The Visual Novel Database
http://vndb.org/
Plenty to choose from

The other way is to look at the actual visual novel engines on the Wiki

Are you still looking for specific recommendations? Please state what you're interested in. Also, try TVTropes' thread for Recommendations: Visual Novels at http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=12912407920A98227300&page=1

There's a lot of genres and categories that sound easy to define, but the more you think about them, you realize they're difficult to define. For instance, I'm not entirely sure what a role playing game is anymore. So yeah, the following is how *I* define the following:

* I use the term "dating simulation" in reference to video games that have 1) romance themes, and 2) simulation gameplay. If the game includes statistics and schedule management, then it's a simulation. Heartache 101 and RE:Alistair are two freeware examples that fit these qualifications. The two Flower Shop games made by Winter Wolves are examples of independently released dating sims. Fan translated examples include the original version of LovePlus and first two Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side games for DS.

* I use the term "visual novel" for a video game which *is* a story. I usually say that unlike comics, the pictures and words are separate... but there are exceptions. (Digital: A Love Story has no pictures, and the NSFW visual novel Quartett! blends words and pictures together.) It can have any theme, setting, or format.

...Most visual novels have occasional choices, which (sooner or later) lead to different events and endings. Every now and then, you'll see a VN which has no choices, and is simply a story told through words and images. People use terms such as "kinetic novel" or "sound novel" to describe these. Some freeware examples are Juniper's Knot, True Remembrance, and Narcissu.

...There's an awful lot of visual novels about fictional characters' relationships, and a lot which have obscene content. I use terms such as "romance game," "harem game," and "porn game," depending on what sort of content a specific VN has.

* The entire Persona sub-series is Shin Megami Tensei with high school age characters. In other words, challenging eastern RPGs with dark supernatural / apocalyptic themes. To be more specific, Persona 3 and 4 are eastern RPGs with romance options.

* The entire Sakura Wars series is a mix of strategy RPG and visual novel. Each major game has timed choices and quick-time events.

* I haven't tried 999 just yet. From what I've read, it's partly an old-school adventure game (similar to classic text/graphic adventures), partly a puzzle game, and partly a horror visual novel.

I finished playing heartache101 and I didn't like it because it relied too heavily on the randomness factor. I understand it was there to increase replayability but I've always hated replaying games. I prefer to play a game once, maybe twice, but get the best intended experience out of it. Too many endings is a con, because I would rather not spend another 20+ hours playing the same game just to get a small difference in the end. 999 Is an exception because the scene skipping feature was amazingly fast and the game isn't really over because you got one of the endings, it's over when you get the true ending.

Anyways I think I will try some more of your freeware suggestions, maybe RE:Allistair. If you have any other good visual novel or date sim that are free for PC I'll check them out. I'd still like to test the waters in this genre before I put more money in it. I don't mind NSFW titles as long as its not too obscene.

Thanks for your help.


PS: I finished RE:Alistair it was very short but cute

Katawa Shoujo is amazing. I've just got Lilly's arc to go through and clean up getting a few CGs. but the other arcs I've played have been awesome. Rin's was the only one I had issues with cuz I felt it didn't make sense but i guess Rin doesn't make sense so it makes sense.... I think?

I'd also second the Ever 17 recommendation, it takes advantage of being a visual novel in a way that no other game (i know of) has.

As far as availability goes...
True Remembrance is a very good, non-hentai, well-translated, legally free visual novel which is download-able at http://trueremembrance.insani.org/get.html (but don't expect any action) :p

I've read/played quite a lot of visual novels... though Ever 17, Fate/stay Night, True Remembrance and Planetarian is my absolute favorites so far.
If the rest of Little Busters is as good as what I've read in the partial patch so far, it might join the list as well, once it's completely translated :p

Other worthy mentions might be: KiraKira (VN about a rock band! got some nice soundtrack :3 ), Utawarerumono, Chaos;Head, Narcissu (another insani free VN) and Act 1 of Katawa Shoujo (incomplete English-made VN).

I'd also include Phantom of Inferno, the plot really is good, but the translation really is horrible in this awful stand-alone dvd thing, that is both frustrating and buggy to use...

There probably is a whole lot of others, but i think you got more than enough titles to check for now xD

You might wanna take a look at the Visual Novel Database ( http://vndb.org/ ), and see if you spot anything else you might like, along with links to the different translation patches or English publishers.

The full English version of Katawa Shoujo was released in January 2012.



