- #1 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.1 Onikakushi
97% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 6,734 reviews2015
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 21.5 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 30.7%, Mystery 15.5%, Anime 13.7%, Psychological 10.7%, Dark 6.9%
Why You'll Like It: This is the essential starting point of the series that establishes the core mystery and atmosphere found in the second chapter.
- #2 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.3 Tatarigoroshi
96% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 1,373 reviews2016
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 21.9 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 20.7%, Mystery 10.6%, Anime 10.4%, Horror 9.1%, Psychological 8.1%
Why You'll Like It: This chapter continues the intense psychological descent and character-driven horror that defines the Higurashi experience.
- #3 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.4 Himatsubushi
96% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 967 reviews2016
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 20.8 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 21.7%, Psychological Horror 11.3%, Mystery 11.1%, Anime 10.9%, Great Soundtrack 8.8%
Why You'll Like It: It provides critical context to the overarching mystery while maintaining the series' signature blend of suspense and character development.
- #4 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.5 Meakashi
95% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 1,154 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 19.7%, Horror 12.9%, Psychological Horror 12.6%, Anime 11.4%, Great Soundtrack 10.9%
Why You'll Like It: This chapter offers a chilling perspective shift that deepens the player's understanding of the series' dark, recurring themes.
- #5 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.6 Tsumihoroboshi
94% matchOverwhelmingly Positive99% of 1,008 reviews2018
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 7.0 hrsMean: 39.0 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 25.2%, Horror 13%, Mystery 12.3%, Anime 12.2%, Psychological Horror 12.1%
Why You'll Like It: It serves as a pivotal turning point in the narrative, escalating the psychological stakes and emotional intensity.
- #6 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.7 Minagoroshi
94% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 765 reviews2019
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 15.6 hrsMean: 85.2 hrs≥1hr: 89%
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 21.5%, Psychological Horror 13.9%, Anime 13.6%, Horror 13.3%, Mystery 12.9%
Why You'll Like It: This entry is crucial for piecing together the complex puzzle of the Hinamizawa tragedy.
- #7 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.8 Matsuribayashi
93% matchVery Positive95% of 867 reviews2020
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 19.3 hrsMean: 73.1 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 32.1%, Psychological Horror 20.5%, Horror 15.9%, Anime 10.1%, Great Soundtrack 9.9%
Why You'll Like It: The grand conclusion to the main story arc provides necessary closure and resolution to the series' psychological mysteries.
- #8 Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs
92% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 2,837 reviews2016
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 14.4 hrsMean: 45.5 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 24.5%, Great Soundtrack 17.1%, Mystery 16.1%, Psychological Horror 8.4%, Horror 7.7%
Why You'll Like It: Created by the same author, this series shares the same masterful approach to mystery, psychological tension, and meta-narrative structure.
- #9 Umineko When They Cry - Answer Arcs
91% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 1,562 reviews2017
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 24.7 hrsMean: 54.5 hrs≥1hr: 88%
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 26.4%, Great Soundtrack 18.8%, Mystery 17%, Horror 8.7%, Anime 8.4%
Why You'll Like It: These arcs provide the definitive resolution to the complex riddles and psychological battles established in the Question Arcs.
- #10 Ciconia When They Cry - Phase 1: For You, the Replaceable Ones
91% matchVery Positive92% of 567 reviews2019
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac
Median: 12.0 hrsMean: 14.6 hrs≥1hr: 73%
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 33.7%, Mystery 16.3%, Great Soundtrack 14%, Anime 13.4%, Violent 11.1%
Why You'll Like It: Another entry from the same creator that explores dark, high-stakes science fiction themes with a similar psychological depth.
- #11 Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
90% matchVery Positive93% of 7,340 reviews2017
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 6.5 hrsMean: 21.7 hrs≥1hr: 90%
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 15.9%, Psychological Horror 13.4%, Anime 9.9%, Story Rich 9.3%
Why You'll Like It: This game features a high-stakes death game scenario that relies on intense psychological pressure and complex mystery-solving.
