- #1 The Beast in the Shadows
97% match2 user reviews33% of 3 reviews2024
Dev: Scripting Ventures
Windows
Experience the heart-pounding suspense of a modern-day werewolf horror story as you step into the shoes of Cassie, a brave woman determined to put an end to a terrifying curse plaguing her small town.
Why similar: Visual Novel 12.9%, Text-Based 12.8%, Cartoony 11%, Action-Adventure 9.8%, Drama 9.3%
- #2 Hunting The Hunter
96% match5 user reviews20% of 5 reviews2024
Dev: Scripting Ventures
Windows
Lost in the woods. Alone in the dark. And hunted by a killer. Step into the shoes of one woman as she navigates a web of terror and deceit to uncover the truth behind a string of disappearances.
Why similar: Visual Novel 14.5%, Text-Based 14.1%, Cartoony 12.2%, Action-Adventure 11.1%, Stylized 7.9%
- #3 The Artifact of Ancients
96% match2 user reviews0% of 2 reviews2024
Dev: Scripting Ventures
Windows
Embark on an epic journey with a courageous band of adventurers as they brave perilous landscapes and face formidable foes in their pursuit of a long-lost relic of unimaginable power.
Why similar: Visual Novel 17.9%, Action-Adventure 13.6%, Text-Based 13.1%, Cartoony 12.1%, Casual 10.2%
- #4 Blood On The Dusty Trail
95% match4 user reviews50% of 4 reviews2024
Dev: Scripting Ventures
Windows
In this thrilling audio book, we follow the story of Caleb, a young outlaw who finds himself on the run after a robbery. As he navigates the dangers of the Wild West, his gang of outlaws plan their get away.
Why similar: Visual Novel 14.9%, Text-Based 12.9%, Cartoony 11.7%, Action-Adventure 11.3%, Drama 9.2%
- #5 Lila's Synthetic Shadows
94% match4 user reviews25% of 4 reviews2024
Dev: Scripting Ventures
Windows
The stakes are high, and the danger is real in this thrilling cyberpunk adventure. Follow Lila's journey as she delves deeper into the shadows of Neo-Tokyo, utilizing her skills as a hacker to unravel the mysteries surrounding her job.
Why similar: Visual Novel 16%, Text-Based 14.9%, Cartoony 13%, Action-Adventure 12.1%, Stylized 8.4%
- #6 Kayotica
94% matchNo user reviews2026
Dev: Kicksoft Studio
Windows
In Kayotica, you play as April—a clever but manipulative student caught in a web of friendship, rivalry, and dark crimes. What begins as ordinary campus life quickly turns into a mystery of betrayal, hidden truths, and a shocking murder. Can you solve the mystery, or will you become the next victim?
Why similar: Crime 20.1%, Visual Novel 15.8%, Detective 12.5%, Dark 7.6%, Emotional 6.3%
- #7 Kihaven
93% matchNo user reviews2026
Dev: KiradisePub: Kiradise Group
Windows
"How easily can a life fall apart? Kihaven invites you to a dark confrontation behind the monotony. In this traumatic, psychological, and drama-filled visual novel, uncover the truth hidden on the dusty shelves of the past. Every day is a new piece of a shattered life."
Why similar: Visual Novel 21%, Crime 18.8%, Text-Based 11.6%, Casual 10.9%, Emotional 10.7%
- #8 リベンジ・ハート
91% match2 user reviews100% of 2 reviews2026
Dev: とらねこさんの小屋
Windows
「4日後に、俺の心臓を撃ちぬいて殺して欲しい」 リベンジ・ハートはワガママな殺し屋ケヴィンと、心臓を狙われた少年ルカが繰り広げる一本道ノベルADVです。 ――引き金が引かれるその時まで。復讐を願う少年とそれに加担した殺し屋の4日間が始まる。
Why similar: Crime 27.2%, Visual Novel 21.6%, Drama 11%, Dark 10.2%, Text-Based 9.8%
- #9 Shine of Fullmoon
92% matchNo user reviews2023
Dev: Wolgwang
Windows
Shine of Fullmoon is a novel game where you interact with your friends in a peaceful Full Moon Village and continue your story by taking adventures thereafter. Let's choose what kind of stories you will continue with our unique friends and what kind of adventures you will take with them.
