!!
– Even if you change routes, your skill points and your affection points won’t be reset!!
– If you reset a route, your skill points won’t be reset! (｀・ω・´)
– When you read scenarios, you will receive Gacha tickets as presents at fixed intervals♪
– There’s a special sale to celebrate the release!

******End of Abracadabra Games’ marketing release*********

They didn’t offer any form of compensation. To be fair the game is free so it’s not like there would be any point in offering me a copy. I just want to make it clear that there was no exchange of goods and or services. I chose to do this post because I am an actual fan and already had the game installed. I responded that I would play it a bit and share my impressions. And that’s what I did, uhm, am doing right now!

Let me go back a step though and explain why I’m a fan of Abracadabra games in the first place.

Most mobile otomes tend to follow the same basic template. Short bits of stories of which you can only read a predetermined amount for preset periods but you can pay to unlock more and read faster. In this case the mechanism for limiting playtime is a limited amount of “tickets” you need to pay in order to unlock more story. There’s also gatcha games, collectible items and some light friend mechanics, as well as limited time events with side stories or special scenarios.

There is also an in game currency which changes with every game (it’s diamonds in Eden), that you can trade for items. At various points in the game, owning the right items will unlock special but completely optional scenes. Finally there’s something like a levelling system where you challenge other players to get skill points. Challenge may not be the right word, it’s a pretty basic one click process and this time, the option to do all 5 daily challenges at once has been added which I personally appreciate.

What I really enjoy about Abracadabra’s games is that they do not feel predatory. Aside from the daily renewal there are plenty of ways to gain reading tickets. Moreover, the chapters are decently sized and don’t get shorter as you progress (unlike some games). I have never felt particularly compelled to spend real money in order to speed up the process because the pacing is actually thought out so that your daily read stops at a natural spot while still enticing you to read more the next day. As far as micro-transactions go, their games are by far the least frustrating I’ve played and you can realistically play through without ever spending anything while still enjoying it.

The other reason for my roundness is that their narratives usually appeal to me. They tend to be fairly light but a little cheeky. I’ve regularly found myself giggling at the banter. They’re also a bit more osé than the average mobile game I’ve played. If you’re going to play an otome, might as well get a bit of vavavoom. Don’t get me wrong, nothing x-rated here. I guess saucy would be the best word.

I’ve only played through a few chapters of my first route do far in Eden of Ikemen. It’s not as silly as some of the previous games I’ve enjoyed but I am loving the mystery aspect. I genuinely want to find out what’s going on. So far the player character is not a completely helpless idiot either. A sadly common trope in otome, so I’m digging that as well. I’m not sure if the mystery changes with the routes. I hope so but it may also be interesting to see different PoVs of the same story.

Finally, I’ve always liked the art in Abracadabra games. Let’s face it, that’s a pretty important factor in otomes. This time around they went with classic anime pretty boy aesthetics and I’m all for it. My favourite is the grumpy black haired Fenrir. I would like to see him with glasses on…Joshua’s not bad either… I like blondes… this post is quickly getting out of control let’s get back to it.

Basically, if you’ve been looking for your next otome, I’m having fun with Eden of Ikemen. It’s free to play has a great mystery to keep you interested and if you download it quickly, you get extra gift. If you decide to play, tell me about it. We can dish about which route’s the best!

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~Eden of Ikemen’s official accounts~

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/edenofikemen_EN

Facebook: https://mobile.twitter.com/edenofikemen_EN

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~About Abracadabra Inc.~
ABRACADABRA INC. is in charge of otome and BL (yaoi) smartphone games overseas management and localization. ABRACADABRA INC. is working on the multi-language delivery of a large number of games, to contribute to the global expansion of exciting Japanese-made contents and to make them enjoyable for users all over the world.

Abracadabra Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AbracadabraGamesOfficial/