Visual novel games
A narrative genre that combines text, art and music, where you progress by reading and making choices.
What is the visual novel genre?
A visual novel is something you read more than play. Static or lightly animated art fills the screen, with text flowing beneath it. The player's role is to move forward and, from time to time, choose between the options that appear. These choices change the direction of the story, the relationships between characters and often the ending.
The genre grew into a very strong tradition in Japan and spread from there to the rest of the world. Today there are examples on every subject, from romance to crime thrillers and from horror to science fiction. Some releases mix reading with gameplay by adding puzzle or investigation sections.
What defines it?
Writing carries the story, and playing means reading it.
Decision points split the story into separate paths and different endings.
Character art and music do as much work as gameplay in building emotion.
Replaying with different choices is a designed part of the genre.
Landmark games
Well-known examples often used to explain the genre. For the list on our site, see the games section below.
At a glance
Visual novel games (2)
Frequently asked questions
Does a visual novel count as a game?
It is debated because the level of interaction is low, but since your choices directly change the outcome, the genre is generally counted as a game. Some releases have already settled the debate with puzzle and investigation sections.
Are there visual novels with Turkish support?
The number is limited but growing. Some major titles offer official Turkish subtitles, and community translations are common for the rest.