Why similar: Visual Novel 23.8%, Drama 21%, Text-Based 14%, Casual 12.7%, Cartoony 11.5%
- #10 Visual novel: Dashing 90s
91% matchPositive80% of 15 reviews2026
Dev: Reanim GamesPub: STuNT
Windows
Andrey comes to the city to enroll in college and moves into a communal apartment. Neighbors, alcoholics, cult members, and gangsters test his mettle. Every decision is a choice between morality and survival. A visual novel where one wrong move turns a college applicant into a criminal.
Why similar: Text-Based 21.8%, Visual Novel 20.4%, Detective 18.7%, Action-Adventure 13.9%, Stylized 6.9%
- #11 Remembering/Not remembering Sin
90% matchPositive95% of 20 reviews2023
Dev: uehara create
Windows
Shunichi Sasaki, a young man who lost his past memories due to higher brain dysfunction, was criticized as a "murderer". Who was he really? Use memory notes to supplement his memories and explore his past.
Why similar: Drama 16.2%, Crime 15.5%, Visual Novel 15.2%, Text-Based 13.7%, Detective 11.6%
- #12 琉璃烟火-Flame in Glass-
89% matchNo user reviews
Dev: Gloria Works
Windows · Mac
他期待着事业的成果,她期待着追逐的爱情,她期待能给身边的人们带来笑容,他期待能成为故事的主角,他们生活的这座城市期待着海啸后的痊愈……可是,一场突如其来的爆炸扰乱了这一切。烟火暗淡,琉璃蒙尘,他们所期待的,能够实现吗?
Why similar: Crime 24.1%, Visual Novel 20.5%, Detective 20.2%, Text-Based 13.8%, Drama 10.7%
- #13 Fantastic Dream
89% matchVery Positive94% of 83 reviews2023
Dev: Ercheng
Windows
I dreamed of a girl. From then on, I saw her every day in my dreams. I don't know why it happened. I can only keep telling myself that it is all false, all illusion. But on the other hand, I fell in love with it.
Why similar: Visual Novel 26.6%, Drama 24.9%, Text-Based 22.1%, Emotional 12.4%, Casual 7.8%
- #14 Father Forgets
86% matchNo user reviews80% of 5 reviews2026
Dev: Worlds In Portal
Windows
A short, atmospheric pixel-art story about the late-night moment when a father sees his own mistakes and remembers what really matters. Inspired by a classic essay on fatherhood. A quiet experience in a single sitting — for anyone who's ever thought, "what if I'd done things differently…"
Why similar: Text-Based 28.3%, Visual Novel 28.1%, Drama 17.7%, Emotional 9.1%, Atmospheric 8.3%
- #15 The Hitchhiker's Guide to Seoul in the 21st Century
87% matchNo user reviews
Dev: Seoul Hitchhiker Studio
Windows
For 20 years, she lived with depression. Now, she's strong enough to name what happened: a social murder. This is a visual essay—not a game—with over 400 illustrations about grief, guilt, and survival in a collapsing meritocracy.
Why similar: Text-Based 21.7%, Visual Novel 20.4%, Emotional 10.6%, Psychological 10.1%, Dark 9%
- #16 Eternal Secret
88% match3 user reviews100% of 4 reviews2021
Dev: Piotr KaniewskiPub: GGEntertainment
Windows
You come back to school at the beginning of second semester. A lot has changed during your absence. Are you able to solve the mystery which not many people know about?
Why similar: Text-Based 16.7%, Visual Novel 16.4%, Detective 13%, Action-Adventure 11.8%, Stylized 9.2%
- #17 Her Love, Like Poison
85% matchVery Positive96% of 297 reviews2025
Dev: ebi-hime
Windows · Mac · Linux
A dark lesbian horror/romance story so toxic it's emitting spores. Ethel, a shy university student, ventures into the wintry woods late at night, where she meets an enchanting femme fatale — but all is not as it seems.