- #12 The House in Fata Morgana
89% matchVery Positive95% of 6,643 reviews2016
Dev: NOVECTPub: MangaGamer
Windows
Median: 6.4 hrsMean: 27.2 hrs≥1hr: 83%
A gothic suspense tale set in a cursed mansion. "The House in Fata Morgana" is a full-length visual novel spanning nearly a millennium that deals in tragedy, human nature, and insanity.
Why similar: Visual Novel 22.2%, Psychological Horror 13.2%, Mystery 12.4%, Horror 10.7%, Great Soundtrack 10.5%
Why You'll Like It: It shares the dark, gothic, and emotionally heavy atmosphere that makes Higurashi so memorable and impactful.
- #13 The Song of Saya
89% matchVery Positive89% of 10,117 reviews2019
Dev: NitroplusPub: JAST
Windows
Median: 4.1 hrsMean: 63.6 hrs≥1hr: 85%
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 30.5%, Psychological Horror 20.2%, Gore 11.1%, Horror 10.3%, Anime 7.9%
Why You'll Like It: A seminal work of psychological horror that, like Higurashi, uses a deceptive premise to explore truly disturbing and dark themes.
- #14 CHAOS;HEAD NOAH
88% matchVery Positive88% of 2,029 reviews2022
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 54.1 hrs≥1hr: 84%
CHAOS;HEAD NOAH is now available on Steam!
Why similar: Visual Novel 30.3%, Mystery 12.8%, Psychological Horror 12.7%, Anime 12.2%, Gore 9.5%
Why You'll Like It: This title explores the psychological instability of its protagonist in a way that mirrors the paranoia found in Higurashi.
- #15 STEINS;GATE
87% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 26,830 reviews2016
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 6.5 hrsMean: 67.2 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 38.9%, Anime 18.3%, Great Soundtrack 13.2%, Story Rich 10.9%, Mystery 6.7%
Why You'll Like It: A classic visual novel that excels in building a slow-burn mystery that eventually spirals into a gripping, high-stakes psychological thriller.
- #16 Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
86% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 38,237 reviews2016
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 7.9 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 26.9%, Anime 16.8%, Mystery 16.4%, Great Soundtrack 12.3%, Psychological Horror 11.8%
Why You'll Like It: It combines a claustrophobic death game setting with intense character-driven mystery and psychological conflict.
- #17 CHAOS;CHILD
86% matchVery Positive93% of 4,074 reviews2019
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 80.8 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 26.2%, Mystery 12.3%, Anime 10.5%, Psychological Horror 10%, Horror 7.9%
Why You'll Like It: It delivers a dark, mystery-heavy narrative centered on gruesome events and the psychological toll they take on the characters.
- #18 Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
84% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 32,585 reviews2016
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 10.4 hrsMean: 32.5 hrs≥1hr: 92%
Jabberwock Island—You and your classmates were ready for fun in the sun until Monokuma returned to restart his murderous game! Trapped in a kill-or-be-killed situation, your only hope rests in solving the island’s mysteries.
Why similar: Visual Novel 25.2%, Anime 17.5%, Mystery 15.1%, Great Soundtrack 12.4%, Psychological Horror 10.1%
Why You'll Like It: This sequel expands on the mystery and psychological horror elements of the first game with even higher stakes.
- #19 Corpse Party
85% matchVery Positive89% of 1,396 reviews2016
Dev: GrisGrisPub: XSEED Games
Windows · Linux
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 17.1 hrs≥1hr: 81%
A group of friends unknowingly perform an occult ritual that traps them in an otherworldly elementary school. Here, the vengeful spirits of young children threaten their lives and their sanity, and the only hope of survival is to uncover the chilling details behind the murders of those trapped before them...
Why similar: Horror 25%, Visual Novel 17.7%, Anime 16.6%, Psychological Horror 14.5%, Gore 8.7%
Why You'll Like It: A quintessential horror visual novel that focuses on gore, supernatural dread, and the psychological breakdown of its cast.
- #20 Tiny Bunny
82% matchVery Positive83% of 30,504 reviews2025
Dev: Saikono
Windows · Mac
Median: 8.4 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 25.7%, Horror 15.1%, Psychological Horror 13.7%, Dark 9.1%, Story Rich 7.9%
Why You'll Like It: This atmospheric horror visual novel uses a dark, folk-horror aesthetic to build a sense of constant, creeping unease.
