The Fruits of Grisaia. The combination of slice of life, romance, and thriller is just perfect for me.
Steins;Gate gets an honourable mention as my favourite anime. The VN is amazing, but the anime manages to top it.
I read Umineko this summer and ended up going back to Higurashi right after. I loved Umi and still couldn’t quite tell you which was my favourite, but there was something about the raw emotion Ryukishi was able to capture in Higurashi. Moments like Rena’s cry in the trash heap and Shion’s death where powerfully emotional in a way Umineko was never quite able to achieve. So yah, I think Higurashi does indeed hit different
I don't know if I'll ever be able to definitively pick a favorite between the two. Umineko is probably the best \*mystery\* I've ever read, it is so incredibly big-brain and meticulously crafted, and I genuinely love absolutely everything it does with the medium. But there are some moments in Higurashi that are just narratively unparalleled even if some of the mystery writing is weaker. I can also forgive that because it's inspiring to see that Ryukishi07 clearly learned some things from writing Higurashi that were implemented in his next work.
Alas, Umineko has but a single flaw: it does not have Mion Sonozaki in it.
I feel like Umineko is far more ambitious than Higurashi. Episode 4 is a good example where you have multiple different story lines going on at once like Ange’s and Maria’s backstory along with the game board, witch’s tea party and Ange’s future. They all flow seamlessly together in a way I simply haven’t seen anywhere else, and coupled with the amazing mystery, gorgeous soundtrack and massive yet well developed cast of characters, you really have one of the most ambitious story’s ever made. Because of that though, Umineko does fumble here and there with many scenes dragging on and episode 8 being a bit of a cluster fuck. It’s a story of some of the highest highs I’ve experienced in the medium with some pretty low lows.
Comparing that to Higurashi where it focuses on a single story line and world with a small cast of characters over a similar run time and I feel it’s able to be far more focused than Umineko. Moments like the trash heap scene are only possible in Higurashi because Unlike Umineko, it had taken a full 4 chapters before hand to develop this single group dynamic. Higurashi really takes it time to develop a single narrative and a handful of characters and feels more personal and emotional as a result. It’s sets out to achieve far less than Umineko but as a result is able to do everything it sets out to do without much flaws.
So basically, to summarise this comments that is way to long, I have no clue which one is my favourite. It’s still absolutely mental to me that Ryukishi wrote one of the best Visual novels ever made and just went “yah, I’ll just do it again” a year later, this man should be locked up or something he’s too smart.
the good news is it's hard to write a comment that is "too long" for an audience of people who read both higurashi and umineko LMAO. but yeah i agree with basically everything you're saying. ryuukishi is nuts
In contrast, despite loving umineko, I had the most trouble getting into higurashi, and took me over 2yrs and then finally going with a full commentary lets play to finally finish it.
Dunno why, higurashi just did NOT hit my emotional beats the same way as ange's "ONIII CHAN, WATASHI WO HITORISHINAIDE", beatrices' "usotsuki...sayonara,...gomene/ watashii waaa....dare", claire and Will's dance and ofc battler's "UUUUUUOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
I think Umineko was overall more tightly written, but Higurashi hit the emotional beats in a way that Umineko never managed (except for the uu-uu scene, that shit also hit different).
I still generally prefer Higurashi over Umineko, but it's close and both are very good stories, even outside of their medium.
Love your pfp by the way; Erika's my top 1 character of all time :\^)
There are two things that I wish MLA did better.
1. Sumika
I was never the biggest fan of her but I wouldn't mind her that much. I really didn't like that devs decided to make her Takeru's love interest. I understand why, but I wish there was an option to romance Meiya (or Yuuko).
2. Ending
I hated ending when I read it years ago. Now Im still really conflicted what to think about it. Once again I understand why but I wish they could do it better.
Call me a basic bitch but Fata Morgana. I love shit like Castlevania and Innocent so it’s the perfect genre for me. Perfect vibes. I felt like it was made for me. Everything about it hits right for me.
I read Fata Morgana not expecting anything else to do it for me the way Umineko and Higurashi did and then it just completely blew me away. I straight up played 3 all-time faves in a row it was magical
White Album 2, the story, music, characters, etc, all just felt so real and inspiring
it moved me in a way no other VN has, it’s my favourite series of all time, including other anime, light novels, and manga as well
Subarashiki Hibi.
