As a genre, "visual novel" is not defined by a mechanic or an aesthetic, but rather a distinctive presentation: VNs focus on presenting a text-based story using click-through text boxes, accompanied with static character graphics, and usually feature little to no actual gameplay.
Definition and Features
The core features of VN presentation include the following:
- Click-through text boxes, presenting the written portion of the story, that the player must click to progress through (as if they are flipping pages on a book)
- Static character and background graphics, presenting the story's characters and environment
- Special story graphics (sometimes called "Game CG"), used situationally to present story events in a more detailed manner
Other multimedia features, such as animation, music, or voice acting are common in VNs, though they're not key components of the VN presentation.
VNs are conventionally understood as being exclusively focused on presenting a narrative with VN presentation, with little to no actual gameplay. However, many works considered "visual novels" do in fact contain gameplay, and the actual line separating "visual novels with a bit of gameplay" and "adventure game with VN presentation" is blurry.
TV Tropes generally applies the Visual Novel Database's ruleset to distinguish VNs; the key elements to VNDB's classification are a dominant focus on VN-presented storytelling, as well as the use of "novel narrative", defined as the work primarily using written descriptions (as opposed to visuals or gameplay) to present the narrative.
Notably, due to the particular way Japanese Adventure Games (ADV) evolved, most Japanese ADVs use VN presentation, and as such are considered "visual novels" in the west. However, Japan still generally considers ADVs to be a separate genre from Novel Games, dividing the two genres by the amount of gameplay present; Novel Games have near-zero gameplay, while Adventure Games have basic gameplay.
As a presentation format-based genre, the stories presented in visual novels can be extremely diverse. Many visual novels feature non-linear Story Branching plots with Multiple Endings and often a Choice-and-Consequence System. In this sense, they can be seen as a digital evolution of Gamebooks (think CYOA). On the opposite end, visual novels with no gameplay and no branching stories are known as Kinetic Novels.
Visual Novels and Galgames
Though "visual novel" is a presentation-style-based genre, they have an overwhelming overlap with Galgames (a.k.a. Bishoujo games), an aesthetic-based genre. Galgames are a distinctively Japanese genre of video games that focus on attractive girls drawn in anime and manga art styles; the genre is related to the Eroge and Romance Game (and its related Dating Sim) genres.
The vast majority of visual novels are galgames, and almost all galgames are visual novels. This special relationship between the two genres caused the two genres to adopt conventions that significantly feature elements of the other. For example, many visual novels, including non-romance games, divide storylines into specific paths based on specific girl characters, a remnant of galgame conventions. "Visual novel" is commonly used as a synonym for "galgame" in the west, even though the two genres are technically different.
It is not uncommon for anime to be based on galgames, such as Kanon, AIR, CLANNAD, Fate/stay night, and Steins;Gate.
Visual Novels in the West
Many visual novels are restricted to Japanese markets, but roughly starting with the American release of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney in 2005 the genre has been embraced internationally. Companies such as MangaGamer, JAST, Sekai Project, and Neko Nyan are licensing more and more visual novels. Some visual novels that have been ignored by official localizers get translated by dedicated fans. Many of the ones on this list have an existing Fan Translation, partial or full. That being said, a majority of visual novels being translated and released now tend to have a professional translation, as more dedicated translation companies appear. In fact, many professional translators started out as fan translators over the past 10 years.
Before The New '10s, most visual novels that did get localized suffered from the same problems that anime in the early '90s did: the localizers seemed to prefer to import the most sexual and/or violent titles. However, with the advent of Steam, its Greenlight program, and crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter (all of which have also aided the revival of Western adventure gaming), the number and availability of visual novels outside Japan have been steadily expanding. Since Steam disallowed explicit sexual content till 2018, the games available there were mostly either "clean" versions of explicit games or games without any explicit content in the first place.
