Plk_Lesiak

That's a cool theory you have there. Though I'm afraid I'm too big of a fan of gay to support your plan for making the world straight again.

If you buy/have those two you don't have to worry about reading material for the next few months and they indeed sound like what you're looking for. You won't regret going through them. If you didn't buy them yet, Clannad is on deep sale on Steam ATM, along with the spin-offs.

I'm not jealous.

Hello there once more! As I hate you all and want you to get bankrupt we're still in the Christmas sale season on Steam, I've decided to reschedule my upcoming reviews and offer you all a quick look at what I perceive as most attractive discounts on western VNs available on the platform at this moment. Until 4th of January, you still have time to give in to temptation and spend the rest of your money that you desperately tried to protect during this season of predatory consumerism. ;p For this reason and some other, unrelated events, I postpone my Otome Month till February. In January, I will offer you two reviews of horrible VNs (that I find notable by the virtue of representing some important issues plaguing western VN scene), a review of certain nice free Steam title and another top list, this time connected to my favorite OELVN event - Yuri Game Jam. I hope you'll have fun reading and that you'll find at least some of the recommendations interesting. There should be more posts coming every Friday, at least for the next few months, until I get burned out so much that I'll have to slow down in some ways.

Who would go through all this hassle when we have so many, perfectly fine 2D waifus to chose from?

