Welcome! This is the second part of a series of articles designed to introduce the visual novel genre to beginners. In this part, we'll look at more representatives of the best Japanese visual novels, as well as VNs of Ukrainian origin and other nationalities. If you haven't read the first part for some reason, we recommend that you read the first part. And we are moving on!
This time, the list will include more representatives of Japanese, Ukrainian and European visual novels.
Please note! The following Japanese novels have NSFW content - content of an erotic nature! In many cases, this content is distributed as additional patches or may be disabled.
Tsukihime
- Developer: Type-Moon
- Year of release: 2000
- Genre: contemporary fantasy, mysticism, romance, horror
- Duration of reading: 40 hours
- Anime adaptation: yes (not recommended)
- VNDB: https://vndb.org/v7
- Tsukiweb online version: https://tsukiweb.holofield.fr/
A visual novel that has gained the status of a classic. A lot of developers were inspired by it - the author of Cicadas and some others were inspired by Tsukihime.
Description
The novel tells the story of a young man named Tono Shiki who, after a car accident, wakes up in a hospital with the ability to see lines and cracks in every surface and creature. These lines, if drawn with any sharp or blunt edge, will be permanently cut off. Shiki is confused because he sees these lines everywhere and always. One day, he meets a magician girl who gives him glasses that allow him to stop seeing the lines and allow him to live a normal life.
Many years later, after the death of his father, Shiki is forced to move back to the mansion he left years ago. He will have to live with his younger sister and two maidservants.
One day, Shiki's life changes forever when he meets a blonde girl on his way to school, whom he decides to brutally murder. (taken from VNDB)
The novel Tsukihime is known for its unique and rich fantasy lore. It consists of two parts - Near Side and Far Side, named after the sides of the moon. It has a unique system of routs - to reach the Far Side, you need to read a rout from the Near Side, and to reach the final rout, you need to read a rout from the Far Side. Tsukihime is characterized by its visual style, which can be seen in the original Cicadas and Seagulls or in the Katawa Shoujo novel. VN is also planning to get the remake in two parts. At the moment, only the first one has been released, which, unfortunately, has received a lot of criticism from fans, so we recommend reading the original.
The disadvantages include a short (for a 40-hour novel) soundtrack, a complicated system of routs that make it easy to get to the bad ends (which can be disastrous for a 40-hour game), and the lack of voice acting.
G-senjou no Maou
- Developer: AKABEiSOFT2
- Release year: 2008
- Genre: thriller, everyday life, mystery, drama, romance
- Reading duration: 35 hours
- Anime adaptation: no
- VNDB: https://vndb.org/v211
- Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/377670/Gsenjou_no_Maou__The_Devil_on_GString/ One of the first novels known in the Western market. The most famous project of AKABEiSOFT.ОписYou play the role of Azai Kyousuke, the son of a legendary gangster infamous in the underworld. You spend your time listening to Bach, playing God at school and covertly working for your stepfather, a ruthless financial heavyweight. This idyllic existence is broken when two individuals appear in the city - a beautiful girl named Usami Haru with hair you could get lost in for days, and a powerful international gangster known only as "Maou". Almost without delay, the two begin a deadly cat-and-mouse game, bringing you and your friends into the crossfire. Plotting, political intrigue and layer upon layer of interlocking traps are the weapons in this epic battle of wits.(borrowed from VNDB page)The novel has a "staircase" system of episodes that will lead to the true ending sooner or later, but at some points you can "jump" to the side limb of other characters. A very interesting plot that accumulates more and more intrigue over time, and good characters. A good unique style and a very unique soundtrack, which is almost entirely classical music reworked in a modern way.The disadvantages are sometimes clichéd and typical tricks.
