- #1 CHAOS;CHILD
97% matchVery Positive93% of 3,899 reviews2019
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 81.0 hrs≥1hr: 82%
From the creators of the critically acclaimed STEINS;GATE comes a sensational new visual novel: CHAOS;CHILD. Set in Shibuya in 2015, a group of high school students who survived an earthquake six years ago find themselves at the center of a new series of bizarre murders in the city.
Why similar: Visual Novel 26.4%, Gore 15.9%, Mystery 12.1%, Anime 9.9%, Psychological Horror 8.3%
Why You'll Like It: As the thematic successor to the seed game, it shares the same universe and explores similar psychological themes with a refined mystery structure.
- #2 STEINS;GATE 0
96% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 8,091 reviews2018
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.7 hrsMean: 125.7 hrs≥1hr: 88%
If you can't save the one you love… How can you save humanity? Sequel to the visual novel cult classic. Experience an alternate worldline of STEINS;GATE.
Why similar: Visual Novel 37.9%, Anime 16.6%, Story Rich 14.4%, Great Soundtrack 8.1%, Sci-fi 4.2%
Why You'll Like It: It provides a darker, more melancholic continuation of the original story, perfectly capturing the psychological weight found in the seed game.
- #3 AI: The Somnium Files
96% matchVery Positive92% of 9,207 reviews2019
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 15.0 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Play as detective Kaname Date on the case of an elusive serial killer in this thrilling, sci-fi murder mystery.
Why similar: Visual Novel 26.8%, Mystery 14.8%, Gore 14.5%, Anime 13.6%, Story Rich 9.6%
Why You'll Like It: This detective mystery offers a unique blend of sci-fi technology and surreal psychological exploration that mirrors the seed game's vibe.
- #4 STEINS;GATE
95% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 25,836 reviews2016
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 6.5 hrsMean: 66.9 hrs≥1hr: 81%
Developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus, STEINS;GATE was awarded Famitsu magazine's coveted annual Game of Excellence award and was voted one of the most emotionally charged “tear-inducing games” ever made, in a Famitsu poll. It is a gripping and moving Visual Novel, which has already spawned manga and anime adaptations.
Why similar: Visual Novel 38.2%, Anime 16.5%, Story Rich 12.8%, Great Soundtrack 7.3%, Mystery 6.4%
Why You'll Like It: This iconic title from the same Science Adventure series masterfully blends sci-fi, time-travel, and high-stakes character drama.
- #5 Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
94% matchVery Positive93% of 7,129 reviews2017
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 6.4 hrsMean: 21.5 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Kidnapped and taken to an unfamiliar location, nine people find themselves forced to participate in a diabolical Nonary Game by an enigmatic mastermind called Zero. Why were they there? Why were they chosen to put their lives on the line? And more importantly, who can be trusted?
Why similar: Visual Novel 29.7%, Mystery 15.4%, Story Rich 11.1%, Psychological Horror 10.9%, Anime 9%
Why You'll Like It: It features intense, high-stakes puzzle-solving and a complex sci-fi narrative that keeps the player questioning reality.
- #6 Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs
94% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 2,708 reviews2016
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 13.3 hrsMean: 42.9 hrs≥1hr: 82%
Umineko When They Cry is the 2nd series of Sound Novel released by 07th Expansion. The steam version features renewed character sprites which is swappable from the classic art.
Why similar: Visual Novel 31.8%, Mystery 20.1%, Great Soundtrack 12.6%, Story Rich 11.7%, Anime 9.2%
Why You'll Like It: A masterclass in complex, layered mystery writing that demands the player piece together a dark and supernatural puzzle.
- #7 The Song of Saya
93% matchVery Positive90% of 9,431 reviews2019
Dev: NitroplusPub: JAST
Windows
Median: 4.1 hrsMean: 59.1 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Bear witness to a love that will change the world, in this classic horror romance visual novel from acclaimed writer Urobuchi Gen.
