Ventilation
The best novels. Best Visual Novels

The best novels. Best Visual Novels

The story in a computer game is at least as important as the gameplay and graphics. And if the gameplay and graphics are almost not given attention, the story takes on absolute importance. It is for the sake of it that people look for and buy visual novels, or visual novels - products of the gaming industry, which are called games only conditionally. Some of them also have elements, so visual novels are perhaps closest to quests. But if in a classic quest the plot is centered on a riddle, a mystery, then in a visual novel it is only a background, and most importantly, the characters and their relationships. Well, the main engine of the story is, of course, choice.

1. Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni

Often popular anime series are overgrown not only with spin-offs, but also with visual novels. Here are just "When the cicadas cry" from those that are remembered for a long time and cause very contradictory, but strong feelings.

Starting to play, it's hard to imagine that behind this sweet and childishly naive story is blood, fear and real madness, growing with each new plot twist. Moreover, it will not be possible to figure out what is actually happening here right away - at first it may even seem that all these events are meaningless.

And they unfold in the village of Hinamizawa, where main character moving with parents. Gradually, not only the terrible secrets of the village will be revealed to him, but also the dark sides of new friends.

2. Mhakna Gramura and Fairy Bell

Makna Gramura and Fairy Bell is a touching story about childhood, growing up and fantastic adventures. Makna is a little girl who lives in an orphanage. It seems that the only goal of the head of this orphanage is to poison the lives of his pupils, so the main character has a hard time. But she has a faithful friend Sebiarno, together they easily endure even the most difficult moments, and, despite all the hardships and hardships, manage to enjoy every new day.

But Makna will soon be 10 years old, and this joyful event may become the most terrible in her life. The fact is that the shelter has a rule: only children under 10 years old can live in it, and if they don’t find a family for them, they will turn them into animals and sell them.

Macna is afraid that this is her future, but suddenly the girl meets the fairy Bell, who came to save her and take her to a fairy-tale land. But with one condition.

3 Cateau

Cateau is a relaxing visual novel with pleasant and stylish art that invites you to take a leisurely stroll through the streets of Paris and take a fresh look at friendship.

And it all starts with the fact that one fine day you notice that your roommate is sad, it seems sick, as if the spark of life has disappeared in her. As a true friend, you must find a way to help her, and you should start with one of her main interests -.

Take to the charming streets of Paris, meet truly different characters, interact with cats, but remember that every choice you make has consequences and can drastically change the outcome of this small but such an important adventure.

4 Grisaia: Phantom Trigger

Grisaia: Phantom Trigger is a visual novel series set in the world of the famous Grisaia franchise, featuring a brand new storyline and cast of characters.

The novel tells the story of students studying at Mihama Academy. Each of them has developed different fighting talents - someone shoots cool, someone is born, and someone is just crazy and loves destruction. Each character has its own story and its own complex character.

These young daredevils work for an agency called SORD. Armed to the teeth, they embark on dangerous and sometimes even suicidal operations. But all this, of course, in the name of the common good.

5. VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action is a cyber-noir novel with an overwhelming level of atmosphere. The action takes place in an unknown city and at an unknown time, presumably in the second half of the 21st century. Naturally, the world has changed a lot, but how much have people changed?

This is what you have to find out while working at the Valhalla bar. The main character is a bartender named Jill. Every day she comes to work, pours drinks for visitors and listens to them, and the latter is not at all tedious, but very interesting, because a variety of characters visit the bar. In your free time, together with Jill, you will equip her apartment, read all sorts of blogs and surf the Internet, learning more and more about the world of the future.

6. Angels with Scaly Wings

Angels with Scaly Wings is a mixture of visual novel, date sim, and fantasy with . The idea to create something like this seems a little crazy, but in the end it turned out very original and interesting.

Humanity has suffered a global catastrophe that claimed many lives and left the survivors with virtually no means of subsistence. As often happens, instead of uniting, overcoming difficulties together and restoring civilization, people divided into separate groups and began to quarrel with each other.

You have to fulfill the duties of an ambassador who was sent through a portal to a world inhabited by intelligent dragons, because only they have the technology that can save humanity from extinction.

7.Crystalline

Cute visual novel Crystalline tells about the adventures of a young man who, quite by accident, got into a fantasy world. It is inhabited by fantastic creatures, people with superpowers, and the feeling that something important is about to happen is in the air.

Our hero will have to become a part of this world and, together with its inhabitants, embark on adventures. Of course, it will not do without romance and good humor.

8 Nightshade

This novel will send the player back in time - to the Sengoku era, when power was decentralized, and individual provinces were at war with each other (Japanese game developers love this period of their history very much).

The main character is a shinobi girl who, together with her "colleagues", starts the first task. Of course, everything did not go according to plan, our heroine understands that friends can actually turn out to be enemies, and enemies can be potential allies. Now she will have to find out what is really going on, while also adjusting her personal life.

9. CLANNAD

With this game, a galaxy of classic visual novels begins - tragedies or dramas that happen to ordinary Japanese schoolchildren / schoolgirls in anime style. The first game on this list is CLANNAD's visual novel about troubled teenagers and their relationship with the violent world around them.

This visual novel could have gone higher, but one thing prevents this - a clearly inflated price. The developers justified this by the fact that, firstly, they have one of the most interesting stories, and secondly, improved graphical characteristics. As you might guess, both points are at least subjective, if not controversial. The plots in other visual novels are on par with CLANNAD in terms of emotional impact, and the incredible graphics... not really what a visual novel needs, is it? This is, in fact, interactive, in which the drawing itself and its content are important, and not the resolution of the drawing.

10 SIMULACRA

This game has a rather unusual concept that could have given it sixth or even fifth place, but it's too short for that. SIMULACRA is a visual novel designed entirely in the . In the story, you find the phone of a certain girl who urgently needs help. Even if your mom taught you not to pry into someone else's life, you will have to carefully delve into the phone to find out the secret and complete the game.

If you've watched Black Mirror, then SIMULACRA will give you a similar experience. You will have access to the most intimate: call logs, correspondence in chats and on dating sites, photo and video collections, as well as a gallery of memes. For greater realism, the cutscenes were filmed in real locations with live actors.

11 Fatal Twelve

The main character of Fatal Twelve is an ordinary girl named Shishimai Rinka, who inherited a coffee shop from her grandmother. Everything in her life went on as usual, until one day the irreparable happened - when Rinka was traveling on a train with her friend, an explosion occurred. The brave girl shielded her friend with her own body, and this noble act was the last in her life. Or not?

The gods gave Shishimai another chance. To be saved, she must figure out the true causes of her death, finish unfinished business and figure out herself. In addition to our heroine, 11 more people participate in the “Divine Selection”, among which was the same friend of Shishimai. Would this girl do the same for Rinka? What can participants do to save their lives?

12. fault

Selphine is the princess of the country of Rusenheid, leading a life quite normal for girls of royal blood. Naturally, it would not be so interesting to watch her if everything had not suddenly turned upside down. The kingdom was attacked and destroyed, but Selphina managed to escape, and the Royal Guard of Ryton helped her in this.

The girls ended up in a completely unfamiliar place, even the plants around were like out of this world. The heroines do not understand what happened to their homeland, where they ended up, but they feel that something is wrong with this place. Together with them, you will have to find out what happened to Rusenheid and whether Selfina and Ritona will be able to return home.

13. Doki Doki Literature Club

If we had nominations in our selections, this game would have received the titles of “youngest” and “most sensational”. Doki Doki Literature Club is a visual novel that has captured even streamers who usually prefer action games. And people are watching, despite the fact that pictures with text just change in front of them ...

The secret is how exactly they change and what kind of texts they are. Doki Doki Literature Club is a game that knows how to surprise. From the description, this is a second-rate visual novel about a schoolboy who seeks the attention of several girls. At first, the game seems to be exactly like this, but then something begins ... Games with the mind and vision, breaking through the "fourth wall", existential provocations are just a small part of what DDLC blows up the minds of unprepared players. Plus, it's also free! It seems that for the developer, the destroyed nerve cells serve as a reward for his work. Doki Doki Literature Club is a game that plays on you.

14.ACE Academy

15. Lucy -The Eternity She Wished For-

This visual novel is one of the best explorations of the human-robot relationship. To be more precise, a humanoid robot. To be more precise, a robot indistinguishable from a human named Lucy. At least, this removes aesthetic issues, but all other dilemmas are proposed to be resolved by the players themselves. Judging by the name, the main problem of the situation is that Lucy, as an artificially created apparatus, is short-lived ...

Visual novel Lucy -The Eternity She Wished For- touched hundreds of players, and thousands - at least a little touched. Of course, there is an opinion that especially impressionable people are drawn to visual novels, but this does not negate the fact that the force of the emotional impact of this plot is great. The only thing that confuses some players is the straightforwardness of the story ... which is felt even with multiple endings.

16. Everlasting Summer

Domestic works beautifully frame our top visual novels on PC - one from the end, the other from the beginning. Well, almost from the beginning: we cannot put Endless Summer in the first place with all our desire, since it is occupied by a truly phenomenal game of this genre. Still, second place is a great indicator of the game's quality and reverence. Everlasting Summer is a sharp lead in terms of reviews compared to previous candidates... although it is just as sharply behind the top spot.

Perhaps, apart from some little-known amateur novels, Everlasting Summer is the only one that takes place in a Soviet pioneer camp. Of course, the summer camp is not such a unique phenomenon, it is found everywhere, but still, it is precisely the Soviet pioneer camp that has its own unique flavor. The main character gets there suddenly - this is his past life, where he strangely moved from the real one. But who said that the last one was worse? New youth, new memories and sensations, and all around are beauties-athletes-Komsomol members in red ties! Do you want to return to the dull gray world?

17. STEINS;GATE

Of course, the theme of time travel could not pass by the developers of visual novels. This is a real storehouse of plots and scope for numerous and radically different endings! Especially when there are several main characters, and each of them is a personality with its own strengths, weaknesses and ambitions. Of course, interference in the course of time and the resulting conflicts exacerbate their relationship with each other and with people from different eras.

Two factors prevent this visual novel from being ranked higher. Firstly, this is the price, because the short stories of the same or even best quality can be purchased much cheaper. The market, of course, is the market, everyone comes up with those numbers that seem fair to him, but it's worth looking back at the players and other projects. Secondly, the game is not localized into Russian, which, of course, is not an objective minus, but still makes it difficult to get acquainted with it. In 9 cases out of 10 it is still more pleasant to see a visual novel in Russian.

18. A Light in the Dark

If you are already tired of the typical stories about the love experiences of Japanese schoolchildren, then A Light in the Dark will please you with an unusual and gloomy story. It all starts in the best traditions of the detective genre - the main character, that is, you, is kidnapped by unknown people. Naturally, they did this not just for fun, but to get a solid ransom from your rich parents.

The kidnappers turn out to be two pretty girls, but that doesn't make it any easier. What to do? Try to lull their vigilance and escape? Maybe it's better not to anger them once again and try to calmly wait until your parents pay for your release? Or still try to establish contact with the kidnappers and find out why they did this?

19. Amnesia: Memories

Imagine: you woke up in an incomprehensible place, you don’t remember who you are and where you are from, and then some guy with a strange name Orion appears and declares that he is a spirit from another world. This is how Amnesia: Memories begins.

The main character will have to use the help of a mysterious alien to restore her memory bit by bit. First, she goes to the house where she lived, and then makes an appointment with the guy who was part of her former life. It turns out that there are five such guys, and the heroine has a difficult relationship with each of them, so you will also have to figure out love affairs.

20. Danganronpa

The action of many visual novels takes place in whole or in part, but only in Danganronpa the school becomes a prison in which students are forced to kill each other, but not in the manner of "", but secretly, because this is the only way to gain freedom from the oppressor. The oppressor is not a terrorist or even a lunatic, but a sinister Monokuma bear cub... and this is much worse than a mad terrorist.

It would be very interesting to play as a character who is also trying to commit murder and get away with it (and school), but, alas, you get a positive hero. You have to challenge Monokuma and find out who is trying to get their freedom in an inhumane way ... and whether there is even a humane solution to this situation. It's a bit unfortunate that such an interesting setting is set off by simple art, although this may be a deliberate creative decision. Well, and the Russian language, again, no.

21. Zero Escape

If your favorite pastime is quest room trips, then the Zero Escape series of novels is a good way to pass a couple of evenings. But if you do not find a way out in real life, nothing bad will happen, but here you can lose your own life.

Some crazy person kidnapped several people and locked them in the same room. Now they will have to look for a way out together, solve puzzles, use all their knowledge and abilities to survive. But you should not unconditionally trust each of the abducted, because you do not know who they really are.

22. Monster Prom

School years for many were the most fun and carefree, but surviving adolescence is another test. You, too, probably often experienced self-doubt. Now imagine that you have a graduation soon, which you definitely need to come with a couple, otherwise your classmates will laugh. And also you! Although it's normal, everyone at your school is like that.

Monster Prom is an original and funny date sim that you can play with your friends. You will be able to compete with three other players in popularity, and if you share your romantic feelings, be prepared for the fact that someone will try to take your potential couple to prom just for fun.

23. Cinders

It is not a secret for anyone that many of the European fairy tales that we heard in childhood and which are based on are actually adapted versions of rather gloomy stories. In the modern entertainment industry, this topic has long been exploited: for example, the series Grimm and Penny Dreadful draw their plots from there. However, there are not very many such games among games; The most prominent representative can be called The Wolf Among Us.

There was such a story among the visual novels. Cinders is a dark, grown-up retelling of the Cinderella tale. Of course, the fairy, the carriage, the slipper and the prince will not go anywhere, but the price of magic will be higher, and people will be more selfish. However, Cinderella herself is not easy, she does not need simple female happiness for nothing, but she needs to take revenge on her enemies and fulfill herself. Whether or not she succeeds depends on your choices... a few hundred choices, to be exact.

24. The Yawgh

If you had six weeks before an unknown monster invades, what would you do? Certainly not the same as adventure characters in the form of the visual novel The Yawgh. Uncomplicated but stylish graphics frame a fairly simple but replayable story in which you need to make many choices. Yes, these are simple choices from two alternatives, and if you run through them without looking, then the game can be completed in just half an hour. And it's even funny, because then the ending is guaranteed to be unexpected.

However, if you give importance to each decision, then each playthrough will be exciting and unique, and there are more such playthroughs than it might seem at first glance. True, the passage in all possible configurations is at best like collecting, and at worst - like a nerd.

25. Sixtieth Kilometer

The visual novel genre originated in Japan, so it is not surprising that 70 percent of visual novels are made in anime style. By the way, 70 percent of the gaming industry in Japan itself - guess what. There are quite a few visual novels in any other style in percentage terms, but in absolute terms there are enough of them, and some of them made it to our selection. They may not be up to the quality of the best classic representatives, but if the eye gets tired of big-eyed and thin-faced anime guys and girls, then you can always turn to more realistic European novels.

In tenth place is not just a European, but a domestic visual novel Sixtieth Kilometer, which has an unusually high popularity in. Most likely due to the price being so low that it can be considered free (cheaper than a pie with potatoes). But this does not mean at all that we belittle its other virtues. More precisely, the main advantage is the plot, which is very interesting, and also carries the Russian cultural code. The graphics, although of secondary importance, are still too modest.

If in ordinary computer games the characters interact with each other only in between action scenes, then in visual novels they interact CONSTANTLY. Seriously, there is no way you can avoid it, you are literally forced to listen, respond and make choices. And thousands of players love it!

Whether you like anime romance or bloody thrillers, there's a visual novel for you.

Visual novels are full of clichés, but the scope of the genre is not limited to the hot romance or everyday life of Japanese students. Over the past few years, more and more really talented Developers have been creating experimental short novel-like games and clever reimaginings of typical anime tropes, and that's when it all started. Now visual novels are super cool.

However, choosing where to start can be difficult. For those who have sat in a tank up to this point and now want to understand what's what, we have compiled a list of the best visual novels on PC - from traditional Japanese games that launched the genre, to ambitious and unique experiments with the format.

Undeniably, this is a complete list, and every visual novel deserves your attention. We heartily recommend trawling itch.io looking for hidden indie gems under the "visual novel" hashtag. But, if you want to get started, this list contains the best options.

In the west, Clannad only came out a couple of years ago, but in that time it has become one of the most popular visual novels ever released. Here and anime, and cinema, and manga, even an audio drama. The novel tells the story of Tomoya Okazaki, a "delinquent" (this is a quotation, these are not my words) who is trying to cope with an existential crisis. He meets Nagiza Furukawa, another "delinquent" with whom he has a lot in common, and they start working together to restart the school's drama club, inviting students to join along the way.

Clannad is the game you need if you like visual novel stereotypes. It was released back in 2004, and therefore shows the first shoots of the genre, even if it may seem familiar to someone in this regard. What really stands out about visual novels is the quality of the writing, the interesting characters, and the point of view that you can't help but draw in. Even without the minutiae of modern games, Clannad does the job admirably.

This is a story about a young man who learns to create his own happiness. Tomoya's story can be seen as analogous to depression, without falling into the wide traps of sexy girls, but with a search for something marked with a tragic label. It may sound cliché, but it's not because the idea is unoriginal, it's just that people have been copying Clannad for the last ten years.

