- #1 Misericorde Volume Two: White Wool & Snow
97% matchVery Positive100% of 282 reviews2024
Dev: XEECEE
Windows
White Wool & Snow is the second visual novel in the Misericorde series.
Why similar: Medieval 16.6%, Visual Novel 14.9%, Historical 14.7%, Mystery 13.6%, Noir 10.9%
Why You'll Like It: This is the direct continuation of the narrative, maintaining the same medieval setting and mystery-solving mechanics.
- #2 The House in Fata Morgana
96% 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: Gothic 25.8% ★, Visual Novel 16.4%, Mystery 13.3%, LGBTQ+ 12%, Dark 8.3%
Why You'll Like It: It shares a profound gothic atmosphere and a deep, multi-layered mystery that unfolds through a haunting visual novel format.
- #3 Saint Maker - Horror Visual Novel
96% matchVery Positive86% of 253 reviews2023
Dev: Yangyang MobilePub: Neon Doctrine
Windows · Mac
A haunted convent. Statues that move on their own. A buried past. Welcome to Saint Idelora’s convent, where becoming a saint comes with a price.
Why similar: Visual Novel 32.6%, Female Protagonist 22.7%, Psychological Horror 15.7%, Dark 12.9%, 2D 6.6%
Why You'll Like It: Set within a religious institution, this game mirrors the convent setting and psychological dread found in the seed game.
- #4 Pentiment
95% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 9,325 reviews2022
Dev: Obsidian EntertainmentPub: Xbox Game Studios
Windows
Median: 5.2 hrsMean: 10.7 hrs≥1hr: 72%
Step into a living illustrated world in a time when Europe is at a crossroads of great religious and political change. Walk in the footsteps of Andreas Maler, a master artist who finds himself in the middle of murders, scandals, and intrigue in the Bavarian Alps.
Why similar: Historical 30.5%, Medieval 25.5%, Mystery 23.2%, Adventure 7.8%, 2D 5.6%
Why You'll Like It: This title offers a rich, historically grounded medieval mystery that emphasizes narrative choices and character-driven investigation.
- #5 Gothic Murder: Adventure That Changes Destiny
94% matchVery Positive97% of 65 reviews2020
Dev: orange
Windows · Mac
A housemaid takes on a terrifying murder plan in order to protect her lord, whose life is in danger! A romantic mystery that takes place at an earl's manor in 20th-century England. Depending on the selection, the story will branch into different endings.
Why similar: Mystery 34.9%, Visual Novel 32.6%, Adventure 16.4%, Female Protagonist 9.3%, 2D 6.3%
Why You'll Like It: This visual novel focuses on detective work and mystery-solving within a gothic-inspired environment.
- #6 Belladonna
94% matchMostly Positive72% of 778 reviews2015
Dev: NeckboltPub: Plug In Digital
Windows
Median: 5.5 hrsMean: 6.1 hrs≥1hr: 97%
Belladonna is a gothic adventure game, twisted and dark. Take the role of a corpse girl rising from the dead in an abandoned laboratory, and unravel the mysteries concerning your own death and reanimation.
Why similar: Gothic 41.4% ★, Female Protagonist 31.5%, LGBTQ+ 13.7%, Adventure 11.9%, Indie 1.2%
Why You'll Like It: A dark, gothic point-and-click adventure that features a strong female protagonist and a somber, mysterious tone.
- #7 Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
91% matchVery Positive94% of 3,023 reviews2024
Dev: SimogoPub: Annapurna Interactive
Windows
Median: 8.5 hrsMean: 12.6 hrs≥1hr: 82%
The stage is set. Imagine an old baroque manor, perhaps a hotel or a museum, somewhere in central Europe. A woman wanders in search of answers.
Why similar: Mystery 38.1%, Female Protagonist 20.1%, Adventure 19.1%, Noir 16.6%, Story Rich 4.5%
Why You'll Like It: A surreal, mystery-laden puzzle game that shares the minimalist, high-tension aesthetic of the seed game.
