Have you ever thought of being able to control the main character’s actions in a visually striking novel? If you did, you must start exploring the best visual novels on Switch.
In this article, we’ll explore some popular visual novels on Switch and how long it will take for you to finish them. Keep reading to discover your next VN find!
What’s the Point of Visual Novel Games?
The point of visual novel games is to provide people with an interactive and immersive experience by letting them control the story’s characters. Many visual novels have different storylines and endings based on the choices players make. This allows players to replay the novel game without knowing how it will progress.
The music, art, and voice acting, which notable people in the industry sometimes do, generally improve a visual novel’s storyline. These factors enhance the storytelling experience, making visual novels more engaging and visually appealing than traditional novels.
Ever wondered if the Nintendo Switch come with games? Find out the answer and some useful tips here!
10 Best Visual Novels on Switch
Visual novels (VNs) are an ever-growing genre that gives players a first-person experience in exciting storylines. What happens to the characters in these games is based on your choices, a change from the standard way of enjoying novels.
These are 10 of the best visual novels on Switch:
1. Coffee Talk
Price: $12.99
Genre: Adventure
Coffee Talk is set in an alternate world in Seattle. You play the role of a barista who owns a coffee shop and reads a local paper called the Evening Whisperer. The gameplay is simple – you make warm drinks and listen to your customers.
The people who come into the coffee shop include humans and mystical creatures with different stories, like elves, vampires, and werewolves. However, there is a regular called Freya who is a journalist. The shop usually opens after midnight, and it’s always raining outside.
2. The Charming Empire
Price: $24.99
Genre: Adventure, Romance
The Charming Empire falls under the otome visual novel category. Otome is a video game genre where a female protagonist explores a romantic relationship based on a story. In The Charming Empire, the main character is Amane Kosaka, the emperor’s sister, whose foster parents raised her.
Amane leaves the countryside to go to the city, where she is trained to be a rich person’s wife. However, she meets a charming love interest during one of her visits to the town. There are five options a player can choose to be Aname’s love interest at the beginning of the game.
Generally, this visual novel on Switch has great audio but somewhat slow gameplay.
3. Arcade Spirits
Price: $19.99
Genre: Romantic Comedy
As the name suggests, Arcade Spirits takes place in an arcade in 20XX. It’s an analogy of what could have happened if the video game arcade market hadn’t crashed. In the game, a player starts a new job at Funplex, a popular arcade game where you meet different characters and customers.
Arcade Spirits lets you design your character from scratch, including their pronouns and hairstyle. IRIS, or Identity Identifier System, helps keep track of your relationship status in the arcade. Your decision as a player highly influences your future in the arcade.
Want to read your visual novel anywhere? Find out how to play downloaded Switch games offline here.
4. Florence
Price: $5.99
Genre: Slice of Life
This visual novel on Switch has a story that most of us can relate to. In the game, players go about their lives as Florence Yeoh, who is on a journey of self-discovery. Florence also experiences the joy and heartaches that come with first love.
The game has hand-drawn graphics. It has a great soundtrack and a soft color palette, which makes players feel relaxed as they enjoy the relatable storyline.
5. Lover Pretend
Price: $49.99
Genre: Romance
In Lover Pretend, a young woman named Chiyuki works as an assistant on a film in her last year of college. The production combines actors in a film her late mother worked on years ago. She will be the female love interest in the film.
However, there is a twist. One of the men who worked on the film could be our protagonist’s father. Chiyuki must discover love while finding her father. Fortunately, the love interest you pick isn’t her father or related to Chiyuki in any way.
If you’re looking for the best Switch games for 3-year-olds, make sure to check out this article!
6. What Remains of Edith Finch
Price: $19.99
Genre: Mystery
This is one of the best visual novel games on Switch, where the protagonist must uncover truths about her family. There are different stories in What Remains of Edith Finch. Each story gives you the experience of a family member and how they passed.
In the story, you experience the last day of a particular family member from a first-person perspective. The graphics, soundtrack, and script give players an interactive and realistic experience in the world of the Finches.
7. A Little Lily Princess
Price: $14.99
Genre: Romance, Suspense
The Little Lily Princess – Sara Crew – was raised as a princess in India. She was sent to a boarding school in England, where she needed to fulfill the difficult task of forming bonds and relationships with her fellow students.
Every week, Sara partakes in different activities, like tea parties. Sara can gain more resources for these activities by reading books.
The game has a simple Victorian outlook with appealing soundtracks.
8. Cabin Fever
Price: $9.99
Genre: Romance, Slice of Life
The setup of this visual novel on Switch happens after a pandemic. Your character works remotely as a computer programmer living in the mountains. You also spend the day looking after chickens and tending to a vegetable garden. Your character doesn’t participate in the outside world.
On one stormy night, a woman appears injured. It is up to you to help her or not. There are multiple endings to the story, which is filled with friendships and romantic pursuits. The story’s ending depends on how you tackle your character’s challenges.
9. Across The Grooves
Price: $16.99
Genre: Adventure
Across the Grooves is set in a magical realism universe. It features a protagonist named Alice, a girl with an uneventful life. She works an office job, has a stable relationship, and lives in a nice apartment in the center of Bordeaux.
Alice receives an old vinyl record that brings her ex-lover, Ulysse, back into her life. Her reality changes after listening to the track, and Alice tracks down Ulysse for an explanation. In this visual novel on Switch, your choices transform the character into a different person.
10. South of the Circle
Price: $7.79
Genre: Romance
South of the Circle is about Peter, an academic from Cambridge. He struggled to survive in Antarctica during the 1960s cold war. The main storyline is very emotional, questioning the consequences of Peter’s paths.
In the game, Peter develops a love interest with a colleague, Sara. As he searches for help, his childhood memories and past unravel, revealing pressures that Peter must escape.
South of the Circle has excellent 3D graphics, which gives a sense of realism.
Are you interested to check out all these visual novels? Find out how many games a Switch can hold.
How Long Is the Gameplay for a Visual Novel?
The gameplay for a visual novel is usually more than 30 hours. Visual novels take longer than films because the games have various endings, hidden choices, and variations in plot and subplot lines. The more complex a visual novel is, the more time it will take for a player to finish it.
This timeline doesn’t include visual novels with explicit content. Explicit VNs can have extended scenes, which increase the duration of chapters. These chapters divide the storyline of visual novels into parts, making it easier to follow.
It’s worth noting that SFW (Safe to Work) visual novel games on Switch exclude explicit content.
Explore the Exciting World of Visual Novels on Switch
There are a variety of Switch visual novel games available for players. Each game has an exciting storyline based on a different world. Therefore, you can easily find something that sparks your interest.
If you’re not a fan of long visual novels or sequels, you can try mini-games that are quicker to complete. The best part is you can always choose your ending!
