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Visual novel

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Not to be confused withGraphic novelorLight novel.

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Avisual novel(VN) is a form of digitalinteractive fiction.Visual novels are often associated with the medium ofvideo games,but are not always labeled as such themselves.[1]They combine a textual narrative with static or animated illustrations and a varying degree ofinteractivity.The format is more rarely referred to asnovel game,a retranscription of thewasei-eigotermnoberu gēmu(ノベルゲーム),which is more often used in Japanese.[2]

Visual novels originated in and are especially prevalent inJapan,where they made up nearly 70% of thePC gametitles released in 2006.[3]In Japanese, a distinction is often made between visual novels (NVL, from "novel" ), which consist primarily of narration and have very few interactive elements, andadventure games(AVG or ADV, from "adventure" ), which incorporate problem-solving and other types of gameplay. This distinction is normally lost outside Japan, as both visual novels and adventure games are commonly referred to as "visual novels" by international fans.

Visual novels are rarely produced exclusively for dedicatedvideo game consoles,but the more popular games have occasionally beenportedfrom PC (or a hardware equivalent) to systems such as theSega Saturn,Dreamcast,PlayStation Portable,orXbox 360.The more famous visual novels are also often adapted intolight novels,manga,oranime,and are sometimes succeeded or complemented by video games such asrole-playing gamesoraction gamesset in the same universe. The market for visual novels outside of East Asia is small, though a number ofanime based on visual novelsare popular among anime fans in the Western world; examples includeClannad,Danganronpa,Steins;Gate,andFate/stay night.

Structure

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Visual novels are distinguished from other game types by their generally minimal gameplay. Typically the majority of player interaction is limited to clicking to keep the text, graphics and sound moving as if they were turning a page (many recent games offer "play" or "fast-forward" toggles that make this unnecessary), while making narrative choices along the way. Another main characteristic of visual novels is their strong emphasis on the prose, as the narration in visual novels is delivered through text. This characteristic makes playing visual novels similar to reading a book.[4]

Most visual novels have multiple storylines and more than one ending; the mechanic in these cases typically consists of intermittent multiple-choice decision points, where the player selects a direction in which to take the game. For example, in adating simulator-themed visual novel, the player is prompted to pick different characters to date which, in turn, leads to a different ending. This style of gameplay is similar to story-driveninteractive fiction,or the shorter and less detailed real-lifegamebookbooks.[5]

Some visual novels do not limit themselves into merely interactive fictions, but also incorporate other elements into them. An example of this approach isSymphonic Rain,where the player is required to play a musical instrument of some sort, and attain a good score in order to advance. Usually such an element is related as aplot devicein the game.

Fan-created novel games are reasonably popular; there are a number of free game engines and construction kits aimed at making them easy to construct, most notablyNScripter,KiriKiriandRen'Py.

Many visual novels usevoice actorsto provide voices for thenon-player charactersin the game. Often, the protagonist (that is, theplayer character) is left unvoiced, even when the rest of the characters are fully voiced. This choice is meant to aid the player in identifying with the protagonist and to avoid having to record large amounts of dialogue, as the main character typically has the most speaking lines due to the branching nature of visual novels.

Narrative branches

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Non-linearbranching storylines are a common trend in visual novels, which frequently use multiple branching storylines to achievemultiple different endings,allowing non-linear freedom of choice along the way, similar to achoose-your-own-adventurenovel. Decision points within a visual novel often present players with the option of altering the course of events during the game, leading to many different possible outcomes.[6][better source needed]An acclaimed example isZero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward,where nearly every action and dialogue choice can lead to entirely new branching paths and endings. Each path only reveals certain aspects of the overall storyline and it is only after uncovering all the possible different paths and outcomes, through multiple playthroughs, that every component comes together to form a coherent, well-written story.

The digital medium in visual novels allow for significant improvements, such as being able to fully explore multiple aspects and perspectives of a story. Another improvement is having hidden decision points that are automatically determined based on the player's past decisions. InFate/stay night,for example, the way theplayer characterbehaved towardsnon-player charactersduring the course of the game affects the way they react to the player character in later scenes, such as whether or not they choose to help in life-or-death situations. This would be far more difficult to track with physical books. More importantly, visual novels do not face the same length restrictions as a physical book. For example, the total word count of the Englishfan translationofFate/stay night,taking all the branching paths into account, exceeds that ofThe Lord of the Ringsby almost 80%. This significant increase in length allows visual novels to tell stories as long and complex as those often found in traditional novels, while still maintaining a branching path structure, and allowing them to focus on complex stories with mature themes and consistent plots in a way whichChoose Your Own Adventurebooks were unable to do due to their physical limitations.

