Sakuya
^{Windows, Fanmade Translation Patch}

Sakuya - the titular character - is an android and the main love interest in this visual novel, though there is one more option aside from him. Most of the story centers around him being a human-like robot that was built as a ‘replacement’ for the protagonist’s lost childhood friend. Angst ensues, but the best ending and epilogue are at least a little cute.

I only somewhat enjoyed this game, although I admit I may be biased against this game because I dislike the concept of androids. On the other hand, I did love the art and beautiful event illustrations.

School Festival
^{Windows, Free}

A straightforward visual novel in a standard school setting, with a simple and cute storyline that is also a little bland. The art is average. The love interests are also average, without being particularly interesting or memorable. It is not a bad game; in fact, ‘average’ really seems to be the perfect word for it.

It could be a good play if one wants a short game to kill some time, but it is easily forgetable.

The Second Reproduction
^{Windows, Fanmade Translation Patch}

This is a fantasy visual novel that follows a warrior princess protagonist as she is sent to assassinate the demon lord. The game has an emotional plot featuring plenty of angst, while the gameplay is simple and straightforward, based on choices that lead to either a positive or negative outcome.

The art is great, and the worldbuilding revealed across the story is engaging. I liked the protagonist as well. There are three possible love interests, and they, along with the choice of romance tropes, are what makes this game so conflicting for me.

On the one hand, Lezette’s route is one of my favorite routes in an otome game; on the other, Jin’s is one of the worst characters I have come across in the genre, as he drugs and abuses the protagonist. This gives me many reservations about recommending this game, or even wanting to replay it.

Seduce Me
Seduce Me: The Demon War
^{Windows, Free/Commercial}

【 ♦ 】 The first game follows a protagonist who has just inherited her grandfather’s house, only to find out the five possible love interests are staying there. The plot mostly develops around the fact that they are incubi who refuse to return home, even as another demon is sent to collect them by force.

The game has more content than I would expect from a free game. Although the routes can get a bit repetitive, the story is compelling and the love interests are likable. The art looks nice too, with many event illustrations to collect.

The second game is a commercial sequel that expands on the protagonist’s relationship with the chosen love interest as they try to win a war between demons. The routes are more separate and less repetitive in the sequel, but some things feel odd and unnecessary, such as giving every non-selected love interest a wife that looks and acts like them. I did however like the side couple’s story a lot, and would still recommend the game.

Seven Boys 2
^{Windows, Commercial}

【 ✘ 】 This is one of those visual novels that made me keep playing in order to try to find some redeemable moments in what is otherwise a disgraceful game. I suppose some positive features would be the gameplay, which is divided in parts and allows you to start at different points in the game, and the art.

The story follows “Snow White”, an amnesiac adult thrown into a cruel world where only children exist - although it soon comes to light that none of them are, in fact, children. The writing is shallow and the plot seems held together by thumbtacks, although some of that might be a side effect of the horrible machine translation.

There are many love interests - more than the titular seven. Not all of them have good endings. Some of them will abuse or assault the MC, and that will be overlooked. As for the MC, she is best described as pathetic, and everything one learns about her only makes the impression worse.

Shall We Date: Blood in Roses+
^{Android, Freemium}

A mobile visual novel-style game using the classic system with tickets that restock over time but can be bought with real currency, and featuring two seasons with two different protagonists and many love interests each. The story takes place in a supernatural hotel, with the love interests being different kinds of supernatural beings, and the plot centers around breaking a curse.

I played only the first season, and found the protagonist and love interests likable. Each character gets two different good endings, and failure one if you cannot meet the requirements for one of the aforementioned. The stories can be cute, but feel rushed as well. As for the art, it has an unusual style, but it’s not bad.

Shall We Date: Lost Alice
^{Android, Freemium}

【 ♥ ♦ 】 An Alice in Wonderland-themed visual novel featuring seven different storylines, with three love interests each, for a total of twenty-one pursuable characters. It is playable through tickets that restock over time, though it is also possible to buy them using real life currency; in-game currency can also be bought, but it is entirely possible to earn it without spending a cent, as I did.

