Recommendations by Year (starting with 2014)

[Clephas]

I recently put up a blog post about how 2015 is devoid of anything I can honestly put in a VN Hall of Fame... but that doesn't mean there aren't any VNs worth playing from 2015.  However, the sheer amount of dross in a given year's releases means that figuring out what VNs are worth your time is a serious chore.  I chose to start with 2014 and move into 2015 (I'll update this list after December's VN of the Month is over), as I don't have the energy to sift through 2011-2013 right now, lol.   Understand, these are opinions based on my own experience, and these recommendations for those who basically 'can't bring themselves to play the old stuff', so I'm restricting it to post-2010 releases, as that was when the current styles began to emerge.  For now... 2014 and 2015.

2012

Gun Knight Girl (also known as Yandere and Mechs Festival, for those in the know)

Ore to 5-nin no Yome wa Raburabu na no wa, Mirai kara Kita Aka-chan no Okage ni Chigainai! (yes, this is a harem-ge, but it is also immensely amusing and generally fun to read)

Yaneura no Kanojo (also known as Konakana 2... but unlike its predecessor, it isn't an utsuge and it is focused entirely on the vampire issue)

Aete Mushisuru, Kimi to no Mirai

Kono Sekai no Mukou de (short and sweet nakige)

Otome ga Tsumugu Koi no Canvas (this and its fandisc... one of the year's kamige and one of the three best trap protagonist VNs ever)

Witch's Garden

Chuuning Lover

Sinclient

Re:Birth Colony

Shukufuku no Kane no Oto wa, Sakurairo no Kaze to Tomo ni (I probably need to update my vote on this one, because it is better than most of the others I rated below an 8...)

Tsuki ni Yorisou, Otome no Sahou (one of the 'three tops' of the trap protagonist sub-genre, it only falls behind Canvas because of production values and the fact that it isn't complete without the patch from the sequel)

Tsujidou-san no Junai Road (this one I didn't like the first time I tried it, but it grew on me the second time, despite not liking the protagonist)

Zero Infinity Devil of Maxwell (I rated this one harshly, mostly because I saw how it was trying to imitate Dies Irae, but it is an immensely enjoyable experience the first time around)

Tsukumo no Kanade (has some problems, not the least of which the confusion of so many endings and the abominable h-scenes, but it is enjoyable otherwise)

Tsuisou no Augment (hilarious and has great drama... makes me wonder why this company didn't capitalize on the success and start pumping out VNs like crazy)

Naka no Hito Nado Nai! (made by the same people who did My Girlfriend is the President, it uses the same setting and has a similar atmosphere)

Tokyo Babel (a kamige.  This is slated for translation by Mangagamer and it is one of the few projects they've taken on that I approve of without reservation... and it is also non-ero)

Sakura, Sakimashita (the first VN I did for my Fuwablog, you can check the earliest posts if you want my thoughts on it)

Sei Monmusu Gakuen (if you can get past the fact that the heroines are monsters, this is an immensely fun VN)

Rose Guns Days (for those who care what I think, I didn't really want to include this, because I hate Ryuukishi)

Sousei Kitan Aerial  (It is compared to Muv-luv Alternative, but it is a lot different thematically and actually has a protagonist who feels like a human being... albeit a somewhat hetare-ish one at times)

TIny Dungeon Brave or Slave (conclusion of the four-VN main series, wraps up the main plotline)

Furuiro Meikyuu Rondo (horror/mystery/supernatural VN)

Owaru Sekai to Birthday (Horror/apocalypse type)

1/2 Summer (nakige)

Dolphin Divers (AXL doing what it does best)

Erect! (great borderline charage/nukige)

Fortissimo EXS//Akkord:Nachsten Phase (chuunige)

Gurenka (chuunige)

Namima no Kuni no Faust (kinetic novel, social commentary, dystopia)

Kamigakari Cross Heart!

Grand Libra Academy (despite having one of the weirdest concepts)

Shiawase Kazoku-bu

Harumade, Kururu (mindfuck, rapid extreme genre change)

Hyouka no Mau Sora ni

Monobeno

Kouyoku no Soleil -vii’s World-  (like everything from this series and this company, it will be hit and miss depending on your tastes)

Soukoku no Arterial (Eushully, card-based rpg/VN)

Dracu-Riot

Venus Blood Frontier (if you can get past the tentacle rape)

Strawberry Feels

Grisaia no Meiikyuu

Eiyuu Senki

Hatsuyuki Sakura

'&' - Sora no Mukou de Sakimasu you ni (think if you removed the darkest parts of Ruitomo)

Shinigami no Testament (chuunige)

Kaminoyu (no human heroines, an iyashikei VN)

Gaku Ou

Majikoi S (great sequel, should have stopped here, because there didn't need to be anymore after this)

 

 

 

 

2013

Sanzen Sekai Yuugi (otomege)

Timepiece Ensemble

Electro Arms

Izayoi no Fortuna

Monobeno Happy End

Baldr Sky Zero (the first one)

Cocoro@Function

Ichiban Janakya Dame Desu Ka?

