Clephas

Sadly, in terms of games being made, the numbers started steadily decreasing back in 2019 and Covid pretty much killed the industry in Japan. As for VNs made between 2015-2020, there were a pretty good number of excellent releases. However, there is very little worthy of note made after 2020.

Don't worry, you aren't missing much even if Raillore gets cancelled. Trash is trash.

After you gain an understanding of the grammar, as well as both katakana and hiragana, your biggest obstacle is going to be kanji. Using a parser (programs that place potential readings in the form of furigana above kanji) can help accelerate your ability to read visual novels, but it isn't a 100% perfect solution, since parser programs often make odd choices for the furigana. If you just want to read slice-of-life VNs (moege, in other words), it might take you a relatively short amount of time to achieve your goal, as it is unlikely you will encounter any unusual kanji usages that would make a parser stumble. It's when you delve into the harder visual novels that you'll end up testing the limits of your understanding.

First, I need to explain the basic concept of the Shinzabansho series, for those unfamiliar with Dies Irae or Paradise Lost. The Shinzabansho universe began with the creation of the Shinza, the Divine Throne. The Divine Throne, when claimed by a Hadoushin/Conqueror God (formerly mortal) who possessed a Law, would then overwrite reality and impose the Law generated by that deity upon all of creation, on a universal level. In each of the stories, whether it is the web novel Avesta (soon to be a visual novel) or the three visual novels (Paradise Lost, Dies Irae, and Kajiri Kamui Kagura), the reader stands as a witness to the events that bring the end of one god's reign and the beginning of the next one. The next stage of my explanation is that of the various eras. There are spoilers for each of the series below, so I'll place it in the box. Before I do explain this, please understand that there are technically two canons in Shinzabansho, one where Marie's path in Dies Irae is the true ending, leading to the events of Kajiri Kamui Kagura and Pantheon, the other where Rea's path is the true path, where Marie was the final Shinzabansho deity. This explanation is based on the former canon, which is a heavily retconned canon created by Masada when he decided he wanted to make the abortive smartphone game Pantheon.

Since you said a harem ending isn't necessary and you want light and funny... Floral Flowlove - well, if you ignore the fact that is a nakige. Kin'iro Loveriche - Same as above Shin Koihime Musou (obviously) Yomegami (whenever it comes out, as it is JAST doing the localization) Osananajimi wa Daitouryou (My Girlfriend is President) Onigokko

I have the physical version, but as far as I know, the download version was only released through DMM, sadly.

??? How is it confusing? It doesn't give you random results for tags, nor does it provide extra results if you get the title right (which are both the case with other sites where you can search for visual novels). You can even choose to search for individual characters if you don't know the name of the game... *shakes his head* For your search above, there are relatively few gameplay hybrids that don't at least have a few nonconsensual scenes. I wanted to recommend Ikusa Megami Zero and Verita for their sheer plot quality, but there are nonconsensual scenes in both. Like LostPomegranate says, Utawarerumono is a great series that has been remade and modernized, as well as being easy to obtain on Steam. Death End re:Quest and its sequel also come to mind as decent choices. My only warning is that both games lean towards horror and the gameplay, while not horrible, is only serviceable. Last of all, Fate/Extra is getting a remake, so that is something to look forward to as someone looking for VN Hybrids.

Umm... just to be clear, it was apparent that some of the questions were not really a good fit, since there is no gameplay in a straight visual novel except clicking and making choices... Also, I think most people who have played an AI-generated VN will say they produce nothing but trash *winces at the bad memories* Asking about non-universal (or at least uncommon) features as part of a survey about the importance of certain features will probably only confuse any results you receive...

Assuming project is dead, locking thread for further posts.

*Clephas's innumerable tentacles writhe in welcome, his insanity-inducing form undulating happily at the entry of a new member of the community*

