2015 was a pretty good year for visual novels. There was a little bit of something for everyone, starting the year with a romance story in eden*, and closing out the year with a killer steampunk/fantasy title in Gahkthun, with everything in between. But it was also a year characterized by delays. If there’s one good thing about these delays, it’s that 2016 is going to be kind of insane! After a bit of a lull in January, we’re going to be getting big title after big title. Let’s take a look at the English releases we consider noteworthy in some way, both fan translated and official!
Everything in the following lists we believe has a reasonable chance of coming out this year. If there’s any amount of uncertainty, we’ll say so. In actuality, the large majority of these are almost certain to be released this year. But as we’ve learned from last year, delays can and will happen. Especially for the fan translations, unexpected circumstances can slow down or stall progress entirely, so set your expectations accordingly. Titles that I am personally most excited for are going to be bolded.
Ikusa Megami Zero Sound Collection Dishes List
Discussion The Root Double Kickstarter and The Problem With Sekai Project (rockmandash12.kinja.com). World' or IroSeka or Hatsuyuki Sakura or Ikusa Megami Zero or Sayooshi or Hello Lady! Or RuiTomo or Angel Beats, and others. Merchandise collection options are limited with most VNs though. Kickstarters provide one such opportunity, so.
Charage:
The general catch-all label for low-concept character-focused games with heavy romance elements. Can include moe comedy, heavy drama, and other similar titles.
- Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm – A story set in a world where flying with crazy sci-fi shoes has become a sport, made by the creators of Koichoco. Translation is nearly finished and QC will follow. (project page)
- AstralAir no Shiroki Towa – From the makers of Hoshizora no Memoria, this one sounds even more fantastical by comparison. Raw translation is nearly two-thirds done and at their current rate will be done in around six to nine months. (project page)
- BokuTen – Why I Became An Angel – Overdrive, popular for Kira Kira and Deardrops, drops most of the musical elements for this one and aims to give us a more somber story. MangaGamer is releasing it, and it’s currently 73% translated.
- Chrono Clock – The protagonist acquires a watch that allows him to turn back time five minutes, but is only interested in having fun with it. Purple Software’s first game to be translated, licensed by Sekai Project.
- Da Capo III – The biggest Da Capo game yet, and by all accounts, the best. I don’t know how much faith I have in its 2016 release, but MangaGamer is saying it’ll happen, and the translator set a personal goal to finish translation by AX in July.
- Flowers -Le Volume sur Printemps- – Innocent Grey, previously known for their grisly murder mysteries, produced this all-ages yuri romance/mystery story to surprisingly good results. Licensed by JAST, it’s currently in editing. (official page)
- Grisaia Sequels – The Labyrinth and The Eden of Grisaia, sequels to the insanely popular Fruit of Grisaia/Grisaia no Kajitsu, should both be coming out this year. Although after some production delays with Labyrinth, Eden could be cutting it close, so don’t be surprised if that slips to 2017. (Kickstarter page)
- Harmonia – Key’s latest kinetic novel, in the same vein as Planetarian. Currently unreleased in either Japanese or English, this will be their first simultaneous release, and is scheduled for Spring. (Steam page)
- Kimi ga Nozomu Eien – AKA Rumbling Hearts, a complex and emotional romance story from the creators of Muv-Luv, it’s regarded as a classic. This one won’t be ready until late in the year, if it makes it. (project page)
- Kindred Spirits on the Roof – Liar-soft’s comedy Yuri title was licensed by MangaGamer last year. Two lesbian ghosts fall in love and decide to turn the school they attended into a “yuritopia.” Is currently fully translated and edited. (official page)
- Koi ga Saku Koro Sakura Doki – The most popular guy in school wants nothing to do with love, and neither do any of his female friends. Somehow they all fall in love with him anyways, including a shinigami. Yep. Translation and two editing passes are already completed, and the final pass should be finished in a month or two. (project page)
- Kono Oozora ni, Tsubasa o Hirogete (retranslation) – AKA If My Heart Had Wings. It has become hugely popular in the west despite the shit translation. Because the translation is shit, several members of Fuwanovel are retranslating it and their work is almost done, rejoice! (Fuwanovel thread)
- Little Busters! Perfect Edition – The hugely popular Key nakige is getting its ultimate, most featureful version released this year by Fruitbat Factory, with three new routes and lots of new common route content. But no porn.
- Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai! A-1 – The Majikoi A games are basically a series of fandiscs with three selectable stories in each one, each being the length of a character route. A-1 features Sayaka (Yukie’s sister), Azumi, and Benkei, and is 64% translated. (project page)
- Narcissu 10th Anniversary Project – Headlined by Narcissu 3, this will be a collection featuring the entire Narcissu series, with some previously untranslated works, some previously translated but remade works, and some entirely new works. Freshly Kickstarted by Sekai Project, the release is estimated for April. (Kickstarter page)
- Neko Para Vol. 2 – Everyone’s favorite kittens are back! … Yay? Well, lots of people seemed to like the first one. The sequel is coming out February 20th.
- Princess Evangile W Happiness – The fandisc to the very popular moege Princess Evangile, with several new routes and side stories featuring the original heroines. No progress has yet to be reported by MangaGamer but they say it’s releasing this year.
