- #1 Doki Doki Literature Club!
97% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 219,150 reviews2017
Dev: Team Salvato
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 38.2 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 33.7%, Anime 23.4%, Psychological Horror 12.3%, Horror 9.4%, Story Rich 6.4%
Why You'll Like It: Like Lucid9, this title uses the visual novel format to subvert expectations with intense psychological horror elements.
- #2 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.1 Onikakushi
96% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 6,215 reviews2015
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 21.9 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 43.3%, Mystery 22%, Anime 21.6%, Story Rich 8.9%, Great Soundtrack 3.5%
Why You'll Like It: This classic mystery series shares the same unsettling atmosphere and slow-burn dread found in high-school-based thrillers.
- #3 AI: The Somnium Files
96% matchVery Positive92% of 9,101 reviews2019
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 15.1 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 32.2%, Anime 19.9%, Mystery 18.7%, Story Rich 9.3%, Gore 5.8%
Why You'll Like It: This title offers a sophisticated detective mystery with deep psychological themes and a strong anime aesthetic.
- #4 Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
95% matchVery Positive93% of 6,967 reviews2017
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 6.5 hrsMean: 21.7 hrs≥1hr: 88%
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 33.8%, Mystery 18.5%, Anime 12.6%, Story Rich 10.2%, Psychological Horror 6.4%
Why You'll Like It: It masterfully combines complex puzzle-solving with a dark, branching mystery narrative that keeps players on edge.
- #5 Tokyo Dark
94% matchVery Positive84% of 1,336 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 28.6%, Anime 22%, Mystery 14.7%, Horror 9.7%, Psychological Horror 6.7%
Why You'll Like It: This game features a detective-led mystery with significant psychological consequences and multiple branching paths.
- #6 CHAOS;CHILD
94% matchVery Positive94% of 3,800 reviews2019
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 81.1 hrs≥1hr: 81%
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 33.7%, Mystery 16.2%, Anime 15.4%, Story Rich 7.4%, Gore 6.7%
Why You'll Like It: A gripping mystery thriller that explores dark, supernatural occurrences within a modern Japanese setting.
- #7 Your Turn To Die -Death Game By Majority-
93% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 3,866 reviews2023
Dev: NankidaiPub: 0UP GAMES
Windows
Median: 6.4 hrsMean: 14.0 hrs≥1hr: 82%
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 37.7%, Anime 32.5%, Psychological Horror 15%, Story Rich 14.8%
Why You'll Like It: A high-stakes, free-to-play mystery game that features a gripping narrative and intense character interactions similar to Lucid9.
- #8 Root Double -Before Crime * After Days- Xtend Edition
92% matchVery Positive90% of 592 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 42.9%, Anime 19.4%, Mystery 14.2%, Story Rich 8.7%, Gore 4.2%
Why You'll Like It: A complex, story-rich visual novel that excels at building suspense through its intricate, multi-perspective narrative.
- #9 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.2 Watanagashi
91% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 1,766 reviews2015
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.3 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 33.4%, Anime 16.9%, Mystery 15.8%, Horror 9.7%, Psychological Horror 6.9%
Why You'll Like It: This continuation of the Higurashi series deepens the mystery and horror elements established in the first chapter.
- #10 Trick and Treat - Visual Novel
91% matchVery Positive90% of 3,613 reviews2016
Dev: Eternal Night StudiosPub: Alberto Herrera
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 42 minMean: 5.1 hrs≥1hr: 41%
Trick & Treat is a Visual Novel that test your instincts by making choices that can get you out from the cursed forest or drive you to death… or maybe just maybe your choices can guide you to something more?
Why similar: Visual Novel 43.6%, Anime 30.7%, Horror 8.5%, Simulation 3.8%, Mystery 3.4%
Why You'll Like It: A free-to-play horror visual novel that shares the dark, atmospheric tone of the seed game.
- #11 PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
89% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 6,520 reviews2023
Dev: Square Enix
Windows
Median: 8.6 hrsMean: 10.1 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 33.7%, Anime 21%, Mystery 17.7%, Horror 10.9%, Story Rich 8.6%
Why You'll Like It: A unique supernatural mystery that focuses on investigation and uncovering dark secrets in a modern urban environment.
