VN Companies, their nature and habits

[Clephas]

Every VN company has specialties, in terms of genre, character types, and art styles. 

 

AXL tends to prefer a generally cheery atmosphere, replicating its own art in every VN it makes, and creating an oddly nostalgic atmosphere within its games (though this is probably an accident, rather than on purpose).  It tends to have some sort of action, whether it is actual violence or just sports, as part of the story, and the protagonists tend to be capable, if not perfect.

 

Akabeisoft2, which did Sharin no Kuni and formed Akatsuki Works and Shangrila (the makers of the Akatsuki no Goei series), tends to provide a facade of slice of life, with a much darker edge underneath.  Their games are mostly story-focused, with a few exceptions, and the general quality is very high.

 

Light is, oddly, a company that is the very reverse.  It's stories tend to be dark, with even the brightest and most cheery atmospheres carrying a blood-soaked edge beneath the surface.  Exceptions, like Kaminoyu (which was made by the group that eventually was shoved into the Sweet Light subsidiary) are exceptions to the rule.

 

Nitroplus was originally an action-focused utsuge company, but with the advent of Sumaga, their games both changed in atmosphere completely and dropped in quality overall.  Muramasa was the last truly great game done by the main team, and the Science series (Steins and Chaos) appeals to a completely different audience and was done by a different team.

 

Clochette is also known as 'Oppai R Us' by some of us English-speaking VN-readers.  They produce high-quality fantasy charage with decent stories... and lots of big-breasted girls. 

 

Yuzusoft tends to produce a wide variety of games, but their specialty lies in the creation of high-quality meldings of story and charage style.  Dracu-riot is a perfect example of this, melding a high-quality story with a strong and amusing cast of characters. 

 

Will, which is the largest VN conglomerate in Japan, is responsible for everything from Propeller's action games (Ayakashibito) to the lowest style of nukige.  Probably at least a third of all the highest-rated VNs in Japan were produced by this company over the last decade or so. 

 

Key... we all know, primarily produces character dynamics-driven nakige.  Their games include ridiculous levels of moe appeals, which have contributed to their popularity both over here and Japan. 

 

Minori... produces a wide variety of games, but the one major quality they share is a sense of surrealism that produces a sharp difference in reactions amongst readers... in other words, you either love a Minori game, or you hate it viciously. 

 

Eushully produces gameplay-VNs, including the famous Ikusa Megami series, Kamidori Alchemy Meister, and they also served as a producer for a much lower-quality maker's games on a number of occasions. 

 

SofthouseChara produces gameplay-vns with a strong humorous aspect, which mostly seems to deliberately parody games that take themselves more seriously.  Even so, their games seem to possess better stories than the ones they parody, for some reason. 

 

Alice Soft, the producers of the 'Dai' series (Daibanchou, etc) and the Rance series, are famous for fusing the ridiculous and the serious in their gameplay-focused VNs.  Like Minori, they are definitely an acquired taste, and as many people despise their work as like them.

 

August produces mostly straightforward charage, moege, and nakige, with a slightly more story-focused leaning.  However, they've yet to make what is considered a 'kamige', as they always manage to fall just short of what they are trying to achieve through a given game. 

 

Front Wing, which produced Grisaia, is normally a nukige company, which made its production of that series incredibly startling. 

 

Cotton Soft produces games that range from horror/mystery to simple mysteries, usually with a science-fantasy or Cthulhu Mythos aspect to them.

 

11eyes produces medium quality fantasy, that tends to be visually appealing but varies wildly in terms of writing quality.

 

Lump of Sugar produces charage, nakige, moege, and story-focused VNs with high-quality art.  While some of their games are not all that good, they have quietly built up a list of high-quality games over the last decade.

 

Applique, which produced Fake Azure Arcology, as well as Tasogare no Sinsemilla, is a subsidiary of Effordom soft, which consistently produces high-quality games. 

 

Studio Ryokucha, which is mostly inactive, produces middling to high quality moege and charage. 

 

Feng produces middling and low quality moege.

 

Until a few years ago, Purple Soft produced mostly middling quality moege.  However, with Mirai Nostalgia and Hapymaher, they experienced a sudden surge in quality that startled many.

 

Candy Soft, which is also the owner of Minato Soft (producer of Majikoi) is responsible for a large variety of games, mostly humorous moege.  However, they tend to be less than predictable with the themes of their games, so it is a good idea to take a quick look at anything they put out.

