Summary
For the longest time, visual novels have had a hard time breaking out of the East Asian market, but as the anime and manga fandom grew, so did these unique pieces of interactive fiction. Thus, it’s no surprise that several Western developers have taken it upon themselves toput their own spin on the medium.
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Like their Japanese counterparts, most visual novels from the West are also dating sims, though that’s not the only type out there. There are plenty of adventure games and visual novels with RPG elements. There are a few things that tie all of these games together though - a choice-and-consequence system and multiple endings depending on the player’s choices.
2025-05-15
Developer(s)
Winter Wolves
Planet Strongholdis a visual novel that has it all: sci-fi themes, RPG elements,turn-based combat, romance, and multiple endings to boot. The player character is a rookie space cadet stationed on an interstellar outpost called Planet Stronghold. The game allows the player to choose a male or female protagonist (Joshua or Lisa) and their class (Soldier, Guardian, Scout, or Psionic).
RPG fans are likely to enjoy the game’s combat system and crafting weapons, while visual novel fans may be turned off by all the level grinding involved. Still, it’s a fun introduction to a lot of video game genres.
2025-05-31
GB Patch Games
While many romance visual novels have an entire harem of potential love interests to choose from,Our Life: Beginnings and Alwayshas just one, the protagonist’s childhood friend, Cove. The game’s story goes through four phases - childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, and full adulthood, and the player’s choices influence their and Cove’s personalities, as well as how slow or fast the romance progresses.
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The player character is fully customizable, pronouns included. Pronouns can even be changed at any phase in the plot. All in all,Our Lifeis a heartwarming, feel-good read, and to top it all off, the game iscompletely free on Steam.
2025-05-17
Love Conquers All Games
Christine Love has created many visual novels, butAnalogue: A Hate Storyis perhaps her most well-known title. As a spiritual successor toDigital: A Love Story,Analoguesimilarly revolves around the internet and reading text logs, though this time, the player does it several centuries in the future.
Set in a society on a missing generation ship that has, for some reason, reverted to the Korean Joseon Dynasty, the player is tasked with solving the mystery of how the ship disappeared and what happened to the final generation by reading diary entries and letters that might provide some clues. The novel’s interface and gameplay are as simple as it gets, but its intelligent commentary anddystopian sci-fi worldsetting more than make up for it.
2025-07-01
Studio Elan
Blendingthe yuri/girl’s love genrewith fantasy and supernatural elements, Heart of the Woods tells the story of vlogger Tara and her editor Maddie investigating paranormal activities in a remote village named Eysenfeld. They meet a girl named Abigail, a ghost who’s bound to a forest near Eysenfeld, and she and Maddie form a special bond.
With gorgeous artwork and full English voice acting, this visual novel is a truly magical love story between two girls. If fans love mysteries, the paranormal, and lesbian ghosts, this visual novel will satisfy all their wants.
Developed by the Venezuelan studio Sukeban Games,VA-11 Hall-Asees the player do some bartendingin a cyberpunk-style dystopia. As a bartender, the player gets to mix drinks for some fascinating patrons while listening to their stories. The best part? There’s no time limit or penalties for incorrectly mixing a drink, making the game stress-free.
That’s not the only point ofVA-11 Hall-Athough: the game has an incredibly diverse cast to go along with its social commentary. To make things interesting, there are no dialogue options in the entire game. Instead, the storyline is influenced by the drinks the player prepares, making it one of the more unique visual novels on the market.
There are plenty of dating sims on the market catering to straight men and women, but there’s one very specific and ignored demographic thatDream Daddydoes a stellar job of representing:gay, single fathers. The player can create and customize their own dad character, date seven unique dads, and play several mini-games in the process.
Created by Let’s Play YouTubers Game Grumps, Dream Daddy has a light-hearted and humorous story that anybody can get into. The only thing that might deter players is the unfathomable amount of dad jokes.
Steam Rating: Overwhelmingly Positive
Doki Doki Literature Club!
Hi, Monika here!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? ♥This game is not suitable for childrenor those who are easily disturbed.
It’s hard to forget the time when this visual novel was all over every Let’s Players' channel, surprising YouTubers with its shocking subversion of classic dating sim tropes. Much likePuella Magi Madoka MagicaandMade in Abyss,Doki Doki Literature Club’scutesy art style does a good job of hiding itspsychological horror themes.
With a plot focused on poetry, a beautiful soundtrack, lovable characters, and lovely artwork,Doki Dokihas certainly cemented its place in the list of great visual novels, Japanese or otherwise. Players just need to prepare themselves for the shocking turn into horror the game takes about halfway through.
