Your Fave Visual Novel/Dating Sim?

[Noveless88]

There are many AnimeAI role-playing games now. I don’t know if you have any resistance to AI works.
I'm playing Pumpsoul (iOS only)

 

[TJ_Frozen_Shades]

Might be too "western" for some people here (except OP, apparently, since OP seems to be recommending titles I've heard in the western-indie circle like Arcade Spirits), but I feel like every single person who's interested in making VNs should 100% achievement-hunt "Scarlet Hollow". Same applies to people who want to play VNs and want an insane level of branching and choices.

It's the only VN I've played (out of only a handful, sure) where I feel like it manages to balance the amount of "small choices that simply add nuance and roleplaying to slowly build up your character's personality", with "big choices that are all too common in VNs" where you get whole scenes out of them. Despite that, it never feels like I'm "railroaded" into doing something I don't want to do in a playthrough, or unknowingly entered a "worse" branch of event outcomes for the most part, which are somehow pretty common feelings when I play other games that have "narrative branching" as a selling point.

The small choices add up to shape how the other characters view you behind the scenes, and there's a lot of care in how one exact scene can play out three different ways depending on whether or not your cousin hates you, finds you tolerable, or cares about you.

For a more general wide appeal though, their newer (and mostly more complete) game is "Slay the Princess", which is also fantastic if you go through it blind. A bit abstract and poetic, sure, but it is a better entry into playing their games out of the 2. (Not like they have any other titles for now, anyway)

 

[kanamon]

1. Hatoful Boyfriend. Almost everybird's just... traumatized and slightly mentally ill. Some have it worse
2. Wouldn't expect myself to say this had it was a year ago, but it's Sona-Nyl of the Violet Shadows, solely because everything about it is my thing (the pretentious cryptic writing and the references)
3. Umineko for the classic

 

[BakedBanana]

Top 3:
1.) Steins;Gate
2.) Katawa Shoujo
3.) Ever17

Spoiler: Ever17 funny image

 

[Manko-sensei]

My podium (top three):
1st - Rance Series
2nd - Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke o
3st - Dohna Dohna

 

[sisterlover1104]

i dont play a lot of vns but so far i really love narcissu for the music and tear jerking experience.

for dating sim love plus has to be my fav, its just feels so much more intimate and personal when talking to the girls.

 

[Sheratan]

i dont play a lot of vns but so far i really love narcissu for the music and tear jerking experience.

for dating sim love plus has to be my fav, its just feels so much more intimate and personal when talking to the girls.

Music only:
Yosuga no Sora

It's soooo gooood

Yea I'm old school.

 

[TJ_Frozen_Shades]

I'm starting to delve into more JPVNs, and I have to say: Hinata's route from Otome * Domain was really impactful for me in recent memory. (Also I play with Johren's R-18 Patch but shh that doesn't matter )


Maybe I just don't know the peaks yet and should delve into more popular classics, but literally, climactic ending scene made me cry like a mf. Very sweet and cute and actually tries to say something, generic as it may be.

shame that the other parts of the VN didn't hit that much for me though. Yuzu's route is pretty weak tbh and Kazari is... fine, but I still can't put her above Hinata even though she's the poster girl and you should play her stuff last.
anyways yes I am aware I am still a noob in the JPVN sphere so take my recommendations with a grain of salt, but well.

 

[TJ_Frozen_Shades]

There are many Visual Novel games out there.
Yuzusoft game are great(I especially like Sanoba Witch)
(...)

Yuzusoft... cries in "Noble ☆ Works not having an official English Translation" (though there is FanTL apparently, according to VNDB)

I do know they have some promising titles and I haven't played their stuff yet lol but I'll take your word for it and really, really wish they localize everything. oh well. I guess I can look into Sabbat of the Witch or (the upcoming) Dracu Riot.

Being an EN-only reader is pain, for sure..

 

[Manko-sensei]

Being an EN-only reader is pain, for sure..

Being a "noob" only means you have more VN to read/play for the first time... if you want another VN to cry you can find the complete VN (English translated) of EF, there's also a two-season anime. Here's the VN opening.

 

[Doedoel]

Is DanganRonpa a VN?

 

[Manko-sensei]

Is DanganRonpa a VN?

It's a mix of many things according to the wiki, the VN format is normally a way to cut corners (perfect example: SAO games). For me it's on the same level as Hyperdimension Neptune and other popular titles.

 

[BakedBanana]

Is DanganRonpa a VN?

According to the visual novel database page, sure.

 

[TJ_Frozen_Shades]

Being a "noob" only means you have more VN to read/play for the first time... if you want another VN to cry you can find the complete VN (English translated) of EF, there's also a two-season anime. Here's the VN opening.

yep, been hearing "ef" as one of the popular titles among other things. it's definitely somewhere in the backlog! no promises though :'D