For Love of VNs: A list

[Clephas]

This is part of my 'Love of' series of VN list threads.  This thread covers all the genres I read (I don't read horror most of the time, nor do I read nukige or VNs centered around the entertainment industry, like idol games) that aren't necessarily  fantasy, sci-fi, or chuuni.  For this one, I won't be presenting a translated list, as Kaguya already provided that with his 50 translated VNs thread.  The lists in the other threads were to help those looking for those genres but unsure where to find them inside that list or others.

 

 

Haruka ni Aogi, Uruwashi no (a classic kamige, one that most of you would probably like)

Noble Works

Otome ga Tsumugu Koi no Canvas (one of my favorite trap protags)

Aete Mushisuru, Kimi to no Mirai (this is sort of fantasy as well, but I didn't include it in that list)

Chuning Lover

Hotel. (post-apocalyptic utsuge)

Ichiban Janakya Dame Desu Ka (comedy)

Kimi to Boku to Eden no Ringo

Konna Ko ga Itara, Boku wa Mou...!!

Koiiro Soramoyou

Mashiro Iro Symphony

Midori no Umi (horror/utsuge for those who like it)

Tsuki ni Yorisou Otome no Sahou (also its sequel, Otome Riron)

Prism◇Recollection! (it has some sci-fi elements, but it is so near-future in some ways that I decided to ignore it)

Sakura Tale -the tale of cherry blossom septet- (is good, has a fandisc)

Shiawase Kazoku-bu

Sukimazakura to Uso no Machi (this is Key-style fantasy, which means it is weird and never really explained but good)

Unmei Yohou o Oshirase Shimasu (this is drama/romance)

Walkure Romanze (and its FD)

W.L.O. Sekai Ren'ai Kikou (this game is just generally rofl)

Acchi Muite Koi

Dolphin Divers

Duelist X Engage

Flag Heshiori Otoko (pure comedy, no depth, but funny)

Grisaia series (duh)

Lovesick Puppies (This game was pretty hilarious, overall)

Namima no Kuni no Faust (this could be considered anti or pro capitalist propaganda, depending on how you look at it.  It shows the best and worst sides of the system)

Strawberry Nauts (one of the few pure straight raburabu ichaicha moege that I thought was actually worth playing)

Tenshin Ranman (probably should have included this in fantasy, but I forgot about it)

Tsujidou-san series (generally a weird series, even for Minato-soft... but it IS funny)

Sekai Seifuku Kanojo (one of those games that is hard to classify, despite stealing elements from several of my favorite genres...)

Koisuru Otome to Shugo no Tate - The Code Name is "Shield 9" (the classic trap protag bodyguard, lol)

8/13/2014 edit

Love Revenge

Oni Uta

Semiramis no Tenbin (really dark, will probably disturb most people)

Golden Marriage (another ojousama-ge by Ensemble)

Ojou-sama wa Gokigen Naname

End Sleep (horror)

Hikoukigumo no Mukougawa (one of the best releases of 2014)

Baka Moe Heart (pure comedy)

Tsuisou no Augment

Hoshi Ori Yume Mirai (seishun romance.  not to my tastes, but people who like this kind of thing will eat it up)

Primal X Hearts

Love Revenge 

 

Reader Recommendations:

Sore wa Maichiru Sakura no Youni

Iinchou wa Shounin Sezu!

Blue-sky-Blues

Sekai de Ichiban Dame na Koi

Reconquista

 

Edit:  lol, I've noticed this before, but it is actually very hard to find decent vns that don't include some kind of fantasy or sci-fi element... even some of these have them. 

I guess it is because dreamers, which comprise a good portion of the best writers, tend to head for fantasy or sci-fi or at least use them in their writing...

 

Edit2: I had to sift through the games I had played on my vndb list, remembering which ones were decent and which ones were crap... vs which ones I liked and which I didn't.  It is almost a certainty that someone's favorite game won't be on here (I have a ton of pre-2010 vns in my backlog that I haven't played).  If you have a suggestion - untranslated for this list - I'll consider it.  These are ultimately the ones I ran into that I thought fulfilled at least two of these conditions: 1. Has a good story 2. stimulates the intellect 3. stimulates the emotions 4. is hilarious  5. Has good characters 

 

A game that fulfills all five is ideal, and those I generally call kamige, as they bring together all the elements of a good VN.  Those games aren't necessarily my favorites, though some of them do have a place in my favorites.  However, even setting aside my personal tastes, they are games that can be considered 'great'.