There is also a small but growing number of Western-developed visual novels, generally created by indie developers and not distributed through mainstream channels. Some of these have garnered critical acclaim, such as Katawa Shoujo and Analogue: A Hate Story. A lot of Western-produced VNs are developed in the popular Ren'Py Game Maker, though many developers are shifting towards the use of Unity's Naninovel.
See Visual Novel Tropes. If you want to take a crack at creating one of your own, we've got you covered.
Visual Novels are not to be confused with Light Novels (see page for more information).
Games in this medium:
By Interactivity:
By Engine:
By Decade:
- Early Visual Novels
- Visual Novels of the 2000s
- Visual Novels of the 2010s
- Visual Novels of the 2020s
Major VN Developers:
- AliceSoft
- ELF Corporation
- Frontwing
- Kero Makura
- Key/Visual Arts
- Type-Moon
- nitro+
- Otomate
- When They Cry (07th_expansion)
- Yuzusoft
Series and Franchises
- Ace Attorney series:
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice For All
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations
- Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
- Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
- Gyakuten Kenji 2
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies
- The Great Ace Attorney
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice
- Analogue: A Hate Story
- Beach Bounce
- Beauty Bounce
- Bunny Bounce
- Choices: Stories You Play note
- Across the Void
- America's Most Eligible
- A Very Scandalous Proposal
- Baby Bump
- Bachelorette Party
- Big Sky Country
- Blades of Light & Shadow
- Bloodbound
- The Crown & the Flame
- The Cursed Heart
- Desire & Decorum
- The Elementalists
- Endless Summer
- Foreign Affairs Pixelberry
- The Freshman
- The Sophomore
- The Junior
- The Senior
- Getaway Girls
- The Haunting of Braidwood Manor
- The Heist: Monaco
- Hero
- High School Story
- Home for the Holidays
- Immortal Desires
- It Lives
- It Lives In The Woods
- It Lives Beneath
- #LoveHacks
- Most Wanted
- Mother of the Year
- My Two First Loves
- The Nanny Affair
- Nightbound
- Open Heart
- Passport to Romance
- Perfect Match
- Platinum
- Queen B
- Red Carpet Diaries
- Ride or Die: A Bad Boy Romance
- Rising Tides
- The Royal Romance
- Rules of Engagement
- Sunkissed
- Veil of Secrets
- Wishful Thinking
- With Every Heartbeat
- Witness: A Bodyguard Romance
- Wolf Bride
- Da Capo
- Danganronpa:
- Date A Live:
- Echo
- The Smoke Room (prequel to Echo)
- Arches (sequel to Echo)
- Eldritch Academy
- Eldritch University
- Ever Maiden
- Everlasting Summer
- Famicom Detective Club
- Fate Series
- fault - milestone one
- Funbag Fantasy Series
- Galaxy Angel
- Gender Bender DNA Twister Extreme
- Grisaia Series
- Hana Awase
- Hiveswap Friendsim
- Hotel Dusk: Room 215
- Infinity series:
- Kamaitachi no Yoru series:
- Kokoro series:
- Lime-iro Senkitan
- Love, Election & Chocolate
- Loren: The Amazon Princess
- Lovestruck:
- Astoria: Fate's Kiss (formerly titled Labyrinths of Astoria) and Astoria: Lost Kisses
- Ever After Academy
- Gangsters in Love
- Havenfall Is for Lovers
- Love & Legends
- Lovestruck Shorts
- Queen of Thieves
- Reigning Passions
- Sin With Me
- Speakeasy Tonight
- Starship Promise
- Sweet Enchantments
- Villainous Nights
- Wicked Lawless Love
- Magical Diary: Horse Hall
- Magical Diary: Wolf Hall
- Monster Prom
- Monster Camp
- Monster Roadtrip
- Muv-Luv series:
- Neptunia:
- one night, hot springs
- last day of spring
- spring leaves no flowers
- OshiRabu: Waifus Over Husbandos
- OshiRabu: Waifus Over Husbandos ~Love・or・die~
- Otomania
- Our Life series:
- The Pirate's Fate
- Portal
- Psychedelica Of The Black Butterfly
- Puella Magi Madoka Magica Portable
- The Rose Of Segunda
- The Sakura series:
- SC2VN
- Don't Forget Our Esports Dream
- School Days series:
- Science Adventure Series
- Shall We Date?
