I previously did a simple 'starter list' of relatively easy to read VNs. However, they were all over the place, and the likelihood of anyone finding a VN that was spot-on in that list was unlikely. As such, I decided to make a list of five recommendations from each genre for someone who is just starting to play untranslated VNs but isn't up to reading the hardest language out there. Keep in mind that chuunige and plotge in general have - at the very least - slightly inflated difficulty levels as a result of the writers' tendencies and the fact that narrative/literary Japanese is fundamentally different to those accustomed to dialogue-only mediums like anime or manga. I'm excluding gameplay hybrids because the sheer amount of crap you have to read without a text hooker in those means beginners won't be able to handle them for the most part without some kind of interface patch or guide.
Chuunige
Bloody Rondo (note that I don't recommend this because it is awesome - it isn't - but because it is heavy on slice-of-life for a chuunige and relatively dialogue-heavy)
Sora no Tsukurikata
Unjou no Fairy Tale
Ryuukishi Bloody Saga (if you want to, you can play the dark rapegame prequel... but I don't recommend it for the faint of heart)
Draculius
Nakige (note that I'm not including anything Purple Soft and Saga Planets because their games are heavy on wordplay that even an experienced reader will sometimes miss out on)
Haru to Yuki
Koi Suru Doll to Omoi no Kiseki
Moshimo Ashita ga Harenaraba
Soshite Hatsukoi ga Imouto ni Naru (for true beginners, I recommend this or Haru to Yuki for lower difficulty levels from this part of the list)
Sci-fi Plotge
Komorebi no Nostalgica
Re:Birth Colony Lost Azurite
Fake Azure Arcology
Fantasy Plotge (some action but not action-focused or chuuni)
Ou no Mimi ni wa Todokanai
Curio Dealer
Hyakka Ryouran Elixir (yep, these are all AXL games... simply because no one else does this anymore)
Tiny Dungeon series (this is harem, so if you don't like harem, you probably won't like this)
Moege/Charage (Yuzu Soft aren't included because their reading difficulty is often too high for beginners)
Haruru Minamo ni (Straight fantasy ero charage with just enough plot to keep it from being mundane/boring)
Love Revenge (If you want to know what my idea of a 'decent charage' is based off of, play this)
Natsuiro Recipe (for those who want their heart healed in a rural Japanese setting)
Kanojo to Ore no Lovely Day
Miscellaneous Plotge
Yomegami: My Sweet Goddess!
Satsukoi
Tsuisou no Augment
Utsuge
Inochi no Spare ('soft' utsuge)
Konata yori Kanata made (a 'soft' utsuge probably the only true kamige on this list)
Houkago no Futekikakusha ('hard' utsuge)
Kanojo wa Tenshi de Imouto de (yes, despite appearances, this is a soft utsuge)