Why similar: Visual Novel 30.7%, Gore 25.9%, Psychological Horror 16.6%, Anime 7.2%, Story Rich 5.2%
Why You'll Like It: A quintessential psychological horror visual novel that shares the seed game's penchant for gore and disturbing, reality-altering narratives.
- #8 Wonderful Everyday Down the Rabbit-Hole
92% matchVery Positive92% of 2,538 reviews2017
Dev: KeroQPub: Frontwing USA
Windows
Median: 9.6 hrsMean: 173.0 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Wonderful Everyday is a visual novel with multiple routes which develops a story based on a few concepts: "the sky and the world", "the beginning and the end", "literature and science", "savior and hero", "brother and sister".
Why similar: Visual Novel 28%, Psychological Horror 14.4%, Gore 12.8%, Mystery 9.1%, Anime 8.7%
Why You'll Like It: This title is a deep, philosophical, and often unsettling exploration of the human psyche that resonates with the seed game's darker themes.
- #9 Raging Loop
91% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 10,075 reviews2017
Dev: KEMCO
Windows
Median: 24.2 hrsMean: 59.5 hrs≥1hr: 84%
The feast has begun, can you escape the village alive?
Why similar: Visual Novel 34.4%, Mystery 15.5%, Psychological Horror 12.8%, Gore 10.7%, Story Rich 8.6%
Why You'll Like It: A gripping psychological horror mystery centered on a time-loop mechanic that forces the protagonist to confront death and paranoia.
- #10 Umineko When They Cry - Answer Arcs
91% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 1,497 reviews2017
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 17.1 hrsMean: 50.3 hrs≥1hr: 86%
This is the 2nd half of the Umineko When They Cry sound novel series, featuring episodes 5 through 8. This steam version features multi-language options, swap-able renewed character sprites, as well as the original BGMs and un-cut content.
Why similar: Visual Novel 32.5%, Mystery 20.1%, Great Soundtrack 12.9%, Story Rich 11.6%, Anime 9.5%
Why You'll Like It: The conclusion to the mystery provides a deeply satisfying and emotionally resonant payoff to the complex setup of the Question Arcs.
- #11 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.1 Onikakushi
90% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 6,381 reviews2015
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 21.7 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 41.9%, Mystery 20.2%, Anime 17.2%, Story Rich 10.7%, Great Soundtrack 4.2%
Why You'll Like It: The start of a legendary psychological horror series that excels at building dread and exploring the breakdown of sanity in a small town.
- #12 Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
89% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 36,871 reviews2016
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 8.0 hrsMean: 22.9 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Investigate murders, search for clues and talk to your classmates to prepare for trial. There, you'll engage in deadly wordplay, going back and forth with suspects. Dissect their statements and fire their words back at them to expose their lies! There's only one way to survive—pull the trigger.
Why similar: Visual Novel 30.5%, Mystery 17.9%, Anime 17.6%, Psychological Horror 10.9%, Story Rich 9.9%
Why You'll Like It: It combines a high-stakes death game with a compelling mystery, featuring a cast of characters trapped in a psychological nightmare.
- #13 Root Double -Before Crime * After Days- Xtend Edition
89% matchVery Positive90% of 598 reviews2016
Dev: YetiPub: Sekai Project
Windows
Median: 8.9 hrsMean: 14.3 hrs≥1hr: 94%
Rescue squad captain Watase Kasasagi wakes up without his memories in the middle of his most critical mission yet-- a nuclear meltdown at a research facility. In an unfamiliar place and without his years of training, he must rescue the survivors and escape...
Why similar: Visual Novel 37.5%, Anime 13.9%, Mystery 11.9%, Gore 10.8%, Story Rich 9.5%
Why You'll Like It: A sci-fi mystery visual novel that uses a unique branching system to explore a catastrophic event from multiple perspectives.
- #14 Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!
87% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 30,999 reviews2021
Dev: Team SalvatoPub: Serenity Forge
Windows · Mac
Median: 5.9 hrsMean: 81.7 hrs≥1hr: 79%
Welcome to the club! Write poems for your crush and experience the terror of school romance in this critically-acclaimed psychological horror story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 29.4%, Psychological Horror 20.6%, Anime 15.2%, Gore 14.9%, Story Rich 7.2%
Why You'll Like It: It subverts the visual novel genre with a meta-narrative that descends into intense psychological horror.
- #15 Muv-Luv Alternative
88% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 3,645 reviews2018
Dev: aNCHOR Inc.
Windows
Median: 10.0 hrsMean: 34.3 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Playtime's over. Time for despair. Experience the definitive version of a masterpiece in the Muv-Luv trilogy's thrilling conclusion. Note: therapy not included.
Why similar: Visual Novel 26.2%, Gore 18.5%, Anime 12.5%, Psychological Horror 10.4%, Violent 9.1%
Why You'll Like It: While starting as a romance, it evolves into an incredibly dark and intense sci-fi war story with profound psychological consequences.
- #16 PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
85% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 6,838 reviews2023
Dev: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 8.7 hrsMean: 10.2 hrs≥1hr: 87%
How far would you go to bring someone back from the dead? Discover the depths that some will go to in this horror-adventure game.
Why similar: Visual Novel 37.3%, Anime 18.9%, Mystery 18.6%, Story Rich 11.7%, Adventure 5.9%
Why You'll Like It: A supernatural mystery that uses a dark atmosphere and clever narrative tricks to keep the player guessing until the very end.
- #17 Fate/stay night REMASTERED
84% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 4,490 reviews2024
Dev: TYPE-MOONPub: Aniplex Inc.
Windows
Median: 5.8 hrsMean: 48.8 hrs≥1hr: 78%
Seek the root of the Fate franchise. Return to where it all began.
Why similar: Visual Novel 43.5%, Anime 18.9%, Story Rich 12.2%, Psychological Horror 5.7%, Great Soundtrack 5.5%
Why You'll Like It: A foundational visual novel that features deep lore, complex character dynamics, and dark, supernatural battles.
- #18 Tokyo Dark
86% matchVery Positive84% of 1,341 reviews2017
Dev: CherrymochiPub: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 5.5 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Legend tells of a door deep below Tokyo's sewers. All who enter are lost forever. Detective Ito's partner is missing. Explore Tokyo & uncover the darkness that lays beneath the streets in this Point & Click - meets Visual Novel - narrative adventure that questions the very core of Ito's sanity.
Why similar: Visual Novel 26.1%, Anime 16.7%, Mystery 12.8%, Psychological Horror 12.1%, Gore 9.3%
Why You'll Like It: This detective story blends point-and-click elements with a branching narrative that explores the protagonist's descent into madness.
- #19 The Silver Case
86% matchVery Positive89% of 1,129 reviews2016
Dev: GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE INC.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 8.6 hrs≥1hr: 85%
The Silver Case – the debut title from world-renowned developer SUDA51 has been fully remastered and localized to English for the first time ever!
Why similar: Visual Novel 29.4%, Mystery 19.6%, Anime 14.1%, Psychological Horror 12.8%, Story Rich 11.6%
Why You'll Like It: A surreal, noir-inspired mystery that focuses on psychological investigation and a gritty, unsettling atmosphere.
- #20 GNOSIA
83% matchVery Positive94% of 4,865 reviews2022
Dev: Petit DepottoPub: PLAYISM
Windows
Median: 7.3 hrsMean: 15.4 hrs≥1hr: 90%
The Gnosia lie. Pretending to be human, they’ll get in close, trick and deceive, and then eliminate one victim at a time...
Why similar: Visual Novel 29.9%, Mystery 16.5%, Anime 15.7%, Psychological Horror 14.3%, Story Rich 11.6%
Why You'll Like It: A sci-fi mystery that utilizes a time-loop and social deduction to create a tense, paranoid experience.