- Shall We Date?: Angel or Devil
- Shall We Date?: Blood In Roses
- Shall We Date?: Can't Say No
- Shall We Date?: Destiny Ninja 2
- Shall We Date?: Lost Island
- Shall We Date?: Magic Sword
- Shall We Date?: My Fairy Tales
- Shall We Date?: My Sweet Prince
- Shall We Date?: Ninja Assassin
- Shall We Date?: Ninja Shadow
- Obey Me! – One Master to Rule Them All!
- Shall We Date?: Oz
- Shall We Date?: Wizardess Heart
- Shinza Bansho Series:
- SHUFFLE!
- Smoldeps Magickal Adventure
- Sound Novel series
- Taimanin Asagi
- Tears to Tiara
- The Testimony of Trixie Glimmer Smith
- Three Lesbians in a Barrow
- To Heart
- To Heart 2, and the Gaiden Game, To Heart 2: Another Days.
- Tokimeki Memorial "Drama Series" and "Substories": the flagship games of the franchise are pure Dating Sims, but those Gaiden Games are Visual Novels. There are three entries per series:
- Nijiiro no Seishun (1997),
- Irodori no Love Song (1998),
- Tabidachi no Uta (1999) for the "Drama Series";
- Dancing Summer Vacation (2000),
- Leaping School Festival (2001),
- Memories Ringing On (2001) for the "Substories"
- Utawarerumono
- Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York
- What a Beautiful Steampunk series:
- Souten no Celenaria
- Sekien no Inganock
- Shikkoku no Sharnoth
- Hikari no Valusia
- Shiei no Sona-nyl
- Gahkthun of the Golden Lightning
- When They Cry series:
- White Album
- Yarudora series:
- Double Cast
- Kisetsu o Dakishimete
- Sampaguita
- Yukiwari No Hana
- Scandal
- Blood: The Last Vampire
- Zero Escape
Individual Visual Novels
- 7Days!: Decide your story
- 7 Days of Rose
- 10 Days with My Devil
- 11eyes
- ACE Academy
- Ace in Space
- Acquittal: Induction
- Acting Lessons
- Adastra (2018)
- Aselia the Eternal - The Spirit of Eternity Sword
- Ahegao Academy
- AI: The Somnium Files
- Again!! (1984)
- AIR
- Air Pressure
- Aiyoku No Eustia
- Akatsuki no Goei
- Akahane Academy
- Akai Ito
- Akane-iro ni Somaru Saka
- Akash Path Of The Five
- Akaya Akashiya Ayakashino
- a letter of challenge
- Always The Same Blue Sky...
- Alice in the Country of Hearts
- Amnesia: Memories
- Amplitude
- Angels with Scaly Wings
- Anicon - Animal Complex
- Animamundi Dark Alchemist
- Aoi Shiro
- Aokana: Four Rhythm Across the Blue
- April Was A Fool
- A Profile
- Aquadine
- Aquarium
- Arcade Spirits
- The Arcana
- Arcana Famiglia
- Area X
- Artificial Mansion
- Asagao Academy: Normal Boots Club
- Ascension (2021)
- A Star in Her Eyes
- Astra's Garden
- Atashinoriri
- Atlach=Nacha
- ATOM GRRRL!!
