Visual Novel Recommendations

LOL. Hipster glasses suit him so well.

So I've played the demo and I liked it, but wasn't sure if it was worth spending $30 on. After playing the game, is the price worth it (in your opinion)?

I'm not sure yet, I'm only on my first route so far. There is a lot of content, but most of the day-to-day stuff is busywork. Also, the typos (as you can see in the above image) are starting to get on my nerves. If Cheritz is going to get any more of my money in future then they have to proofread their translations. Still, overall I'm liking it a lot. It's been quite heartwarming so far (besides a few minor quibbles but those are spoilers).

Some of the VN's that you HAVE to play when you get the chance to:
Tsukihime (18+, no-H patch included): This is, in my opinion, THE visual novel everyone should play. It's a classic, not only that, the character development and plot is. amazing. There are clunky blocks of text and the graphics aren't that good. There are some erk-ing themes, but in all, it's awesome.

Fate Stay Night (18+. Non-h version called realta nua): It's such a big thing and it's also by Nasu. It has good cgs, better writting, fleshed out characters but as always, some squick-y themes. THERE IS A REASON WHY THIS GAME IS SO POPULAR!

Ever17: Many feels. Good characters. Nice plot to it. I love Gumi-chan <3

G Senjou no Maou (18+): It's such a good mystery vn. The characters are a bit shallow but none of them are underdeveloped. Good art, good writing, keeps you on your toes and LOOAADDSS OF FEELS.

Saya No Uta (18+): Christ all mighty. How do i even describe this game? Ok it goes into a load of 'no-zone' stuff like cannibalism and murder and insani- oh and everyone stopped reading aha. It's one of the most disturbing things I have ever read and considering that I have seen dark sides of the internet, that means something. HOWEVER. It's premise is mind blowing and the endings are pretty darn realistic. Even if you hate the MC and everything he holds dear, you still feel a bit of remorse for him in some of the endings. It's a fooked up game.

A Drug that makes you dream (18+): I really like this game. It deals with the themes bullying, drugs and "self." Slice of life, not exactly on the epic side, but I really enjoyed it. The H scenes are just there (didnt need them imo). I got really emotional while playing it.

my 2c

Well, it's like this:
Pros: Long, adorable characters, funny, really adorable characters, FEELZ, lots of fluff
Cons: Stat-raising gets old fast (3rd playthrough = AARGH), long and has lots of breaks between story scenes, some routes are low on romance (seriously, one guy doesn't have a kiss CG. I was all RAAAGE about it since he's cute >_<)

So it depends on you. It's pricey, no doubt, but I really like it - although I would have liked it more if it had more, well, actual romance (half the game is basically TokiMemo with less skinship). But hey! BUNNIES AND KITTIES. You can't turn that down.

Pretty much, yeah. Though who's the guy with no kiss CG? (tell me in spoiler tags)

This saddens me.

One thing to note for Umineko is that it's part of the same franchise as Higurashi, and I would say you'd do better to read Higurashi first. The stories aren't directly connected, but reading Umineko first will likely ruin certain aspects of Higurashi if you go back and try to read it afterwards. Umineko also plays a few things off expectations you might have from reading Higurashi - nothing too major but why not go for the full experience.

Of course, both of them are also really long (around 70 - 80 hours each) so that may be too much for some people. But if you have the time, then they are definitely worth reading. Higurashi is by far my favorite story ever, and while I didn't like Umineko quite as much it was still well worth the time investment to me.

I really enjoyed Higurashi, and it was how I got into When They Cry in the first place, but I thought that Umineko was by far the more masterful story because [REDACTED] [SPOILERS] [REDACTED]. Higurashi was a story that I loved while I was reading it, but it's the kind of story I read, like, and then forget, whereas Umineko has so many layers I keep going back to it and thinking about it and the characters and the themes.

Oh, by the way, recently I watched the Life of Pi movie (read the book a while ago), and it really got me because

You have pretty good taste, my pederastic, hairy friend. /high five

The Urobutcher is a master indeed. Agree with what everybody else has said, but I'd like to add that Saya no Uta is the only JVN I've seen that has actually good writing - as in, the prose is nice and tight and atmospheric and there's none of the stupid padding that's present in soooo many VNs.

Thanks for the responses. I caved and bought the game. Apparently I am weak and lack impulse control when it comes to ERMAHGERD CUTE FLUFFY BUNNIES AND KITTIES... this is my secret shame.

THERE IS NO SHAME IN CAVING TO THE FLUFF.

This game has alot of 'moeeeee' moments, so be prepared. I just finished up the last route (bad end mwhahaha! I didn't want the good end because spoiler reasons) so I'm now bloated with an overdose of KAWAIIIIII KYAAAA.

So if you feel like fangirling over the game, please do. I'd open a thread for it, but I don't think alot of people played ot yet. Maybe the LP will lure more people into Jisoo warm and obsessive arms.

I would please like to play Umineko. If anyone has any ideas on how to play it for mac in English, uhh... email me?

Because you're nice.

*bows* why thank you huhu~

Also: shut up spellcheck, 'favourite' has an 'u' in it, I won't give in to globalism!

Whew, that's a lot of spoilers.

How did everyone feel about Aeka's route? I think it's the most romantic out of all them :D You could really feel the love even if it was a slight yandere feel

I... uh... didn't think so many people were into Yume Miru Kusuri. Should we make a thread to keep the discussion there...?

