What are the best visual novel games? With the line between different forms of media straining ever thinner, some games blur completely between play and publication. While a number of visual novel games land firmly in the gaming camp, adding text-heavy commentary to complement various styles of gameplay. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s pure story-telling with minimal active input from the player.
Whichever your preferred style of narrative-based game, commentary-heavy experiences are often best when you can dip in and out of your chosen tome while relaxing on your sofa or bed. Put simply, visual novels were made with portable devices in mind.
Here’s our list of the best visual novel games on Nintendo Switch and mobile:
The House in Fata Morgana – Nintendo Switch
While The House in Fata Morgana gifts players with just a smattering of interactable dialogue choices, they have very little impact on the story. Yet the game suffers little. Before we even speak of the scrumptious storytelling, let’s explore its delicious packaging. The hypnotically dreamy soundtrack transports you into the house’s fantasy world and can be played on repeat without monotony.
The art takes inspiration from a distinctly old-school Persona style, adding to the mystery. It’s the achingly beautiful story of a man who wakes up remembering nothing of his past in an abandoned mansion, and also all the people who lived there before. In a series of horror tales, where people are mutilated, torn limb from limb, and pierced alive, you follow our protagonist through four past incarnations of the house’s life. It instills a subtle sense of darkness and foreboding that lasts long after the conclusion.
VA-11 HALL-A – Nintendo Switch and iOS
Taking place in the cyberpunk future, you play as Jill, who works in a small dive bar situated in VA-11 HALL-A. Stick to the script and mix drinks just as the recipe book details, or remember what guests describe as their favorite for each particular mood. Either way, it matters little. While you can unlock small glimpses of additional dialogue, overall the words here are king.
The music is injected diegetically via the jukebox with a playlist selected at the start of every scene, and the pixel art style is gloriously detailed and color-restricted, adding to the futuristic vibe. Jill meets a cast of barflies, from rad shibas, to robot sex workers, and a live-streamer who is never off-cam, they make up the tapestry of this tome. Whether you individualize by earning tips to decorate your one-room apartment or not, it’s time to mix drinks and save lives.
Steins;Gate – Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch
When teenage mad scientist Okabe Rintaro accidentally develops the world’s first time travel device, a phone attached to a microwave with the ability to send short texts to the past, a secret organization descends on the Future Gadgets Lab, attempting to procure the technology. Altering his reality through flip phones, he faces the deaths of either his childhood friend Mayuri, or his true love Makise Kurisu. Yet through the strategic planning of mobile messaging perhaps you can reach a timeline far removed where both survive: the fabled Steins;Gate.
Nintendo Switch’s Elite version blends the anime of this classic visual novel, with its video game counterpart, giving new life to the tale. However, whichever one you decide to play, you should definitely play. An intricate tale of science-fiction, charming characters, and twisting time loops, any fan of reading requires it in their collection.
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus – Nintendo Switch