- Rewrite Harvest festa! – Rewrite’s fandisc, featuring a series of light-hearted side-stories for all of the heroines as well as an RPG minigame. Progress has been a little slow but it’s already about 80% done. (project page)
- Tenshin Ranman – Lucky or Unlucky!? – From the creators of Noble Works and Dracu-Riot, it’s another light-hearted comedy moege. Sekai Project announced the license last year, they haven’t given us any progress reports but a release this year seems likely.
- Wagamama High Spec – A high-school author of perverted manga is discovered by the (female, obviously) student council president, who blackmails him into joining. Moege ensues. Sekai Project licensed this, and is currently slated for Spring 2016. (official page)
Story-heavy VNs:
Features high-concept storylines that are driven by but not dominated by its characters. May feature romance as a side element.
Ikusa Megami Zero Vndb
- Corpse Party (PC) – What should be the most complete version of Corpse Party, the hit horror VN, releasing on Steam by XSEED. It’s been long delayed but it should finally be coming out “soon.” (XSEED forums thread)
- Corpse Party 2: Dead Patient (Ch.1) – Same horror goodness, featuring a new cast of characters. A translation of Chapter 1 was released last year, but a more polished version is also being worked on. (project page)
- Fault -Milestone Two- Side:Below – This doujin “fantasy science” adventure series that has gained some popularity and has accrued good ratings on VNDB. Licensed by Sekai Project.
- Himawari – This sci-fi doujin story took Japan by storm, and is very highly rated. Licensed by Mangagamer, it’s fully translated and edited, and is in the programming stage. (official site)
- The House in Fata Morgana – Another highly rated horror VN, has a cool gothic art style. Licensed by MangaGamer, translation is at 95%. (official-ish page)
- Koiken Otome – A chuuni-action/moege hybrid, cute girls with swords do things. “Story-heavy” might be a stretch, it’s somewhere in the middle. All of the numbers on the translator’s site are really high, so how could this NOT come out this year? (project page)
- Libra of the Vampire Princess – Another chuuni-action/moege hybrid, cute vampires and nuns go to school and swing swords at each other or something. If the Kickstarter is successful, the English release is tentatively planned for 2016. It’s currently at 62%, help ’em out! (Kickstarter page)
- Muv-Luv Trilogy – Okay, these are already available in english, but they’re now getting official commercial releases courtesy of Degica. The rough fan translation should hopefully be getting the polish these games deserve. Muv-Luv (Extra and Unlimited) should release this spring. (Kickstarter page)
- Root Double -Before Crime * After Days- – From the director of Ever17, 9 people are trapped in a research facility and must survive the effects of a nuclear meltdown for 9 hours. Sounds vaguely familiar. People love this game. Supposedly coming out this March, that’s soon! Sekai Project and Lemnisca are putting this out. (Kickstarter page – Now live!)
- Subarashiki Hibi ~Furenzoku Sonzai~– Considered among their favorites by many, this surreal and apocalyptic high school drama was recently announced to get an official English release from the original developers and TLWiki. The script is said to already be ready, so it hopefully won’t take much longer. (old project page)
- Sumaga – The next Nitro+ title to be released in English, the protagonist wakes up to find himself falling in a strange world. Was supposed to be released last summer but that didn’t happen. JAST says the translation is done and it’s in editing.
- Tokeijikake no Ley Line -Tasogaredoki no Kyoukaisen- – Magical anime Scooby Doo. Run around solving the school’s mysteries with the help of kawaii magic users. The translation project seems to have been frozen in the QC stage, with translation and editing already completed. Since it’s so close I’m putting it on this list, but be wary because the project currently seems stuck. (project page)
- Tokyo Babel – Heaven and Hell are jacked up, entire worlds are dying, and everyone’s stuck in purgatory. Doesn’t sound like a good time, but it might be fun to read about it! Fully translated and in editing, licensed by MangaGamer. (official page)
- Zero Time Dilemma – AKA Zero Escape 3, the next game by the creator of 999 and Virtue’s Last Reward, expect the same style of desperate survival situations with crazy plot twists. May actually release in English first, Aksys is giving a vague 2016 release date currently. Only for 3DS and Vita.
Root Double
Gameplay VNs:
These are RPGs, strategy games, dating sims, and so on, all containing heavy VN-like elements.
- Beat Blades Haruka – A sex-heavy RPG/raising-sim featuring modern-day kunoichi, and Alice Soft’s first official release in the west. Translation and editing are finished and testing is underway, MangaGamer wants to release this ASAP. (official page – NSFW)
- Bunny Black 2 – The second in this dungeon crawling series, the first was fairly popular among fans of dungeon-crawling VNs. Translation is progressing along rapidly, with a beta patch already released. (project thread)
- Seinarukana -The Spirit of Eternity Sword 2- – Sequel to Aselia the Eternal, this is another strategy RPG featuring the clashing of the real and fantasy worlds. Translation finished ages ago and apparently JAST is in the final prep stages. They have been for like a year. Any moment now…
Otome and BL:
And now, a little something for the ladies (and certain men). Note: I honestly don’t pay much attention to these so I’m just winging it here.
- Black Wolves Saga – Rejet’s popular political fantasy otome game. Translation and editing is already done and there’s just a little bit of TLC left. (project page)
- Brothers Conflict – There are a whole lot of brothers. Like, a whole lot. A girl randomly gets thrown into the mix and chaos ensues. The “Passion Pink” version is currently 100% translated. (project page)
- Ken ga Kimi – Another popular Rejet otome title, a supernatural tale taking place in Japan’s edo period. Translation and editing are nearly done. (project page)
- OZMAFIA!! – MangaGamer’s first otome translation, a girl is thrown into a strange land and ends up under the protection of a mafia family. Translation is nearly finished at 92%.
- Sweet Pool – From the makers of Dramatical Murder, another popular Nitro+Chiral BL game. Translation, TLC, proofreading is all finished, so it should hopefully not take long. (project thread – registration required)
OELVN:
Standing for “Original English Language Visual Novel,” for our purposes, this category will contain pretty much any VN that originates in the west. Note: See previous note.
- Exogenesis – Perils of Rebirth – A post-apocalyptic adventure/VN hybrid that’s shooting for the moon. Was Kickstarted in 2014 and blew past their December 2014 estimate. Well, it’s now 2016, so… If you hear it from them, they’re now progressing along smoothly, if that continues, a release this year is probable. (official site)
- Highway Blossoms – A short yuri romance title featuring a traveling vagabond and a hitchhiker in the American Southwest. (official site)
- The Human Reignition Project – This kickstarted project is a somewhat lengthy (for OELVNs) science-fiction tale with romance and several branching routes. The estimated release date was December 2016, but Kickstarter projects are prone to delays. (official site)
- Ladykiller in a Bind – An erotically charged cross-dressing adventure from the mind behind Digital: A Love Story and Analogue: A Hate Story. I found the super short teaser to be pretty entertaining. Releasing in “Early 2016.” (official site – NSFW)
- Love, Money, Rock’n’Roll – A high-school drama presumably featuring plenty of music, love, and money, from the head writer behind Everlasting Summer. Has great art for an OELVN and multiple heroine routes. Nothing is known about the release beyond a vague 2016 estimate. (official site)
- No One But You – One of the longest, most traditional bishoujo-style OELVNs since Katawa Shoujo. And it’s coming out later this month! January 19th, to be specific. (official site)
- Sunrider: Liberation Day – Space-themed strategy game, girls, and not-quite-18+ erotic scenes. Not gonna lie, these games confuse me a little. VNDB says the first game isn’t finished yet but there’s already a dating sim spinoff and now there’s this sequel? I dunno *shrug*. (official site)
Ryechu’s Nukige Corner
Many of you know may know Ryechu as the Fuwareviews boss. A few of you particularly naughty boys and girls may be familiar with his “Ryechu’s Nukige Corner” series of nukige reviews. As Fuwanovel’s foremost authority on all things anime porn, he’s here to share with us his profound expertise, giving us his thoughts on 2016’s nukige releases. [consider all links NSFW]
2015 was quite the year for nukige releases. On the Japanese front, the latest installment of the Sono Hanabira series released at the end of the year, and it is gorgeous. You also had a “touching simulator” that sparked a LOT of controversy (and decent discussion, on sites that allowed it) that was released by Shiritsu Sakuranbo Shougakkou. On the English front, we saw lots of great titles. From flagship titles like Euphoria and Starless to translations of lesser known titles like Ona-Ken!, Iinazuke wa Imouto-sama! (which still needs editing, but is pretty damn good), Lilium x Triangle (which Fuwanovel members Nosebleed, rainsismyfav (SPELLING?), and I worked on!), and Bacchikoi. There was something to scratch every niche itch out there. 2015 will definitely be hard to top.
2016 does have some promising titles already in production. Beat Blades Haruka, created by Alicesoft (of Rance fame), translated by Arunaru, and assumedly releasing sometime in the near future (the game is in beta testing according to their site), is a fantastic title that has what appears to be over hundred H-Scenes. Also on the Mangagamer front is Kuroinu, which also caters to a LOT of fetishes. Produced by Liquid, a company well-known for their nukige releases (some of which have seen English releases), this title shows a lot of promise, but the translation has been on the slow side, so we may not see this until late 2016, or maybe even 2017, unless progress significantly picks up. Similarly, JAST is still working on Bitch na Ichinichi. This title looks interesting, but with JAST’s hectic release schedule, and often the quality of their releases as well, I’m not going to hold my breath just yet.
Unfortunately the Rance stuff has been halted due the MG-Alicesoft agreement, so Rance fans may have to wait a bit before anything from that camp comes out. Also halted were the SonoHana projects in hopes that they will continued to be picked up. I’m looking forward to Washi TL’s Fan-TL of Hoka no Onna no Ko to H wo Shiteiru Ore wo Mite Koufun Suru Kanojo, since the world always need a bit more NTR. I’m also looking forward to getting to work on Immoral Little with Nosebleed, but I know he’s been busy lately, so I’ll be patient!
Beat Blades Haruka
Clephas’ Top 10 most anticipated Japanese releases of 2016
Clephas is perhaps Fuwanovels most avid reader of Japanese-language VNs, voraciously consuming almost every genre. When he’s not reading, he’s sharing his thoughts on most everything he plays in his Fuwanovel blog. We asked him which ten Japanese release he’s most looking forward to.
- Koi Suru Otome to Shugo no Tate ~Bara no Seibo~ – It is the sequel to the original Shugo no Tate, coming back with the same protagonist and a new set of heroines. Based on my experiences with the original, it will be worth playing.
- Hataraku Otona no Ren’ai Jijou – It looks to be a pure love story between more adult characters written by the same guy who did Dekinai Watashi ga, Kurikaesu. I find it interesting because very few non-nukige in today’s world bother with non-teenagers.