If you like to get your hands dirty with puzzles, the Zero Escape series might the best choice For you. There are three games in the series: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors; Virtue's Last Reward and Zero Time Dilemma. The first two were only translated to PC in 2017 (with overhauled visuals and new voice acting) in a package called "The Nonary Games". Zero Time Dilemma was released as a standalone game.

In each game, nine people are trapped in some place by a mysterious man named Zero. Each of them has wrist watch with some number on the screen, and everyone is given the opportunity to escape after solving puzzles on 9 doors. Everything becomes like "Saw" when people start to die very terribly - for example, standing under an acid shower or because of a bomb implanted in the stomach.

However, you are not only reading all the time. Point-and-click pieces make you solve puzzles to get through each door. Some of them become more difficult as you continue: for example, you will have to decipher an unknown language made up of characters. They never seem to be easily passable, and rarely is there something as simple as, for example, the Tower of Hanoi put together in an unlimited amount of time.

Zero Escape is dark, but the story is eerily entertaining and well told. The choices you make are reflected in the different endings, and the puzzles fit in like no other visual set. The way you as the player (as opposed to you as the character) know something the characters don't is played with dark irony when thinking about different timelines and endings.

The full title is: "My twin brother made me switch clothes with him, and now I have to deal with Geeky Stalker and Pretty Dominant who want to tie me up!!" But try not to think about it. As something that could be called a visual novel in a classic style, Ladykiller in a Bind is all about the social manipulation of a group of horny teenagers. The setting is what rich kids call a school trip, and what the rest of us call something that happens only once in a lifetime, on a cruise. You are The Beast, a lesbian who is not shy about flirting or luring you into your bedroom. For mysterious reasons, her twin brother, a manipulative jerk, forced her to pretend to be him on a cruise, and she really wants to "walk around", but keeping her appearance so as not to arouse suspicion.

Social manipulation - main point games. You need to choose Right words and phrases in the middle of conversations to continue to maintain the illusion that you are your twin brother, while at the same time trying to build relationships with every woman on the cruise. This mixture of social manipulation and the role of a jerk (the heroine herself is very overacting) is executed just fine, and if you're lucky, it will lead to more than a few hot scenes with other students.

Without a doubt, Ladykiller in a Bind is a game for adults. While the sex scenes can be turned off and the nudity hidden, you'll get to know the characters much more closely than any well-written sex scene - though it doesn't have the calf tenderness you'd find in an aunt's library.

Steins;Gate is a time travel story that explores the intricate connection between cause and effect. Rintar Okabe, the mad scientist who plays the role of the protagonist, has created a time machine that can send messages to the past. Using it, he and others begin to work to improve the future by influencing actions in the past.

Unexpected, branching lines are a must-have for the genre - Zero Escape does a great job of showing how this can be used to great effect - but Steins;Gate takes the time travel theme to the extreme in a wild way. Cause and effect become confusing, future actions affect the past and place the characters in completely unpredictable circumstances. All major events can change even if you pick up the phone.

However, the storyline never confuses so much, which is very cool. Each ending of Steins;Gate gives meaning to each ending - even the ones where you royally screwed up. Therefore, you can see characters from different points vision - from best to worst. After that, they seem so complete that you understand: otherwise it would not have been possible to achieve this.

Perhaps Danganronpa is responsible for making visual novels more popular outside of Japan. At least partially. Like Zero Escape, it combines visual novel and puzzle elements, and follows a group of students who realize that Japan's most prestigious private school is actually a bloody arena.
To survive, a student must kill another and go through a trial arranged by their peers. When other students start killing each other, it's your job as protagonist Matoko Naegi to collect evidence, interrogate suspects, present a case, and find the culprits.

Court sessions are not just a series of dialogues, but real monologues. You, armed with bullets of truth, each representing a piece of evidence found, you can defend or question other students' claims. For example, if you found a murder weapon, you can argue with someone who says it wasn't there by clicking on the text as it appears on the screen. You need to be attentive to inconsistencies in the testimony, and understand well what evidence proves your case.

Both the script and the character design are very funny, in contrast to the gloomy atmosphere of the game about students who kill each other out of hopelessness, and the mysterious and antagonistic Monobead goads them more and more violently. The characters are surprisingly absurd, but next to such a dark setting, it is obvious that they are wonderfully written.

The visual novel genre isn't as limited as it might seem, and Simulacra is one of the best proofs that it doesn't have to fit the style you expect. The game is described as a "found phone", a genre that has recently gained popularity in games like Bury Me, My Love and A Normal Lost Phone.

You find a mobile phone on your doorstep. Very soon you realize that it belonged to a woman named Anna and she is missing. Short video, filmed shortly before her disappearance, tells that evil is coming, and interruptions and noise in the video leave you bewildered. Every video and every image has one. From the interface to the selfie video, the attention to detail is amazing.

After some time, you are already writing to her friends, studying accounts in in social networks, even talking to people she's flirted with through a dating app. It's terribly frustrating. Simulacra will push you endlessly into the abyss of voyeurism, making you wonder how deep you can go to make it possible - only possible! - save her life.

The story is only a few hours long and there are multiple endings that vary depending on how successfully you achieve your goals. You can pretend to be Anna, ask questions of her friends, trying to portray her character, or be honest, open-minded, and look for her. Turn off the lights and your phone and immerse yourself in the voyeuristic work of an aspiring detective for one night, because the atmosphere is definitely worth it.

Although this place could be filled by a couple of other games from Hanako, Long Live The Queen remains their most successful in every sense of the word so far. You are given the right to manage the princess, who will soon be crowned and become queen. Oh yeah, she's still quite a baby.

It sounds very nice, but the throne is also needed by other people who are ready to do anything to win it - including killing a 14-year-old girl. Her coronation is only 40 weeks away, and it's up to you to spend every day with her to make sure she survives.

As part of the game, you will have to learn with her and control aspects of her life, turning the princess into a queen, giving her the skills to rule with splendor and courage. Like Crusader Kings 2 or Dwarf Fortress, Love Live the Queen is a great game for creating jokes as you control something that will definitely lead to a scary but funny ending.

It is not necessary to survive these 40 weeks - it is enough to fill in the absence of subtext with your own imagination. There is also depth here. Life or death is not as simple as a die roll, and as the weeks go by there are different stats to keep an eye on.

VA-11 Hall-A is told from a bartender's point of view in a utopian future and gives you a unique perspective on life, from which you see people at their best and worst, their ups and downs.

VA-11 Hall-A has a well defined world (and later well explored in 2064: Read Only Memories, a phenomenal point-and-click game from another Developer, but in the same world), but its main point- precisely in stories from various buyers. In Glitch City, corporations and the White Knights enforce the law through nano-machines and brutality, and constant surveillance shows that the mythical independence of the virtual future is long gone.

Of course, as a bartender, you hear people talking when they're not under surveillance. Rumors, personal stories, fears and dreams of every person. Where Simulacra is voyeuristic, VA-11 Hall-A makes you feel privileged as these people open up to you over a cocktail you've made from cyberpunk alcohol.

Because of this somewhat dispassionate approach to storytelling, VA-11 Hall-A is not a single story, but a series of vignettes from the lives of grim denizens. However, this trek is fickle, as each visit can always be tainted by the possibility that they will never return.

Sometimes half a genre fits a genre and the other half doesn't. The Yawhg is just one of those. It's a pick-your-path game for up to 4 local players, each playing as a character living in a town that will be destroyed by Yawhg in 6 weeks.
The townspeople and your characters don't know that Yawhg is coming, but you, the player, do. Will you live day after day as if nothing had happened? Or will you start telling everyone about it, calling on people, fulfilling the role of the prophet? Each decision can lead to dramatically different consequences.

The Yawhg gets around habitual rules visual novel, but still has a bit of soulful storytelling in it - which is why it's here. You are given scenes that are more like improvisation than paragraphs of text, and are supported by great art and an incredible soundtrack.

This makes The Yawhg unique, as other games offer you to play as an already created character. Here you can create your own. In total, there are 50 endings, and none of them can be called "correct". They vary depending on the choices you or your friends make. The situations created by the game are interesting, unexpected, and leave just as much leeway as needed to add your own perspective to things. The Yawhg is a prime example of how a visual novel can create something completely wild, and perhaps the perfect representation of a tabletop RPG.

Whether you like anime romance or bloody thrillers, there's a visual novel for you.

Clannad

Developer: key
release date: November 23, 2015

The Nonary Games/Zero Time Dilemma (the Zero Escape series)

Developer: Spike Chunsoft
release date: March 24, 2017

If you like getting your hands dirty with puzzles, the Zero Escape series might be the best choice for you. There are three games in the series: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors; Virtue's Last Reward and Zero Time Dilemma. The first two were only translated to PC in 2017 (with overhauled visuals and new voice acting) in a package called "The Nonary Games". Zero Time Dilemma was released as a standalone game.