- #8 Suhoshin
92% matchVery Positive91% of 170 reviews2022
Dev: No More 500
Windows
Suhoshin is a 2D Visual Novel set in the medieval Joseon period of Korea. While investigating a series of mysterious murders, you will have to make choices that will lead you down different paths toward different endings.
Why similar: Visual Novel 25.2%, Mystery 21.5%, Medieval 19.1%, Text-Based 10.7%, Psychological Horror 10.6%
Why You'll Like It: This visual novel blends historical mystery with psychological horror, creating a tense atmosphere similar to the seed game.
- #9 The Slaughter: Act One
93% matchVery Positive84% of 145 reviews2016
Dev: Alex FrancoisPub: Brainchild
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.1 hrsMean: 3.8 hrs≥1hr: 97%
The Slaughter is a noir point-and-click adventure set in Victorian London, laced with adult themes and dark humour. Follow the trail of a killer through atmospheric London locations and surreal dream worlds, meeting a cast of interesting, insane and eccentrically British characters along the way.
Why similar: Noir 39.5%, Mystery 22.2%, Historical 12.6%, Female Protagonist 9.8%, Dark 8.6%
Why You'll Like It: It captures a gritty, noir-inspired detective experience that relies on atmospheric storytelling and investigation.
- #10 Cabernet
90% matchVery Positive95% of 2,024 reviews2025
Dev: Party for IntrovertsPub: Akupara Games
Windows
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 7.7 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Cabernet is a 2D narrative RPG set in a 19th century Eastern European inspired world, with a modern twist. Guide Liza, a young vampire in her new unlife among the unsuspecting townsfolk. Will you retain your humanity or descend further into the horror you have become?
Why similar: Visual Novel 34.9%, Female Protagonist 33.7%, Psychological Horror 16%, 2D 7.7%, Story Rich 6.4%
Why You'll Like It: This game features a dark, narrative-heavy experience with a strong focus on dialogue and atmosphere.
- #11 Lady in Mystery
91% matchVery Positive94% of 163 reviews2021
Dev: nolsoft
Windows
Welcome to a small detective agency in old Seoul. Lady in Mystery is a Yuri mystery visual novel set in 18th-century Joseon. Choose one of four women to grow closest to Heesoo, the disguised detective. Your choices may lead to love, revenge, or darker paths than you imagined.
Why similar: LGBTQ+ 18.6%, Visual Novel 18.4%, Historical 16.1%, Mystery 16%, Female Protagonist 13.7%
Why You'll Like It: A visual novel that centers on a female protagonist solving mysteries in a historical setting.
- #12 This Bed We Made
89% matchVery Positive91% of 3,051 reviews2023
Dev: Lowbirth Games
Windows
Median: 4.7 hrsMean: 5.4 hrs≥1hr: 88%
This Bed We Made is a third-person mystery game in which you play as a maid in a 1950s hotel and snoop around strangers' rooms to uncover their deadly secrets. Discover what links guests together in this tale of love, heartbreak and murder!
Why similar: Noir 28.9%, Mystery 21.3%, LGBTQ+ 17.6%, Female Protagonist 14%, Historical 10.6%
Why You'll Like It: A mystery-focused narrative game that emphasizes exploration and uncovering secrets within a confined, atmospheric location.
- #13 Umineko When They Cry - Question Arcs
89% 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 39%, Mystery 36.6%, Psychological Horror 9.3%, Story Rich 5.7%, Dark 3.3%
Why You'll Like It: A masterpiece of the mystery visual novel genre that provides the same level of complex, character-driven storytelling and dark themes.
- #14 Night Cascades
88% matchVery Positive94% of 191 reviews2022
Dev: Hanako Games
Windows · Linux
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 3.7 hrs≥1hr: 92%
The city is on fire, and the Devil is to blame - or is it? Two women must solve an occult-themed mystery set in an alternate 1980s while unraveling the secrets of their past. Hunt for clues and interrogate suspects in this interactive yuri visual novel.
