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Best Visual Novels On Itch.io – Weekly Updates

Our favourite visual novels!

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A collage with promo images from some of the games featured in our Best Visual Novels On Itch.io piece. On the left is one of the main characters from Elevator Hitch smiling with his teeth, in the middle is Lethia from My Bed, Your Grave, and the third image is Winnie and Augustine standing in the snow in Cold Front.

With so many games on the Itch.io platform, we thought it’d be best to highlight which are the best visual novels on Itch.io! This feature receives weekly updates with new, old, and ever-popular titles.

We love Itch.io here on Gamezebo, which is why we also have two other features that cover more games on the platform. Read our Best Horror Games on Itch.io piece or our Best Otome Games on Itch.io for tons of recommendations!

Best Visual Novels On Itch.io

The visual novels you just have to try!

Exiting the White Room

The main character, Owl, from Exiting the White Room as they rest their head on their knee. They have red horns and a plaster on their cheek.

In this mystery, you wake up in a white room, and you must uncover the truth behind why you’re there. What occurred the day before? What exactly happened that led to you being locked in this room?

Interact with your environment, as the Owl, and read through the internal dialogue of the main protagonist as you try to work out where you are.

A Mechanical Raven’s Egg

The lost android from A Mechanical Raven's Egg as they use a makeup brush and look confused.

An android escapee searches for safety and comes across a quaint, yet illegal, repair shop. Much to their surprise, the owner of the shop is also an android.

Through familiarity and overlapping experiences, the two bond over their similarities while trying to navigate their identities.

Parfum Nostalgique

Val on a TV screen, holding a rose in their mouth whilst wearing a dressing robe with feathers, and 'Meet Val' written underneath, as if it's a polaroid camera. There is another character to the left with an eyepatch and tattoos on their arm.

As a vampire, you have all the time in the world. Time for glamorous makeup, fashionable clothes, and a whole load of fun. But what happens when a vampire starts to have a midlife crisis and starts to question their existentialism?

As a therapist during the day, and a bloodthirsty creature of the night by… well, night, you follow the story of a 265-year-old vampire through relationships, mortality, and life as a whole.

By interacting with people old and new, experiencing the highs and lows of a daily routine, all accompanied by an art style that is reminiscent of old-school shoujo, Parfum Nostalgique is perfect for Josei lovers, supernatural romance, and drama.

Project Virai: Doomer’s Life Escape

Hicha, the main character from Project Virai: Doomer's Life, looking at themselves in the mirror as a dialogue box pops up saying "I look exhausted... as always."

A horror visual novel RPG that also doubles up as a psychological thriller! Play as Hicha, whose whole life depends on her persona, Virai. She is an online singer on the VITA platform, which helps her to escape reality – but is it enough?

Whether you’re browsing her PC screen, wandering around her dark room, or interacting with other characters, the art style of Project Virai: Doomer’s Life is one of my favorites!

Chilling Devotion

One of the main characters from Chilled Devotion, who is the resident in the cabin that you visit during the snow storm. He wears a hat and coat and is covered in snow, as the wooden cabin stands behind him.

After losing your way during a vacation in the winter months, you come across a cabin in the woods. This isn’t your cabin, but you end up meeting a strange man who is currently living there.

You have no idea who he is, but because of the raging blizzard outside, you have no other choice but to stay there with him. Can he be trusted? And is the surrounding forest safe enough?

Dog’s Dinner

The main character from Dog's Dinner with their arms folded as they stand in front of a chalkboard that as equations on it.

This is a short game made in RPG Maker! You wake up, not knowing where you are or who you are. You’re trapped in a room with a locked door, and you must try to escape. Part visual novel, part escape room, Dog’s Dinner lets you put your detective cap on as you try to find a way out.

Point and click your way through and collect over 20 pieces of item art and over 6 background pieces!

Perfect Love

Milo from Perfect Love, drawn in a sketchy style, with heart eyes and a wide smile with pointy teeth.

After attempting and failing to find your one true love, you decide to make someone into your perfect love instead. As you wander the campus grounds, you see a fellow student, Milo, being bullied. You just so happen to know they have a crush on you… perfect.

Milo is malleable and shy. Surely you can turn them into your dream type of love?

PJSK: Together as One

Hatsune Miku looking over her shoulder in the PJSK: Together as One horror visual novel as she smiles, with a tree in the background.

If you play Project Sekai, you’ll know what this one is about! This is a horror-fueled adaptation of the game, taking you on a frightful journey that features Miku and the other SEKAIs. Only the prologue is available right now, but chapter one is due soon!

