- #1 Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs
97% 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 26.8%, Mystery 23.3%, Story Rich 11.9%, Psychological Horror 11.9%, Anime 11.8%
Why You'll Like It: Created by the same author, this series shares the same masterful blend of mystery, psychological tension, and intricate world-building.
- #2 Umineko When They Cry - Answer Arcs
96% 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 27.5%, Mystery 23.4%, Anime 12.2%, Story Rich 11.8%, Horror 11%
Why You'll Like It: This serves as the essential conclusion to the Umineko saga, providing the same deep, philosophical mystery-solving experience as Higurashi.
- #3 Raging Loop
96% 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 26.4%, Mystery 16.4%, Psychological Horror 15.7%, Story Rich 8%, Gore 7.6%
Why You'll Like It: Features a similar 'death loop' mechanic where the protagonist must navigate a village mystery while dealing with paranoia and supernatural threats.
- #4 CHAOS;CHILD
95% 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 22%, Mystery 13.9%, Anime 12.6%, Gore 12.1%, Psychological Horror 11%
Why You'll Like It: A deeply psychological mystery that balances a high-school setting with intense, graphic horror and a gripping, multi-layered narrative.
- #5 The House in Fata Morgana
94% matchVery Positive95% of 6,235 reviews2016
Dev: NOVECTPub: MangaGamer
Windows
Median: 6.5 hrsMean: 27.3 hrs≥1hr: 84%
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 20%, Psychological Horror 15.5%, Mystery 15.1%, Anime 12.9%, Horror 11.9%
Why You'll Like It: A gothic, story-rich visual novel that excels at psychological depth and emotional storytelling, much like the most intense chapters of Higurashi.
- #6 Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
94% 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 24.2%, Anime 21.2%, Mystery 19.6%, Psychological Horror 13.8%, Story Rich 9.5%
Why You'll Like It: Combines a high-stakes death game with a strong mystery focus and a cast of memorable characters, mirroring the tension of the Higurashi arcs.
- #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 26.2%, Psychological Horror 22.6%, Gore 20.2%, Horror 10.6%, Anime 9.3%
Why You'll Like It: Shares the visceral, disturbing psychological horror and dark, transformative themes found in the more intense moments of Higurashi.
- #8 STEINS;GATE
92% 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 36.9%, Anime 24.3%, Story Rich 14.9%, Mystery 8.6%, Psychological Horror 8.2%
Why You'll Like It: A quintessential mystery visual novel that uses a slow-burn narrative to build immense psychological stakes and a complex, branching plot.
- #9 Wonderful Everyday Down the Rabbit-Hole
91% 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 22.5%, Psychological Horror 18.4%, Anime 10.7%, Mystery 10%, Violent 9.6%
Why You'll Like It: A complex, philosophical, and deeply disturbing visual novel that challenges the reader's perception of reality and morality.
- #10 Tiny Bunny
89% 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 22.4%, Horror 15.9%, Psychological Horror 15.5%, Gore 10.3%, Story Rich 9.9%
Why You'll Like It: An atmospheric horror visual novel that captures the unsettling, rural dread and supernatural mystery present in the Higurashi setting.
- #11 Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
91% 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 24.9%, Mystery 17.8%, Psychological Horror 14.6%, Anime 11.5%, Story Rich 11.3%
Why You'll Like It: A gripping psychological thriller that forces characters into life-or-death situations, requiring the player to solve mysteries to survive.
- #12 Corpse Party
90% matchVery Positive89% of 1,376 reviews2016
Dev: GrisGrisPub: XSEED Games
Windows · Linux
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 17.2 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 23.5%, Anime 18.3%, Psychological Horror 14.6%, Gore 14.2%, Visual Novel 13.8%
Why You'll Like It: A classic school-based horror experience that focuses on gore, psychological trauma, and the desperate survival of a group of friends.
- #13 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.6 Tsumihoroboshi
89% 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 19.3%, Anime 13.3%, Mystery 12.5%, Psychological Horror 12.3%, Horror 12.3%
Why You'll Like It: A pivotal chapter that shifts the perspective of the mystery and explores the redemption of one of the series' most complex characters.
- #14 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.5 Meakashi
88% 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 16.6%, Psychological Horror 13.7%, Anime 13.4%, Horror 13.1%, Mystery 12.1%
Why You'll Like It: A crucial chapter for understanding the psychological motivations and tragic history of the Sonozaki family.
- #15 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.8 Matsuribayashi
86% 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 26.3%, Psychological Horror 21.9%, Horror 15.8%, Anime 11.6%, Adventure 11.5%
Why You'll Like It: The climactic conclusion to the main Higurashi arc that provides resolution to the long-standing mysteries of Hinamizawa.