Why similar: Text-Based 20.2%, Visual Novel 17.9%, Drama 15.8%, Stylized 11.1%, Dark 9.2%
- #18 ぼくは人狼になりたい
86% matchPositive85% of 13 reviews2023
Dev: uehara create
Windows
"I Want to Be a Werewolf" is a text-based adventure where you can enjoy the detective elements of the Werewolf game and the stories of the characters.A strange room when you wake up. "werewolf game" that starts without knowing the purpose. Mystery & suspense that sees through deception.
Why similar: Text-Based 20.1%, Visual Novel 18.6%, Crime 16%, Detective 13%, Psychological 10.2%
- #19 Hypnophobia; From Your Shadow
84% matchVery Positive96% of 115 reviews2026
Dev: Stick Horse
Windows
This is a story about Iris, a nobody who didn't have a Happy Ending and now suffers the consequences of their own (lack of) actions all alone in the most northern city in the world. A depressing story and a melancholic lesson teached in life's hard way awaits you.
Why similar: Visual Novel 22.5%, Drama 22.3%, Emotional 11.6%, Psychological 11.2%, Text-Based 11.1%
- #20 みすずの国
84% matchPositive100% of 24 reviews2025
Dev: StudioHommage
Windows
Misuzu no Kuni is a kinetic visual novel with no choices or branching paths.Set in a late 20th-century Japan, it tells a traditional-style fantasy school drama.In this world, a special autonomous territory known as the Land of the Tengu exists within Japan.Supported language: Japanese only.
Why similar: Text-Based 22.4%, Visual Novel 21.1%, Drama 17%, Adventure 11.3%, Casual 10.8%
- #21 Arsene Lupin - Once a Thief
83% matchMostly Positive70% of 80 reviews2024
Dev: Blazing GriffinPub: Microids
Windows
Discover the youth of a legend - Experience the transformation of Arsene Lupin, from whimsical thief to legendary hero, in 'Arsene Lupin - Once a Thief', an adventure and investigation game freely adapted from the works of Maurice Leblanc, with its events unfolding in the early 20th century.
Why similar: Crime 21.4%, Text-Based 20.7%, Visual Novel 18.1%, Detective 14.9%, Colorful 7.7%
- #22 Scarpone Scamps
82% matchNo user reviews
Dev: Pepperjack Productions
Windows
A gritty, semi-kinetic visual novel about broken people and notorious gangsters, featuring six individualized routes with six different endings.
Why similar: Detective 18.3%, Visual Novel 17.3%, Text-Based 16.4%, Crime 16%, Drama 11.6%
- #23 Reality's Reverse Side
82% matchPositive87% of 45 reviews2021
Dev: CupcakeTime TeamPub: Phoenix_co
Windows · Mac · Linux
Work is boring if you are the only employee in your department with no cases ever. But when work appears, life immediately rises upside down! Forever. Immerse yourself in a dramatic yet charming world of evidence-gathering, deduction and dramatic events on the reverse side of our world.
Why similar: Visual Novel 19%, Text-Based 17.5%, Cartoony 15.1%, Detective 13.7%, Stylized 9.8%
- #24 Detective School Club
81% matchPositive90% of 21 reviews2024
Dev: Danny Garay
Windows · Linux
Welcome to the Detective Club! Led by the troublesome and shy president Alice Baskerville. Follow this comedy story where together you will solve cases using your deductive powers!
Why similar: Text-Based 16.3%, Crime 16.1%, Visual Novel 15.3%, Cartoony 11.7%, Detective 11.6%
- #25 回ル!ハッカー探偵
79% matchMostly Positive80% of 25 reviews2025
Dev: 総合コンテンツ制作サークル
Windows
Become a righteous hacker detective who solves people's problems... and hack the requested PC by solving riddles! Analyze the PC by hacking! And... solve the source of your client's problems in the PC! This game is a puzzle solving adventure. You can hack by solving riddles.
