Visual novels are interactive games meant mainly for storytelling and character-to-player simulation. The medium has been around for years and has risen in popularity.
Much like regular novels, they can range in genres such as horror, science fiction and romance. Nevertheless, visual novels as a medium can be quite powerful if done right (which they usually are).
My favorite visual novel that I've read in the past year or so has to have been "Emily is Away." It takes the player back to the old school days of AOL Messenger and has the player make, break and mend relationships as each year of school goes on. It's a very relatable story, seeing relationships end in sour and stupid ways, and I loved every minute of it.
A more recent one that I played through was "The Average Everyday Adventures of Samantha Browne" which simply featured a girl with social anxiety just trying to make oatmeal in the middle of the night. Both of these stories kind of hit home with me, as they're simply things that I've struggled with on my own—just in different scenarios, of course.
I've been reading visual novels for years now, and I really want to get into making one myself. There's tons of software to get one started, such as Ren'py and RPG Maker among others.
However, the process is very strenuous. It's almost like learning how to code, but that's essentially it—coding in dialogue and settings and interactions between either the player or other characters.
It's a challenge for sure––but one day, I believe that it's possible for me to tell the story that I truly want to tell.