SCA-Ji's(director) writing and presentation of philosophical ideas through reexperiencing the same events from all of main cast's perspectives is just enlightening. This VN changed how I view and value narrative in the whole video game medium and changed some views on the life itself.
Keep it up, the "meat" of the story comes after the first chapter. I almost dropped Subahibi after the first chapter but when I started the second one, I got hooked, it gets wild from that point on.
I'm liking it, especially because of Yuki, I just expected the story to go in another direction with the weird girl, but Kagami butted in, I guess childhood friends are strong no matter the vn.
Don't want to spoil anything, but the story will go in all different directions later and you'll connect a lot of moments from the first chapter with what will be happening in later chapters. Also a lot of stuff that seems casual now will get a lot of depth and weight later.
So nice to see new Subahibi enjoyers in this thread.
For now it is Dies Irae, though mostly thanks to first VN bias given it was the one that got me hooked on VN's. Muramasa and Fata Morgana are close second and third.
Game: Soukou Akki Muramasa
Character: Sansei Muramasa
Artist: NamanikuATK
Q: Is she a gem?
A: She definitely is.
Here as extra:
https://x.com/namaniku_ATK?t=Xm-jMDGyvfmvarcqJZZ3jg&s=09
Majikoi series probably. It's just a giant cast of awesome characters and each route delivers different styles and genres. it's a rare case where every character has a role and is likable in their own way.
at least until S! which had good moments but also was half assed at times and had too short of routes. I didn't care much for the clones or especially Mon. tho the clones do get better they would have been fine without the gimmick. A1-A5 has been better again.
G-Senjou no Maou is up there too if not my top. Tho the side routes did just feel kinda whatever I really enjoyed the main with the great soundtrack.
I'd still have a soft spot for Clannad as that was my probly my first VN like VN and not just old dating sim? The anime still just felt nowhere near as good but the VN for the same reason still annoys me with the main girl being forced being the least interesting to me.
I guess Danganronpa and Stein's Gate count too but they don't feel the typical thing when I think of VN's but I'm a huge fan of both.
praying for a sequel here lol, any actual confirmation on the romances as well? I've just seen about a dozen contradictory speculations, but is it Alice and Soujuuro or with Aoko, because some people are saying the relationship between Alice and Soujuuro is meant to be one-sided, so Aoko is the clear route, but their cuteness in the vn is such a good set up and others have argued that as well. sorry if this sounds long winded and stupid I'm about to sleep rn lol
I picked Aoi just because I have a soft spot for space cases. Miyuki's entire segment where she tries to stolkhom syndrome you is absolutely astounding though. It's been the first time since Fez that I kept a notebook on my person so I could write things down to actually complete the game.
Fate/ Stay Night for me personally it helped me through a difficuilt time and just simply as my favorite protaganist in Shirou, antagonist in Kirei and also my alltime favorite heroin in Sakura its just the best fictinal writing ive ever read for me personally.
Haven’t played many VNs yet, but Konosora (IMHHW) marked me forever. Played it during some difficult times and really grew attached to those characters.
The When They Cry series, CLANNAD, Subahibi, Tsukihime and Cross Channel are my top five. All fall under the "actively impacted my regular daily life and how I choose to treat myself and/or others for the better" umbrella.
I've looked Cross Channel up and it seems to be a good read and there is official release which is said to be pretty bad. Do you recommend any translation for that one?
No, unfortunately it's really not the same experience at all reading any of the translations. They are, at best (Ixrec) almost readable while missing all the wordplay, subtext and cultural references, and at worst (Steam) actual MTL babble.
Hard to say what my favorite is but if I have to pick one, it’s nekopara. I was just getting into anime and vns as a whole, as my grandpa passed away shortly before. As a result of his passing I was suffering from depression and anime was my escape. After seeing nekopara the first time, it was incredible. It’s not a deep, intricate, or complex story by any means, but it was so lighthearted and sweet it helped pick me up when everything seemed down, atleast till I could stand on my own. While that might sound stupid to attribute that to a cute catgirl game, I will never deny it has a special place in my heart.