Why similar: Noir 26.9%, LGBTQ+ 18.2%, Visual Novel 18%, Female Protagonist 12.4%, Mystery 9.7%
Why You'll Like It: A detective-focused visual novel that balances personal character stories with a larger, overarching mystery.
- #15 The Case of the Golden Idol
86% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 10,351 reviews2022
Dev: Color Gray GamesPub: Playstack
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 7.0 hrsMean: 8.0 hrs≥1hr: 90%
A new kind of detective game that allows you to think and investigate freely. Discover clues surrounding 12 strange and gruesome deaths and build your own theory. Pick your suspect, deduce the motive, unmask the awful truth.
Why similar: Mystery 37.4%, Historical 24.4%, Dark 17.5%, 2D 8.4%, Adventure 6.7%
Why You'll Like It: A brilliant deduction-based mystery game that rewards careful observation of scenes, much like a detective visual novel.
- #16 The Mildew Children: Chapter 1
87% matchVery Positive86% of 324 reviews2023
Dev: The Growing StonesPub: Valkyrie Initiative
Windows
Median: 36 minMean: 1.7 hrs≥1hr: 30%
Featuring a blend of 2D adventure and visual novel. Chapter 1 is the very beginning of the grim tale about a village inhabited only by children who follow savage pagan traditions. A young witch Kyrphel, along with her sisters, are bound to perform a macabre Ritual in order to save their village.
Why similar: Visual Novel 27.5%, Female Protagonist 19.1%, Mystery 17.2%, Psychological Horror 10.4%, Adventure 8.9%
Why You'll Like It: It features a dark, folk-horror atmosphere and a narrative-driven mystery that feels stylistically aligned with the seed game.
- #17 Stillwater
86% matchVery Positive95% of 227 reviews2022
Dev: Studio Clump
Windows · Mac · Linux
A short visual novel where a private investigator gets reeled into a murky mystery, entangled in lies, secrets, and a family curse.
Why similar: Visual Novel 24.4%, Mystery 21.7%, LGBTQ+ 15%, Text-Based 12.9%, Noir 11.5%
Why You'll Like It: A stylized, text-based mystery that relies on atmosphere and narrative depth to engage the player.
- #18 Return of the Obra Dinn
85% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 33,856 reviews2018
Dev: Lucas PopePub: 3909
Windows · Mac
Median: 6.7 hrsMean: 8.4 hrs≥1hr: 81%
Lost at sea 1803 ~ The good ship Obra Dinn.
Why similar: Mystery 54.2%, Historical 18.1%, Noir 14.8%, Story Rich 6.5%, Adventure 4.5%
Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on the pure act of deduction and mystery-solving, providing a satisfying intellectual challenge.
- #19 The Missing Parts of Maria Gwozdek
84% matchVery Positive96% of 136 reviews2023
Dev: Senokos Games
Windows · Linux
The Missing Parts of Maria Gwozdek is a dark fantasy visual novel about fulfilling your aspirations by sacrificing parts of yourself. Literally.
Why similar: Visual Novel 21.4%, Noir 19.1%, Mystery 15.7%, Female Protagonist 13.7%, Minimalist 10.7%
Why You'll Like It: A dark, psychological visual novel that explores complex themes through multiple endings and deep storytelling.
- #20 Murder on the Marine Express
84% matchVery Positive94% of 78 reviews2021
Dev: 1564 Studio
Windows · Mac · Linux
A mystery visual novel taking place aboard the underwater train Marine Express. Follow student Ranko Togawa on her quest to find the culprit on the murder of an accompanying teacher... with lots of surprises along the way!
Why similar: Visual Novel 27.2%, Mystery 22.6%, Female Protagonist 19.3%, Text-Based 11.1%, LGBTQ+ 7.8%
Why You'll Like It: A classic-style detective mystery presented in a visual novel format with a female protagonist.
- #21 Salthe
83% matchVery Positive85% of 215 reviews2020
Dev: SoireePub: Shiravune
Windows
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 15.5 hrs≥1hr: 85%
A dark, dramatic medieval visual novel. On a stage at the boundary between life and death, an actress struggles through her hardest performance—directed by a jester, she relives her past for the the prize of resurrection...