- #21 Ciconia When They Cry - Phase 1: For You, the Replaceable Ones
84% matchVery Positive93% of 549 reviews2019
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac
Median: 12.2 hrsMean: 14.9 hrs≥1hr: 74%
This is the first chapter in newest entry When They Cry visual novel series produced by Ryuukishi07. It features HD graphics, more detailed animations, and newly created songs by many of the composers from Umineko, as well as several new additions.
Why similar: Visual Novel 32.8%, Mystery 15.2%, Violent 13.5%, Anime 11.9%, Story Rich 8.7%
Why You'll Like It: A sci-fi mystery from the creators of Higurashi that explores global conflict and advanced technology.
- #22 Your Turn To Die -Death Game By Majority-
81% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 4,059 reviews2023
Dev: NankidaiPub: 0UP GAMES
Windows
Median: 6.4 hrsMean: 13.8 hrs≥1hr: 81%
Your Turn To Die -Death Game By Majority- is a multi-ending horror adventure game. Sara Chidouin returns home from school late one night to discover that something's gone terribly wrong. When she comes to, she finds herself, her friend Joe, and 9 other people trapped in a mysterious place.
Why similar: Mystery 28.9%, Psychological Horror 23.8%, Anime 21.6%, Story Rich 14.8%, Adventure 6.5%
Why You'll Like It: A gripping death game visual novel that forces the player to make impossible choices under extreme psychological pressure.
- #23 428: Shibuya Scramble
82% matchVery Positive95% of 3,747 reviews2018
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 12.1 hrs≥1hr: 83%
A kidnapping on the streets of Shibuya brings together a hot-blooded detective, hard-hitting journalist, former gang leader, the head researcher of a big pharma manufacturer and a part-timer stuck in cat costume for a series of events each more unexpected and outrageous than the last.
Why similar: Visual Novel 47.8%, Mystery 21.2%, Story Rich 11.8%, Violent 6.6%, Adventure 6.2%
Why You'll Like It: An intense, fast-paced mystery that weaves together the lives of multiple characters in a high-stakes urban setting.
- #24 Everlasting Summer
82% matchVery Positive94% of 77,532 reviews2014
Dev: Soviet Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 5.4 hrsMean: 58.7 hrs≥1hr: 75%
Visual novel loved by many – Everlasting Summer – now on Steam!
Why similar: Visual Novel 43.5%, Anime 18%, Story Rich 13.8%, Great Soundtrack 9.8%, Mystery 6.5%
Why You'll Like It: A surreal visual novel that uses a mysterious setting to explore themes of isolation and psychological growth.
- #25 CROSS†CHANNEL: Steam Edition
81% matchVery Positive90% of 438 reviews2018
Dev: MoeNovel
Windows
Median: 1.1 hrsMean: 20.4 hrs≥1hr: 52%
"This is the Gunjo Broadcasting Club. Is there anyone left out there?” CROSS†CHANNEL is now available to the whole world for the first time ever. Eight students relive an eternally looping week as tensions rise. Can they mend their broken friendships, or are they too far gone to salvage...?
Why similar: Visual Novel 43.7%, Anime 18.9%, Story Rich 11.7%, Great Soundtrack 9.9%, Violent 7.8%
Why You'll Like It: A provocative visual novel that delves into the psychological isolation of its protagonist in a strange, empty world.
- #26 Fatal Twelve
79% matchVery Positive92% of 1,003 reviews2018
Dev: LYCORISPub: Sekai Project
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 7.7 hrsMean: 12.4 hrs≥1hr: 86%
Shishimai Rinka was a high schooler who ran a small café named Lion House in place of her grandmother. She lived her life much like any other person her age, but one day, she was caught up in an explosion while returning home on the train alongside her friend, Hitsuji Naomi.
Why similar: Visual Novel 37.5%, Anime 15.5%, Mystery 15.2%, Story Rich 12.4%, Violent 8.5%
Why You'll Like It: A supernatural mystery involving a high-stakes competition where characters must fight for their existence.