Why similar: Detective 22.7%, Visual Novel 18.9%, Drama 15.4%, Emotional 11.1%, Adventure 10.8%
- #26 Echoes
81% matchMostly Positive80% of 84 reviews2021
Dev: Baba Nura
Windows
Fears are not always just rustles in the dark. And death is not always a bad ending.
Why similar: Visual Novel 21.2%, Text-Based 16.5%, Adventure 10.4%, Detective 9.9%, Casual 9.9%
- #27 Heal Hitler
80% matchMostly Positive76% of 234 reviews2021
Dev: Jon Aegis
Windows
POV: You are Hitler’s psychologist in 1925. Diagnose his complexes by using both Jungian and Freudian psychotherapy and attempt to heal him. Resolve Hitler's trauma and prevent catastrophe via therapy and psychology. Succeed and avoid the war and holocaust.
Why similar: Text-Based 25.3%, Visual Novel 22.7%, Detective 20.1%, Casual 13%, Psychological 10.4%
- #28 The Tenth Minute
78% matchNo user reviews0% of 1 reviews2026
Dev: XU S.A Studio
Windows
The Tenth Minute is a short narrative game told through chat and novel-style reading. Revisit a school-day memory shaped by unspoken feelings, misaligned memories, and belated understanding between three people. A youthful story with light psychological mystery, complete in around 2 hours.
Why similar: Text-Based 22.3%, Visual Novel 20.5%, Drama 19%, Psychological 9.3%, Emotional 7.8%
- #29 The Restless Sheep & The Lone Wolf -Woolly Eyes GAIDEN-
78% matchPositive98% of 46 reviews2024
Dev: CLOCKUPPub: Shiravune
Windows
The romantic noir visual novel The Restless Sheep & The Lone Wolf returns to Kabukicho in this unhinged simul-quel. Me, Azami, and the whole ragtag gang rampage through five all-new short stories!
Why similar: Crime 23.9%, Visual Novel 19.4%, Action-Adventure 11.2%, Dark 10.3%, Stylized 7%
- #30 My Divorce Story
79% matchMostly Positive75% of 20 reviews2022
Dev: NONIL STUDIOPub: CFK Co., Ltd.
Windows
Gather evidence for a successful divorce! My Divorce Story, created by an experienced divorce lawyer and based on real-life counseling, now on the Steam!
Why similar: Text-Based 17.8%, Crime 17.7%, Cartoony 15.9%, Drama 14.7%, Adventure 9.7%
- #31 子归 - Blossom
76% matchVery Positive88% of 647 reviews2024
Dev: 糯米团子工作室Pub: 噪点游戏 SERICA GAMES
Windows
Early spring, 1999, Taoyuan Village. In just several days, a series of drowning incidents occurred in the same quaint village. Then, on the night of the fifteenth day, numerous villagers witnessed a woman in red who bore an uncanny resemblance to a lady who had previously met an unjust demise...
Why similar: Detective 22.7%, Visual Novel 22.7%, Crime 22%, Drama 15.3%, Atmospheric 5.6%
- #32 The Bygone Days of Her and the Flowers
75% matchVery Positive99% of 231 reviews2025
Dev: luern0313
Windows · Mac · Linux
和纳西妲一起,回到「过去」的须弥。真正的花神诞祭、密室中发生的「不可能犯罪」、预示着世界将毁灭的地震……在「神」不在的须弥城,你能否揭开命案的真相,探寻提瓦特世界的终极秘密,然后…与「那个人」再次相见? 和伙伴们一起,去见证《只属于「她与花」的往日》
Why similar: Detective 22.9%, Visual Novel 22.2%, Text-Based 19.4%, Cartoony 15.8%, Drama 14.6%
- #33 NecroNomNomNom: Eldritch Horror Dating
77% match4 user reviews25% of 4 reviews2023
Dev: Pixel After Pixel
Windows
Plunge into the depths of sanity and Lovecraftian lore in this Eldritch Horror Dating Visual Novel. Will you find love or madness?