Many visual novels often revolve almost entirely around character interactions anddialogue choicesusually featuring complex branching dialogues and often presenting the player's possible responses word-for-word as the player character would say them. Such titles revolving around relationship-building, including visual novels as well as datingsimulations,such asTokimeki Memorial,and somerole-playing video games,such asPersona,often give choices that have a different number of associated "mood points" that influence a player character's relationship, and future conversations, with a non-player character. These games often feature aday-night cyclewith a time scheduling system that provides context and relevance to character interactions, allowing players to choose when and if to interact with certain characters, which in turn influences their responses during later conversations.[7]

It is not uncommon for visual novels to have morality systems. A well-known example is the 2005 titleSchool Days,an animated visual novel thatKotakudescribes as going well beyond the usual "black and white choice systems" (referring to video games such asMass Effect,Fallout 3andBioShock) where you "pick a side and stick with it" while leaving "the expansive middle area between unexplored".School Daysinstead encourages players to explore the grey, neutral middle-ground in order to view the more interesting, "bad" endings,[8]e. g. an ending where a character dies or the main protagonist does not advance towards the flow of the story.

Kinetic novels

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"Kinetic novel" redirects here. For the brand, seeKineticNovel.

Visual novels with non-branching plots, similar to a conventional novel or a graphic novel in multimedia form.Higurashi When They Cry,Muv-Luv Alternative,andDigital: A Love Storyare known as kinetic novels.[5][9]The term was first used by the publisherKeyfor their titlePlanetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planet.

RPG hybrids

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There arerole-playing video gamesthat feature visual novel-style elements. A well-known example in the West isMistwalker'sLost Odyssey,an RPG that features a series of visual novel-style flashback sequences called "A Thousand Years of Dreams".[10]These sequences were penned by an award-winningJapanese short storywriter, Kiyoshi Shigematsu.[11]Another title is theArc System Worksfighting gameseriesBlazBlue,which plays off of a complex fantasy setting where a one-hundred-year period is reset indefinitely with many variables. The many branching storylines in Story Mode can serve as stand-alone stories, but players must consider them together along with Arcade Mode stories to be able to fully understand the universe.

Another successful example isSega'sSakura Warsseries, which combinedtactical role-playing gamecombat with visual novel elements, introducing areal-timebranching choicesystem where, during an event or conversation, the player must choose an action or dialogue choice within a time limit, or to not respond at all within that time. The player's choice, or lack thereof, affects theplayer character's relationship with other characters and in turn the characters' performance in battle, the direction of the storyline, and the ending. Later games in the series added several variations, including an action gauge that can be raised up or down depending on the situation, and a gauge that the player can manipulate using theanalog stickdepending on the situation.[12]The success ofSakura Warsled to a wave of games that combine role-playing and visual novel elements, includingThousand Arms,Riviera: The Promised Land,andLuminous Arc.[13]

Style

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Wikipe-tan, an unofficial mascot of Wikipedia is seen telling the player "I heard Watanabe-san was going to make his own visual novel so that we would have some free images to use on Wikipedia! That's the kind of guy who keeps the Internet alive, don't you think?"
Visual novels are commonly characterized with dialog boxes andspritesdenoting the speaker. This is a recreation of the usual screen layout of a visual novel, generated by theRen'Pygame engine.

Despite using the narrative style ofliterature,visual novels have evolved a style somewhat different from print novels. In general, visual novels are more likely to be narrated in the first person than the third, and typically present events from the point of view of only one character.

In the typical visual novel, the graphics comprise a set of generic backgrounds (normally just one for each location in the game), with charactersprites(Lập ち hội,tachi-e)superimposed onto these; the perspective is usually first-person, with the protagonist remaining unseen. At certain key moments in the plot, specialevent CGcomputer graphicsare displayed instead; these are more detailed images, drawn specially for that scene rather than being composed from predefined elements, which often use more cinematic camera angles and include the protagonist. These event CGs can usually be viewed at any time once they have been "unlocked" by finding them in-game; this provides a motivation to replay the game and try making different decisions, as it is normally impossible to view all special events on a single play-through.