- #12 Sound of Drop - fall into poison -
90% matchVery Positive85% of 536 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 35.9%, Anime 19.9%, Horror 10.8%, Gore 8.1%, Violent 6.2%
Why You'll Like It: A horror-focused visual novel that captures the same eerie, isolated feeling found in Lucid9.
- #13 The Monster Inside
87% matchVery Positive88% of 2,060 reviews2017
Dev: Random Seed Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 12 minMean: 1.5 hrs≥1hr: 10%
A film noir style audio-visual novella. A mysterious woman... a string of murders... and a man with a hidden past.
Why similar: Visual Novel 53.4%, Mystery 32.7%, Horror 9.6%, Indie 4.3%
Why You'll Like It: A free-to-play indie title that leans into noir-inspired mystery and psychological tension.
- #14 Detective Butler: Maiden Voyage Murder
88% matchVery Positive82% of 307 reviews2017
Dev: Goldbar Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 30 minMean: 10.4 hrs≥1hr: 28%
Follow Detective Butler and his sidekick Gilligan as they solve a locked-room murder during a haunted cruise ship's maiden voyage. Can you solve the mystery before Detective Butler reveals the answer?
Why similar: Visual Novel 35.6%, Mystery 25.3%, Anime 21.4%, Story Rich 10.1%, Casual 3.9%
Why You'll Like It: A lighthearted yet engaging detective mystery that focuses on investigation and character dialogue.
- #15 Elsewhere High: Chapter 1 - A Visual Novel
89% matchMixed65% of 81 reviews2017
Dev: Horizon Studio
Windows · Mac
Median: 1.3 hrsMean: 17.5 hrs≥1hr: 68%
Welcome to Elsewhere High, "a school for exceptional children." In this visual novel, players are able to immerse themselves in the world of the outcast. Each student at Elsewhere High has fallen short of expectations at their original high school; they've flunked out, skipped class, wrote threatening notes, or grew to be a...
Why similar: Visual Novel 43.3%, Mystery 22.7%, Anime 21.3%, Horror 12.8%
Why You'll Like It: This title directly mirrors the school-based mystery setting and free-to-play accessibility of Lucid9.
- #16 PRICE
86% matchVery Positive94% of 5,134 reviews2016
Dev: YETU GAME
Windows
Median: 1.2 hrsMean: 7.9 hrs≥1hr: 59%
The hero Ivry wakes up from a nightmare and finds himself in a weird room. To escape from fear and darkness, he has to search and explore on his own until he discovers the truth and finds his sister Iva.A puzzle game 《PRICE》
Why similar: Anime 31%, Visual Novel 19.4%, Horror 15%, Mystery 8.6%, Great Soundtrack 7.9%
Why You'll Like It: A free-to-play puzzle-heavy visual novel that uses a dark, anime-inspired aesthetic to tell its story.
- #17 GNOSIA
84% matchVery Positive94% of 4,733 reviews2022
Dev: Petit DepottoPub: PLAYISM
Windows
Median: 7.2 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 33.4%, Anime 21.4%, Mystery 19.4%, Story Rich 10.6%, Psychological Horror 8.2%
Why You'll Like It: A brilliant blend of social deduction and mystery that forces the player to solve a recurring puzzle in a confined space.
- #18 Narcissu 1st & 2nd
85% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 5,225 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 59.5%, Anime 27%, Story Rich 6%, Great Soundtrack 4.8%, Indie 1.5%
Why You'll Like It: A highly regarded, story-rich visual novel that focuses on emotional depth and character development.
- #19 missed messages.
84% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 15,420 reviews2019
Dev: Angela He
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 36 minMean: 3.1 hrs≥1hr: 18%
‘goth gf’s iPhone’ airdrops you - accept or decline? A love/horror story about life, death, & memes.
Why similar: Visual Novel 46.6%, Choices Matter 9.4%, Psychological Horror 9.3%, Anime 7.8%, Story Rich 6.6%
Why You'll Like It: A short, impactful free-to-play visual novel that explores themes of mental health and mystery.
- #20 STEINS;GATE
83% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 25,378 reviews2016
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 6.5 hrsMean: 66.2 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 42.9%, Anime 22.5%, Story Rich 11.6%, Mystery 7.5%, Great Soundtrack 6.6%
Why You'll Like It: A seminal visual novel that balances character-driven drama with a high-stakes, time-bending mystery.