Why similar: Gothic 26.4% ★, Medieval 18.9%, Visual Novel 16.9%, Mystery 15.4%, Dark 8.3%
Why You'll Like It: A visual novel set in a medieval world that features psychological horror and mystery elements.
- #22 Bad Faith
82% matchVery Positive92% of 64 reviews2022
Dev: Mado
Windows · Mac · Linux
Sanctuaries. Secrets. Serious consequences. A solo-developed psychological horror/drama visual novel.
Why similar: Visual Novel 31.4%, Dark 16.7%, Female Protagonist 15.4%, Psychological Horror 14.9%, Text-Based 11.4%
Why You'll Like It: A psychological horror visual novel that maintains a consistent sense of unease and mystery.
- #23 BURIED STARS
81% matchVery Positive84% of 2,174 reviews2021
Dev: LINE Games Corporation
Windows
Median: 5.5 hrsMean: 9.6 hrs≥1hr: 90%
A mystery adventure set at the collapse site of a live survival audition show. Trapped contestants communicate with each other—and the outside world through social media—as they wait for rescue. But as unexpected events unfold, trust begins to crack, and survival becomes far more complicated.
Why similar: Visual Novel 35%, Mystery 32.8%, Female Protagonist 18.7%, Adventure 7.5%, Story Rich 5.3%
Why You'll Like It: This visual novel excels at building psychological tension and mystery within a confined group of characters.
- #24 Seers Isle
81% matchVery Positive91% of 198 reviews2018
Dev: Nova-box
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.1 hrsMean: 9.6 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Seers Isle is a narrative game, set in a fantasy version of medieval northern Europe, where your choices impact the fate of a group of characters.
Why similar: Visual Novel 32.2%, Mystery 27%, Female Protagonist 23.8%, Adventure 5.6%, 2D 5%
Why You'll Like It: This interactive fiction game features a strong female lead and a focus on narrative choices in a mysterious, isolated setting.
- #25 Solstice
82% matchMostly Positive76% of 191 reviews2016
Dev: MoaCube
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.3 hrsMean: 4.3 hrs≥1hr: 93%
Solstice is a dystopian mystery visual novel about small personal disasters that turn into great catastrophes.
Why similar: Visual Novel 25.3%, LGBTQ+ 21.5%, Mystery 18.1%, Female Protagonist 16.2%, Dark 10.7%
Why You'll Like It: A choice-driven visual novel that emphasizes the consequences of player decisions within a mysterious narrative.
- #26 Who Is The Red Queen?
79% matchVery Positive95% of 173 reviews2022
Dev: 4nokiPub: Studio Élan
Windows · Mac · Linux
Alice, Alice, the Red Queen is missing. The queen has been dismembered and Alice must find all her pieces. A horror-fantasy yuri visual novel filled with death, love, and forgotten memories.
Why similar: LGBTQ+ 24.5%, Visual Novel 22.8%, Dark 15.6%, Mystery 13.9%, Female Protagonist 10.2%
Why You'll Like It: A dark, gothic-inspired visual novel that blends romance and mystery in a compelling way.
- #27 SeaBed
80% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 997 reviews2017
Dev: PaleontologyPub: Fruitbat Factory
Windows
Median: 6.0 hrsMean: 93.4 hrs≥1hr: 89%
SeaBed is a yuri-themed psychological mystery visual novel told through the perspectives of three separate characters: Sachiko, Takako and Narasaki.
Why similar: Visual Novel 31.7%, LGBTQ+ 26%, Female Protagonist 22.2%, Mystery 10.8%, Adventure 5%
Why You'll Like It: A slow-burn, atmospheric visual novel that focuses on character relationships and mysterious, dreamlike storytelling.