- Shoujo-tachi wa Kouya o Mezasu – This might or might not be good, but I’m going to play it anyway. At the very least, it will be interesting to see what Minato Soft (Majikoi dev) does with a non-ero title on the PC. [ed. note: It’s also written by Tanaka Romeo of Cross Channel, Rewrite, and Jintai fame!]
- Otome ga Irodoru Koi no Essence – A new VN by the writer of Koi no Canvas. I’m going to hope that they figured out their screwups with their more recent games and actually let him do what he wants with it, rather than forcing him into their preferences.
- Tayutama 2 – Despite myself, I can’t help but be tempted by a direct sequel to the original, especially since Tayutama is one of only a few VNs I’ve seen that did an immortal heroine route in a satisfactory manner.
- Sankai Ou no Yubiwa – Eushully’s newest game. Though it isn’t a new Ikusa Megami game, it is based in the same universe and I’m interested to see whether it will be another Kamidori (low quality but better than the average gameplay VN) or another Ikusa Megami Zero (unbelievably high quality both as a VN and as a game).
- Akeiro Kaikitan – This apparently shares characters with Nanairo Reincarnation, as well as the basic staff. Thus, I have hopes for another kamige, almost despite myself.
- Tokyo Necro – This VN looks interesting. However, more important is the fact that the old Nitroplus team (Muramasa, Jingai Makyou, etc) is coming back to life, maybe making it possible we won’t have to endure anymore Sumaga derivatives.
- Kadenz Fermata//Akkord:Fortissimo – Despite myself, I can’t help but look forward to this, though I don’t believe in chuuni VN sequels.
- Chuuni Hime no Teikoku – I am hoping for a repeat of the hilarious experience of Chuuning Lover.
Sound Collection Dishes
Whew! What I thought would just be a quick one or two hour project turned into something much bigger. I hope you appreciate this preview, and perhaps found something new in the process. Keep in mind that these were the titles that I found noteworthy, there may be some I omitted that you would enjoy. Check out this list to see all currently unreleased but planned english translations, and this list for commercial OELVNs. Couldn’t fit ’em all, though! Shout outs to Ryechu and Clephas for contributing to the article, to Zakamutt for his helpful corrections, and to Tay for making the header image.
NOTE: Just prior to this article’s publication, otome translation group Golden Spirit has unfortunately been issued a cease and desist order for their translation of the Starry Sky series, and have also placed their other two translations, Black Wolves Saga and Ken ga Kimi, on “semi-hiatus.” These latter two titles have made our list, and we will keep them on it as it seems like the group may return to them at some point. We wish Golden Spirit the best in their endeavors.
Welcome to the world of Pokemon Visual Novels! Here I'll list some of the great titles available in English officially or by fan translation. For those new to the genre I'll have some picked out available for free as well as some titles available to purchase in English, but feel free to ask for some suggestions in the thread if you aren't sure where to start. These posts will be updated continually to add more to the roster, so PM me if you have one that I've missed!
Official Releases:
Availability: Out of Print
Developer: KID
Plaforms: PC
Rating: T for Teen
It is spring in the year 2017. Kuranari Takeshi, a normal college student, has come to visit the futuristic underwater theme park “LeMU” with his friends. However, an accident leads to a
breach in the upper levels of LeMU, and the theme park slowly begins to take on water. In the ensuing chaos, Takeshi suddenly finds himself trapped inside LeMU along with five other
strangers with no means of escape and no way to contact the outside world. With its structures compromised, LeMU will implode from the external pressure of the sea water within five days.
Takeshi and the others must now figure out a way to escape before it is too late.
Availability: Amazon
Developer: Chunsoft
Plaforms: Nintendo DS
Rating: M for Mature (Blood, Drug Reference, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence)
Junpei, a normal college student, suddenly finds himself along with eight other strangers involved in a deadly conspiracy he could never have imagined. He wakes aboard an old cruise liner.
Dazed and confused, he stumbles around the room he finds himself in, trying desperately to remember how he got there. The first thing he notices is a number, scrawled across the door…
A bright red number 5. As Junpei’s memory returns, his mind is filled with the image of a mysterious figure in a gas mask, and their haunting words:
“You are going to participate in a game. The Nonary Game. It is a game…where you will put your life on the line.”
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni/Higurashi When They Cry
Availability: Digital Download
Developer: 07th Expansion
Plaforms: PC, iOS
Rating: CERO D
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni takes place during June 1983, at a fictional rural village called Hinamizawa (雛見沢?) (based on the village of Shirakawa, Gifu, a World Heritage Site), which has a population of approximately 2,000. The main character, Keiichi Maebara, moves to Hinamizawa and befriends his new classmates Rena Ryugu, Mion Sonozaki, Rika Furude, and Satoko Houjou. Keiichi joins their after-school club activities, which consist mostly of card and board games (and punishment games for the loser, usually him.) Hinamizawa appears to be a normal, peaceful, rural village to Keiichi. However, the tranquility abruptly ends after the annual Watanagashi Festival, a celebration to commemorate and give thanks to the local god, Oyashiro. Keiichi learns that every year for the past four years, one person has been murdered and another has gone missing on the day of the Watanagashi Festival. Keiichi himself soon becomes drawn into the strange events surrounding the Watanagashi Festival and Oyashiro. In each story arc, he or one of his friends become paranoid, and a crime is committed. Usually, the crime involves the murder of one of their own friends. While it seems impossible to tell their delusions apart from the mystery of Hinamizawa, slowly the truth is revealed.