With covers of popular Vocaloid songs, as well as original tracks, this is a must for all Hatsune Miku fans, including myself.

Homekeeping

Pixel art of the main character, Rutile, from Homekeeping, in her maid uniform as she looks nervous with a sweat droplet on her face.

Rutille has always wanted to be a maid, and now she is one! Her boss, however, is a bit of a strange character. Homekeeping is a short game, but it has 2 endings to reach – which will you get first?

With gorgeous pixel art, intricately decorated backgrounds, and a mysterious undertone, this is one you shouldn’t miss!

Ad Nauseam

A close up of an anime girl with green eyes and purple hair from Ad Nauseam, across the screen with scratchy text that says 'are you sure?' and 'yes' or 'no'.

This visual novel blends some of my favourite aesthetics together. Creepy vibes, anime, romance, and breakcore. Taking inspiration from Yami Kawaii, Ad Nauseam is an RPG visual novel with point-and-click mechanics.

It reminds me of Danganronpa in the sense that it contains dark themes overall… and there’s even a map! You’ve forgotten everything about your life, so it’s up to you to jog your memory in this unfamiliar place.

Amidst the psychological thriller side of the game, there’s also an option to romance one of the five character options. It’s a little boost of happiness in the otherwise dark world of Ad Nauseam.

Dawntide

3 characters from Dawntide, who are all animals wearing clothes. A deer is on the left, a dog in the middle, and an owl on the right. The dialogue box is from Ranzo as they say. 'It's good to see you!'

With an animal-based cast and delectable art, Dawntide is a visual novel that takes place in the town of Porthwarren. Bored with the mundanity of his daily routine and with all of his friends busy with their own lives, Riley reminisces about an old flame from 10 years prior.

The folk festival is coming up, so everyone’s getting together to celebrate. Meet a wide cast of characters, all of whom feel super realistic, allowing you to immerse yourself in this charming little world

Elissa

A pencil drawing of a man sat at his desk smoking whilst flipping through papers with his head resting on his hand in Elissa.

Mel Gideon is struggling at work as a detective novelist. But, after receiving a letter from someone who seems to be in a spot of trouble, she drops everything to investigate – it’s her job, after all.

In this monochrome pencil-drawn visual novel, you need to unravel the mystery that begins with a simple letter. But, Mel realises that this investigation is entwined with her own history…

The Villain’s Maid

The main character from The Villain's Maid sat on the floor talking to a fantasy creature with scales as they thumb through a book.

What do you do when a villain arrives in your world? Well, in this visual novel, the main character is a 29 year old woman who comes face to face with said villain. One thing leads to another, and now she’s his maid per his request.

Whilst working as a maid, she must deal with his other subordinates, but will she get along with them? Or will they just cause even more trouble? With random events and 8 endings in total, there’s lots of fun to be had in this fantasy comedy story!

Project Prophecy

The main promo art for Project Prophecy which features the main set of characters, all with stern expressions. There is a drawing of the cabin from the story to the right, with the game's name written in red.

Matteo and William are students at Alpine University. Whilst trying to fit in with everyone, they end up becoming the targets of bullies. They tell them both to head to a cabin in the woods, and they listen. After entering the cabin, they find a corpse… and it’s a student from their university who went missing not too long ago.

In this mystery thriller, the characters are put to the test (literally). They have to complete a test in order to escape! Can they get out?

Kishki

One of the characters from Kishki as she sticks her tongue out with a misty forest behind her in the background.

Set in a quiet Russian town, you play as a student who has just moved away from home. You move into a dorm, and with that, you meet a variety of characters. Though, as normal as this may all seem, something isn’t right. Make friends, enemies, and delve into the darkness in Kishki.

Our Wonderland

The main characters from Our Wonderland kneeling on the ground covered in blood as he looks up with a shocked expression on his face.

Iggy takes his friends to the forest because of a ritual that he found in a book. But the willow tree they visit reshapes their lives forever. Fast forward twenty years, one of Iggy’s friends goes missing, and the original group decides to investigate the mystery.

This visual novel is a fantasy drama that mixes with horror! Dive into the complex relationships between each character as stress levels increase and fear looms. With multiple epilogues, five arcs, and lots of CGs to admire, Our Wonderland takes you on a surprisingly dark journey.

The Voyage Sinister

A screenshot of dialogue from The Voyage Sinister, which features a house with pumpkins outside and a decorated snowman as the main character speaks with 3 girls, with the dialogue box reading "Finally, you decided to show up"

The Voyage Sinister is a visual novel/RPG! Vladrich Wolfranov, a Victorian Demon Hunter who also happens to be a vampire, enters the Roswickian Tundra… and somehow gets lost. The thing about Roswick is that it’s well-known to be an unsafe place, and oddly unsettling for a number of reasons.