- #28 Urban Myth Dissolution Center
77% 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 30%, Mystery 23.5%, Psychological Horror 13.2%, Text-Based 11.9%, Adventure 7.3%
- #29 The Will of Arthur Flabbington
78% matchVery Positive96% of 180 reviews2023
Dev: Gugames
Windows · Mac · Linux
A comedy point-and-click adventure game about a dead uncle, a hidden treasure, a reluctant ghost sidekick, old people and pizza.
Why similar: Adventure 41.6%, 2D 32.5%, Story Rich 21.8%, Indie 2.5%, Singleplayer 1.6%
Why You'll Like It: A point-and-click mystery game that provides a narrative-heavy experience with a distinct, dark sense of humor.
- #30 Cage of Roses
78% matchVery Positive90% of 193 reviews2025
Dev: ebi-himePub: Two and a Half Studios
Windows · Mac · Linux
A haunting gothic romance set in the 19th century. Follow Meike, a young woman from an impoverished noble family, as she’s swept off her feet by the mysterious Magdalena: a vampire who possesses a dark secret.
Why similar: Gothic 22.4% ★, LGBTQ+ 13.2%, Visual Novel 12.3%, Historical 11.5%, Mystery 11%
- #31 The Day Before You Gone
79% matchMostly Positive78% of 59 reviews2024
Dev: Aequalis Studio
Windows
An adventure shattering stereotypes, a psychological experiment forcing a struggle within oneself. The tale of a girl with magical abilities who loses her beloved. Will she have a chance to turn back time? It's up to you!
Why similar: Medieval 34.9%, Visual Novel 30%, Female Protagonist 13.1%, Adventure 9.7%, Text-Based 7.7%
Why You'll Like It: A medieval-themed visual novel that focuses on psychological elements and mystery.
- #32 Roadwarden
77% matchVery Positive94% of 4,990 reviews2022
Dev: Moral Anxiety StudioPub: Assemble Entertainment
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.2 hrsMean: 7.5 hrs≥1hr: 54%
Roadwarden is an illustrated text-based RPG that uses isometric pixel art and combines mechanics borrowed from RPGs, Visual Novels, adventure games and interactive fiction.
Why similar: Text-Based 37.2%, Visual Novel 20.9%, Adventure 13.1%, Mystery 12%, LGBTQ+ 9.8%
- #33 Escape from the Cursed Convent
76% matchVery Positive92% of 186 reviews2025
Dev: Ais Kacang StudioPub: 迷糊的安安
Windows
Escape from the Cursed Convent is a narrative-driven adventure game set in a medieval girls' convent, offering a rich storytelling experience, and several gameplay styles including QTE, hunting, cooking, and puzzle-solving.
Why similar: Visual Novel 31.2%, Medieval 31%, Female Protagonist 24.1%, 2D 8.8%, Story Rich 4.8%
- #34 The Séance of Blake Manor
73% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 3,226 reviews2025
Dev: Spooky DoorwayPub: Raw Fury
Windows · Linux
Median: 8.5 hrsMean: 11.3 hrs≥1hr: 80%
The Séance of Blake Manor is a supernatural detective mystery, set in 1897 Ireland, where you investigate the disappearance of Evelyn Deane in a remote hotel full of secrets and other-worldly occurrences.
Why similar: Noir 33.4%, Mystery 19.3%, Historical 18.1%, Dark 11.3%, Psychological Horror 8.2%
- #35 Malleus Cocconum: The Heiress
75% matchVery Positive97% of 121 reviews2025
Dev: Domus Aurea
Windows · Mac · Linux
You are Arenda Finch—fifteen years old, wealthy beyond measure, and newly exiled from your former school. Dunkenwood House takes you in, but its halls hide the darker side of privilege. Humanity or demonic nature. Love or desire. Every choice shapes the person you become.
Why similar: Gothic 28% ★, Mystery 17.8%, Visual Novel 16.8%, Dark 13.8%, Female Protagonist 10.1%
- #36 Salome's Kiss
76% matchVery Positive88% of 126 reviews2022
Dev: ebi-hime
Windows · Mac · Linux
A dark lesbian / yuri gothic romance tale set in Victorian England, in which an anxious governess is aggressively pursued by her unruly, tempestuous pupil.