Availability: Digital Download (Free)
Developer: Stage-nana
Plaforms: PC
Rating: All Ages
The anonymous protagonist is diagnosed with a terminal illness shortly after his twentieth birthday, and is admitted to a hospital in Mito, Ibaraki. There he meets Setsumi, a woman a few years older, who is also terminally ill. Finding that they both reject to die either in hospital or at home, they steal a car and run away together.
Availability: ??? (Himeya undergoing restructuring recently so it is unclear.)
Developer: C's Ware
Plaforms: PC
Rating: 18+
A Bizarre Serial Murder Mystery. There's A Serial Killer Close By. A Prohibited Psychothriller. The Multi-Sight System Reveals Surprising Truth!
In this game there are two heroes, Kojiroh and Marina, who are each called to solve their own cases. This game allows you to switch characters at any time to solve the mysteries these heroes encounter. This 'Multi-Sight Adventure' allows you to view what's happening behind-the-scenes from the other character's perspective, bump into each other, and sometimes even help each other out. Together, they come closer and closer to the shocking truth through their combined actions and skills of deduction.
Marina's Episode: Marina is a national intelligence agent with a 99% success rate. Her new assignment is to protect the daughter of a Japanese embassy official stationed abroad. As you encounter numerous attackers, you become aware of a dangerous government dispute that is the root of all these attacks.
Kojiroh's Episode: A seemingly down-on-his-luck private investigator finally gets a break, as he is hired to locate some mysterious piece of art. Even though he feels a little weird about this case, the pay is huge! Yet he may be drawn into an unexpected nightmare involving a string of bizarre murders.
Availability: ???
Developer: C's Ware
Plaforms: PC
Rating: 18+
In the southern ocean on a remote island is a huge research institute called 'Desire'. An institute built by the large, world renowned financial group, Grandchester Foundation. It's rumored they are involved in military-related research, but what it is exactly is kept a carefully guarded secret. For this reason, a journalist for SNT (Social News Time Network), Albert Macdgul (or Al for short) visits 'Desire' in order to collect information for a story. He's one of the rare few who have been granted access to 'Desire'. So it's in high spirits that he sets forth to complete his story. While at 'Desire' he meets a girl named Tina, who is suffering from memory loss. She is destined to change his fate forever. Murder, bomb threats, mysteries shadowing her existence... How far will the chaos go? On the other hand, Makoto Izumi, technical manager at 'Desire', finds out how dangerous their research is, and asks her boss, Dr. Stella, to stop all the experiments. Then she finds out that someone on the outside is going to interfere with the research...
Availability: Out of Print
Developer: Abel Software
Plaforms: PC
Rating: 15+
The year 2000. Kasumi Shindo is at first glance a run-of-the-mill high school student in modern-day Japan. However, beneath his normal appearance, Kasumi is in fact a top-notch treasure hunter. This time, Kasumi is aiming to seek out the lost 11th Commandment of Moses. Kasumi discovers that his childhood friend, Reina Tachibana is in southern Europe participating in an archeological dig. Pretending to be a tourist, he visits the excavation area and manages to get put on the excavation staff. But he is not the only treasure hunter looking for the Eleventh Commandment of Moses and before he knows it, he's embroiled in a dangerous adventure.
Yume Miru Kusuri - A Drug That Makes You Dream
Availability: Digital Download, Online Order
Developer: Ruf
Plaforms: PC
Rating: 18+
Kouhei Kagami is a Japanese student with excellent grades and a fairly normal social life, but feels empty and transparent inside. The story revolves a pivotal moment in Kouhei's life where three girls more depressed and lonely than himself get involved with him and make his boring life a roller coaster of emotions. Kouhei must choose one of them or risk losing all of them to their own despair.
Kira Kira
Availability: Digital Download
Developer: OverDrive
Plaforms: PC, iOS
Rating: 18+ and All Ages
Shikanosuke Maejima is a student at the Missionary school, Oubi Academy. He doesn't attend his club, he doesn't put much effort in his studies, all he does is show up at his part time job; in short, his life could be better. One day, he meets a strange girl, Kirari Shiino, at work and before he knows it, they've formed a punk band.
Kira Kira Curtain Call
Availability: Digital Download
Developer: OverDrive
Plaforms: PC
Rating: 18+
Several years have passed since the amateur band Second Literature Club spent a summer touring Japan and performing live. When Shikanosuke and his friends graduated from Oubi Academy, the legends they left behind drew several experienced musicians to seek entry into Oubi Academy. Every year, these excellent musicians seek to join the Girls Light Music Club, which inherited the name of Shikanosuke's band, and every year they give high quality performances rivaling the original.
My Girlfiend is the President!
Availability: 2011 Release
Developer: Alcot
Plaforms: PC
Rating: 18+
It started out as an ordinary morning, woken up by my childhood friend. Had a good breakfast… complete with morning hard-ons. An ordinary, everyday eroge scene. Or… so it seemed. Things would never be the same from that day, as peaceful everyday life was blown to bits. An accident on a spaceship heading to earth, causes it to crash on the Prime Minister of Nippon’s office. The leaders end up in a state too horrible to see. To avoid chaos, the lo-[censored] alien choose a girl who happened to be there, and to make ends meet, brainwashed all of mankind. Nippon adopts a presidential system overnight, and incredibly, a girl, my childhood friend, is the president. The world will answer to her every whim. And not a soul questions this strange world.