- #21 Wonderful Everyday Down the Rabbit-Hole
84% matchVery Positive93% of 2,708 reviews2017
Dev: KeroQPub: Frontwing USA
Windows
Median: 9.6 hrsMean: 175.4 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 27.2%, Psychological Horror 17.1%, Anime 9.2%, Mystery 9%, Horror 7.7%
Why You'll Like It: A deeply philosophical and disturbing visual novel that explores the darker aspects of human nature and reality.
- #22 PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
81% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 7,183 reviews2023
Dev: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 8.8 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 33%, Horror 19.1%, Anime 18.2%, Mystery 17%, Story Rich 8.7%
Why You'll Like It: A supernatural mystery that uses its visual novel format to create a tense, atmospheric experience filled with dread.
- #23 Iwaihime
83% matchMostly Positive78% of 914 reviews2020
Dev: DMM GAMESPub: Shiravune
Windows
Median: 5.6 hrsMean: 17.1 hrs≥1hr: 88%
From hit writer Ryukishi07, the creator of When They Cry, comes a story on the theme of “curses.” Strike down the dark riddle of dolls and soot in this supernatural horror visual novel.
Why similar: Visual Novel 28.9%, Psychological Horror 19%, Anime 17.3%, Horror 14.1%, Story Rich 5.5%
Why You'll Like It: It features a haunting, supernatural atmosphere and psychological horror elements that will feel familiar to Higurashi fans.
- #24 WITCH ON THE HOLY NIGHT
79% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 8,439 reviews2023
Dev: TYPE-MOONPub: Aniplex Inc.
Windows
Median: 14.2 hrsMean: 66.0 hrs≥1hr: 85%
A tale told with vivid colors and rich sound in a classic TYPE-MOON visual novel.
Why similar: Visual Novel 53%, Anime 20.4%, Great Soundtrack 13.5%, Story Rich 8.2%, Adventure 2.6%
Why You'll Like It: A high-production visual novel that features a compelling mystery and supernatural elements with a strong narrative focus.
- #25 Doki Doki Literature Club!
80% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 226,656 reviews2017
Dev: Team Salvato
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 38.3 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 23.3%, Psychological Horror 20.7%, Anime 14.5%, Horror 11.5%, Great Soundtrack 6.8%
Why You'll Like It: It subverts the visual novel genre to deliver a shocking psychological horror experience that challenges the player's expectations.
- #26 Sound of Drop - fall into poison -
82% matchVery Positive85% of 539 reviews2015
Dev: aiueoKompanyPub: Sekai Project
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 8.8 hrs≥1hr: 94%
Nestled in the heart of Tokyo, the quaint little aquarium, Manten Aquarium. Numerous urban legends have arisen from here. On the night of the full moon the waters turn to blood and man faced fish lurk within.
Why similar: Visual Novel 29.7%, Horror 16.1%, Anime 15%, Gore 8.8%, Violent 6.9%
Why You'll Like It: A horror-focused visual novel that emphasizes atmosphere and the constant threat of death in a mysterious setting.
- #27 Your Turn To Die -Death Game By Majority-
79% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 4,394 reviews2023
Dev: NankidaiPub: 0UP GAMES
Windows
Median: 6.9 hrsMean: 13.6 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 20.3%, Psychological Horror 19.8%, Anime 15.8%, Psychological 15.8%, Dark 14.8%
Why You'll Like It: This game masterfully utilizes a death game premise to force players into difficult moral and psychological dilemmas.
- #28 Root Double -Before Crime * After Days- Xtend Edition
81% matchVery Positive91% of 615 reviews2016
Dev: YetiPub: Sekai Project
Windows
Median: 8.9 hrsMean: 14.2 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 40.2%, Anime 16.3%, Mystery 13.2%, Story Rich 8.6%, Gore 5.1%
Why You'll Like It: A complex, multi-perspective mystery that relies on psychological tension and high-stakes survival scenarios.
- #29 GNOSIA
78% matchVery Positive94% of 5,092 reviews2022
Dev: Petit DepottoPub: PLAYISM
Windows
Median: 7.3 hrsMean: 15.3 hrs≥1hr: 91%
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 27%, Psychological Horror 15.9%, Anime 15.3%, Mystery 15.3%, Psychological 11.2%
Why You'll Like It: This game blends social deduction with a deep, looping mystery that forces players to constantly question the motives of those around them.