[Bolverk]

Ooo, another list awesome. This is a Vn's list with VN's you found good and you ordered them without any spesific genre?

 

I added Haruka ni Aogi, Uruwashi no to my wishlist (to read list). You have mentioned it a few times I guess I have to read it now hahaha. Many other interesting titles too mmmm.

[Clephas]

These are games that don't really, seriously belong to a single genre (other than most of them are story-focused, with a few moege mixed in).  tbh, a few I threw into the fantasy/sci-fi lists (like Sakura Iro Quartett and Ryuusei Kiseki) really belonged here, but I was basically throwing whatever sci-fi/fantasy I could find into those threads.  I've deliberately eliminated all chuuni games from this list, so those who have something against that genre can use this as a 'safe' list for decent games to play.  I'd suggest checking Accany's old blog (if it is still up) if you want older recommendations, as his list of games to play is pretty decent, barring a few crappers like Tsuyokiss.  I only hit a few games I couldn't stand on his list, like KGNE (Kimi ga Nozomu Eien), and most of what he recommends is fairly awesome.  I think I've played all but one or two of the games on his list.

[Bolverk]

Oh right so that's what you had in mind with the list.

 

I remember accany's guide from 2 years. It was my first list i used for VN's, although I had to cross-reference the titiles with Vndb to see if it had an english translation. Luckely I don't need to do that anymore. (I'll read you Muramasa within a year I promise hehe)

 

His site is still up, though he no longer gives out reviews often it seems. http://accany.wordpress.com

[Clephas]

Ya, I used him at first.  He has decent taste... most of the time. 

[Toranth]

I have some I'll add, but they all contain elements of your other lists, so their inclusion is somewhat debatable.

 

Sore wa Maichiru Sakura no Youni  -  Old, but in my opinion the best thing Navel (then Basil) has ever produced.

Dear My Friend  -  Old, but with good characters in well written, fitting stories.

Iinchou wa Shounin Sezu!  -  Some chuuni elements.

Blue-sky-Blues  - Very unusual characters in a decent story that can make you think.  The opposite of chuuni: Instead of special characters, the entire cast is the losers, people who have failed at life and given up.  Yet they are well developed and their stories are (mostly) solid.

Sekai de Ichiban Dame na Koi - Well written and well developed characters, some good humor, interesting storylines.  If you can stand the main character, that is.

Reconquista  -  Horror-ish, with mystical elements.

 

Actually, I'd recommend a lot of the Neko Neko / Cottonsoft games.  Some of them are quite old and haven't aged all that well (Mizuiro) but they are classics.  Unfortunately, most of them include sci-fi or mystical elements, and don't belong on this list.

[Clephas]

I have some I'll add, but they all contain elements of your other lists, so their inclusion is somewhat debatable.

 

Sore wa Maichiru Sakura no Youni  -  Old, but in my opinion the best thing Navel (then Basil) has ever produced.

Dear My Friend  -  Old, but with good characters in well written, fitting stories.

Iinchou wa Shounin Sezu!  -  Some chuuni elements.

Blue-sky-Blues  - Very unusual characters in a decent story that can make you think.  The opposite of chuuni: Instead of special characters, the entire cast is the losers, people who have failed at life and given up.  Yet they are well developed and their stories are (mostly) solid.

Sekai de Ichiban Dame na Koi - Well written and well developed characters, some good humor, interesting storylines.  If you can stand the main character, that is.

Reconquista  -  Horror-ish, with mystical elements.

 

Actually, I'd recommend a lot of the Neko Neko / Cottonsoft games.  Some of them are quite old and haven't aged all that well (Mizuiro) but they are classics.  Unfortunately, most of them include sci-fi or mystical elements, and don't belong on this list.

