Oooh I'm glad I found this post! All the ones listed as having multiple mentions are great, but here's some more:
Our Life: Beginnings & Always by GB Patch is one of the best otome games ever made, period. If you like the "childhood friend" trope, it literally doesn't get any better than this. The base game is free but the DLC is all extremely worth it.
The House in Fata Morgana by Novectacle is so good and such a unique experience, I really have never played anything else remotely like it.
Heaven Will Be Mine by Worst Girls Games, the same people as We Know the Devil.
Blackberry Honey by ebihime, who has written and continues to write a ton of VNs that range from fluff to horror. My favorite is this fairly happy one about Victorian maids though, because I fell in love even with the cast of side characters.
ITYH: A Horror Otome by Amiralo, which is the best horror VN I've ever played. I was so obsessed I stayed up all night getting every ending.
Chronicles of Tal’Dun: The Remainder by Square Weasel Studio is a dark fantasy game with a very unique concept. The art is so incredibly detailed and beautiful.
Cinderella Phenomenon bu Dicesuki has one of my favorite dating sim protagonists of all time, because she starts off as a spoiled asshole and gets tremendous character development on every single route.
