Highlights

• Visual novels excel in crafting intense horror stories without relying on jump scares, unsettling players with their narrative and visuals.
• From Doki Doki Literature Club to Death Mark 2, horror visual novels offer terrifying tales with branching paths for replayability.
• Dive into the horror genre of visual novels with titles like Song of Saya and The House of Fate Morgana, immersing yourself in disturbing tales.

Visual Novels have been celebrating a renaissance of sorts over the past year with many gamers realizing their format allows them to tell intense stories that regular games can't always manage. This is especially true when looking at horror games.

Without having to rely on cheap tactics like jump scares, visual novels can craft some truly terrifying stories designed to perfectly unsettle anyone that plays through them. Some are particularly horrifying and even seasoned fans of the genre know to not play through them all alone.

Updated February 17th, 2024, by Mara Cowley: Visual novels delve into many different genres, with romance likely being the one that mostly comes into mind when thinking about this type of game. However, many visual novels delve into horror, using their art and text to spin a truly terrifying tale to scare their readers. This article already contains a multitude of the best horror visual novels, but there are so many more that deserve the attention of avid VN fans. As such, this article of horror visual novels has been updated to include more entries.

21 Doki Doki Literature Club

6.98

At first glance, and for the first few hours of gameplay, Doki Doki Literature Club seems like another adorable visual novel dating sim, despite the trigger warning at the beginning. Four adorable girls embodying different anime stereotypes are all part of a literature club that is close to closing down due to a lack of members, until the player is talked into joining. The player will spend a short while getting to know the girls and writing poetry before things take a turn.

The horror quickly sets in, with strange twists to the music, glitching text, and gory, horrifying visuals as the other girls are systematically deleted, quite literally, until only one remains: just Monika. Thanks to the shocking twist, this visual novel gained a lot of notoriety on the internet. The developers went on to make an expanded paid version for fans.

20 The Letter

7.07

The Letter might be one of the longest and most in-depth horror visual novels, following the tale of seven very different people that all fall prey to a curse originating from a letter in an old house scheduled for re-opening.

With many different branching paths depending on the player's choices, no one run is the same as the next, as even the smallest of choices can take the game in a completely different direction, offering great replayability. With fantastic voice acting, incredible visuals, and drawing inpsiration from asian horror moves such as Ju-On, it's hard not to get hooked on this game, though players will need the courage to face what scare might come next.

19 Spirit Hunter: Death Mark 2

7.42

Death Mark 2 takes place in a Tokyo suburb, specifically the Konoehara Academy, where gruesome events occur each decade, leaving the police scrambling to explain the incidents. Rumors begin swirling that spirits are to blame, but these rumors might not just be idle chatter.

The rumors gain enough notoriety for the Principal to hire Kazuo Yashiki, who is known as a Spirit Doctor, to investigate the Academy and find out the true cause behind these incidents. The impressive visuals of this game help to set a suspenseful atmosphere, with effective scares that are sure to leave players terrified of what the next page might hold.

18 Song Of Saya

8.01

Song of Saya is a uniquely disturbing and unsettling visual novel that follows the tragedy of Fuminori, whose perception of the world changes following an accident that causes brain damage. Normal food tastes and smells disgusting, and he sees everyone around him as grotesque lumps of flesh and organs--other than Saya, whom he sees as a beautiful girl in a dress.

In reality though, Saya is the true monster, but due to Fuminori's perception, the two begin a peculiar yet touching love story. Multiple story beats touch on difficult subjects unabashedly that will undoubtedly shock players, and there are two different endings, with neither offering any true happiness. Only those brave and strong-willed players should dare enter the world of Song of Saya.

17 Flowers - Le Volume Sur Automne

8.10

The months of flowers flourishing, and sunny afternoons come to a close as Flowers begins the third chapter in its story of Saint Angraecum Academy and continues Suoh Shirahane’s investigation into the current whereabouts of her former Amitie partner and lover, who vanished from the school without a trace nor parting word.

To unlock the next piece of the puzzle, Suoh takes on a challenge from Yuzuriha Yatsushiro, who tells the shy girl that she must take Yuzuriha’s place as the school’s Council of Nicaea president if she wishes to learn what she knows.

16 Super Danganronpa 2: Sayonara Zetsubou Gakuen

8.16

Danganronpa’s sequel entry takes its predecessor’s literal murder game mystery premise and flies it out to a tropical island destination. Similar to the previous game, a group of Hope's Peak Academy students is trapped in a remote location and informed that their only means to escape is to kill another classmate and evade the remaining classmates’ suspicions of their identity as the killer.

Bursting with unexpected twists, charming characters, and a surprising amount of heart given its gruesome narrative, Super Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair distinguishes itself sharply from other horror visual novels and places itself on many's best visual horror novel lists.

15 Tsukihime

8.17

In the fictional city Misaki, second year high school student Shiki Tohno has a very close brush with death which allows him to see the death lines of others, which break upon death. These sights make him endure crippling headaches, fear of seeing death, and exile at the hands of his father. Eventually, he comes face to face with supernatural beings, taking the visual novel in a horrifying direction.

Tsukihime is filled with classic horror tropes like vampires, magic, and a dash of romance. The game's graphics are a little dated by today's standard but the fantastic atmosphere Tsukihime offers still makes it worth checking out today. It was also eventually adapted into an anime showing just how excellent its story is.

14 Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward

8.25

Wanna play a game? No, not that kind of game but it's still a game of life and death. This is a sequel to the original Zero Escape and has a similar story where nine people must escape a warehouse or potentially die.