Why similar: Visual Novel 16.1%, Detective 14.2%, Cartoony 13.9%, Stylized 9.5%, Dark 8.6%
- #34 Error: Girlfriend Not Found
75% matchPositive100% of 14 reviews2025
Dev: Byte Me Studios
Windows · Mac · Linux
One-room cyberpunk VN about doubt, guilt and memory. Talk to a girl who claims to be your girlfriend, question reality, and unlock multiple endings in a short, replayable psychological story.
Why similar: Visual Novel 23.9%, Drama 18.2%, Casual 11.9%, Dark 11.8%, Emotional 9.5%
- #35 Stillwater
76% matchVery Positive95% of 238 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: Text-Based 21.9%, Visual Novel 21.4%, Drama 15.1%, Stylized 12.1%, Detective 8.6%
- #36 The Brothers Karamazov
73% match7 user reviews100% of 7 reviews2026
Dev: Daniling
Windows
Three brothers come back to the house of a father none of them loves: one for the money, one for the truth, one to save them all. Something terrible is about to happen here. Dostoevsky's whole novel, word for word.
Why similar: Crime 17.4%, Text-Based 17.4%, Visual Novel 16.9%, Psychological 10.6%, Detective 9.5%
- #37 花咲く君が連れ出した。夏の終わりの白い花
73% match1 user reviews100% of 2 reviews2026
Dev: Creative Blossoms
Windows
Having lost the meaning of life, Shionagi meets Ayana, who suffers from a certain illness. “Kidnap me from this boring everyday life.” He wishes to die. A girl promised death. A bittersweet summer kidnapping drama where they confront each other's “lives.”
Why similar: Visual Novel 30.8%, Text-Based 27.9%, Adventure 16.2%, Emotional 15.8%, 2D 9%
- #38 Plum Bun Reformatted
77% matchNo user reviews2022
Dev: Christopher Booth
Windows
Reformatted to 200 custom handmade pages, this Harlem Renaissance story employs the reader's mind exploring personas of race, gender, and capitalism. When Angela is prompted by society, this story explores her choices.
Why similar: Text-Based 27.7%, Visual Novel 25.9%, Drama 21.3%, Narration 11.7%, Adventure 9.1%
- #39 Missing Stars
74% matchPositive92% of 49 reviews2023
Dev: Somnova Studios
Windows · Mac · Linux
Missing Stars is a visual novel that aims to depict mental disorders and the people who live with them in a realistic, but sensitive and respectful light.
Why similar: Visual Novel 27.9%, Text-Based 20%, Drama 15.9%, Casual 11.5%, Emotional 9.9%
- #40 The Deed
74% matchVery Positive90% of 3,771 reviews2015
Dev: Pilgrim AdventuresPub: GrabTheGames
Windows
Median: 3.1 hrsMean: 6.6 hrs≥1hr: 78%
A keenly dark twist on the traditional murder mystery setting, The Deed is an Adventure/RPG game about getting away with murder. Arran Bruce, the rightful heir to Dunshiel House, returns home to settle a score with his estranged family.
Why similar: Crime 29.3%, Detective 19.6%, Visual Novel 18.5%, Dark 7.8%, Atmospheric 7%
- #41 Omertà: Mafia Novel
73% matchNo user reviews2026
Dev: Bizi Games
Windows
Noir visual novel set in 1950s New York. Infiltrate a prison, build a smuggling network, and shape fates through tough choices across branching paths.
Why similar: Visual Novel 19.2%, Detective 14.9%, Drama 14.4%, Crime 11.9%, Stylized 9.6%
- #42 雪凤山 Secret Opera
72% matchMostly Positive78% of 172 reviews2024
Dev: GOCORE
Windows
In the Spring Festival of 2005, the blizzard in Xuefeng mountain trapped the drama troupe performing in the village. At the same time, there was a homicide during the performance. Unlike the nervous members of the drama troupe, the villagers were afraid of a more terrible existence than the homicide
Why similar: Visual Novel 25.9%, Drama 19.5%, Text-Based 13.6%, Detective 11.7%, Adventure 7.7%
- #43 Ghost Village Girl ~The Village in a Cage~
72% matchNo user reviews
Dev: Escu:dePub: Shiravune
Windows
Lost in a forgotten mountain village, Itsuki and his companions must uncover the truth behind an ancient legend before the village’s mysterious influence consumes them. A psychological horror steeped in prewar Japanese folklore.
