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Yeah, I wasn't aware them either, but I took a look at their Steam page, before downloading the Iwaihime demo and they seem like they might be a really good publisher. I don't see any of the bad translation or "only offering all ages" complaints that some publishers on Steam have. This "Master Magistrate" game looks like it might be something I'd enjoy. Despite being on Steam it has an easily accessible free restoration patch. It seems like they're trying to do everything right based on my first impressions at least. https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/ShiraVN

If you look at any list that recommends the "best" then the same titles will naturally appear there, because they're the more popular ones, the ones more people like. If you are looking to find visual novels you do not know about, you will need to venture into recommendation threads with veterans asking about them, or, better still, make one yourself, because I assure you there are people who will know of Visual Novels you may not. You just need to show what you've played or what you like. Discussion itself mostly takes place about either the big famous titles or the bigger recently released things, so you won't find obscure VNs by reading the discussions that are had, most of the time. So in that sense I can agree (though if you start threads about obscure titles it is likely that people who've played it before will at least browse it). Do you know about Symphonic Rain? Play that without looking it up any further if it looks like it might interest you (and you haven't already).

Welcome to Fuwanovel, and yes Fate did have humble beginning as the VN before it's going big so much that it become Type-Moon most prominent focus. I also didn't know that Fate was the VN when I watch the DEEN version back at 2007 (The anime), at least until I talk about it to my friend back at 2010 and he said some twists that was not easily seen when I watch the anime (Obviously because it only adapt one third of the contents and the content itself is merely introduction to the VN itself). If you want more VNs recommendations other than Fate, feel free to ask here although keep in mind that most of the VN are focused on the daily lives of high school so don't expect all VN would like Fate (There's some VN that are written like Fate though). Lastly I hope that you'll enjoy yourself here.