Lets talk about visual novels! (And an amazing recommendation for you guys!)

[Elixiink]

Remember when visual novels were a huge thing back then? I'm not sure if they're still as big as they used to be but I remember playing Doki Doki literature club for the first time without even knowing what it was about XD All the pink colors caught me so off guard!

But it was a fun game nonetheless! I also LOVED the danganronpa series! Danganronpa V3 would've been my favorite If it weren't for the ending >:'D The ending really disappointed me-

But there's one visual novel that hats off, my favorite without a doubt!
And that's The Letter-A horror visual novel
The art, the writing, the voice acting and all the gory art in the game is AMAZING!!!!
You should all try it! For real- it was worth every penny! At least for me XD
It really motivates me to make one of my own!

Another one I want to recommend is "One Thousand Lies". I like the stories and dialogues there! Its free and it was a fun read while it lasted although it was a more slice of life kind of story.

So what are your thoughts on visual novels? I'd love to hear all of your thoughts ^-^

[Cavechan]

I love visual novels and would also love to make my own. But due to focusing on my comics, I have no time to play or make them. Someday... maybe...

I've played Fate/Stay Night and Drammatical Murder (though only one storyline in it). Both great games. DMMD was actually better than I thought it would be because I watched an episode of the anime and didn't like the anime. But somehow, I did love the VN.

F/SN is just gwihgioewioewnbiowniobnwi I love it. Just such a crazy story. I did play all the routes. The way it's done is just incredible, even though the visuals are a bit dated. It just really pushes the boundaries in some areas. But it's LONG. It took soooooo long to get through each story line. Even as I was trying to fast forward through some of the less important scenes.

I would love to play Stein's;Gate and others as well.... sigh.

Oh and I have also played DDLC which is an amazing game. And I'm currently playing (though have been slacking on it recently ) a bara VN called Full Service.

[magnavarra]

You should just check this finger licking VN "I love you, Colonel Sanders"
also what about Mystic Messenger - this game affcted mobile vn's drastically
and I really liked Amnesia memories , minigames are nice) and Dandelion though they are very old.
If you haven't check Nonary games series - you also should try, pure classic.
Hustle cat was kinda fun as well.
and there are more deep vn that datesims - like Disco elysium, which was best indie game recently - i mean if you like reading while playing

[darkone4587]

I've been getting into VN's playing a good amount of Steins;Gate, but I also recommend the Pheniox Wright games and Danganrona as excellent visual novels with a little bit more game play involved.

[Elixiink]

OH MY GOD I played the Colonel Sanders one!!!
That visual novel is the pinnacle of VNs
It only goes down from there XD
And I also got the bad ending---
I did not expect a bad ending :"DDD

[rajillustration]

Although it's hypothetically not a visual novel, I highly recommend the Ace Attorney Series, if you've never gotten into it. Most of the ones I've seen are pretty wonderful.

another that was mind boggling--haven't read it, I was listening to a podcast about it, however, is "Analogue: A Hate Story" and then it's follow up, "Hate Plus" (both are by Christine Love) Which are like crazy K-dramas set in space. They're pretty interesting if you like a weird story that goes places and has it's fair amount of descriptive romance and intrigue.

Also--love DDLC, it just really hit all the good notes for me.

[Elixiink]

The biggest charm about ddlc was that they had a whole mystery treasure hunt thingy with hidden game files! It was so fun to figure out the Easter eggs as one thing led to another! Something I've never seen in any visual novel!

[Mari]

I made a visual novel a few years back. It's a nonsensical halloween special where I wanted to up the ante with like a lot of cinematics and it's pretty awful but bitch I made it alone in like 3 months

I love visual novels though! Highly enjoy playing them.