The Event CG is both a central part of the story and potentially the single most expensive part of any given visual novel (at least, that's the way it is reported). A lot of visual novel makers include their number of Event CGs in their advertising, and often the final Event CG for a route becomes the defining memory for the reader. The CG above, from Tokyo Babel, is one of a number of defining moments, where hints of the reality that lies behind the facade, become evident, even as the characters battle to fulfill their desires. Poor utilization of Event CGs can often result in the wrong scenes being emphasized or major plot twists being overlooked, because VN readers are trained to associate them with story progression. On the flip side, effective use of an Event CG can give life to even a trite or mundane plot. Despite the fact that I often made fun of 'charage' (the standard sol-focused VN that had a strong focus on character development but lacked overall cohesion), this was one aspect a lot of companies excelled in. A single Event CG at exactly the right time could turn a mundane romance into a dramatic, emotional one that feels more real to the reader (and I'm not talking about H-scenes, though I'll get to those in a moment). Now, for the more controversial aspect of Event CGs... the H-scene CG. To be blunt, in the vast majority of plot-focused visual novels, sexual content is neither necessary nor does it add anything, save that if there wasn't one, a lot of readers would think they were missing out. However, for a lot of romance-focused visual novels, experienced VN-readers feel cheated if there isn't an H-scene, even if they don't necessarily want to watch/read it. Rarely, a visual novel makes the H-Scene a vital part of the story progression, and in these cases, it is easy to feel that it was a valid choice. Devils Devel Concept's H-scenes (the majority of them, anyway) usually have a role in how the story comes to life, as the protagonist's near-emotionless persona tends to crack open the most in these scenes, and the author does an excellent job of portraying the way his way of thinking and that of the heroine don't quite match. Similarly, Draculius's H-Scenes reveal a great deal about the characters and setting that would otherwise be missed by the reader. The Event CGs, in these cases, have innumerous variations in expression that go along with the text to bring the characters, their emotions, and their desires to life in a way that can't quite be expressed without them.

The incest fad burnt out for a while, then their owners started more companies doing harem and less dark, less plot-focused visual novels. Hulotte and Cube, for instance...

Ubel Blatt- This series leaves me with a lot of mixed emotions. On the one hand, this series is an excellent revenge story with a deep setting and characters... on the other hand, the presentation of the first four or five episodes is pretty shoddy. I don't say this to be mean but rather to tell yall why I both love and feel ambivalent about the series as a whole. There are some really good action scenes and tons of blood in this series, but fight choreography frequently stutters and the chain of events is not always properly pursued. It is particularly bad when moving between arcs, where the beginning of the arc is just glazed over in a blasé fashion in most cases. This is particularly marked in the first arc, where I frequently winced at the choices of the animators, even as certain scenes stood out on their own as pure gold. The protagonist's deep and complex emotions make for great sob scenes at certain key points, especially where he confronts the Heroes, and I find myself remembering those moments more than the fights, despite this being a violence/blood focused series. Sakamoto Days- Comedy series about a former assassin having to deal with his former co-workers trying to kill him while he runs a convenience store to support his family. There are some tributes to Gintama in the story, but for the most part it is just an ongoing zany series of events where Sakamoto and friends try to avoid killing while driving off assassins so Sakamoto won't get in trouble with his wife. Solo Leveling s2- I only put this down because Kvan went out of his way to diss the series... seriously. This basically takes what made the first season great, then amps it up by several levels. The real attraction of the series is the fight choreography, the music, the flashy action and the occasional moments of vulnerability and growth on the part of the protagonist. I wouldn't call this shounen, but rather a 'seinen' story, as the protagonist's motivations are more down to earth and less aspirational than in a shounen. In addition, there is no comradery or group antics along the way, as evidenced by the name of the series. There are several extremely emotional moments, both positive and negative, during the course of the story that left a big impact, at least for me. Salaryman- A despairing salaryman gets summoned by a maou as one of the Four Heavenly Kings, where he ends up working as a negotiator, bringing together the maou's army and fixing its problems along the way. It is also about his personal journey from a burnt-out, broken man to a more healthy-minded and vigorous individual working for the sake of those around him. Botsuraku Kizoku- Fantasy anime where a magic-obsessed man gets reincarnated in the body of a talented noble child in a family that is about to lose its title. He pursues magic obsessively and rapidly rises, earning a massive following (and an adorable harem on the side). It is mostly him innocently pursuing magic and raising up those around him in a partly incidental manner. Edit: Kvan calls it banal, and he isn't wrong. It is fairly trite as fantasy go, which was why I stopped reading the LN about the point where the anime ends. However, the anime presents it in a way that is reasonably enjoyable, so even if it is banal, it isn't as awful as he tries to portray it. Saikyou Alchemist- Surprise hit, at least for me. While it is definitely a trope isekai where the protagonist gets summoned to another world and granted power by a goddess, its well-presented and well-written, with a solid cast of characters and a setting that is just detailed enough to keep a watcher's interest. An example of an anime using the tropes rather than being used by them, at least in my opinion. Tensei Ojisan- Comedy anime where an old guy in a coma gets his consciousness transported into the body of a villainess in an otomege and sets out to save her while helping the protagonist progress her romances (while failing and only earning yuri points and love points from the heroes without realizing it). Edit: Kvan focused on it being a 'villainess' anime, which actually isn't the point of the thing at all (meaning he probably didn't even watch the first episode or even read the animelist summary). Fugukan- The concept is the recent (in the last four years or so) standard where the protagonist starts out with a crap skill/job/class that gets him treated like crap and betrayed by his friends, only to become immensely powerful as a result of that betrayal. Ein is a pretty solid protagonist, and the heroines are adorable for the most part. The story is solid as well, if a bit tropey. Isekai Tsuuhan- Basically yet another old guy with a skill that lets him order stuff from earth while in another world. Tbh, this sub-genre is one of those that is either funny and fun or absolutely awful and boring. This one manages to lean more toward the former, fortunately. NEET Kunoichi- Mostly a romance between a NEET ninja girl and a salaryman who is targeted by youma. Romance is slow to develop for obvious in-story reasons, but it is definitely present. Comedy is mild, action is surprisingly bloody but not really that great compared to more focused anime. Beheneko- Ecchi fantasy following a guy reincarnated as a baby behemoth who ends up as a pet for an erofu (ecchi elf girl). For someone who wants something that is mostly silly, tropey, and ecchi, it is great. Edit: Kvan once again missed the point. There is no 'cheat skill' in this one. It is mostly about the elf heroine's growth and him watching over her in the main story (though it can be argued the ecchi atmosphere and h-references are the point of the series). I'm not saying the series is awesome, I'm saying that you should take Kvan's statements with a massive grain of salt, given that he obviously didn't watch most of the series on his list or even pay attention to the scenario summaries. Elf-san- Very cute romance between a sleepy-eyed guy with an easygoing personality and an elf he befriends while going between worlds in his sleep. There is some action, but it is mostly flavor for the rom-com. Edit: Having finished the series today, I can say it is a surprise gem. I honestly was expecting to drop this one when I first started the series, but it turned out to be a wonderfully adorable romance with some really heart-touching moments. Girumasu- Mostly a comedy about an Adventurers Guild receptionist who goes out and finishes dungeon bosses to end her overtime. There is some serious stuff, but it is mostly the protagonist wailing or getting pissed off about being forced to work late at night or on holidays then going berserk and ending all the quests so she can get off early. Edit: Finished it today, have to say that I find it somewhat amusing that the protagonist's combat style is complete muscle-head, while the hero is the clever hard-worker who just barely gets by. Aparida- Harem fantasy following a red mage who gets exiled from a high-ranking party. Pretty standard fantasy LN scenario these days (not my favorite, really), where the protagonist gets back at those who put him down without really trying.

