Aah, look at that. It's the week of Black Friday. And Christmas holidays are coming closer. That means? Sales periods over and over again! As a fan of visual novels, it's my time to shine and give you some recommendations when it comes to the genre!
2024 has been a wild year in terms of visual novels, with over 100 new games that have been released. These titles include some real classics that have gotten a port or remaster, as well as some great new titles! There's been some really HIGH highlights… and err… (*looks to the garbage bin*) also some real standouts in the "absolute trash" category.
So with that it's time for the fourth yearly Visual Novel top 100 on Switch!
- Steins;Gate Elite Edition → 1 ( = ) [Y]
- Muv-Luv & Muv-Luv Alternative remastered Double Pack → New [A]
- The House in Fata Morgana: Dream of the Revenants Edition → 2 ( -1 ) [LR]
- Tsukihime – A Piece of Blue Glass Moon → New [Y]
- Jack Jeanne → 3 ( -2 ) [Y]
- The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles → 4 ( -2 ) [Y]
- Clannad → 5 ( -2 ) [LR+A]
- Witch on the Holy night → 6 ( -2 ) [Y]
- Little Busters! Converted Edition → 7 ( -2 ) [A]
- Fate / Stay Night → New in 2024 [N]
- Ace Attorney Anthology (all 6 games) → 8 ( -2/New bundle ) [A(1-3)/Y(4-6)]
- Ace Attorney Investigations Selection → New [Y]
- The Silver Case 2425 → 9 ( -4 ) [Y]
- Hashihime of Old Book Town → 10 ( -4 ) [A]
- Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society → 16 ( = ) [Y]
- The Grisaia Trilogy → 11 ( -5 ) [A]
- Chaos;Head Noah & Chaos;Child Double Pack → 12 ( -5 ) [Y]
- Virche Evermore: -ErroR:salvation– → 23 ( +4 ) [Y]
- Aokana -Four Rhythms Across the Blue– → 13 ( -6 ) [Y]
- Taisho x Alice All in One → 14 ( -6 ) [A]
- Collar X Malice → 15 ( -6 ) [Y]
- Stella of the End → New [A]
- Even if TEMPEST: Dawning Connections → 23 ( +4 ) [N]
- Even If Tempest → 18 ( -6 ) [N]
- 9 R.I.P. → New in 2024 [Y]
- Cupid Parasite → 17 ( -9 ) [Y]
- SeaBed → 22 ( -5 ) [A]
- Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Anniversary Edition → 20 ( -8 ) [Y]
- Symphonic Rain (*) → New in 2024 [A]
- Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ → 21 ( -9 ) [Y]
- ghostpia Season One → 54 ( +23 ) [N]
- Akai Ito HD REMASTER → 19 ( -13 ) [LR+A]
- Virche Evermore -EpiC: Lycoris- → New in 2024 [Y]
- YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World → 25 ( -9 ) [Y]
- Steins;Gate 0 → 26 ( -9 ) [N]
- Of the Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi Tsuzuri → New [A]
- Raging Loop → 27 ( -10 ) [Y]
- Butterfly's Poison; Blood Chains → 28 ( -10 ) [A]
- Piofiore: Episodio 1926 → 30 ( -9 ) [Y]
- VA-11 HALL-A → 29 ( -11 ) [LR+A]
- Suzerain → 52 ( +11 ) [N]
- Hana Awase → 24 ( -18 ) [A]
- Hakuoki: Chronicles of Wind and Blossom → New [A]
- Grisaia: Phantom Trigger 5.5 – 8 → 34 ( -10 ) [A]
- Olympia Soiree → 32 ( -13 ) [Y]
- planetarian: The Reverie of a Little Planet & Snow Globe → 38 ( -8/New bundle ) [A]
- I was a teenage exocolonist → 69 ( +22 ) [N]
- AI: The Somnium Files → 35 ( -13 ) [Y]
- Collar x Malice -Unlimited– → 40 ( -9 ) [Y]
- Root Double -Before Crime * After Days– → 39 ( -11 ) [Y]
- The Town of Nie → New [A]
- ATRI – My Dear Moments (*) → 33 ( -19 ) [N]
- Bustafellows → 31 ( -22 ) [Y]
- Hush Hush → 37 ( -17 ) [N]
- Seven Days → New in 2024 [A]
- Island → 44 ( -12 ) [A]
- Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk → 60 ( +3 ) [Y]
- OPUS: Echo of Starsong – Full Bloom Edition → 64 ( +6 ) [Y]
- BLAZBLUE CENTRALFICTION Special Edition → 47 ( -12 ) [LR]
- Sable's Grimoire: A Dragon's Treasure → 46 ( -14 ) [N]
- Aoishiro HD REMASTER → 50 ( -11 ) [LR+A]
- Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Anniversary Edition → 43 ( -19 ) [Y]
- Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei → 41 ( -22 ) [Y]
- Cafe Enchante → 42 ( -22 ) [Y]
- Slay the Princess – The Pristine Cut → New [Y]
- fault – milestone two side: above → 49 ( -17 ) [N]
- Cupid Parasite: Sweet & Spicy Darling → New [Y]
- Mystery lover – nonexistent summer → 63 ( -5 ) [N]
- Code: Realize ~Future Blessings~ → 56 ( -13 ) [Y]
- Senren * Banka → 53 ( -17 ) [LR]
- Robotics;Notes Elite → 48 ( -23 ) [Y]