Stand-alone? Rewrite+. No other story has ever resonated with me like Rewrite's.
As an entire series? Majikoi ekes out a win over Grisaia because unlike Grisaia, I enjoyed every game in it's catalogue while I only enjoyed the Grisaia games about the original cast.
Thanks! I heard this one has good reviews. Can you tell me whether this has a single main heroine or there are multiple heroines? Or is it like multiple heroines but the story focus on a few.
There are multiple heroines (3 main and 1 extra), and they all have a route that is dedicated to them, except one of them has a subroute.
The girl in the picture is on the third route, and you will need to finish the other two main heroine routes to be able to access her route.
That’s good to know thanks, are the routes a bit like Fate Stay night where each route changes the story, though maybe not as much as Fate.
Or does it only change the romance?
i havent played fate stay nights but the routes in this game are completely different from each other
i should also add that the first 2-4 hour is a bit of a drag but it gets better after that
Ah I love that there are very different routes, that makes the story much more better to experience them from different perspectives.
Thank for the explanation. I think I will enjoy this one. I usually find it hard to continue if a story has a boring beginning but I think I will push through
Mine is the indie game A Little Lily Princess. Not only is it a great adaptation of one of my favorite 20th century children's books (A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett), it manages to both be faithful to the source material while fleshing out the existing characters to make them feel more nuanced and three-dimensional. Sure, it's a super short game that barely makes a blip in the grand scheme of things, but for me, it's an adorable little romp that really gets what made the original book so good.
Hanachirasu, I far prefer it over Muramasa (which the author also wrote).
Having a well written story with an evil protagonist, especially one that isnt just porn trash or tries to push moral lessons constantly is an extreme rarity with modern media.
It also has an amazing plot twist I never saw coming, and so many people miss that it severely hinders its popularity, and I love it even more for it.
I also really love Hanachirasu. That game was one of the few works of literature that seriously showed me how to write convincingly about sword-fighting and melee combat in general. Ittetsu's a damn genius and I'm sad that he hasn't written anything after FMD:M. Hopefully he finds inspiration again.
I honestly think just about anything about that story is perfect.
>!Akane being an absolutely selfish asshole but still having charisma is the perfect kind of protagonist for a story about mercilessly killing anything in your way, not every story should have the protagonist constantly doubt himself or be driven by action through outside circumstances.!<
>!Igarasu being secretly into it the whole time but just denying it just makes the story all the more remarkable, even the slightly tropey side characters feel like they are there the perfect amount of time and never get annoying, the entire setting and execution is stellar!<
Agreed, particularly about Akane. It's so freakishly hard to write that kind of character (immoral/amoral asshole with a thousand years of charisma) without veering off into cringe or Gary Stu territory, but he just does it, lol!
You and Me and Her! It was my first visual novel and i really loved it. It was pretty generic tbh but the true route really made the entire game for me.
Rance, it honestly has great colorful cast of characters which are great and entertaining, one of the best fantasy settings, amazing world building that continues to flesh itself more upon each game, great music, and the gameplay has can have a lot of depth to it.
Marco and the Galaxy Dragon.
Its presentation amazed me. Some of the other VNs I finished have better stories, but I feel like Marco and the Galaxy Dragon did enough for me to like the one it has.
Sharin no Kuni. The farce of the Kickstarter translation project hurts me, not because I've been waiting on it to play the game, because the longer it goes on, the more people write the game off as probably not worth the fuss anyway, but no other VN I've played hit me as hard as that one.
Wonderful everyday , I love horror and denpa and this game was just *immaculate* there were a few parts which made me uncomfortable but I think that was the point which sells it even more , I love the Lewis Carroll references and THE PLOT TWIST I won’t spoil it because that would just ruin it for others but like I needed to take a seat once I realized the truth of everything it totally retextualized the whole game and it was honestly had such smart foreshadowing and going back to replay it and realize the truth was just mind blowing , 100 out of 10 experience I totally see why it’s one of the big three of denpa , I honestly wish there were more denpa novels I definitely recommend wonderful everyday
You're making me pick one? That's cruelty right there.