- #16 Iwaihime
87% matchMostly Positive79% of 887 reviews2020
Dev: DMM GAMESPub: Shiravune
Windows
Median: 5.6 hrsMean: 17.6 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 24.4%, Psychological Horror 20.8%, Anime 20.3%, Horror 14.3%, Adventure 8.5%
Why You'll Like It: A haunting, supernatural horror visual novel with a strong focus on psychological dread and atmospheric storytelling.
- #17 Your Turn To Die -Death Game By Majority-
84% 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 23.7%, Psychological Horror 22.5%, Anime 19.5%, Story Rich 10.6%, Dark 9.8%
Why You'll Like It: A compelling death game mystery that emphasizes difficult moral choices and the psychological unraveling of its cast.
- #18 CORPSE FACTORY
85% 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 16.6%, Psychological Horror 14.9%, Anime 13.1%, Mystery 11.8%, Violent 11.7%
Why You'll Like It: A dark thriller that explores the psychological toll of a mysterious death-request service, perfect for fans of Higurashi's darker side.
- #19 Root Double -Before Crime * After Days- Xtend Edition
86% 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 32.1%, Anime 18.2%, Mystery 14%, Story Rich 9.8%, Gore 8.5%
Why You'll Like It: A complex, multi-perspective mystery that requires players to manage high-stakes survival scenarios through careful decision-making.
- #20 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.2 Watanagashi
84% 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 21.4%, Psychological Horror 13.9%, Anime 13.4%, Horror 13.2%, Mystery 13.2%
Why You'll Like It: A key chapter that deepens the mystery of the village's dark secrets and introduces the series' signature psychological tension.
- #21 GNOSIA
82% 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 23.8%, Anime 19%, Psychological Horror 18.2%, Mystery 18.1%, Story Rich 11.2%
Why You'll Like It: A unique social deduction mystery that explores psychological loops and paranoia in a sci-fi setting, echoing the themes of suspicion in Higurashi.
- #22 Return to Shironagasu Island
82% 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 24.9%, Mystery 18.7%, Horror 14%, Adventure 13.2%, Anime 12%
Why You'll Like It: A tense, isolated mystery that focuses on survival, investigation, and uncovering dark secrets in a claustrophobic environment.
- #23 Tokyo Dark
83% 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 18.8%, Anime 18.3%, Psychological Horror 13.9%, Horror 13.8%, Mystery 12.7%
Why You'll Like It: A detective-focused horror visual novel where player choices lead to significant psychological consequences and multiple endings.
- #24 WITCH ON THE HOLY NIGHT
78% 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 48.1%, Anime 25.9%, Story Rich 10.7%, Adventure 10.3%, 2D 3.9%
Why You'll Like It: A beautifully presented narrative that features deep lore and intense, high-stakes conflict within a modern fantasy setting.
- #25 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.1 Onikakushi
81% 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 33.4%, Mystery 22.2%, Anime 20.9%, Story Rich 10.3%, Dark 5.6%
Why You'll Like It: The essential starting point for the entire Higurashi mystery, perfectly establishing the tone of the series.
- #26 CHAOS;HEAD NOAH
79% matchVery Positive88% of 1,810 reviews2022
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 52.6 hrs≥1hr: 83%
CHAOS;HEAD NOAH is now available on Steam!
Why similar: Visual Novel 22.7%, Gore 15.1%, Anime 13.1%, Mystery 13.1%, Psychological Horror 11.9%
Why You'll Like It: The precursor to Chaos;Child, offering a dark look at psychological delusion, paranoia, and urban mystery.
- #27 Ciconia When They Cry - Phase 1: For You, the Replaceable Ones
80% 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 28.1%, Mystery 18%, Violent 17.4%, Anime 15.5%, Adventure 11.2%
Why You'll Like It: Another entry in the 'When They Cry' series that offers complex, mystery-heavy world-building and high-stakes conflict.
- #28 Sound of Drop - fall into poison -
81% matchVery Positive85% of 537 reviews2015
Dev: aiueoKompanyPub: Sekai Project
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 8.8 hrs≥1hr: 95%
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 23.3%, Anime 16.1%, Horror 15%, Gore 14.1%, Violent 10%
Why You'll Like It: A claustrophobic horror visual novel that emphasizes mystery and survival within a supernatural, aquarium-based setting.
- #29 The Letter - Horror Visual Novel
79% matchVery Positive86% of 1,515 reviews2017
Dev: Yangyang MobilePub: Neon Doctrine
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 6.6 hrsMean: 11.1 hrs≥1hr: 90%
When seven people fall prey to a vicious curse, they will discover that horror rests not from the shadows lurking about, but within themselves. To what ends will one go in order to survive?
Why similar: Visual Novel 23.9%, Horror 18.7%, Psychological Horror 10.4%, Gore 10.3%, Anime 9.6%
Why You'll Like It: A branching horror narrative where character survival is directly tied to the player's choices, creating a high-stakes experience.