Someone has stolen his belongings, most notably his treasure, and he needs to get to the Church of St. Huldra for safety. Explore various locations, engage in turn-based combat, and interact with a range of characters to gauge the situation. Be careful who you speak with though, as not everyone may be as trustworthy as they seem.

The End of an Obsession

The main character from The End of an Obsession, as she holds a knife adorned in flowers as she creepily smiles.

Firstly, let’s all appreciate the stunning style of this game, just look at that colour palette! In this visual novel, you have woken up in an unfamiliar place, and the back of your head hurts – uh oh.

A beautiful woman stands beside you, but who is she? She seems lovely, and she looks sweet, but can she be trusted? Something isn’t quite right about her, but you can’t quite work out what it is. As you open up to her, emotions are heightened, but nothing can stop her growing obsession…

Trek to Dead Water

One of the main characters from Trek to Dead Water, a monochromatic visual novel as he stands in the middle of a forest with tree trunks amongst bushes.

Fulfill your sister’s wish in Trek to Dead Water, as you live your life as an alchemist. This monochromatic visual novel takes you on a journey with two other characters, including a Knight, as you travel and survive as a team. Although, the team isn’t perfect so to speak.

Something or someone is hunting you, and there are lots of dangers hiding in the shadows. From zombies to the arcane, this world isn’t as we know it.

Make choices, get to know your companions, and discover the ups and downs of life. With kingdom politics and the paranormal abound, this isn’t your average adventure!

Elevator Hitch

The two main coworker characters in Elevator Hitch looking at each other, as the one on the left smiles and points, and the character on the right looks concerned.

From the creator of the ever-popular title, Dead Plate, Elevator Hitch is a surrealist horror experience that mixes point-and-click and escape room mechanics, all bundled into a visual novel. The story follows a couple of co-workers who enter an elevator that seems normal at first, if not a little dated – it’s got 1970s vibes!

Now, they’re not stuck inside the elevator, but they sure are trapped in whatever building they’ve suddenly found themselves in. Stepping out of the elevator takes them across multiple liminal floors that look like The Backrooms.

The two main characters must try to work out how to get to the correct elevator that takes them back to their daily lives… and away from whatever this is. All I can say is, something is very amiss with this elevator.

My Bed, Your Grave

Lethia crouched on the grass as she looks at Thana who is half submerged in water in My Bed, Your Grave.

What’s better than a vampire story? A vampire and werewolf story. Where are my fellow Twilight fans? Anyway, this visual novel follows Lethia and Thana, two lovers who cannot risk being too close. Lethia is a vampire, and Thana is a dangerous werewolf. Whilst being attracted to each other, they cannot pursue a relationship, leading to both of them deciding that they can no longer carry on like this.

To stop her heart from hurting, Lethia concludes that Thana must kill her, rather than killing Thana herself. Your choices matter as the dialogue and plotline alter depending on what you select, resulting in multiple endings. Keep an eye on the affection bar too!

Cryptid Crush

A mobile phone receiving a call from Mothman as dialogue appears from the narrator, with a drawn background of a bedroom in Cryptid Crush.

If you like Monster Prom, you have to try Cryptid Crush. The art style is absolutely scrumptious, with a charming and cartoony pop. After arriving in Longhope, you meet lots of new people, as well as familiar faces, such as your bestie, Mothman.

Get to know the cryptids around you, whether you choose to remain just friends with them, or you want to pursue something further. It isn’t all above the love! You can build platonic relationships with the residents of Longhope, from demons to monsters, and underwater creatures to the undead.

Cold Front

Winnie and Augustine in pixelated sprite form standing by a car and small snowman, with an overlay of a more detailed drawing of one of the main characters to the left, smiling widely and putting his hand in an L shape in Cold Front.

Another one by Racheldrawsthis (the creator behind Dead Plate and Elevator Hitch)! The plotline of this visual novel follows Winnie and Augustine, two childhood best friends who have never been apart. With Winnie planning on moving away to attend university, both he and Augustine plan a day out with just the two of them.

However, what was supposed to be a sunny and relaxing day, soon turns into a nightmare as the temperatures drastically drop, leading to a blizzard. Soon, their town feels incredibly dangerous, and they need to find a way to safety as soon as possible.

Editor
With experience working for GameRant and in SEO copywriting, Adele loves to combine her adoration for gaming with her writing craft. She'll talk your ear off about anything fantasy, and if she's not typing away at her desk, she's probably playing an RPG somewhere, watching anime, or reading a book.

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