Cotton Soft does tend to produce interesting games... I couldn't get into Reconquista, but I know a lot of people that did.  Sekai de Ichiban Dame na Koi is supposedly awesome, but I never tried it because of the protag (all the descriptions told me he would press all the wrong buttons for me).  I hear a lot of mixed opinions on Iinchou (it is apparently one of those games that tends to split people between those who love it and those who hate it).  Dear My Friend is outside my personal range (I generally don't play moege, nakige, charage older than 2006), and I haven't heard anything about it, so I won't make a comment.  Sore wa Maichiru I have had a lot of people recommend to me, but like I said, I don't touch games of that type older than 2006.  Ditto for Blue sky... 

 

If you feel you know a great sci-fi, fantasy, or chuuni game that belongs on one of those lists, go ahead and post your suggestions there. 

 

Adding Sekai, Maichiru, Reconquista, Iinchou and Blue Sky to the first post as 'reader recommendations'. 

 

Edit:  Incidentally, my reason for not touching ancient moege... is quite simply because if I started playing them, my backlog would grow to unmanageable proportions.  The oldest semi-moege I'm considering playing is this: 

http://vndb.org/v232, simply because I liked the anime way back in the ancient days seven years ago, lol

[Toranth]

Sekai de Ichiban Dame na Koi is supposedly awesome, but I never tried it because of the protag (all the descriptions told me he would press all the wrong buttons for me).

The main character is a pushover, and sometimes degrades into a whiny one. But he also sometimes acts cool and decisive, managing to do the right thing at the right time. Still, it took me two or three years to finally finish the game, after I bought it maybe a week after it was released. It just took that many tries to be able to ignore the protag.

 

I hear a lot of mixed opinions on Iinchou (it is apparently one of those games that tends to split people between those who love it and those who hate it).

A lot of Iinchou is banter, puns, and in-jokes/references. I found it pretty damned amusing, but if a reader doesn't like that (or if they are using a machine-translator) they'll probably hate it.

 

Cotton Soft does tend to produce interesting games... I couldn't get into Reconquista, but I know a lot of people that did. 

Dear My Friend is outside my personal range (I generally don't play moege, nakige, charage older than 2006), and I haven't heard anything about it, so I won't make a comment. Sore wa Maichiru I have had a lot of people recommend to me, but like I said, I don't touch games of that type older than 2006.  Ditto for Blue sky...

Unfortunate, in some ways. The older games, especially pre-2005-ish, are before the moege / charage standards were set. Because of that, there's a lot more creativity and interesting experiments in those games. Nowadays, it seems like most game companies decide first "Let's make a charage!" then fill in the blanks, rather than creating a good game and seeing where it falls.

[Joshyan]

Otome ga Tsumugu Koi no Canvas  and Walkure Romanze  are translating but they aren't officialy announced.

 

I think I played almost half of your list too.

[Clephas]

I know they have projects sort of started.  However, they are also worth recommending and aren't on Kaguya's list.  Also, there is no partial patch up for either, so people can't even demo them.  Koi no Canvas in particular is great... the protag is a bit weird, but he shows well in all the paths. 

[Chronopolis]

I haven't read that many VN's, but I'd include these two:

Soshite Ashita no Sekai Yori: Slice of life, very down to earth (notable is that fact that the protagonists parents are present as characters)

Midori no Umi: Mystery, Tragedy, Romance

[Clephas]

Asuesuka is on my sci-fi list and Midori no Umi is on this list.

[Chronopolis]

Asuesuka is on my sci-fi list and Midori no Umi is on this list.

Sci-fi eh? That's a stretch...Anyways I'm shocked I missed both of them. Whoops~

[Clephas]

list updated

[SilverLi]

Looking good. Nice list and commitment. I picked 5 titles by random and they were all untranslated. Are the majority of the games untranslated? 

[Mr Poltroon]

Looking good. Nice list and commitment. I picked 5 titles by random and they were all untranslated. Are the majority of the games untranslated? 

Yes, in general Clephas plays untranslated games, and the translated ones he does play he plays them before they get translated. So most of the titles you'll find in his lists are untranslated ones.

 

Edit: As for this particular list, I'd wager they're all untranslated.

Edited August 14, 2014 by Tiagofvarela

[SilverLi]

Yes, in general Clephas plays untranslated games, and the translated ones he does play he plays them before they get translated. So most of the titles you'll find in his lists are untranslated ones.

 

Edit: As for this particular list, I'd wager their all untrasnlated.

Okey. Sounds good being able to play what you want. Thank you for answer.

[Clephas]

Added two new VNs.