Up until the 1990s, the majority of visual novels utilizedpixel art.This was particularly common on theNEC PC-9801format, which showcased what is considered to be some of the best pixel art in thehistory of video games,with a popular example beingPolicenautsin 1994.[14]There have also been visual novels that use live-action stills or video footage, such as severalSound Novelgames byChunsoft.The most successful example isMachi,one of the most celebrated games in Japan, where it was voted No. 5 in a 2006Famitsureader poll of top 100 games of all time. The game resembled a live-action television drama, but allowing players to explore multiple character perspectives and affect the outcomes. Another successful example is428: Shibuya Scramble,which received a perfect score of 40 out of 40 fromFamitsumagazine.[10]

History

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Further information:Adventure game § History of Japanese adventure games,Bishōjo game § History,andOtome game § History

The history of visual novels dates back toThe Portopia Serial Murder Case(1983). It featured non-linear elements, which include traveling between different areas in a generallyopen world,a branching dialogue conversation system where the story develops through entering commands and receiving responses from other characters, and making choices that determine the dialogues and order of events as well as alternate outcomes, though there is only one true culprit while the others arered herrings.It also features a phone that could be used to dial any number to contact severalnon-player characters.[15]The game was well received in Japan for its well-told storyline and surprisingtwist ending,and for allowing multiple ways to achieve objectives.[14]Shortly after, in 1988,Snatcherappeared, developed by Hideo Kojima and released for the PC-8801 and MSX2 in 1988, in which a cyberpunk detective hunts down a serial killer.[16]Another more non-linear early example wasMirrors,released by Soft Studio Wing for the PC-8801 andFM Townscomputers in 1990; it featured a branching narrative, multiple endings, andaudio CDmusic.[17]

A common feature used in visual novels is having multiple protagonists giving different perspectives on the story.EVE Burst Error(1995), developed byHiroyuki Kannoand C's Ware, introduced a unique twist to the system by allowing the player to switch between both protagonists at any time during the game, instead of finishing one protagonist's scenario before playing the other.EVE Burst Erroroften requires the player to have both protagonists co-operate with each other at various points during the game, with choices in one scenario affecting the other.[18]

An important milestone in the history of visual novels wasYU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World(1996), which was developed by Hiroyuki Kanno and isELF's most famous visual novel.[19]It featured non-linear storytelling, with a science fiction plot revolving aroundtime travelandparallel universes.The player travels between parallel worlds using a Reflector device, which employs a limited number of stones to mark a certain position as a returning location, so that if the player decides to retrace their steps, they can go to an alternate universe to the time they have used a Reflector stone. The game also implemented an original system called Automatic Diverge Mapping System (ADMS), which displays a screen that the player can check at any time to see the direction in which they are heading along the branching plot lines.[20]

YU-NOrevolutionized the visual novel industry, particularly with its ADMS system.[19]Audiences soon began demanding large-scope plotlines and musical scores of similar quality and ambition to that ofYU-NO,and that responded by hiring talent. According toGamasutra:"The genre became an all-new arena for young artists and musicians once again, with companies willing to take chances on fresh blood; the market thrived with the excitement and the risks that were being taken, and became a hotbed of creativity".[21]The branching timeline system was influential, opening "the door for visual novels to become more elaborate and have a greater range of narrative arcs, without requiring the player to replay the game over and over again".[22]According toNintendo Life,"the modern visual novel genre would simply not exist without"YU-NO.[23]Branching timeline systems similar toYU-NOalso later appeared inrole-playing video gamessuch asRadiant Historia(2010)[24][25]and thePSPversion ofTactics Ogre(2010).[26]

Chunsoftsound novels such asMachi(1998) and428: Shibuya Scramble(2008) developed the multiple-perspective concept further. They allow the player to alternate between the perspectives of several or more different characters, making choices with one character that have consequences for other characters.[10][27]428in particular features up to 85 different possible endings.[27]Another popular visual novel featuring multiple perspectives isFate/stay night(2004).[5]

Content and genres

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See also:Adventure game,Bishōjo game,Dating sim,andOtome game

Many visual novels are centered ondrama,particularly themes involvingromanceor family, but visual novels centered onscience fiction,fantasy fiction,erotic fictionandhorror fictionare not uncommon.