This game became one of my favorites for its beautiful art and interesting characters - strong protagonist, adorable love interests - I still can’t choose a favorite between Chronus, Louis, and Neil - and a lovable supporting cast. The romance is cute and fluffy, and there are short side stories to unlock as well.

Shall We Date: Oz+
^{Android, Freemium}

This is a mobile visual novel operating with a ticket system where you either wait for tickets to restock or buy more with real currency, and it features a plot loosely based on The Wizard of Oz.

There are a few love interests, all with their own separate routes. Although the art is beautiful, the plot and characters are bland and unimpressive. The ticket system makes the story drag on, and overall the game does not leave any lasting impression..

Signed and Sealed with a Kiss
^{Windows, Commercial}

【 ✘ 】 The story revolves around a nameable, invisible protagonist receiving a ‘boyfriend’ whose blank personality changes with time - there are three personalities he can develop, and two more can be added by purchasing DLC. I thought this premise had a lot of potential, but I was thoroughly disappointed by the actual game. Buying the DLC is not even worth considering.

Trying too hard to sound relatable, the writing goes overboard with references and poor attempts at humor. The choice of personality for the protagonist has little impact, and said personalities are entirely one-dimensional. This game also has the easiest and yet the most pointless stat-raising mechanic I have ever seen; whereas the visual novel elements are decent but sparse, and a lot of it is lost if mature content is disabled, including event illustrations. I also disliked that the main character is never present in them, likely as you are given the option to choose pronouns instead of having a set gender.

Signed X
^{Windows, Free}

This visual novel has a high school setting, a romance-loving protagonist and two possible love interests. Albeit simple, the story manages to be cute, as the main character attempts to find the person behind a romantic message.

There are four endings to be found. The art is also nice, although I wish the game had proper event illustrations rather than just chibi images.

Since When Did I Have a Combat Butler!?
^{Windows, Free}

A short visual novel with a single love interest - a guy who insists he is the protagonist’s butler who must protect her - and three different endings - two good, one bad. There is both a voiced and an unvoiced version; as I played the unvoiced one, I have no opinions on the voice-acting.

The sprite art is good and does not clash with the backgrounds, but I found the art of event illustrations to be a little off. On the other hand, the best asset of this game is the worldbuilding behind the (fairly basic) plot, which can be found under an ‘extras’ option - it was interesting enough that I was disappointed it was not used in a more complex game with more branching possibilities.

Sounds of Verity
^{Windows, Commercial}

【 ✘✘ 】 The art is beautiful, the main love interest is okay, and I have no other possible praise for this visual novel. The otherworldly story at times sounds more like a parody than an actual plot, and I should weep for my money even though I bought this at 80% discount.

Firstly, I was disappointed. I loved the first game from the same developer, while this game gave me a terrible feeling that none of the endings could clear up. In fact, I played through all the endings trying to find some saving grace, and instead each outcome was worse than the last. Two endings were NSFW enough that I sped through a lot of the text without being able to read it, and that was still the least of the horror. The only arguably ‘good’ ending was the one titled after the game itself, and even that one felt hollow.

It’s not often that a game leaves such a horrible aftertaste that I feel the need to uninstall it right away as a way to metaphorically cleanse my mind from the disgust it induced. That says it all.

Spirited Heart Deluxe
^{Windows, Commercial}

Review pending...

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Mauris et augue sodales lacus porttitor malesuada nec vel elit. Aenean gravida diam sit amet finibus varius. Ut eget aliquam justo. Curabitur at libero vulputate, elementum metus sit amet, auctor augue. Sed a ante sit amet mauris tempor interdum ac convallis nulla. Vivamus sit amet suscipit dui. Vivamus gravida sollicitudin interdum. Vestibulum posuere vitae nisl non feugiat. Aliquam ornare mi quam, a posuere nisl laoreet eu. Morbi semper, tortor ut pellentesque ornare, urna purus elementum massa, eget sollicitudin diam nisl non lacus. Sed nec sodales libero. Duis risus neque, porta nec tempus quis, mollis commodo tortor. Suspendisse ornare accumsan lacus id volutpat.