I'm just interpreting the ending names, but it looks like the first two heroines are nonstop NTR routes with no non-NTR endings. The other routes seem to have one ending each that is a happy ending, but I can't tell whether there is NTR just looking at that. The 'happy endings' (based on the ending names) are: 愛の入院生活 それでも愛してる 俺が見舞いに走る理由

Honestly? I'd say don't bother with anything from August. August's writing team tends to be awful at keeping the details even remotely consistent in their plot-focused games. This is true with Fortune Arterial and it is even more true with Eustia. The sad part is that the setting of Eustia and Cain's characterization are really, really well written up until a certain point (to be specific, once the female pope and the princess get on the scene) where all of the sudden the setting and character personalities are all over the place. This was the reason why my final rating for the game was so abysmally low, despite actually enjoying it immensely up to about the mid-point. Not to mention that I have a distinct dislike for Victim A heroines (heroines that would probably die horribly in the first act of any decent story with a dark atmosphere, hahaha). This was also seen in the Sen no Hatou series, which had a truly impressive setting with some interesting characters... however, once again their writing team sabotaged itself by not only utilizing the ladder-style structure but also failing to keep the setting consistent (I actually have fewer complaints, mainly because character personalities didn't suddenly change on a fundamental level partway through the story). Up to a point, the setting was internally consistent, but I kept hitting points in the true route that were inconsistent with the setting presented in the other routes and common route. The 'true heroine' debate is probably never going to go away. Games with true heroines inevitably push down the other heroines to some extent to build up to the true one. The single best approach I've seen in a multi-route plot-focused game is Vermillion Bind of Blood, which treats all its heroines equally while the 'true' route is called the Grand Route and actually doesn't have a heroine. A secondary approach is having one path serve as a joke and the other as the true route, like in Draculius, where you had a path where the protagonist chose not to confront certain issues and the path itself was nonstop comedy, versus the more serious and emotionally deep true route. As far as I know, there are really only a few companies and scenario writers who ever even make an attempt at equalizing heroine treatment. There is always a main heroine, though some authors manage to bring to life all the heroines despite their preferences. An example of this would be Higashide Yuuichirou, who, while he always has a heroine he favors, also always gives all of the heroines a route worth remembering from beginning to end. Whether it was Ayakashibito, Bullet Butlers, Chrono Belt, Evolimit, or Tokyo Babel, all of his works made you love his characters, even the ones that were less visually appealing, lol.