War of Roses is a free simulation video game wherein you get to romance your way with the power of flowers. Developed by owl., this visual novel indie game is a light-hearted dating sim with love triangle drama and dress-up game mechanics. 

War of Roses features hours of text to go through for all of its romance routes and overarching plot. You also get dialogue options with different personality traits that can affect the types of clothing you can unlock. However, take note that the romances here can lead you to love triangles regardless of your choices.

All is fair in love and war

In War of Roses, you play as the daughter of a family that’s been manning a flower shop for five generations. The shop is currently facing a crisis as it’s lacking funds and your grandfather is preparing to sell it to your business rival, the mega-corporation FloraCorp. It’s up to you to save the shop by choosing the correct options whenever you encounter different characters. 

In this game, you can customize your character’s name and appearance—although expect the options to be limited since it’s just a short game. There are unlockable outfits you can wear, however, and you get them by dialogue options. There are three love interests available and they each have their own routes and endings. Take note that some of them end up in a love triangle by default, though.

There are four possible endings you can get. The outfits you get depend on what dialogue option you chose to give—divided by either “Sweet” or “Spicy.” While the romance aspect may not be fully satisfying for most players, the writing and plot itself offer a well-rounded cast of characters and a strong-minded female protagonist that many veterans of this genre can appreciate.

Has lots of potential to grow

All in all, War of Roses is a great dating simulation game if you want something sweet for a VN but has enough fun gameplay with its dress-up mechanics. While the writing itself may not endear to all players due to the forced romance between you and some of the love interests, everything else was well-done and shows potential for better games from the developer.