When it comes to video games, the gameplay is usually the main course and any other aspect takes a backseat. The story is one of those aspects, which is why plenty of games can get away with less than stellar narratives. There are some outliers, however, called visual novels, and in that genre, the story is the gameplay.
Needless to say, they have some of the craziest and most compelling stories in gaming. What little they have in interactivity or graphics, they make up for it by imprinting their novel ideas into a player's memories in a way that a gameplay loop of map unlocking or enemy murder can't match.
Updated December 9, 2021 by Sid Natividad: After playing too many video games that require too much input or activity from the players, it can be relaxing to unwind with something that gives a good story in just a few clicks. Good visual novels can scratch this itch for a change of scenery in games. Not all visual novels on PC are created equal of course.
The top visual novels can move and sway the players to emotions they never thought existed. That's why picking the best visual novels on PC is always a good way to start with the genre. Thankfully, an update is here to help players decide, with expanded choices, which top visual novels to play.
15 Eliza – A Digital Counseling Program Drama
- Other genre/s: Futuristic
- Length: 7 Hours
- Developer: Zachtronics
- Release Date: August 13, 2019
Eliza sees players assuming the role of Evelyn. She's an ex-salary woman who got burnt out of her job and decided to apply for a company that develops an AI counseling program called "Eliza." The program feeds Evelyn a script that analyzes the program user's psyche. Evelyn must then recite this information to her superiors.
The only problem is that Evelyn also somewhat becomes a pseudo-patient in the process of reciting scripts from Eliza. She is then compelled to confront her past traumas and old acquaintances as she explores her own psyche while also dealing with her new job.
14 The House In Fata Morgana – A Gothic Suspense Tale
- Other genre/s: Suspense
- Length: 30 Hours
- Developer: Novectacle
- Release Date: May 14, 2016
Looking for a visual novel that won't be over in an afternoon of playtime? Then The House in Fata Morgana will surely sate that craving. It boasts a whopping 30 hours of gameplay time, meaning there's a lot of story to be had in this Japanese visual novel.
It's a millennium-long story that deals with tragedy, insanity, and human nature in general. Players simply wake up in an old and decrepit Gothic mansion with no memory of their past. The maid then informs them that they're the new master of the house and that the empty halls might rekindle some of the player's ideas about their identity.
13 Steins;Gate – A Time Travel Mystery
- Other genre/s: Suspense, Sci-fi
- Length: 35 Hours
- Developer: MAGES. Inc.
- Release Date: September 9, 2016
Steins;Gate is a video game that was also adapted into an anime and thus cemented its legacy as one of the most riveting time travel stories in both mediums of entertainment. The best part is that the game also offers more than 30 hours of content, making it a great companion to the anime.
This visual novel has the same premise as its show counterpart. A group of poor tech-savvy inventors (the player included) managed to create a device using a microwave that allows them to send messages to people in the past. They can then change the future this way by communicating with people from the past.
12 Hatoful Boyfriend – A Wacky Dating Sim About Pigeons
- Other genre/s: Dating sim
- Length: 4 Hours
- Developer: Mediatonic, Hato Moa
- Release Date: September 4, 2014
It's best not to take Hatoful Boyfriend with a logical or serious perspective as it's first and foremost a dating sim. Except, the people players date are not people, but anthropomorphic pigeons. Each pigeon has its own personality and preference, making the same more challenging than just offering a different variety of birdseed.
How did this happen? Well apparently, the players got accepted in St. PigeoNation’s Institute, a school for talented birds. The catch is that the player character is a human, making them a rare case in the school. That doesn't matter since the objective here is to woo and date those birds!
11 Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc – A Battle Royale/Among Us Hybrid
- Other genre/s: Detective, suspense
- Length: 31 Hours
- Developer: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd., Abstraction Games
- Release Date: February 18, 2016
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc is the perfect game for those who are looking for something similar to Among Us because it's practically Among Us and a battle royale game combined. The objective here is to murder someone and not get caught. Anyone who gets caught will be penalized.
To make things more interesting and dynamic, all the participants are bright scholars who thought they were getting into a top academy. That top academy, however, imprisoned them with the promise of freedom for anyone who fulfills the aforementioned objective.
10 Dream Daddy – A Fun Dating Sim
- Other genre/s: Dating sim
- Length: 10 Hours
- Developer: Game Grumps
- Release Date: July 21, 2017
2-for-1 games are always a good thing, especially if they utilize several genres well. Dream Daddy is one such title and it's great if someone wants something more involved than a two-dimensional story unraveling in front of their eyes.
Dream Daddy puts players in the shoes of a random single dad who ventures into the town of Maple Bay which, to his luck, happens to be full of hot single dads (or daddy material). Each of them has a colorful personality and it's up to the players to woo them, in a modern sense.
