Comparison

Nicole vs Hakuoki

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Nicole

Experience college life while unraveling a campus mystery. Engage in daily activities, take part-time jobs, and interact with intriguing characters. You might even find yourself dating the culprit.

Highlights
  • Dating sim gameplay
  • Campus mystery storyline
  • Part-time jobs for income
  • Explore various locations
  • Multiple dating options
  • Multiple endings
Features
Read full description

Nicole is thrilled that she managed to get into her first choice school and is looking forward to experiencing college life there. However, as soon as she moves into the university dorms, she finds out that there’s been a series of mysterious disappearances going on around the campus! So far, three girls have already gone missing and Nicole could be next if she’s not too careful – not quite the ideal college experience Nicole had in mind. Nicole is a dating sim that revolves around your day-to-day life as a college student. You can take up part-time jobs to earn money, explore various locations, do recreational and extra-curricular activities, and meet intriguing characters like Darren, Kurt, Jeff and Ted. You might even get to date the culprit! - Four different boys to date: Jeff, Ted, Darren & Kurt with 10 different endings - Discover the true identity of the culprit. Careful, you could be dating him! - Life simulation gameplay with several places to visit and activities to choose from - Classic dating sim with several statistics and items to buy

About

Hakuoki

Experience the origin story of a popular otome game series, set in the chaotic Edo period. Follow a young woman's journey as she becomes entangled with the Shinsengumi and uncovers their dark secrets. Fully voiced in Japanese with beautiful illustrations.

Highlights
  • Fully voiced Japanese audio
  • Beautiful illustrations
  • Origin story of a popular series
  • Additional 'Tea ceremony event' scenario
  • Historical Edo period setting
Features
Read full description

“Hakuoki”- the otome game that has gained popularity not only in Japan but around the world, is now available in English! The whole story is fully voiced in Japanese by popular voice actors, and the beautiful illustrations have been perfectly ported from the PSP version! This work was the basis for the series' culmination, "Hakuoki Shinkai" which released in 2015. The "Hakuoki" series started in 2008, and until "Hakuoki Shinkai" released, fan disks and anime have been created based on this game. You can play the origin story of "Hakuoki" along with the additional scenario, the "Tea ceremony event ". ■Story It is the end of the Edo Era, and the 3rd year of the Bunkyu Era... The protagonist, Chizuru Yukimura, was raised in Edo and is daughter to a Rangaku scholar. Having lost contact with her father in Kyoto, Chizuru decides to visit him. There, Chizuru witnesses a Shinsengumi soldier killing a bloodthirsty monster. By strange happenstance, Chizuru finds herself connected to the Shinsengumi, and the assassins desperate to kill them. As time progresses, Chizuru will discover their terrible secret.... Tortured by their own thoughts, the men of the Shinsengumi wield their blades in defense of their faith and ideals, in an era torn apart by chaos. Hidden in the riots that defined the passing of the Edo period, a dark battle within the Shinsengumi begins: A battle that will never be recorded in the pages of history... ■Tea ceremony event In February 1867, Chizuru is asked to attend a tea party on Kondo’s behalf. She accepts to go accompanied by the Shinsengumi warriors. What’s hidden behind that sudden invitation? What awaits her...? Find out by spending some sweet time with your favorite character! *This scenario can be enjoyed by purchasing the "Tea ceremony event". It is recommended you play this scenario after completing the main story. [CAST] Toshizo Hijikata(CV:Shin-ichiro Miki)/Souji Okita(CV:Showtaro Morikubo)/Hajime Saito(CV:Kohsuke Toriumi)/Heisuke Toudou(CV:Hiroyuki Yoshino)/Sanosuke Harada(CV:Kouji Yusa)/Isami Kondou(CV:Toru Okawa)/Keisuke Sanan(CV:Nobuo Tobita)/Shinpachi Nagakura(CV:Tomohiro Tsuboi)/Kodo Yukimura(CV:Ryugo Saito)/Chikage Kazama(CV:Kenjiro Tsuda)/etc *Japanese Only. <Recommended devices> iOS 10.0 or higher *Please note that we do not support devices other than the recommended devices. Please note that we do not guarantee operation or provide refunds for use on unsupported OS/unsupported devices. *We recommend downloading the game over Wi-Fi. *Save data cannot be transferred after changing devices. <User Support> *User support is available only in Japanese. If you have any problems with the operation of the application, please check the "Frequently Asked Questions". Frequently Asked Questions https://www.ideaf.co.jp/support/q_a.html If your problem is not resolved after checking the FAQ, Please contact us using the mail form on the following page. <Contact us> https://www.ideaf.co.jp/support/us.html Please note that once the billing process has successfully completed at the store, the download to the compatible device is considered to be complete, and no refunds will be issued after that.

