When introducing this game to somebody, how do you start

[WorldlyWiseman]

I don't.

I've thought about telling my sis, since we generally try to read things at the same time to bounce opinions off one another, but the hentai in the game basically means that I would be telling my family what porn I look at.

(I know KS isn't strictly porn, but the 'disable sexual content' option probably isn't enough for most people.)

[Gandara]

Worldly: I wouldn't worry about it too much. Have your sister or other family members ever recommended a movie to you with a sex scene in it? Or a book with some sexual content? It's pretty much the same thing. It's not like you're recommending some hentai comics or a porn site to your sis.

I've pretty much just been telling my friends that this damn game is amazing. Absolutely fantastic story, great characters, and FEELS, FEELS EVERYWHERE. I've told a few of them about the personal impact it's had on me as well, so they're curious about it. Not sure that any of them have followed through and played it yet but I don't rush 'em.

[newnar]

Sigh, I've never gotten around to spreading KS in real life.

[Snow_Storm]

I just show my friends this:

And never tell 'em the source material. And in the event my mother hears me playing a song from KS on the piano or violin and she thinks it's a beautiful song, I shall tell her nothing about KS and lied to her, saying it's from an random anime like say "Elfen Lied".

[TheSongofRaven]

Me : Man, get life with playing KS instead WoW. Try that (later i give link)
Le friend : *sigh* okay okay i play it. It's just a simple VN right ?

** 1 day later **

Le friend : Man, did u believe that i stopped playing WoW because your game ?
Me : WoW, i don't expect that. How's that happened ?
Le friend : I learn so many things from that game. I swear i will repeat their story, especially Hanako...

That's how i start that

[Evenstar]

After finding all the good endings, my approach is to emphasize the relationship skills you can discover. I also like to point out that, unlike many other VNs, there are no alien cosplayers, cute catgirls or exploitative adults. You're just a kid who's learning how to deal with your heart, both physically and emotionally. As many of my friends like emotional roller-coasters (e.g. 5 cm. Per Second), they like all the happy tears that are generated.

And if they don't like that pitch, I can point out my other VNs which have the cosplayers, catgirls and adults...

[NL-=3]

I've just showed a friend Katawa Shoujo - Focus (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8Um3ZsL3tQ). He said he liked how it looked, so he's gonna try it out. :p

[Lolzster]

I showed one friend Katawa Shoujo, he liked it.
I showed another friend, he now thinks I'm gay..(wtf?) and that I have weird fetishes.

I think I should choose which friends I show it to, I'll probably show it to people who enjoy the feels rather than those who listen to the synopsis and get put off immediately.

I should probably use one of the more discreet ways of showing the game to others, a way which means that their interest is piqued rather than me forcing the game on them lol. Anyone got any other good ideas?

[Tununias]

I don't typically mention visual novels to people. Most western people(I'm western too btw) just don't seem to understand that genre of game. They'll say stuff like it's not actually a game and say they're reading a visual novel instead of playing a visual novel. And I particularly hate it when they compare visual novels to Choose Your Own Adventure books.

[Pseudogenesis]

I've been agonizing over this for weeks.

WEEKS.

How the hell am I supposed to break it to anyone? "Let's be honest. It's anime-style artwork. It's a visual novel. It's a dating sim. It has sex scenes."

Instant. Fucking. Dealbreakers.


I want to share it so badly so I can have someone to take turns praising it with. But I can barely bring myself to tell online friends about it, let alone IRL friends. Halp!

[acewing905]

reading a visual novel instead of playing a visual novel

Reading would be the correct terminology, I'd say. That's the word most VN fans use, anyway. Reading. Of course, playing works as well, as Japanese classify VNs as games, and even put them on game consoles. But the fact remains that what you do with a VN is read, unless it's a gameplay focused one like Kamidori or Sengoku Rance.

[NoOne3]

They'll say stuff like it's not actually a game and say they're reading a visual novel instead of playing a visual novel.

Well the reading part seems pretty accurate, since there is next to none playing involved (playing like interacting, though I admit in many games the action of repeatedly pulling the trigger might be compared to pressing the "next page" button, but still...) and a lot of lots of reading. As for game part itself, it is a game, only a reading game, more like.

And I particularly hate it when they compare visual novels to Choose Your Own Adventure books.

And you are probably hating it for all the wrong reasons, since it is a good way to describe the whole thing to someone using a CYOA book.

[random]

I've been agonizing over this for weeks.

WEEKS.

How the hell am I supposed to break it to anyone? "Let's be honest. It's anime-style artwork. It's a visual novel. It's a dating sim. It has sex scenes."

Instant. Fucking. Dealbreakers.


I want to share it so badly so I can have someone to take turns praising it with. But I can barely bring myself to tell online friends about it, let alone IRL friends. Halp!

that can be disabled

[inquisitivenegro]

I don't typically mention visual novels to people. Most western people(I'm western too btw) just don't seem to understand that genre of game. They'll say stuff like it's not actually a game and say they're reading a visual novel instead of playing a visual novel. And I particularly hate it when they compare visual novels to Choose Your Own Adventure books.

Well I always thought I 'read' VNs more than I 'play' them, unless its fully animated with heavily choice reliant, like school days

[metalangel]

I want to share it so badly so I can have someone to take turns praising it with. But I can barely bring myself to tell online friends about it, let alone IRL friends. Halp!

The solutions presented earlier in the thread are still valid.