Ten Games to Grab During Steam Visual Novel Fest

Steam’s Visual Novel Fest has been going since August 7th, but maybe you still don’t know what to pick out of the over 1,000 titles on sale. Though there are many good options depending on your personal taste, we selected 10 high-quality titles with big discounts that we think are worth getting in this current event.

Keep in mind the choices will not necessarily be pure visual novels, as this list will be more focused on what makes a really good deal: high quality and price. All the choices below are titles we truly believe you shouldn’t miss during this sale, considering they’re at their lowest prices on Steam so far.

Buried Stars

Price: $19.99 – 50% Discount

Buried Stars is a mystery adventure game developed by Korean group LINE Games Corporation. It tells the story of a group of young people who were part of a TV show and ended up trapped inside the building after the ceiling collapsed. However, was that really an accident? Can you trust the other people who are there with you? Buried Stars is a surprisingly engaging thriller that we highly recommend.

Check out our review to learn more about this high-quality game most people are sleeping on.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

Price: $19.99 – 50% Discount  (But do get it on the bundle with the original trilogy for $25.19)

The whole Ace Attorney series is a very easy pick. Shu Takumi’s creation oozes charisma everywhere, and it hasn’t become such a pop culture staple for nothing. However, The Great Ace Attorney 1 and 2 bring what can arguably be considered its highest peak so far, having a cohesive pack of well-planned cases that explore what being a lawyer would have been like for Phoenix’s grandpa, Ryunosuke, as he moved from Japan to the UK.

If you’d like to know more, check out our review.

AI: The Somnium Files

Price: $7.99 – 80% Discount (It also has bundles with the Zero Escape series or its sequel, NirvanA Initiative, which is highly recommended)

When it comes to thrillers and good adventure games, no one quite does it like Kotaro Uchikoshi. In AI, he throws us into a sci-fi world where you can dive into people’s Somnia, subconscious “dreamworlds” that reveal their chaotic mess of thoughts. Using this to investigate cases, the first game revolves around detective Kaname Date dealing with mysterious murders, while its sequel changes perspectives to two younger investigators and carves deeper into the sort of twists the writer loves to bring to the table.

Check out our reviews of AI: The Somnium Files and its sequel, NirvanA Initiative.

Musicus!

Price: $17.99 – 60% Discount

Developed as the swan song game for developer OVERDRIVE, Musicus! is a poignant tale about a young man who learns to love music. He never quite had anything he wanted to do, but his life is changed forever by an indie rock band called Kacho-Fugetsu. From then on, the player will see the highs and lows of the protagonist trying to stick with this passion as his job rather than just a passing hobby.

Check out our review of Musicus! to find out a little more.

DRAMAtical Murder

Price: $11.99 – 40% Discount

DRAMAtical Murder is probably the most famous BL visual novel by far. Nitro+Chiral’s games are quite popular with their impressive edgy narratives and stylish presentations. DMMD presents itself as a colorful cyberpunk world, and we follow a young man called Aoba as he finds out about some dark secrets hidden on the underbelly of the town he lives. Be warned the bad endings can get a little graphic if you play it with the 18+ patch.

Here’s our review of this influential BL game. If you’ve played it and want something else like it though, we also highly recommend Slow Damage, which isn’t available on Steam yet as JAST Blue is still doing their best to meet Steam’s demands of censoring it, but you can already get it on JAST Store.

Aokana

Price: $17.49 – 50% Discount (There’s also a $43.72 bundle with its fan disks, EXTRA1 and EXTRA2)

Imagine a world where anti-gravity shoes have become commonplace, and people even started competitions around the idea of using them. Aokana tells the story of a young man called Masaya Hinata, an ex-athlete of Flying Circus (FC) who abandoned the sport after defeat gave him major trauma. However, the world of FC will lure him back again, now as a coach for the school team. Supporting girls passionate about a futuristic sport is exciting, you know?

If you’d like to know why this game is a must-play, check out our reviews of Aokana, and its fan disks EXTRA1 and EXTRA2.

Robotics;Notes Elite

Price: $13.99 – 60% Discount (You can also get the “ROBOTICS;NOTES ELITE & DaSH DOUBLE PACK” for $23.78 to get it and the sequel)

Though most people have likely heard of Science Adventure’s highly popular Steins;Gate, the franchise features other high-quality titles to keep in mind. One such example is Robotics;Notes, which came west in its enhanced Elite edition. The game follows the story of a robotics club trying to avoid being disbanded while completing their giant robot. With a cast that has excellent chemistry between them and excellent pacing, it’s an easy recommendation for fans of the genre.

Check out our review.

Marco & The Galaxy Dragon

Price: $5.99 – 70% Discount

Marco & The Galaxy Dragon is a niche choice, I admit. This is a unique visual novel that features some animations in between. Developed by TOKYOTOON, it tells the story of a young girl looking for her mother and a dragon girl called Arco who rules the galaxy. Azario compares it to FLCL in terms of tone with how it balances serious moments and a comedy full of energy.

If you’d like to know more, here’s our review.

Majikoi! Love Me Seriously!

Price: $17.49 – 50% Discount

Majikoi tells the story of Yamato, a cunning young man who’s the strategist of his friend group and studies at Kawakami High School. As his circle of friends expands with two newcomers in their midst, drama, romance, and quarrels emerge in this story. While describing it plainly may make it seem rather run-of-the-mill, the high quality of the writing for the character’s bonds makes it an especially engrossing adventure.

Check out our review of the game.

Baldr Sky

Price: $19.99 – 60% Discount

Baldr Sky tells the story of a young mercenary called Kou Kadokura, who wakes up inside his simulacrum (a giant robot) without his memories. Now unable to even trust himself, he looks for some sort of hint about what brought him there and how to proceed as a worthy leader to his companion. Curiously, the game mixes visual novel portions with high-octane isometric mecha battles and it’s a really impressive experience all around.

If you’d like to know more, check out our review.

There are many other options to look forward to on the Steam Visual Novel Fest list, so do give it a good search and you’re likely to find something good for you and maybe a hidden gem here and there.