visual novel game critical hit free download Top 15 Best Visual Novels of All Time on PC & . From mind-blowing twists to heartwarming stories, we’ve got you covered. Home » Galleries » Features » Top 15 Best Visual Novels of All Time on PC & Steam. Visual Novels are one of the oldest genres around for gaming. As such, there’s been a ton of them. While they’ve largely kept to PC, they do sometimes dive into the console world. But there’s no denying that the best visual novels can be found on PC and – more specifically – Steam. Here they are, hand-picked by us for you. Here are the best visual novels of all time, available for you to download on PC and steam. Best Visual Novels on PC and Steam. Umineko (When They Cry) – Umineko is a in the truest sense of the term. Meaning there’s no to speak of at all; the entire ‘game’ is just a matter of clicking through copious amounts of text and watching as the story unfold. Despite the sluggish start to the first three episodes, things pick up dramatically once the creepy stuff kicks in, and Umineko stands tall as one of the most intriguing and engaging visual novel stories we’ve ever played. That soundtrack too, though. Best Visual Novels on PC and Steam. Higurashi (When They Cry) – Higurashi is a predecessor of sorts to Umineko, and while its story is just as gripping, we don’t recommend starting with this one unless you enjoyed what you saw of Umineko. Higurashi feels a lot more dated in terms of art design and voice acting, but if you’re a fan of the crime vibes you got from Umineko, you’ll feel right at home with this one. Best Visual Novels on PC and Steam. Doki Doki Literature Club – Doki Doki Literature Club made serious waves when it released near the tail-end of 2017, and for good reason too. Developed by Team Salvato, this game turns the cutesy visual novel trope on its head by exploring darker themes and subject matter like self-harm and depression. It’s not a game for the faint of heart, but if you’re looking for a visual novel that breaks boundaries, this is worth a look. Best Visual Novels on PC and Steam. 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors – As the first entry to the marvelous trilogy by Kotaro Uchikoshi, 999 tells a killer story mixed with fun escape room puzzle gameplay. With nine people being trapped on a sinking ship, you have to solve various puzzles to try to escape, while also figuring out exactly why these characters were kidnapped in the first place. 999 has it all: a memorable soundtrack, a diverse cast of characters, and a seriously mind-blowing story that will leave you in shock long after the credits have rolled. Best Visual Novels on PC and Steam. Zero Time Dilemma – Zero Time Dilemma serves as the bookend to the Zero Escape trilogy, and while it is recommended that you play through the not-as-good second game Virtue’s Last Reward before jumping into this, ZTD can still be enjoyed on its own. Everything the series has been building up to finally comes to a head in this final entry, complete with shocking revelations and crazy twists. Best Visual Novels on PC and Steam. – The Danganronpa series has come to an end, which means that now is the perfect time to check out the first game if you haven’t already. Similar to the series, Danganronpa’s story revolves around a series of class trials where a group of students gather together to try to figure out which of them has committed a murder in school. Best Visual Novels on PC and Steam. VA-11 Hall-A: Bartender Action – VA-11 Hall-A doesn’t exactly have a crazy twist or insane ending like most visual novels usually do, but this one stands out because of its atmospheric setting and awesome Ghost in the Shell vibes. You play as a bartender who listens to the troubles of various customers, all while mixing them drinks with cool names like Moonblast and Cobalt Velvet. Yum. Best Visual Novels on PC and Steam. Steins;Gate – Steins;Gate’s premise is engaging right from the get-go. The story follows a group of tech-savvy students who discover that they have the ability to travel through time by messing around with emails and microwaves. Things quickly get out of hand as they attempt to push their boundaries and get wrapped up in a conspiracy that’s way over their heads. Best Visual Novels on PC and Steam. Emily Is Away – Emily Is Away is a unique game that takes place entirely within an AOL messenger window. You take control of a male teenager as he goes through various stages of his life, all while holding a candle for a girl named Emily. It’s a bittersweet love story with multiple endings, and it evokes a strong sense of nostalgia for everyone who’s ever experienced the tension that comes watching your screen intently as your crush types a message online. Best Visual Novels on PC and Steam. Emily Is Away Too – As the name suggests, Emily Is Away Too is the sequel to the successful AOL messenger visual novel. This time around, we take control of a new character who’s smitten with two very different girls. The endings are much more varied, and just because it’s a sequel doesn’t mean the magic of typing away in a messenger window is any less potent. Best Visual Novels on PC and Steam. Muv-Luv – Muv-Luv is absolutely insane. Similar to Doki Doki Literature Club (even though Muv-Luv released first), the game tricks players into a false sense of security by taking on the appearance of a cute, slice-of-life . Things quickly take a turn for the worst when all is not what it seems. Widely considered to be one of, if not the best visual novel of all time, you shouldn’t pass up on this. Best Visual Novels on PC and Steam. Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator – You probably won’t need any introduction to this one, but Dream Daddy is all about a single father moving to a new neighborhood with his daughter and finding himself faced with a ton of ridiculously attractive single dads available for dating. Underneath of all of that hanky panky romance, though, is a heartwarming story about the bond between a father and daughter. It’s a win-win for those who just want to date a bunch of attractive dads, and those who want a fun story about familial ties. Best Visual Novels on PC and Steam. – What starts off as a seemingly silly game about dating a bunch of birds quickly turns into a genuinely heartfelt story about love and humanity. Hatoful Boyfriend’s premise might appear contrived at first glance, but give it a chance, and you might find yourself emotionally wrecked by these pigeons. Best Visual Novels on PC and Steam. Actual Sunlight – Actual Sunlight is probably one of the bleakest games you can find on Steam right now. Players take control of a depressed man who constantly asks himself why even bothers getting out of bed each morning when life just feels hopelessly sad and meaningless. It’s a difficult game to get through, and it’s utterly miserable. But keep going, and maybe you’ll help your character find some purpose in the end. Best Visual Novels on PC and Steam. World End Economica – World End Economica is an interesting story that takes place in a futuristic sci-fi world where a boy named Haru decides to play the stock market in a bid to make money to start chase his dreams. What could go wrong, right? But because this is a thriller at its core, a lot can indeed go wrong. Download Critical Point (Windows) Robert E. Howard once said, describing the premise of Red Nails to a friend, “when a civilization begins to decay and die, the only thing men or women think about is the gratification of their body's desires. They become preoccupied with sex. [. ] the normal, accepted life style ain't strong enough to satisfy the damned insatiable appetites of the courtesans and, finally, of all the people. They turn to Lesbianism and things like that to satisfy their desires.” While it's no Red Nails, Critical Point actually explores similar themes as Howard's final Conan story in a fascinatingly bizarre fashion, retracing several of the steps of that seminal work of fiction. Critical Point is a Sci-Fi Horror Mystery-themed erotic Visual Novel in which the protagonist is sent to investigate the strange happenings and security breaches at an isolated space station. The main character arrives to find discipline and morale have crated among the almost entirely female staff of the station, many members of which have resorted to degenerate and violent sex to alleviate the tension and sense of mania that has gripped them. Gameplay is standard of Visual Novels, with branching path nodes affecting the outcome of the story, including which of the women the protagonist has encounters with. In this regard, Critical Point is entirely unremarkable. However the game is largely voice-acted with the original Japanese VAs presented over the translated text. Most of the sexual scenes, which are all uncensored, are more shocking than erotic, underscoring the violent depravity which many of the characters have sunk to, including the [sometimes unwilling and unwitting] protagonist. The game does, ironically, look at and deconstruct player and character agency in the acts the player/character partakes in—at times, the character is literally out of control [and part of the story's mystery is in trying to discover why characters are behaving as they are, uncharacteristically engaging in violent and harmful sexual behavior]. Critical Point's story does have a lot of potential, and the sci-fi plot twists and the mystery offer some genuine “gee, shucks, makes you think” moments, but it never quite transcends its nature as a gory and intentionally unpleasant game. Midnight Paradise. MIDNIGHT PARADISE (all caps by the way) is a lewd game that was released just a couple of years back. It is a pretty interesting story with some great graphics and I do feel it is worth taking a closer look at. It is one of those games that may not be trying anything new, but it does do what it does very well and that is all you can really ask for in my opinion. Keep on reading to see if this is a game that is