A series of novels by Grisaia
- Developer: Frontwing
- Release year: 2011
- Genre: everyday life, romance, thriller, comedy
- Reading duration: 75 (The Fruit of Grisaia) + 30 (The Labyrinth of Grisaia) + 25 (The Eden of Grisaia)
- Anime adaptation: yes
- VNDB: https://vndb.org/v5154 https://vndb.org/v7723 https://vndb.org/v7724
- Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/345610/The_Fruit_of_Grisaia/
- https://store.steampowered.com/app/345620/The_Labyrinth_of_Grisaia/
- https://store.steampowered.com/app/345630/The_Eden_of_Grisaia/
The Grisaya novels, and specifically the first one, Fruit of Grisaya, have become very well known for their anime adaptation. It is one of the best visual novels for fans of "proactive" protagonists.
Description
Mihama Academy - on the surface, a closed learning environment established to nurture students who find themselves at odds with the world around them; in actuality, an orchard-cum-prison built to preserve fruit that has fallen too far from its tree.
Whatever the circumstances behind its establishment, Mihama Academy is at present home to five female students, all with their own reasons for "enrollment." For better or worse, each girl has established a routine obliging of her current situation; life moves at an idle, yet accommodating pace within the walls of Mihama.
Yet with the arrival of the institute's first male student, the nearly preposterously opaque Kazami Yuuji, the students at Mihama begin to fall out of step with their predetermined rhythms. Will Yuuji prove to be the element the girls around him needed to take hold of their lives once more, or will the weight of their pasts prove too steep a wall to overcome? (taken from VNDB page)
The novels are known for their characters - the protagonist and heroines have a very special character and a complex story. There are a lot of humorous scenes that will not let you get bored. Wonderful routines and a romantic part. Starting from the second part, there is a lot of thriller, and the flow of events increases rapidly in the third. The novels have nice visuals and soundtrack.
Majikoi! Love Me Seriously!!
- Developer: Minato Soft
- Release year: 2009
- Genre: everyday life, comedy, romance
- Reading duration: 60 hours
- Anime adaptation: yes
- VNDB: https://vndb.org/v1143
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1460490/?utm_source=vndb
The famous series of visual novels Majikoi by Minato Soft. Known for their comedic slice-of-life novels.
Description
Kawakami City is famous for its strong dedication to its samurai ancestors. A strong fighting spirit is always valued and it's even an important factor in succeeding in school there.
Yamato, a second year student from Kawakami Highschool is always with his close friends (4 boys and 3 girls). They have known each other since they were young and have done loads of things together. They have many other friends, but these seven people are a close-knit group, they even have a secret base where they meet...
With the new semester, they welcome two girls into their group and shortly after things start to change... (taken from the VNDB page)
Majikoi is known for its comedy scenes and an extremely large variety of characters. Despite their simplicity, the great variety and constant action are exciting and not boring. The novella also has an interesting and simple system of routs. Most of the routines are unique and memorable. There is a unique routine that is available after reading all the others. The novel has great visuals and music, and is very dynamic.
The only drawback is that not all the routines are perfect, some of them are very short and without plot twists.
Saya no Uta
- Developer: NITRO PLUS
- Release year: 2003
- Genre: psychological horror, thriller, romance, drama, mystery
- Reading duration: 6 hours
- Anime adaptation: no
- VNDB: https://vndb.org/v97
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/702050/The_Song_of_Saya/
Violent/sensitive content is present!
The most popular visual novel according to VNDB. Despite this, it is not the best option for beginners due to the abundance of sensitive content, including visuals. Nevertheless, it is recommended for familiarization as the most famous representative of the VN genre.
Description
The story centers around Fuminori Sakisaka, a medical school student involved in a vehicle accident that claimed the lives of both his parents and left him with critical injuries.
He was rescued by experimental brain surgery that coincidentally altered his perception of the world dramatically.
Everything now seems to be composed of slimy intestines and gore to him. In addition, the rest of his senses: touch, hearing, smell, and taste, are also impaired, similar to his sight, further damaging his mental health.
Fuminori's desire to live dwindles, and one night, while still in the hospital, he contemplates suicide. However, a girl in a white dress named Saya appears before him. Compared to the horrible surroundings, she looks completely normal, if not downright gorgeous. Fuminori soon falls in love with Saya, and she becomes his raison d'être. (taken from VNDB page)
The story is unique, has a good plot development, interesting characters, and a good visual style. It has several endings.
