Recommend a VN

[FrozenKimchi]

G Senjou No Maou
Ever 17
and Stein's Gate

[xanderhunter]

Just double-checked it, the free vn I forgot to mention is called brass restoration:

http://mirrormoon.org/projects/brass_restoration

Oh yeah. That's a good one. You should definitely check it out if you're looking for a free one.

I have to agree with Brass Restoration, I got that on a recommendation after playing the demo of KS and was very pleased with it.

I'd like to try Kanon and Clannad but every time I've tried to get them to work either the instructions weren't good enough, or the patches set off both my anti virus and my malware scanners.

As for other games like it, definitely Crescendo and Family Project as people have mentioned. I also remember one called figures of happiness, but it's been a long time since I have played through it.

[Silentcook]

Merged with previously-existing topic for tidiness.

[zeroyuki92]

As a general recommendation, take a look at this :
http://vndb.org/v/all?q=;fil=tagspoil-1 ... d;s=rating

That is the visual novel rating in VNDB, already sorted for you (every of them already had english translation). VNDB rating is pretty accurate, so if you pick any visual novels with rating over Katawa Shoujo, it should not dissatisfy you, at least.

But still, read the synopsis before deciding, and avoid tags that you think you may not like.

If you seek VN with similiar issue/mood with Katawa Shoujo :
http://vndb.org/v57 Sharin no Kuni : Despite of disabilities, this is an alternate world where there is a "society where law is based upon deterrence and criminals are assigned "obligations" fitting for their crimes". A person with no right to love other people? A person which only given 12 hours daily to live? This is also character-driven story which subjectively made more impact, although less "hit home".

http://vndb.org/v38 Symphonic Rain : A not very popular, but highly appreciated Visual Novel. Pretty similar slow pace, with a bit depressing general mood, one of the best twist in Visual Novel, and extremely happy "final ending". Less realistic due to "fantasy" tag to it, but it had totally awesome music, since it's a VN about...Music School. It even had music minigame inside!

http://vndb.org/v103 True Rememberance : With similar indie-status, low budget and mood, this Visual Novel only had one heroine and one route. However, it had a original, humble, betiful and heartwarming storyline with good twist and romance. Good if you are looking for free, but good and short visual novel (actually it's Kinetic Novel since it had only one route).

http://vndb.org/v10 Narcissu : Another free visual novel...And actually this is a stand-alone trilogy. Read this for a short story and a straight-depressing mood from beginning to end, which lets you treasure any happy moments in it. Also gives a similiar insight to people to people with health problem, but in this case, a couple with already had their death pre-determined.

[Deltamon]

1. Narcissu
Short, free, serious, minimalist but good looking, as well written as any VN you can read in English. Give Side 2nd a spin also, which is not as good as the first one but still one of the best VNs available.

2. True Remembrance
Also short and free, science fiction complete with ~twist~. If you liked Haibane Renmei, try this. Art is not that good but easily good enough.

3. Crescendo / YMK
Two roughly similar games, Crescendo has less melodramu but worse art.

4. Ever17 / Fate/stay night
Both are slow and plodding, with many silly slice-of-life scenes that grind the story to a halt. However when they get rolling, they're brilliant - E17 is a deconstruction of the VN medium and F/sn has a great premise and ridiculous fights. If you have time to spare and don't mind SOME boredom, these are the ones.

5. Saya no Uta
Horror game that doesn't really know where it's going but is very atmospheric. It could be a lot better but is hamstrung by its dire porn (not only badly written, but terrible pandering that tries to have its cake - "YO DAWG SOME PRIME FETISH PORN IN HERE" - and eat it too - "HEY IT'S A HORROR GAME, IT'S LIKE, SUPPOSED TO BE DISGUSTING *WINK*") It's still worth checking out, but be aware that even if the porn works as a story element for you, there are people getting off on it and the game is definitely made with those in mind as well.

The overrated (anti-recommendations of games people tend to praise):
* Cross Channel (just bad throughout, ending is as great as people say but that's 10 minutes of a 20 hour game and totally not worth it)
* Sharin no Kuni (trying to be clever, is actually quite dumb and nonsensical and full of generimoe to boot)
* Higurashi / Umineko (Ryukishi has good ideas but he can't fucking write to save his life)

I would've wanted to answer, but then the another Delta answered for me.

[Sasige]

Recently i found out about virtual novels and was curious if there was someone willing to help me find some more good ones like KS.

[DaBeijingKing]

Clannad and Kanon are good

[Evvinartopski]

I've heard names like Kanon and Clannad drop pretty often as good visual novels. I haven't personally tried them yet, but give it a shot. (just remember... Dem eyes. )

[Rinbro]

I really, really enjoyed fate/stay night - been an emotional rollercoaster for both storylines I already did and I really dread the third one and was too big a wuss to finish it yet. It's really well written and draws you in and the prologue to the story took me 45 minutes to read

Oh! Also "Hotel Dusk" for the DS is really great - one of my favourites!

[Rolanberry]

Hmmm...well Visual Novels like KS are pretty hard to find...due it having such a super focus on story and not so much the sex.

I'd say Snow Sakura is a good one. Has alot of story but its for the most part a comedy, its pretty good though.

[Guest]

You should try Yume Miru Kusuri.

[Snelx]

http://www.vndb.org/

check around for any potential ones u may like

[MoonShadow]

Brass Restoration.

It's the story of a guy going to highschool, about the age of Hisao. He is a genius percussionist, but he has an accident in which he lose his left arm, destroying his hopes of becoming a professionnal musician. After some time in hospital, he goes back to school and try to survive the fact that he lost his dream (music) and also try to find love.

Like in KS, there are multiple girls (4) and multiple endings. Each girl has 1 bad ending (he can't find either love or reconciliate with music), between 1 and 3 normal endings (he find love but not music) and 1 good ending (he find love and a way to go back to music). There is also a "Kenji ending" where you can't hook a girl.

Going from to the start to the end of one ending takes about as much time as for KS. There is 1 less girl, but there are also more endings per girl, so the time to complete the game at 100% is slightly longer than for KS.

The pictures (background), the drawings and the music are excellent, like KS. The game has a good part of humor, and is less dangerous for your mental and emotional stability than KS, but still managed to make me cry (manly tears!) at least 4 times.

There is no hentai in the game. It is classed 13+. The game can be found in Japanese or English.

[Sasige]

@snel Thanks and moon that sounds awesome any chance you could get me a link in a PM? Also when i did Wank To kurasou i had manly tears. Slowly becoming addicted to VN's ^_^

[Wahahahaha]

Does 'Kana - litte sister' count as a classic VN?

If so...that has to be the most heartwrenching/saddest game of all time - playing it (and obviously getting the bad end) literally knocked every ounce of joy out of me for at least a week.