Dōjinshi games (dōjin soft)

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Main article:Dōjin soft

Dōjinshi(Đồng nhân chí,often transliterated asdoujinshi) is the Japanese term for self-published (fan-made) works. This includes (but is not limited to)dōjin games(Đồng nhân ゲーム), also sometimes calleddōjin soft (Đồng nhân ソフト). These visual novel-style games are created asfan-made worksbased on pre-existingfandoms(usuallyanime and manga,but also for TV shows or even other pre-existing games and visual novels). Dōjinshi games are often based on romance (orshipping) between two characters, known as anotome game(Ất nữ ゲーム) ordating sim;sometimes becoming sexual (orhentai), known as aneroge(エロゲ,a portmanteau oferoticgame (エロチックゲーム)).

Erotic content

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See also:ErogeandSex and nudity in video games

Many visual novels also qualify aseroge,an abbreviation of 'erotic game'. These games feature sexually explicit imagery that is accessed by completing certain routes in the game, most often depicting the game's protagonist having sex with one of the game's other characters. Like other pornographic media in Japan, scenes depicting genitalia are censored in their original Japanese releases, only becoming uncensored if the game is licensed outside Japan with all art assets intact. Certain eroge titles receive re-releases which exclude explicit content in order to be sold to a younger audience, such as ports to consoles or handheld systems where sexually explicit content is not allowed, and storylines referring to aforementioned sex scenes are often omitted from adaptations into other media, unless that media is also pornographic in nature, such as ahentaianime.

Traditionally, PC-based visual novels have contained risque scenes even if the overall focus is not erotic (similar to the "obligatory sex scene"inHollywoodaction films). However, the vast majority of console ports do not contain adult material, and a number of recent PC games have also been targeted at the all-age market; for example, all ofKey's titles come in censored versions, although the content might still not be appropriate for children, and three have never contained erotic content at all. Also, all ofKID's titles are made with general audiences in mind.

However, some of these games are later re-released with the addition oferoticscenes, or have a sequel with such. For example,Little Busters!was first released as an all-ages visual novel, but a version with erotic scenes titledLittle Busters! Ecstasycame out later, and thoughClannadis also all-ages, its spinoffTomoyo After: It's a Wonderful Lifeis not.

Often, the beginning of the eroge will be dedicated to introducing the characters and developing the protagonist's relationship with them, before the protagonist sexually interacts with other characters, for example,Lump of Sugargames such asTayutama: Kiss on my DeityandEverlasting Summerdo this. The effect it has on the reader is the H-scenes (sex scenes) will have a stronger emotional impact for the two (or possibly more) characters.

Some of Japan's earliest adventure games were eroticbishōjo gamesdeveloped byKoei.[28]In 1982, they releasedNight Life,the first commercialerotic computer game.[14]It was agraphic adventure,[29]with sexually explicit images.[14]That same year, they released another erotic title,Danchi Tsuma no Yūwaku(Seduction of the Condominium Wife), which was an early adventure game with colour graphics, owing to the eight-color palette of theNEC PC-8001computer. It became a hit, helping Koei become a major software company.[28]Other now-famous companies such asEnix,SquareandNihon Falcomalso produced similar erotic games in the early 1980s before they became famous for theirrole-playing video games.While some early erotic games integrate the erotic content into a thoughtful and nuanced storylines, others often used it as a simplistic vehicle for fetishism, pleasure, an aid of the lightheaded themes that encourage stress relief or to portray nuances of sexuality.[14]The Japanese gamePai Touch!involves the protagonist gaining the ability to change the size of girls' breasts, and the adventures that ensue in trying to choose which girl to use the power on the most.