Many fans have said the game takes a bit longer to get into the story than the original and is a bit too over the top for most. Still, fans of the first game should certainly give it a try as they'll find a similar experience to enjoy.

13 Zero Escape: 9 Hours 9 People 9 Doors

8.29

Nine players have nine hours to pass through the door matching the number on their bracelet. If they don't, they'll sink alongside the ship. This simple premise goes far deeper than players could imagine, creating a game that can be played many times over before the true ending is found.

The version on the Nintendo DS introduced many players to the game making it one of the more recognizable and effective horror visual novels out there.

12 Chaos;Child - 8.33

Chaos;Child and Steins;Gate share the same director and it shows. Sure fans can point to some of the side routes in the game being iffy but the characters and story more than make up for it.

This murder mystery surrounded by the events of a massive earthquake is the epitome of psychological horror while still stirring players emotionally to their core. Make sure to be braced for impact when playing this one

11 Flowers - Le Volume Sur Été

8.35

This summery academia tale is the second installment of Flowers, a yuri visual novel series revolving around the adventures of Saint Angraecum Academy’s all-female student body. Despite its high ranking under VNDB’s horror tag, Flowers - Le volume sur été - is quite light on horror elements.

The visual novel instead centers its narrative around the daily lives of its characters that unfold alongside Flowers’ blossoming core mystery, emphasizing the growth and heartwarming relationships between its endearing characters, depicting their stories in gorgeous nearly watercolor-esque artwork.

10 Koshotengai No Hashihime (Hashihime Of Old Book Town)

8.41

Working at a used book store may seem like a relaxing time but it could be much more sinister than it looks on the surface. Players follow the story of Tamamori, a student who failed to get into university but somehow got a full-time job working at the store called Umebachidou.

He begins to make friends but their sudden mysterious deaths show that there are more sinister things going on at the store than Tamamori could have ever guessed. Kurasawa Rinko put a lot of work into the story and visuals of this game and it shows.

9 Kara No Shoujo - The Second Episode

8.46

A sequel to the popular adult horror visual novel, the second chapter of private investigator Reiji Tokisaka's exploits into the realm of mysterious murders follows him as he attempts to unravel the truth behind a pious village’s deadly curse.

Years ago, the curse revealed itself when a woman was killed on the night of a festival celebrating Hinna-sama, a clay doll the village devoutly worships. Her death is deemed the result of Hinna-sama’s curse, a consequence of celebrating the doll without being worthy to do so. Now, in 1957, the curse has struck again.

8 Higurashi No Naku Koro ni - 8.55

Also known as Higurashi, When They Cry, this suspenseful title ignited one of the most iconic and highly related horror visual novel franchises to date, with its later installments maintaining firm top rankings on VNDB and often considered to be some of the best horror visual novels in the medium. While it may not be quite as highly regarded as its successors, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni made a name for itself and launched a massive franchise spanning light novels, mangas, multiple ports, and an anime series for a reason.

Whether gamers are a fan of the other titles or just want a taste of a classic, this is a must-play for lovers of visual horror novels.

7 Fate/Stay Night

8.61

Horror might not be the first thing that fans think of when discussing the Fate franchise. Most of the series focuses on fantastical elements, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't take inspiration from the horror genre every so often.

The visual novel had quite a few sequences that seemed to have been included just to unnerve readers throughout their playthrough. It might not align with typical horror stories, but the Fate/Stay Night VN can definitely put players on edge at times.

6 Slow Damage

8.66

The depiction of artists suffering for their craft is no rarity in fiction but Slow Damage’s protagonist, Towa, regularly puts his life at risk (and he’s got the scars to prove it) in pursuit of his obsession with dragging out and painting the deepest desires of his fellow Shinkoumi residents.

A fictional casino resort located in Japan, Shinkoumi is governed by the Takasatogumi, an elusive private managing group that’s allowed crime and violence rates to soar. This dangerous landscape provides the perfect pickings for Towa’s hunt for a muse.

5 Subarashiki Hibi ~Furenzoku Sonzai~ (Wonderful Everyday)

8.70

This story follows five main characters across seven chapters giving players a lot of game to dig into. Considering it won a 2010 Moe Game Award it'll be worth every moment! The way it's presented allows players to see the same events from the perspectives of each character, revealing a bit of the story with each new look.

The game often dips into the philosophical while exploring psychological horror tropes. The biggest criticism of the game comes from sexual content that tends to break emersion and doesn't really fit the overall story.

4 Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Kai (When They Cry 2)

8.76

Rural Hinamizawa seems like a peaceful town in Japan. But with someone being murdered every single Watanagashi Festival makes it obvious there are far darker things happening below the surface.

Each arc of the story has one of the characters becoming extremely paranoid with various crimes happening, making it difficult for the player to always know what's real or not. It sets up an amazing scenario that really drives the horror home.

3 The House Of Fate Morgana (Fata Morgana No Yakata)

8.79

This game has gotten so many ports it's almost staggering. This just goes to show how popular and influential this visual novel has become. It may have its flaws, starting with an amnesia trope, but it allows players to slowly uncover the tragedies that have happened at the mansion over the years.

The story is deep and interconnected in an amazing way with even the smallest details coming up later. It's the perfect story to get fully immersed into.

2 Umineko No Naku Koro Ni (When They Cry 3)

8.84

The game feels like a typical murder mystery on a deserted island but players shouldn't let it fool them — it's far more complex than that. The game is actually described as a sound novel by its creators as it has a focus on trying to create an atmosphere more than on its graphics.

This makes it perfect for players who want to click through and just absorb the haunting story. It's a horror classic for a reason and will be a surefire hit with any reader.