Why similar: Visual Novel 25.4%, Text-Based 18.3%, Adventure 12.9%, Casual 12.5%, Colorful 9.1%
- #44 Crime Investigator
71% match1 user reviews100% of 1 reviews2025
Dev: BBGS Productions
Windows
Investigate the evidence, expose the lies and bring the perpetrator to justice! In Crime Investigator, you take on the role of an experienced investigator who has to solve brutal murders and complex crimes.
Why similar: Crime 46.9%, Text-Based 19.7%, Dark 13.8%, Casual 12.5%, 2D 6.5%
- #45 r u n a w a y s
71% matchNo user reviews
Dev: Nøreign
Windows
A survival horror RPG that follows a pair of runaways escaping a hostile nighttime suburbia.
Why similar: Drama 23.2%, Visual Novel 17.9%, Dark 14.2%, Narration 7.8%, Atmospheric 7.6%
- #46 How Many Calories Are In A Muffin?
69% match9 user reviews100% of 9 reviews2026
Dev: Paprika Games
Windows · Linux
A short story about a difficult day at work and a painful breakup that lingers; about depression, anxiety, and how they can lead to eating disorders. Do you know how many calories are in a muffin? Are you ready for what the answer implies?
Why similar: Text-Based 24.9%, Visual Novel 23.9%, Dark 11.7%, Psychological 9.3%, Stylized 8.2%
- #47 우리들의 4분 33초
71% match4 user reviews100% of 4 reviews2025
Dev: KuroBlossom
Windows
"Maybe...we all are deaf." This is a sweet-bitter story based on modern times. Also, this is a visual novel game with simple menu and using click or space bar to play, without no choice. Although, this game is not a simulation game only for love.
Why similar: Visual Novel 29.3%, Text-Based 28.9%, Drama 21.8%, Casual 11.5%, 2D 8.3%
- #48 DUSK INDEX: GION(ダスクインデックスギオン)
70% match8 user reviews88% of 8 reviews2026
Dev: mebius.Pub: Bushiroad Inc.
Windows
When the past awakens, the future bleeds. A full length cinematic sci-fi mystery visual novel where augmented reality, history, AI technology and murder collide in the heart of Kyoto.
Why similar: Text-Based 38.8%, Visual Novel 37.4%, Adventure 14.5%, 2D 8.8%, Singleplayer 0.5%
- #49 右手にペンを、左手に過去を。
70% matchNo user reviews
Dev: HaraPeko部
Windows
-Change the past, create the future - A novel game about changing the past. What would the present be like if you could remove the regrets of that time? Rewrite the book that contains your past and create the future that you could not get. A new sensation ADV is now available from HaraPeko club.
Why similar: Visual Novel 25.4%, Text-Based 22.1%, Drama 15.6%, Adventure 9.2%, Psychological 8.4%
- #50 THE CASE OF THE LAST SHAWARMA
70% matchNo user reviews
Dev: Gamesforgames
Windows
The last shawarma in town is gone. The owner is destroyed. The police have "real crimes". You work for seeds, and you just took the case.
Why similar: Visual Novel 22.3%, Text-Based 19.6%, Detective 14.5%, Casual 11.8%, Stylized 11%
- #51 I WILL DO IT SOON MAYBE LATER TOMORROW
69% match8 user reviews100% of 12 reviews2026
Dev: S. TeifelPub: Freisinn games
Windows
A short narrative visual novel about procrastination, family, and the inner dialogue of a creative person. A story about how delaying decisions slowly erodes a life.
Why similar: Visual Novel 22.1%, Drama 17.7%, Text-Based 12.7%, Psychological 12%, Narration 11.2%
- #52 Helmet
68% match3 user reviews67% of 3 reviews2026
Dev: gerafkoPub: Worlds and Portal
Windows · Mac
Don't Forget Your Helmet is a quiet mystical romance about a lonely motorcyclist, a strange girl who knows too much about endings, and the small human choices that can change the shape of tomorrow.