The president of the major power Russia, comes to Nippon. The dangerous Tsar of beautiful Russia. And a spaceship comes to attack. An international crisis breaks out over the hero. What will happen to the world? Why did this happen? The hero somehow remembers how the world was til yesterday. Based on his memory, the world is put back together again.
Deus Machina Demonbane
Availability: Release Candidate in testing.
Developer: Nitro+
Plaforms: PC
Rating: 18+
Arkham city is a bustling hub of commerce and industry, however Arkham is also a center of eldrich lore: home to Miskatonic University, an institution of higher learning with one of the most complete libraries of arcane literature in the world. In the span of two generations the town was built up to the status of prestige it now commands, an expansion helmed by the Hadou Group, an industrial complex and family dynasty currently run by the young Hadou Ruri. She pursues the peace and prosperity of Arkham diligently, against the forces of darkness threatening to plunge the city, and the world, back into a second dark age. Among the most sinister threats to Arkham City is the evil Black Lodge syndicate. Led by the charismatic Master Therion, his nihilistic outlook shapes the group's destructive goals: with a circle of powerful sorcerers at his command, the potential for sowing chaos in the city is unmatched.
Former Miskatonic University Magic Academy student Daijuuji Kurou knows little of grimoires, but what he does know terrifies him - enough that he left his university life behind, and now practices a failing detective business in the shelter of an orphanage in a quiet corner of Arkham. But just when he thought his Academy past was buried, it catches up with him and pulls him back into the dark shadows of the occult: Hadou Ruri herself appears at his door with an offer he can't refuse. The only way to combat the Black Lodge's growing magical power is to find, and retrieve, a grimoire with the power to activate the mightiest Machina of all: Demonbane. The quest to find this forbidden tome will change Kurou's destiny... forever.
Availability: Out of Print
Developer: Konami
Plaforms: Mega-CD
Rating: T for Teen
On June 6, 1996 (1991 in the Japanese versions), a chemical weapon known as Lucifer-Alpha under development in Chernoton, Russia, is released into the atmosphere, resulting in the death of 80% of the Eurasian population which in turn results in the death of half of the world's population. The contaminated area becomes uninhabitable for a decade, when Lucifer-Alpha mutates into a non-lethal form. This tragic event later becomes known as 'the Catastrophe'.
Fifty years later, a breed of artificial life-forms or bioroids known as 'snatchers' began appearing in the artificial island of Neo Kobe City, killing their victims and taking their place in society. Nobody knows exactly what they are or where they come from. As Gillian Seed, an amnesiac working for an Anti-Snatcher task force called J.U.N.K.E.R., the player's goal is to track down the source of the snatchers and discover Gillian's mysterious connections with them.
Availability: Out of Print
Developer: Nitro+
Plaforms: PC
Rating: 18+
Phantom of Inferno is a story detailing the life of a 15-year-old Japanese boy who is kidnapped after witnessing the killing of a reporter. After being kidnapped his memories of his past life are erased and is given the choice to join Inferno or die. He makes the only choice he can to join and is given the name Zwei and will study under Ein. She is also known as Phantom since this is the title given to the organization's top assassin.
Availability: Available Now
Developer: Cing
Plaforms: Nintendo DS
Rating: T for Teen
The main setting is the fictional Hotel Dusk, a small, somewhat rundown hotel located in the southwestern United States near Los Angeles, California during the year 1979. The protagonist is Kyle Hyde, a former member of the New York Police Department searching for his old partner, Brian Bradley. During his stay at the hotel, Kyle unravels a mystery shrouded in the hotel's past that may lead him to the answers he's looking for.
Availability: Digital Download
Developer: Child-Dream
Plaforms: iOS
Rating: N/A
A Scar of the Doll is a psychological horror visual novel with adventure game elements, directed and written by Folklore scenario writer Hidehisa Miyashita. The story is set in late December and revolves around the young woman Asumi Kamijo. She has lost all contact to her older sister, who goes to a graduate school in Tokyo. Worried about her, Asumi travels alone to the capital to confirm her well-being, but the lab she was assigned to and the apartment she lived in show no trace of her. Asumi is determined to find out what happened to her sister, though she does not know the horrors that await her in the midst of uncovering the truth.
Official Releases:
Availability: Out of Print
Developer: KID
Plaforms: PC
Rating: T for Teen
It is spring in the year 2017. Kuranari Takeshi, a normal college student, has come to visit the futuristic underwater theme park “LeMU” with his friends. However, an accident leads to a
breach in the upper levels of LeMU, and the theme park slowly begins to take on water. In the ensuing chaos, Takeshi suddenly finds himself trapped inside LeMU along with five other
strangers with no means of escape and no way to contact the outside world. With its structures compromised, LeMU will implode from the external pressure of the sea water within five days.
Takeshi and the others must now figure out a way to escape before it is too late.
Availability: Amazon
Developer: Chunsoft
Plaforms: Nintendo DS
Rating: M for Mature (Blood, Drug Reference, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence)
Junpei, a normal college student, suddenly finds himself along with eight other strangers involved in a deadly conspiracy he could never have imagined. He wakes aboard an old cruise liner.
Dazed and confused, he stumbles around the room he finds himself in, trying desperately to remember how he got there. The first thing he notices is a number, scrawled across the door…
A bright red number 5. As Junpei’s memory returns, his mind is filled with the image of a mysterious figure in a gas mask, and their haunting words:
“You are going to participate in a game. The Nonary Game. It is a game…where you will put your life on the line.”