Why similar: Gothic 26.9% ★, LGBTQ+ 15.9%, Visual Novel 15.7%, Historical 13.8%, Female Protagonist 11.1%
- #37 The Excavation of Hob's Barrow
74% matchVery Positive92% of 3,087 reviews2022
Dev: Cloak and Dagger GamesPub: Wadjet Eye Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.4 hrsMean: 4.5 hrs≥1hr: 91%
The Excavation of Hob's Barrow is a folk horror narrative-driven adventure. Explore the isolated moors of rural Victorian England as you uncover the mysteries of Hob's Barrow. The answers lie in the soil...
Why similar: Female Protagonist 32.6%, Mystery 26.9%, Dark 22.3%, Adventure 13%, Story Rich 4%
- #38 Magical Girl Witch Trials
70% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 31,109 reviews2025
Dev: AcaciaPub: Re,AER
Windows · Mac
Median: 16.0 hrsMean: 32.0 hrs≥1hr: 87%
Thirteen girls awaken, only to find themselves in a prison. What awaits them: a Witch Trial. Help them prepare for the trial by exploring the prison in order to find the witch hidden amongst them. Find the witch, learn what kind of magic she holds, dispel the lies, and prepare for the execution.
Why similar: Visual Novel 27.3%, Female Protagonist 19.3%, Gothic 17.5% ★, Mystery 15.4%, LGBTQ+ 14.5%
- #39 If On A Winter's Night, Four Travelers
73% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 2,742 reviews2021
Dev: Dead Idle Games
Windows · Linux
Median: 2.3 hrsMean: 5.1 hrs≥1hr: 76%
If On A Winter's Night, Four Travelers is a narrative-driven point-and-click adventure with horror elements that explores the stories of four characters in a masked ball taking place aboard a train in the late 1920s.
Why similar: Gothic 34.9% ★, Mystery 19.7%, Dark 17.7%, Psychological Horror 11.2%, LGBTQ+ 6%
- #40 Rituals in the Dark
75% matchVery Positive86% of 198 reviews2019
Dev: ebi-hime
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.1 hrsMean: 3.6 hrs≥1hr: 86%
A lesbian / yuri romance story with mild horror elements set in the rainy English seaside town of Scarborough. Our heroine, Aspen, meets the mysterious, beautiful Althea in the dead of night, but who is Althea really...?
Why similar: Gothic 23.1% ★, LGBTQ+ 19.3%, Visual Novel 18.5%, Female Protagonist 12.8%, Mystery 10.6%
- #41 Malcatras' Maiden
72% matchVery Positive95% of 269 reviews2024
Dev: Nadia Nova
Windows · Mac · Linux
MALCATRAS' MAIDEN is a toxic yuri visual novel for adults about trauma, bonds, family, and sisterhood.
Why similar: LGBTQ+ 21.8%, Visual Novel 20.7%, Female Protagonist 15.2%, Dark 11.4%, Text-Based 10.4%
- #42 Slay the Princess — The Pristine Cut
69% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 31,772 reviews2023
Dev: Black Tabby Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 6.9 hrs≥1hr: 88%
You're here to slay the princess. Don't believe her lies.
Why similar: Visual Novel 58.6%, Psychological Horror 26%, Adventure 7.9%, Story Rich 6.7%, Singleplayer 0.8%
- #43 London: Echoes of the Past
71% matchMostly Positive76% of 266 reviews2025
Dev: Stellar Artificer Games
Windows · Mac
A mysterious woman comes back from the dead, and the dusty past surfaces. Between a gloomy student girl and a glamorous ex-girlfriend, the clues are intertwined, who is the mastermind behind the scene? Play as a detective heroine in 1935 London, embark on a journey of love and growth.