Why similar: Text-Based 27.6%, Visual Novel 23.7%, Casual 12.2%, Dark 11.9%, Psychological 10.6%
- #53 Dysnamic
68% match3 user reviews100% of 3 reviews2026
Dev: Laments_VN
Windows
A story-rich and character-centric visual novel about a world with an illness called Dysnamia. Join Bene as he handles his Dysnamia and his past, helping the festival in his town be successful despite the terror lurking in the background.
Why similar: Visual Novel 23.4%, Text-Based 18.5%, Cartoony 15.4%, Casual 11.6%, Dark 8.7%
- #54 The Fifteenth: A Pluvial Prelude
67% matchNo user reviews83% of 6 reviews2026
Dev: 精武馆工作室
Windows
2000年,暴雨封锁的奇瑶坞教堂,是只邀请“有罪之人”的命运舞台。主角冼夏涛为追查弟弟死亡的真相只身入局,却跌入敌对组织编织的罗网。这场以性命为筹码的游戏中,精英人士,帮派组织,边缘人群悉数登场,每个人都背负着不可言说的秘密。你必须在成为下一个受害者前,推演出案件的真相和唯一的生路。
Why similar: Crime 23.5%, Visual Novel 20.9%, Drama 20.1%, Detective 18.8%, Emotional 9%
- #55 Staffer Retro : A Supernatural Mystery Quest
65% matchVery Positive90% of 1,084 reviews2026
Dev: Team Tetrapod
Windows · Mac
Staffer Retro is a mystery adventure game where you uncover past incidents related to ‘Mana’, the source of supernatural powers. Gather information through dialogue and exploration, and piece together clues found in documents to guide the choices of Verita Retro, the protagonist.
Why similar: Detective 20.6%, Crime 16.9%, Visual Novel 16.7%, Text-Based 14.9%, Cartoony 10.1%
- #56 Death at Firelight
68% matchNo user reviews
Dev: Sickenhouse
Windows · Linux
A murder at Camp Lonesome: Peggy was killed one night. Investigate the area, interview the campers, connect the clues, and catch the culprit before everyone gets sent home for good.
Why similar: Detective 25.6%, Visual Novel 21.9%, Text-Based 15%, Stylized 9.8%, Adventure 9.1%
- #57 The Mermaid of Zennor
69% matchVery Positive99% of 77 reviews2021
Dev: ebi-hime
Windows · Mac · Linux
A short, dark visual novel set in the UK about a young autistic girl's destructive obsession with her older brother.
Why similar: Visual Novel 23.2%, Text-Based 18.8%, Dark 11.8%, Emotional 11.1%, Psychological 7.9%
- #58 Holy Valkyrie ExS-TIA R
67% matchNo user reviews
Dev: LusterisePub: Shiravune
Windows
From hit Japanese visual novel developer Lusterise! Though Leese's country welcomes her return, Logia's demonic invasion has dealt a devastating toll to its citizens.
Why similar: Visual Novel 32%, Action-Adventure 25.8%, Adventure 18.6%, Colorful 13.3%, 2D 9.9%
- #59 終わりの鐘が鳴る前に Chapter3
66% match4 user reviews100% of 4 reviews2025
Dev: Cynical Honey
Windows
「これは何を手にするために、何かを失う物語」 季節は変わり冬になる。死神の条件のために主人公、長谷部涼平は菅野雪乃への恋心を自覚するが、彼女の親友に想いを寄せられてしまい、今度は三角関係の当事者になってしまった。自分の未来を掴むためにも菅野雪乃との両思いを目指すことになるが…。青春群像劇ビジュアルドラマ三部作の最終章が遂に開幕!
Why similar: Visual Novel 24.4%, Text-Based 24%, Drama 18.1%, Adventure 12.3%, Emotional 8.7%
- #60 Methods: The Illusion Murders
66% matchVery Positive85% of 102 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: Crime 20.1%, Text-Based 18.5%, Detective 16.9%, Visual Novel 16.5%, Cartoony 12.9%