 

Pulltop is one of Will's many subsidiary companies, mostly specializing in middling to high-quality nakige and charage.

 

Propeller is another of Will's subsidiaries, producing primarily action VNs, that tend to have really good character dynamics, unusual art styles, and great stories. 

 

 

 

I could go on forever, but these were the ones that came to mind immediately.  Feel free to ask me about a particular company, if you are considering their games.  There is a good chance I've at least 'tasted' their games, so I can give you a decent idea of what to expect.

[Vokoca]

Amazing, informative post. I'll have to check Cotton Soft out - any other companies producing horror /mystery that come to mind?

[Clephas]

It isn't my favorite genre... I hit Cotton Soft by accident, as Reconquista was amongst the first twelve untranslated VNs I downloaded.

[Tenkuru]

Wow, this is just plain awesome! 

[Zakamutt]

Hmm, Innocent Grey did the kara no shoujo series, right? Well, apparently they recently released a yuri-ge, non-h. I was pretty surprised

[Narcosis]

Nice post, Cleph. You definately read enough visual novels to be able to have at least a bit of orientation in terms of japanese market. I can't entirely agree on saying that most of the companies you mentioned produce high quality stuff (with a bunch of exceptions, it's really mediocre in most cases), but nonetheless they play an important role in the visual novel industry.

 

It might be a good idea to actually supplement this list a bit more and then pin it up; it should prove to be more helpful for those who seek new games to play, rather than all those recommendation threads.

[Decay]

Hmm, Innocent Grey did the kara no shoujo series, right? Well, apparently they recently released a yuri-ge, non-h. I was pretty surprised

 

It was an all-ages shoujo ai game. It surprised a lot of people, but mostly because it was all-ages when Innocent Grey used to go pretty heavy on the sex.

 

  I guess since this is the subject of the topic, I should say that Innocent Grey specializes in mystery. They're known for having surreal or fantastical plot elements combined with a very down-to-earth art style, and most of their games being rather gory. Then this studio suddenly put out an innocent shoujo-ai high school romantic drama called "Flowers". Yeah.

[Zakamutt]

^ I actually read a review of it. Despite the author's misgivings, it still seemed like something I'd be very interested in, lol.

 

As for pinning this, this is largely only relevant for people reading VNs in Japanese (for an example, see the large number of light titles and nonexistence of any translations), and also requires a decent load of additional work on vndb to find titles. We already have one pinned thread man; show some restraint. You're dangerously close to crusade-level against recommendation threads, you know.

[Clephas]

One thing to keep in mind with these companies... the average one can't afford to keep a team or even a single writer on a permanent retainer, simply because of the really slim profits most VN companies make.  Propeller, Akatsuki Works, Nitroplus, and Light all maintain at least one team semi-permanently, but they are all big, established names with relatively large slush funds that usually plan three or four projects ahead.  In my experience, expecting the same quality two games in a row from most companies is a recipe for disappointment, lol. 

 

Edit:  I mostly started this thread because, just like tags on vndb and reviews on erogamescape, people use company names as a guide to what they want. 

[SpecterZ]

I don't think Studio Ryokucha is inactive.

 

Minamijuujisei Renka, their newest title. The released date was set at 26/09/2014.

 

 

BTW, I didn't see Alcot or Windmill on the list. I just want to know your opinion about that company.

[Okami]

You said we could ask you about a particular company, So I am interested to know about Akabei Soft3. Did they continue in the style of Akabeisoft2 or did they changed, if they did then how so?

[Freestyle80]

that was an informative post,thanks!

 

never knew FrontWing is a nukige company lol,i thought their other works are similar to Grisaia

[Clephas]

Akabeisoft3 had one great game and one horrible one.  Joker was horrible, Aerial was great.  Aerial was action/post-apocalyptic, and it was frequently compared to Muv-luv Alternative, though there are some significant differences that I won't get into now.

 

Alcot tends to produce humorous moege and charage, with a few exceptions like Kurenai no Tsuki, Shinikiss, and 1/2 Summer, which are all a bit more serious.  The difference in the level of quality in their games can be extreme, but generally they are worth trying.  Also, since Tokyo Hero Project, Neko-nyan has been making cameo appearances in their newer games, lol. 

 

Windmill has made some really good story-focused games (HHG and Kamigakari), but they produce mostly straight moege and charage. 

 

Whirlpool produces moege that vary between the simple (Sevens) and the surprisingly interesting (Suzukaze).  Doesn't change the fact that they are moege, though... and most of their games feel exactly the same.

