Looking for a story-driven Steam game where your choices matter? Well, we’ve got you covered with this guide on those Top 10 best visual novels on the platform. Whether you enjoy playing detective or lead a simple life, this list can help you find what’s right for you. Here is a list of all viewed games available on Steam.
Table of Contents
Top 10 Best Visual Novels on Steam of All Times
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
Everyone’s favorite attorney Phoenix Wright had to be first on this list of the best visual novels. As a player, you take on cases to defend innocent people and collect enough evidence to win the game’s remarkable “court battle”.
Since 2001, the Ace Attorney franchise has garnered a loyal following, selling over a million copies for its fun gameplay and quirky characters. Purchasing this trilogy on Steam will allow you to follow the journey of Ace Attorney, Justice For All, and Trials and Tribulations.
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
Following the success of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Spike Chunsoft took the story in a new direction with Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair. On the surface, the second part follows the franchise’s standard storyline in which the player must participate in a dangerous murder game controlled by an evil bear named “Monokuma”.
As in the previous story, the only way out is to kill someone and get away with it by convincing fellow students in the game’s many class tests. But what sets the second installment apart from its predecessor is the shocking plot twist that changed the flow of the entire franchise and evolved even further in the anime adaptation.
Doki Doki Literature Club!
If you look around Steam’s different collections, you might have noticed the cute girls of the Doki Doki Literature Club! However, don’t be fooled by this delightful work of art, especially when the description says “This game is not suitable for children or the vulnerable.”
The beginning of the story is presented as a simple visual novel, including mini-games to demonstrate your English skills and conversation to build relationships. However, things take a dark turn when the general tone of the Doki Doki Literature Club! changes dramatically.
Without giving too much away, we’ll leave this matter to your imagination, and you can find out what happens by playing the game on the platform.
AI: THE DREAM FILES – Nirvana Initiative
Another Spike Chunsoft exclusive, AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – nirvanA Initiative tells the story of special agents Mizuki and Ryuki as they embark on a new investigation. Alongside this team are their AI partners Aiba and Tama, who are trying to help them with the mysterious “Half Body” serial murders.
This particular case began six years ago when someone discovered half a body with no possible suspect in sight. But just when one thinks the shell has cooled, the second half of the body appears perfectly intact in modern times with no sign of decay.
Don’t Miss: AI: The Somnium Files Review; Nirvana Initiative
Our Life: Beginnings & Always
If you want a story that isn’t filled with desperation and murder, then you might enjoy the tranquility of Our Life: Beginning & Always. In this free-to-play game, you customize your character and live his life from childhood to adulthood based on your choices.
The player begins as an eight-year-old when Mr. Holden asks you to befriend his son, Cove. Over time, your choices will greatly affect your relationship with him and other characters as you experience the ups and downs of everyday life.
BAD ENDING THEATER
BAD END THEATER is a unique and one of the Best visual novel in which you are the director of a tragic play. During the first playthrough, you choose between the roles of hero, maiden, underling, and overlord. Each character has specific traits that correlate with their personality, including the Overlord, who is an antisocial bully.
Every decision you make in one storyline affects the next, which always seems to end badly. Furthermore, the main goal of the game is to see if you can get a “good” ending for the cast despite all the glitches and crazy scenarios.
Eternal summer
Once the main character Semyon falls asleep on a bus in the middle of winter, he wakes up to find himself in a sunny pioneer camp called “Sovyonok”. To find out what happened, he plans a mission to search for a way back home by gaining the trust of the locals.
During this adventure, he develops friendships and romances that eventually cause Semyon to reconsider his goal. So, will you decide to return home? Or will you stay to live this new life in Summer Eternal?
Senren * Banka
Senren＊Banka is a famous Japanese visual novel set in the small remote village of Hoori, home of the divine blade Murasamemaru. The story begins when Arichi Masaomi breaks the gun after trying to pull it out of a rock.
The only way to make amends for this unfortunate incident is to marry the village shrine maiden. But with all the other girls around, Arichi must decide whether to keep his promise or target the one he truly loves.
STONE’S GATE
The gameplay and narrative of STEINS;GATE gained a wide following and produced variations on a manga series and anime. In this visual sci-fi novel, you’ll delve into the story of a tech-savvy group as they uncover the mysteries of time travel.
As they continue their research, they come across the work of the organization SERN, a company that has also acquired a prototype time machine. As a player, you must make decisions in the game’s “Phone Trigger” system and see how your decisions affect the ending.
Aokana – Four rhythms above the blue
In the world of Aokana – Four Rhythms Across the Blue, flying through the skies has become the norm thanks to anti-graviton technology. The result of this future evolution is the Flying Circus, a sport where teams compete against each other in the air.
The main protagonist, Masaya Hinata, was a former contender in the sport but left after a tragic loss. However, his passion for the game reignites once he becomes the coach of a talented group of girls.
Aokana – Four Rhythms Across the Blue allows the player to make Masaya’s choices while developing friendships and a romance with Asuka.
That’s enough for our selection Steam’s top 10 best visual novels. If you want to see more from the popular platform, you can check out the latest news on how Stray 2022 takes the title of the top rated Steam game from God of War. Also see the relevant links below for additional content.