Among the disadvantages: a specific soundtrack, a lot of violence that can scare away, the writing style is not for everyone.
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Visual novels that became popular in the west
Unfortunately, visual novels are not very widespread outside of their home country (Japan). As for the reasons why this happened (the need to read a lot, symbiosis with anime, bad endings and violence, etc.), we can argue for hours and each side will remain in its own opinion. However, even niche genres will always have their fans around the world. There are several developers whose works have become popular among European and American audiences and have gathered a large fan base that is eagerly awaiting new titles.
Katawa Shoujo
- Developer: Four Leaf Studios
- Release year: 2012
- Genre: everyday life, romance, drama
- Reading duration: 30 hours
- VNDB: https://vndb.org/v945
- Link (the novel is free!): https://www.katawa-shoujo.com/download
- Improved Re-Engineered version (with support for widescreen displays): https://www.fhs.sh/projects
Available erotic content (can be disabled in the settings)
One of the most popular visual novels in the Western and Eastern markets.
Description
Hisao Nakai is a normal high school student, currently in his final year of high school. One day Hisao finds an anonymous letter in his math textbook, directing him to meet the sender at a given location. The sender turns out to be his crush, however, as she confesses to him, he suddenly collapses. He awakes in a hospital bed, and is told by the doctors that the reason he collapsed is due to arrhythmia, a rare heart condition that causes his heartbeat to sometimes become irregular. Due to this, his parents have enrolled him in Yamaku, a school for (physically) disabled students. There he meets 6 unusual students... (taken from VNDB page)
Katawa Shoujo is considered one of the best everyday romance novels. There is a large number of choices and endings, as well as good visuals and great music. Erotic content is optional and can be turned off.
Disadvantages - some routes and plot points are long and uninteresting.
Doki Doki Literature Club!
Developer: Team Salvato
Release year: 2017
Genre: everyday life, romance, horror?
Reading duration: 6 hours
VNDB: https://vndb.org/v21905
Steam (the novel is free!): https://store.steampowered.com/app/698780/Doki_Doki_Literature_Club/
Steam (paid extended version)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1388880/Doki_Doki_Literature_Club_Plus/
The best-known visual novel among a wide range of Western audiences. It is popular among players unfamiliar with the genre and "let's play" players. It has a large fan base that develops modifications with its own story to the novel.
Description
Welcome to the Literature Club! It's always been a dream of mine to make something special out of the things I love. Now that you're a club member, you can help me make that dream come true in this cute game!
Every day is full of chit-chat and fun activities with all of my adorable and unique club members:
Sayori, the youthful bundle of sunshine who values happiness the most;
Natsuki, the deceivingly cute girl who packs an assertive punch;
Yuri, the timid and mysterious one who finds comfort in the world of books;
...And, of course, Monika, the leader of the club! That's me!
I'm super excited for you to make friends with everyone and help the Literature Club become a more intimate place for all my members. But I can tell already that you're a sweetheart—will you promise to spend the most time with me? (taken from the novel page on Itch)
Despite its popularity, Doki Doki Literature Club! does not have a clear plot or ending. In fact, this project is a kind of parody of data series with clichéd character archetypes and an unremarkable protagonist. Despite this, it has nice visuals and music, as well as a very interesting 2nd act.
Disadvantages - overrated by fans. Primitive plot.
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Visual novels of Ukrainian origin
Games of this genre are quite popular in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine. For the popularization of the genre in recent years, we should thank Ruslan Salikov (Ternox), the founder of the legendary Anivisual resource for short story fans (currently available in archive format).
Ukrainian Visual Novel Jam -is a competition for Ukrainian visual short stories created on a random topic within two weeks. The first competition started in 2022 and is held every six months, in winter and summer. At the time of writing, the fifth such jam has already begun, and you can join in! Or you can just watch the whole process.