- #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 20.4%, Anime 14.5%, Mystery 14.1%, Horror 10.9%, Psychological Horror 10%
- #31 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Rei
77% 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 30%, Anime 16.4%, Adventure 12.1%, Story Rich 8.4%, Gore 8.3%
- #32 Higurashi When They Cry Hou+
76% 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 23.9%, Anime 18.9%, Gore 12.6%, Violent 10.2%, Adventure 10%
- #33 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.4 Himatsubushi
77% 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 19.9%, Anime 14%, Mystery 13.5%, Psychological Horror 13.5%, Violent 10.3%
- #34 The House in Fata Morgana: A Requiem for Innocence
76% 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 26.9%, Gore 18%, Violent 13.8%, Adventure 12.7%, Anime 10.4%
- #35 AI: The Somnium Files
75% 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 22.8%, Anime 17.6%, Mystery 17.4%, Gore 11.4%, Story Rich 9.9%
- #36 Urban Myth Dissolution Center
71% matchVery Positive88% of 5,930 reviews2025
Dev: HakababunkoPub: SHUEISHA GAMES
Windows
Median: 8.0 hrsMean: 9.9 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Join forces with the psychic Director of the Urban Myth Dissolution Center and solve a variety of cases involving cursed relics, rental properties with shady histories, and dimensional anomalies. Monstrous oddities and otherworldly planes abound in this occult mystery adventure game!
Why similar: Visual Novel 23.5%, Psychological Horror 19.3%, Mystery 17.1%, Horror 11.5%, Story Rich 9.1%
- #37 Narcissu 1st & 2nd
74% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 5,284 reviews2015
Dev: stage-nanaPub: Sekai Project
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 48 minMean: 19.5 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 55.8%, Anime 31.8%, Story Rich 8.5%, Indie 2.4%, Adventure 1%
- #38 STEINS;GATE 0
73% 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%, Anime 24.7%, Story Rich 17%, Adventure 6.8%, Psychological Horror 6%
- #39 Corpse Party: Book of Shadows
75% matchVery Positive86% of 505 reviews2018
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: XSEED Games
Windows
Median: 3.9 hrsMean: 16.2 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 15.4%, Gore 14.8%, Horror 13.6%, Anime 13.3%, Psychological Horror 12.2%
- #40 CLANNAD
73% 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 46.9%, Anime 31.8%, Story Rich 15.7%, Adventure 2.7%, Psychological Horror 1.4%
- #41 The Shell Part I: Inferno
72% 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 24.2%, Mystery 18.9%, Psychological Horror 18.4%, Gore 11.9%, Anime 10.1%
- #42 Doki Doki Literature Club!
71% 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: Psychological Horror 23.5%, Visual Novel 20.4%, Anime 17.7%, Horror 12.2%, Gore 8.2%
- #43 Grisaia Phantom Trigger Vol.1
74% 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 25.8%, Anime 19.8%, Violent 15.6%, Horror 13.3%, Story Rich 9.3%
- #44 Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
72% matchVery Positive83% of 22,376 reviews2017
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 9.2 hrsMean: 30.6 hrs≥1hr: 91%
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 25.4%, Anime 19.6%, Mystery 18.4%, Psychological Horror 12.5%, Story Rich 11.1%
- #45 Kara no Shojo
73% matchVery Positive92% of 449 reviews2018
Dev: Innocent GreyPub: MangaGamer
Windows
Median: 5.9 hrsMean: 161.1 hrs≥1hr: 63%
Play as a detective tasked with catching a serial killer in this visual novel set in post-war Japan. Investigate key locations, question many complex characters, piece together clues, and try to stop the culprit before they end yet another young girl's smile.
Why similar: Visual Novel 19%, Psychological Horror 16.3%, Mystery 16.3%, Anime 16.1%, Horror 12.9%
- #46 Ib
69% matchOverwhelmingly Positive99% of 5,122 reviews2022
Dev: kouriPub: PLAYISM
Windows
Median: 3.4 hrsMean: 16.2 hrs≥1hr: 82%
A 2D exploration adventure game set in a creepy, mysterious art gallery.
Why similar: Psychological Horror 27.5%, Horror 25.7%, Anime 21.1%, Story Rich 17.1%, 2D 4.7%
- #47 The Witch's House MV
71% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 3,920 reviews2018
Dev: FummyPub: DANGEN Entertainment
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.8 hrsMean: 9.8 hrs≥1hr: 85%
A young girl, Viola, is drawn inexorably to a mysterious manor that seems to change behind her back. It is a place of pain, turmoil and death. Plumb its detestable depths and abominable history. Untangle riddles that bar your perilous path. And flee the hellish halls of The Witch’s House.