- ATRI -My Dear Moments-
- Autumn's Journey
- Backstage Pass
- Bad Apple Wars
- BAD END THEATER
- Bad Faith
- Baldr Force
- Baldr Sky
- Ballad of an Evening Butterfly
- Ballads at Midnight
- Bar Oasis
- Battle Goddess series
- Beauty and the War: X Playing Pieces
- Because We're Here
- Being A ΔΙΚ
- Be My Princess
- Bermuda
- Berrywitched!
- Best Friend Forever
- Beyond Eden
- Beyond: Two Souls
- Bionic Heart
- Blackgate
- Black Wolves Saga
- Blankspace
- Blessing of the Campanella
- Blind Men
- Bliss Stage: Love Is Your Weapon
- Blooming Panic
- Blossoming Love
- The Bottom of the Well
- Boyfriend To Death
- Bonds
- Brass Restoration
- Class of '09
- Break Chance Memento
- Brilliant Shadows
- Brothers Conflict
- A Bridge to the Starry Skies
- BTS World note
- Buried: An Interactive Story
- Buried Stars
- Burly Men at Sea note
- But I love you.
- Butler Until Midnight
- Butterfly Soup
- Cafe Enchante
- Café Stella and the Reapers' Butterflies
- Caffeine: Victoria's Legacy
- Canvas 2: Niji Iro no Sketch
- Cartagra
- Case 00: The Cannibal Boy
- Cause of Death
- Cemetery Mary
- Changeling
- Changeling Tale
- Charm Studies
- Cherrywitched!
- Cherry Tree High Comedy Club
- Chop Chop Fruit salad Mystery Jam DokiDoki Dating Sim THingy
- Chrono Clock
- ChuSinGura 46+1
- Cinderella Phenomenon
- Cinders
- CLANNAD
- Class Trip Crush
- Clock Zero ~Shuuen no Ichibyou~
- Close to ~inori no oka~
- Code Geass: Lost Colors
- Code:Realize
- Code Romantic
- Coffee Talk
- Collar × Malice
- Comic Party
- Coming Out on Top
- Coμ - Black Dragon in a Gentle Kingdom
- The Confines of the Crown
- Contract Demon
- Cooking Companions
- CORPSE FACTORY
- Corpse Party
- Court Of Darkness
- The Cradle of Ruin
- Crescendo (JP)
- Crimson Gray
- Crimson Rafflesia
- Crimsoness
- Critical Point
- Cryptid Crush
- CROSS†CHANNEL
- Crown Delights Deli
- Crystalline
- Cupid
- Cupid Parasite
- The Curse of Kudan
- Cursed Sight
- Daitoshokan No Hitsujikai
- Dame X Prince
- Dancing Blade: Katte ni Momotenshi!
- Dangerous Fellows
- Dark Nights
- Date Warp
- A Date with Death
- Dawn Chorus
- Daylight ~Asa ni Hikari no Kanmuri wo~
- Dear Devere
- Deardrops
- Death Match Love Comedy
- Death Room
- Deiz
- Dekiru Otoko No Mote Life
- Demonbane
- Demonheart
- Dengeki Stryker
- Destined To Love
- Detective Hank and the Golden Sneeze
- The Devil on G-String
- Diabolik Lovers
- Dial Town
- Digital: A Love Story
- Digimon Survive
- Dimension Of Monster Girls
- Dimensional Prophecy of Zohar Redux
- Disgaea Infinite
- Disturbed
- Divi-Dead
- Doki Doki Literature Club!
- Dominion of Darkness
- Do NOT Take This Cat Home
- don't take it personally babe, it just ain't your story
- Don't Take It Personally, I Just Don't Like You
- Don't Take This Risk
- Don't Toy With Me
- Dōkyūsei
- Dracu-Riot!
- Dragon Essence - Color my World
- DRAMAtical Murder
- Dream Daddy
- Dream Savior Gakuen
- Dreamy Days in West Tokyo
- Duel Savior Destiny
- The Duenkhy
- Dysfunctional Systems
- Ebon Light
- Echoes of the Fey
- Edelweiss (2006)
- eden*: They were only two, on the planet.