Below are links to jams 1-5. The list of novellas is sorted by the overall rating of their manager - TERNOX. You can familiarize yourself with any available project in a few clicks, completely free of charge!
There are several release projects by Ukrainians that are already available on Steam. These are completely different novels both in spirit and atmosphere. The only thing that unites these games is the genre, and that's great, because variety is something that visual novels have been lacking lately.
Heralds of the Avirentes
- Developer: TellerySpyro
- Release date: May 30, 2024 (early access)
- Genre: fantasy, mystery, action
- Reading time: about 20 hours (current version)
- VNDB: https://vndb.org/v38367
- Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2360560/Heralds_of_the_Avirentes__Ch_1_Wings_of_Change/
Description:
Heralds of the Avirentes – is a Ukrainian visual novel in the crystal fantasy setting set in the world of Nanras. Explore an unusual world inhabited by the Om'verai, dragon-like creatures with their own language, traditions, and culture. Help the young Om'verai, Azaris, who, by the will of fate, finds herself in the midst of events that could determine her own future, the fate of the Om'verai as a species, or even the survival of the entire planet!
This novel is distinguished by an unusual graphic style, as well as the presence of gameplay elements from other genres. The game features a turn-based combat system and leveling up, which are common in jRPGs. Also, the game has a developed system of routs and the freedom to choose which tasks to perform and in what order. In most cases, your choices will have major consequences for the plot.
At the moment, it is one of the largest Ukrainian indie projects in terms of plot and scale of development. Since the project is in Early Access, it is actively developing and can change a lot before release. The authors are actively working on continuing the story and introducing new features. The novel also features Ukrainian voice acting by Melvoice.
Argumentum ad Culpam
- Developer: Shreibikus & Tagetes Team & TellerySpyro_GTX
- Release date: April 2024
- Genre: surrealism, fantasy, thriller
- Reading time: about 5 hours
- VNDB: https://vndb.org/v42614
- Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2370650/Argumentum_ad_culpam/
Description:
Argumentum ad culpam will present a gothic world of magic and supernatural beings called transcendents. Each of these beings wants to carry out their plans for Luthedor's future. The game's core is battles of wits, where the wizard can support any side with his own reasoning, trying to get the best position for himself. (taken from the Steam page)
This is one of the novels that was made as part of the Ukrainian Visual Novel Jam and received a full release on Steam. The graphics in the game are unusual, and the characters are surprising in their appearance. The story contains deep philosophical overtones and has several possible endings that depend on the choices you make. The novel, like the previous one, has Ukrainian dubbing by UFDUB.
JUSFASLEX
- Developer: Shreibikus
- Release date: March 2024
- Genre: fantasy, philosophy
- Reading time: about 2 hours
- VNDB: https://vndb.org/v49369
- Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2769380/JUSFASLEX/
Description
13 years ago, a man named Joann decided he would bring God back into our world. He couldn't succeed, but his idea lives on through Theodore, an aloof dreamer who's trying to create a utopian society in a new world.
a story about a boy's struggle to stay himself and get along with the new inhabitants of his dimension: Emma, a spirited redhead older than him, and Rebecca, a charming, reserved girl who likes being alone just like him.(taken from the Steam page)
The novel lasts up to two hours and does not include elections (it is a kinetic novel). There is a Ukrainian voiceover.
Conclusion
This concludes the second part of the guide to visual novels for beginners. We hope you enjoyed them and became a little more interested in this genre. Thank you for reading!
Useful links
https://vndb.org - the largest database of visual novels (in English)
https://jpdb.io/visual-novel-difficulty-list - a reference book useful for those wishing to read Japanese visual novels in the original language
Telegram channels for translating novels into Ukrainian:
When Cicadas Cry short stories translation group into Ukrainian
Katawa Shoujo novel translation team into Ukrainian
Telegram channels:
Ukrainian telegram channel dedicated to visual novels
Cozy chat of the Ukrainian community of readers/players of visual novels
Official telegram channel of the Heralds of the Avirentes development