- #21 Summer Nightmare
86% matchMixed55% of 554 reviews2017
Dev: Team Summer NightmarePub: Elkibe Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 30 minMean: 12.4 hrs≥1hr: 30%
If one’s imagined world of nightmare and the real world unite…. The hide-and-seek game of death in the world of nightmare begins. Discover hints and save yourself from the nightmare!
Why similar: Visual Novel 36.6%, Anime 25.7%, Horror 13.2%, Gore 10.9%, Psychological Horror 6.8%
Why You'll Like It: A free-to-play horror visual novel that effectively uses gore and mystery to build its atmosphere.
- #22 Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs
82% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 2,634 reviews2016
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 13.9 hrsMean: 40.4 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 33.9%, Mystery 22.5%, Anime 12%, Great Soundtrack 10.7%, Story Rich 10.1%
Why You'll Like It: An essential mystery visual novel that challenges the player to solve elaborate riddles within a tense, supernatural framework.
- #23 Kill or Love
82% matchVery Positive89% of 2,191 reviews2020
Dev: Andy Church
Windows · Mac · Linux
A visual novel about obsession, loneliness, and, based on your choices, varying amounts of murder.
Why similar: Visual Novel 37.2%, Anime 24.7%, Psychological Horror 11%, Mystery 10.1%, Horror 6.6%
Why You'll Like It: A free-to-play visual novel that combines psychological horror with romantic tension.
- #24 Adolescent Santa Claus
81% matchVery Positive85% of 1,317 reviews2018
Dev: TALESSHOP Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 30 minMean: 3.4 hrs≥1hr: 25%
This visual novel game tells the tale of a cute little Santa Clause appearing
Why similar: Visual Novel 55.5%, Anime 33.4%, Casual 5.8%, Story Rich 3.1%, Indie 2.2%
Why You'll Like It: A casual, free-to-play visual novel that provides a lighter, yet still narrative-focused experience.
- #25 9-nine-:Episode 1
79% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 1,894 reviews2019
Dev: PALETTEPub: Sekai Project
Windows
Median: 7.2 hrsMean: 145.4 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Help Miyako and Kakeru track down a superpowered serial killer before they strike again.
Why similar: Visual Novel 48.5%, Anime 23.9%, Mystery 10.7%, Story Rich 5.8%, Simulation 3.9%
Why You'll Like It: A supernatural mystery visual novel that features a compelling cast and a modern school setting.
- #26 One Thousand Lies
80% matchVery Positive89% of 1,129 reviews2016
Dev: Keinart Lobre
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 36 minMean: 6.6 hrs≥1hr: 36%
One day, Ciarán starts receiving enigmatic emails from a mysterious sender, turning his everyday life into a mess of a romantic comedy with psychological themes mixed in. What lies beyond the mystery he's been presented with? In the words of Harry H.: "If you want to know the truth, go find it".
Why similar: Visual Novel 47.8%, Anime 26.7%, Story Rich 9.5%, Simulation 7.5%, Casual 4.8%
Why You'll Like It: A free-to-play visual novel that emphasizes a character-driven story with mystery elements.
- #27 Magical Eyes - Red is for Anguish
81% 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 40.3%, Anime 25.5%, Mystery 21.5%, Horror 9.4%, Indie 3.3%
Why You'll Like It: A supernatural mystery that blends anime aesthetics with a dark, investigative narrative.
- #28 Lynne
79% matchVery Positive80% of 1,113 reviews2018
Dev: ebi-hime
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.1 hrsMean: 4.8 hrs≥1hr: 52%
Lynne is a short story about the scariest thing in the world: being a teenager.
Why similar: Visual Novel 51.8%, Anime 14.9%, Horror 11.8%, Psychological Horror 10.4%, Simulation 6.5%
Why You'll Like It: A short, free-to-play psychological horror experience that focuses on unsettling imagery and narrative.
- #29 Ciconia When They Cry - Phase 1: For You, the Replaceable Ones
78% matchVery Positive93% of 540 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 38.8%, Mystery 18.9%, Anime 17.1%, Violent 9.7%, Story Rich 8.3%
Why You'll Like It: A complex, mystery-laden thriller from the creators of Higurashi that offers a deep, engaging narrative.
