2021 has been a great year for visual novels. We’ve had a ton of great ones released in English. Shiravune has made a big splash by dropping repeated surprise releases. We’ve seen some surprisingly good indie releases too. As we roll over into 2022, we’d like to take a look back. KuroKairin, Wes Playfair, and myself […]
Set in a fantasy world where alchemists, spirits, and mages exist, Arcadia Fallen is an Original English Language Visual Novel (OELVN) by Galdra Studios. It brings players on an 8 to 11-hour adventure where they will be tackling malicious demons, moral decisions, and logic puzzles. Arcadia Fallen was successfully funded through its Kickstarter campaign in 2020 and this […]
Every hero has an origin story. These days, it’s probably been made into a 3-hour long CGI spectacle. Villains too – we naturally wonder what compels a person to install a death ray on their moon base and try to destroy the world. But what about the people standing behind these titans? And no, not […]
Currently on Kickstarter until mid-October, Dear Mom: My Letter to You is a slice-of-life social sim and romance visual novel by indie developer Mangoku418. It follows the story of Ayame Kawasaki, an 18-year-old high school student who lost her mother to suicide one year earlier. After having shut herself away during her year-long absence from Yamada Hoshi […]
I’ve heard good things about writer and developer ebi-hime in the English visual novel community but had never tried any of her games. I thought the release of her latest visual novel Embraced by Autumn seemed a good excuse to change that. ebi-hime is best known for her dark tales, but Embraced by Autumn is […]
Make sure you check your sleeping bag, water bottle, and backpack off the essentials list because we‘re going camping, ladies and gentleman! Welcome to an overview of the demo for Complex Relations; it’s a visual novel that’s currently being developed by Amai Works. If you’d like, there’s a downloadable demo on itch.io. JUST A SUMMER FLING! Complex Relations has the sub-title of […]
Prepare to solve a mystery not as a detective but as a lawbreaker in Sol Dorado Heist, a short visual novel released for PC on 23 April 2021 by indie developer Megalixir Games. In this two to three hours long game, play as Alex Thorn who wakes up one morning from a vivid dream where […]
Calling all living and non-living individuals. Welcome to Gloom and Doom – a homage to 90’s slacker movies. Not exactly what most expect of a visual novel! FIRST IMPRESSIONS! As far as visual novels go, it’s eye-catching to see one that strays from the anime aesthetic. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining about that […]
We are back on track today for one more entry into our beloved series, welcome to Sade: A My Time with Dee Dee story! We’ve covered every one of them so far and we are into this for the biggest and most ambitious project so far. If you are a long-time follower of the site, […]
Step into the shoes of an aspiring actress in The Last Act, an indie mystery otome visual novel by Snowhaven Studios, where her audition for a role at a theatrical play wraps her into more drama than she bargained for. Released for PC on 16 March 2021, this original English language visual novel (OELVN) focuses […]