- ef - a fairy tale of the two.
- Eiyuu Senki: The World Conquest
- Eldarya
- Elevator Hitch
- Eliza
- Elven Relations
- Enchanted in the Moonlight
- Entropic Float This World Will Decay And Disappear
- Every Day's Different
- The Executioner
- Exile Election
- Exit/Corners
- The Expression Amrilato
- Extracurricular Activities
- Extreme Meatpunks Forever
- Façade (2005)
- Fading Hearts
- Fairly Dangerous
- Family Project ~Kazoku Keikaku~
- Fantasia (Otome Game Series)
- Far Beyond the World
- Fatal Hearts
- Fatal Twelve
- Feral Hearts
- Figures Of Happiness
- Final Approach
- Finally, in Love Again
- First Kiss at a Spooky Soiree
- Fleuret Blanc
- Flowers (2014)
- Fortune Arterial
- The Fountain
- Fragment's Note
- Friendsim 2 (unofficial fan-made sequel to Hiveswap Friendsim)
- From the Sun to the Moon
- Frozen Essence
- Fullmetal Alchemist: Bluebird's Illusion
- Full Metal Daemon Muramasa
- The Future Radio and the Artificial Pigeons
- Gakuen Heaven
- Galactic Bulge
- Getsuei Academy Kou
- ghostpia
- Gikei
- Girls Beyond the Wasteland
- Glory Hounds
- Gnosia
- Go! Go! Nippon! ~my first trip to Japan~
- Green Green
- Grimms Notes (Previously an online Gacha RPG, it basically became this after getting shut down due to its gameplay mechanics being completely removed, and only leaving the cutscenes intact)
- Growing Up (also part-Life Simulation Game)
- Hakuouki
- Halloween Otome
- Hanachirasu
- Hana Ki Sou
- Happiness!
- Harem Party
- Harmonia
- Harvest December
- Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
- Hashihime of the Old Book Town
- Hatoful Boyfriend
- Hauma
- The Hayseed Knight
- Head AS Code
- Heart of the Woods
- Heaven Will Be Mine
- Heileen
- Heirs And Graces
- Henchman Story
- Here For Sweethearts
- Her Love in the Force
- Herotome
- her tears were my light
- Hexepta: Mayor Attack
- Hidden Treasures
- H₂O: Footprints in the Sand
- Highschool Romance
- Highschool Romance Magi Trials
- Highway Blossoms
- Hiiro no Kakera
- HIKEBACK
- Hooked on You
- Hoshizora no Memoria
- Hourglass of Summer
- House Hunted
- The House in Fata Morgana
- How To Date A Magical Girl!
- How to Take Off Your Mask
- Hush Hush - Only Your Love Can Save Them
- Hustle Cat
- Idol Hakkenden
- I/O
- If My Heart Had Wings
- Ikemen Prince
- Ikemen Revolution
- Ikemen Sengoku
- Ikemen Vampire
- Ikemen Villain
- Illusionary Trauma
- Inescapable: No Rules No Rescue
- Infinite Game Works
- INheritage: Boundary of Existence
- Invisible Apartment
- In Your Arms Tonight
- Island
- I Wani Hug that Gator!
- I Was a Teenage Exocolonist (also part-Life Simulation Game)
- Jack Jeanne
- Jake Hunter
- Jekyll & Hyde (MazM)
- Jisei
- John Doe
- Juuzaengi
- Kaichu - The Kaiju Dating Sim
- Kamigami no Asobi
- Kana: Little Sister
- Kanon
- KARAKARA
- Katahane
- Katawa Shoujo
- Kikokugai: The Cyber Slayer
- Kimi ga Ita Kisetsu
- Kindred Spirits on the Roof
- King of Dragon Pass
- Kira☆Kira
- Kissed by the Baddest Bidder
- Kisses And Curses
- Kiss of Revenge
- A Knight's Devotion
- Knights College
- Koihime†Musou
- Koiken Otome
- Kortia
- Lads In Distress
- Lady In Mystery
- Ladykiller in a Bind
- Lagoon Lounge
- Lamento - beyond the void
- Lands of Fire
- The Last Birdling
- Last Chance In Xollywood
- Last Legacy
- LEAV Es
- The Letter
- Liar Liar
- Liar! Uncover the Truth
- Life After Magic
- The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante
- LifeSigns: Surgical Unit
- A Light In The Dark
- Lily's Day Off
- Limit Panic
- Little Busters!