[rajillustration]

daaang I admire anyone who could pull that together in 3 months. Visual novels are deceptively a hell ton of writing and art. What game engine did you use for it, if you don't mind me asking? (I once tried doing a visual novel in Unity but it was quite a bit of a barrier for me because it was so much more complicated than my current scope)

[Mari]

I used Ren'Py! It's tailored for visual novel developement, and it's simple to use

[rajillustration]

ah yeah, I've heard good things about that one! I'll have to check it out next time I have an urge/the time to get back into that.

[azzy-m]

I like visual novels and I'm planning on making one! Although progress is slow because I'm concentrated on comics right now.

One day my Fantasy dating sim with 3 dateable boys and 3 dateable girls will come into fruition... Someday...

I got all the good endings for all routes in Mystic Messenger except for Jumin, Ray, and V. Ray and V because I don't have Another Story yet, and Jumin because I'm too lazy to start playing MysMes again, lmao. WHY DID CHERITZ HAVE TO MAKE ANOTHER STORY SO EXPENSIVE?! WHY?!

Since people haven't recommended this yet - The Arcana. It has good story and art and it's honestly my favorite VN right now. It's on mobile, and it's free!

(oh yeah, you can choose your pronouns in the game and you can date anyone regardless of gender! HELL YEA)

[Elixiink]

I remember Mystic Messenger XDD The sole reason why my sleep schedule was so messed up!!! I used to be so sad when I opened the game to see I had so many missed calls :"))

[nostalgicroxas]

I've seen a few. I've only experienced (100% adult, do not google otherwise) Dramatical Murder and 'Sukisho!' (for short). I got into them because of the darkness and psychology of their stories.

Another game series I've liked that feels VERY reminiscent of VN's is Ar Tonelico

Ar Tonelico

It's got a fair amount of "gameplay" in it involving battles and bosses, but the core of it is psychology and reading about the girls and their lives, struggles and so forth. An interesting concept is how the "deeper you dive" into one's psyche, the darker and more selfish desires, but the more truths, you see revealed. One girl, in I believe the second game, makes the entire first 5 levels of her psyche up so it's like a game for her and the diver to role play together - and you aren't able to access the real levels of her psyche unless you decide to side with her (plot reasons).

I'd also like to argue that Persona 2 and 3 (haven't played the others) fall into the same realm as Ar Tonelico for me. Lots of reading, lots of wooing friends, and it feels very much like a visual novel. Persona WAY less so than Ar Tonelico. AT by comparison can have 30min solid of just reading two or three characters talking. (I'd also argue AT has a different grasp of how to show the psyche of a person to an individual player, where Persona 2, those are hidden subtle aspects that are shorter and glossed over. Figuring out someone's struggles and fighting their Persona to obtain in a boss battle and the resolve after feels like a 15minute segment compared to Ar Tonelico's psyche dives. Each dive of which can last a good chunk of time, and there's 10 levels for the fully unlocked girl you pick.)

[NickRowler]

I don't know it counts but I really liked Princess Maker 2. It has some leveling up mechanics similar to VN but it's not as story heavy.

If you want some weird ones, I recommend LifeSigns: Surgical Unit (NDS) and Hatoful Boyfriend.

[Mari]

Oh shit I need to recommend dandelion. I bought it for the luls and stayed for the feels.

Though only like two of the paths give feelings (baby bunny and snobby bunny). Some of them give the creepies (why is the black kitty so rapey????). Also a lot of luls (pretty bunny is nothing but luls. His story boils down to "lol I am too pretty boohoo ").

I played through 3 paths with a friend where we voice acted all the characters, it was amazing.

[azzy-m]

Oh man. Oh maan Dandelion gives me a weird kind of nostalgia.

I never played it myself - I just watched playthroughs of it but sometimes I'd remember Jiwoo and the ending and I'm like UGHHGHGHGH

I might play it myself someday, even when I was lowkey obsessed with the game I've always wanted to try out the baby bunny's route (I don't remember most of their names sorry), and I'll probably play it with friends

[Elixiink]

That description sold me! Its everything I love a nice darks story! Gonna download it so I can play it later tonight under my blanket >:"DD