- #30 MAMIYA
78% matchVery Positive93% of 444 reviews2021
Dev: Kenkou LandPub: Fruitbat Factory
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 12.1 hrs≥1hr: 86%
MAMIYA is a captivating, dark mystery visual novel in which a group of young men struggle against existential dread before the end of the world.
Why similar: Visual Novel 33.2%, Anime 14.9%, Mystery 13.8%, Story Rich 10.4%, Psychological Horror 10%
Why You'll Like It: A psychological visual novel that explores dark, surreal themes with a focus on character introspection.
- #31 Connected Hearts - Visual novel
77% matchVery Positive89% of 339 reviews2017
Dev: Eternal Night StudiosPub: Stw Projects
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 42 minMean: 10.5 hrs≥1hr: 34%
Gary is caught in a strange dream and now he must overcome the adversities on his path or perish in the attempt. In this adventure you will meet 3 children in dream-like scenarios, next to a mysterious girl who talks about a promise.
Why similar: Visual Novel 56%, Anime 22.3%, Simulation 11.9%, Casual 6.5%, Indie 3.3%
- #32 Sunlight Scream
76% matchVery Positive84% of 81 reviews2023
Dev: Faithy Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
The hero moves to a new city. However, along with him comes a masked killer who begins to kill his friends one by one... Make decisions to build your adventure. Can you stop him before it's too late?
Why similar: Visual Novel 28.8%, Anime 19%, Mystery 17.4%, Story Rich 8.9%, Psychological Horror 7.1%
- #33 CUPID - A free to play Visual Novel
77% matchVery Positive87% of 1,308 reviews2016
Dev: FerventPub: Afterthought Studios
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.5 hrsMean: 6.9 hrs≥1hr: 64%
"Love is both poison and cure, both knife and remedy." Set in 18th Century France, this is a gothic romance tale about loss, revenge and the different faces of love.
Why similar: Visual Novel 58.1%, Anime 15.6%, Horror 7.4%, Simulation 5.1%, Story Rich 4.5%
- #34 NOeSIS01_诉说谎言记忆物语
74% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 1,496 reviews2020
Dev: Classic ChocolatPub: Hikare 个人汉化
Windows
From behind the incidents, there hide the secret of the past.
Why similar: Visual Novel 27.7%, Mystery 18.6%, Anime 17.8%, Horror 9.6%, Gore 8.7%
- #35 Humanity Must Perish
75% matchVery Positive82% of 266 reviews2017
Dev: Zetsubou
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 24 minMean: 3.8 hrs≥1hr: 30%
Humanity Must Perish is a short, comedic visual novel in which the fate of humanity is placed in the hands of a witty, pessimistic android.
Why similar: Visual Novel 46.2%, Anime 25%, Simulation 15.5%, Casual 9%, Indie 4.4%
- #36 Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma
74% matchVery Positive82% of 4,723 reviews2016
Dev: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 11.5 hrs≥1hr: 89%
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 32.1%, Mystery 18.4%, Anime 13.3%, Story Rich 9.8%, Psychological Horror 8.4%
- #37 Anamnesia - part 1: am i my body?
72% matchVery Positive94% of 87 reviews2024
Dev: Simon Herbig
Windows · Mac
Sci-Fi Mystery Visual Novel. Nine people are trapped in an underground research facility, forced to play a game of life and death. Check your log to find the truth that connects those apparent strangers - if you even want to, that is.
Why similar: Visual Novel 39%, Mystery 25.4%, Anime 21.9%, Story Rich 11.6%, Psychological Horror 1.5%
- #38 BAD END
75% matchVery Positive84% of 393 reviews2015
Dev: Arai Koh Create OfficePub: YOX-Project
Windows
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 3.9 hrs≥1hr: 92%
It's rumored that those who play 'BAD END'- a Visual Novel will die in REAL LIFE if they make the wrong decision in the game itself.