Another subgenre is called "nukige"(Bạt きゲー),in which sexual gratification of the player is the main focus of the game.[30]

Science fiction

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In 1986,Squarereleased the science fiction adventure gameSuishō no Dragonfor theNES console.The game featured several innovations, including the use ofanimationin many of the scenes rather than still images,[31]and an interface resembling that of apoint-and-clickinterface for a console, likeThe Portopia Serial Murder Case,but making use of visual icons rather than text-based ones to represent various actions. Like the NES version ofPortopia Serial Murder Case,it featured a cursor that could be moved around the screen using theD-padto examine the scenery, though the cursor inSuishō no Dragonwas also used to click on the action icons.[31][32]

Hideo Kojima(ofMetal Gearfame) was inspired byThe Portopia Serial Murder Caseto enter the video game industry,[33]and later produced his ownadventure games.After completing thestealth gameMetal Gear,his firstgraphic adventurewas released byKonamithe following year:Snatcher(1988), an ambitiouscyberpunkdetective novel, graphic adventure, that was highly regarded at the time for pushing the boundaries of video game storytelling, cinematiccut scenes,and mature content.[34]It also featured apost-apocalypticscience fiction setting, anamnesiacprotagonist, and somelight gun shootersegments. It was praised for its graphics, soundtrack, high quality writing comparable to a novel, voice acting comparable to a film orradio drama,and in-game computer database with optional documents that flesh out the game world. TheSega CDversion ofSnatcherwas for a long time the only major visual novel game to be released in America, where it, despite low sales, gained acult following.[35]

FollowingMetal Gear 2: Solid Snake,Kojima produced his next graphic adventure,Policenauts(1994), a point-and-click adventure notable for being an early example of extensive voice recording in video games.[36]It also featured ahard science fictionsetting, a theme revolving around space exploration, a plot inspired by the ancientJapanese taleofUrashima Taro,and some occasionalfull-motion videocut scenes. The gameplay was largely similar toSnatcher,but with the addition of a point-and-click interface and somefirst-person shootersegments.Policenautsalso introduced summary screens, which act to refresh the player's memory of the plot upon reloading asaved game(save), an element Kojima would later use inMetal Gear Solid.ThePlayStationversion ofPolicenautscould also read thememory cardand give someeaster eggdialogues if a save file of Konami'sdating simTokimeki Memorialis present, a technique Kojima would also later use inMetal Gear Solid.[35]From 1997 to 1999, Kojima developed the threeTokimeki Memorial Drama Seriestitles, which were adaptations ofTokimeki Memorialin a visual novel adventure game format.[37]Other acclaimed examples of science fiction visual novels includeELF'sYu-No(1996) and5pb.'sChaos;Head(2008) andSteins;Gate(2009).

Nakige and utsuge

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Popular subgenres of visual novels include thenakige(Khấp きゲー,crying game),which still usually has a happy ending, and theutsuge(Úc ゲー,depressing game),which may not. The genres are somewhat fluid and were largely pioneered in parallel during the late 1990s through the early 2000s by the works ofKeyco-founder, scenario writer, lyricist, and composerJun Maeda;and through the works ofHirohiko Yoshida[ja]through his affiliated companyÂge,particularlyKimi ga Nozomu Eienand its successors, notablyMuv-Luv.[38]The ultimate goal of nakige and utsuge are emotional connection with the characters, through exploration of their personalities and evolving interrelationships through the drama of the game's storyline, and to emotionally resonate with the player; repeated playthroughs across a rich cast of characters offers a multi-layered narrative. Games from publisher Key often follow a similar formula: a comedic first half, with a heart-warming romantic middle, followed by a tragic separation, and finally (though not always) an emotional reunion. This formula was influenced primarily byHiroyuki Kanno'sYU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World(1996) andLeaf'sTo Heart(1997), and was further developed inOne: Kagayaku Kisetsu e(1998) byTactics.AfterOnewas complete, the development team quit Tactics to formKeywhere they developed their first titleKanon,also based upon this formula. According to Satoshi Todome in his book,A History of Adult Games,Kanonwas "heavily hyped [and] had gamers impatient until its release. It was only one game released by Key so far, and yet [it] had already sent major shockwaves around the industry. And yet another game [Air], two years later, sent even more shockwaves.Airwas equally hyped and well received. "[39]

Key's "crying game" formula used successfully inOneandKanonwas later adopted by other visual novel companies to create their own "crying games". Examples of this include:Kana: Little Sister(1999) by Digital Object, theMemories Offseries (1999 onwards) byKID,D.C.: Da Capo(2002) byCircus,Wind: A Breath of Heart(2002) byMinori,andSnow(2003) by Studio Mebius (underVisual Art's).