Why similar: LGBTQ+ 19.9%, Visual Novel 18.9%, Mystery 18.5%, Historical 16.1%, Female Protagonist 15.5%
- #44 Methods: The Illusion Murders
71% matchVery Positive89% of 97 reviews2024
Dev: LockedOn GamesPub: Erabit
Windows · Mac · Linux
Detective Red July must stop a serial killer who patterns his murders after optical illusions in this mystery visual novel set in the world of Methods.
Why similar: Visual Novel 24%, LGBTQ+ 21.3%, Mystery 19%, Female Protagonist 18%, Text-Based 13.9%
- #45 MMM: Murder Most Misfortunate
74% matchVery Positive82% of 125 reviews2017
Dev: Michael LongPub: Foolish Mortals Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 3.3 hrs≥1hr: 82%
A gruesome murder interrupts an evening party at a secluded mansion and you are the prime suspect! Explore the mansion, search for clues, and interrogate the other guests as you strive to unmask the killer in this open-ended mystery.
Why similar: Visual Novel 37.5%, Mystery 29%, Adventure 19.2%, Casual 7.2%, Story Rich 4.7%
- #46 Lovely Lady RPG
69% matchVery Positive100% of 90 reviews2025
Dev: DAS POPPY UND MIA KUNSTKOLLEKTIV
Windows · Mac · Linux
Lovely Lady RPG is a visual novel about wandering around and just sort of seeing what life has in store for you. After waking up with a hole in her ceiling, a cosmic space Orb embedded in her chest and no recollection of basically anything, Ghost sets out to continue her life as best she can.
Why similar: Visual Novel 40.3%, Text-Based 24.9%, LGBTQ+ 22.9%, Alternate History 8.1%, Story Rich 2.4%
- #47 Homicipher
67% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 7,997 reviews2024
Dev: 八名木GamesPub: Gamirror Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 5.4 hrsMean: 6.3 hrs≥1hr: 89%
Homicipher is a language deciphering and exploration ADV based on the concept of "romance with horror men." The protagonist, who has wandered into another world, interacts with non-human beings to decipher their language while striving to escape.
Why similar: Visual Novel 33%, Female Protagonist 25.3%, Text-Based 17.9%, Dark 16.5%, Adventure 6.6%
- #48 A Case of Distrust
73% matchVery Positive82% of 607 reviews2018
Dev: An Open Ben
Windows · Mac
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 3.8 hrs≥1hr: 88%
A Case of Distrust is a narrative mystery from 1924 San Francisco. Play as private investigator Phyllis Cadence Malone in this historical 2D adventure game.
Why similar: Noir 29%, Visual Novel 18.8%, Mystery 17.5%, Historical 15.8%, Female Protagonist 12.9%
- #49 Analogue: A Hate Story
72% matchVery Positive93% of 2,291 reviews2012
Dev: Love Conquers All Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.8 hrsMean: 6.9 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 71.7%, LGBTQ+ 13%, Female Protagonist 4%, Mystery 4%, Story Rich 3%
- #50 BAD END THEATER
68% matchOverwhelmingly Positive98% of 9,656 reviews2021
Dev: NomnomNami
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.6 hrsMean: 4.0 hrs≥1hr: 71%
select your protagonist and explore a variety of terrible fates!
Why similar: Visual Novel 41.7%, LGBTQ+ 41.4%, Story Rich 6.7%, Female Protagonist 5.9%, 2D 4%
- #51 The Mildew Children
68% matchVery Positive93% of 471 reviews2024
Dev: The Growing StonesPub: Valkyrie Initiative
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 5.5 hrs≥1hr: 82%
Featuring a blend of 2D adventure and visual novel, The Mildew Children is a grim tale about a village inhabited only by children who follow savage pagan traditions. A young witch named Kyrphel, along with her sisters, are bound to perform a macabre Ritual in order to save their village.
Why similar: Visual Novel 24.3%, Mystery 19%, Female Protagonist 18.4%, Psychological Horror 10.6%, Dark 8.8%
- #52 Lachesis or Atropos
70% matchVery Positive87% of 71 reviews2023
Dev: 4nokiPub: Quill Yuri
Windows · Mac · Linux
This world is woven of strings, of fate and of hate. What do you see, detective? A horror-mystery yuri visual novel peering into the maddening darkness of love and death.
