15. The Warmth Between Us – 2020 (PC)
The Warmth Between Us Game Trailer
In The Warmth Between Us, you play as a young man who bumps into a girl while going about your daily routine. Despite your somewhat-average encounter, your relationship with her grows into something far from usual. Centered around a relationship that can't be defined as simply friendship or love, The Warmth Between Us explores the connections between people that go beyond description.
The Warmth Between Us seems like a classic visual novel at first glance, but it stands out for its unique storyline and characters. Unlike the well-known (and often worn-out) formula of boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, boy and girl live happily ever after, The Warmth Between Us follows a complex relationship between two near-strangers that will leave you analyzing your own connections to family, friends, and loved ones. If you enjoy kinetic visual novels, this game is a must-play.
Choose this game if you like…
- Unique art styles: This game is full of beautiful, anime-adjacent art with the creator’s personal touch throughout.
- Thought-provoking stories: Despite its traditional premise, this story soon turns introspective and will leave you analyzing your own relationships.
- No-skill-required games: This is a kinetic visual novel, meaning there are no alternate routes to choose from. Anyone can pick it up and play, even if they’re not a hard-core gamer!
The Warmth Between Us features beautiful artwork designed by Kikaiism in more than ten CG scenes. A tender soundtrack accompanies the art to deepen the immersion…and multiply the tears. With 6-8 hours of gameplay, this short-but-sweet emotional field trip will have you going back for more.
Fun factor score: 45/100
Tina taking her coffee for a walk in The Warmth Between Us
14. When the Past was Around – 2020 (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Android, PC, Mac)
When the Past was Around Game Trailer
In When the Past was Around, you play as a 20-year-old girl searching for lost memories of the one you loved. You are accompanied by a strange bird-man who represents the man you’ve forgotten. With his help, you must navigate the hodge-podge memory world by solving puzzles, but will these puzzles leave you with more questions than you started with?
When the Past was Around is a cozy, point-and-click puzzle game filled with romance, mystery, and a weird owl-guy. Despite its cute-and-cuddly appearance, When the Past was Around is not afraid to dive deep into topics like loss and regret. One of the most identifiable features of this game is its lack of text or speech. Instead, it relies on complex melodies and repeating musical themes to set the mood and move the story forward.
Choose this game if you like…
- Casual, hand-drawn art: This game features stunning hand-drawn art by Brigitta Rena.
- Memorable characters: Forget the tall-dark-and-handsome trope you’ve come to expect; Eda’s charming love interest is a walking, talking owl!
- Can’t-get-it-out-of-your-head soundtracks: The touching soundtrack is not only beautiful: its repeating melodies tell a story of their own.
When the Past was Around offers players a unique gaming experience devoid of speech or text. With just two hours of gameplay, this short story will burn itself into your heart and memory forever. The puzzles are surprisingly complex despite the simplistic art style they’re portrayed in.
Fun factor score: 60/100
Eda lost in the music and her memories from When the Past was Around
13. Lay a Beauty to Rest: The Darkness Peach Blossom Spring – 2021 (PC)
In Lay a Beauty to Rest: The Darkness Peach Blossom Spring, you play as a middle-aged man wandering through the woods. As you walk, you stumble into an ancient village lost to time. With no modern technology and plenty of strange traditions, the town seems eerily peaceful, but are you willing to dive deeper into the village’s darkest secrets?
The Darkness Peach Blossom Spring brings a unique flavor to visual novels. From its first scenes, this game captures your attention with a vibrant art style traditional to Japan. Once you’ve been swept up by the art, you will have numerous routes to choose from with 20 different endings. It’s hard to get bored with this game as the mysteries of the town run deep, and some endings are locked during the first play-through.
Choose this game if you like…
- Japanese-style impasto art: Far from usual, this breathtaking art style will keep you engaged in the story every step of the way.
- Historically-accurate clothing and environments: All clothing and environments are designed after the Chinese Qin and Han dynasties which lends the game an air of authenticity.
