Visual Novels are a staple of the gaming community, but there are never triple-A studios releasing them, and aside from ones that were adapted into animes, the genre goes fairly unnoticed. They lack the attention-grabbing visual effects and the precise mechanics other games require and instead focus on story, music, and art.

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Like books, Visual Novels vary in quality and when people hear 'free,' they tend to think low-quality, which couldn't be further from the truth. If you're willing to sift through them all, you can definitely find free Visual Novels that can hold their weight against the big IPs, like Fate and Danganronpa.

9 Katawa Shoujo

Shizune And Misha Sitting At A Table And Rin, Hisao, And Emi Having a Picnic By A Tree

A charming Visual Novel from Four Leaf Studios in 2012, Katawa Shoujo follows a young man named Hisao Nakai diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia and congenital heart muscle deficiency. After months in the hospital, Hisao is enrolled in Yamaku High School, which is a specialist school that works with students that have various medical issues.

There are five female love interests to meet, along with several other side characters that are just as memorable. Besides having a clean art style, an enjoyable soundtrack, and solid writing, the game shows that people are more than their disabilities. At no point does the game feel patronizing, and you are given the chance to learn about different lifestyles with Hisao through the dialogue options, making it a great way to tackle the stigmas associated with disabilities.

8 One Night, Hot Springs

Haru, Erica, And Minami Talking In Their Room

One Night, Hot Springs is a short visual novel by npckc about a young transgender woman, Haru, visiting a Japanese onsen for her best friend's birthday. The game has a simple, cutesy art style that lightens the gravity of the game's story.

There aren't a ton of dialogue choices in the game, but each choice that you make for Haru is a choice that many transgender women have to deal with on a regular basis. Overall, One Night, Hot Springs is an enjoyable experience that gives an accurate insight into issues transgender women face, especially those living in Japan.

7 Cinderella Phenomenon

Lucette Touching Hands With Rod

A creative take on classic fairy tales, Cinderella Phenomenon takes place in a world where there is a Fairytale Curse that afflicts certain people with curses from specific tales. You play the Crown Princess Lucette, a snobby, entitled girl who struggles to deal with the death of her mother and her new step-family. Lucette is cursed, and it is up to you to try and break the curse.

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The game has five love interests, ten endings, and a good number of side characters that all have their own memorable stories, it's hard to believe that Cinderella Phenomenon is free to play. It is clear that the developers, Dicesuki, put their heart into the game, and it's no wonder that it has overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam.

6 Doki Doki Literature Club

Sayori, Yuri, Monika, And Natsuki Posing Next To One Another

With four love interests, striking visuals, and a story that subverts expectations, Doki Doki Literature Club! is a fantastic Visual Novel that instantly became popular due to its unpredictability. You play as a high school student that joins your school's literature club at the behest of your childhood friend and neighbor, Sayori. In the club, you'll meet the manga-loving Natsuki, the timid Yuri, and the club president, Monika.

The game lures its players in by feeling upbeat and cute... until it's not. It is almost impossible to say more without spoilers, but it is important that you know the game is not suitable for everyone. The trigger warnings attached to the game should be taken seriously, as the game can become extremely graphic at times. With that in mind, Doki Doki Literature Club! is a masterpiece, and while there is an expanded version, titled Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!, it is definitely worth playing the original one first.

5 Blooming Panic

Picture Of Quest Drinking And nightowl Waving

Have you ever joined a Discord server about your favorite game, television show, or book? In Blooming Panic, that's exactly what you do when you click an unknown link you receive. The link is an invitation to a Discord-style server where everyone is obsessed with your favorite book, Blooming Panic.

Blooming Panic perfectly simulates a small Discord server, with multiple chat channels and even a member list on the right side. The game takes about seven hours to complete and has eight different endings. Its creator, robobarbie, does an excellent job of creating a unique experience that is memorable, relatable, and just all around a good time.

4 Adventures With Anxiety!

Human Eating Sandwich With Anxiety Wolf And Woman Talking To Human At A Party

Microscopic in length, Adventures With Anxiety! is a fun Visual Novel where you play as a red guard dog representing a human's anxiety. It is your job to protect your human from anything and everything that could put it in danger, for better or worse. Sometimes your human will fight back, but you know what's best for them, and you have to make sure they listen.

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Jokes aside, Adventures With Anxiety! is an over-the-top Visual Novel by Nicky Case that helps conceptualize how many people struggle with anxiety. The human in the game is faced with normal, everyday life choices, and it is your job to stop them from enjoying that life. If you struggle with severe anxiety, the game can sometimes hit a little too close to home, but it is definitely a validating experience that is worth the 30 minutes of playtime.

3 Syrup And The Ultimate Sweet

Syrup Standing With Gumdrop And Toffee In A Market, Talking

Syrup And The Ultimate Sweet puts you in the role of a candy alchemist named Syrup, or Sy for short. Sy hates magic, which is unfortunate as she lives in a town of witches. One day Sy wakes up to find a pink candy golem in her candy shop that she eventually employs even though it is a magical creation.

Throughout the game, you will get to a variety of witches, all with candy-based names and characteristics. Sy's relationships with the witches vary, but overall she comes off as confrontational due to her hate of magic and the ridicule she endures for refusing to use it. Visually, Syrup And The Ultimate Sweet feels like what you would see in a kid's cartoon show. From a writing perspective, the game is well crafted, with solid jokes and a straightforward story.

2 Ebon Light

Protagonist Sitting On Rock Looking At A Ship In The Ocean While Elf Stands Watching

A dark fantasy Visual Novel by Underbliss that could easily be turned into a Young Adult Fiction book, Ebon Light follows a young girl who finds herself kidnapped by elves. It is the classic story of a plain, nothing-special-about-me village girl having her life turned upside down as she is taken on a grand adventure by a dark, brooding man.

What sets Ebon Light apart from other generic stories, however, is its dialogue choices. Unlike many other Visual Novels, Ebon Light is not afraid to put multiple in a single scene, and the choices available are affected by the choices you made during your character creation. The art for the game is exceptional, with each background standing out even though the color palette sticks to darker colors and gray.

1 Mystic Messenger

Banner Featuring 707, Jaehee, V, Jumin, Zen, And Yoosung With Mystic Messenger Logo In Front

Mystic Messenger is an iconic mobile Korean Visual Novel that was released in 2016 by the developer, Cheritz. You play as a woman who joins a mysterious charity organization called the RFA after downloading an app on her phone. There are three romance options in the free "Casual Story", with five more available through the use of Hour Glasses (the in-game currency that can be purchased or occasionally earned through gameplay).

What makes Mystic Messenger so memorable is that the game takes place in real-time. Chats will only be available at certain times, and you'll even have to answer calls from the other members of the RFA. Each character is well-developed, and the overall plot of the game keeps you invested even when you have to wait for hours for anything to happen. While the game encourages you to buy Hour Glasses to speed up or redo events, it is entirely unnecessary to enjoy the game.

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