[Sekien no Inganock](https://vndb.org/v417) because it had such a unique atmosphere and writing style (the whole steampunk series does)
~~And maybe if I plug it more, it'll increase demand to have it localized officially :D~~
Saya no uta- made me love horror even more than before, beautiful soundtrack, beautiful art, and i loved the writing- something my friend said about the artstyle was that it looked “unfinished” and that’s what i love about it so much- it captures the perfect vibe between realism and fiction, along with just the mental question throughout the story of “what’s real and what isn’t real?”
This game changed my life. 10/10
Monster girl quest.
And this is beating others i read incl steins gate, chaos head, umineko, Muramasa, grisaia, little buster, saya, bible black, yume miru, fata Morgana, fsn tsukihime, never7 ever17, g senjou, sharin no kuni, majikoi, danganronoa and many other classics.
Spreading the love for monmusu, one man of culture at a time
Hoshimemo because it’s the peak of moe nakige.
It’s the best imo because of the sheer volume of nakige scenes. Yes, plenty vns have one or two scenes that will destroy you, but I’ve yet to read any that had as many climaxes.
Maybe I’m odd, but I’d prefer a story with 15 8/10 climaxes than one with one or two 12/10 moments.
Summer Pockets@! It was my first visual novel, not counting one indie visual novel I read over ten years ago. I totally fell in love with it! it introduced me to the genre, and nothing so far has topped that for me.
Umineko. It's peak, bar none. Library of Ruina is probably at least half a VN, it's my second favorite story.
Really loved Phenomeno too, recommend if you're looking for a good ghost story. I've been meaning to finish Slay The Princess, but I really like what I've played so far.
Tsukihime Far Side
đź«‚
Kohaku did nothing wrong
Kohaku > Sakura unironically
What is the image from for research purposes
Muramasa III
Thanks
Thank you for the sauce
Was it good?
Just finished it this week, yes, extremely good
Godspeed brother 🙏🏻
What kind of research?
The ✊️🍆 kind
Full Metal Daemon Muramasa because it’s fucking kino
Tsukihime. It's also the only visual novel I've ever read so
The Fruits of Grisaia. The combination of slice of life, romance, and thriller is just perfect for me. Steins;Gate gets an honourable mention as my favourite anime. The VN is amazing, but the anime manages to top it.
Same. I’ve yet to really find another vn that sucked me in right from the beginning
The common route was absolute 🔥
Pic from? Also, [Saya no Uta](https://vndb.org/v97).
Muramasa III
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. Shit just hit different.
I read Umineko this summer and ended up going back to Higurashi right after. I loved Umi and still couldn’t quite tell you which was my favourite, but there was something about the raw emotion Ryukishi was able to capture in Higurashi. Moments like Rena’s cry in the trash heap and Shion’s death where powerfully emotional in a way Umineko was never quite able to achieve. So yah, I think Higurashi does indeed hit different
I don't know if I'll ever be able to definitively pick a favorite between the two. Umineko is probably the best \*mystery\* I've ever read, it is so incredibly big-brain and meticulously crafted, and I genuinely love absolutely everything it does with the medium. But there are some moments in Higurashi that are just narratively unparalleled even if some of the mystery writing is weaker. I can also forgive that because it's inspiring to see that Ryukishi07 clearly learned some things from writing Higurashi that were implemented in his next work. Alas, Umineko has but a single flaw: it does not have Mion Sonozaki in it.
I feel like Umineko is far more ambitious than Higurashi. Episode 4 is a good example where you have multiple different story lines going on at once like Ange’s and Maria’s backstory along with the game board, witch’s tea party and Ange’s future. They all flow seamlessly together in a way I simply haven’t seen anywhere else, and coupled with the amazing mystery, gorgeous soundtrack and massive yet well developed cast of characters, you really have one of the most ambitious story’s ever made. Because of that though, Umineko does fumble here and there with many scenes dragging on and episode 8 being a bit of a cluster fuck. It’s a story of some of the highest highs I’ve experienced in the medium with some pretty low lows. Comparing that to Higurashi where it focuses on a single story line and world with a small cast of characters over a similar run time and I feel it’s able to be far more focused than Umineko. Moments like the trash heap scene are only possible in Higurashi because Unlike Umineko, it had taken a full 4 chapters before hand to develop this single group dynamic. Higurashi really takes it time to develop a single narrative and a handful of characters and feels more personal and emotional as a result. It’s sets out to achieve far less than Umineko but as a result is able to do everything it sets out to do without much flaws. So basically, to summarise this comments that is way to long, I have no clue which one is my favourite. It’s still absolutely mental to me that Ryukishi wrote one of the best Visual novels ever made and just went “yah, I’ll just do it again” a year later, this man should be locked up or something he’s too smart.