In each game, nine people are trapped in some place by a mysterious man named Zero. Each of them has a wristwatch with some number on the screen, and each is given the opportunity to escape after solving puzzles on 9 doors. Everything becomes like "Saw" when people start to die very terribly - for example, standing under an acid shower or because of a bomb implanted in the stomach.

Ladykiller in a Bind

Developer: Love Conquers All Games
release date: October 10, 2016

The full title of Ladykiller in a Bind is "My twin brother made me switch clothes with him, and now I have to deal with Geeky Stalker and Pretty Dominant who want to tie me up!!" But try not to think about it. As something that could be called a visual novel in a classic style, Ladykiller in a Bind is all about the social manipulation of a group of horny teenagers. The setting is what rich kids call a school trip, and what the rest of us call something that happens only once in a lifetime, on a cruise. You are The Beast, a lesbian who is not shy about flirting or luring you into your bedroom. For mysterious reasons, her twin brother, a manipulative jerk, forced her to pretend to be him on a cruise, and she really wants to "walk around", but keeping her appearance so as not to arouse suspicion.

Social manipulation is the main essence of the game. You need to choose the right words and phrases in the middle of conversations to keep up the illusion that you are your twin brother while trying to connect with every woman on the cruise. This mixture of social manipulation and the role of a jerk (the heroine herself is very overacting) is simply beautifully done, and if you're lucky, it will lead to more than a few hot scenes with other students.

Steins;Gate

Developer: 5pb.
release date: September 8, 2016

However, the storyline never confuses so much, which is very cool. Each ending of Steins;Gate gives meaning to each ending - even the ones where you royally screwed up. Therefore, you can see the characters from different points of view - from the best to the worst. After that, they seem so complete that you understand: otherwise it would not have been possible to achieve this.

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

Developer: Spike Chunsoft
release date: February 18, 2016

To survive, a student must kill another and go through a trial arranged by their peers. When other students start killing each other, it's your job as protagonist Matoko Naegi to collect evidence, interrogate suspects, present a case, and find the culprit.

Simulacra

Developer: Kaigan Games
release date: October 26, 2017

You find a mobile phone on your doorstep. Very soon you realize that it belonged to a woman named Anna and she is missing. A short video taken shortly before her disappearance tells that evil is coming, and interruptions and interference in the video leave you bewildered. Every video and every image has one. From the interface to the selfie video, the attention to detail is amazing.

After a while, you are already texting her friends, exploring social media accounts, even talking to people she flirted with through a dating app. It's terribly frustrating. Simulacra will push you endlessly into the abyss of voyeurism, making you wonder how deep you can go to make it possible - only possible! - save her life.

Long Live The Queen

Developer: Hanako Games
release date: November 8, 2013

VA-11 Hall-A

Developer: Sukeban Games
release date: June 21, 2016

VA-11 Hall-A is told from a bartender's point of view in a utopian future and gives you a unique perspective on life, from which you see people at their best and worst, their ups and downs.

VA-11 Hall-A has a well defined world (and later well explored in 2064: Read Only Memories, a phenomenal point-and-click game from another Developer, but in the same world), but its main point is in the stories from various buyers. In Glitch City, corporations and the White Knights enforce the law through nano-machines and brutality, and constant surveillance shows that the mythical independence of the virtual future is long gone.

The Yawhg

Developer People: Damian Sommer, Emily Carroll
release date: May 30, 2013

The townspeople and your characters don't know that Yawhg is coming, but you, the player, do. Will you live day after day as if nothing had happened? Or will you start telling everyone about it, calling on people, fulfilling the role of the prophet? Each decision can lead to dramatically different consequences.

The Yawhg bypasses the usual rules of a visual novel, but still has a bit of heartfelt storytelling in it - which is why it's here. You are given scenes that are more like improvisation than paragraphs of text, and are supported by great art and an incredible soundtrack.

Hi all! Below I have collected the best visual novels, I have not tried everything, so if you have suggestions for a smart novel, write the game in the comments and your opinion why it is good.

Muv-luv

release date: 2006

Genre: Visual Novel

A Japanese visual novel with a touch of eroge, in which the player follows a predetermined plot, interacting with the main characters of the story and other characters. It is on the interaction of the player with the characters and the plot, presented in the form of mostly static pictures and text at the bottom of the screen, that the entire gameplay is built. The only thing that depends on the player is the adoption of various decisions that affect the development of the plot, and the choice of answers in the dialogues. As a result, there are several options for the development of the plot and the finale.

The game is divided into two story arcs, which are different phases in one overall story, with the second arc being available only after completing the first. The project was warmly received by the fan community and even received two additions, several manga series and an anime adaptation.

Saya no Uta

release date: 2010

Genre: Visual Novel

Japanese visual novel with elements of horror, mysticism and hentai. The gameplay in the game is typical for the genre - we mainly see pictures with text, influencing the plot only by choosing answers in dialogues, etc. The main emphasis here is on revealing the story with multiple endings. Of some of the features of this project, it should be noted the presence of computer graphics elements in the scenes, as well as the ability to enable options for blurring and darkening shocking images before the start of the game.

In general, the project may appeal not only to fans of the genre, but also to anime fans, as well as fans of mystical stories. The plot here is well twisted, besides, during the game, attentive gamers will be able to come across references to the work of the American writer Howard Lovecraft.

CLANNAD 1 and 2

release date: the first - 2004, the second - 2015

Genre: Visual Novel,

A romantic visual novel with moderately interactive gameplay typical of the genre. The main emphasis here is on a fascinating story that gradually unfolds before the eyes of the player. The branching scenario of the game allows you to play it repeatedly, achieving various endings, both "good" and "bad".

The variability of the passage is achieved by the player making certain decisions, where he must choose a certain answer in the dialogue, actions or even the train of thought of his character. The game has the ability to save at any time (which allows you to select the best options by trial and error), and there is also a “fast-forward” mode for text that has already been encountered in past passages.

Binetsu Kyoshi Chieri / Amorous Professor Cherry

release date: 2004

Genre: Visual novel, eroge

A visual novel from Japanese developers with elements of hentai about school experiences and a high school student falling in love with his school teacher. The drama in the overall picture is added by the fact that in addition to the main storyline associated with the teacher, there are several more, with two other girls (classmates of the main character). How this love quadrangle will unravel is up to the player!

Traditionally for the genre, the gameplay is reduced mainly to viewing pictures, reading text and making decisions that in one way or another affect the plot, which in turn is beyond praise here. The pluses of the game also include a beautiful picture, made in anime style, nice visualization and atmospheric soundtrack.

school days

release date: 2005

Genre: Visual novel, eroge

An erotic visual novel from a Japanese developer with thriller elements that tells how several girls fell in love with a simple guy named Makoto Ito. As in other games of this genre, interactivity here is reduced to a minimum - the player can change the course of the plot only in the so-called "places of choice", where he will have to choose one of the character's response options, some of his actions, etc.

The project is distinguished by an innovative approach to the presentation of the plot, which here is not static pictures with text, but full-fledged animated scenes. In places of choice, the game is suspended, while the time for making a decision is limited. There are many endings in the game, and in especially bad endings, one of the characters is sure to die (sometimes in a very cruel way). In good endings, the successful development of certain situations is depicted.

Tears to Tiara

release date: 2005

Genre: Visual novel, eroge, RPG

A series of tactical role-playing games with a touch of genres such as eroge and visual novel. The game has a captivating story, presented in the form of 2D cutscenes in a typical visual novel design. In turn, combat scenes take place in real time, where the player and the enemy (under AI control) control characters of various classes: warriors, mages, archers, etc.

Such a variety of gameplay elements had a positive impact on the game, as it was able to interest both fans of tactics and RPGs, and fans of unhurried visual novels. In general, the project received rave reviews from players and critics, and therefore, quite quickly, it “overgrown” with all sorts of accompanying “stuff”, including a series of figurines, manga, and even the release of an anime adaptation.

Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru

release date: 2005

Genre: Visual novel, eroge

A Japanese eroge-inspired romantic visual novel in which a female-looking protagonist ends up studying at a women's academy. The gameplay is based on reading the text that appears on the screen along with pictures reflecting the story, as well as the element of choosing answers in dialogues or character actions, which directly affects the further development of the plot. Traditionally for the genre in this game, there are several endings.

In addition to the classic visual novel presentation of the plot, the game is conditionally divided into series (as in the anime series). At the same time, at the end of one series, the player will be able to see summary next. In addition, ten additional episodes were released for the game, as well as one special.

Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica

release date: 2006

Genre: Visual Novel

A visual novel centered around magical spirits born from music played by humans and a musician contracted by a pretty spirit girl. The fact is that some of these spirits can live in human society, and only special musicians can support their existence, one of which is described in the game.

The gameplay here is no different from other representatives of the genre, so get ready for the fact that the plot will be presented in the form of pictures with text, and we can influence it by choosing in key places. The game has multiple endings, and a manga and anime adaptation has been released for fans of the project.

Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke wo

release date: 2006

Genre: Visual novel, eroge, yuri

A series of Japanese visual novels on the theme of yuri (love relationships between female representatives) with elements of hentai. Each of the games in the series is a complete story with its own characters and ending. The gameplay is traditional for the visual novel genre, i.e. the influence of the player here is minimal, but the main emphasis is on the ups and downs of the plot.

At the moment, the series has 20 (!) Games, as well as a short anime based on the third part. The project will be of interest, first of all, to fans of visual novels, anime fans, as well as those who love cute romantic stories with a little erotic touch.

Koihime Musou

release date: 2007

Genre: Visual novel, eroge

Japanese visual novel for adults with elements of parody, adventure and fantasy, based on the classic Chinese novel Three Kingdoms. The gameplay here follows a storyline with a number of planned scenario branches, the occurrence of which depends on the decisions made by the player. Great emphasis in the game is placed on the attractiveness of female characters and their relationship with each other, as well as with the rest of the story characters.

The game was incredibly popular among fans of the genre and received two re-releases with new characters and story arcs. In addition, a manga was released based on this project, and a little later, an anime series that lasted for three whole seasons.

Little Busters!

release date: 2007

Genre: Visual novel, eroge

A non-linear visual novel that follows high school student Riki Naoe as part of a tight-knit group called the Little Busters. One day, a few more girls join the group, and now the friends can start playing baseball! The player's task here is to establish a relationship with one of the six heroines, while in the game (which is not typical for the genre) in the form of mini-games there are battles, training in baseball, and even improving the characteristics of the characters.

Initially, the project was released under the "E" rating (designed for an audience of any age), but later a version of the game for adults was released with erotic scenes and large quantity girls available for relationships (there were nine of them). In addition, the extended version has expanded the main storyline and new mini-games.

Yosuga no Sora

release date: 2008

Genre: Visual Novel

An anime visual novel in which the twins Haruka and Sora are forced to move into their grandfather's house as a result of the death of their parents. Now two souls, with the help of neighbors and friends, are trying to find their own way in the world.

The gameplay here is no different from most games of this genre. The main emphasis is on the plot, and the player's influence on the gameplay is limited to "flipping through" the dialog boxes and periodically choosing response options or character actions. Traditionally, the game has many different endings that can be obtained by choosing one or another scenario. Based on the plot of the game, a manga and anime series were released.

Ookami Kakushi

release date: 2009

Genre: Visual novel, RPG

A captivating visual novel game in which a 15-year-old boy who has moved to a small mountain town is warned to stay away from the old streets after sunset. Very soon, the young man will learn about the ancient rituals that once took place here.

As for the gameplay, here it is not very different from other representatives of the genre. The main task of the player is to read the dialogues that appear on top of the pictures that reflect the essence of what is happening, and periodically choose answers, actions of the hero, etc. Traditionally, we are waiting for several options for the development of the plot and many endings. In general, this is an interesting project for everyone who likes mystical stories, anime and visual novels.

STEINS;GATE

release date: 2009

Genre

A bright representative of the visual novel genre, which is a direct continuation of the game CHAOS;HEAD and tells a fascinating story about time travel. Most of the gameplay is reduced to reading the text that appears on the screen, which is the thoughts of the protagonist or dialogues between characters. At key moments, the player is given a choice that affects the further development of the storyline.

An interesting feature of the game is the presence of a special "telephone trigger". When a player receives someone's call, he can either answer it or ignore it. In this case, the received text messages will be displayed in a special way, and affect the available response options for text messages.

Mashiroiro Symphony

release date: 2009

Genre: Visual novel, eroge

A Japanese visual novel in which the plot focuses on the protagonist's romantic relationship with one of four heroines. The gameplay here is very typical for the genre - the player takes a minimal part in the game, choosing from time to time certain actions or response options that affect the plot. The rest of the time we see changing anime pictures and the corresponding text, which reveal all the vicissitudes of the plot.

There are four storylines in total, and in order to see them in full, you need to replay the game several times, making different decisions that move the plot in a different direction. The project contains scenes of erotic content that open up in the process of developing relationships with one of the girls available in the story of the game.

Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate

release date: 2010

Genre: Visual novel, eroge

Japanese visual novel game with elements of comedy, romance and drama that tells the story of a Takafuji Private Academy student named Yuki Ojima. He is in the useless, according to most of the students, sweets study club, which is threatened by one of the candidates for the post of student council president. The hero has no choice but to become a candidate himself and try to prevent the dissolution of the club.

The game is built according to the traditional "patterns" for the genre - the player watches changing pictures with text, reads it, delves into the plot and from time to time makes important decisions for the further development of the plot. A fascinating and funny story, as well as many endings guarantee the replayability of the project.

G risaia no Kajitsu

release date: 2011

Genre: Visual novel, eroge

A Japanese visual novel eroge game in which a young man from a dysfunctional family ends up in private school, where five sociopathic girls became his classmates, with whom he will have to build relationships (and possibly find the love of his life).

The main part of the gameplay consists of dialogues between characters, presented as static pictures with text. Depending on the actions of the player, the plot will develop in one of the predetermined directions (there are five in total), which in turn will lead to one of several endings. At the same time, some actions of the player may prematurely end the game (however, such moments can be replayed).

Katawa Shoujo

release date: 2012

Genre: Visual novel, eroge, anime

A visual novel in the dating sim sub-genre in which the protagonist must build relationships with five girls who have various physical or psychological injuries. Despite all the "romanticism" of the project, it contains quite depressing scenes, as well as scenes of an erotic nature.

The gameplay here is based on the player's choice of certain options for the development of events that advance him along one of the plot branches. At the same time, each of the subplots has several endings, when the main character resolves his conflicts with one of the girls (depending on whose story arc the player went through), breaks up with her, or simply moves away from her. Some player decisions can lead to the death of the protagonist.

Endless summer

release date: 2013

Genre: visual novel, eroge,

A visual novel with eroge elements from domestic developers, which tells about a lonely young man Semyon, who somehow miraculously finds himself in the role of a seventeen-year-old teenager in the pioneer camp "Sovenok". For seven busy days, the main character must understand whether what happened for him was a chance for a new life or an endless nightmare.

The gameplay here is typical for visual novels: the player reads the text over static pictures, directing the plot in the right direction by choosing the answer options in the dialogues. The game has an option that allows you to "skip" already studied plot points, which allows you to quickly reach one of the 13 possible endings with repeated playthroughs.

If My Heart Had Wings

release date: 2013

Genre: Visual novel, eroge

A high-quality Japanese visual novel with a simple but interesting plot that revolves around flying on a glider. The gameplay is no different from other representatives of the genre - the player watches changing pictures with text (sometimes there are even animated inserts) and periodically selects answer options in the dialogue. The plot has several global branches and a little more smaller ones, the occurrence of which directly depends on the choice of the player.

A good project for fans of the genre with traditionally high replay value (due to the presence of multiple endings). Nice graphics, high-quality voice acting and an atmospheric soundtrack, which is not a shame to buy separately from the game.

Sakura series

release date: 2014-2016

Genre: Visual Novel

A series of visual novels from the true masters of their craft at Winged Cloud, featuring charming unrelated plots, memorable characters and atmospheric musical accompaniment. The gameplay of all games is extremely simple and designed more for relaxation. From the player it is only necessary to read the text and at certain moments of the game to choose the answers in the dialogues, etc.

A lot of endings, amazing erotic scenes and colossal replayability of each of the parts makes this series one of the reference representatives of the genre. A must see for all visual novel fans! Also, the project will surely appeal to fans of romantic stories and anime.

NEKOPARA

release date: 2014

Genre: Visual novel, eroge

A series of excellent visual novels with eroge elements, telling about a world where people live side by side with neko (catgirls who are practically no different from people, except for some visual details and cat habits).

As in other visual novels, the gameplay here consists of reading text and moving from one part of the text displayed along with pictures to another. All this is accompanied by atmospheric background music. There are no plot forks in the game, so the player cannot influence the development of history. The characters are fully voiced and animated. In general, this project should be perceived rather as an interactive cartoon with minimal (a kind of "meditative") gameplay.

Amnesia: Memories

release date: 2015

Genre: Visual novel, anime

A great adventure visual novel in which the player will need to return the lost memories of a nameless girl, and help her return to her home world. The game has an original presentation of the plot: instead of the usual building of relationships, we are expected to choose one of several parallel worlds. In this case, the heroine will be initially placed in a situation where the player about her early elections one can only vaguely guess. Each returned memory can literally turn the whole story inside out and make you doubt your own choices.

The rest of the game is a traditional visual novel with appropriate gameplay. Among the advantages of the game, it is worth noting an excellent plot, nice animation, a lot of good and neutral endings, an even greater number of bad endings (mainly with the death of the main character at the end) and the presence of mini-games that diversify the gameplay.

fault - milestone two side:above

release date: 2015

Genre: Visual Novel

A great continuation of another good visual novel fault milestone one (or rather the first half of the second part of the game). At the same time, if the first part was not bad in terms of graphics, then in relation to the second, the developers literally outdid themselves. The game has animation and a variety of effects that make the picture very lively and voluminous. Of course, the gameplay here is traditionally for the genre is reduced to a minimum: the player's participation here is literally reduced to "flipping" windows with dialogues. All. No choices affecting the plot, etc. Just a magical story, which for some unknown reason is called a game.

A soulful and touching project that can drag the player like a good movie. Fans of kinetic novels, anime and fascinating stories - strictly for acquaintance, everyone else - at will.

blood code

release date: 2015

Genre: Visual novel, anime, simulation

A captivating visual novel about an ordinary girl and her romantic relationships with princes and kings. The characters here can be passionate, gentle, attentive, unfriendly, etc. A variety of situations will please fans of the genre.

In general, this is a traditional dating sim subgenre for visual novels with all the resulting gameplay features. We choose a character for ourselves, which we will strive for and build relationships with him, in parallel planning the day and organizing the study / work / leisure of our main character. Most of the time comes down to reading dialogues, but often we will have to choose different actions of the heroine and answer options, which will directly affect the plot of the game.

Danganronpa 1 and 2

release date: 2016

Genre: Visual novel, adventure

Two parts of excellent detective visual novels, in which the atmosphere of constant tension and despair is skillfully combined with humorous inserts and puns. The gameplay is divided into research (which takes place mainly in textual execution with the ability to choose response options or the actions of the hero) and mini-games that do not get bored in the process of passing. Ultimately, the player will have to solve the main riddle and figure out who is behind the events unfolding in each of the parts. Of course, there are several endings in both games and they depend on the choices made by the player in the process of passing.

Excellent stories, nice drawing and good musical accompaniment - what else do you need for a fan of this genre? Lovers of detective stories and investigations should also not pass by.

Lucy - The Eternity She Wished For

release date: 2016

Genre: Visual novel, anime

A visual novel that tells about the near future, where androids have become quite commonplace, but the robot that the protagonist of the story found is different from the rest ... Traditionally for the genre, this game places a lot of emphasis on the plot. Our character is constantly faced with choices and moral dilemmas, which we can directly influence, pushing him to one decision or another (and, accordingly, to a certain plot branch).

A very touching novella that may well make the player shed a tear after the final credits. It can be seen that the developers have worked hard on the plot, which is beyond praise here. It is highly recommended to anyone who is at least somewhat interested in the topic of the relationship between humans and robots.

VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

release date: 2016

Genre: Visual Novel, Anime,

An original visual novel in which we play as Jill, a bartender serving a seedy Bar somewhere in the back streets of a futuristic metropolis. Our main function is to serve drinks to visitors, while at the same time communicating with them and learning their secrets, changing their mood, etc. At the same time, there is no traditional choice of answers in dialogues. We can influence the characters only through the created cocktails from certain ingredients. Serving the right drinks will keep the conversation going, or even change the visitor's mood.

There is money in the game that we can earn in the bar (happy customers often leave tips) and spend it on paying bills, decorating the house or things we like. Otherwise, the game is a classic representative of the genre, where the player reads fascinating dialogues most of the time.

ACE Academy

release date: 2016

Genre: Visual novel, anime

A kind and positive visual novel with a voluminous and rather branched plot that tells about an academy that teaches mech control. It can be seen that the developers did not hesitate to experiment with various mechanics that are not typical for visual novels. So, for example, at the beginning of the game, we can choose one of the three key features for our hero, which will “suggest” in the dialogues the appropriate response options.

The pluses of the game also include high-quality voice acting and a good graphic component. Otherwise, the game is a bright representative of the genre, so get ready for an abundance of textual information through which the plot is presented here.

Angels with Scaly Wings

release date: 2017

Genre: Visual novel, dragons

A unique dating simulator, presented in the form of a visual novel, in which our hero, being a representative of humanity, must interact with dragons that enter our world, unravel a conspiracy against fantasy creatures, and possibly find love. The game has an addictive storyline and surprisingly lively characters that you can empathize with. Many endings, the appearance of which directly depends on the choice of the player, which he must make at various key points in the story.

The gameplay here comes down to reading the text through which the plot is presented and viewing the corresponding art. Periodically, we can make choices (actions, response options, etc.) that “send” the story in one direction or another. In general, nothing new has been added to the genre, but fans of such games will certainly be delighted.

nightshade

release date: 2017

Genre: Visual Novel

A fascinating story, presented in the form of a visual novel, tells about a shinobi girl who, along with her friends, went on her first mission and, of course, something went wrong. Now the heroine has to figure out who is the enemy and who is the friend, and what is happening in general. And of course, find your love! The game has five storylines with different endings. Of course, the development of history directly depends on the decisions we make at key points in the story.

Otherwise, the gameplay does not differ in special "bells and whistles" and is quite traditional for the genre. We read text inserts, look at excellent art and periodically make choices that affect the further plot, which is very, very good here.

Dal Segno

release date: 2017

Genre: Visual Novel

The spiritual successor to the Da Capo series, made in the visual novel genre. The game takes place on an island that is practically heaven on earth. The protagonist only recently got here, but quickly met five different girls, with one of whom, at the behest of the player, he will remain in the end.

The plot in the game is fascinating, however, there are not enough stars from the sky. A classic story in which the hero needs to find the love of his life. The gameplay is the same as in most games of this genre - we read text inserts against the background of static (sometimes animated) pictures and make decisions that affect the further development of events. There are several endings, which is not surprising. A great option for fans of romantic visual stories.

Lingering Fragrance

Release date: 2018

Genre: visual novel

A short erotic visual novel in anime style that tells three different stories (two of which are unlocked after completing the first one). The action of the game takes place in a school, and its main characters are high school students who, due to active study, begin to lose their memory. And in order not to completely forget each other, schoolchildren begin to create warm memories for themselves.

The gameplay here is no different from other similar games - we, as one of the three heroes, talk to various characters against the background of drawn static pictures and gradually move along the plot, choosing the answers that are suitable for ourselves, which in a certain way influence the further development of events. The game has a nice visual component, an interesting plot and good background music.

crystal line

Release date: 2018

Genre: visual novel

An episodic visual novel in which we, as a simple guy, accidentally find ourselves in a fantasy world where magic and all sorts of fantastic creatures are commonplace. Now the players in the person of the main character will have to figure out all the intricacies of the local plot, find their place in the new world and meet their love.

The game has classic visual novel gameplay, where the player must read a wide variety of dialogues, make a choice at certain points and follow the consequences of this choice. Of the pluses, one can note the pleasant voice acting of the characters, the presence of animation (characters move against the background of static backdrops), detailed backgrounds, a fascinating plot and good humor.

ISLAND

Release date: 2018

Genre: visual novel

A complex visual novel with a branching plot, in which the story revolves around a young guy named Sanzenkai Setsuna, who was stranded on an island and completely lost his memory. The three large families of the island are at odds, and the island itself is in decline and the newcomer will now have to change the fate of the island and its inhabitants.

Most of the gameplay here is spent reading dialogues, in which the story is revealed. The text in the game is accompanied by pictures depicting the character with whom the main character is talking and the background of the location where he is located. At certain points, the player has to choose an answer in the dialogue or an action that the main character must perform, which will directly affect the developing plot. There are three main storylines here, and some of the player's actions can prematurely end the game, which is tantamount to losing.

And there is Kojima too.

In the "Best in Genre" section, we have already talked about, and. In a new selection, we have collected the best visual novels that are worth getting acquainted with for those who are completely unfamiliar with such a specific genre or have just begun to master it.

Policenauts

The first game in the selection could be Hideo Kojima's Snatcher, but we already detail it in a separate article, so we will focus on another project of the master - Policenauts. The genre of Snatcher is difficult to define: Kojima cleverly mixed elements of a quest, a visual novel, an interactive movie, and a shooting gallery.

Although Policenauts borrows mechanics from there, it is perceived more as a cool sci-fi anime and visual novel than a traditional pixel hunting quest. The emphasis is on dialogues and animation scenes created by the Japanese studio AIC.

The story starts in an alternate year of 2013. A massive Beyond Coast colony has just been built in Earth orbit. For the security of the colony, a special detachment of space police officers was created - "Polysnauts" (from Police and Astronauts), which just consists of the main character, John Ingram.

John's happy life ends when an unexpected breakdown occurs while testing the latest space suit, and Ingram is thrown into outer space. The life support system puts him into cryogenic sleep for 25 long years.

The world has changed a lot since then. The polysnauts were disbanded, life has been in full swing in the colony for a long time, and John's acquaintances have become very old. Ingram returns to Earth in Los Angeles, where he opens his own detective agency.

One day, John's ex-wife comes to John's office. After the disappearance of Ingram, she remarried, and is now looking for her husband, who also disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Little does John know that an ordinary kidnapping case will lead him to the Beyond Coast colony, entangle him in crime and bring him together with his old partner Ed Brown.

Policenauts is outdated graphics and gameplay, but it's worth reading the novel for the sake of a fascinating plot. The game has Kojima's traditional maniacal love for little things, unexpected plot twists, regular conspiracies and meticulously written characters. The symbiosis of smart detective and science fiction is extremely rare in video games. - Semyon Kostin

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

In Ace Attorney, the player will take on the role of the talented lawyer Phoenix Wright, who will be involved in five major court cases. Each is conditionally divided into two parts - an investigation and a meeting. In the beginning, Wright examines crime scenes, collects evidence and carefully questions witnesses. When the trial begins, the game makes you think carefully before protesting anything or pointing out important evidence. The case is easy to fail because of the wrong answers in the testimony and the wrong emphasis on the evidence.

The game is linear, besides, the trials are more like a spectacular show than a real court session. Although the latter is more likely to be a plus. After all, in Ace Attorney, it's damn exciting to watch cross-judicial disputes with the exclamation of Objection! During the game, you even get the feeling that you are watching a fascinating detective series.

Based on the first part of Phoenix Wright, it was also shot from the famous Japanese director Takashi Miike. - Semyon Kostin

Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni

When reading “When Cicadas Cry” (as the title of the novel is translated), the old Russian proverb “there are devils in the still waters” is constantly recalled. The events of the novel take place in the early 80s of the last century. Ordinary boy Keichi Maebara moves with his parents to the small village of Hinamizawa. Keichi goes to study in a rural school, where he immediately makes friends with several pretty schoolgirls. The days are measured, the guy has fun with new friends and gradually gets used to the quiet life in the village. Later, Keichi learns that Hinamizawa's past hides terrible secrets, and the good nature of the villagers is just a mask. "Friends" either stick a sewing needle into a rice ball, or seriously try to stab it.

The series of short stories is divided into 8 chapters - the first four only hint at what is really happening, and the second already answers most of the questions. In each chapter, events are restarted from the very beginning, and the characters who died in the previous chapter are alive again. The cycle begins as a thriller, but over time it transforms into an interesting variation on the theme of "Groundhog Day" with murders, a bunch of mysteries and a pinch of mysticism. Each chapter begins with the bright and cheerful everyday life of the protagonist, gradually slipping into despair and hopelessness.

It's important to note that Cicadas is more of a book than a game because there are no choices or different endings. You can safely turn on the automatic reading function and enjoy the story.

According to the plot of the novel, two anime series, a full-length film and a mini-series with live actors were shot. On Steam, the first four chapters have made a handy toolkit for modifications. - Semyon Kostin

Saya no Uta

After the accident that took the lives of his parents, Fuminori sees the world very differently. The guy's brain is damaged: everything around seems to be shapeless mountains of meat, people look like disgusting monsters. Fuminori is studying to be a doctor, so he quickly understood his problem. In order not to end up in a psychiatric hospital, he hides the disorder from friends and doctors, but this is not easy for him. The brain perverts all signals, even smells and touch. Fuminori is locked in this cage, surrounded by stinking, slimy scraps of meat.

Everything changes when he meets the charming girl Saya. She alone is not seen by the hero as a pile of intestines. She is beautiful, mysterious and full of life. Fuminori undertakes to help Saya in search of her father, and Saya tries to alleviate the suffering of the hero. But the more Fuminori absorbs Sai's beauty, the harder it becomes to endure the disgusting reality around her.

The iconic "Song of Sai" has become for many a ticket to the world of visual novels, and for good reason. This is a short (five-seven hours of reading), unlike any other story at the intersection of romance, psychological thriller, Lovecraftian horror and outright body horror. This is love melancholy and a chilling nightmare. A shocking, uncompromisingly cruel, but sad, full of light sadness love story, for once capable of truly changing the world ... or not. Saya no Uta has three endings that complement each other perfectly. The novella leaves you the right to judge from which side to look at events and what outcome its heroes deserve. And she excels in her main task: Show the world from opposite angles. It is worth accepting its rules, and any outcome of Saya no Uta turns into a piercing, devastating tragedy.

Gen Urobuchi took a story from Osamu Tezuka's children's manga Hi no Tori and rewrote it into a twisted but never vulgar mix of the most seemingly incompatible genres. And the beautiful illustrations of Chuo Higashiguchi and the enchanting music of Zizz Studio make you literally get used to the world of the novel, go all the way to Fuminori and fall in love with Saya as if it were all for real. Not surprisingly, Urobuchi himself became depressed after Saya no Uta and was unable to tackle a new story for years, until Kinoko Nasu suggested that he write Fate/Zero. - Artemy Kotov

Kikokugai - The Cyber Slayer

Saya no Uta made Gen Urobuchi famous all over the world. But his other work, "The Cyborg Killer", is undeservedly deprived of attention - despite the English and even Russian translation. However, it is not much inferior to "The Song of Saya" and is also a perfect introduction to the genre. This is a small linear novel in which cyberpunk motifs are closely intertwined with oriental fantasy.

This is a world in which martial artists went in two ways: one developed the body, the other developed the spirit. Progress does not stand still, and adherents of the first path happily become cyborgs. But getting rid of body parts, they deprive themselves of the meridian, through which the Qi energy flows. Kong Taolo is not one of those. He is one of the few who still draws strength from his own profound energy. Among other things, this allowed him to learn the technique of thunderbolt: to concentrate a powerful electromagnetic impulse in the palm of his hand. So Kong became the most dangerous killer in the Chinese triad, because not a single cyborg can resist his art.

But once Kong was betrayed and tried to kill by his best friend, and his sister Ruili was killed in the most painful way: with the help of a forbidden operation, her soul was broken into several parts, destroying her brain. Soul shards now exist in the gynoid sex robots used by Kong's former friends: the soul shard makes the robot behave more naturally. But the cyborg killer survived, and now he must destroy the top of the most powerful triad in China in order to find out what made his friends treat him this way. And return his sister: an underground neurosurgeon gave Kong a special gynoid, into which fragments of Ruili's soul can be pumped.

All in the best traditions of Gen Urobuchi. Kikokugai is the ultimate dark, oppressive, brutal tragedy set in a filthy, violent yet nuanced future world. This is a dashing action movie that combines high technology with martial arts, and each fight is unique and reveals the details of the world of the novel. The clouds are constantly thickening, the opponents are getting stronger, and Kong himself is weakening, exhausting himself and turning into a hunted bloodthirsty beast. The story is saturated with despair and grief, but leaves a dim ray of hope, which you want to cling to again and again in a naive belief in a happy outcome.

Cyborg Slayer is the perfect excuse for cyberpunk fans to jump into the visual novel genre. This is a concise, fast-paced, tense, unforgettable story in a non-trivial setting. In addition, Kikokugai has a soundtrack that immerses you in the lyrics. And in 2011, a remake was released, giving the novella voice acting and new, luxurious graphics. - Artemy Kotov

Fate/Stay Night

The visual novel Fate/stay night was created by Type-Moon, which back in 2000 was a small circle of amateurs who sold their creations at themed festivals. Fame came to Type-Moon after the release of the dark novel "Moon Princess" (Tsukihime). Although the novella has become widespread (its remake is being developed now), Fate / Stay Night has become the most ambitious and recognizable work. For 13 years, the franchise has released a full-fledged sequel and prequel, several fighting games and a role-playing game. The Fate series brings a steady income every year, so various branches are constantly released in the franchise. Recently, the mobile role-playing game Fate/Grand Order has received great success.

The main game of the series attracts with its scale and elaboration of the universe. The world of Fate/Stay Night has mages and magic. There is also an association of magicians, hidden from the eyes of the common people. For several centuries, a bloody war periodically arises between magicians for the possession of an artifact - the Holy Grail. According to legend, the Grail can fulfill any wish of the winner. Mages fight with the help of Servants, who are called before the start of the war. Servants are divided into seven classes and represent the reincarnations of both mythical characters (for example, King Arthur or Hercules) and heroes of the past (Alexander the Great, samurai Sasaki Kojiro).