- Complete Mandarin voice acting: Beautiful, Mandarin voice acting and optional, English subtitles bring the story to life.
- A new twist every time you play: With 200,000 unique words and 20 different endings, every play-through is bound to be unique.
Lay a Beauty to Rest: The Darkness Peach Blossom Spring brings players a fully customizable visual novel with 20 different endings to discover. Enhanced by Japanese-style art, historically accurate clothing and environments, and full Mandarin voice acting, you will feel like you’re really part of this mythical town.
Fun factor score: 75/100
Shuang Hua tempting the player into an adventure in Lay a Beauty to Rest: The Darkness Peach Blossom Spring
12. Half Past Fate – 2020 (Switch, PC)
Half Past Fate Game Trailer
In Half Past Fate, you switch between six different characters, each with their own background, interests, and relationships. Jumping through time, you will see each character develop in both meaningful and humorous ways. As this game is all about fate, you won’t get to choose which characters end up together, but don’t let that stop you from exploring each vignette thoroughly!
Half Past Fate is a charming, rom-com-esque game full of adorable sprites, loud laughs, and fond memories. The gameplay is reminiscent of a point-and-click adventure game with a touch of open-world (or, should I say, open-town) exploration. The simple gameplay is enhanced by the bright visuals and cheery music, and you will soon find yourself losing hours at a time.
Choose this game if you like…
- An immersive rom-com: Enjoy all of the thrills of a heart-warming rom-com now in a video game!
- A complex social network: All six characters form ties to each other in unexpected and hilarious ways.
- Adorable aesthetics: The pixel-art style sprites and bright, detailed, 3D environments are enough to make even the crankiest spinsters swoon.
Half Past Fate features the romantic and amusing journeys of six different characters. Players get to take a front-row seat in the action through the game’s simple point-and-click mechanics. Through everyday encounters, you will watch all six characters find love and learn to laugh at themselves along the way.
Fun factor score: 80/100
Ana and Jaren trying their luck in Half Past Fate
11. Along the Edge – 2016 (Switch, PC, iOS, Linux, Mac)
Along the Edge Game Trailer
In Along the Edge, you play as a middle-aged woman who has just inherited a house once inhabited by your ancestors. As you get to know the villagers and your own history, you must make the decision to either accept the kind of life your ancestors lived or forge your own path. But who’s to say which choices are the right ones?
Along the Edge sets itself apart from other graphic novels with its razor-thin line between right and wrong. Instead of having a clear path to “victory,” you must decide what kind of person you want to become…and keep making that decision over and over again. No matter your past choices, all it takes is one mouse click to send your character on a completely different path.
Choose this game if you like…
- The darker side of life: Full of occult themes, this game will make you choose between the light and the dark over and over again.
- Dynamic characters: With 20 characters and 400 variants, your choices will impact everything from hair color to attitude for every character in the story.
- Holding the strings: This graphic novel will ask you to make choices that impact your own life, the ones you love, and the fates of everyone in the village.
Along the Edge gives players a distinctly individual experience as the choices you make during each play-through impact every character in appearance, personality, and fate. Each choice leads to one of 60 different plot twists and endings that will have you redefining good and evil. With hand-drawn illustrations and over 80,000 words, you will have hours of bewitching gameplay.
Fun factor score: 80/100
Daphné weighing her choices in Along the Edge
10. Florence – 2020 (Switch, Android, PC, iOS, Mac)
Florence Game Trailer
In Florence, you play as a 25-year-old woman with a very monotonous life. The heat is cranked up, however, when you meet an adventurous cello player and begin making small changes to your routine. But will these changes lead to your perfect life?
Florence is a bite-sized visual novel with a comforting familiarity. The gameplay stands out from other visual novels by throwing a few minigames into the mix. Though simple in mechanics, these minigames bring each scene to life and give the player a chance to get in on the action.
Choose this game if you like…
- A realistic romance: While experiencing the story of Florence, it’s difficult not to recognize snippets of your own life played out on screen.
- Cartoon-style art: All visuals are hand-drawn in a style reminiscent of Sunday-morning cartoons.
