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Suppose you enjoy playing video games, not only for the visuals or fluidity but also because of the story unfolding behind the game. In that case, one video game genre is perfect for you: Visual Novels. While the name is self-explanatory, some might not be familiar with this somewhat obscure genre. This article will explore the world of Visual Novels (like what makes a game a visual novel and some great titles that exemplify the genre) and recommend the best Visual Novels for Android. A Visual Novel, often abbreviated as VN, is a video game genre in which the video game doesn’t contain your traditional “gameplay” to carry them. Visual Novels are semi-interactive, wherein the players must rely on the story, characters, and other narrative elements to play the game. The interactive stories that Visual Novels give us are primarily through text. The game’s narrative takes the front seat for the entire game. While most video games feature some amount of text, visual novels are unique in that they resemble a written work more closely. Instead of telling significant parts of the story through cutscenes, context clues, or gameplay, you read a lot of dialogue and other text to advance through the game and its narrative. Visual Novels usually feature static character models and locations and are most commonly found in an anime art style. While they might have some animated cutscenes, these cutscenes are typically short. Originating in Japan, Visual Novels have become increasingly popular in the US over the years. If you are an anime fan, you will have come across titles like Steins;Gate, Clannad, Little Busters, Persona, and Danganronpa, to name a few. Did you know that all of these were adapted from Visual Novels? Yes, like anime adapted from mangas and light novels, there are also anime adapted from Visual Novels. And some of these adaptations have achieved cult status within the anime community. Visual Novels are often relaxing and great for people who want to hang out and look at a story unfold. While most Visual Novels can be played on PCs, not all of them can be found on Smartphones. Unfortunately, classic Visual novels like Steins;Gate, and Clannad do not have a smartphone version of the game. Also, most Android visual novels are Japanese because it is a Japanese inventions. Despite that being the case, there are some awesome Visual Novel games out there that you shouldn’t miss. And in this article, we have listed the best Visual Novels for Android. As stated earlier, classic Visual Novels like Persona and Clannad do not have a smartphone adaptation yet, but that doesn’t mean that we Android users can’t have the Visual Novel Experience. Thankfully, several Visual Novel games are available for us, and good ones at that. We have listed below the best of these Visual Novels for android.
Ace Attorney Trilogy Mystic Messenger Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Florence Gris Mysterious Forum and 7 Rumors Underworld Office
Ace Attorney Trilogy
Become a lawyer and take the stand to prove your client’s innocence in a court of law! Price: $22.9 each Ah, if you thought my list wouldn’t have the game that made the word ‘OBJECTION’ cool, then you were wrong. Ace Attorney is by far the best Visual Novel for android. Not only because it gave us the famous ‘Is soup a drink?’ and the ‘Is lava wet?’ drama but also because it turned various Twitter Drama Into Courtroom Battles. Okay, seriously, Ace Attorney is one of those games you should play at least once in your life. Capcom has four Ace Attorney Visual Novel games on Android, and they’re all good. Ace Attorney is a mystery-drama series that revolves around Phoenix Wright. Phoenix is a lawyer who solves cases. The Visual Novel also has hidden objects and point-and-click adventure elements. The game involves Phoenix Wright (you) starting a case, collecting evidence, interviewing people, and smashing your opponents in court. The game’s pacing is quite good, and the mechanics within the game ensure you don’t forget anything. You get the full game with no additional in-app purchases or advertisements when you purchase the game.
Mystic Messenger
Get ready to meet your future best friends! Price: Free (in-app purchases range from $0.99 – $45.99 per item) Honestly, several Visual Novel games are directed at young adults who find talking to beautiful girls and handsome boys entertaining. Commonly known as Dating sims/Otome games, these games will not only make you feel like you are interacting with the character within the game but also dating the character within the game. While on the outside, Mystic Messenger might seem like one of those games directed at teens and young adults alike, but surprisingly, it isn’t. Mystic Messenger is something of an anomaly. Besides being the first mobile app developed by small South Korean developer Cheritz, which previously released some otome games on Steam, Mystic Messenger isn’t your traditional otome game. Mystic Messenger tends to follow the text-and-exposition-heavy visual novel format, you interact with potential virtual paramours via a chat app designed to look like WhatsApp or LINE. The in-game fiction is that a mysterious app has appeared on your smart device. When opened, a strange person gives you directions to a hidden apartment within the game. Suddenly, you find yourself thrust into the chats of a private fundraising group, and the place you’ve been led to is the apartment of this group’s former organizer, who died under mysterious circumstances. You are forced to take her place, wherein you help organize lavish galas to connect people and aid the needy. But underneath the organization’s wholesome facade lies many secrets and conflicts among its members. The game itself is free-to-play and plays out in real-time. There are some in-game items you can purchase, but personally, you don’t necessarily need those to experience the game entirely. At specific points over the course of eleven days, you’ll receive texts, emails, and even phone calls from the characters within the game. With all the suspense, emotion, and joy this game brings, Mystic messenger is one of the best Visual Novels for Android.
Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
The battle with an unseen enemy begins. Price: $15.99 Okay, if you are a seasonal anime fan, you would have come across the title Danganronpa. And if you are someone who has watched the anime and found it interesting, then I kid you not, you will LOVE its Visual Novel. Did you know that the anime is an adaptation of the Visual Novel of the game we are talking about right now? Well, not the Android/iOS version but the PlayStation version. But as you might have guessed, the same visual novel is now available on Android. Did you know that the Visual Novel fans weren’t pleased with the animated version? So, imagine how amazing the game is. Even if you are not an anime fan, Danganronpa is still one of the best Visual Novel games for Android. Let me give you a glimpse of what you will look at if you choose to buy the visual novel. The game follows the story of Makoto Naegi and his classmates at Hope’s Peak Private Academy: an elite school that gathers the best students from various fields. After entering the school, Naegi loses consciousness only to wake up in a seemingly abandoned classroom. While Naegi and his classmates are trying to figure out what happened, they are confronted by the school principal—Monokuma, a robotic teddy bear. The mysterious toy explains that the freshmen are trapped inside the school with only one means of escape—to kill a classmate without being discovered. The Visual Novel takes you through the tale as people drop dead left and right with twists and turns. While the game might seem a tad bit expensive, I, once again, assure you that Danganronpa is one of the best Visual Novels for android.
Florence
Experience intimate, raw, and personal feelings with Florence! Price: $2.99 Have you ever come across the adage, “A picture is worth a thousand words”? Well, Florence is just that. More than a Visual Novel, Florence is more of an interactive visual story. This is not your typical Visual novel where you choose your own path. It doesn’t have words to read other than chapter headings. It’s a simple visual story with simple but appealing graphics. It uses clever graphic designs and beautiful music to bring the story to life. Florence is a delightful visual novel about Florence Yeoh, a 25-year-old who feels stuck in her routine. But then she meets Krish, a cello player who changes how she sees the world. As you experience Florence and Krish’s relationship throughout the game, you see how it blossoms and matures. The game has light puzzles and point-and-click mechanics and is very easy to play. Florence is the game for you if you are looking for an interactive game that warms your heart and doesn’t take too much of your time.
Gris
Follow Gris on this magical journey that helps her grow! Price: $4.99 Like Florence, Gris doesn’t entirely follow the Visual Novel trope. Rather, Gris is a puzzle game with more than enough visual novel elements. In this Visual Novel-esque game, you play as Gris, a girl who is lost in her own world, dealing with a painful experience that occurred in her life. You help Gris guide that world, get in touch with her emotions, and navigate reality. What’s interesting about this game is that her journey through sorrow is manifested in her dress, which grants her new abilities to navigate her faded reality better. And as the story unfolds, Gris will grow emotionally and see her world differently, revealing new paths to explore using her new abilities. This soothing game has no death or danger, so you can play at your own speed. Some light puzzle mechanics engage the player as they drift through the game. The beautiful art style and the sublime music compiled with a surprisingly small amount of text in a story mostly told through visual elements make Gris one of the best Visual games for android.
Mysterious Forum and 7 Rumors
Here comes a Visual Novel filled with horror, youth, school, and chat stories! Price: Free ( in-app purchases up to $2.99) While Mysterious Forum and 7 Rumors is another fairly typical school horror mystery visual novel in the Chat Stories format, it is a multiple choice visual novel. It shows a list of all endings, and the game allows you to skip sections. The visual novel is fairly short and will take about two hours. The plot of this visual novel is that the newspaper club manages a secret forum at a high school. Soon this secret forum is filled with rumors. The rumors that are posted on the forum soon become a reality (not in a good way) and create various mysteries. The whole thing takes place on this forum run by the newspaper club members Akane, Yuki, and Shino. The newspaper club members must unveil the seven mysteries posited in the forum. You get to make decisions that influence parts of the game. As mentioned earlier, there are several different endings to achieve. While it is a short title, it is cheap at $2.99 and is an excellent little time killer. Also, a spoiler alert: a few endings will make you cry. Yes, the story is cheesy, but it is fun and is one of the best Visual novels for android. Please note that some endings will have grotesque, bloody, and cruel descriptions.
Underworld Office
A Mysterious Novel where choices do matter! Price: $6.49 If you are looking for a different kind of visual novel, then the Underworld Office is the perfect visual novel for you. Underworld Office follows the story of Eugene. Eugene accidentally falls into the world of ghosts and almost gets killed by monsters. But then a mysterious ghost saves Eugene and demands to work at the Underworld Office. Underworld office has 40 animations, 150 illustrations, and seven different routes through the game, and each route’s ending is based on your choices. The game will take you through several playthroughs to find clues and experience the horror. It is a simple and fun game with an intriguing plot, making it one of the best visual novels for android. Now that you know what the visual novel genre is, what it offers, and the best visual novels for android, it is about time you try the niche. Whether you prefer book-like, chat-like, or visual novels that are more adventurous and horrifying, the genre is great for anyone who loves a good story. Visual novels could be perfect for you if you’ve found other video game genres too fast-paced or overwhelming. A video game experience where you sit back and unfold a story is an experience you shouldn’t miss. Here’s hoping this article helped you find a different video game niche. Are there any visual novels you like? Do you have recommendations? Let us know in the comments below!
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