And everything would be fine if a secret war had not started in the small Japanese city of Fuyuki, the birthplace of an ordinary schoolboy Emiya Shiro. The hardened pacifist Shiro not only gets dragged into the war, but also gets his own Saber-class servant. Like it or not, you have to fight.

It will take about 120 hours to complete three giant story arcs. The game has five positive and 40 negative endings. Searching for the latter is especially exciting, because after another death, the player will be shown a funny humorous story in which the characters will give valuable advice and laugh at his stupid deeds. So, for example, choosing to flee during combat can result in both the player's death and a long-awaited rescue. In this novel, it is difficult to determine which choice is correct and which will lead to a bad denouement.

Fate/Stay Night has received a number of re-releases on various platforms (Realta Nua being the best) and several anime adaptations. We recommend that you pay attention to the film adaptation of the novel - a gloomy prequel to the franchise, the plot of which will completely give odds to the original novel. - Semyon Kostin

Clannad

The visual novel Clannad belongs to a specific sub-genre called nakige. A derivative of the verb nakimasu (Jap. to cry) and game. The name of the subgenre hints that when reading the novel, the player will sincerely worry about the characters and is likely to shed a tear. The Clannad franchise is known the world over for its touching and heartbreaking romance anime that still sits at the top of hit lists to this day. For example, on the Russian website World-Art, the second season of Clannad is in sixth place in the top.

High school student Tomoya Okazaki hates his life, city and school. His mother died, and his father drinks heavily. Tomoya believes that nothing will ever change in his life, and therefore he lives one day and does not think about the future at all. Changes begin after Tomoya accidentally meets Nagisa Furukawa, a cute but slightly strange student who dreams of opening a theater club at school. The hero begins to help Nagisa, and soon gets acquainted with other students of the school. Life is slowly getting better.

Even soap opera haters should play Clannad. You constantly come back to the game because of the living characters and the cozy, almost homely atmosphere. It will take more than a hundred hours to complete the game (with all endings). If in the anime, Tomoya chooses Nagisa, then in the novel, you can choose any girl (that's why there are more than 10 endings in the game). Each character has their own personal drama and unsolvable problem, so the novel does not turn into a banal dating sim.

Clannad is a great high school everyday with a good dose of drama and quality romance. latest version games recently on Steam. - Semyon Kostin

Swan Song

A novel sub-genre of utsuge (depressive novel) that sticks to realism and shows the dark side of human nature. "Swan Song" is the story of a group of people who survived a powerful earthquake during the winter frosts. A local post-apocalypse about survival in the midst of devastation, a fierce snowstorm and complete lawlessness.

Swan Song is close in spirit to Golding's Lord of the Flies and many of Stephen King's stories. Fate places people in a closed space, mocks the attempts of sane heroes to maintain order on the verge of death, makes them degenerate and commit monstrous acts. Finally, it awakens in them the inner beast, ready to throw itself at people in the struggle for the right to live at least one more day.

In Swan Song, mysticism and even religious themes are felt, but it is alien to any fantasy. This is a devastating tragedy about fighting the inevitable, about agony and finding solace. - Artemy Kotov

Kara no Shoujo

Post-war Japan, 1956 Private detective Tokisaka Reiji undertakes to help an old friend in investigating a series of brutal murders of girls. The handwriting is reminiscent of a series of murders six years ago, when Reiji's fiancée was one of the victims. As the investigation progresses, the detective meets a strange girl, Kuchiki Toko, who asks him to help her find her "true" self. Reiji has a very difficult, complicated case ahead of him, and the further he goes on the trail, the more obvious the connection between the killer and Toko's mysterious past becomes.

"Shell Girl" is a very creepy, frank, bordering on horror detective. It is full of vivid images and cultural references, but for the most part it is perceived as a Western thriller, so it is easy to recommend it for review. Close to realism, a beautifully drawn and elaborated story that knows how to keep intrigue, surprise and makes you think with your head.

Kara no Shoujo has elements of a detective quest: you inspect crime scenes, study corpses, build logical chains and come to your own conclusions. At first, the game does not let you make a mistake, but in the later stages do not expect any help: you will unravel the case only if you yourself put the puzzle together into a single picture.

Moreover, the novella is very branched. There are several main and more than a dozen "bad" endings, depending on the decisions you constantly make in the dialogues. Kara no Shoujo even has a dating sim element, but it's also very unique. If you spend time romantically with some girl and achieve an erotic climax, you will surely miss the necessary clues, and the investigation will turn into a bloody tragedy.

On the other hand, the heroes and heroines have a lot to tell you, and the full picture of Kara no Shoujo's plot can only be made by seeing all the options. This somewhat brightens up the frustration, because the consequences of your decisions are not always logical, but always inexorable: getting the most correct ending without a guide is another task. But the story is worth it. It is interesting to unravel the tangle of vivid images and complex relationships between the characters until the very end.

Kara no Shoujo is a spin-off of Cartagra, an earlier work by Innocent Grey. In a good way, it’s worth starting with Cartagra, but this is not necessary: it is inferior to its successor in all respects. Kara no Shoujo itself has already received an excellent sequel (Kara no Shoujo - The Second Episode), published in English the year before last, and now the third part is in development. - Artemy Kotov

Steins; gate

There are few large-scale stories about time travel at all, but as changeable and complex as Steins; Gate - you almost don't remember. A young student Okabe Rintaro, who imagines himself a mad scientist, accidentally invented a time machine. This did not require plutonium and DeLorean, because the main character created it using an ordinary microwave and a mobile phone. Okabe himself does not physically travel in time, but his messages sent from his cell phone to a converted microwave do.

"Stein's Gate" will satisfy the tastes of almost any player. Interesting science fiction about a time machine mixed with Groundhog Day, comedy and thriller. All these genres coexist perfectly with each other. The plot takes place in different timelines, and the messages sent entirely determine which one the player will fall into (there are seven endings in the game).

The best novels. Best Visual Novels

1. Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni

2. Mhakna Gramura and Fairy Bell

3 Cateau

4 Grisaia: Phantom Trigger

5. VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

6. Angels with Scaly Wings

7.Crystalline

8 Nightshade

9. CLANNAD

10 SIMULACRA

11 Fatal Twelve

12. fault

13. Doki Doki Literature Club

14.ACE Academy

15. Lucy -The Eternity She Wished For-

16. Everlasting Summer

17. STEINS;GATE

18. A Light in the Dark

19. Amnesia: Memories

20. Danganronpa

21. Zero Escape

22. Monster Prom

23. Cinders

24. The Yawgh

25. Sixtieth Kilometer

Clannad

Developer: key release date: November 23, 2015

The Nonary Games/Zero Time Dilemma (the Zero Escape series)

Developer: Spike Chunsoft release date: March 24, 2017

Ladykiller in a Bind

Developer: Love Conquers All Games release date: October 10, 2016

Steins;Gate

Developer: 5pb. release date: September 8, 2016

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

Developer: Spike Chunsoft release date: February 18, 2016

Simulacra

Developer: Kaigan Games release date: October 26, 2017

Long Live The Queen

Developer: Hanako Games release date: November 8, 2013

VA-11 Hall-A

Developer: Sukeban Games release date: June 21, 2016

The Yawhg

Developer People: Damian Sommer, Emily Carroll release date: May 30, 2013

Muv-luv

Saya no Uta

CLANNAD 1 and 2

Binetsu Kyoshi Chieri / Amorous Professor Cherry

school days

Tears to Tiara

Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru

Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica

Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke wo

Koihime Musou

Little Busters!

Yosuga no Sora

Ookami Kakushi

STEINS;GATE

Mashiroiro Symphony

Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate

G risaia no Kajitsu

Katawa Shoujo

Endless summer

If My Heart Had Wings

Sakura series

NEKOPARA

Amnesia: Memories

fault - milestone two side:above

blood code

Danganronpa 1 and 2

Lucy - The Eternity She Wished For

VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

ACE Academy

Angels with Scaly Wings

nightshade

Dal Segno

Lingering Fragrance

crystal line

ISLAND

Policenauts

Developer: key
release date: November 23, 2015

Developer: Spike Chunsoft
release date: March 24, 2017

Developer: Love Conquers All Games
release date: October 10, 2016

Developer: 5pb.
release date: September 8, 2016

Developer: Spike Chunsoft
release date: February 18, 2016

Developer: Kaigan Games
release date: October 26, 2017

Developer: Hanako Games
release date: November 8, 2013

Developer: Sukeban Games
release date: June 21, 2016

Developer People: Damian Sommer, Emily Carroll
release date: May 30, 2013

Kikokugai - The Cyber Slayer