Visual Novels are like a comic book that you can play and interact with. While 2023 didn't see the release of many of these games, the top visual novel games of 2023 featured incredibly powerful stories that were massively popular with the VN crowd.
Top 13 Visual Novels released in 2023
There were a couple of let downs in the realm of visual novels in 2023, but for the most part, these unique and story-heavy titles had a lot of good reception. While I have some personal favorites I picked up and played this year, I have included some others that were incredibly highly rated by other fans as well.
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
Released on April Fools' Day, 2023, The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog was the goofy visual novel we didn't know we wanted. It features all the favorite Sonic characters of the past, and one of them killed the infamous blue hedgehog. Can you solve the mystery?
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
Stray Gods is a massive achievement for all musical and visual novel fans. You play Grace, a woman who has just inherited the powers of a Greek God and been accused of murder in the same day. You will need to use your newfound powers to help prove yourself innocent, all while navigating the hidden world of the other Greek Gods. All while singing!
Related: 10 Best RPGs of 2023
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly
This visual novel is not one I have played myself, but I did get a chance to watch a couple of Let's Players pick it up. And let me tell you, it's an amazing follow up to the original. The first episode of Coffee Talk was an interesting and unique mix of visual novel and barista simulator, and the second looks like more of the same. I can't wait to pick this one up myself in the near future.
Slay the Princess
I am a huge fan of horror visual novels and choose-your-own-adventure stories, and I absolutely adore Nicole Goodnight, so I had to play Slay the Princess. It's based on the same old story: Princess is locked away in a cabin in the woods, and it's you're job to slay her, and she will do whatever it takes to stop you. Wait, is that right?
おいでませ、こくりさん - Welcome Kokurisan -
おいでませ、こくりさん - Welcome Kokurisan - is a short, weird little visual number plus ASMR experience. It is voiced by VTuber Kurune Kokuri, and it is the story of someone who accidentally summons a sly fox spirit. This visual novel focuses mostly on the relationship you build with the fox over time. While Welcome Kokurisan is only fully voiced in Japanese, it has subtitles for English.
Dynopunk
In Dynopunk, you are an electrical engineer by day and a sleepy electrical engineer by night. It seems like gadgets are breaking constantly all over town, and you're the only one who can fix them. Chat with customers, offer them a drink, then paint, glue, and use your 3D printer to fix whatever it is that the client needs, all with your capable dinosaur claws.
Tron: Identity
I'm not a huge fan of Tron as a franchise, so I haven't played this visual novel. However, there have been so many amazing reviews of it, of its gorgeous hand-drawn story, I might have to reconsider picking it up. I wasn't expecting a Disney property to make this list, but 2023 is just full of surprises, isn't it?
Anonymous;Code
Pollon is a hacker that gains the power to Save and Reload real life after running into the mysterious (and adorable) Momo. This Sci-Fi visual novel has a variety of paths and endings depending on when you choose to Save, when you choose to Load, and when you choose to let fate take its course.
Related: 11 Best Gifts for Cozy Game Lovers
Solace State
Solace State is a cyberpunk visual novel that tackles a lot of challenging subjects. You are Chloe, a hacker trying to bring power back to the disenfranchised in a city controlled by a corporate biotech conspiracy. This story is fairly gritty and dark, but it is absolutely gorgeous. Don't miss this wild ride.
Aquarium
If you've ever dreamed of falling in love with a cute anime maid, Aquarium is the game you need in your life. The player's character has lost some of their memories, but thankfully, the maid Aqua is there to help out. Slowly reveal the truth and fall in love with this etchi tale of summer love. Just don't play this one in front of the kids.
Invincible Presents: Atom Eve
I'm not a huge fan of superhero stories, so I haven't read any of the Invincible comics. But this visual novel is kind of hard to ignore. It's all about balancing your real life with your duties as a superhero, and your choices can alter the world around you. It's been so well received on Steam and looks so beautiful, I might have to try it out myself.
Hira Hira Hihiru
At the dawn of the fictional Taishō Era, the Aerodema are becoming a problem. Once revered as holy beings, people are starting to recognize the Aerodema for what it is: a disease. If you catch it, you will die, then be brought back to life as a zombie with no memories who has to watch their own body rot away. While this game is filled with rotting bodies, it still manages to be beautiful. It's haunting, it's unique, and it's utterly engaging.
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is a build-your-own-tarot-deck game about changing your own fortune, discovering your power, choices, and consequences. You play as a witch, recently exiled. In order to break free, you'll need to make a tarot deck and come to terms with your powers.
For more casual game lists, check out 20 Best Casual Games of 2023 on Pro Game Guides.
Mina Smith is freelance writer from Richmond, VA who specializes in video game articles, mostly how-to guides. She has been writing about video games full time since 2019, but started part-time in this career almost a decade. Her number one passion has been video games since the 1990s, and her favorites are FF1, Baten Kaitos, and Viewfinder. In the past five years, Mina has written more than 2,500 articles and has garnered about a quarter of a billion views from audiences all over the world.