going to tickle your fancy! Living The Life. The premise for the story of MIDNIGHT PARADISE is one that I thought was pretty interesting. The main character is a dude called Connor and he is a bit of a bro who just lives life the way he wants and does not really care about his future. Things take a turn when he flunks out of college and is forced to return home with his strict dad and siblings and try to figure out his life. I found the story to be rather slow-paced, but that is actually a pretty good thing. There are many characters in this game and they are all quite well written so you will be glad it goes a bit slower so you can take it all in. It can be a bit hard to keep track of, but that I think could make or break the story for you. Be Your Own Man. The gameplay on offer here is right around what you would expect in a lewd visual novel. You control Connor our “hero” in MIDNIGHT PARADISE and you get to try and let him live the best life you see fit for him. You get to make various choices for him that move the story along and also will drive to the kind of “relationship” you will have with the various characters that you come across with. What I think is pretty neat about this is that it takes many elements from various visual novel games. By this I mean the game has a bit of incest going on, but there is also harem style stuff and corruption elements too. Rather than focusing on just one thing, this game dabbles in many and I like it. Man, I Really Like The Way You Move. The realistic-looking characters were what originally made me gravitate towards MIDNIGHT PARADISE. This game has some great-looking characters and there is a ton of great little details that make them come to life. While the “stills” are great, what really surprised me here was the animation. There is some great animation on offer here and way more than I thought there would be. Some of the sex scenes are very well done and way hotter thanks to there being animation. I need to put my critical hat on for a second though. While the characters look great and the animated sex scenes certainly got my motor running. I do have to say that the faces of the characters could have done with having some animation to them as this would have made things even better in my opinion. I was very impressed with what MIDNIGHT PARADISE offered. I am not usually someone who gets into the whole incest thing in lewd visual novels, but it was done very well here. I know that it starts off slow, but this is by design and I feel the game is actually way better for it. If you like lewd visual novels that are smart, well written, and have some great sex in them, you have to check this one out. 11 Best Visual Novel Games for Android & iOS. Visual Novel Games are especially enjoyable for -fans because traditionally but not always these games include the characters drawn in this style. For real anime-lovers, we have prepared our article about legal apps to watch anime online. Also, there is a lot of ways of plot development and you never know which turn it will take. The only author here is you and the story moves on obeying your way of thinking. This article is aimed at presenting 11 best novel visual games for iOS and Android and describing their features. Moe! Ninja Girls: Visual Novel. If you are keen on love-stories, you will have to try Moe! Ninja Girls. In the game playing as a ronin ninja, you will have a chance to get acquainted with a lot of girls who study in the same school and discover their secrets that hide their real identity. Your mission is to start the Ninja Seeking Club and getting closer to your favorite girl to figure out a mystery lying behind Mizaki School. The plot of your story will be unique and fairly romantic depending on the actions that you select while playing. The game is also completed with some ninja theme as you can improve your skills and outfit. The graphics supported with anime theme are really impressive and eye-catching. You will see a lot of different girls for all tastes. Are you ready to hook up with one of them? You can even create your own character in one of the apps mentioned in our article about free anime drawing apps. The Letter Horror Visual Novel. Would you like to find a more nerve-wracking story? The Letter Horror Visual Novel, whose creators were inspired by the classic Asian Horror film industry, will make you hooked till the end. The plot consists of 7 chapters and is based on friendship, love, and drama. What will you choose? To save relationships, make amends, break up, and hold a grudge? Your choice will seal the fate of every character drawing the following part of the story. Are you ready to take risks and take responsibility for the lives of the characters? The design of this app is stunning as well as horrifying. It shows movements, setting, and the characters. The atmosphere will keel your nerves tightened. Everlasting . An adventurous VN game Everlasting Summer is developed by Soviet Games. Semyon, the protagonist of the story, seems