- #30 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Rei
78% matchVery Positive98% of 295 reviews2022
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 5.8 hrsMean: 203.1 hrs≥1hr: 77%
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 37.6%, Anime 14.7%, Story Rich 7.4%, Psychological Horror 7.4%, Horror 6.3%
- #31 Higurashi When They Cry Hou+
77% matchVery Positive86% of 196 reviews2023
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 6.5 hrsMean: 9.7 hrs≥1hr: 72%
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 27.4%, Anime 15.2%, Psychological 12%, Gore 7%, Violent 6.1%
- #32 Return to Shironagasu Island
77% matchVery Positive94% of 4,204 reviews2020
Dev: ONIMUSHI HyogoPub: TABINOMICHI
Windows · Mac
Median: 5.6 hrsMean: 14.0 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 32.2%, Mystery 18.2%, Horror 14.9%, Anime 11%, Psychological Horror 10.7%
- #33 Narcissu 1st & 2nd
76% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 5,421 reviews2015
Dev: stage-nanaPub: Sekai Project
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 48 minMean: 19.4 hrs≥1hr: 47%
This is a story of disease and suffering; of medication and adverse effects; of thoracotomy scars and cellular poisons; of the living who cannot help but to die and of the dying who cannot help but to live; of a resting place other than "on 7F" or "at home".
Why similar: Visual Novel 58.1%, Anime 23.7%, Great Soundtrack 10.5%, Story Rich 6.2%, Indie 0.6%
- #34 The House in Fata Morgana: A Requiem for Innocence
75% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 1,903 reviews2018
Dev: NOVECTPub: MangaGamer
Windows
Median: 9.7 hrsMean: 17.2 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 35.3%, Great Soundtrack 11.7%, Gore 10.5%, Anime 9.3%, Violent 9%
- #35 AI: The Somnium Files
75% matchVery Positive92% of 9,378 reviews2019
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 15.2 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 29.8%, Mystery 17.1%, Anime 16.3%, Story Rich 9%, Gore 7%
- #36 Corpse Party: Book of Shadows
76% matchVery Positive86% of 518 reviews2018
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: XSEED Games
Windows
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 16.1 hrs≥1hr: 84%
An anthology series that serves as a Corpse Party sequel, prequel, midquel, and alternate universe tale all in one. Rejoin old friends for a deeper dive into the haunted halls of Heavenly Host Elementary...
Why similar: Visual Novel 21.5%, Horror 15.7%, Anime 13.3%, Psychological Horror 13.1%, Gore 9.9%
- #37 CLANNAD
74% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 10,918 reviews2015
Dev: VisualArts/KeyPub: Sekai Project
Windows
Median: 7.3 hrsMean: 106.4 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 43.1%, Anime 20.8%, Great Soundtrack 13.9%, Story Rich 10.1%, Classic 6.2% ★
- #38 Notch - The Innocent LunA: Eclipsed SinnerS
74% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 3,299 reviews2015
Dev: Angels Blue Digital EntertainmentPub: DigitalEZ
Windows
Median: 5.5 hrsMean: 163.0 hrs≥1hr: 92%
This is an isolated town, a town of memories that have been forgotten by its people. However, this small town has not been quiet and peaceful since the murders began... Time passes by, where are the sinful spirits going? Are my memories reality, or just a dream?
Why similar: Visual Novel 14.7%, Psychological Horror 11.6%, Mystery 11%, Horror 11%, Anime 9.5%
- #39 Raging Loop
73% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 10,913 reviews2017
Dev: KEMCO
Windows
Median: 24.0 hrsMean: 60.1 hrs≥1hr: 84%
The feast has begun, can you escape the village alive?