Hello Ladies & Gentlemen! As much as most of us might be completely broke after Christmas, there's still 5 days before the giant seasonal Steam Sale comes to an end and at least until late spring, this is the best opportunity to grab some quality Western VNs on the platform for very little money. Because of this, today I present you with a completely subjective list of 12 OELVNs that you should probably buy while they're unreasonably cheap - you definitely won't regret having them on your 2018 to-read list. The games will be sorted by discounts, rather than quality, but all of them are solid titles definitely worth your attention. Just for the note, every game here was listed with the US pricing, the cost might be slightly different in other regions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Highway Blossoms (-75%, $2,49) One of the highest-rated western Yuri visual novels is a heartwarming and emotionally engaging road tale, that might grasp even those that are not fans of the f/f romance, thanks to an interesting setting rarely seen in VNs and consistent storytelling. For yuri fans, it's still one of the best games of this kind available in English - while waiting for another chapter of Flowers or other big JP release coming to the West, there's maybe no better title to fill the void. Ace Academy (-75%, $4,99) PixelFade's first project is one of the very few successful attempts at adapting the typical romance VN formula in the West, with an expansive plot, high production values and full voice-acting. While definitely retaining an "indie" feel and having some clunky elements (like the super-simplistic mecha "combat" mechanics), thanks to a fairly spectacular Kickstarter success Ace Academy was able to become one of the most impressive non-JP VNs to date. It's not an eroge, so it might disappoint fans of H-scenes, but offers a good story and well-crafted characters that should be satisfying to most readers. It also features one of the most adorable little-sister characters in history, which for me counts as a huge positive, even if she's not romanceable. Asphyxia (-75%, $1,49) My list might feel heavy on yuri, but this simply reflects how important the genre is for western VN scene, being a much bigger part of the market when compared with Japan. Ebi-hime's most appreciated commercial title is an unusual, allegorical tale with a lot of references to classic literature, XIX century English authors and A LOT of heavy themes, including unrequited love, substance abuse and depression. While a rather heavy read, requiring some patience and attentive reading, it's one of the most unique VNs produced in the West and one that fully embraces its cultural heritage, rather than unnecessarily borrowing tropes and setting from JP scene. Cinders (-75%, $4,99) Otome is another genre that definitely receives more attention from western VN producers than in the Japanese market (among other reasons, because there's a lot more woman involved in the western scene proportionally to Japan). This retelling of a classic fairy tale might not give it as strong of a spin as Cinderella Phenomenon, but offers a striking visual style and an expansive, well written story - even if otome is not your thing, for a mere few dollars you're asked to pay for this game it's something definitely worth your attention. Strawberry Vinegar (-75%, $2,49) If you don't feel like reading through depressing dramas of Asphyxia or The Sad Story of Emmeline Burnes, ebi-hime got you covered with this incredibly sweet, heartwarming experience. This tale of an unwelcome, supernatural guest and a lot of delicious food might look diabetes-inducing, but with its unique artstyle and relaxed storytelling should definitely leave you in a good mood - especially if you enjoy yuri themes. Starlight Vega (-60%, $5,99) Starlight Vega might be one of the more obscure VNs on this list, but just as I've shown in my review, it's not without some fresh ideas and undoubtedly delivers on the aspects of visual quality and yuri romance. This rather relaxed, fantasy tale in modern setting avoids many most common VN tropes, offering a pretty distinct, fun experience, although with the heavy focus on the relationships might be less attractive for those not interested in f/f romantic stories. Long Live The Queen (-50%, $4,49) This sweet-looking VN/dating sim hybrid might seem innocent, but under that cutesy surface, there's hidden a grimdark political simulation, with a very complex story, many branching paths and dozens of ways to meet early demise as the future queen of the realm, surrounded by enemies and layers upon layers of intrigue. A must play for everyone that looks for a VN-hybrid with actual challenge and stakes in it - exploring different options and trying to reach satisfying ending will give you many, many hours of engaging fun. Magical Diary: Horse Hall (-50%, $7,49) This Harry Potter-inspired tale of a novice student in a magic academy is another rather unique dating sim/VN hybrid made in the West. While its simple, cutesy artstyle might suggest something light and straightforward, there's a surprising amount of depth, story variation and interesting mechanics in this game, including a wide selection of unusual romance options. While mostly cheerful, it will surprise you more than once with fresh ideas and fairly bold storytelling. Royal Trap: The Confines of the Crown (-50%, $9,99) This otome game by Hanako might follow a somewhat standard formula but introduces a very strong, proactive female lead and a deep political intrigue at the centre of the plot, offering much more than just a sappy romance story. With multiple routes, both romantic and friendship-oriented, it's one of the more expansive and complex western VNs available on the market and should prove interesting to readers of various tastes, not just typical fans of the genre. A Little Lily Princess (-50%, $7,49) A Little Princess should be a title not only known by enthusiasts of classic English literature but also devoted anime fans, thanks to the highly-regarded show Princess Sara and a few other adaptations. This VN version of the story, developed by Hanabira, stands out not only through its well-done aesthetic, matching well the setting of Victorian-era London, but also by a mild yuri spin. Thankfully, it never goes overboard with the romance, maintaining the charm and heartwarming message of the original story, while also giving additional depth to some of the characters not really explored in the book or earlier adaptations. The end effect is a great, emotionally engaging tale not only for yuri fans. VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action (-34%, $9,89) VA-11 Hall-A might be pretty far-detached from the typical VN formula, but its striking artstyle, strong storytelling and a cast of memorable character won it pretty much universal acclaim from both game critics and players and should provide a satisfying experience for any VN enthusiast. While it might be one of the more expensive games on this list, it's also one that shouldn't disappoint even the most demanding readers. Analogue: A Hate Story (-33%, $6,69) Christine Love's sci-fi mystery VN is definitely worth its full asking price, but when it's on sale, you have even fewer excuses not to buy and play it. Well developed intrigue, immersive visual design and memorable characters make it one of the best Western VNs ever made, still having few serious competitors 5 years after its release. If you don't fixate on its clear ideological message, it offers an amazing tale of oppression, hate and vengeance that can hardly be read without leaving a lasting impression. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope you've enjoyed my recommendations and I wish you a Happy New Year, full of both non-JP and JP VN-reading pleasures, among many, many other happy moments. ^^

Definitely the first one, the lines stick out a bit too much.

Welcome to Fuwa! Can't help you much with development stuff, but look around in the Creative Corner subforum, there should be some guides and discussions on the topic there.

My gf knows more about it than she probably wanted to, but she even somewhat accepts my fixation on yuri and other weird stuff I show her from time to time. At least we're fully honest with each other. I share my Steam account with my brother so he has full access to my VN library, embarrassing userpage and all the reviews I've written, but I don't think he ever cared enough to check these things out/read them. My closest friend knows about it but he more or less hates everything anime so there's not much to talk about there. Also he's a bit of a homophobe so my liking for yuri weirds him out. My mother knows I'm into "anime" becuase she saw it dozens of time on my computer, but she's clueless about the topic and I'm far too old for her to question my tastes. Basically as I don't read VNs for porn I'm very transparent about my hobbies, I'm way past being embarrassed about watching/reading something after all those years of brony activity and using my fan knowledge for university projects. I don't really care if someone finds it weird - I know well enough myself that I'm a weirdo, if someone can't accept that it's their problem.

Thanks for repeating exactly what I wrote a few posts earlier.