[Funyarinpa]

Not as a company, but as a writer, Kotaro Uchikoshi's works seem to keep being put on hold/cancelled due to funding(or lack thereof). I heard 12Riven was supposed to be the first of a trilogy, which never happened, Remember11 ran out of funding midway through so it had a 

rushed, confusing, incomplete and underwhelming

ending, and now I need to see that Zero Escape 3 gets released before I die, which is not greenlit by Spike Chunsoft because it is "not profitable enough"... ^{*grits teeth*}

[Clephas]

Generally speaking, I don't follow authors, because that can be frustrating, as sites like Erogamescape frequently mis-credit them or fail to credit them.

 

Edit:  Seriously, when I go looking around for a certain writer, ones I KNOW (usually from the ending credits) were written by them aren't listed on the major sites under their works.  A lot of that is because people mostly list those facts pre-release, because of rumors and the like... Erogamescape is almost as bad as Wikipedia that way.

[Sandstorm]

you haven't tried saga planet?

[Clephas]

Saga Planets originally provided classic moege-type VNs, but with Natsuyume, they began to provide high-quality nakige and story-focused VNs, with Hatsuyuki Sakura being the best of the bunch.  If their works have a down side, it is that, like many VN companies that began as pure-moege companies, they have problems writing a good epilogue. 

[Guest]

Would you perhaps be a connoiseur ?

 

Great post as always ;p

[Tay]

Incredible work. Thank you, Clephas.

 

Regarding Nitroplus: I've always enjoyed the milieus of the games, but I don't think any I've played have fully-realized the setting's potential. Do you have a favorite you'd recommend I read to see their earlier/better work?

[Clephas]

Xuse, which produced Aselia and Seinarukana, is normally an utsuge, mystery and horror producer.  Saihate no Ima was their first classic, but like many relatively early VN classics, it is definitely an acquired taste.  (Eternal, which made Yumina, is a subsidiary of this company)

 

Flying Shine, which did Cross Channel, doesn't have a unique or particular style.  They produce seemingly random game types.   However, since the company seems to be dead, there is no reason to concern oneself over that.

 

Favorite, which produced Irotoridori no Sekai, is famous for producing somewhat surreal fantasy stories.  Wiz Anniversary, a charage with a strong story produced in 2006 was their original flagship work.

 

Type/Moon... if you don't know what they do already... is famous for chuuni fantasy based in the Nasuverse, as well as quirky 'extras' like Kagetsu Tohya and Ataraxia.

 

Strega produced Komorebi no Nostalgica, which was one of the two kamige from 2013.  Thus, it would be a good idea to keep an eye on this story-focused charage company.

 

F&C produced two famous works, Canvas and Konata Yori Kanata Made.  Canvas, which is basically a moege/charage series based around art, is the more famous of the two over here.  However, Konakana is the more famous over there, for being an example of an utsuge that doesn't leave an awful taste in your mouth at the end and for having an overall awesome story.

 

Pajamas Soft primarily produces middling quality fantasy VN-rpgs (the Prism series), but they have also produced games like Natsu no Owari no Nirvana, which was a first-class utsuge.

 

Caramel Box, which produced Otoboku, is famous for its slow-paced but touching stories, ranging from youkai-charage like Toppara to trap protagonist infiltrations of girls' schools.  Exceptions such as Shuumatsu Shoujo Gensou occasionally break out of that mold, though.  lol

 

Moonstone produces both light nukige and middling to good quality moege/charage.  The quality of their non-nukige VNs tends to vary greatly, and I've hit more 'jirai' with this company than any other, so I definitely suggest sitting back and waiting for someone else to try their games before you jump into them.

 

Ensemble is another company with a mixed record.  Half of their games are great and the other half are mediocre, lol.  Their games are ojousama focused story-heavy charage for the most part (meaning that rich-girl heroines are the staple heroines of their stories).  Otomekoi, which is one of my long-standing favorites, is an example of one of their better works.

 

Navel, which produced Shuffle, is known for their moege and charage, with huge variations in quality and equally huge numbers of sequels designed to milk their settings dry. 

 

EX-One produces high-quality story-focused VNs, with a definite nakige influence.  Their one attempt at comedy, Futsuno Fantasy, was an utter failure, though.

 

Palette is another company with huge variations in quality.  Moshiraba is of the highest quality, but Tenkiame, which is based in the same setting, is much lower in quality.  Because of this variation, I really suggest you check the reviews before playing their VNs.

