Visual novel

A visual novel is a type of video game. They use mostly static (non-moving) graphics, and usually have anime/manga-styled art. Sometimes they contain video footage. Almost all visual novels are produced in Japan, very few of these are ever sold in the Western market. Doki Doki Literature Club! is a popular visual novel that became viral upon release. Other examples of visual novels include Kanon, Clannad, and Air.

Gameplay

Visual novels are different from other types of video games, because there is not much gameplay. Most of the time the player clicks the screen to move through the game, and occasionally choices will come up for the player to make, which will determine what happens in the story. Most visual novels have more than one storyline and ending, a style of gameplay similar to Choose Your Own Adventure books.

Content and genre

Many visual novels are centered around drama, particularly themes involving romance or family, but visual novels centered around science fiction, fantasy fiction, and horror fiction are not uncommon.

Adult content

Many visual novels have sexual or pornographic scenes in the game, even if they are not the whole purpose of the story.

For example, Katawa Shoujo is a 2012 visual novel developed by a group of users of the forum website 4chan, under the name Four-Leaf Studios. Katawa Shoujo contains erotic themes and is often referred to as an eroge, but the game itself is not focused on these themes, and moreso on the characters themselves.

References

↑ Cavallaro, Dani (2010). Anime and the visual novel: narrative structure, design and play at the crossroads of animation and computer games. McFarland & Company. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-7864-4427-4.
↑ Lebowitz, Josiah; Klug, Chris (2011). "Japanese Visual Novel Games". Interactive storytelling for video games: a player-centered approach to creating memorable characters and storie. Burlington, MA: Focal Press. pp. 192–4. ISBN 978-0-240-81717-0. Retrieved 2012-11-10. Visual novels (or sound novels, as they're sometimes called) are a popular game genre in Japan.

[1] Cavallaro, Dani (2010). Anime and the visual novel: narrative structure, design and play at the crossroads of animation and computer games. McFarland & Company. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-7864-4427-4.

[2] Lebowitz, Josiah; Klug, Chris (2011). "Japanese Visual Novel Games". Interactive storytelling for video games: a player-centered approach to creating memorable characters and storie. Burlington, MA: Focal Press. pp. 192–4. ISBN 978-0-240-81717-0. Retrieved 2012-11-10. Visual novels (or sound novels, as they're sometimes called) are a popular game genre in Japan.