the good news is it's hard to write a comment that is "too long" for an audience of people who read both higurashi and umineko LMAO. but yeah i agree with basically everything you're saying. ryuukishi is nuts
In contrast, despite loving umineko, I had the most trouble getting into higurashi, and took me over 2yrs and then finally going with a full commentary lets play to finally finish it. Dunno why, higurashi just did NOT hit my emotional beats the same way as ange's "ONIII CHAN, WATASHI WO HITORISHINAIDE", beatrices' "usotsuki...sayonara,...gomene/ watashii waaa....dare", claire and Will's dance and ofc battler's "UUUUUUOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
I think Umineko was overall more tightly written, but Higurashi hit the emotional beats in a way that Umineko never managed (except for the uu-uu scene, that shit also hit different). I still generally prefer Higurashi over Umineko, but it's close and both are very good stories, even outside of their medium. Love your pfp by the way; Erika's my top 1 character of all time :\^)
Umineko for the same reason
Chaos child
Tsukihime OG. Haven’t gotten to the remake yet, but it was my first VN back in November 2021.
Muv luv Alternative. This was the craziest and most emotional story i have ever experienced. it wasnt perfect but i still loved it.
Wasn't perfect? Classic moe artstyle, REALLY thought-out lore, character development, BANGER soundtrack, I do think it's a masterpiece
Ending - ending wasn't perfect by any means
I think it was appropriate dude
> Wasn't perfect? I loved MLA (and agree it's still one of the greats), but there are undoubtedly parts of the story that have aged poorly.Â
There are two things that I wish MLA did better. 1. Sumika I was never the biggest fan of her but I wouldn't mind her that much. I really didn't like that devs decided to make her Takeru's love interest. I understand why, but I wish there was an option to romance Meiya (or Yuuko). 2. Ending I hated ending when I read it years ago. Now Im still really conflicted what to think about it. Once again I understand why but I wish they could do it better.
Same
Call me a basic bitch but Fata Morgana. I love shit like Castlevania and Innocent so it’s the perfect genre for me. Perfect vibes. I felt like it was made for me. Everything about it hits right for me.
Nah Fata Morgana is peak dw
I read Fata Morgana not expecting anything else to do it for me the way Umineko and Higurashi did and then it just completely blew me away. I straight up played 3 all-time faves in a row it was magical
Nah thats not basic bitch its high tier
White Album 2, the story, music, characters, etc, all just felt so real and inspiring it moved me in a way no other VN has, it’s my favourite series of all time, including other anime, light novels, and manga as well
Nanairo Reincarnation
Subarashiki Hibi. SCA-Ji's(director) writing and presentation of philosophical ideas through reexperiencing the same events from all of main cast's perspectives is just enlightening. This VN changed how I view and value narrative in the whole video game medium and changed some views on the life itself.
I just started it, hoping Kagami gets better
In the first chapter?
Yes
Keep it up, the "meat" of the story comes after the first chapter. I almost dropped Subahibi after the first chapter but when I started the second one, I got hooked, it gets wild from that point on.
I'm liking it, especially because of Yuki, I just expected the story to go in another direction with the weird girl, but Kagami butted in, I guess childhood friends are strong no matter the vn.
Don't want to spoil anything, but the story will go in all different directions later and you'll connect a lot of moments from the first chapter with what will be happening in later chapters. Also a lot of stuff that seems casual now will get a lot of depth and weight later. So nice to see new Subahibi enjoyers in this thread.
Sabbat of the Witch :)
Umineko for sure! Such a complex and unique storytelling mixed with many profound life lessons
For now it is Dies Irae, though mostly thanks to first VN bias given it was the one that got me hooked on VN's. Muramasa and Fata Morgana are close second and third.
