Visual novels have always been heavily associated with the romance genre, for better or for worse. Ever since Elf's Doukyuusei set off the dating sim in 1992, bishoujo games have dominated the market. The best romance visual novels can surpass the genre, pulling in elements of drama, thriller, and even science fiction. Romance is a powerful thing, and these visual novels can leave a heavy emotional impact and an unforgettable experience.

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All the following visual novels have the "Romance" tag on VNDB.org, however, not all of them necessarily have romance as the main focus. However, since the tags are user-submitted, each of these games had a romantic subplot that left an impression on fans.

Updated January 21, 2023, by Rain Egan: The visual novel genre continues to be a fantastic mode of expression for visual-based storytellers. Visual novels now make up a significant portion of the titles on Steam, with just under a fifth of games being tagged as such; and that doesn't even take into account non-Steam visual novels. As time has passed, more visual novels have been released, opinions have changed, old favorites have gotten the spotlight, and genres have shifted to be more inclusive of each other. As a result, there have been one or two changes when it comes to the best romance visual novels available on Steam.

18 Hakuchuumu no Aojashin (8.36)

Cyanotype Daydream is a fairly long visual novel by Laplacian, with a playtime of around thirty-four hours. Kaito, an average boy, wakes to find himself in a strange room. With no memory of who he is or how he got there, his only clues are a quiet white-haired girl named Yonagi and their overseer, Izumo.

Kaito finds himself witness to three strange stories: one of a washed-up professor, one of a young William Shakespeare, and one of a college drop-out. The game describes itself as a story about the pure love of a girl and a boy who gave their lives for the world, and it's definitely worth playing to find out why. Cyanotype Daydream is one of the best visual novels on Steam right now, and regularly goes on sale for interested players!

17 Grisaia no Kajitsu -Le Fruit de la Grisaia- (8.38)

Kazami Yuuji arrives at Mihama Academy, an institute consisting of only a small selection of female students who have become disconnected from the world in one way or another. Following some not-so-typical meet-cutes, Kazami gradually peels back the layers of the other characters, revealing tragedy after tragedy along with a slither of hope that the girls can come out of the other side stronger than before.

Romance does play a part, but it isn't the main focus of this visual novel. The Fruit of Grisaia deals with plenty of mature subjects and, more importantly, handles them quite well. Kazami is also a refreshingly direct protagonist, and the routes are generally all well-written.

16 Aiyoku no Eustia (8.45)

In the visual novel sphere, August is a developer that needs little introduction. Aiyoku no Eustia is a contender for the studio's best work, telling a compelling story defined by class division, intriguing mysteries, and memorable characters. The main protagonist, Caim, works as a freelancer in the Prison, a section of Novus Aither city that become a lawless zone following a disaster.

Caim's journey leads him to cross paths with five heroines. Each heroine gets a chapter, all of which push the characters out of their comfort zone or challenge their prejudice. (Eus)Tia is the final "heroine", but Licia is also great.

15 Ever17 -The Out of Infinity- (8.46)

The second entry in KID's Infinity series, Ever 17: Out of Infinity consists of five routes, the last of which is unlocked after the other four are completed. A group of people becomes trapped in an underwater amusement park as it begins to flood, forcing them to work together to try and survive long enough to be rescued. The game features two protagonists, each of whom goes through their own unique path.

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Outside of routes repeating story beats, Ever 17 is never remotely boring, and things come together splendidly in the final arc. Romance is sprinkled throughout the adventure, although it is very much a secondary element.

14 Tsukihime -A Piece of Blue Glass Moon- (8.50)

Tsukihimi -A Piece of Blue Glass Moon- is the first part of two remakes of an iconic visual novel from 2000 called Tsukihime. The story follows Shiki Tohno, a second-year high-schooler in 1999 that suffered a life-threatening injury in his youth. Thanks to this injury, Tohno can see death lines: lines by which things, living or not, will eventually break when they die.

Due to his injury, Shiki is exiled by his father to a branch family. After his father passes eight years later, however, he moves back in with his sister. Upon moving back, Shiki has trouble adjusting to his sister's old-fashioned lifestyle. The remakes keep much of the same content as the original, but split apart the two routes and add some much-needed quality-of-life features, like easy skipping.

13 Rewrite (8.53)

Starting out as a pretty straightforward romance visual novel, Rewrite eventually transitions into a far more serious albeit fantastical tale. Tennouji Kotarou, a high school student, has the ability to adapt his body's stats; naturally, this power drags him into the middle of a conflict between two factions.

Following a lighthearted opening route, Rewrite branches out into seven paths: five dedicated to each of the game's heroines and a route for each faction. Romance fans will be well served by most (heroine) routes, with Lucia's path being particularly memorable in this regard.

12 9 -Nine- Yukiiro Yukihana Yukinoato (8.55)

The final chapter in the 9-nine- series, Episode 4 should only be experienced once the previous entries have been completed. Otherwise, this visual novel is just not as satisfying of an experience. The story is far too complicated to go into detail, but the general gist is that Kakeru Niimi can witness different timelines and needs to bring together four girls to take on a large threat.

Noa Yuuki takes center stage in the final chapter, and players can push for a romance between her and Kakeru. Fans of Haruka, Miyako, and Sora are also not ignored by Episode 4 since it does still dive into their relationships with Kakeru.

11 Little Busters! (8.57)

The sixth game by super-popular VN studio Key. Little Busters! follows Riki, a high school boy trying to form a baseball team with some of his childhood friends. There's much more afoot than teenage romance, though. Multiple characters drop hints about a "secret to this world", and it may be related to Riki's narcolepsy.

