Web site:
Category: Games
Sub-Category: RPG
Platform: NEC PC-9801, MSX2, PC Engine, Mac, PlayStation, Sharp X68000/Switch, , DOS, Windows
License: Proprietary
Interface: GUI
Wikipedia: Princess Maker
First release: May 24, 1991
Princess Maker (Japanese: プリンセスメーカー, Purinsesu Mēkā), or Purime (プリメ) – a series of computer games by GAINAX. It was created under the direction and with character design (except for the 4th part) by Takami Akai. It belongs to the genre of life simulations, more precisely the Ikusei Simulation Games (育成シミュレーションゲーム, ikusei shimyurēshon gēmu, English: raising sims), of which it is considered the founder.
Until 2016, no part had ever been released outside Japan, South Korea or Taiwan. Part 2 was translated into English by SoftEgg with minor censorship, but the publisher went bankrupt before publication. This part was released in the improved Refine version on Steam on September 28, 2016. Princess Maker Refine, the remake of the first part, followed on February 17, 2017.
In 2002/03, GAINAX produced the anime Puchi Puri Yucie (ぷちぷり*ユーシィ, Puchi puri Yūshi, engl. “little princess Yucie”), which is loosely based on the third part.
In the game itself, you play a supervisor (the specific background is different in each game, in part 3 you can also choose it yourself) who has been entrusted with the education and upbringing of a daughter. This takes place between the ages of 10 and 18. The game then ends and the young woman’s future life is presented depending on her success in the game. In order to achieve the game goal, you have various training and career options available for your ward, which can be planned and completed on a weekly basis. In addition to classic school education and the usual activities in the Middle Ages, where the action takes place – but in the 5th part in the modern era – there is social interaction with NPCs and sometimes a small adventure section in which you can experience simple RPG scenarios that also influence development. In some parts, small competitions against other girls are also possible, which can be won or lost based on your own development.
The girl’s development is determined by a certain number of statistics that can be influenced by training and the possible professions. These are usually win/loss influences, i.e. you gain a few points in two or three values, but lose a little in another value. The possible professions are usually age-dependent and, in addition to the value changes, also provide the currency available in the game. The end of the game is determined by the total of the values achieved in the game, whereby there are a very large number of possible endings in each part, which can also be combined in different ways, since things like marriage and possible children are not necessarily related to the final profession achieved, but are determined by your own values and decisions. The final professions range from “good” or “evil” and low to high status, i.e. craftsman or soldier versus prostitute or thief to archbishop, royal princess or heroine versus demon queen.
Princess Maker 2 was released in 1993.
Princess Maker 3: Fairy Tales Come True was released in 1997.
Princess Maker 4 was released in 2005.
Princess Maker 5 was released in 2007.