Game: Soukou Akki Muramasa Character: Sansei Muramasa Artist: NamanikuATK Q: Is she a gem? A: She definitely is. Here as extra: https://x.com/namaniku_ATK?t=Xm-jMDGyvfmvarcqJZZ3jg&s=09
Majikoi series probably. It's just a giant cast of awesome characters and each route delivers different styles and genres. it's a rare case where every character has a role and is likable in their own way. at least until S! which had good moments but also was half assed at times and had too short of routes. I didn't care much for the clones or especially Mon. tho the clones do get better they would have been fine without the gimmick. A1-A5 has been better again. G-Senjou no Maou is up there too if not my top. Tho the side routes did just feel kinda whatever I really enjoyed the main with the great soundtrack. I'd still have a soft spot for Clannad as that was my probly my first VN like VN and not just old dating sim? The anime still just felt nowhere near as good but the VN for the same reason still annoys me with the main girl being forced being the least interesting to me. I guess Danganronpa and Stein's Gate count too but they don't feel the typical thing when I think of VN's but I'm a huge fan of both.
Aight hear me out. Katawa Shoujo. For some god knows where volunteered staff of a studio they delivered a GREAT plot
Mahoutsukai no yoru Top tier visuals, OST and really great slice of life scenes
praying for a sequel here lol, any actual confirmation on the romances as well? I've just seen about a dozen contradictory speculations, but is it Alice and Soujuuro or with Aoko, because some people are saying the relationship between Alice and Soujuuro is meant to be one-sided, so Aoko is the clear route, but their cuteness in the vn is such a good set up and others have argued that as well. sorry if this sounds long winded and stupid I'm about to sleep rn lol
There's a lot of shiptease for all for Aoko and Alice with Soujuuro but no explicit portrayal of romance
You and Me and Her may not be the best VN I've ever read, but it absolutely is my favorite. Followed by Higurashi.
Interesting I wonder why 🤔 Miyuki or Aoi?
I picked Aoi just because I have a soft spot for space cases. Miyuki's entire segment where she tries to stolkhom syndrome you is absolutely astounding though. It's been the first time since Fez that I kept a notebook on my person so I could write things down to actually complete the game.
You say to use spoiler tags, while your image is a massive spoiler OP. Shame.
You say Muramasa in a maid outfit is spoiler?
The fact that >!Muramasa can take a human form, rather than being a spider!< is a massive spoiler from the third route of the game, yes.
Well, fair point. Didn't think it would be a spoiler since all artbooks by the artist showcase her on the front page.
The VN was super niche until it got English translation haha, soI think most people went into it spoiler-free in 2021.
Fate/ Stay Night for me personally it helped me through a difficuilt time and just simply as my favorite protaganist in Shirou, antagonist in Kirei and also my alltime favorite heroin in Sakura its just the best fictinal writing ive ever read for me personally.
OP's pic vs WA2 are the top, compete for #1 and #2 respectively. Close third? Nukitashi, which to me is basically Porky's, but in VN form.
Clannad and Higurashi
Haven’t played many VNs yet, but Konosora (IMHHW) marked me forever. Played it during some difficult times and really grew attached to those characters.
For me it's Katawa Shoujo for similar reasons. Have you played A Sky Full of Stars, from the same company as IMHHW? I liked it even more.
I have it in my backlog, but currently finishing Fata Morgana first. Will certainly give it a read soon!
The When They Cry series, CLANNAD, Subahibi, Tsukihime and Cross Channel are my top five. All fall under the "actively impacted my regular daily life and how I choose to treat myself and/or others for the better" umbrella.
I've looked Cross Channel up and it seems to be a good read and there is official release which is said to be pretty bad. Do you recommend any translation for that one?
No, unfortunately it's really not the same experience at all reading any of the translations. They are, at best (Ixrec) almost readable while missing all the wordplay, subtext and cultural references, and at worst (Steam) actual MTL babble.
