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Visual novels are a great part of the game world and are full of variety. From horror to romance, visual novels have a little bit of everything. Whatever style of visual novel you choose, you’re always up for a story-driven experience. You interact with numerous fascinating characters and make decisions that affect the story of the novel. Visual novels are easy to understand, with minimal game mechanics to keep the focus on their engaging storyline.



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Incredible visual novels aren’t just available on Steam – there are lots of great visual novels available on consoles too. From thrilling thrillers to epic fantasy adventures, you can get lost in a variety of captivating visual novels on Xbox. To help you figure out which visual novels you should play next, here’s an excellent selection of narrative stories for you to enjoy.

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8 synergy

Synergia is a visual novel with both romantic and thriller themes. You take on the role of Cila, a disgruntled police officer. Her life is never the same after her boyfriend drops off a new house droid known as MARA that is much more advanced than expected. Cila soon begins to bond with the AI, but their dynamics are complex and tense. There’s not just romance to deal with, as the storyline includes recurring nightmares, dark labs, and even an impending war on the horizon.

The game is set in a cyberpunk world, with a captivating art style that will captivate you as much as the characters. Although Synergia is a short story that will probably take about seven hours to complete, your decisions affect the story and your eventual ending. It has fantastic world building, immersive, dark themes and more.

7 Steve Jackson’s Sorcery!: The Complete Collection

sorcery! The complete collection brings together all four parts of this epic fantasy adventure. The series brings the classic, self-selected adventure novels into the modern age. You take on the role of an eager adventurer tasked with recovering the stolen Crown Of Kings. During your journey, you will encounter numerous dangerous threats, such as monsters or deceitful strangers. Every decision you make will lead you down a different path, making this a game worth replaying over and over again.

The sorcery! series will drag you through every chapter as it is filled with beautiful art and fantastic stories. Each book builds on the previous one and remembers your decisions all the time. It’s a challenging game, but with your spellbook and wits, you’ll soon save the entire empire.

6 The letter

If you want to play a visual novel with a very creepy atmosphere, check out The Letter. This game is a terrifying horror experience that revolves around a deadly curse. You play as seven characters, each with their own character arcs and approaches to the challenges ahead. The story is non-linear, as each character must try to survive when visiting the Ermengarde house.

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The Letter features voice acting, detailed art, animation, and an original soundtrack. There are even optional quick-time events to add to that tense atmosphere. This visual novel has some rather dark and disturbing themes, but if you’re a big horror fan, you’ll probably get hooked on the story pretty quickly.

5 The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante

The Life And Suffering Of Sir Brante is a fascinating RPG with a story that will immediately captivate you. This visual novel can undoubtedly get quite gritty and grim at times. You play as the titular character and live his entire life as he tries to escape the cruel system he was born into. The realm is ruled by gods known as the twin gods. These gods insist that mortals be divided into rigid classes. Nobles rule. The clergy teach the ‘One True Path’. Everyone else must struggle.

You will be faced with many difficult decisions during Sir Brante’s lifetime, and your actions will always have consequences. Every decision will change your stats, allowing you to explore different storylines and perhaps succeed where you once failed. With a stylish black and white art style, compelling characters and narrative, this visual novel has plenty of replayability.

4 Zero Escape: The Nonary Games

The incredible visual novel developer Spike Chunsoft’s Zero Escape trilogy is worth checking out. On Xbox, the Nonary Games combines the first two games of the series. They are escape room style games with a gripping storyline and lots of plot twists that will keep you guessing as you play.

The Nonary Games begin with nine people being kidnapped and transported to an unknown location. They must now participate in a series of deadly games if they are to have any hope of escaping. You must figure out who to trust, look for clues, and uncover the many mysteries this visual novel is full of.

3 Doki Doki Literature Club

Doki Doki Literature Club seems completely innocent at first. You play as a student who has been invited by their best friend to join the literature club. You’ll soon meet the rest of the club members, including club president Monika, and the romance begins to blossom. Of course, not all is as it seems, and the game gradually darkens and warps.

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Doki Doki Literature Club has a vibrant art style that gives you a false sense of security. The minigames are fun and straightforward, and the characters are all captivating, especially as you get to know them better. It is a game that is best played without knowing too much.

2 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy

The Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy combines many of Phoenix Wright’s best cases into one fantastic collection. There are 14 episodes to play through, giving you plenty of content to enjoy. You will have the chance to experience Phoenix Wright’s career starting as a newbie defense attorney and trying time and again to achieve justice for your clients.

During the game you will collect information and clues, interrogate witnesses and try to prepare everything you need for each trial. When you have enough evidence, you feel like an expert lawyer, who succeeds time and again in court. The trilogy gets better and better, with many shocking revelations throughout the stories. If you like to object dramatically, you’ll love this entertaining trilogy.

1 Long live the queen

Long Live the Queen is an excellent choice if you want a visual novel aimed at royalty. You play as a princess who is mourning the death of her mother. However, she cannot mourn for long, because soon it will be her turn to become queen. Now she must prepare for this important role, learning several skills along the way.

Long live the queen is a challenging game and survival will not be easy. You have to get through 40 weeks to get to the coronation, but a lot can go wrong. You have to keep up with your mood and skills to navigate through different encounters such as meeting other nobles or assassination attempts. There are many branching paths based on your decisions, so you are encouraged to find each ending. It’s so satisfying when you finally get to one of the happy endings of this wonderful game.

NEXT: Best Romantic Visual Novels