What are the differences between visual novel, eroge, gal game, and a dating sim?

[Nosebleed]

There's Visual Novels that shouldn't be included within that eroge zone that you created 

 

For me it's pretty much

Visual Novel: Narration Focusing with or without sexual content (if a lot of sexual content then it will fall into the eroge category). Little or no gameplay at all (aside from chosing options).

Eroge: Focus on H-scenes, depending on the amount can then be split into sub categories like Nukige

Dating Sim: Features more gameplay.Focuses on on raising flags with girls, and getting the girl you raised the most flags with, simple enough. May or may not include sexual content. Doesn't focus on a storyline or h-content, if it does feature a lot of h-content it probably falls more into the eroge/nukige category.

Gal Game: Focuses on the entire dating experience, as in the protagonist (you) are for most part of the novel in a relationship with one of the heroines (or more than one) and the main focus of the game is mainting the relationship rather than achieving it.

[RusAnon]

Well from what I've seen of them, you seem to be correct. Dream C Club seem to be VN, dating Sim AND eroge. After my definitions.

 

Dream C Club is NOT eroge, there's no sexual content and it has official C-rating.

[cryofrzd]

Well, who says a eroge needs ero content, I guess this goes under "at least sexual appeal." with some margin.

[sanahtlig]

who says a eroge needs ero content

"Eroge" is simply Japanese for "ero-game".  It's used to refer to games with 18+ content.  English speakers use the term the same way.  Would you call a fanservice anime like Strike Witches an ero-anime?  Would you call a fanservice themed game like Ar tonelico an eroge?

[cryofrzd]

I don't think I'd call any anime that isn't hentai as ero-anime, no question.

But there are animes that are considered ecchi and that doesn't include all romance titles. If you can put that distinction based on content into visual novels you get my distinction between a visual novel that are also eroge, and a visual novel that isn't.

 

These titles that are both visual novels and eroge, I usually refer as visual novels, but I won't exclude them from eroges, because I measure them in different ways. 

 

For me what makes a visual novel a visual novel is not the content, but the medium, story (in NVL or text box) with choices. What makes an eroge is the content.