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni/Higurashi When They Cry
Availability: Digital Download
Developer: 07th Expansion
Plaforms: PC, iOS
Rating: CERO D
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni takes place during June 1983, at a fictional rural village called Hinamizawa (雛見沢?) (based on the village of Shirakawa, Gifu, a World Heritage Site), which has a population of approximately 2,000. The main character, Keiichi Maebara, moves to Hinamizawa and befriends his new classmates Rena Ryugu, Mion Sonozaki, Rika Furude, and Satoko Houjou. Keiichi joins their after-school club activities, which consist mostly of card and board games (and punishment games for the loser, usually him.) Hinamizawa appears to be a normal, peaceful, rural village to Keiichi. However, the tranquility abruptly ends after the annual Watanagashi Festival, a celebration to commemorate and give thanks to the local god, Oyashiro. Keiichi learns that every year for the past four years, one person has been murdered and another has gone missing on the day of the Watanagashi Festival. Keiichi himself soon becomes drawn into the strange events surrounding the Watanagashi Festival and Oyashiro. In each story arc, he or one of his friends become paranoid, and a crime is committed. Usually, the crime involves the murder of one of their own friends. While it seems impossible to tell their delusions apart from the mystery of Hinamizawa, slowly the truth is revealed.
Availability: Digital Download (Free)
Developer: Stage-nana
Plaforms: PC
Rating: All Ages
The anonymous protagonist is diagnosed with a terminal illness shortly after his twentieth birthday, and is admitted to a hospital in Mito, Ibaraki. There he meets Setsumi, a woman a few years older, who is also terminally ill. Finding that they both reject to die either in hospital or at home, they steal a car and run away together.
Availability: ??? (Himeya undergoing restructuring recently so it is unclear.)
Developer: C's Ware
Plaforms: PC
Rating: 18+
A Bizarre Serial Murder Mystery. There's A Serial Killer Close By. A Prohibited Psychothriller. The Multi-Sight System Reveals Surprising Truth!
In this game there are two heroes, Kojiroh and Marina, who are each called to solve their own cases. This game allows you to switch characters at any time to solve the mysteries these heroes encounter. This 'Multi-Sight Adventure' allows you to view what's happening behind-the-scenes from the other character's perspective, bump into each other, and sometimes even help each other out. Together, they come closer and closer to the shocking truth through their combined actions and skills of deduction.
Marina's Episode: Marina is a national intelligence agent with a 99% success rate. Her new assignment is to protect the daughter of a Japanese embassy official stationed abroad. As you encounter numerous attackers, you become aware of a dangerous government dispute that is the root of all these attacks.
Kojiroh's Episode: A seemingly down-on-his-luck private investigator finally gets a break, as he is hired to locate some mysterious piece of art. Even though he feels a little weird about this case, the pay is huge! Yet he may be drawn into an unexpected nightmare involving a string of bizarre murders.
Availability: ???
Developer: C's Ware
Plaforms: PC
Rating: 18+
In the southern ocean on a remote island is a huge research institute called 'Desire'. An institute built by the large, world renowned financial group, Grandchester Foundation. It's rumored they are involved in military-related research, but what it is exactly is kept a carefully guarded secret. For this reason, a journalist for SNT (Social News Time Network), Albert Macdgul (or Al for short) visits 'Desire' in order to collect information for a story. He's one of the rare few who have been granted access to 'Desire'. So it's in high spirits that he sets forth to complete his story. While at 'Desire' he meets a girl named Tina, who is suffering from memory loss. She is destined to change his fate forever. Murder, bomb threats, mysteries shadowing her existence... How far will the chaos go? On the other hand, Makoto Izumi, technical manager at 'Desire', finds out how dangerous their research is, and asks her boss, Dr. Stella, to stop all the experiments. Then she finds out that someone on the outside is going to interfere with the research...
Availability: Out of Print
Developer: Abel Software
Plaforms: PC
Rating: 15+
The year 2000. Kasumi Shindo is at first glance a run-of-the-mill high school student in modern-day Japan. However, beneath his normal appearance, Kasumi is in fact a top-notch treasure hunter. This time, Kasumi is aiming to seek out the lost 11th Commandment of Moses. Kasumi discovers that his childhood friend, Reina Tachibana is in southern Europe participating in an archeological dig. Pretending to be a tourist, he visits the excavation area and manages to get put on the excavation staff. But he is not the only treasure hunter looking for the Eleventh Commandment of Moses and before he knows it, he's embroiled in a dangerous adventure.
Yume Miru Kusuri - A Drug That Makes You Dream
Availability: Digital Download, Online Order
Developer: Ruf
Plaforms: PC
Rating: 18+
Kouhei Kagami is a Japanese student with excellent grades and a fairly normal social life, but feels empty and transparent inside. The story revolves a pivotal moment in Kouhei's life where three girls more depressed and lonely than himself get involved with him and make his boring life a roller coaster of emotions. Kouhei must choose one of them or risk losing all of them to their own despair.
Kira Kira
Availability: Digital Download
Developer: OverDrive
Plaforms: PC, iOS
Rating: 18+ and All Ages
Shikanosuke Maejima is a student at the Missionary school, Oubi Academy. He doesn't attend his club, he doesn't put much effort in his studies, all he does is show up at his part time job; in short, his life could be better. One day, he meets a strange girl, Kirari Shiino, at work and before he knows it, they've formed a punk band.