Starry Sky ~In Spring~
^{Windows, Fanmade Translation Patch}

This is a slice-of-life visual novel with a high school setting and three possible love interests born in the titular season. The gameplay is very simple - choosing the right options during the game determines the ending, with each route having a bad, good, and best ending.

The art is high-quality and there are many event illustrations, but I found the game and the characters to be fairly dull. The protagonist is clueless, voiceless, and frustrating. The love interests each have their own background story, but each plot line ultimately falls flat. While this is not a bad game and has some nice moments, it also never goes past being an overdone, unremarkable high school romance story.

Storm Lover Kai
^{PSP, Fanmade Translation Patch}

【 ♦ 】 This slice-of-life game with a classic high school setting combines visual novel, simulation, and stat-raising elements. The story follows a (nameable) transfer student for a year, and focuses almost entirely on relationships between characters.

Both the stat-raising and numerous visual novel-style choices are quite easy, so the game has a relaxed place. There are seven possible love interests, each with two different endings, both being happy endings (except for one character, who has one happy ending and one death ending - something that surprised me, as I felt it out of place considering the overall tone of the game!) There are also bonus side stories, a gallery for character bios and replayable scenes, and many event illustrations.

Overall, I found this to be a cute game, with beautiful art and fun moments, that I would definitely play it again.

Straight Up: Sisterzoned!
^{Windows, Free}

This is a run-of-the-mill visual novel about a girl in love with her slightly older best friend, and it felt rather average in every sense.

The story is a good length, with choices not too obvious, but easily replayable to achieve the good ending. The art is average, though I liked how colorful it was. The characters are the game’s worst downfall: the single love interest is just okay, any side characters are negligible, and the protagonist could have used a better personality.

Subject: Love
^{Windows, Free}

A visual novel about a witch wanting to test a love potion on six would-be love interests, this game was actually made for April Fools, and all the endings are comedic rather than romantic. That said, the characters and their banter are great, the story flows nicely (outside of the needlessly difficult clicking mini-game) and the distinctive art style is pretty and eye-catching. The opening animation is particularly striking.

Truly, it is a fun game to play, and I had a good time going through all the endings.

Summer Found Me
^{Windows, Free}

The plot of this visual novel follows the protagonist in the summer of her final year of high school. It’s a short length game featuring three love interests.

The art in the event illustrations is much nicer than the art in the rest of the game, which is not the best in terms of quality. The protagonist is average, but the love interest routes are distinct enough to keep replays interesting. It is overall a simple and basic indie game.

Summon Night 5
^{PSP, Commercial}

Summon Night is primarily a tactical RPG, set in a city that connects different fantasy worlds. Players can choose between a male or female character, one of four partners, and several team members. At the end of each chapter, there is a choice to speak with another character, and this is what leads to a romance or friendship ending when you beat the game.

I found the tactical battles surprisingly addicting, and there are other fun features such as a fishing mini-game and collecting concept art. Each playthrough grants bonuses for subsequent ones, meaning the game gets easier the more times you finish it.

Unfortunately, the romance aspect ends up being lackluster, with the post-chapter conversations and endings being incredibly short. The plot is a bit too predictable as well. As for the art, it is high-quality, but the needless sexualization of female characters was sometimes jarring.

Sword Daughter
^{Windows, Commercial}

This is a fantasy adventure visual novel about a young warrior trying to avenge her father’s death with the help of her elf love interest.

The main character stands on her own, the one love interest is likable, and the side characters are interesting too. Despite being short, the story can go in many different directions and there are many choices. There is also a feature that allows you to see choices taken and not taken, and return to that point in the game; unfortunately, this can get confusing and repetitive at times.

Endings can be good or bad, or in-between. There is also an achievement system, and the painterly art is beautiful.