 Tropes were avoided; for example, Dorothy, an android sex worker, is portrayed with "a unique kind of independence" as opposed to "an edgy character to make things feel more 'mature, which is the case with most other sex worker characters, according to Ortiz.TouchArcade noted that "VA-11 HALL-A" also has a more "salacious side", due to the presence of sexually suggestive character interactions that was present in the game's demo.In an interview between Ortiz and Siliconera, Ortiz said that the game also has "waifu" elements, inspired by the "classic otaku getting strongly attached to a character"; the developers sought to recreate these relationships through characterization and not so much through looks, though there are "a fair share of beautiful people."