Little Busters! is also unique in that it contains several minigames. There's a batting practice simulator and the odd fighting game sequence. Don't get discouraged by this, as they don't require too much skill to complete, and it's still one of the best romance visual novels out there.

10 Fate/Stay Night (8.61)

The visual novel. Fate/stay night is less than twenty years old, but it's already grown into a massive multimedia franchise. The original spawned an anime adaptation, a gacha game, and multiple movies. Players take the role of Shirou Emiya, a young man dragged into the Holy Grail War. Participants make combat by summoning the spirits of historical figures.

There are three main heroines - Saber, Rin Tohsaka, and Sakura Matoh. The game's plot line is directed depending on which character the player is the closest to. The three routes vary pretty widely - Sakura's, in particular, is much darker than the other two and often compared to a horror story.

9 Baldr Sky Dive2 "Recordare" (8.64)

It's easy to argue that Baldr Sky isn't a visual novel at all. Most of the game is the traditional text with a few choices, but there are many action sequences. These levels are mecha-piloting shooters. There's a huge weapon tree and multiple difficulty levels.

All of the main characters in Baldr Sky are mech pilots. The protagonist, Kou, is an amnesiac who suddenly awakens in the middle of a battle. His main goal is to investigate the "Gray Christmas", a tragic event that apparently destroyed his life. An easy recommendation for fans of the cyberpunk genre.

8 Clannad (8.66)

Before going any further, it's worth defining nakige. A portmanteau of a Japanese term meaning "crying game", a nakige aims to emotionally destroy the player. Clannad is the most popular game by Key, the studio that invented the term.

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The first half of Clannad goes down pretty easily. The protagonist, Tomoya, is a delinquent high schooler struggling with his abusive father. He meets one of his classmates, a sickly but kind girl named Nagisa. The latter half, taking place after a time skip, is where things get much heavier. No spoilers, but consider bringing a security blanket.

7 Subarashiki Hibi ~Furenzoku Sonzai~ (8.66)

Subarashiki Hibi isn't the longest game on the list, but it may be the densest. The story jumps between multiple protagonists experiencing the events of the same week. It all revolves around the suicide of Zakuro Takashima, a girl whose death may be the first sign of the apocalypse.

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There are certainly romance subplots in the visual novel, but they won't be what players will remember most by the end. SubaHibi is pretty infamous for dealing with subjects like mental health, suicide, and trauma. A lot of unsavory things are shown in graphic, bloody detail. Provided the player can handle it, it's an engrossing experience.

6 Sakura no Uta: Sakura No Mori No Ue O Mau (8.69)

The reimagining of a long-gone canceled title of the same name, Sakura no Uta is the story of Naoya, who, after the loss of his father, moves in with his friend Kei and her sisters. His long-lost childhood friend, Rin, makes a reappearance around the same time.

It sounds like a very stock premise, but the game isn't afraid to bring up deeper topics like philosophy. There are six main heroines in Sakura no Uta. There's also a final true end route that only unlocks after the player has finished every other character's story.

5 Fata Morgana No Yakata (8.77)

Chiefly known by its English title The House In Fata Morgana, this one follows an episodic format similar to SubaHibi. The player character awakens with no memories or identity, in a decrepit old mansion. They meet a woman who claims to be their Maid and directs them to live the lives of four other people.

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The stories take place in Europe, the time frame ranging from the 11th to 19th centuries. They all deal with the pretty heavy issues of their time, with a focus on various forms of class discrimination. Eventually, the main character remembers more and more of who they are, and it's incredibly engrossing.

4 Soukou Akki Muramasa (8.87)

Full Metal Daemon: Muramasa is a single-player visual novel by Nitroplus, and is generally regarded as a masterpiece in the visual novel community. It's full of action and drama and follows 'musha' Minato Kageaki, a classic anti-hero. Mushas are warriors that don enchanted suits of armor called tsurugi, which grant them supernatural powers.

While romance isn't the main focus of the story, there are several romantic paths that the player can take, providing some interesting variety to the gameplay. Players should also be warned that the game contains graphic scenes, both sexual and violent in nature.

3 Umineko No Naku Koro Ni Chiru (8.93)

The second half of the dimension-spanning murder mystery classic Umineko no Naku Koro ni. It takes place on a secluded island owned by a dying wealthy patriarch. He invites his prospective heirs to the island to negotiate his will, but things turn grim. A typhoon traps everyone on the island and people start mysteriously dropping dead.

Umineko features a great romance plot among the layers upon layers of mystery. Keep in mind that Chiru is a sequel. It's mandatory to read the first half of the story first. Both halves are over 60 hours long, so strap in.

2 White Album 2 ~Closing Chapter~ (8.96)

The original White Album was a pretty influential work, released back in 1998. It follows university student Touya and his relationship with long-time friend and romantic interest Yuki. Yuki is a popular idol singer, and her busy career is tearing the two apart. White Album 2, the much-anticipated follow-up, takes place after a ten-year time skip.

White Album 2 comes in two installments: this one, and the preceding ~Introductory Chapter~. Closing Chapter is much longer and has multiple endings. Getting the full story requires both chapters.

1 Steins;Gate (9.00)

Another one of those medium-defining works. Steins;Gate is a hard sci-fi mystery centering on a group of students who discover time travel. The main theme of the story is cause and effect, as characters travel back multiple times to alter future events.

Although it's chiefly a thriller, Steins;Gate manages to touch on a lot of different genres. In the greater scheme of the story, the romance aspect might seem small. Still, this one is almost mandatory reading for anyone trying to get into visual novels. It also has one of the best VN-to-anime adaptations.

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