Kira Kira Curtain Call
Availability: Digital Download
Developer: OverDrive
Plaforms: PC
Rating: 18+
Several years have passed since the amateur band Second Literature Club spent a summer touring Japan and performing live. When Shikanosuke and his friends graduated from Oubi Academy, the legends they left behind drew several experienced musicians to seek entry into Oubi Academy. Every year, these excellent musicians seek to join the Girls Light Music Club, which inherited the name of Shikanosuke's band, and every year they give high quality performances rivaling the original.
My Girlfiend is the President!
Availability: 2011 Release
Developer: Alcot
Plaforms: PC
Rating: 18+
It started out as an ordinary morning, woken up by my childhood friend. Had a good breakfast… complete with morning hard-ons. An ordinary, everyday eroge scene. Or… so it seemed. Things would never be the same from that day, as peaceful everyday life was blown to bits. An accident on a spaceship heading to earth, causes it to crash on the Prime Minister of Nippon’s office. The leaders end up in a state too horrible to see. To avoid chaos, the lo-[censored] alien choose a girl who happened to be there, and to make ends meet, brainwashed all of mankind. Nippon adopts a presidential system overnight, and incredibly, a girl, my childhood friend, is the president. The world will answer to her every whim. And not a soul questions this strange world.
The president of the major power Russia, comes to Nippon. The dangerous Tsar of beautiful Russia. And a spaceship comes to attack. An international crisis breaks out over the hero. What will happen to the world? Why did this happen? The hero somehow remembers how the world was til yesterday. Based on his memory, the world is put back together again.
Deus Machina Demonbane
Availability: Release Candidate in testing.
Developer: Nitro+
Plaforms: PC
Rating: 18+
Arkham city is a bustling hub of commerce and industry, however Arkham is also a center of eldrich lore: home to Miskatonic University, an institution of higher learning with one of the most complete libraries of arcane literature in the world. In the span of two generations the town was built up to the status of prestige it now commands, an expansion helmed by the Hadou Group, an industrial complex and family dynasty currently run by the young Hadou Ruri. She pursues the peace and prosperity of Arkham diligently, against the forces of darkness threatening to plunge the city, and the world, back into a second dark age. Among the most sinister threats to Arkham City is the evil Black Lodge syndicate. Led by the charismatic Master Therion, his nihilistic outlook shapes the group's destructive goals: with a circle of powerful sorcerers at his command, the potential for sowing chaos in the city is unmatched.
Former Miskatonic University Magic Academy student Daijuuji Kurou knows little of grimoires, but what he does know terrifies him - enough that he left his university life behind, and now practices a failing detective business in the shelter of an orphanage in a quiet corner of Arkham. But just when he thought his Academy past was buried, it catches up with him and pulls him back into the dark shadows of the occult: Hadou Ruri herself appears at his door with an offer he can't refuse. The only way to combat the Black Lodge's growing magical power is to find, and retrieve, a grimoire with the power to activate the mightiest Machina of all: Demonbane. The quest to find this forbidden tome will change Kurou's destiny... forever.
Availability: Out of Print
Developer: Konami
Plaforms: Mega-CD
Rating: T for Teen
On June 6, 1996 (1991 in the Japanese versions), a chemical weapon known as Lucifer-Alpha under development in Chernoton, Russia, is released into the atmosphere, resulting in the death of 80% of the Eurasian population which in turn results in the death of half of the world's population. The contaminated area becomes uninhabitable for a decade, when Lucifer-Alpha mutates into a non-lethal form. This tragic event later becomes known as 'the Catastrophe'.
Fifty years later, a breed of artificial life-forms or bioroids known as 'snatchers' began appearing in the artificial island of Neo Kobe City, killing their victims and taking their place in society. Nobody knows exactly what they are or where they come from. As Gillian Seed, an amnesiac working for an Anti-Snatcher task force called J.U.N.K.E.R., the player's goal is to track down the source of the snatchers and discover Gillian's mysterious connections with them.
Availability: Out of Print
Developer: Nitro+
Plaforms: PC
Rating: 18+
Phantom of Inferno is a story detailing the life of a 15-year-old Japanese boy who is kidnapped after witnessing the killing of a reporter. After being kidnapped his memories of his past life are erased and is given the choice to join Inferno or die. He makes the only choice he can to join and is given the name Zwei and will study under Ein. She is also known as Phantom since this is the title given to the organization's top assassin.
Availability: Available Now
Developer: Cing
Plaforms: Nintendo DS
Rating: T for Teen
The main setting is the fictional Hotel Dusk, a small, somewhat rundown hotel located in the southwestern United States near Los Angeles, California during the year 1979. The protagonist is Kyle Hyde, a former member of the New York Police Department searching for his old partner, Brian Bradley. During his stay at the hotel, Kyle unravels a mystery shrouded in the hotel's past that may lead him to the answers he's looking for.
Availability: Digital Download
Developer: Child-Dream
Plaforms: iOS
Rating: N/A
A Scar of the Doll is a psychological horror visual novel with adventure game elements, directed and written by Folklore scenario writer Hidehisa Miyashita. The story is set in late December and revolves around the young woman Asumi Kamijo. She has lost all contact to her older sister, who goes to a graduate school in Tokyo. Worried about her, Asumi travels alone to the capital to confirm her well-being, but the lab she was assigned to and the apartment she lived in show no trace of her. Asumi is determined to find out what happened to her sister, though she does not know the horrors that await her in the midst of uncovering the truth.