Why similar: Visual Novel 32.7%, Mystery 15.5%, Psychological Horror 15.4%, Story Rich 6.9%, Psychological 6.9%
- #40 Lucid9: Inciting Incident
73% matchVery Positive90% of 1,041 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 33.5%, Anime 16.9%, Mystery 15.3%, Horror 9.8%, Psychological Horror 7%
- #41 Detention
71% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 11,802 reviews2017
Dev: RedCandleGames
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 5.1 hrs≥1hr: 86%
Detention is an atmospheric horror game set in 1960s Taiwan under martial law. Incorporated religious elements based in Taiwanese/Chinese culture and mythology, the game provided players with unique graphics and gaming experience.
Why similar: Horror 26.4%, Psychological Horror 19.8%, Great Soundtrack 11.9%, Visual Novel 10.2%, Story Rich 7.9%
- #42 CORPSE FACTORY
72% matchVery Positive80% of 879 reviews2022
Dev: RIVER CROW STUDIO
Windows
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 6.7 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 22.1%, Psychological Horror 15.3%, Anime 12.4%, Mystery 11.8%, Horror 9.7%
- #43 YOU and ME and HER: A Love Story
70% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 6,981 reviews2020
Dev: NitroplusPub: JAST
Windows
Median: 7.7 hrsMean: 133.7 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 34.5%, Psychological Horror 22.1%, Anime 12.3%, Horror 8.1%, Story Rich 5.2%
- #44 Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
71% matchVery Positive83% of 23,146 reviews2017
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 9.0 hrsMean: 30.5 hrs≥1hr: 92%
A new cast of 16 characters find themselves kidnapped and imprisoned in a school. Inside, some will kill, some will die, and some will be punished. Reimagine what you thought high-stakes, fast-paced investigation was as you investigate twisted murder cases and condemn your new friends to death.
Why similar: Visual Novel 27.4%, Anime 15.1%, Mystery 14.9%, Great Soundtrack 11.9%, Psychological Horror 10.4%
- #45 Tokyo Dark
72% matchVery Positive84% of 1,344 reviews2017
Dev: CherrymochiPub: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 5.6 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 23.2%, Anime 16.1%, Horror 14%, Psychological Horror 13.2%, Mystery 11.8%
- #46 Magical Eyes - Red is for Anguish
73% matchVery Positive82% of 72 reviews2016
Dev: Pomera StudiosPub: Fruitbat Factory
Windows
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 4.7 hrs≥1hr: 97%
Magical Eyes - Red is for Anguish is a thrilling mystery story revolving around a series of unfathomable incidents in a town.
Why similar: Visual Novel 36.2%, Anime 20.6%, Mystery 19.3%, Horror 15.2%, Adventure 3.8%
- #47 STEINS;GATE 0
70% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 8,384 reviews2018
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.7 hrsMean: 127.4 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 38.5%, Anime 18.3%, Great Soundtrack 14.5%, Story Rich 12.3%, Psychological Horror 4.8%
- #48 Nie No Hakoniwa - Dollhouse of Offerings
71% matchMostly Positive75% of 281 reviews2024
Dev: Chatte NoirePub: Sekai Project
Windows
Median: 5.9 hrsMean: 8.8 hrs≥1hr: 95%
"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 30.1%, Anime 15.8%, Horror 14.7%, Mystery 11.1%, Gore 10.3%
- #49 The 25th Ward: The Silver Case
70% matchVery Positive92% of 535 reviews2018
Dev: GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE INC.Pub: NIS America, Inc.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 9.6 hrs≥1hr: 84%
In the bayside area of Kanto, a murder with unknown motivations sets off a series of seemingly random events bringing together peculiar individuals, one of whom is detective Tokio Morishima. When their ambitions begin to collide, a truly shocking pattern emerges…
Why similar: Visual Novel 40.5%, Mystery 18%, Great Soundtrack 16.5%, Violent 13.6%, Story Rich 6.7%
- #50 Nightmare Zapping
68% matchVery Positive99% of 76 reviews2023
Dev: Maldo19
Windows
A horror channel browsing game where each channel holds a different nightmare to experience, explore them and find out the truth about what has happened in a small town where the inhabitants have disappeared.
Why similar: Visual Novel 22.8%, Horror 13.6%, Psychological Horror 12%, Anime 10.8%, Mystery 10.1%
- #51 Perennial Dusk -Kinsenka-
67% matchVery Positive85% of 177 reviews2025
Dev: FrontwingPub: Frontwing USA
Windows
“Perennial Dusk -Kinsenka-” is a kinetic novel about how the human heart endures relentless violence and limitless cruelty, telling the story of a group of exorcists-in-training as they gather the pieces needed to mend their wounded souls.
