Dabbling in Drama
^{Windows, Free}

With an art style reminiscent of old shoujo manga, this visual novel is a treat to look at. The plot is simple, following a drama club putting on a play, and there is only one love interest. Still, in spite of being a short game, the story doesn't feel rushed, and all the characters have a nice dynamic.

Overall, it’s a cute game to spend a little time on..

Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani
^{Nintendo Switch, Commercial}

Set in a parallel world, this visual novel follows a (renameable) protagonist working as an overseer to the creatures from Japanese folklore who inhabit that dimension. Aside from making choices, gameplay also includes a - mostly avoidable - mini-game, and there are extra features such as a gallery, character profiles, and a completion check. I most appreciated the flowchart that allows the player to jump to any scene and easily find content not yet played through.

There are five love interests, each with a good, bad, and friendship endings, as well as a “finale” route that focuses on resolving plot points. I must admit the latter felt pointless to me, and I believe it would have been better to simply incorporate that resolution as part of each route.

Still, I did like all the love interests to an extent, and enjoyed the laid-back plot and feel of this game. As for the protagonist, she is overall a decent character, if a bit annoying when she repeatedly becomes unable to fight and defend herself when it’s convenient.

The art has a distinctive style and is overall high quality, barring the occasional odd anatomy. It was, however, frustrating that some side characters have nicer designs than most of the act love interests. As for the music, I found it somewhat repetitive and intrusive, but this did not extend to the fully-voiced dialogue.

Dandelion ~Wishes Brought to You~
^{Windows, Commercial}

This stat-raiser with visual novel elements follows a college student whose new pets turn into animal-eared humans; each route follows a different plot and helps put together the puzzle pieces of the mystery, until a final epilogue is unlocked.

I did not enjoy this game as much as I had hoped. It has stunning art and beautiful characters, but the gameplay is frustrating, and the visual novel elements feel very sparse. Although there was only one love interest I actively disliked, others felt too bland. The protagonist was also frustrating, always acting meek, indecisive, and gloomy.

On a more positive note, “Dandelion” stood out to me because its “true ending” has a proper reason for being the “true ending”. It is also one of the few otome games that can logically justify the need for full completion of other routes before unlocking that epilogue. That ending was in fact the highlight of the game for me.

Days of the Divine
^{Windows, Free}

Review pending...

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Deliver Us From Evil
^{Windows, Free}

A visual novel about an angel named Ariel who is sent to Earth to investigate demonic activity. She can choose between two love interests - archangel Michael (who has an ‘Earth’ ending and an ‘Heaven’ ending) and incubus Ace (who has a good and a bad ending).

The art is quite beautiful, especially the event illustrations and animation effects. The writing is nice as well, romance-focused but with enough plot (and some humor) on the side. There’s frequent choices, which makes for great interactivity, but it’s still easy to reach the ending one is aiming for. Achieved endings can also be replayed from the main menu’s gallery.

On the negative side, the plot felt a little scattered and not very compelling. There was nothing remarkable about the characters, and my general impression was that the game was not very interesting.

Delphine's Discovery
^{Windows, Free}

【 ✘ 】 This short visual novel with point-and-click elements and slight horror theme focuses on the titular protagonist’s investigation of an old orphanage where a massacre took place. There is only one love interest, and three endings - bad, friendship, and romance.

At first, I enjoyed the setting and characters, and I loved the art style used for the sprites. The player can name the protagonist’s drone, which I thought was cute. In the end, however, the plot turned out to be an obvious cliché, and I truly disliked the romance ending, making the game a disappointing experience. Be aware that there is no true happy ending to be found in this game.

Double Romance
^{Windows, Free}

Double Romance is a very short - as in, less than five minutes - visual novel where you choose some answers to impress either a boy or a girl.

Despite it being so simple, I enjoyed looking at all the adorable and distinctive near-monochrome art of this game. If anything, I feel like it is a little art showcase with some interactivity thrown in.

Dot Kareshi I ~The Legendary Maiden~
Dot Kareshi II ~The Sky's Kiss~
Dot Kareshi III ~Bride of Darkness~
^{Windows, Fanmade Translation Patch}

【 ♥ ♦ 】 After the protagonist plays through an RPG in a reckless way, she is thrown into the game world to face its disappointed - and now fairly twisted - characters. Each part of the trilogy has four love interests, unnamed aside from their RPG class name, and each of them has a ‘good’ and ‘best’ ending, although the difference is less in romance and more based on the protagonist staying in the RPG world or going back home.