- #27 Quantum Suicide
80% matchMostly Positive78% of 118 reviews2020
Dev: Cotton Candy Cyanide
Windows · Mac · Linux
Quantum Suicide is a game of betrayal, deception and romance in the cold depths of space.
Why similar: Visual Novel 20.8%, Gore 15.5%, Mystery 13%, Psychological Horror 11%, Anime 10.4%
Why You'll Like It: A sci-fi mystery that centers on life-or-death choices and multiple endings in a space-faring setting.
- #28 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.7 Minagoroshi
78% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 703 reviews2019
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 15.8 hrsMean: 89.0 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 22.7%, Gore 15.1%, Anime 13.1%, Mystery 13.1%, Psychological Horror 11.9%
- #29 Lucid9: Inciting Incident
79% matchVery Positive90% of 1,040 reviews2016
Dev: Fallen Snow Studios
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.8 hrsMean: 12.1 hrs≥1hr: 71%
Lucid9 is a visual novel focused on a web of intricate mysteries set in the fictional 2018 metropolis of Isamu. Lucid9: Inciting Incident is the first part of the story, focused on a string of disappearances that occur at a prestigious, uppity boarding academy.
Why similar: Visual Novel 35.5%, Anime 16.4%, Mystery 15.5%, Gore 8.6%, Story Rich 8.2%
Why You'll Like It: A mystery visual novel that captures the feeling of an anime-style thriller with a focus on character-driven suspense.
- #30 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.3 Tatarigoroshi
78% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 1,271 reviews2016
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 21.9 hrs≥1hr: 93%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 27.7%, Mystery 13.8%, Anime 12.9%, Gore 9.4%, Psychological Horror 8.5%
- #31 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.2 Watanagashi
77% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 1,830 reviews2015
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 17.1 hrs≥1hr: 93%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 29.8%, Mystery 13.3%, Anime 12.3%, Psychological Horror 12.1%, Gore 9.6%
- #32 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.5 Meakashi
77% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 1,058 reviews2017
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.9 hrsMean: 21.8 hrs≥1hr: 92%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 22.8%, Gore 13.2%, Anime 12%, Mystery 12%, Psychological Horror 11.7%
- #33 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.6 Tsumihoroboshi
76% matchOverwhelmingly Positive99% of 908 reviews2018
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 6.3 hrsMean: 39.7 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 26.9%, Gore 13.6%, Mystery 12.6%, Anime 12.2%, Psychological Horror 10.7%
- #34 CLANNAD
76% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 10,614 reviews2015
Dev: VisualArts/KeyPub: Sekai Project
Windows
Median: 7.3 hrsMean: 106.2 hrs≥1hr: 83%
From the world renowned visual novel studio Key, the highly rated story of CLANNAD is now available on Steam! Improved visuals, achievement integration, and Dangopedia make this the best version of CLANNAD to date.
Why similar: Visual Novel 48.2%, Anime 21.5%, Story Rich 13.3%, Great Soundtrack 8.8%, Romance 3%
- #35 Higurashi When They Cry Hou+
75% matchVery Positive88% of 170 reviews2023
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 5.5 hrs≥1hr: 65%
The tragedy of Hinamizawa is over. Those held captive within its grip are free from the fate that bound them to June 1983. Yet the tale of Hinamizawa is not truly complete. There are many worlds not yet explored.
Why similar: Visual Novel 31.8%, Gore 18.3%, Anime 16.5%, Violent 9%, Adventure 5.7%
- #36 Muv-Luv photonmelodies♮
75% matchVery Positive88% of 253 reviews2020
Dev: aNCHOR Inc.
Windows
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 10.4 hrs≥1hr: 96%
Fall in Luv all over again! Familiar faces and worlds collide in three massive new adventures, including the long-awaited follow-up to Muv-Luv Alternative!
