Just Bros feels like reading a horny sports manga that suddenly remembers it’s a dating sim, then forgets again, then shoves your face right back into somebody’s sweaty pecs. You start as this pretty normal guy surrounded by walking thirst traps who all pretend they’re “just bros” while very obviously checking each other out in the locker room. The writing leans hard into this fake straight energy: guys comparing bench press numbers while their towels slip a little too low, casual “no homo” comments right before they push you up against a wall and kiss you like they want to swallow your tongue. It’s not subtle. I liked that. Although sometimes I hated it. One minute the game is teasing slow romantic build up, next minute you’re bent over the shower bench having your ass pounded by a so-called “training partner” who swears it’s just a special stretch.
What surprised me a bit is how close this feels to those BL sports manga where every page is just guys sweating, arguing, then making out in a dark corner. But here, you actually pick where to hang out, who to text, and which dick you want inside you tonight. The choices don’t feel super complicated on paper, but they hit hard because the guys react like actual messy humans. I had one run where I focused on the serious muscle coach, the kind of older daddy you know smells like chalk, coffee and a bit of aftershave. I kept picking the respectful, submissive options, listening to his training plans, saying “yes sir” a lot, and suddenly he’s pushing me against the gym mirror, whispering that I belong to him now. Then my phone buzzes with a hook-up invite from the loudmouth jock I’d slept with earlier, and the jealousy scene that followed felt like something ripped straight out of a yaoi drama. He doesn’t just get pissed, he gets possessive in this hot, slightly toxic way that made me both horny and annoyed. I wanted to tell him to calm down, but also to pull my hair harder. Some routes are softer, like the shy nerdy guy who looks like he never left his dorm room except to buy protein powder. His first time scene is more “I’m shaking, please go slow” and less “ram me into the locker,” but of course I still chose “ram me into the locker.” The game lets you be gentle or a total slut, and then acts shocked when you are a total slut. The only thing that bothered me too much is how often my character ends up in the same damn bar. There are like three places in this universe apparently: gym, bar, bedroom. I kept thinking, please, just one chaotic date in a supermarket, let me get railed in the frozen food aisle or something. It never happens, and I weirdly missed that. The routes twist around more than you expect, though. One night stand you thought was just a random cock turns into a full route if you don’t ghost him, and some “main” guys can stay as occasional fuckbuddies if you push them away. It feels less clean than usual visual novels, more like you’re stumbling through a horny friend group where everyone has history and nobody uses Grindr because they already have each other on speed dial. In a way it’s kind of realistic: guys pretend to be tough, pretend it’s only bros being bros, but then one simple choice and their hands are shaking while they unzip you. I kept thinking “ok, last route, I’m done,” then I saw another beefy idiot flex on screen and clicked new game again.