 

Gesen 18 produces strategy games in the guise of VNs, including the Sangoku Hime and Sengoku Hime series.  Unfortunately, Sangoku Hime has terrible gameplay, and Sengoku Hime's early games suffered from a lack of story and less interesting gameplay.  Their gameplay is definitely an acquired taste, and their storytelling is perhaps too spread out for the average VN reader.

 

Rosebleu, which produced the Tiny Dungeon series, is mostly famous for that series.  However, they also produce high-quality comedy and fantasy charage.

 

Jirai Soft, so far, has only produced the comedy-drama VN Tsuisou no Augment and its fandisc... Tsuisou no Augment (different kanji for Tsuisou).  The original game is extremely high-quality and one of my recommended games for beginners that don't want to be stuck with a regular moege.

 

Akatsuki Works, a subsidiary of Akabeisoft2, is famous for action/chuuni VNs with lots of hedge-philosophy and an underlying atmosphere of cynicism about humans in general and society as a whole. 

 

BaseSon, which did the Koihime Musou series, tends to combine moe with decent stories, though the original Koihime Musou was not as interesting as its sequel, story-wise.  It also has a running obsession with the Sengoku and Three Kingdoms eras that is definitely reflected in its lineup of games.

 

3rdEye produced middling to high-quality chuuni VNs, usually with a bit more moe-like art and characters.  Their protagonists tend to be unusual/weird people, and this probably makes them easier to enjoy for chuuni lovers.

 

Overdrive does a variety of VNs, ranging from games like KiraKira Edelweiss to heavier ones like Boku ga Tenshi ni Natta Wake (really heavy utsuge).  Quality-wise, they mostly produce medium to high-quality games, though they definitely produced a stinker or two. 

 

Escu;de primarily provides light gameplay and fantasy stories.  My personal favorite of theirs is Gurenka, one of their few games without a token nod at gameplay.

 

Meromero Cute produced mostly comedy/fantasy... weird games that most would probably have difficulty following.  Draculius, their best work, is one of my all-time favorites, though.

 

Nonsugar produces nekketsu (hot-blooded) protagonists and stories, mostly meant to get the blood boiling, but with definite ridiculous and dark aspects. 

 

Cabbit produces what I like to call 'quiet horror', where the story seems calm but definitely is a horror game, right under the surface.

 

Sumikko produced both Natsukumo Yururu and Harumade Kururu, both games that are high in quality and extremely weird/eccentric. 

 

Tigre Soft seems to have taken over continuing the Akatsuki no Goei setting, albeit a century or more later, lol.

 

Unison shift produces mostly moege, but occasionally they stray into more serious works, such as Tokeijikake no Leyline (the series). 

 

Hooksoft produces straight charage that have ridiculously high-quality art and very predictable, but sweet and easy to get into heroine stories.

 

Ricotta produced the Walkure Romanze series... but they also produced the extremely low-quality Princess Lover.  They've made Walkure Romanze their flagship series, which isn't a bad idea, considering how high-quality it turned out to be.  I do think they are milking it to excess, though.

[overkill373]

Circus- Da Capo

[Toranth]

Xuse, which produced Aselia and Seinarukana, is normally an utsuge, mystery and horror producer.  Saihate no Ima was their first classic, but like many relatively early VN classics, it is definitely an acquired taste.  (Eternal, which made Yumina, is a subsidiary of this company)

Eternal isn't a sub-brand of Xuse, it's just made up of former Xuse employees. The ones that made Aselia, in fact, that left when they couldn't make Aselia 2 the way they wanted. Eternal is a Will company.

Also, I find your description of Xuse amusing. Xuse was mostly a low-to-mid quality nukige/moege maker, up until the mid-2000s.

Eternal makes gameplay games, and is highly mixed in quality. Yumina and Corona are quality, Nega0 and TenKoi are bad. We'll see about the future.

[starlessn1ght]

Every VN company has specialties, in terms of genre, character types, and art styles. 

 

 

Pulltop is one of Will's many subsidiary companies, mostly specializing in middling to high-quality nakige and charage.

 

 

What can you say about sprite? And why isn't PULLTOP a moege company. If My Heart Had Wings had too little drama to be a charage. It was light-hearted, like a moege.

[Satsuki]

What can you say about sprite? And why isn't PULLTOP a moege company. If My Heart Had Wings had too little drama to be a charage. It was light-hearted, like a moege.

[Clephas]

Pulltop's VNs aren't always charage, though yes, the majority of them are.  Sprite is all charage.