Why similar: Horror 44.6%, Psychological Horror 17.7%, Anime 10.5%, Story Rich 7.1%, Adventure 6%
- #48 Seventh Lair
70% matchVery Positive94% of 398 reviews2022
Dev: NOVECTPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac
Seventh Lair is a short visual novel featuring some cast members of The House in Fata Morgana. It exists in a parallel universe to the original game, so it can be enjoyed even by those unfamiliar with it.
Why similar: Visual Novel 29.2%, Anime 20.3%, Mystery 13.3%, Story Rich 9%, Adventure 7.2%
- #49 YOU and ME and HER: A Love Story
70% 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 30.3%, Psychological Horror 24.9%, Anime 15%, Horror 8.5%, Gore 7.3%
- #50 Hashihime of the Old Book Town
69% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 643 reviews2019
Dev: ADELTAPub: MangaGamer
Windows
Follow the protagonist's pursuit to uncover the death of his friends during the Taisho era of Japan. An highly-acclaimed, psychedelic BL murder-mystery visual novel from indie developer ADELTA!
Why similar: Visual Novel 34.7%, Anime 12.9%, Gore 12.3%, Violent 12.3%, Story Rich 9.8%
- #51 UNREAL LIFE
67% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 1,922 reviews2020
Dev: hako lifePub: room6
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.9 hrsMean: 299.1 hrs≥1hr: 69%
And now, for today's story.
Why similar: Story Rich 25.2%, Adventure 18.8%, Mystery 18%, Anime 11.8%, Psychological Horror 11.7%
- #52 KAKUSANKIBOU / 扩散希望
70% matchVery Positive83% of 160 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: Anime 16.8%, Visual Novel 13.4%, Psychological Horror 12.6%, Horror 12.1%, Gore 10.6%
- #53 Hira Hira Hihiru
65% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 902 reviews2023
Dev: BA-KUPub: ANIPLEX.EXE
Windows
Median: 5.7 hrsMean: 10.6 hrs≥1hr: 69%
"Hira Hira Hihiru" is a visual novel set in a fictional Taishō Era. It tells the story of its two protagonists' struggle against Aerodema, a terrifying disease which brings the dead back to life.
Why similar: Visual Novel 43.2%, Adventure 20.5%, Violent 13.7%, Anime 12.4%, Story Rich 6.3%
- #54 ABYSS OF THE SACRIFICE
68% matchVery Positive83% of 267 reviews2020
Dev: INTENSEPub: D3PUBLISHER
Windows
Median: 5.3 hrsMean: 12.6 hrs≥1hr: 93%
Five girls meet in an isolated underground city. As they slay and betray each other, what fate awaits them at the end of their journey? Hope? Or despair? Enjoy an immersive story, fully voiced and boasting multiple endings!
Why similar: Visual Novel 25.2%, Anime 19.7%, Mystery 12.9%, Story Rich 10.4%, Adventure 8.9%
- #55 The Coma: Recut
68% matchVery Positive84% of 3,009 reviews2017
Dev: Dvora Studio Co., Ltd.Pub: Headup
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.3 hrsMean: 9.1 hrs≥1hr: 86%
You are Youngho, a Korean high school student trapped and relentlessly pursued by a psychotic killer in the hellish corridors of Sehwa High. Run, hide, explore, and survive while piecing together the mystery The Coma in this remastered version of the Korean cult classic.
Why similar: Horror 17.7%, Anime 17%, Visual Novel 13.8%, Violent 11.9%, Psychological Horror 10.5%
- #56 Tiny Bunny: Prologue
66% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 2,257 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 31.2%, Horror 27.7%, Adventure 11.3%, Psychological Horror 8.8%, Anime 7.4%
- #57 Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma
68% 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 22.4%, Psychological Horror 18.4%, Mystery 16.9%, Anime 11.5%, Story Rich 10.2%
- #58 Magical Eyes - Red is for Anguish
69% matchVery Positive81% of 69 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 27.9%, Anime 22.1%, Mystery 19.5%, Horror 14%, Adventure 12.7%
- #59 Dies irae ~Amantes amentes~
67% 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 35.8%, Anime 22.6%, Violent 15.5%, Story Rich 10.5%, Adventure 8.6%
- #60 Noel the Mortal Fate Complete Edition
66% matchVery Positive87% of 3,327 reviews2018
Dev: KANAWOPub: Vaka Game Magazine
Windows
Median: 4.7 hrsMean: 15.1 hrs≥1hr: 74%
This is a tale of revenge — of a demon, a girl, and their companions. After seven years of development, the popular dark suspense adventure "Noel the Mortal Fate" finally arrives as a complete edition with all 13 seasons included, fully upgraded and with no extra charges.
Why similar: Anime 20.7%, Visual Novel 17.7%, Horror 14%, Psychological Horror 13.9%, Story Rich 11.6%