- A Little Lily Princess
- Lkyt.
- Love Bakudan
- Lovebrush Chronicles
- Love Esquire
- Love Is Strange
- Lovely Little Thieves
- Love Unholyc
- Long Live the Queen
- LongStory
- Lost Dimension
- Love at First Sight
- Love Letter from Thief X
- Lucid9
- Lucky Dog 1
- Lucky Rabbit Reflex
- Lucy Got Problems
- Lucy ~The Eternity She Wished For~
- Lux-Pain
- Machi
- Magical Warrior Diamond Heart
- Maiden Panic
- Majikoi! Love Me Seriously!
- Major/Minor
- Making*Lovers
- Malus Code
- MAMIYA
- Man Enough
- Marco & the Galaxy Dragon
- A Masquerade In The Woods
- Mashiro-iro Symphony
- Mask of the Rose
- Master Magistrate
- Matches and Matrimony
- May I Take Your Order
- Melody
- Memories Off
- Messiah
- MetaWare High School (Demo)
- Metro PD: Close to You
- Metropolitan Blues
- Miburo
- Midnight Cinderella
- Milky Season
- Minotaur
- Minotaur Hotel
- Misadventures of Laura Silver
- Misericorde
- Missed Messages
- Missing Stars
- Mission: It's Complicated
- Mizuchi
- Moe! Ninja Girls
- Moonlight Lovers
- Moonlight Walks
- Morenatsu
- Mr. Love: Queen's Choice
- The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
- My Candy Love
- My Candy Love: NewGen
- My Forged Wedding
- My Girlfriend Is the President
- My Harem Heaven is Yandere Hell
- My Life As A Maiden
- My Little Investigations
- My Magical Cosplay Cafe
- My Magical Divorce Bureau
- Mysterious Forum and Seven Rumors
- Mystic Destinies: Serendipity of Aeons
- Mystic Messenger
- My Sweet Bodyguard
- My Wedding And Seven Rings
- My Vow To My Liege
- Nakoruru: Ano Hito kara no Okurimononote
- Nameless ~The one thing you must recall~
- Nanatsuiro★Drops
- National Park Girls
- Narcissu
- Necrobarista
- Nekojishi
- NekoMiko
- Nekopara
- Ne no Kami: The Two Princess Knights of Kyoto
- Nerus
- Nicole
- Night Cascades
- A Nightmare's Trip
- Nightshade (2016)
- Nil Admirari No Tenbin
- 9-nine- Series
- NinNin Days
- No Case Should Remain Unsolved
- No, Thank You!!!
- no-one has to die.
- NU: carnival
- Nukitashi
- Nurse Love Addiction
- An Octave Higher
- Office Secrets
- Off The Cuff
- Olympia Soiree
- OMGWTFOTL
- One Night Stand
- One Thousand Lies
- One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e
- Ookami Kakushi
- Oops! I Said Yes?!
- OT Chi Kocchi
- Otoboku - Maidens Are Falling For Me
- Otometeki Koi Kakumei Love Revo
- Our Lovely Escape
- Our Personal Space
- Our Two Bedroom Story
- Our Wonderland
- Our World Is Ended
- Ozmafia!!
