The best visual novels for PC in 2023

best visual novels Immerse players in intriguing and mysterious worlds where every decision can lead to a series of satisfying conclusions. With a focus on incredible storytelling and art direction, visual novels can include anything from cute coming-of-age tales to AI ultimatums to historic houses filled with terror.

If you’re trying to find the best visual novels to play, look no further. Here are some novels that could earn a place on our list of free PC games, not to mention some true classics like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy. Remember that these games will easily fit on any of the best Steam Deck SD cards if you want to play them on the go.

Best Visual Novels:

Phoenix Wright: The Freshman Lawyer Trilogy

The presumption of innocence is more important than ever to aspiring attorney Phoenix Wright. In this cult classic courtroom collection, players are immersed in a tense and dramatic world of court battles, supporting defendants in the fight for justice, while investigating sinister alleged crimes with deadly twists.

Questioning witnesses and working with the police may solve your problem. Therefore, paying attention to every detail is essential for success. The Ace Attorney trilogy is also supported by a host of lovable recurring characters that you’ll come to know and love as you explore this series of historically influential visual novels.

Monster Prom 3: Journey

Head to the prom with this hysterical teen episode of the popular Monster Prom series. Monster Prom 3: Road Trip is a collaborative visual novel that retains the fast-paced cartoon art style of its predecessors, replacing the school hallways and hitchhiking camps. Road Trip is filled with mood-setting radio stations and a gallery of cool characters. both old and new.

Players will mainly manage resources to reach their final destination, but don’t worry, they will still be competing for romance on the open road. However, if you mismanage your resources along the way, it’s game over for the entire team crossing the coast.

taste of the past

If you want to spend your time on a journey filled with warmth and vulnerability, A Taste of the Past might be for you. From the talented minds of Sondering Studio, this thoughtful story sees players take on the role of Mei, a Chinese-American survivor of the tragic death of her mother.

Mei’s food and train-focused journey of the ancestors to the afterlife is something that blends meditative mini-games with honest and meaningful dialogue, allowing players to immerse themselves in their own grief alongside the protagonist. With dreamy melodies and a sunset palette, A Taste from the Past’s smooth contours encourage players to lose themselves in this world.

butterfly soup

Brianna Ley made a name for herself with Butterfly Soup, a visual novel filled with romance, friendship, and, of course, baseball! The action takes place in 2008. Players explore the identities of four gay high school students in California.

Filled with references to the early 2000s and brought to life by its characters and distinctive personal style, Butterfly Soup allows players to immerse themselves in an authentic and meaningful teen experience. Once the game is done, gamers looking for more of its low-key gameplay and witty dialogue will be happy to know that the sequel to Butterfly Soup 2 is coming out in October 2022.

Danganropa: Happy Havoc Cast

Trigger Happy Havoc tells the story of Makoto Naegi, a student at the prestigious Hope’s Peak Academy, who gets trapped in its halls by an evil bear cub named Monokuma. The bear has pitted the classmates against each other by forcing them to play a game where the impulse is to commit murder and get away with it.

Players make friends and develop relationships in their spare time until a murder inevitably occurs and the game turns to finding clues. Ultimately, this leads to a trial by vote in which difficult allegations about who committed each gruesome crime must be substantiated. With unforgettable characters, including the series’ cute and creepy mascot Monokuma, and a stunning anime art style, Danganronpa is sure to linger on your mind long after its many mysteries have been solved.

Elisa

Jumping into an existing technological dystopia, Eliza is a gripping visual novel set in Seattle in an ambiguous AI-powered therapy robot. You play as Evelyn, one of Eliza’s new script reading assistants, who challenges the ethics of a morally dark system in the face of real patients who need honest care.

Playing as Evelyn, players explore a foreshadowed, hand-drawn world, interact with a variety of realistic characters, and reminisce about their own troubled past. Based on text messages and pop-up emails, players decide whether to stick with the show or put their own thoughts into play. Ultimately, it is you who decides the fate of the show, despite its curious potential.

AI: Somnium Archives

From one futuristic technology to another, let’s talk about AI: The Somnium Files. In this captivating visual novel from the brilliant minds behind the Zero Escape series, players take on the role of Special Agent Kaname Date, a detective on the trail of a devious serial killer in futuristic Tokyo.

Using a unique world-building mechanic, Date delves into the thoughts, dreams, and memories of prime suspects and witnesses, solving time-limited puzzles to remove mental obstacles and summon the ultimate truth. The Somnium Files, released in 2019, is a contemporary visual novel that sparks the imagination about where the medium could go next. It’s a great place to start if you want to appreciate the versatility of the genre and its penchant for strong stories. If you fall for this mystery, you’ll be happy to know that a Nirvana Initiative sequel is coming out in 2022.

House in Fata Morgana

The Haunting of Hill House is nothing like the cult classic visual novel The House in Fata Morgana. Set in an old mansion, players must rebuild lost memories while uncovering decades of emotional tragedy in this tale of ghostly amnesia. To discover who they really are, players navigate through time periods from 1099 to 1869 and through hauntingly beautiful landscapes, searching behind every door for difficult answers.

The hidden secrets in Fata Morgana may leave you with more questions than answers. As you continue to explore its hallowed halls and delve into the dark corners of the domain, you are sure to discover the truth and your identity, while a stunning soundtrack complements every turn.

And here it is, our list of the best visual novels. If you like games made by smart developers without big publishers or big budgets, check out our list of the best indie games. For those of you who just want to play AAA games, here is our list of the best PC games that will give you hundreds of hours of fun.