Why similar: Visual Novel 23.2%, LGBTQ+ 21.8%, Mystery 18.7%, Female Protagonist 17.5%, Adventure 5.4%
- #53 A Tithe in Blood
67% matchVery Positive88% of 203 reviews2025
Dev: Studio Élan
Windows · Mac · Linux
A dark yuri visual novel about a quiet university student who discovers blood magic in the depths of her grief. Stepping into a world she little understands, Honoka finds unexpected love, and inadvertently sets in motion a deadly series of events.
Why similar: LGBTQ+ 32%, Visual Novel 31.1%, Dark 12.5%, Female Protagonist 10.7%, 2D 5.7%
- #54 Void's Calling ep.1
70% matchVery Positive81% of 830 reviews2020
Dev: Novel
Windows · Linux
Median: 3.6 hrsMean: 7.0 hrs≥1hr: 91%
"Void's Calling" - is a visual novel with RPG elements where every decision you make can drastically change the course of game's story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 51%, Medieval 20.5%, Female Protagonist 8.5%, Adventure 7.3%, Text-Based 7%
- #55 The Falconers: Moonlight
71% matchVery Positive89% of 76 reviews2017
Dev: Bionic PenguinPub: Sekai Project
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.3 hrsMean: 4.6 hrs≥1hr: 92%
The Falconers: Moonlight is a supernatural thriller visual novel set in the 19th Century West Coast of New Zealand. Falconer, Cassandra Winter, is on her first solo mission. Can she save the people of Moonlight from their plight? Or will she disappear into the mist like so many others before her?
Why similar: Visual Novel 43.5%, Female Protagonist 34.7%, Adventure 12.8%, Casual 4.9%, Story Rich 2.9%
- #56 It gets so lonely here
66% matchVery Positive94% of 2,141 reviews2023
Dev: ebi-hime
Windows · Mac · Linux
A yandere yuri visual novel with a fairytale theme. Can you escape from your mysterious pursuer?
Why similar: Visual Novel 25.9%, LGBTQ+ 25.4%, Female Protagonist 18.1%, Dark 10.6%, Psychological Horror 9.8%
- #57 Drowning Song of the Stagnant Sea
66% matchPositive86% of 50 reviews2026
Dev: 空想の工房Pub: Waku Waku Games
Windows
A dark fairy tale set in the deep sea. The fated encounter between a sea monster and a human forever changes their lives in this visual novel. Contains platonic yuri.
Why similar: Visual Novel 50%, Adventure 21.9%, Text-Based 15.7%, 2D 8.8%, Story Rich 3.1%
- #58 Without a Dawn
65% matchVery Positive93% of 757 reviews2025
Dev: Jesse Makkonen
Windows
Median: 1.4 hrsMean: 2.4 hrs≥1hr: 62%
Without a Dawn is a dark, psychological, and philosophical visual horror novel featuring hauntingly beautiful pseudo-ASCII art.
Why similar: Visual Novel 26%, Mystery 19.3%, Female Protagonist 16.4%, Psychological Horror 12.5%, Dark 11.6%
- #59 TAPE: Unveil the Memories
68% matchVery Positive98% of 80 reviews2022
Dev: BlackChiliGoat StudioPub: Meridiem Games
Windows
Use a special video camera that can rewind time to explore memories of the past in TAPE: Unveil the Memories, a first-person narrative mystery adventure set in 1990s Northern Spain.
Why similar: Visual Novel 46.2%, Female Protagonist 34.8%, Adventure 10.3%, Story Rich 7.1%, Indie 0.8%
- #60 UNMEMORY
69% matchVery Positive84% of 99 reviews2020
Dev: PATRONES & ESCONDITES
Windows · Mac · Linux
Unravel a mystery: A game you can read, a book you can play.
Why similar: Noir 25.1%, Mystery 19.4%, Visual Novel 13%, LGBTQ+ 12.8%, Minimalist 11.6%