Why similar: Visual Novel 27.3%, Gore 24.6%, Anime 15.2%, Psychological Horror 7.1%, Violent 6.9%
- #37 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.8 Matsuribayashi
74% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 795 reviews2020
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 19.3 hrsMean: 75.1 hrs≥1hr: 86%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 39%, Psychological Horror 20.3%, Anime 11.3%, Story Rich 8.2%, Adventure 7.3%
- #38 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.4 Himatsubushi
74% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 899 reviews2016
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 20.9 hrs≥1hr: 91%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 28.3%, Mystery 13.9%, Anime 13%, Psychological Horror 12%, Violent 9.8%
- #39 Return to Shironagasu Island
73% matchVery Positive94% of 4,067 reviews2020
Dev: HYOGO ONIMUSHIPub: TABINOMICHI
Windows
Median: 5.6 hrsMean: 14.1 hrs≥1hr: 92%
A mystery adventure game and visual novel set on solitary Shironagasu Island. Discover its secrets, solve its mysteries, and escape from the ominous island!
Why similar: Visual Novel 36%, Mystery 19.6%, Anime 11.3%, Psychological Horror 9.7%, Adventure 8.1%
- #40 Muv-Luv
73% matchVery Positive94% of 1,987 reviews2018
Dev: aNCHOR Inc.
Windows
Median: 8.9 hrsMean: 21.1 hrs≥1hr: 87%
One of the most highly-acclaimed visual novel series arrives on Steam, newly revamped and officially in English! An interdimensional love story that takes high school romance on a roller-coaster ride through the depths of despair, culminating in a sci-fi grand finale of epic proportions.
Why similar: Visual Novel 36.3%, Anime 19.7%, Story Rich 12.8%, Psychological Horror 10.5%, Sci-fi 4.7%
- #41 WITCH ON THE HOLY NIGHT
69% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 7,710 reviews2023
Dev: TYPE-MOONPub: Aniplex Inc.
Windows
Median: 14.7 hrsMean: 64.0 hrs≥1hr: 84%
A tale told with vivid colors and rich sound in a classic TYPE-MOON visual novel.
Why similar: Visual Novel 54.2%, Anime 19.1%, Story Rich 9.9%, Great Soundtrack 7.7%, Adventure 5%
- #42 Harmonia
73% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 783 reviews2016
Dev: VisualArts/KeyPub: VisualArts
Windows
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 90.0 hrs≥1hr: 87%
From renowned visual novel studio Key, which brought you the highly rated visual novel “planetarian~the reverie of a little planet~”, this is “Harmonia”, the latest kinetic novel in the series.
Why similar: Visual Novel 45.2%, Anime 23%, Violent 8.8%, Adventure 7.7%, Great Soundtrack 7.2%
- #43 Nie No Hakoniwa - Dollhouse of Offerings
72% matchMostly Positive78% of 240 reviews2024
Dev: Chatte NoirePub: Sekai Project
Windows
Median: 6.0 hrsMean: 8.0 hrs≥1hr: 93%
"Let us celebrate, the birth of this nightmare." A story about an urban legend surrounding a certain "Box", this is a Japanese-style, supernatural visual novel about madness, love and hate.
Why similar: Visual Novel 30.3%, Gore 23.3%, Anime 14.5%, Mystery 10.7%, Violent 7.9%
- #44 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Rei
71% matchVery Positive98% of 262 reviews2022
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 5.0 hrsMean: 200.6 hrs≥1hr: 74%
Higurashi When They Cry is a sound novel. The music, backgrounds and characters work together to create a world that is the stage of a novel for the user to read. They laugh and cry and get angry. The user takes the point of view of the protagonist to experience the story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 39.8%, Anime 14.3%, Gore 12%, Story Rich 9.3%, Adventure 6.9%
- #45 CORPSE FACTORY
71% matchVery Positive80% of 866 reviews2022
Dev: RIVER CROW STUDIO
Windows
Median: 4.3 hrsMean: 6.6 hrs≥1hr: 94%
Discard your sense of morality and enter the world of CORPSE FACTORY. An obscure website allows users to request a death. Victims supposedly receive a photograph of their own corpse before they are killed! With English voice acting by an all-star cast.