Can anyone recomend the playstation game Gate Keepers? I really like the anime especially Shun and Ruriko. My favorite character is Reiko.

Might as well, our discussion is interrupting the Umineko talk.

Another recommendation: Pandora's Box (English, free, psychological horror). The graphics are simple but were very effective at freaking me the hell out, and the narrative structure hits just the right point of being confusing enough to draw you in and disorient you at the same time.

I played that, and I thought it was kind of... Pointless? I didn't get it. It was certainly weird, but I didn't really understand why.

I'm not sure if there was a point, but I liked the atmosphere enough that that didn't bother me.

I finished Jieun's route and am currently playing Jisoo's (I think I'm up to January), and

I bought Date Warp for $5 on holiday sale (stocking up on cheap holiday sale games = excellent use of my Christmas money) and absolutely loved it. The balance of main plot to romance made the conclusions satisfying (even if they weren't happy) whether or not I succeeded in "getting" the romance, which I particularly enjoyed in light of the discussions this forum has been having on romance and game design. My main complaint is that it's quite a short game for a $20 regular price tag.

Yeah, I don't necessarily think it's worth the full $20 (I bought it in a sale pack with Science Girls for $10 or $15). It's a very well-written game, though, and I understand it's tough for indie developers.

Seconding Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward for PS Vita and 3DS. Like in most visual novels, you do need to play several routes in order to piece together the entire story; however in this game it's not just an option, but a requirement. In a number of routes, you will run into a lock, which means you cannot progress until you play another route and gain the knowledge required to 'unlock' and progress. It can be a little jarring having to leap from one route to the next and back again, but it is a refreshing take on the visual novel mechanics. As Elfaleon said, the ending is pretty much a giant 'to be continued...' rather than anything conclusive, but the journey to this end is still very, very much worth playing. And Zero III is awesome.

Also putting in another recommendation for G Senjou no Maou. I swear my brain was overloaded with dramatic chipmunks-that-are-really-prairie-dogs throughout the entire game. A good mystery with lots of twists, and engrossing enough that I willingly sat through the awkward 18+ scenes. That's saying a lot. I haven't played another 18+ game since.

This site will tell you everything you need to know. Rejoice, for Macs are well supported.

I second (third? fourth?) playing Higurashi and Umineko. There are very few, if any, VNs which can evoke atmosphere like they can. They draw you in.

And they shine. The mere fact that they can get a reader this involved without voices or professionally-drawn graphic CGs (like so many other contemporary VNs these days) is testament to the brilliance of their other mechanics (sound, music, pacing) and Ryukishi07's writing.
It is not for nothing that these guys bear the title of 'sound novel', and I strongly recommend anyone with even a slight interest in VNs (and is not of the faint of heart - I suppose I should've qualified that) to experience them.


P.S. I've only ever played the Japanese versions of Higurashi and Umineko, and the Witch Hunt translation of Umineko. I can't vouch for the MangaGamer translation of Higurashi, but I believe these guys can do it justice.

The program itself doesn't come up for Macs on that site. You go to the download section in the Mac area and it takes you to a download page for the PC version.

Thanks though.

Don't let it worry you, there is still hope!
The VN was listed for Windows but it nevertheless runs on the ONScripter engine, of which there is a Mac version.
The Witch Hunt patch for Macs is meant to perform this conversion for you. (i.e. install using the patch instead of running the vanilla installer.)

So just follow the instructions and you'll come out fine.

It's been a while since this thread was bumped, but I'd like to recommend a2 ~a due~ (English, freeware, dramedy, not really an otome game but seems to get labeled as such for its one romantic ending).

Great narrator, cute/funny/heartwarming story, and pretty art.

Holy shit, they made the whole thing in only a month?!

This game is amazing, considering that it's a nanoreno project. It actually made me cry and the only games that have ever managed that (that I recall at the moment) were Okami and To the Moon. I loved the characters, even the no-name orchestra members. There's just so much personality and heart suffusing the whole thing. One of the best VNs I've played in a long time.

Made by the same creators of The Pirate Mermaid and they also have a project entitled AXIOM-01 in the works that I'm really looking forward to.

Their games are gems and they have fantastic story-writing skills along with great characterization.

Is it okay if I request recommendations? I was reading over my WIP, trying to figure out why the humor felt a little off to me, and then I realized that the jokes were structured like 4koma: Set-up, set-up, beat or swerve, then punchline. Visual novels are not 4koma. So, to learn by example, comedy (not parody) visual novel recommendations would be very appreciated, please and thank you~!

a2 - a due discussed above is very funny. The humour comes from misunderstanding, since the two main characters don't speak the same language for the majority of the game. I wouldn't call it a comedy, per se, but there are a lot of funny moments.

The Pirate Mermaid (only a demo so far) is by the same people and it's more of a comedy than a2, so try that as well.

Magical Diary is often hilarious. It has excellent writing all around, so the humour comes from characters interacting and bouncing their quirks off of each other. Play the Grabiner route for maximum funny.

Actually, gertrudetherobot's Club Shuffle (in progress) is hilarious, even though I've only played a placeholder-art demo. PM her if you want to check it out.

You're right. I am pretty funny.

But seriously...



Thanks Nebs!!