- If My Heart Had Wings → 55 ( -17 ) [LR+A]
- Kanon (*) → New [A*]
- Maitetsu -pure station → 61 ( -13 ) [A]
- Marco & the Galaxy Dragon → 59 ( -16 ) [N]
- Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition → 58 ( -18 ) [Y]
- Tales from Toyotoki: Arrival of the witch → New [Y]
- Nightshade / Hyakka Hyakurou → 57 ( -21 ) [A]
- Code: Realize ~Wintertide Miracles → 67 ( -12 ) [Y]
- Nurse Love Syndrome → 51 ( -29 ) [LR]
- Mary Skelter 2 (with Mary Skelter 1 as free DLC) → 62 ( -19 ) [Y]
- Paranormasight: The Seven mysteries of Honjo → 65 ( -17 ) [N]
- Radiant Tale → 71 ( -12 ) [Y]
- Romance MD/ Always on Call → New [N]
- Anonymous;Code → 45 ( -40 ) [Y]
- The Quintessential Quintuplets Double Pack → New [Y]
- LUNARiA – Virtualized Moonchild – → New [A]
- Together We Live → New [N]
- Spirit Hunter: NG → 72 ( -17 ) [Y]
- Fault – StP – Lightcravte → 76 ( -14 ) [N]
- Norn 9: Last Era → 66 ( -25 ) [Y]
- Fatal Twelve → 70 ( -22 ) [LR]
- Mizuchi → New [A]
- Corpse Party (Blood Covered) → 75 ( -19 ) [N]
- Heart of the Woods → 74 ( -21 ) [LR]
- Taisho x Alice: Heads & Tails → 81 ( -15 ) [A]
- Piofiore: Fated Memories → 83 ( -14 ) [Y]
- TOKYO CHRONOS & ALTDEUS: Beyond Chronos TWIN PACK → New [A]
- Him, the Smile & Bloom (*) → New [Y, in 2025]
- Tomoyo After ~It's a Wonderful Life~ CS Edition → 80 ( -19 ) [A]
- World End Economica → 79 ( -20 ) [A]
For easy obtaining: Dekudeals link for this top 100: https://www.dekudeals.com/lists/n8hydg
PS: Check the comments underneath for a few "detail specific" top 10s.
Some rules/footnotes:
- Placement in this list based on weighted score rating from the Visual Novel DataBase (VNDB). I understand VNDB has its issues (e.g. not allowing amazing games like 13 Sentinels). But since not every visual novel has a metacritic score, VNDB's scoring is the best possible alternative.
- Next to each title, I will list the placement last year and how much its position has changed. I'll also note if it's a new game/bundle, or wasn't part of the top 100 last year.
- If a bundle is available on the eShop, I will list the bundle instead of each individual game. Better deal and more games to give a spotlight as a result. Bundles that are only available in physical form (e.g. Danganronpa Decadence) will be ignored, since those can go out of stock.
- Only games available or released in 2024 are listed. Unconfirmed/2025 releases are not listed.
- Only games that officially have English support are listed. So no Christmas Tina, for example.
- Games marked with an asterisk (*) are only available on Asian eShops, but have full English support.
- For physical edition collectors, I've added a code in square brackets after each score that reflects the existance of a physical edition. [Y]/[N] is simply Yes / No, [LR] = Only through a Limited Run type service (e.g. Limited Run Games, Strictly Limited games), [A] = Asian release with EN support (import required).
- Note: Not making the top 100 is not a shame, the more great releases there are. The minimum score for making the 2022 list was around 7.00/10. The minimum score required this year is 7.46/10.
- Note: Not every port/translation on Switch is great (*cough*Akai Ito*cough*). I have named the specific edition so that people can compare to listings on other platforms if they're unsure.
- Note: The tail-end is a shared 99th place, so I decided to list all three titles, hence why theres 101 entries.
- Footnote on Kanon: The game has been released in Japan in 2023, but will only receive an English patch this upcoming December. However, there's no confirmation the physical Asian version will recieve the same update. While that would make sense, nothing is certain when it comes to Japanese releases.
- Footnote on Him the Smile & Bloom: The game is released in Japan with English Support. PQube has confirmed a Western release (including physical) for 2025
Edit: Forgot: The full DekuDeals list of ALL visual novels on the Switch you can find here: https://www.dekudeals.com/lists/89kscx
For references to compare: The 2023 top 100 – The 2022 top 100 – the 2021 top 50 list.
by MaJuV