- Paca Plus
- Panzermadels
- Paradise
- Paramedium
- PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
- Parascientific Escape
- Parasite In Love
- Particles of Reality
- Password
- Penny Larceny: Gig Economy Supervillain
- Penthos
- Perceptions of the Dead
- Perfect Gold
- Period Cube
- Perseverance
- Phantom of Inferno
- The Phantom of the Opera (MazM)
- Phantom Thief Silver Cat
- Photo Kano
- Pinewood Island
- Pirates in Love
- Planetarian
- (P)lanets - the life of normalcy has ended!
- Please Be Happy
- Plumbers Don't Wear Ties
- Policenauts
- The Portopia Serial Murder Case
- PQRS The Game
- The Price of Flesh
- Princess Evangile
- Princess Lover!
- Princess Waltz
- The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart
- Prism Ark
- Private Nurse
- Process of Elimination
- Project NA
- Project JPDE
- Pumpkin Eater
- Punch Line (A Visual Novel adaptation of the anime of the same name. Yes, really)
- Purino Party
- Purple Moon (except the Secret Paths games)
- Purrfect Apawcalypse
- Purrfect Tale
- Quantum Suicide
- Queen at Arms
- The Queen Of Blackwood High
- Queen's Gambit
- Quest Twilight Prince Prophecy Chronicals
- Rabbit Heart!
- Radical Dreamers
- Raging Loop
- Rainbow Dreams
- RE: Alistair
- A Real Party
- [redacted] Life
- Red Lilies
- Reflections on the River
- Rental Boyfriends
- RE: Prince of Nigeria
- Repurpose
- Rewrite
- Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne
- Ribbon Of Green
- Riddle Joker
- Rise and Fall
- Rising Angels
- Ristorante Amore
- Romance Detective
- Roman's Christmas
- Room No. 9
- Root Double: Before Crime * After Days
- Root Letter
- Rose in the Embers
- Rose Guns Days
- Rose of Winter
- Rosetta and the Well
- Rumbling Hearts
- Sabbat of the Witch
- Sable's Grimoire
- The Saddest Smile in the World
- Saint Maker
- Sakura no Uta
- Sakuya Izayoi Gives You Advice And Dabs
- Save the Date
- Save the World
- Sayonara o Oshiete
- Scandal in the Spotlight
- Scared Rider Xechs
- Scarlet Hollow
- Scar Of The Doll
- Scrambled: Syd City
- Sea Bed
- Season Of The Sakura
- The Second Reproduction
- Secret Little Haven
- Seduced in the Sleepless City
- Seduce Me
- Seinarukana
- The Sekimeiya: Spun Glass
- Senren * Banka
- Sepia Tears
- Serendipity Next Door
- Seven Hotties, All My Husbands
- Seven Kingdoms: The Princess Problem
- Sex Advice Succubus
- The Shadows That Run Alongside Our Car
- Sharin no Kuni
- The Shell
- Shelter (2020)
- She's a Bit Sluggish
- She Likes You Alotl
- Shigatsu Youka
- Shingakkou -Noli me tangere-
- Shining Song Starnova
- Sickness
- Silver Chaos 2: Artificial Mermaid
- Sisterly Bliss ~Don't Let Mom Find Out~
- Six Ages
- Six Rules
- A Sky Full of Stars
- Slay the Princess
- Slow Damage
- Snatcher
- Snow Angel and Silver Devil
- Snow Daze
- Snow Sakura
- Socrates Jones: Pro Philosopher
- Solstice
- Somethings Wrong With Sunny Day Jack
- Soni Comi
- Song of Memories
- The Song of Saya
- Songs of Araiah
- SOON
- Soranica Ele
- Soul Link
- Soul of Sovereignty
- Sound of Drop
- Soushuu Senshinkan Gakuen Hachimyoujin
- South Scrimshaw
- Speakeasy Tonight
- Star-Crossed Myth
- Starlight Drifter
- Starlight Vega
- Starry Flowers
- Starry☆Sky series
- Starstruck Love
- Starswirl Academy
- Stay! Stay! Democratic People's Republic of Korea!
