Visual novel games are perfect for beginner and advanced gamers alike since they don't require as many gaming skills as great fighting games but can offer similarly impressive visuals, meaningful stories, and well-crafted characters. Through various dark and uplifting stories, players can visit unforgettable real-life and fictional worlds and immerse themselves in epic adventures.
However, complex visual novel games don't have to be about journeys but can be spooky, cute, or with a slice-of-life theme. No matter what world or experience waits for gamers when playing these games because they'll get immensely atmospheric and complex stories that will stay with them long after the game ended. No matter if a player is a fan of adorable pet sim games or prefers psychological horror games because thanks to these thrilling visual novel games they can experience any of their favorite gaming genres in a new way.
8 Planetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planet
Planetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planet is one of the most beautiful and influential sci-fi games with a considerably short but highly emotional story. This complex sci-fi visual novel game transports its players into a post-apocalyptic world that's set thirty years after an unsuccessful space colonization program. In this visually gorgeous but dark world, a deadly rain falls on an almost unpopulated Earth.
Some survivors became Junkers who try to collect special items. The player will follow the story of one of these Junkers who finds a pre-War planetarium in Sarcophagus City. In the planetarium, he meets Hoshino a cute companion robot who wants to show the visitor the planetarium but since the projector is broken she can't. Their heartwarming story begins when the visitor agrees to try and fix the projector.
7 Flowers: Printemps
Flowers: Printemps is a beautifully hand-drawn yuri visual novel game and is one of the best LGBTQ+ romance games. This game has everything from mystery to emotional dramatic moments. Despite the game's charming visual style, it's actually for mature viewers since it contains some nudity and deals with complex themes.
The story follows an introverted and shy girl called Suoh who has a mysterious past. She's a first-year student at Saint Angraecum Academy and just wants to start over and forget about her past. In her new school, she finds new friends and uncovers dark mysteries while she learns new things about herself and her sexuality.
6 The Expression Amrilato
The Expression Amrilato is another stunning yuri visual novel game with a powerful LGBTQ+ romance story. It's a charming and sometimes difficult visual novel game about Rin and Ruka's special relationship as the two girls meet, fell in love, and struggle to communicate.
Rin's world suddenly transforms around her, and she's no longer able to understand what people say because she got lost in an alternate world called Juliamo. That's when Ruka appears in her life and helps her learn the new language and find her place in this new strange world. The Juliamo language is actually Esperanto in the real world. Thanks to the game's structure, players can learn this beautiful language while playing the game.
5 ACE Academy
ACE Academy is one of the greatest action games with no bloody combat but with a fascinating and complex story that's set in 2049. It's a beautiful and often hilarious slice-of-life visual novel game in which players will have to make hundreds of different choices while getting into various romantic and platonic relationships.
It's one of the most exciting dating sims with stunning visuals and great music that further immerses players into its atmospheric world. The story follows a protagonist who suddenly transfers to Japan's famous ACE Academy to study Cenorobotics. Since he transferred from America he first struggles to fit in, but soon he finds a desperate group of pilots who finally accept him and the group starts their epic adventures.
4 The Crown of Leaves
The Crown of Leaves is one of the most visually beautiful indie adventure visual novel games with mysteries and well-crafted characters. It's a weird and entertaining story that's set in the magical world of Shang-La where science and mysticism work and exist together. The game's story centers around Roui a creative jeweler who had to leave his beloved city life behind because of money problems.
Soon after he moves back to his quirky but old-minded small town a baron suddenly commissions him for a bracelet. Roui finally feels like he could get back to his real life when a legendary spirit starts complicating and meddling in his and all the other locals' life. Players get to explore this magical world while collecting items, meeting its unique characters, and solving the mystery surrounding the mischievous spirit.
3 Steins;Gate
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Steins;Gate is not only an award-winning sci-fi visual novel game, but it also has an anime version which is one of the most famous sci-fi anime with great world-building. The game and the anime have their similarities and differences, but both have excellent characters and a complex and engaging world-building.
The game has an atmospheric and beautiful design as well as thrilling mysteries. Its story is about a group of super-smart and tech-savvy students who discover how to change the past with a modified microwave. Soon they uncover a dark mystery that upends their whole life. Players will be able to make multiple choices during the 30 to 50 hours of gameplay and experience multiple twisty endings.
2 Tiny Bunny
Tiny Bunny is a dark psychological horror that's one of the most exciting and highest-rated early access games. In this darkly atmospheric game, players will get to follow the story of Anton and his family after they move to a tiny and seemingly quiet village in a Siberian forest. Soon after their arrival Anton already had to witness unsettling things and even participate in some.
Anton also started having disturbing nightmares that kept haunting him during the day too. He realizes that there are many mysteriously missing children and even starts to fear that the village's dark myth about the forest monster might be true. Thanks to this eerie and mature horror visual novel game players can meet some of the scariest monsters in video games while getting fully immersed in a creepy tale in which every choice they make affect the story.
1 OPUS: Echo of Starsong - Full Bloom Edition
OPUS: Echo of Starsong - Full Bloom Edition is a breathtaking visual novel adventure game with a deeply emotional story. Players will get to explore a lawless and gorgeous solar system while haunting elusive asteroids and navigating one of the most special spaceships in gaming.
The story follows Eda and Jun's story as the two young adventurers set out on an intergalactic journey to solve the mystery behind the starsongs. Players will get to meet a nice variety of imaginative characters, solve puzzles, and uncover a dark and ancient mystery.