- Low-commitment gaming: With only 30 minutes of gameplay, any gamer can easily complete a play-through in one sitting.
Florence allows players to live through an entire love story in half an hour. The classic cartoon-style art and traditional romance gives players a feeling of nostalgia. With unique minigames sprinkled throughout the story, Florence is a one-of-a-kind game and a must-play for fans of visual novels.
Fun factor score: 85/100
Krish and Florence enjoying a night at home in Florence
9. LongStory – 2017 (Switch, Itch, PC, iOS, Android)
LongStory Game Trailer
In LongStory, you play as a new student in a classic American middle school. With plenty of friends, foes, and love interests to keep track of, you will have plenty of opportunities to relish in the awkward socialization inherent in teenage relationships. Live through three years of young adulthood and become whomever you want.
LongStory is a study in time travel. If you were to go back to your formative years, what would you do differently? Who would you become? These are questions you can answer as you write your own narrative in LongStory.
Choose this game if you like...
- Awkward romance: What’s better than watching two teenagers try to express their feelings? Being one of the teenagers, of course! Enjoy the ups and downs of young love while playing as a middle school character.
- Open-ended story: Make your life your own as you make day-to-day choices that will determine who you become. In LongStory, there are no wrong choices!
- Craft your identity: Customize your character to be whatever you want. Choose your pronouns, friends, and love interests (if any).
LongStory prides itself in being an all-inclusive coming-of-age romance with complete autonomy to decide if and who you will fall for. Exploring themes of identity, bullying, and friendship, LongStory gives an accurate glimpse into teenage life. Enjoy dozens of hours of gameplay as you choose between the many different paths open to you.
Fun factor score: 85/100
The motley crew of LongStory
8. The Passenger – 2022 (PC, Mac, Linux)
In The Passenger, you play as an alien trapped in a human form. After 26 years, you have acclimated to your earthly life and even have a shot at finding love, but will the monsters from your past disrupt the life you’ve made? Or will you finally escape the horrors of your home planet?
The Passenger offers a completely new experience in romance games. Rather than relying on charming sprites or feel-good music to set the tone, The Passenger only uses text to weave an enchanting tale. Despite the seemingly restrictive interface, you can play as any sexual orientation you like and tell a story uniquely your own.
Choose this game if you like…
- Lots of reading: Without any visual or musical embellishments, the story of The Passenger is delivered entirely through text.
- Open character customization: The Passenger breaks the mold of romance games by letting players experience love the way they want.
- Intriguing plot: Rather than building off of common romantic tropes, The Passenger tells a story that transcends the bounds of love, friendship, and the known universe.
The Passenger defies expectation by doing away with visuals and musical soundtracks, instead using only the timeless medium of the written word. Enjoy the endless opportunities that come from customizing your character to reflect the sexual orientation of your choice. Stay on the edge of your seat as you experience the intoxicating dichotomy of romance and horror rolled into one.
Fun factor score: 80/100
The nightmare-inducing cover image of The Passenger
7. Emily is Away <3 – 2021 (PC, Mac, Linux)
Emily is Away <3 Game Trailer
In Emily is Away <3, you are transported back to 2008 where an exciting, new social media platform has just launched. You have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of recreating who you are and forging new friendships along the way. But the most important thing to ask yourself is…who will you poke first?
Emily is Away <3 feeds on the millennial gamers’ nostalgia to create a virtual masterpiece. Explore the 2008-style interface of “Facenook” and build your friend group through pokes, likes, and instant messages.
Choose this game if you like…
- A healthy dose of nostalgia: Have you ever wished that technology would just stop advancing? Who’s to say that newer is always better? Take a step back in time and build up your very first “Facenook” profile using an interface borrowed straight from 2008.
- DM-ing people constantly: While you can post and like ‘til the sun don’t shine, the bulk of your relationships happen in the classic private-messaging windows of “Facenook.”
- Enough drama to last a lifetime: With multiple routes to choose from and choices that impact how the other characters act, every play-through will dig up some new gossip.
