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[VDZ]

Since we inevitably needed one at some point and the 'top 10 games' thread is being derailed as I post this, here's a thread for discussion of visual novels.

What is a visual novel?
A visual novel is a game consisting only or almost exclusively of story; generally gameplay only consists of clicking to advance the text and occasionally making choices. These choices usually lead to separate storylines called routes. The medium evolved from adventure games in Japan, but has lately been attracting attention in the West as well, with visual novels being translated to English or even being created in English.

What's a good VN to try for getting into visual novels?
Katawa Shoujo is generally considered a good introduction to the medium. It can be downloaded for free from its website.

Why does this VN have porn in it? Is it a porn game?
Most Japanese VNs, as well as Katawa Shoujo, have a small amount of sex scenes in them. They are generally minor parts of a large story, and they are definitely worth playing even if you skip the sex scenes (as many do). If you are absolutely allergic to sex, the adult content in Katawa Shoujo can be disabled and there are many non-adult visual novels.

Are VNs games? Do you play or read them?
The discussion on this has been going for ages, and there's no consensus. Use whichever term you prefer.

Further resources
VNDB - a database with information on lots of visual novels
A recommendation chart for Japanese VNs

What a VN generally looks like.

[Tuba]

I recently played Analogue: A Hate Story, and while it seemed boring at first, the story really hooked me after some time, also you really feel like you are digging through the data of a lost computer and talking to an AI.


Does Phoenix Wright count? Or does it has to much interaction to be considered a VN? Cause it's one of my favorite DS series!

[zalzane]

So, what's your favorite visual novel tigs? Pic related.

[VDZ]

Ever17. From the moment I first finished it, I just knew I would never read such a masterpiece again. Remember11 does come a close second for me, though (even though just about everyone else hates it).

I recently played Analogue: A Hate Story, and while it seemed boring at first, the story really hooked me after some time, also you really feel like you are digging through the data of a lost computer and talking to an AI.

Does it remain as infodumpy as it is at the start? I love good infodumps (I'm an infinity fan, after all), but at the start Analogue was nothing but separate documents containing walls and walls of text describing background info. Does it ever get any less passive than that?

Does Phoenix Wright count? Or does it has to much interaction to be considered a VN? Cause it's one of my favorite DS series!

It's one of those games which blurs the line, but why not? It has a VNDB page, at least. (Then again, so does Ar Tonelico...)

I finished Ace Attorney 4 not too long ago. I loved the first three cases, but the final case was a huge disappointment (obvious solutions, no real twists, underwhelming ending).

[flowerthief]

I'd call Phoenix Wright an adventure/visual novel hybrid. Same with 999. Same with YU-NO. (those are all amazing)

Digital: A Love Story, I would say, is not a visual novel at all.

[forwardresent]

I liked what I played of Analogue, and Digital.

VNs are sort of a mystery to me, I love books but a lot of them sound too harem anime for me to really try. If 999 could be considered a VN with puzzles, I loved that.

[Tuba]

I recently played Analogue: A Hate Story, and while it seemed boring at first, the story really hooked me after some time, also you really feel like you are digging through the data of a lost computer and talking to an AI.

Does it remain as infodumpy as it is at the start? I love good infodumps (I'm an infinity fan, after all), but at the start Analogue was nothing but separate documents containing walls and walls of text describing background info. Does it ever get any less passive than that?

It's pretty much just read a bunch of stuff than talk to the AI about what you just read and she'll give you more text to read. You have some interactions with the AI and at one specific part you have to mess with the console. So... yeah, it gets less passive than that but not much.

[TeeGee]

VNs are sort of a mystery to me, I love books but a lot of them sound too harem anime for me to really try.

This was one of the reasons why we wanted to make Cinders and get involved with VNs in general. I theoretically love the idea behind the genre. My friend says that for her VNs are like the adventure games of old, only with no arbitrary puzzles to block the flow of the story. And then there's the ability to actually alter the events with your choices. I kinda agree with her.