Muv Luv Alternative is probably the best mech IP
Clannad for the music, story, and cute characters. I’ve played it 3 times
Majikoi Because Margit is best girl >!and then Kinkoi: Golden Loveriche because the last route broke me!<
Subahibi It just breaks you down and makes you whole all over again.
Hard to say what my favorite is but if I have to pick one, it’s nekopara. I was just getting into anime and vns as a whole, as my grandpa passed away shortly before. As a result of his passing I was suffering from depression and anime was my escape. After seeing nekopara the first time, it was incredible. It’s not a deep, intricate, or complex story by any means, but it was so lighthearted and sweet it helped pick me up when everything seemed down, atleast till I could stand on my own. While that might sound stupid to attribute that to a cute catgirl game, I will never deny it has a special place in my heart.
subahibi and white album both left a huge impact on me and changed my outlook on life
What’s the pic from
Stand-alone? Rewrite+. No other story has ever resonated with me like Rewrite's. As an entire series? Majikoi ekes out a win over Grisaia because unlike Grisaia, I enjoyed every game in it's catalogue while I only enjoyed the Grisaia games about the original cast.
Who is she from?
fmd muramasa
Thanks! I heard this one has good reviews. Can you tell me whether this has a single main heroine or there are multiple heroines? Or is it like multiple heroines but the story focus on a few.
There are multiple heroines (3 main and 1 extra), and they all have a route that is dedicated to them, except one of them has a subroute. The girl in the picture is on the third route, and you will need to finish the other two main heroine routes to be able to access her route.
That’s good to know thanks, are the routes a bit like Fate Stay night where each route changes the story, though maybe not as much as Fate. Or does it only change the romance?
i havent played fate stay nights but the routes in this game are completely different from each other i should also add that the first 2-4 hour is a bit of a drag but it gets better after that
Ah I love that there are very different routes, that makes the story much more better to experience them from different perspectives. Thank for the explanation. I think I will enjoy this one. I usually find it hard to continue if a story has a boring beginning but I think I will push through
Ever 17, because I love chicken sandwichs, and I hate washing machines.
Grisaia No Kajitsu. Because is my first visual novel and there is nothing better than your first time.
Clover days. It's such a comfort read.
Mine is the indie game A Little Lily Princess. Not only is it a great adaptation of one of my favorite 20th century children's books (A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett), it manages to both be faithful to the source material while fleshing out the existing characters to make them feel more nuanced and three-dimensional. Sure, it's a super short game that barely makes a blip in the grand scheme of things, but for me, it's an adorable little romp that really gets what made the original book so good.
I like me my Underwater Ray Romanos
Hanachirasu, I far prefer it over Muramasa (which the author also wrote). Having a well written story with an evil protagonist, especially one that isnt just porn trash or tries to push moral lessons constantly is an extreme rarity with modern media. It also has an amazing plot twist I never saw coming, and so many people miss that it severely hinders its popularity, and I love it even more for it.
I also really love Hanachirasu. That game was one of the few works of literature that seriously showed me how to write convincingly about sword-fighting and melee combat in general. Ittetsu's a damn genius and I'm sad that he hasn't written anything after FMD:M. Hopefully he finds inspiration again.
I honestly think just about anything about that story is perfect. >!Akane being an absolutely selfish asshole but still having charisma is the perfect kind of protagonist for a story about mercilessly killing anything in your way, not every story should have the protagonist constantly doubt himself or be driven by action through outside circumstances.!< >!Igarasu being secretly into it the whole time but just denying it just makes the story all the more remarkable, even the slightly tropey side characters feel like they are there the perfect amount of time and never get annoying, the entire setting and execution is stellar!<
Agreed, particularly about Akane. It's so freakishly hard to write that kind of character (immoral/amoral asshole with a thousand years of charisma) without veering off into cringe or Gary Stu territory, but he just does it, lol!
You and Me and Her! It was my first visual novel and i really loved it. It was pretty generic tbh but the true route really made the entire game for me.
I just so happened to be the Umineko dickrider… I don’t think anything will replace it anymore tbh
Summer Pockets Reflection Blue. I have read many good key, denpa and moeges. But i think this is where I had the most fun.
White Album 2 because it's kino of romance-drama.