Emily is Away <3 takes things back to the root of Internet dating sites, the newly-launched Facenook, complete with a nostalgic 2008 interface. Build your friendships (or tear them down) through classic social media interactions including poking, commenting, and private messaging.
Fun factor score: 85/100
The 2008-inspired banner of Emily is Away <3
6. Your Smile Beyond Twilight – 2017 (PC)
In Your Smile Beyond Twilight, you follow the story of a hopeless, middle-aged man who takes a trip back to his hometown seeking to find himself again. Immediately upon arriving in town, however, you are met with a long-forgotten piece of your past. How far will you go to regain the memories you once lost? And what will your fiancé think about your quest?
Your Smile Beyond Twilight is a beautifully simple visual novel. With a classic, anime art style and an engaging plot, players are reminded of many “gateway” anime shows. Combined with the tender love story of Yunshan and Lianhua, this kinetic visual novel is a must-play.
Choose this game if you like…
- A touch of drama: This story dives into a classic love triangle between the main character, his fiancé, and a mysterious girl from his past.
- Charming aesthetics: The lighting of the scenes, paired with the colorful characters, sets the tone for this tale about childhood sweethearts.
- A short but sweet story: With just two hours of gameplay, you can complete the entire story in one sitting. Just be prepared to spend several hours more reminiscing on how this tale ends.
Your Smile Beyond Twilight offers a fresh visual novel for fans of the genre built from a modern love story and endearing artwork. Feel the romance as you watch Yunshan remember his mystery girl, all set to a fitting soundtrack.
Fun factor rating: 85/100
Lianhua at the train platform in Your Smile Beyond Twilight
5. Haven – 2020 (PC, Switch, PS4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X)
Haven Game Trailer
In Haven, you play as a pair of lovers creating a new home on a strange planet. Use each day to fight monsters, cook together, and gather resources as you try to survive in this new world. Amidst all the action, don’t forget to spend a little one-on-one time building up the relationship between the two lovers.
Haven is a beautiful mix of adventure, romance, and home building. It draws on the fragile strength of human love to make the unknown feel familiar. While designed so one player can control both characters, a second player may jump in at any time to take over one of the lovers. This versatility in the number of players gives the game a uniquely intimate experience.
Choose this game if you like…
- Stunning renderings: The brightly-colored, stylized art of Haven creates a beautiful, new world that’s sweetly reminiscent of our own planet while still remaining otherworldly.
- God-tier music: The electro-soulful soundtrack pairs wonderfully with the on-screen action to create an immersive and relaxing experience.
- Being part of a partnership: Grab a friend and a second controller to take this game to the next level.
Haven brings players a romantic twist on turn-based RPGs as the relationship between the two characters drives the plot forward. Explore a brand-new world and gather the necessary resources to turn your stranded ship into a loving home. Enjoy brilliant graphics and an original soundtrack produced by electro-musician DANGER.
Fun factor score: 90/100
The gorgeous cover photo for Haven
4. Maquette – 2021 (PC, PS4/5)
Maquette Game Trailer
In Maquette, you follow the story of two former lovers, Michael and Kenzie, as Michael reminisces about their time together. Although your role in the game’s plot is unclear, you must act as confidant and puzzle-solver for Michael and uncover why it’s so hard for him to let go of his lost love.
If you’re a fan of the multiverse, Maquette is the game for you. The game is played from a first-person perspective, but the world you’re in has an infinite number of exact replicas both larger and smaller than it. Every step you take, every object you move, affects each of these worlds-within-worlds-within-worlds.
Choose this game if you like…
- Mind-bending puzzles: Push your mind, and the world, to its limits as you move, multiply, and enlarge objects to solve various puzzles.
- Going back in time: The game opens in the present where Michael and Kenzie’s love has already gone stale, but you’re soon transported to the moment of their first meeting, narrated by Michael as he reads through the letters he and Kenzie wrote to each other.
- A modern romance: Join Michael on a journey to find out how the little things can have dramatic effects in the long-run.