But I also I think the storytelling potential of this genre is amazing. People went crazy over Heavy Rain, even though it has a really bad script, awful pacing, and doesn't do anything too new. That little bit of interactivity really makes it surprisingly engaging and powerful, though. If it was a movie, I would hate its guts (I still kinda do but whatever). But the ability to alter the events and see what happens to my characters made me keep playing till the end. If the script was good, I could easily see it becoming one of my favorite games.

This is also why Katawa Shoujo "works". Reading a story about disabled kids and their romances wouldn't do much for me. But the reception is completely different when I'm playing someone in the story. When it's my story. Even if I make just a few choices for the protagonist, it's enough for me to identify with him on a level unattainable for book characters. It makes all the messages and emotions the authors are trying to convey so much more personal and effective. Basically -- interactivity is magic.

Which makes me wonder why -- with all that potential -- 90% of VNs are about a guy in highschool trying to pick one of several archetypical chicks. You have the ability to tell any story you want and make it sink deep, and this is what you choose to do over and over? I just don't get it. Western indie VNs are more varied, but the average quality is relatively low. I like Christine Love's games, but I think that Analogue for example looks pretty amateurish. Aside from the writing of course.

I wish more indies would get into writing VNs, preferably coming from different groups than existing anime/VN fans. Make any story really, originating from their personal beliefs and experiences. The results could be amazing. I think John Sandoval was for a while working on a small project about the events of a single party and hipsterdom in general. I thought it's going to be a VN, but in the end it was supposed to be a point and click adventure and the project died anyway. I think it's a shame, I would really love to see a VN like that.

[The Monster King]

its not a gaaaaaame

ok sorry you guys may resume your romance story books discussion now

[hanako]

It's no secret that I've been on a Kara no Shoujo lovefest lately, despite the game being far from perfect. I would love it more if the gameplay elements were more balanced and the mystery actually played fair (that is, no making characters change their actions for no reason because of totally unrelated choices I made somewhere else). Anyone curious about it based on my mention should be aware that yes, it is 18+, the porn content seems designed to make you feel terrible about it so DON'T play it for that, and gore.

I wish there was more VN/adventure crossover in English. 999 is awesome, obviously, but it's strangely difficult to find games that combine branching story and puzzles that require thinking about things. My brief foray in that direction long ago taught me mostly that I cannot write adventure game puzzles for shit, so it's not a lack I can personally address.

I've mostly given up on the pure adventure genre due to too many empty worlds filled with piles of mindless brainteasers. I want story, preferably story I can affect. I also want some form of challenge, NOT just 'pick who you want to date'.

[ham and brie]

I find it kind of interesting that the Japanese use different terminology from the distinction made in English between adventure games and visual novels.

Within Japanese terminology, most games that are called visual novels in English are just adventure games (abbreviated ADV or AVG). The distinction for a visual novel is the text style: it generally means a subcategory that uses the full screen for text, which allows the writing style to be closer to that of a novel. Leaf/Aquaplus used the term for games such as Shizuku and To Heart. Chunsoft had used Sound Novel for basically the same thing.

Which makes me wonder why -- with all that potential -- 90% of VNs are about a guy in highschool trying to pick one of several archetypical chicks. You have the ability to tell any story you want and make it sink deep, and this is what you choose to do over and over? I just don't get it. Western indie VNs are more varied, but the average quality is relatively low. I like Christine Love's games, but I think that Analogue for example looks pretty amateurish. Aside from the writing of course.

Two sided network effects cause almost any entertainment medium/genre to have a mass of rather similar works.

But would it also be fair to suggest that you might be less likely to be aware of the atypical work done by Japanese developers?

Christine Love's Analogue reminds me of the Serial Experiments Lain PlayStation adventure game, in which the player uncovers a story about Lain by going through data files such as her counsellor's audio logs.