The plot is short and in no way serious, as these are comedic visual novels. Surprisingly, they still manage to have sweet, fluffy endings, which to me is a worthy combination! The (joking) harassment of the protagonist becomes annoying in the first Dot Kareshi game, but it is toned down considerably in the following two.

The art is great and it helps bring across the ‘standard RPG character’ feel. Despite being over-the-top and silly, the characters are still lovable, although the ones in the second game felt a bit boring to me. On the reverse of it, the third game was my favorite specifically because of the love interests.

Dream Boyfriend
^{Android, Freemium}

Despite the cliché title, I found this to be an enjoyable game for mobile, particularly because of how laid-back and stress-free it is, while still allowing for some fluff.

Similarly to its predecessor (Animal Boyfriend), you can customize up to three love interests, choosing their personality and appearance, and talk to them, as well as participate in story events. However, this game adds more features, such as the ability to collect short stories from events, and has better art. Everything is mostly free, but there is the option to buy in-game currency using real money; gameplay is not hindered either way.

Dusk & Dawn
^{Windows, Free}

Having a superhero-theme, this visual novel features nice character designs, good use of sound effects, and a somewhat original - if ultimately far-fetched - plot twist. Although it is advertised that the protagonist can equally choose to remain a hero or become a villain, the villain arc is very sparse, which was disappointing.

There are two love interests, though focus is on plot over romance, and a decent array of side characters. The art is generally good, although a bit too cartoony for my personal taste, and having a drop in quality and change in style for the two event illustrations.

Ebon Light
^{Windows, Free}

【 ♦ 】 This fantasy visual novel tells the story of a customizable protagonist (in name, appearance, and base personality) as she becomes involved with a mercenary elven nation.

There are many, many choices in this game - to grow the protagonist’s personality, to build relationships, and to change the final outcomes (death endings are possible throughout). The game also has a very unique and beautiful aesthetic, although there are very few event illustrations. Aside from that, there’s no chance to review obtained illustrations or endings, though the game does have a ‘compendium’ that lists characters and lore.

The plot isn’t particularly innovative, but there are some curious details added to the setting and characters. There are five love interests - of which Vadeyn was by far my favorite - and a few side characters you can befriend.

Elvine
^{Windows, Free}

Despite the cutesy art style, the themes of this visual novel are quite heavy - the main character is one of the last of her kind, fleeing her human pursuers. Romance feels secondary to the plot. Albeit bittersweet, the good endings have an hopeful undertone.

There are two possible love interests, and each route reveals different aspects of the world's lore. Even though the art is not the best, I quite enjoyed the story and the dark fairytale feeling it conveys.

Enamored Risks
^{Windows, Free}

In this short visual novel, an aimless college student meets a group of urban explorers, who she comes to befriend and romance as they go on trespassing adventures. There are three love interests - two male, one female - and no particular plot beyond the relationships.

The relationships feel a bit rushed and forced at times, but the writing in general is decent. The characters are likable, and the art is also nice. There is an image gallery that includes promotional art, and even a few achievements. Overall, the game is a bit bland, but not bad.

Ephemeral -Fantasy on Dark-
^{Windows, Commercial}

Set in a world full of supernatural races, this visual novel follows a zombie - the lowest in the fantasy hierarchy - attending school. After the prologue, the player must select one of four love interest routes, each divided in 20 short chapters, leading up to either a happy ending or a bad one…easily distinguished as the good choices are marked by a pop-up notification.

Although there is nothing wrong with the plot in itself, the writing is a bit basic, and the translation is not the best. The story is definitely understandable, but expect several spelling mistakes. The choices also result in almost no variation until one reaches the ending. The love interests are alright, but the protagonist struck me as chronically stupid and a pushover.

On a more positive note, the game has beautiful art and many event illustrations per route, later accessible through an extras gallery, and is also fully voiced.

Extracurriculars
^{Windows, Free}

This is a short visual novel about a nameable student meeting the cute boy incarnations of school subjects. There are four love interests with very distinct personalities based on Math, P.E., English, and Physics.

The art is very colorful and suits the overall vibe of the game, although I was disappointed there were no event illustrations. The writing is amazing and full of humor. As the story takes place over just one day, there is no in-depth romance, but it’s still very cute.