Maquette offers players a chance to overcome challenges large and small with its recursive world. Explore what makes relationships tick with this modern romance full of relatable moments.
Fun factor score: 90/100
The wonderfully creative world of Maquette
3. Gone Home – 2013 (PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Mac, Linux, Wii U)
Gone Home Game Trailer
In Gone Home, you play as Kaitlin Greenbriar, a young woman returning to her parents’ house after one year on her own. Instead of coming back to cheerful laughter and warm hugs, you enter the house to discover your parents and sister have gone missing. It’s up to you to discover what happened to them, but do you have the courage to investigate?
Gone Home puts a mysterious twist on love by telling the story of a young couple through clues and memories instead of personal narrative. The gloomy setting and strange premise seem to disqualify Gone Home as a romance game at first, but as you dive deeper, you will find how much of a motivator forbidden love can be.
Choose this game if you like…
- A healthy dose of mystery: Take your time investigating your parents’ house to piece together their whereabouts.
- A blast from the past: The house and all its contents have been carefully recreated from classic ‘90s belongings.
- Complete autonomy: Every object in the home can be manipulated, and every door can be opened. Leave no stone unturned in your search for the truth!
Uncover the truth about your family’s disappearance by searching for clues using Gone Home’s intuitive point-and-click system. Dive deep into the secrets of young love in this unique coming-of-age romance mystery.
Fun factor score: 90/100
A portrait of the Greenbriar family in Gone Home
2. Last Day of June – 2017 (PC, Switch, PS4)
Last Day of June Game Trailer
In Last Day of June, you play as old-man Carl on the most monumental day of his life. Start the day by going down to the lake with your wife, June (feel free to reread the title of the game real quick…yeah, that’s what I thought), for a romantic day on the docks. When night falls, however, you’ll have to ask yourself what you are willing to do to change fate.
Last Day of June is remarkable in its staggering dichotomy between joy and despair, light and dark, and love and regret. Players will search the animated world, and their souls, for answers to one of life’s most challenging questions: What price am I willing to pay to get back the one I love?
Choose this game if you like...
- Claymation-esque figures: The Last Day of June team collaborated with Jess Cope (an animator on Frankenweenie) to design and animate the visuals throughout the game.
- Soul-searching aventure: Discover the worth of a life by exploring how one action can change the course of a day.
- Change your perspective: Throughout the game, you will replay June’s last day from the eyes of several different characters as Carl searches for a life-changing solution.
Last Day of June offers players a chance to manipulate fate and witness how one choice can affect the ones you love. Experience the world through a colorful lens with charming, claymation-esque graphics. Solve puzzles using both your intellect and emotions in an effort to prevent June’s death.
Fun factor score: 95/100
Carl and June enjoying a quiet afternoon on her last day in Last Day of June
1. To the Moon – 2011 (PC, Switch, Android, iOS, Linux, Mac)
To the Moon Game Trailer
In To the Moon, you play as a scientist called to the bedside of a dying man. Only you have the technology and expertise to search his memories and find the truth about his dying wish, and you might even find his forgotten love along the way.
To the Moon tells one of the sweetest romances of all time. Laced with imperfection, insecurity, and a dash of comedy, Johnny’s life and love teach players the true power of human emotion and the importance of protecting those worth loving. Throw in a little futuristic technology, and you’ve got the makings of a practically-perfect game.
Choose this game if you like…
- A little bit of sci-fi: The driving force of this plot is a technological invention that allows a person to alter their past by rewriting their memories.
- A lot a bit of love: Feel your heart melt as you witness young love blossom into a timeless romance.
- And just a touch of adventure: Hunt through Johnny’s memories for the little clues that will lead him To the Moon.
To the Moon lets players travel back in time through Johnny’s memories to help him achieve his dream of visiting the moon. What you find in Jonny’s memories, however, may be worth more than a seat on a rocketship. Enjoy fast-paced plot free from unnecessary stops along the way.
Fun factor rating: 95/100
Johnny’s ticket to finally leaving earth’s atmosphere in To the Moon