Like I've said, you should be fine buying digital copies, I would recommend it much more than buying physical ones. If you keep pirating stuff, there's even smaller chance of anyone noticing, but in both cases risks are rather minimal.

Banks will definitely know your transaction history, but in most cases they have no incentive to report you to authorities or in general break the confidentiality behid your payments, unless you do something super-shady. Postal services on the other hand might actively look for smuggled or illegal material, especially if they're government owned. There's also custom services that often have authority to inspect anything you order from outside of your country. So yeah, digital purchases are in reality controlled less than physical ones and thus safer. Also, your internet provider "knows" what you download, what porn you watch etc., unless you use some special precousions. They simply have no reason to log that information or do anything against you, because you're a paying customer. Banks are similar, they want your money and will only screw you over if it gives them additional profit.

The only situation when I could imagine a government caring about anyone buying an eroge/nukige is with explicitly-underage loli characters - things like Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke o: Amakute Otona no Torokeru Chuu would be consider child porn in my country - I never heard about anyone getting arrested over that, but it's definitely within the legal definitions of such. With normal eroge... Even if it theoretically breaks some laws, I can't imagine anyone tracking that or doing anything about it. So, I wouldn't worry. Although, TBF, if you're not 100% sure it's safe to buy it from official sources, I think you're justified with pirating stuff. I normally would never condone it, but in a case when insane anti-porn laws are involved, I would rather see a person stay safe than shaming them for "not supporting the industry".

Although I can think of a few nukige from that synopsis thread that would most likely make me cry... Just in a slightly different way than Clannad. EDIT: In the main topic, I will keep claiming that Ace Academy has one of the best little sister characters in history and if you don't pursue any romance route, you get some fun extra interactions with her. She's not a love interest, if that's what the OP was looking for, but she was the highlight of the whole VN for me. :]

There's only love for gay things around here. <3

Welcome to Fuwanovel! I hope that "byebye" doesn't mean you won't come back after writing this post. You should consider making a VNDB account if you don't have one already, it's a good tool to keep track on the VNs you've read and showing others what you like and what experience you have with the genre.

Show-off EDIT: Although I guess I had one moment like that. I've once had a class on electoral systems that had some interesting material, but the lecturer was probably the dullest person in the world and every week I was literally sleeping during his lectures - simply couldn't help it. And, as it as a small course, it was impossible for him not to notice... However, when the final exam came, I was the only person to get an A, without even learning much - lecturer's face when he was giving me my test back and realized who it belonged to is a memory I will treasure till the end of my days. :3

Aye, I'm always looking for those, that's also why I've already initiated this thread, to make sure that valuable info will flow here as soon as first episodes start showing up. ;> In this season I actually had two huge surprises, with Net-juu no Susume being far better than it had any right to be and Konohana Kitan evolving from a cute fluffy thing into something wonderfully touching. Maybe this one will also have some hidden gems.

Heh, well, I guess I simply gave up on even attempting stuff that I knew wouldn't end with satisfying results and thanks to that could read through some short VNs and write blog posts during the holidays without feeling that much guilt. Like I've predicted, since I've started writing it, my blog will always win with my PhD when it goes to appeal and ability to gather my attention consistently. In theory, I will soon have posts ready for the next month and a half and have no excuse to not work on my university stuff. In theory...

Important detail: are you the main accountant there? ;p

My High School experience was just as dull as the rest of my life before college, so it's not something I'm very nostalgic about. On the other hand, it was a time when I was at relative peace with myself and one that I don't have any real regrets about (and I've messed up in so many ways in my early college years). So, it's surely not a setting that would be off-putting to me in any way, even if it's not super "relatable". What I like in high school dramas, at least when it goes to romance, is that the characters have pretty much their whole lives ahead of them and I really like "guiding" them through the plot with my choices, observing these formational moments they go through and the (somewhat) bright future awaiting them (as you can easily read from this description, I hate depressing endings). Teenagers simply fit well in this formula - just like they work well with horror, because of how vulnerable they seem. When it goes to various fighting VNs and things like that characters being so young or the setting still being the high school might feel absolutely pointless and dumb, but it never really bothers me that much.

*Grabs pitchfork* I show you something funny. A burning stake! I'm totally joking though

I don't care. Them atheist-haters *triggered*

Where's Festivus? I feel deeply offended.

Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday to you all! I would add an appropriate image but unfortunately, I'm a lazy fuck and can't be bothered to look for one. :3 EDIT: Oh, well, I'm in a sharing mood after all, have some Christmas yuri: