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Free Visual Novels?


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Delpheno



Joined: 31 Mar 2008
Posts: 59
PostPosted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 11:15 pm Reply with quote
Anybody know where I can try out a visual novel?

Thanks.
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PantsGoblin
Subscriber
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 27 Jun 2005
Posts: 2969
Location: L.A.
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 1:38 am Reply with quote
Discussion of visual novels is allowed in this section? (I wasn't aware but I'd sure be happy if they are)

Sadly, I don't know of any place where you can legally try out visual novels in English. I'm assuming you mean in English so you can understand them... There aren't even very many companies releasing them at all (and Hirameki went down a few months ago... was very sad news to me).
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darkchibi07



Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 5459
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 5:47 am Reply with quote
This thread might get moved later on, but I believe this qualifies as a free, translated visual novel:

http://narcissu.insani.org/

The translation group even got permission from the original creator to distribute this.
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BellosTheMighty



Joined: 27 Nov 2007
Posts: 767
PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 12:20 pm Reply with quote
Quality is extremely variable, but:

http://www.renai.us/
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nhat



Joined: 21 Jan 2008
Posts: 922
PostPosted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 4:58 am Reply with quote
I have been searching for VNs with no H-scenes for many months now and I created a comprehensive list around. Since VN isn't big in the US, it isn't too hard to gather all the info after searching for so long.

Almost anything from Hirameki is good. Unfortunately they went out of business (again, not popular enough in the US) and I highly suggest getting their products before they disappear.

On DVD, I highly suggest Phantom Inferno and hourglass of summer (unfortunately they are on DVD which means slow text but the story is good regardless)

On PC, I suggest Ever17 (highly recommended) Yo Jin Bo (amazon has a few left) Pieces of Wonder, Animamundi (I'm getting it soon and I'll put a review if anyone is interested.)

If you need help on finding and buying their titles (pretty cheap now, $10-15) just ask and I can help. It's worth it since they last from from 10-15 hrs like Piece of Wonder to up to 60 hours or more like Ever17.

Also most subbers who sub VNs sub non-ero stuff. Anything from www.insani.org is good and deja vu http://www.grey-space.net/starchanchan/vn/index.html

Anything from insani is legit because they got permission from the original authors to translate their stuff into English. I believe deja vu is the same thing.

I'll say 50%of the novels I read were average or below, 30% were good, and the last 20% were exceedingly great.

Also there is a website dedicated to VNs news: http://visual-novels.net/vn/

They have most of the VNs ready to download but it's mixed in with OEL (original English Language) I haven't read any of them since they are fan made. You can tell the difference by the art style and category they are in.


Most of the ones I read from insani or deja vu only last from a few minutes to probably 5 hrs the most. The ones that you have to buy will last you for a long time like Ever17 and Tsukihime. I have a list written down on my other comp so I'll post it here when I can get it.

Edit*
Ok here it is:
The noose
Narcissu
RedShift (ok)
ThePoorLittleBird
Soremata until we meet again
ITSDTA the caged vagrant
Collage
TheWorldToReverse hallucinate and Flanca
My Black Cat (ok)
Night of the Forget-Me-Nots (ok)

40 days and 40 nights is good too, I don't know if it was me, seem to have a lot of grammar and spelling errors in it. If anyone else read it noticed that too?

Also I have not read any of the newer stuff and that might be a while.
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skyler25



Joined: 28 Jun 2008
Posts: 59
PostPosted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:03 am Reply with quote
http://shii.org/translate/

This one has a list of some visual novels, what computer platforms they're for, whether they're complete, in progress, or dead.


http://at2006.haeleth.net/release.php

This was once a visual novel translating contest (has some of the same ones as insani); a lot of free (but rather short) visual novels are available for download (most for both PC and Mac). It's mostly non-eroge.
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zanarkand princess



Joined: 27 Oct 2007
Posts: 1484
PostPosted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:01 am Reply with quote
Quote:
Yo Jin Bo

I'm currently playing this game an it is great. I don't know about anything else it's pretty hard to find them in english like an above poster said hirameki is dead. You could try peach princess but only if you want an ero game. Yo-jin-bo is also the only non yaoi otome game I know of in english (except for fatal hearts but that's kind of learn to draw anime book in it's art style) What do you like? If you have been an anime fan for at least 5 months you have heard of kanon,air,clannad,da capo,rumbling hearts. Those are the really popular ones so you should start there (I can't really recommend anything else I'm not an expert on this) What do you want? Ren'ai, ero,non ero, yaoi?
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einhorn303



Joined: 20 Nov 2006
Posts: 1180
PostPosted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 4:33 am Reply with quote
Katawa Shoujo is an English visual novel that will be free and promises to be incredibly awesome...probably the best English visual novel yet.

http://katawashoujo.blogspot.com/

Plus there's Anon's Nice Days, a 4chan-browser-oriented VN that will be released a bit sooner.

http://anonymousnicedays.blogspot.com/2008/04/anons-nice-days.html
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Angelchan



Joined: 19 Apr 2010
Posts: 1
Location: Mars
PostPosted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 7:50 pm Reply with quote
I wonder if Blue Seed was like or is? Any ideas on that??? Embarassed Laughing Very Happy Cool

[EDIT: Please do not needlessly use color or bold in your posts. - Key]
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Megiddo



Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 8360
Location: IL
PostPosted: Mon May 10, 2010 2:30 pm Reply with quote
I highly recommend Planetarian. You can check out the demo for free, and the game only costs $15

It truly is, in a sense, a novel. All you do is watch the story. There are no choices to make. But it certainly is a wonderful story.
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dan888



Joined: 28 May 2008
Posts: 115
PostPosted: Fri May 14, 2010 8:11 am Reply with quote
True Remembrance also has a legal, free English release, and is considered to be one of the best free visual novels out there.
http://trueremembrance.insani.org/
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boki



Joined: 07 Jan 2010
Posts: 18
PostPosted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:45 pm Reply with quote
Ripples:
http://vnovel.info/ripples/

The Flower Shop - Summer in Fairbrook:
http://vnovel.info/flowershop/
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boki



Joined: 07 Jan 2010
Posts: 18
PostPosted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 4:29 pm Reply with quote
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Nokcha



Joined: 06 Feb 2011
Posts: 14
PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 10:31 pm Reply with quote
Go check out these sites if you're interested in visual novels that are relatively short but have great story and system

Digital: A Love Story-
http://www.scoutshonour.com/digital/

Red Shift (i really recommend this one, for being a freeware it has good storyline, soothing music, and of course a classic tsundere heroine)-
http://www.insani.org/redshift.html
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Nokcha



Joined: 06 Feb 2011
Posts: 14
PostPosted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 10:37 pm Reply with quote
oh and add these ones too:

Brass Restoration:
http://yandere.gray7.com/?p=64

The Letter (bear with it on this one cause feedbacks might vary from people to people):
http://www.insani.org/tegami.html
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