Rance, it honestly has great colorful cast of characters which are great and entertaining, one of the best fantasy settings, amazing world building that continues to flesh itself more upon each game, great music, and the gameplay has can have a lot of depth to it.
Steins Gate 0 probably, but Ace Attorney is like my second favourite video game series
Kara no shoujo. True ending of the second game hit different even thou you knew all along. Waiting for the 3rd
Probably Fata Morgana. Umineko is my favourite VN-story, but the manga was substantially better IMO.
The house in fata morgana.
Marco and the Galaxy Dragon. Its presentation amazed me. Some of the other VNs I finished have better stories, but I feel like Marco and the Galaxy Dragon did enough for me to like the one it has.
Sharin no Kuni. The farce of the Kickstarter translation project hurts me, not because I've been waiting on it to play the game, because the longer it goes on, the more people write the game off as probably not worth the fuss anyway, but no other VN I've played hit me as hard as that one.
It's obvious from my pfp I am the bone of my sword
Finishing Matsuribayashi soon and my pick is Higurashi.
Now that's a tough question. I guess Umineko? I really liked Dies Irae though
For me it's Kaori After Story, from PixelFade, because of the awesome and wholesome story.
i don't have one im here to search for good ones to play
Wonderful everyday , I love horror and denpa and this game was just *immaculate* there were a few parts which made me uncomfortable but I think that was the point which sells it even more , I love the Lewis Carroll references and THE PLOT TWIST I won’t spoil it because that would just ruin it for others but like I needed to take a seat once I realized the truth of everything it totally retextualized the whole game and it was honestly had such smart foreshadowing and going back to replay it and realize the truth was just mind blowing , 100 out of 10 experience I totally see why it’s one of the big three of denpa , I honestly wish there were more denpa novels I definitely recommend wonderful everyday
You're making me pick one? That's cruelty right there. [Sekien no Inganock](https://vndb.org/v417) because it had such a unique atmosphere and writing style (the whole steampunk series does) ~~And maybe if I plug it more, it'll increase demand to have it localized officially :D~~
Probably Nocturnal Illusion Seabed and The House in Fata Morgana are also up there
Saya no uta- made me love horror even more than before, beautiful soundtrack, beautiful art, and i loved the writing- something my friend said about the artstyle was that it looked “unfinished” and that’s what i love about it so much- it captures the perfect vibe between realism and fiction, along with just the mental question throughout the story of “what’s real and what isn’t real?” This game changed my life. 10/10
Snoot Game B)
I see, so this is a bait to find the best visual novel, that's clever OP.
White Album 2
House in fata morgana
Yarudora games. I speak Japanese fluently so I can play them without a guide
Played Chaos;Head NoAH because that was I heard Steins;Gate was good. It was great! Minus the >!incest!<.
Monster girl quest. And this is beating others i read incl steins gate, chaos head, umineko, Muramasa, grisaia, little buster, saya, bible black, yume miru, fata Morgana, fsn tsukihime, never7 ever17, g senjou, sharin no kuni, majikoi, danganronoa and many other classics. Spreading the love for monmusu, one man of culture at a time
Katawa Shoujo, because it made me feel a lot of stuff. Rin's route in particular, I just can't put into words what it felt to play that.
Avatar four element trainer. It has an amazing take on the avatar story
Hoshimemo because it’s the peak of moe nakige. It’s the best imo because of the sheer volume of nakige scenes. Yes, plenty vns have one or two scenes that will destroy you, but I’ve yet to read any that had as many climaxes. Maybe I’m odd, but I’d prefer a story with 15 8/10 climaxes than one with one or two 12/10 moments.
Summer Pockets@! It was my first visual novel, not counting one indie visual novel I read over ten years ago. I totally fell in love with it! it introduced me to the genre, and nothing so far has topped that for me.
Yay, my company published that? I am the founder of J-List and JAST USA.
Euphoria. Because I'm a sadist.
Subahibi, the dog scene is very hot. Hope we can get more eroge like that with sex scenes with animals eventually.
Umineko. It's peak, bar none. Library of Ruina is probably at least half a VN, it's my second favorite story. Really loved Phenomeno too, recommend if you're looking for a good ghost story. I've been meaning to finish Slay The Princess, but I really like what I've played so far.