Why similar: Visual Novel 30.1%, Anime 17.9%, Dark 10.1%, Horror 10%, Psychological 7.2%
- #52 Tiny Bunny: Prologue
68% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 2,262 reviews2020
Dev: Saikono
Windows
Median: 42 minMean: 2.7 hrs≥1hr: 38%
Tiny Bunny: Prologue is a non-linear horror visual novel. Those, who have heard the voice of the forest, are beyond help.
Why similar: Visual Novel 39.4%, Horror 28.9%, Psychological Horror 8.6%, Anime 6.7%, Dark 5.6%
- #53 soundless - A MODERN SALEM IN REMOTE AREA -
66% matchVery Positive96% of 57 reviews2025
Dev: milk+ visual
Windows · Mac · Linux
A yuri denpa tale about the cursed pariah of a rural cult, Mercy, and her fateful meeting with the Holy Maiden Auma. Bloody, bold, and bone-chilling, this visual novel explores the complexities of the cycle of abuse and the violence in playing by the rules.
Why similar: Visual Novel 20.4%, Psychological Horror 15.9%, Horror 11.4%, Gore 11.2%, Anime 8.9%
- #54 Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma
69% matchVery Positive82% of 4,888 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 26.6%, Psychological Horror 16.8%, Mystery 15.3%, Anime 9.9%, Story Rich 8.6%
- #55 Sister Other Paranoia
66% matchMostly Positive72% of 560 reviews2026
Dev: HazeDenkiPub: Serenity Forge
Windows
A dark visual novel by acclaimed creator nyalra. Overly sensitive to other people's emotions, the protagonist—a light novel writer—develops the ability to read minds, only to be driven even deeper into isolation. His sole remaining comfort is his younger sister, gifted yet lonely.
Why similar: Visual Novel 29.4%, Psychological Horror 21.8%, Anime 15.7%, Dark 9.1%, Story Rich 8.2%
- #56 KOEWOTAYORINI SP / 声之寄托SP
68% matchVery Positive95% of 240 reviews2018
Dev: あみそ組Pub: Pujia8 Studio
Windows
Median: 54 minMean: 37.9 hrs≥1hr: 49%
Escape by means of "Voice"! The second installment of the new feeling puzzle and escape game! You are being held in a room that you haven't been to before. The only thing you can do is using telephone to ask for hint from a cooperator.
Why similar: Visual Novel 21.1%, Anime 15.2%, Horror 11.8%, Psychological Horror 10.2%, Mystery 10.2%
- #57 Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!
64% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 32,130 reviews2021
Dev: Team SalvatoPub: Serenity Forge
Windows · Mac
Median: 6.0 hrsMean: 83.9 hrs≥1hr: 80%
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 31.8%, Psychological Horror 27.2%, Anime 17.7%, Gore 7.1%, Story Rich 6.5%
- #58 KAKUSANKIBOU / 扩散希望
69% matchVery Positive82% of 161 reviews2018
Dev: あみそ組Pub: Pujia8 Studio
Windows
Basically the story goes as visual novel form. Sometimes, the system switches into dot part, and you can control the character to continue the story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 17.4%, Anime 15.7%, Horror 13%, Psychological Horror 12.7%, Mystery 10.1%
- #59 YAMIKKO TROUBLEMAKER
65% matchVery Positive97% of 110 reviews2025
Dev: お湯めのPub: 半角全角感嘆符
Windows
A long-form, choice-driven psychological horror and depression game in which the protagonist’s ending changes based on the choices made by “you,” the voice he hears in his head.
Why similar: Psychological Horror 25.2%, Horror 18.1%, Visual Novel 16.4%, Dark 11.9%, Story Rich 8.5%
- #60 Banebush
63% matchVery Positive95% of 2,291 reviews2024
Dev: Hinterland Mood
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 2.7 hrsMean: 4.1 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 35.3%, Horror 20.7%, Psychological Horror 20.3%, Story Rich 9.2%, Violent 7.1%