Screenshots

Nicole4 screens
Hakuoki4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hakuoki at every 6 months against Nicole's every 20 months. Hakuoki also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Nicole sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Hakuoki sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Nicole against 4.3 for Hakuoki. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 108 and 72 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 61% of Nicole's written reviews are positive against 66% of Hakuoki's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Nicole ships an update every 20 months, Hakuoki every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Nicole versus Hakuoki: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNicoleHakuoki
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (108 ratings)4.3 (72 ratings) — better
Positive reviews61.3% of reviews65.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings108 — better72
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsEvery 6 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size118 MB670 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperCelso RivaIDEA FACTORY CO., LTD.

Customer experience

Nicole

All ratings109 ratings
Positive75.2%
Neutral9.2%
Negative15.6%
Written reviews155 reviews
Positive61.3%
Neutral13.5%
Negative25.2%

Hakuoki

All ratings72 ratings
Positive81.9%
Neutral5.6%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews67 reviews
Positive65.7%
Neutral11.9%
Negative22.4%

User reviews

Nicole

From 108 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💕 Interesting story and characters
  • 👍 Unique and engaging gameplay
  • 🎨 Beautiful art style
  • 🎶 Enjoyable soundtrack

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive full version price
  • ⏱️ Short trial period
  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🔒 Locked content behind paywall

Hakuoki

From 72 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✨ Well-written story
  • 💖 Attractive, mature characters
  • 🎤 Amazing voice acting
  • 🎨 Beautiful artwork
  • 💯 Worth the money (for some)

Room to improve

  • 💸 Pay for chapters
  • 💰 Expensive content
  • 💳 Can't pay for chapters
  • 💸 Paying for every chapter
  • 💸 Ridiculous chapter cost

Bugs and requests

Nicole

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Ending glitches preventing true endings
  • Progress loss after exiting the app
  • Compatibility issues on older devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • More free content in trial version
  • Ability to switch between love interests
  • Longer gameplay duration
  • Improved save/load functionality

Hakuoki

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • Purchases not showing up
  • App won't load (black screen)
  • Game crashes after intro
  • Black screen after introduction
  • Game crashes
Show 8 more
  • Screen goes blank after intro movie
  • Game not working
  • Black out after intro
  • Black screen with border, no click option
  • Stuck on title screen (black screen)
  • Black screen after intro song
  • Game fails to save progress
  • Mouths don't move when characters speak

Requested features

7 requests
  • Make game available to those who can't pay
  • More free chapters
  • Consider making more parts free
  • Fix the glitch where progress isn't saved
  • Make other games localized (SSL)
Show 2 more
  • Add Shiranui's route
  • Explain difference between free and premium editions

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Nicole

One-time2
  • Add 100 units of in-game currency$0.99
  • Unlock all male romances$5.99
10 purchases

Hakuoki

One-time10
  • Common Route Chapter 1$3.79
  • Common Route Chapter 2$3.79
  • 【HAKUOKI】Common Route Chapter 3$3.79
Show 7 more
  • 【HAKUOKI】Toshizo Hijikata Route Chapter 4$3.79
  • 【HAKUOKI】Toshizo Hijikata Route Chapter 5$3.79
  • 【HAKUOKI】Hajime Saito Route Chapter 4$3.79
  • 【HAKUOKI】Hajime Saito Route Chapter 5$3.79
  • 【HAKUOKI】Souji Okita Route Chapter 4$3.79
  • 【HAKUOKI】Souji Okita Route Chapter 5$3.79
  • 【HAKUOKI】Chikage Kazama Route Chapter 4$3.79

Questions

Is Nicole free?
Nicole is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hakuoki free?
Hakuoki is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Nicole or Hakuoki?
Hakuoki is rated higher. Nicole averages 4.2 out of 5 from 108 ratings, while Hakuoki averages 4.3 from 72 ratings.
Do Nicole or Hakuoki have ads?
Neither Nicole nor Hakuoki shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Nicole or Hakuoki?
Nicole ships an update every 20 months, and Hakuoki every 6 months. Most recently, Nicole was updated on October 21, 2026 and Hakuoki on October 22, 2026.

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