Why similar: Visual Novel 23.5%, Gore 14.5%, Psychological Horror 13.2%, Anime 12.2%, Mystery 12.1%
- #46 Tiny Bunny
66% matchVery Positive83% of 30,195 reviews2025
Dev: Saikono
Windows · Mac
Median: 8.5 hrsMean: 12.6 hrs≥1hr: 91%
Tiny Bunny is a non-linear horror visual novel. Those, who have heard the voice of the forest, are beyond help.
Why similar: Visual Novel 31.1%, Gore 15.6%, Psychological Horror 13.5%, Story Rich 11.3%, Violent 6.7%
- #47 Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma
72% matchVery Positive82% of 4,789 reviews2016
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 11.4 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Nine participants awaken, trapped in an underground facility. To escape, they must play a game with deadly consequences. Who will live, and who will die? The choice is yours. Let the Decision Game begin…
Why similar: Visual Novel 27.8%, Mystery 15.2%, Psychological Horror 14.3%, Story Rich 10.5%, Anime 9.4%
- #48 Doki Doki Literature Club!
68% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 221,125 reviews2017
Dev: Team Salvato
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 38.4 hrs≥1hr: 74%
The Literature Club is full of cute girls! Will you write the way into their heart? This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.
Why similar: Visual Novel 27.7%, Psychological Horror 19.9%, Anime 15.8%, Gore 12.2%, Story Rich 6.5%
- #49 YOU and ME and HER: A Love Story
69% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 6,620 reviews2020
Dev: NitroplusPub: JAST
Windows
Median: 7.7 hrsMean: 131.3 hrs≥1hr: 86%
YOU and ME and HER: A Love Story is the visual novel medium in its purest form. Will Shinichi choose Miyuki, the beautiful queen bee of the school, or the endearingly awkward misfit Aoi? With art by Tsuji Santa, these beautifully rendered romances will stay with you forever.
Why similar: Visual Novel 37.1%, Psychological Horror 19.1%, Anime 12%, Gore 9.7%, Story Rich 6.5%
- #50 Corpse Party: Blood Drive
71% matchMostly Positive75% of 379 reviews2019
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: XSEED Games
Windows
Median: 4.3 hrsMean: 13.1 hrs≥1hr: 85%
Set two months after Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, Corpse Party: Blood Drive is the definitive conclusion to the long-running Heavenly Host story arc. Featuring dynamic lighting, 3D sound, detailed environments, and new gameplay systems, this is a Japanese horror experience not to be missed!
Why similar: Gore 40%, Visual Novel 20.4%, Anime 19%, Violent 15.7%, Horror 5%
- #51 Spirit Hunter: NG
70% matchVery Positive90% of 282 reviews2019
Dev: EXPERIENCEPub: Aksys Games
Windows
Median: 5.3 hrsMean: 20.4 hrs≥1hr: 73%
Beware the Creeping Horror... Face nightmares you thought were merely urban legends. Uncover a dark mystery, making deadly decisions just to survive. Play this chilling companion story to the award-winning Spirit Hunter: Death Mark game and bring the terror home.
Why similar: Visual Novel 33.2%, Gore 31.4%, Violent 15.4%, Adventure 8.2%, Anime 6.2%
- #52 Grisaia Phantom Trigger Vol.1
70% matchVery Positive92% of 352 reviews2017
Dev: FrontwingPub: Frontwing USA
Windows
Median: 6.0 hrsMean: 52.9 hrs≥1hr: 88%
"Grisaia: Phantom Trigger" is a visual novel, specifically a kinetic novel (without branching routes). Returning character artist Akio Watanabe and writer Ryuta Fujisaki bring you the latest installment in the acclaimed Grisaia series.
Why similar: Visual Novel 38.3%, Anime 19.3%, Violent 15.4%, Story Rich 11.5%, Adventure 5.8%
- #53 AIR
65% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 659 reviews2025
Dev: VISUAL ARTS/KeyPub: VISUAL ARTS
Windows
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 56.3 hrs≥1hr: 64%
Summer stretches on endlessly. Beneath the vast blue sky. Beneath the air in which she awaits— AIR, the second game released by visual novel studio Key, is now available on Steam! Now featuring the side story novel, "First Sky Chapter" and full voice support!