to be a completely ordinary man who appears in an unusual situation. After falling asleep on a bus in winter he wakes up in the middle of the summer in a camp. To come back to his time he has to find new friends, love, and finally find the reason for this . The idea of the plot is based on magic events but the development of the story fully depends on you. As for the style, it is really detailed and very admirable. A picturesque background and nice characters will drag your attention. The interface is highly user-friendly and will not distract you from the action. It is easy to open the menu and hide it. Gacha Memories. It’s time to save the world! Strange disappearances occur over the world, anomalies are not random and your close friends are in danger. Will undertake a bid to save people’s memories to rescue the Earth? Then, download Gacha Memories and start playing this VN game. There is a set of characters who participate in the whole action. There are 6 different stories that you may play. You may find them on the main menu. What is noticeable is that this is not only a single-player game but also a game for a company. It means that your friends and you can have a role-playing game. To communicate with other players there is a set-in virtual chat. Become a hero of this universe and get fun of playing this game. The Arcana: A Mystic Romance. Are you fed up with crystal-clear plain love stories? How about some contrast in relationships? The Arcana: A Mystic Romance includes both romantic acquaintances and horrifying murders that you have to reveal and all this takes place in an ancient city. Every step builds up the continuation of the plot. But don’t forget about your detective investigations that you have to carry out. The design is impressive and the characters which appear throughout the story support the style of ancient times and catch you with excellent body shape. The game welcomes all tastes and will host even the most modern points of view in terms of relationships. How do you feel about LGBT+? The game enables diverse sights and this makes it special. Do you want to get more anime content? Find useful sources in our article about great Animeflavor alternatives. Roommates – Visual Novel. Solving problems is not your piece of cake and the only thing you want to take from the game is relaxation? Try Roommates, then, as the action is peace and quiet itself. The story begins in a luxurious dorm where you lead your life studying in a college. Find new acquaintances and decide whether you prefer relationships based on friendship, work, or love. It’s up to you how to behave and which plot development to choose. As in the previous game, Roommates enables different kinds of relationships and gender doesn’t matter. Love is love and no restrictions are possible. Creators made two main characters Anne and Max to meet all wishes of a large audience. C14 Fating Visual Novel. The game that you may enjoy is C-14 Dating Visual Novel. As for the main character, she is an ordinary 3rd-year student from the archeological faculty and it is her first time taking part in an expedition in Belgium that is very far from her hometown. She feels quite nervous and is going to make new friends, maybe love, as well as working: finding prehistoric items, bones, or unearth tools. Sounds peaceful and tranquil, with no stressful situations. As graphics and illustrations, they will take you by surprise as figures are realistic, however, maintaining anime tradition, and include people of different genders and shapes. The backdrop looks also detailed and beautiful that signifies a particular place, setting. Mystic Messenger. Have you ever been chatting with handsome guys, flirting, having nice talks? How sweet it is! Simulate such talks in Mystic Messenger and experience overwhelming emotions of communication. The app also includes an imitation of phone calls to help you dive into the situation like in reality. Every word will affect the developmental talks, so the scene is in your hands and it is you who have to decide to make it more romantic or emotionally tense. There are several anime gays whose appearances are shown on illustrations that will add a favor of interest into the game. Mysterious Forum and 7 Rumors. Here is one more game based on online communication with hot boys, but now there is a theme added to the plot of the game. The interaction is among children from the Newspaper club but the subject doesn’t depend on boring day-to-day dealings – there are some mysterious and horrifying events going on. Are you ready to fight against them? The game is very strong and emotionally draining as includes some descriptions of deaths and cruelty. If you are fond of such horror stories, this one will be certainly one of your choices! Irrespective of the fact that the action occurs in chats and all ins you get through them, the app includes a lot of illustrations and the characters themselves to visualize situations. Are you ready to find the solution to the issue and