- Steal
- Steam Prison
- Stella Of The End
- Storm Lover
- Strawberry Vinegar
- Student Union
- Sucker for Love
- Suika
- Summer Pockets
- Summer Rose Court
- A Summer's End — Hong Kong, 1986
- Sunrider
- Super Health Club
- Superhuman
- Super-Nova (2022)
- Swan Song
- Sweet Elite
- Sweetest Monster
- Sweet Fuse: At Your Side
- sweet pool
- Swooning Over Stans: A Grunkle Dating Simulator
- Sword Daughter
- Sword Of Asumi
- The Symbiant
- Symphonic Rain
- Synergia
- Syntherapy
- Syrup and the Ultimate Sweet
- TAISHO x ALICE
- Tanteibu The Detective Club
- Tantei Opera Milky Holmes
- Tasokare Hotel
- Tavern of Spear
- Tayutama
- Tears 9, 10
- Therapy with Dr. Albert Krueger
- They Are My Noble Masters
- Three Guys That Paint
- Three Sisters Story
- Tick! Tack!
- Time Hollow
- Time Tenshi
- Time Travelers
- Today, I'm Harvesting You!
- Togainu no Chi
- Together - A Wish No One Remembers
- Toku Hou
- Tokyo Babel
- Tokyo Chronos
- Tokyo Dark
- Tokyo Debunker
- Tokyo Necro
- Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters
- Toshoshitsu No Neversista
- To the Edge of the Sky
- Tōka Gettan
- Train of Afterlife
- Treasure Of A Blizzard
- Triangle Heart 3: Sweet Songs Forever
- TRianThology ~Sanmenkyou no Kuni no Alice~
- Tricolour Lovestory
- Trick or Alice
- True Love Junai Monogatari
- True Remembrance
- Tsukihime
- Tsumugu Logic
- Twinkle Crusaders
- Twofold
- Ukraine War Stories
- The Uncle Who Works For Nintendo
- Under the Moon
- Underworld Office
- The Unforgiving Flowers Blossom in the Dead of Night
- Ushinawareta Mirai o Motomete
- Uta No Prince Sama
- VA-11 HALL-A
- Valentines Otome
- Venus Blood -Frontier-
- Venus Blood -Gaia-
- Venus Blood -Hollow-
- Vera Blanc
- Vincent: The Secret of Myers
- Voices from the Sea
- Walkure Romanze
- Wand Of Fortune
- War: 13th Day
- Warm (2019)
- We Know the Devil
- Werewolf: The Apocalypse — Heart of the Forest
- We Without Wings
- When the Night Comes
- White Wings
- Wicked Willow
- WILL: A Wonderful World
- Winds Of Change
- Wingman DX
- Winter Shard
- Witches X Warlocks
- Witch on the Holy Night
- Within A Rose
- Without Within
- Wonderful Everyday
- World End Economica
- World End Syndrome
- Worst Dating Sim
- W~Wish
- XBlaze
- X-Note
- Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito
- Yandere Chan
- Yandere I Love You So I Want To Kill You
- Yearning: A Gay Story
- Y;N
- Yoake Mae Yori Ruri Iro Na
- Yo-Jin-Bo
- Yosuga no Sora
- You and Me and Her (Also known as "Kimi to Kanojo to Kanojo no Koi" or "Totono")
- You, Me and Empty Words
- Your Boyfriend
- Your Turn to Die
- Yumeria
- Yumeutsutsu Re:Master
- Yumina the Ethereal
- YU-NO
- Yurukill: The Calumniation Games
- Zodiac Axis
Other examples of Visual Novels:
- LemmaSoft is an English community dedicated to making visual novels, mostly freeware.
- Morph E was designed to be a regularly updated Visual Novel with promises of playable installments later. Discontinued as of 2017.