Why similar: Visual Novel 56.8%, Anime 23.6%, Adventure 10.4%, Romance 3.2%, Violent 2.8%
- #54 STEINS;GATE ELITE
69% matchVery Positive90% of 1,651 reviews2019
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 273.2 hrs≥1hr: 66%
STEINS;GATE ELITE follows a rag-tag band of tech-savvy young students who discover the means of changing the past via e-mail using a modified microwave.
Why similar: Visual Novel 41.5%, Anime 19.2%, Story Rich 9.8%, Gore 7.1%, Violent 5.1%
- #55 Dies irae ~Amantes amentes~
70% matchVery Positive87% of 711 reviews2017
Dev: lightPub: views Co., Ltd
Windows
Median: 1.4 hrsMean: 25.4 hrs≥1hr: 53%
Night after night, the same dream of a guillotine. A headhunting serial killer. And the "knights" in black who follow soon after. Irrationality that defies the realm of common sense begins to assault and devour the city.
Why similar: Visual Novel 39.9%, Anime 16.5%, Violent 11.5%, Story Rich 9.7%, Gore 8.2%
- #56 The House in Fata Morgana: A Requiem for Innocence
68% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 1,769 reviews2018
Dev: NOVECTPub: MangaGamer
Windows
Median: 9.5 hrsMean: 16.5 hrs≥1hr: 80%
"A Requiem for Innocence" is a companion to the visual novel "The House in Fata Morgana." It tells the tale of a young man dragged down by his ambitions and a girl both worshiped as a saint and maligned as a witch. For them, there is no happily ever after.
Why similar: Visual Novel 31.1%, Gore 22.6%, Violent 10.6%, Story Rich 9%, Anime 7.9%
- #57 The Shell Part I: Inferno
66% matchVery Positive91% of 1,368 reviews2023
Dev: Innocent GreyPub: Shiravune
Windows
Median: 10.9 hrsMean: 114.3 hrs≥1hr: 70%
Unravel a string of gruesome murders terrorizing Tokyo in this mystery-thriller visual novel. The secrets of a case from six years prior may just be the key to the current unending cycle of tragedy—and the thing that cracks this woeful world’s shell may be one girl’s smile.
Why similar: Visual Novel 30.2%, Mystery 17.1%, Gore 16.2%, Psychological Horror 14.4%, Anime 8.3%
- #58 ANONYMOUS;CODE
67% matchMostly Positive79% of 525 reviews2023
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 6.2 hrsMean: 13.0 hrs≥1hr: 87%
Hack Into God
Why similar: Visual Novel 47.9%, Anime 23.3%, Story Rich 12.9%, Adventure 11.6%, Choices Matter 2.7%
- #59 Kanon
64% matchVery Positive98% of 426 reviews2024
Dev: VISUAL ARTS/KeyPub: VISUAL ARTS
Windows
Median: 2.8 hrsMean: 24.9 hrs≥1hr: 69%
A tale of small miracles in a snow-covered town— Kanon, the very first game from visual novel studio Key, is now available on Steam! Now featuring HD visuals and full voice support! (The protagonist is only voiced in certain scenes.)
Why similar: Visual Novel 59.6%, Anime 23%, Adventure 10.7%, Romance 3.2%, Choices Matter 1.3%
- #60 Banebush
63% matchVery Positive95% of 2,161 reviews2024
Dev: Hinterland Mood
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.7 hrsMean: 3.6 hrs≥1hr: 87%
Banebush is a nonlinear and very red visual novel in the horror genre. Do you dare to step into a fairy tale if it turns out to be reality? 💀
Why similar: Visual Novel 42.4%, Psychological Horror 19.8%, Story Rich 13%, Violent 10.7%, Horror 6.7%