[HöllenKobold]

its not a gaaaaaame

ok sorry you guys may resume your romance story books discussion now

well, that's why they're called visual novels

[TeeGee]

But would it also be fair to suggest that you might be less likely to be aware of the atypical work done by Japanese developers?

Yeah, quite possible. I realize this whole "all VNs are highschool romance" thing is a stereotype, and one I have to fight with every time I try to promote our game. But I think it doesn't come out of nowhere. The games that get imported are mostly that, and in consequence, most fan-made games are also that. It certainly doesn't help to remove the stigma.

[VDZ]

Within Japanese terminology, most games that are called visual novels in English are just adventure games (abbreviated ADV or AVG). The distinction for a visual novel is the text style: it generally means a subcategory that uses the full screen for text, which allows the writing style to be closer to that of a novel. Leaf/Aquaplus used the term for games such as Shizuku and To Heart. Chunsoft had used Sound Novel for basically the same thing.

Actually, text-overlaid-on-screen games are generally called NVL (novel) games in Japan, with AVG generally being reserved to textbox-at-the-bottom-of-the-screen games. Sound novel is one of those terms nobody fully agrees about, but generally it's defined as a VN that has more focus on its audio than its visuals.

Because 'visual novel' sounds kinda weird if you don't even have character sprites.

While we're at it, before anyone asks, the term 'kinetic novel' is sometimes used for linear VNs with no choices at all.

[voidSkipper]

I really love Kira Kira


And Deardrops


Two unrelated (until the crossover) but set in the same universe novels about indie rock/pop/punk bands. The latter of the two was the first game I completed entirely in Japanese!

But yeah, I love the characters, I love the sound tracks, and they go a long way to inspiring me in how to (and how not to) act in my real-life bands.

Too bad the sex scenes have a relatively developed case of Give Me The Chocolate, Hisao syndrome.

[ham and brie]

Actually, text-overlaid-on-screen games are generally called NVL (novel) games in Japan, with AVG generally being reserved to textbox-at-the-bottom-of-the-screen games.

Tell that to Leaf.

Sound novel is one of those terms nobody fully agrees about, but generally it's defined as a VN that has more focus on its audio than its visuals.

And tell that to the people that did the filming and photography for Chunsoft's 428.

While we're at it, before anyone asks, the term 'kinetic novel' is sometimes used for linear VNs with no choices at all.

Kinetic Novel is branding by VisualArt's for a line of products. Linearity is a characteristic (along with lack of porn), but it doesn't seem to be used as a genericized term for that in Japanese.

[moi]

it seems that VNs in japan are mostly for the creepy-shut-in/sex-predator demographic whereas in "the west" (USA) it is becoming a woman thing and they are enjoying it mainly because it is becoming a medium for childish girly stuff (just like arcade games had become a medium for childish boyish stuff)
Am I right or am I right ?

[ANtY]

What's a good VN to try for getting into visual novels?

Definitely Cinders, that's what got me into this genre.

It's much different than generic Japanese VNs so it's probably easier to get into.

[forwardresent]

I think with the rise of tablet devices more visual novels should appear, it's definitely the right platform for them. I'd love a 999 Android port, I stayed up all night multiple days to get all the endings.

I really enjoyed this short game by Bentosmile called Air Pressure, it's a really neat VN style game. I really like everything about it, it's just lovely. It resonated with me, it really showed me the potential of visual novels.

http://bentosmile.com/2010/03/01/new-game-air-pressure/

I'll check out Katawa Shoujo.

[TeeGee]

I think with the rise of tablet devices more visual novels should appear, it's definitely the right platform for them.

It's the right platform but unfortunately it seems that it's not the right marketplace. App stores are essentially casual portals. You either have something cheap/free and mass market that can raise to the top-10, or you may as well not waste your time. VNs are by definition niche and they tend to be pretty expensive, so chances for more of them appearing on tablets are very slim.