I originally recommended Heartache 101 because it has a modest amount of story along with quite a bit of gameplay. Not everyone likes it, but I thought it was enjoyable. Anyway, there's not much other freeware content that has *both* gameplay and quality writing. So most of what I'll end up recommending from here on is 98% writing, with maybe a hint of gameplay. As long as you're okay with that...

* Dusk: A Moonlight Romance. A woman from the UK spent several years working on her indie simulation game Lucky Rabbit Reflex. (Free demo, paid version around $20 US.) Just after it was available for sale, she also released this freeware story. It has no choices, but it's one hundred percent comedy. See its Lemma Soft discussion thread at http://lemmasoft.renai.us/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=11390

* Autumn. A freeware story with multiple endings that I found rather enjoyable. Originally written in Czech, and thankfully the English translation is pretty good. Archived here: http://www.renai.us/game/autumn.shtml

* The people at Insani.org translated quite a few demos and freeware visual novels from 2005 through 2008. Some of their best works are available in the Altogether section at http://altogether.insani.org . If you want something off-the-wall and cathartic, then check out Crimsoness (2008). If you want a cute, emotional story, try My Black Cat (2006). If you want something which is relentlessly sad, then read The Poor Little Bird (2005).

Awesome thanks I'll check them out and let you know what I think.







I read a review on this and I want to play it. But I'm not sure how to "legally" acquire it without forking over a large wad of my paycheck.

I'm playing "Family Project" right now, and so far it seems to be the most boring, drawn out, and sloppiest written vn I've ever played. It's kinda disappointing, the very beginning made it seem kinda cool.

The only Visual Novel that I have every played was "Phantom of Inferno" and that was rite after I finished the anime "Requiem for a Phantom" since that ended was so insane in the anime that I just had to see the other alternative ending to the series.

I do want to dive more into the Visual Novel world since I'm vastly into Anime/Manga/Light Novels and such.

If you have any "MUCH PLAY" Visual Novels then make sure to recommend me some.

The only one I've ever read and finished (I've started many, but never got into them) was one called A Midsummer's Day Resonance. It's a girl x girl love story kind of thing though, so if you're into that, I suggest you really give it a try! I loved it. I think I'll go read it again now.

Well I certainly am into that kind of thing. I'll have to see if I can find it.

A Midsummer's Day Resonance is both freeware and translated. It's one of several gems that the people at Insani finished before the group quietly disbanded.



I've mentioned mostly freeware VNs in my last few posts. Let me name a few inexpensive VNs that are available in English and worth trying:

Cinders is one of only a few visual novels with a distinctly western aesthetic. It just might be the key to the future of VNs. Learn more about it on the VNDB -- http://vndb.org/v7506 -- and try the demo.

Analogue: A Hate Story is also rather different. It's a science fiction story which is both serious and avant-garde. VNDB link here -- http://vndb.org/v9680 -- and if you like the demo, then you can buy the game as a minimal-DRM download, or buy it on Steam.

Cafe 0 ~ The Drowned Mermaid is the most recent game released by Roseverte. Haven't heard of this group? They're one of the few independent studios that can be accurately described as international. They released Cafe 0 in English and Japanese on the same day, and translated it into German just a month later. If you like reverse harem, check out its VNDB blah blah blah at http://vndb.org/v8045, download the demo, blah blah blah.

Infinite Game Works is an independent game about... making indie games. It includes a boy x girls love triangle, but it's mostly a simulation. It was created by Sakura River, a team from Canada which is already talking about their gameplay goals for their next project. VNDB http://vndb.org/v6950 yadda yadda try the demo first yadda yadda.

I saw a $15 PS2 game for Ever17 in Bookoff (New York) but it's the Japanese version. Time to start learning Japanese?

haven't played that many visual novels since i only recently started playing them so the only ones iv'e played are

a kiss for the petals (2-3 of them any way)
hinata bokko
tsukihime
doushin- same heart
Yin-Yang – X-Change Alternative

most of them i'm still playing and the i'm just about to start playing princess waltz

My experience with visual novels is very limited, but I'd like to get into more should they be localized to the US (unlikely I know). I know they're more along the lines of JRPGs with sim elements, but I really enjoy the sim aspect to Persona 3 and 4. I heard Sakura Wars: So Long My Love does something similar which makes me a bit curious about it. The only real Visual Novel I own is probably Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom. I've only played it for about an hour, but I'm looking forward to giving it a whirl again one day.