Karumaruka Circle

Tsujidou-san (both)

Innocent Bullet

Gleam Garden no Shoujo

Otome Riron (Tsuriotsu sequel)

Amairo Islenauts

Futagoza no Paradox

Gensou no Idea

Natsukumo Yururu

End Sleep (horror)

Tsukiakari Lunch

Ojou-sama wa Gokigen Naname

Reminiscence

Unmei Yohou wo Shirase Shimasu

Tsuisou no Augment

Lovesick Puppies

Mirai Sekai no Planeta

Himawari no Kyoukai to Nagai Natsuyasumi

Boku ga Tenshi ni Natta Wake (utsuge)

Hapymaher (2013 VN of the Year by me, lol... best VN Music of the decade)

Inpyuri

Komorebi no Nostalgica (almost VN of the Year, fell just short of Hapymaher)

Prism Recollection

Shiro no Pikapika Ohoshi-Sama

Daitoshokan no Hitsujikai (not my favorite game, but someone is bound to insist it be included and it is decent enough)

Natsu no Owari no Nirvana (nakige/utsuge)

 

2014

Unionism Quartet

Hello, Lady (and its sequel)

Kami no Ue no Mahoutsukai

Zannen na Oretachi no Seishun Jijou

Kimi no Tonari de Koishiteiru

Sekai wo Sukuu Dake no Kantan na Oshigoto

Nanairo Reincarnation

Minamijuujisei Renka

Amairo Islenauts

Satsukoi

Dekinai Watashi ga Kurikaesu

Primal Hearts

Baldr Sky Zero 2 (if you played the first one)

Love Revenge

AstralAir no Shiroki Towa

Reminiscence Re:Collect (again, if you played the original)

Semiramis no Tenbin

Koi ga Saku koro Sakura Doki

Harvest OverRay

Houkago no Futekikakusha

Sakigake Generation

Hapymaher Fragmentation Dream (again, you have to play the original first)

Baka Moe Heart ni Ai wo Komete!

Alia's Carnival

Hikoukigumo no Mukougawa

Koi suru Doll to Omoi no Kiseki

Soushuu Senshinkan Gakuen Hachimyoujin (do not bother with Bansenjin... it just ruins the experience after the fact)

Sekai to Sekai no Mannaka de

Bradyon Veda

Kimi to Boku to no Kishi no Hibi

 

2015

Sakura no Uta (yes, I bashed it for what I considered a failed true ending, but I also praised several of the heroine paths, and a lot of it is genuinely touching)

Primal Hearts 2

Kyuuketsu Hime no Libra

Rakuen no Shugosha

Marrybell ga Shinda to Papa ni Tsutaete

Natsuiro Recipe

Sakura Nikagetsu

Sorcery Jokers

Love Rec

Sumire

Koitama

Chrono Clock

Hana no No in Saku Utakata no

Shirogane Spirits

Valkyrie Runabout

Hanasaki Work Spring

Silverio Vendetta

Soreyori no Prologue

Sanoba Witch

 

 

Edited December 30, 2015 by Clephas
Adding 2012

[fun2novel]

That's very cool but what about the last 12 or so year

[Fiddle]

I believe you've made a mistake. Hadaka Shitsuji 2, contrary to popular belief, technically came out in 2014 (as the 2013 version was only a fandisc) but doesn't appear on the list.

[OriginalRen]

You seriously didn't include Aokana but included all the 2014 releases by Yuzusoft and Palette's Koi ga Saku Koro Sakura Doki? Wow, even Shirogane Spirits (a game I purchased) is on here. That game is seriously just massive balloon tits with dumb fighting elements. The cover is literally plastered with massive see-through nipples.

I'm actually genuinely surprised considering Aokana had a way better plot than a lot of these other games and is very highly rated in the Japanese community and on VNDB.

[Nosebleed]

From looking at his vndb, it seems Clephas hasn't played Aokana yet. That may just be the reason why it isn't on this list. Maybe.

Nice list, Clephas, definitely going to try some of these.

[Kanbe]

Aokana confirmed kusoge. jk pls don't hurt me I love the game too

Edited December 1, 2015 by Kanbe

[Clephas]

I played Aokana... and only one of the heroine routes was worth it.  It is kind of hard to rate a VN with only one really good heroine route highly.

[Clephas]

Updated with 2013

[VirginSmasher]

You really need to make a version from 2000 to 2010 because I'd really love some older VNs to play once I learn Japanese. Also, can't wait for 2012 and 2011 to be posted. More VNs to read is always great.

Edited December 29, 2015 by VirginSmasher

[Clephas]

lol... my schedule is pretty tight right now, so I haven't had the half hour or so it takes to skim each year, lol.

[VirginSmasher]

lol... my schedule is pretty tight right now, so I haven't had the half hour or so it takes to skim each year, lol.

When you can, I'd really appreciate it. I've added a lot of these VNs to my wishlist for when I eventually learn Japanese and would always appreciate more suggestions.

[Clephas]

Posted 2012