Why similar: Visual Novel 31.5%, Anime 20.8%, Mystery 19.4%, Horror 11.1%, Story Rich 9%
- #39 Carpe Diem
73% matchVery Positive89% of 8,560 reviews2015
Dev: Moonlit Works
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 12 minMean: 9.1 hrs≥1hr: 13%
Seize the day
Why similar: Visual Novel 52.2%, Anime 38.8%, Casual 3.6%, Psychological Horror 2.2%, Indie 1.8%
- #40 outside the door
70% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 543 reviews2024
Dev: basandaika games
Windows
Outside the door is a mystic visual novel set within one office. You are about to figure out the stories of a few visitors without having a single memory of yourself.
Why similar: Visual Novel 35.2%, Anime 25.2%, Mystery 12%, Psychological Horror 8.8%, Horror 5%
- #41 Deluge: Threnody of Crashing Waves
72% matchVery Positive85% of 252 reviews2022
Dev: leavesPub: socah
Windows · Mac · Linux
In the not so distant past, the Isle of Abbot underwent a mysterious evacuation event. Delve into the secrets of this unsettling place and elicit the girls' tragic fate. An interactive visual novel with psychological and lovecraftian undertones.
Why similar: Visual Novel 35.9%, Anime 24.8%, Mystery 20.1%, Story Rich 7.4%, Simulation 7.3%
- #42 Analogue: A Hate Story
73% matchVery Positive93% of 2,291 reviews2012
Dev: Love Conquers All Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.7 hrsMean: 6.4 hrs≥1hr: 57%
A dark visual mystery novel featuring transhumanism, traditional marriage, loneliness, and cosplay. Two pursuable characters. Five endings. Welcome to the future.
Why similar: Visual Novel 66.5%, Anime 21.3%, Story Rich 5.5%, Mystery 2.5%, Indie 2.1%
- #43 The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
68% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 24,770 reviews2023
Dev: SEGA
Windows · Mac
Median: 1.9 hrsMean: 5.6 hrs≥1hr: 66%
Sonic the Hedgehog...was murdered!? Get to the bottom of the mystery in this brand-new adventure!
Why similar: Visual Novel 45.8%, Mystery 26.1%, Anime 7.4%, Psychological Horror 6.4%, Casual 5.7%
- #44 Train of Afterlife
76% matchMixed51% of 183 reviews2015
Dev: Zeiva Inc
Windows
Median: 2.3 hrsMean: 3.4 hrs≥1hr: 97%
Train of Afterlife is a mystery, psychological, horror Visual Novel.
Why similar: Visual Novel 45.1%, Anime 17.8%, Mystery 9%, Simulation 8.5%, Casual 6.3%
- #45 Tiny Bunny
66% matchVery Positive83% of 29,932 reviews2025
Dev: SaikonoPub: Serenity Forge
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 37.6%, Horror 12.5%, Story Rich 11.1%, Anime 8.5%, Psychological Horror 8.3%
- #46 CHAOS;HEAD NOAH
70% matchVery Positive89% of 1,696 reviews2022
Dev: MAGES. Inc.Pub: Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.
Windows
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 52.6 hrs≥1hr: 82%
CHAOS;HEAD NOAH is now available on Steam!
Why similar: Visual Novel 35.8%, Anime 16.1%, Mystery 15.6%, Gore 8.8%, Story Rich 8.3%
- #47 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.4 Himatsubushi
71% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 867 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 30.6%, Anime 17.1%, Mystery 15.8%, Story Rich 7.6%, Psychological Horror 6.6%
- #48 Dies irae ~Amantes amentes~
71% matchVery Positive87% of 687 reviews2017
Dev: lightPub: views Co., Ltd
Windows
Median: 1.4 hrsMean: 25.5 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 48.5%, Anime 24.3%, Story Rich 9.6%, Violent 8.4%, Great Soundtrack 6%
- #49 Everlasting Summer
68% matchVery Positive95% of 77,204 reviews2014
Dev: Soviet Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 5.4 hrsMean: 57.7 hrs≥1hr: 75%
Visual novel loved by many – Everlasting Summer – now on Steam!
Why similar: Visual Novel 44.3%, Anime 22.3%, Story Rich 11.3%, Great Soundtrack 8%, Mystery 6.9%
- #50 Five Stages of Pink
69% matchVery Positive98% of 93 reviews2022
Dev: Kaffein
Windows · Mac · Linux
Horror mystery about a boy who desperately wants a Normal life in the most abnormal city in the world. Help Timor understand his cruel life in this supernatural city while trying to survive one more day. In a universe where Sleep is an illness. This is a visual novel with point and click features.