to riddle the case? Then, download the game and venture into the epicenter of the story! Solve it – A visual novel. If have been dreaming about being Sherlock: to solve puzzling riddles, conduct investigations, and finding a perpetrator, Solve it the game is certainly the best VN for you. First, you are given the case, for example, the death of a famous CEO, and the whole following action is in your responsibility. As an agent, you can choose any way of investigation to find the murderer and uncover all alibis and clues. You can communicate with your partners, find new people who might have to do with your case, and get new acquaintances, and may try some romantic relations, all this is up to you. The design of the game differs a lot from previous VN games previewed as characters obtain traditional stylized forms to not distract your attention from the case you are working on. Dangerous Fellows – . An unknown virus keeps the world struggling. The zombie apocalypse is outside and there is no way where you can go. But you are a lucky one and you were saved by 5 attractive guys. This is the background of the game Dangerous Fellows. This game is based on the answers that you choose while talking to your new friends. In this game, you can find your love and try to survive with him and get out of this terrible and frightening situation. Overall, this game includes mystery, romantic themes, and mortal danger. Be careful while making choices! If you are interested in this kind of game, you may find analogs in our article about the best dating simulator games. The game is very beautifully set and possesses a charming style. The characters (especially anime boys) are really awesome and have not only different appearances but also traits of character. Kinkoi: Golden Loveriche. Originally released in in 2017, Kinkoi: Golden Loveriche was a huge hit, picking up a lot of critical acclaim along the way. It may have taken a few years, but the game has finally been localized and is making its way to Steam. Now, the version I am talking mainly about today is the demo which as I write this is completely free on Steam and gives you around five hours of story to get into. I got so invested that I had no trouble putting my money down to get the full version. A Case Of Mistaken Identity. If you are expecting Kinkoi: Golden Loveriche to be a sex-filled lust adventure style visual novel you have come to the wrong place. What we have here is more of a slice of life kind of story and it is one that I really enjoyed. Our main character is a guy called, Ouro. Ouro is going about his business when he sees this super cute lady running for her life so he intervenes. This lady is a very wealthy Princess who is running from her guards! This is a bit of a scandal (for some reason) so it is decided that Ouro must join Princess Sylvie at an all-girls prestigious school called Noble Academy… yeah. The story is pretty weird and the way they get our main character, Ouro into this school is a real stretch, but once you are at the school the story really begins. Beauty And The Cutie. What will grab most people’s attention with Kinkoi: Golden Loveriche is the art style. This game is pure eye candy and one of the best-looking visual novel games I have seen so far this year (well 2017, but you know what I mean) there are a bunch of main girls in the game as well as Sylvie in Elle and Ria and each girl has her own style which is cool. The artwork here is just top of the line all the way and I love how the girls are cute and sexy, but there is also this chibi element to the game as well. The Singing Of The Angels! I love the music in the game, it fits the rather amusing and weird story that is going on perfectly. Also, I was very impressed that each of the characters (not Ouro) has full Japanese voice acting, granted my Japanese is not very good, but their voices do fit their characters very well. It would have been great if they could have gotten some English voice acting in Kinkoi: Golden Loveriche actually. Always Look On The Bright Slice Of Life. This is a visual novel game so that means most of what you are going to be doing is reading the story, making a choice here and there, and moving the plot along. This is classed as a romance game, but for me, it was more about making relationships with people rather than just having sex with them. I can see this not clicking with some people as they may say that it makes the events of the game kind of pointless, but I liked it. I think if you enjoy visual novel games, Kinkoi: Golden Loveriche is something that you will really enjoy. I loved the story that it told, it has the perfect balance of humor if you ask me and it is sure to make you smile. The way that the story is told also makes it very easy to get connected to some of the characters. It looks amazing too and the visuals truly do make you want to keep on playing. As I said, there is a free demo that lets you play quite a bit of the game, so you have nothing to lose by checking that out.