9 Cinders – A Fantasy Adventure
- Other genre/s: Fantasy
- Length: 6 Hours
- Developer: MoaCube
- Release Date: June 20, 2012
Cinders is a more mature take on Cinderella, similar to how Shrek or The Witcher games handle their fairy tales. Almost everyone has heard of Cinderella by now so the story should be familiar. The difference is that players have a say in Cinderella's actions.
If they ever find some of the evil step-sisters a little too annoying or the Prince Charming a little too aggressive, then they can pick a different fate for Cinderella. Not everything is black and white in Cinders either, and the characters grow more interesting as their motivations and histories are shown.
8 Arcade Spirits – A Retro Futuristic Dating Sim
- Other genre/s: Dating Sim
- Length: 8 Hours
- Developer: Fiction Factory Games
- Release Date: February 13, 2019
For anyone who's a fan of the neon-flavored arcade culture of the 1980s, Arcade Spirits explores an alternate version of history where the 1983 video game crash never took place. Therefore, everything in the 21st century onward has a retroactive theme and atmosphere.
Arcade Spirits saw this as an opportunity for a different kind of dating sim where every character is hip, quirky, and, of course, single. The premise is similar to most datings sims/visual novel hybrids where the main character finds themselves in a new town without any connections.
7 Heaven Will Be Mine – A Space Epic
- Other genre/s: Sci-fi
- Length: 5 Hours
- Developer: Pillow Fight, Worst Girls Games
- Release Date: July 26, 2018
For something with heavier and more dire stakes than a dating sim, then Heaven Will Be Mine is a story about survival in the dark abyss of space. Players are tasked to pick one of three female characters to fight a space war.
Along the way, players can choose to have some side activities to alleviate the stress of such a task. For example, they can engage in raunchy chats with other characters or form relationships in this sci-fi visual novel.
6 Neo Cab – A Cyberpunk Taxi Driver Game
- Other genre/s: Simulation, cyberpunk
- Length: 5 Hours
- Developer: Chance Agency
- Release Date: October 9, 2019
Think of Uber, but the service works in a cyberpunk reality and the streets are mostly empty. Also, the players take the role of Lina, the last human cab driver in Los Ojos. Being an organic being, she puts herself at high risk in her line of work.
Moreover, the passengers are so used to their cab drivers being robots that a lot of them tend to be repulsive or intentionally abrasive. It's up to the players, as Lina, to control their emotions and responses while balancing their professionalism.
5 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy – A Crime Thriller
- Other genre/s: Courtroom drama
- Length: 67 Hours
- Developer: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
- Release Date: April 10, 2019
Ever wanted to be a lawyer? Then Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy should keep one occupied like a true lawyer preparing for a bar exam. The Ace Attorney Trilogy puts players in the shoes of the vigilant and meticulous Phoenix Wright.
As Wright, players are tasked to solve cases, many of which have loopholes and oversights. Many of Wright's cases involve his being a defense lawyer for peculiar murder cases and sometimes seemingly hopeless clients.
4 Zero Escape Series – An Exhilarating Anime Thriller
- Other genre/s: Suspense, puzzle
- Length: N/A
- Developer: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
- Release Date: N/A
Fond of media where people getting kidnapped, trapped, and then forced to claw their way out of remote locations? Then the Zero Escape series ought to be the perfect video game companion. It's a suspenseful puzzle visual novel that puts players at the edge of their seats.
The most notable games in the series are Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, Zero Time Dilemma, and Zero Escape: The Nonary Games, with the last one being the latest. All three are worthy titles for thriller nuts.
3 Simulacra – A Unique Found-Phone Game
- Other genre/s: Simulation
- Length: 6 Hours
- Developer: Kaigan Games OÜ
- Release Date: October 26, 2017
Not many visual novels get to innovate since their format can be rather limited. But Simulacra takes a rather special approach to the genre by emulating found footage horror and suspense films.
In Simulacra, players find the lost phone of a woman named Anna. Things might have been simple if not for the mysterious and alarming recorded cries for help found on the phone. Players must then continue to investigate the matter and try to help Anna.
2 The Yawhg – A Multiplayer RPG
- Other genre/s: RPG
- Length: N/A
- Developer: Damian Sommer, Emily Carroll
- Release Date: May 30, 2013
Speaking of breaking the visual novel mold, The Yawhg is another title that goes beyond its genre's conventions. That's because it's a multiplayer game where up to four players can choose their own adventure.
Everything they do in their interconnected actions contributes to a town's survival or demise because an impending apocalyptic phenomenon called the Yawhg are on their way. The medieval dark comedy art style is just there to make things slightly less gloomy.
1 Doki Doki Literature Club – A Horror Dating Sim
- Other genre/s: Horror, Dating sim
- Length: 6 Hours
- Developer: Team Salvato
- Release Date: September 22, 2017
At first glance, Doki Doki Literature Club might seem like a run-of-the-mill anime dating sim. However, players will eventually be greeted with a traumatizing change of behavior from the female characters of the game.
After that, they seemingly come to life as they try to pester and scare the players outside of the game's confines, even sometimes tampering with the game files. It's a truly unique experience that nobody will forget.