One of the most acclaimed visual novels of this subgenre was Key'sClannad,written by Jun Maeda,Yūichi Suzumoto,and Kai and Tōya Okano. Released in 2004, its story revolved around the central theme of the value of having a family.[40]It was voted the bestbishōjo gameof all time in a poll held byDengeki G's Magazine.[41]It served as the basis for a media franchise, with successful adaptations into alight novel,manga,animated film,and acclaimedanime series.

In 2008, several of Key's visual novels were voted in theDengekipoll of the ten most tear-inducing games of all time, includingClannadat No. 2,Kanonat No. 4,Airat No. 7, andLittle Busters!at No. 10.[42]In 2011, several visual novels were also voted inFamitsu's poll of 20 most tear-inducing games of all time, withClannadat No. 4,Steins;Gateat No. 6,Airat No. 7,Little Busters!at No. 10, and428: Shibuya Scrambleat No. 14.[43]

Horror

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After developingThe Portopia Serial Murder Case,ChunsoftreleasedOtogirisoin 1992.Koichi Nakamuraconceived the title after showing his work on theDragon Questrole-playing video games to a girl he was dating. On finding she did not enjoy them, he was encouraged to make a video game that he described as "for people who haven't played games before."[44]Influenced by the earlysurvival horrorgameSweet Home,he developed it into a horror-themed interactive story. Chunsoft's next release,Kamaitachi no Yoru,was also a best seller and would prove to be highly influential.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni(When They Cry) was a 2002horror-themedvisual novel by07th Expansion,influenced by the "crying game" subgenre.Ryukishi07of 07th Expansion mentioned in 2004 how he was influenced byKey's works andTsukihimeduring the planning ofHigurashi no Naku Koro ni.[45]He played their games, as well as other visual novels, as a reference and analyzed them to try to determine why they were so popular. He decided that the secret was that the stories would start with ordinary, enjoyable days, but then a sudden event would occur leading the player to cry from shock. He used a similar model as the basis forHigurashibut instead of leading the player to cry, Ryukishi07 wanted to scare the player with the addition of horror elements.[46]Other examples of horror-themed visual novels include:Animamundi: Dark Alchemist,Higanbana no Saku Yoru ni,Umineko no Naku Koro ni,Ookami Kakushi,Imabikisou,Saya no Uta,Doki Doki Literature Club!,andCorpse Party.

Visual novels in the Western world

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Prior to the year 2000, few Japanese visual novels were translated into other languages. As with the visual novel genre in general, a majority of titles released for the PC have beeneroge,withHirameki's now-discontinuedAnimePlayseries a notable exception. As of 2014,JAST USAandMangaGamerare the two most prolific publishers of translated visual novels for the PC; both primarily release eroge, but have begun to diversify into the all-ages market in recent years, with titles such asSteins;GateandHigurashi no Naku Koro nirespectively. In addition to official commercial translations, a vibrantfan translationscene exists, which has translated many free visual novels (such asNarcissuandTrue Remembrance) and a few commercial works (such asUmineko no Naku Koro niandPolicenauts) into English. Fan translations of Japanese visual novels into languages other than English such as Chinese, French, German, and Russian are commonplace as well.

English translations of Japanese visual novels on video game consoles were rare until the release of theNintendo DS,though some games with visual novel elements had been published in the Western world before then, such asHideo Kojima'sSnatcher.Following the success of mystery titles for the Nintendo DS such asCapcom'sAce Attorneyseries (which began on theGame Boy Advancein 2001), Cing'sHotel Duskseries (beginning in 2006),[47]andLevel-5'sProfessor Laytonseries (beginning in 2007),[48]Japanese visual novels have been published in other countries more frequently. The success of these games has sparked a resurgence in theadventure gamegenre outside Japan.[47][49][50]

