Lewd Tennis? Yeah, Steam Really Loves This Raunchy Sports Game

Did you ever look at a tennis match and think, “Wow, everything going on in this game is super cool, but it should be much lewder.” Personally? Not really. I never had a proclivity for lewd sports. But I get the love. Athletic girls? Very attractive. All that running around on the court can really work up a sweat. Nothing like a tender moment off the field to cool off after an intense match, right?

At least, I assume that’s how many PC gamers feel. Case in point, one of the most popular adult anime games on Steam right now is an 18+ tennis game with real tennis gameplay. That’s right. If you want to hit a tennis ball so hard that it rips off some clothing, you’re going to want to join the hundreds of other players taking a shot at Academy Love Saga: Tennis Angels EX.

Please enjoy this tasteful, Waypoint-themed censorship of ‘Academy Love Saga’

Developed by Tora Creatives, Academy Love Saga stars players as a former tennis coach who returns to the field to train (and hook up with) a roster of stunning girls who all dislike you. The game promises “dynamic action-oriented tennis,” running around the field and hitting balls, all while leveling up your curvy anime waifus. Win game after game as you play through bona fide tennis matches, complete with various moves. You can even use the tennis ball to strip your opponent during a match. Personally, I’ve never heard of that happening during Wimbledon, but I got the impression Academy Love Saga isn’t based on a true story.

As for the game’s popularity? In the past 24 hours, Academy Love Saga reached a peak of 432 players, making it the 10th most popular Steam game labeled “Adult Only” across the past day. It’s also the 62nd most popular “adult only” title to ever hit Steam, with the game peaking at 1,633 users during its first 24 hours. Academy Love Saga: Tennis Angels EX also has a “Very Positive” rating on Steam, with over 690 reviews entered for the lewd anime sports title. One player said the game “brings the same thrill” as Nintendo’s (far more family-friendly) Mario Tennis, just with “some mature content.” Another called Academy Love Saga’s story “basically a meme” that “actually works surprisingly good,” with “solid gameplay” despite the game’s 18+ premise.

“The characters are super well done too, great art and VA, definitely one of the game’s strongest points,” that reviewer noted. “The animations (10 in total) are pretty simple in a good way, the movement feels super smooth and the voice acting combined with the facial expressions is really well made, especially compared to mid games that feel stiff.”

Engaging tennis with an ugly protagonist

Before you pick up Academy Love Saga, you might want to know a bit more about the game’s storyline. As stated on Steam, the washed-up male protagonist is met with a group of girls who dislike him, and your goal is to “FORCE THEM TO LOVE YOU.” The game’s mature content disclaimer on the Steam Store explicitly states that Academy Love Saga features noncon material, or fictional work depicting nonconsensual sex acts for the player’s enjoyment.

“All characters depicted are over the age of 18,” the game’s content warning notes. “The game features nude characters in sexual acts, non-consensual sex, and BDSM.”

Understandably, noncon is very upsetting to some players. And Academy Love Saga leans into this aspect quite a bit. One player criticized Academy Love Saga‘s storyline. Calling the protagonist a tropey “loser” male that “treats women terribly but still wins.” That reviewer still praised the game for its “gorgeous” adult models, fantastic art, and enjoyable tennis gameplay. Even if the game plays into that rather common ugly male protagonist trope seen in some 18+ anime and manga. It’s just, Academy Love Saga is a bit divisive, even if the core components within the game are quite good.

“The adult scene context is awful but the artwork is amazing,” that reviewer said. “You can tell the developers care about having attractive models for sure, the only downside? You have to be a disgusting dude who’s performing the acts. Still, again, it’s not a dealbreaker, I’d just have preferred a ghost sprite or anything other than that.”

So, what’s the deal with noncon?

Personally, I wouldn’t consider Academy Love Saga my cup of tea. I enjoy noncon content, but only in a yuri context (that is, between two women). I was never really drawn to its straight depiction in adult video games built for men. As these titles tend to focus on male gratification over the fantasy of female submission. It’s not very sexy as the female reader, it just feels kind of unnerving. In comparison, I find yuri noncon generally tends to be more enjoyable for female viewers, both as domme and sub.

That said? I’ve met many female fans of straight-oriented noncon content, even material built by and for male players. So I can’t in good faith speak on behalf of all women engaging in this material. Human sexuality is just too complex. Besides, as a journalist covering lewd games? I’d never advocate for the censorship of fictional content about fictional adults doing fictional things. You know, part of defending artistic expression is defending the stuff that makes us queasy, but ultimately isn’t harming anyone. Once you censor a game like Academy Love Saga, other fields start to come under threat. Like, you know, that yuri noncon I know and love. Yes, there might be some weird vibes with Academy Love Saga‘s protagonist. But criticism and distaste can certainly go too far.

Nonetheless, if you want to give Academy Love Saga: Tennis Angels EX a try and judge for yourself, it’s pretty affordable. You can pick it up on Steam for 10% off at $8.99 until May 2nd.