Why similar: Visual Novel 30.2%, Mystery 17.4%, Anime 17.3%, Horror 10.3%, Story Rich 9.4%
- #51 Silver Creek Falls: Chapter 1
71% matchVery Positive86% of 637 reviews2015
Dev: Sapphire Dragon Productions
Windows
Median: 36 minMean: 4.2 hrs≥1hr: 28%
Two city detectives are sent to a small idyllic town in North Carolina called ‘Silver Creek Falls” to investigate a strange series of events that the local sheriff can’t seem to get his mind around. What initially seems like an open-and-shut case unfolds into a truly terrifying mystery that will leave the detectives wondering what is...
Why similar: Mystery 36%, Horror 29.7%, Story Rich 22.3%, Casual 11.9%
- #52 Say Goodbye
73% matchMixed52% of 229 reviews2017
Dev: morojenoe's empire
Windows
Median: 2.2 hrsMean: 9.4 hrs≥1hr: 87%
This visual novel about an ordinary man with his typical problems. Suddenly, you got a report that your distant cousin died in a car crash. Fortunately, her daughter wasn't with her. You take the girl under your wing. But soon, something starts to go wrong...
Why similar: Visual Novel 54.3%, Anime 19.1%, Violent 14.6%, Casual 7.7%, Indie 4.3%
- #53 Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.3 Tatarigoroshi
69% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 1,224 reviews2016
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.5 hrsMean: 22.0 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 31.9%, Anime 18%, Mystery 16.6%, Horror 7.7%, Story Rich 7.7%
- #54 Notch - The Innocent LunA: Eclipsed SinnerS
69% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 3,292 reviews2015
Dev: Angels Blue Digital EntertainmentPub: DigitalEZ
Windows
Median: 5.5 hrsMean: 161.9 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 21.4%, Mystery 16.1%, Anime 15.4%, Horror 9%, Story Rich 8.2%
- #55 Deluge: Sermon for the Dead
68% matchMostly Positive77% of 102 reviews2024
Dev: leavesPub: socah
Windows · Mac · Linux
High school girls have been disappearing from Abbotsford. Unravel the mystery before all things wash away in a tidal wave of deep despair. An interactive visual novel with psychological and lovecraftian undertones.
Why similar: Visual Novel 34.7%, Anime 24.2%, Mystery 22.6%, Story Rich 8.8%, Choices Matter 5.3%
- #56 Sickness
70% matchVery Positive89% of 144 reviews2016
Dev: ZetsubouPub: Unwonted Studios
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.3 hrsMean: 4.2 hrs≥1hr: 95%
Sickness is a visual novel centering around Suoh Tesla, an amoral high school student whose life is rapidly deteriorating. Following the deaths of his parents, a brief stay in the hospital, and the emergence of his “Sickness”, his daily life quickly devolves from carefree school days to a life of crime.
Why similar: Visual Novel 34.3%, Anime 18.6%, Violent 9.5%, Simulation 8.1%, Horror 8%
- #57 Nightmare Zapping
67% matchVery Positive99% of 74 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 32.5%, Anime 17.2%, Mystery 14.6%, Horror 10.9%, Story Rich 9.7%
- #58 Urban Myth Dissolution Center
63% matchVery Positive88% of 5,751 reviews2025
Dev: HakababunkoPub: SHUEISHA GAMES
Windows
Median: 7.7 hrsMean: 9.8 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 38.4%, Mystery 21.3%, Psychological Horror 10%, Story Rich 9.9%, Anime 9.5%
- #59 Higurashi When They Cry Hou+
66% matchVery Positive88% of 163 reviews2023
Dev: 07th ExpansionPub: MangaGamer
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 5.2 hrs≥1hr: 64%
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 39.3%, Anime 25.2%, Gore 7.9%, Violent 6.8%, Mystery 6.1%
- #60 Nie No Hakoniwa - Dollhouse of Offerings
66% matchMostly Positive78% of 204 reviews2024
Dev: Chatte NoirePub: Sekai Project
Windows
Median: 5.4 hrsMean: 9.5 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 33.5%, Anime 19.6%, Mystery 12.4%, Horror 9.2%, Gore 8.8%