GameSpothas creditedPhoenix Wright: Ace Attorneyin particular for revitalizing the adventure game genre.[51]The success of theAce Attorneyseries was followed soon after by the even greater success ofLevel-5'sProfessor Laytonin 2007. Both have since become some of the best selling adventure game franchises, withAce Attorneyselling over 3.9 million units worldwide andProfessor Laytonselling over 9.5 million units worldwide by 2010.[48]Their success has led to an increase in Japanese visual novels being localized for release outside Japan, including:KID'sEver 17: The Out of Infinity(2002), Cing'sAnother Codeseries (2005 onwards),Marvelous Entertainment'sLux-Pain(2008),Chunsoft's999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors(2010), and Capcom'sGhost Trick: Phantom Detective(2010). In more recent years, several modern Western narrative adventure games have drawn comparisons to visual novels, includingTelltale Gamestitles such asThe Walking Dead(2012),[52]andDontnod Entertainment'sLife Is Strange(2015); the latter's creative director cited visual novels such asDanganronpa(2010) as an influence.[53]

Additionally, there have been some visual novels developed mainly in English, and intended for an English-speaking audience; one of the earliest commercially-available examples on a mainstream platform is 2004'sSprung,and in more recent times, the availability of the genre has increased, with notable examples beingDoki Doki Literature Club!andVA-11 HALL-A.Other languages have been the focus in visual novels, including Spanish, French, Russian and Mandarin, which have seen increased success due to the popularity of the genre.

List of best-selling visual novels

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This is adynamic listand may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help byadding missing itemswithreliable sources.

Sales data for visual novels is frequently unavailable; the sales listed below can be significantly outdated as some of the sources are over a decade old, and series qualified for an entry could be missing. These lists should be referenced carefully.

Free visual novels do not appear in these lists due to the unreliability of download numbers and for consistency with other best-selling lists.

Series

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See also:List of best-selling Japanese role-playing game franchises,List of best-selling manga,andList of highest-grossing media franchises
Visual novel series that have sold over 100,000 copies
Series Debut Creator(s) Sales Note(s)/ref(s)
Ace Attorney 2001 Capcom/Shu Takumi 11,000,000 [54]
Nekopara 2014 Neko Works / Sayori 6,000,000 [55]
Danganronpa 2010 Spike(Spike Chunsoft) /Kazutaka Kodaka 5,000,000 [56]
Sakura Wars(Sakura Taisen) 1996 Sega CS2 R&D/Red Entertainment 4,718,113 [a]
Tokimeki Memorial 1994 Konami/Koji Igarashi 3,714,704 [b]
Sound Novel 1992 Chunsoft(Spike Chunsoft) 2,709,907 [d]
Tantei Jingūji Saburō(Jake Hunter) 1987 Data East 2,346,841 [e]
Fate 2004 Type-Moon/Kinoko Nasu 2,096,148 [g]
Sakura 2014 Winged Cloud 1,566,022 [h]
Zero Escape 2009 Chunsoft/Kotaro Uchikoshi 1,290,213 [i]
Steins;Gate 2009 5pb./Nitroplus 1,244,545 [j]
Rance 1989 AliceSoft 1,159,193 [k]
Higurashi: When They Cry 2002 07th Expansion/Ryukishi07 1,109,018 [m]
Shinseiki Evangelion(Neon Genesis Evangelion) 1996 Sega AM2/Gainax Network Systems 1,040,972 [n]
Muv-Luv 2003 âge 800,000 [o]
D.C Da Capo 2002 Circus 800,000 [p]
Dōkyūsei 1992 ELF Corporation 722,662 [q]
The Death Trap 1984 Squaresoft/Hironobu Sakaguchi 600,000 [r]
To Heart 1997 Leaf 584,263 [s]
EVE 1995 Hiroyuki Kanno/ C's Ware 575,873 [t]
Clannad 2004 Key/Jun Maeda 468,278 [u]
Majikoi! 2009 Minato Soft[ja] 400,000 [v]
Welcome to Pia Carrot 1996 Cocktail Soft 320,696 [w]
Hatoful Boyfriend 2011 PigeoNation Inc./Hato Moa 317,015 [x]
Kidou Senkan Nadesico(Martian Successor Nadesico) 1997 Sega 284,255 [y]
Cardcaptor Sakura ~Sakura to Card to O-Tomodachi~ 1999 MTO 193,745 [58]
Dies irae 2007 Light 100,000 [88]

Standalone

[edit]
Standalone visual novels that have sold over 100,000 copies
Title Release Developer(s) Sales Note(s)/ref(s)
The Portopia Serial Murder Case 1983 Yuji Horii/Chunsoft 700,000 [89]
Senren * Banka 2016 Yuzusoft 500,000+ [90]
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! 2017 Team Salvato 500,000 [91]
Digimon Survive 2022 Hyde 500,000 [92]
VA-11 HALL-A 2016 Sukeban Games 500,000 [93]
ATRI -My Dear Moments- 2020 Frontwing & Makura 400,000+ [94]
Nonomura Byōin no Hitobito [ja](Mystery of Nonomura Hospital) 1996 ELF Corporation 400,000 [95]
YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World 1996 Hiroyuki Kanno/ELF Corporation 380,820 [z]
Policenauts 1994 Hideo Kojima/Konami 341,483 [58]
Kanon 1999 Key/Naoki Hisaya 317,512 [aa]
Air 2000 Key/Jun Maeda 308,382 [ab]
Tsukihime –A piece of blue glass moon- 2021 Type-Moon 240,000 [ac]
Hotel Dusk: Room 215 2007 Cing 213,208 [98]
J.B. Harold Murder Club 1986 Riverhillsoft 200,000 [99]
Monster Prom 2018 Beautiful Glitch 200,000 [100]
Can Can Bunny: Premiere [ja] 1992 Cocktail Soft/KID 159,502 [73]
Doukoku Soshite... 1997 Data East 131,085 [58]
Witch on the Holy Night 2022 Type-Moon 110,000 [ad]
Desire 1994 Hiroyuki Kanno/C's Ware[ja] 102,187 [73]
One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e 1998 Tactics 100,000 [102]
The House in Fata Morgana 2012 Novectacle 100,000 [103]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^Sakura Warsseries:
  2. ^Tokimeki Memorialseries:
    • 3million+[60]
    • August 2006 to 2019 (Japan) – 714,703[58]
  3. ^See428: Shibuya Scramble § Reception
  4. ^Sound Novelseries:
  5. ^Tantei Jingūji Saburōseries
    • As of May 2007– 2.22million[63]
    • July 2007 to 2019 (Japan) – 126,841[58]
  6. ^SeeFate/stay night § Reception
  7. ^Fateseries (Japan)
  8. ^Sakuraseries:
    • Sakura Agent,Sakura Dungeon,Sakura Gamer,Sakura Magical Girls– 206,022
    • Other titles – 1.36million[65]
  9. ^Zero Escapeseries:
    • Japan (consoles) – 90,213[58]
    • Steam (PC) – 1,200,000+[66]
  10. ^Steins;Gateseries:
    • 2009–2015 (Japan) – 1million+[67]
  11. ^Ranceseries:
    • Japan – 1,000,000 (Data of all series until Rance 03 –Fall of Leazas–)
    • Rance X(PC) – 159,193 (2018)[71]
  12. ^SeeHigurashi When They Cry § Reception
  13. ^Higurashi When They Cryseries:
  14. ^Neon Genesis Evangelionseries (Japan)
  15. ^Muv-Luvseries
  16. ^D.C Da Caposeries:
    • Japan – 800,000 (Total cumulative of all games until Da Capo 5)[77]
  17. ^Dōkyūseiseries(Japan)
  18. ^The Death Trapseries:
  19. ^To Heartseries (Japan)
  20. ^EVEseries[ja]
  21. ^Clannadseries:
  22. ^Majikoi!' series:
  23. ^Pia Carrotseries (Japan)
    • Consoles – 284,186[58]
    • PC (2006) – 36,510[76]
  24. ^Hatoful Boyfriend:
  25. ^Kidou Senkan Nadesicoseries (Japan)
    • Yappari Saigo ha 'Ai ga Katsu'?– 138,161[73]
    • The Blank of Three YearandThe Mission– 146,094[58]
  26. ^SeeYU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World § Reception
  27. ^Kanon:
    • Up until 2006 – 300,000+[96]
    • PSP(Japan) – 14,762[58]
  28. ^Air:
  29. ^Tsukimhime:
    • Sales prior to September 2021 – 240,000+[97]
  30. ^Tsukimhime:
    • First Week Sales – 110,000+[101]

References

[edit]
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[edit]
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