> Every book/game that's been placed in this list is put into a certain tier based on my opinions and preferences, so please do not expect the given tier rank to be objective. I also add a content material rating for each one as well.
> There are many elements to a visual novel/role-playing game/et cetera. A simplified list of these would be:
> And my tiering is based on a summary of all said categories. From whether or not they are included in the said experience to how well it is utilized. Here are the existing tiers in the tier list:
[S] Tier = [Masterpiece] Truly a magnificent masterpiece waiting for you to get right into it. An adventure that'll last in your memories for years to come.
[A] Tier = [Great] An absolutely amazing work that'll surely entertain you throughout the entirety of your read/play and also stick on your mind for a while after completion. An experience that you won't regret getting into.
[B] Tier = [Good] A well done work that'll entertain you throughout your gameplay. But it may not stick on your mind like [A] Tier does. It's for an enjoyable time.
[C] Tier = [Neutral] A book/game that has its ups and downs. You enjoy it at times, you get bored of it at times and in the end, you'll have no strong opinions of it. (This tier is a highly risky one. It's recommended that you test the books/games on this tier yourself and give a value of your own because a lot of personal preferences are involved.)
[D] Tier = [Dislike] A book/game that was pretty much made on a whim with unstable fundamentals, lack of passion and planning, poor programming and writing. It may be enjoyable at times but possibly, you will be bored or confused for the majority of the time.
> On top of this, I include content material rating for every experience. I also add snippets of information regarding rating of the majority of the book/game. There are three categories for this:
[SAFE] = This book/game contains very little to no explicit or suggestive material.
[QUESTIONABLE] = This book/game contains an amount of suggestive material that may make some audiences uncomfortable yet does not contain any outright explicit material.
[EXPLICIT] = This book/game contains explicit and suggestive material that are aimed for adult audiences.
> Hopefully you find this collection to be useful and may you find your own favorites amongst it. Have a great day!
DISCLAIMER: Just because a visual novel you expected to be here isn't here does not mean that I dislike it. It's highly possible that I haven't read it. And even if I did dislike it, those are only my opinions. Never back down from your own opinions because of me and do not get defensive of your own opinions against me.
[B Tier] [EXPLICIT] [UNFINISHED]
High Seas is a very entertaining visual novel written by GatrGroh. After being shipwrecked and stranded on a desert island, you are rescued by a ship of pirates. The bad news is you've become their hostage, but the good news is they don't plan on harming you... for now. Since there's still a couple of weeks before the ship arrives at the next port, you're pretty much stuck with this rowdy band of buccaneers until then. How will you make the best of your situation? In "High Seas", you are a male human who goes on an adventure around a fantasy world with a pirate crew full of furries and scalies, with the possibility of romancing the men. Some will easily warm up to you, but others will take time. After all, you aren't a part of their crew... or are you? That possibility is up to the choices you make.
High Seas is a visual novel full of adventure and action where love and affection flourish between the captors and the captive. Take on the different routes of 4 crew members and get to know them better... and possibly more. As it is still in the early stages of its development, not much could be said about it, however, the way that things are proceeding, its future is bright. There are routes and the novel is linear.
High Seas' writing is good, to say the least. Not many advanced words are used, except for some terminology, which makes the novel easy to read and comprehend. However, there are also a few kinks that occur due to inconsistency. As the novel adopts a generic pirate trope and executes it by using pirate words, sentences, and accents; it sometimes goes off course and forgets the speaking habits of the crewmates. This throws the reader off sometimes, at least, it did for me. But overall, it's very good and the mistakes are barely noticeable.
The character sprites looked strange to me when I first started the novel, however, they grew on me very fast, alongside the characters themselves. The background pictures are -I believe- all stock pictures. The CGs are truly perfectly made. All art is done by Astarlos.
The background music is made by Skipaay and blossomingRuin. It really helps set the mood at times but often is forgotten to change when an event happens or the scene changes. I've read that the maker of the VN is deaf, so I could truly not judge them based on this. All I can say is that the OST is well-made and adds to the immersion.
The UI is basekit Ren'Py, it lacks the Hide button on the PC version, however, hiding the text on PC is possible by pressing H or clicking the middle mouse button so it's not the biggest issue. Thankfully, the mobile version has the Hide button, which is a huge lifesaver.
Overall, I enjoyed reading High Seas very much and had fun in every segment. However since it is in its early stages, it lasted short and I couldn't give a higher tier due to the lack of content. I'm looking forward to its new builds and the new adventures that are to happen!
SIDE NOTE: I just noticed that GatrGroh was also the maker of Cathexis which is like the only May Wolf 2023 entry I've ever picked up. I enjoyed it too.
ANOTHER SIDE NOTE: I wouldn't mind Isaiah calling me boy anytime.
[A Tier] [EXPLICIT (majority is safe/questionable)] [UNFINISHED] Edenbound is an amazing visual novel developed solely by Somnibear. Humanity has surpassed itself in technological advancements and now it has come to a point where humanity is faced with the imminent threat of overpopulation. Resolve to this, The EDEN Project is initiated where humans start to make a lunar colony, where there are no currencies, no worries, and no aging. Items that you wish to have can be materialized and hedonism becomes common amongst its citizens. A group of humans were taken there while some remained behind. About 600 years have passed since then, and a significant part of the EDEN population mysteriously disappeared through time. Just why are people disappearing? Did they find a way to get back to Earth, or is there a superior power that's responsible for the disappearances? Eli, fed up with the monotonous day-to-day life in needless luxury, seeing unknown nightmares and facing madness starts to lose his composure as he finds that there is no rest in sleep.
Edenbound is a novel that'll show you the dystopia hidden beneath utopias. It'll show the sadness of zero struggles and zero worries. It'll plunge you into despair as you face helplessness. It'll strike fear into you with its dread-filled horror scenes and make you worry about everything you have left in your hands. It'll make you paranoid about what your eyes cannot perceive and what your mind cannot comprehend. There are no routes and the novel is linear.
Edenbound's writing is very well made in contrast to most visual novels, the language is utilized very well, however, images are often used to describe important events rather than words. The characters are very well-written and easily lovable which makes you much more worried about them possibly getting entangled in the disappearance mysteries.
Its artwork is amazing, the author's art style is easy to get used to, and the depiction of a lunar colony: a city made of neon lights and cute dog-shaped robots makes you wish that you were a part of it too. The CGs are often and are illustrated perfectly. It puts spot-on emphasis on important or emotional events.
The background music sets the mood at all times, almost integrating you into the story. It also makes for a smoother read too.
The UI is basekit Ren'Py without many additions. It, however, lacks the Hide button which is a huge lifesaver for mobile readers since the text almost covers 1/4th of the screen, taking over a lot of the details in CGs.
Overall, Edenbound is a novel that could rise to the S Tier after its progression into the main events. I love the universe it's set in and I'm curious as to what will happen in future updates. Thank you Somnibear for all of your amazing work and I admire that you provided all elements of the visual novel by yourself.
SIDE NOTE: mmmfgh,,, charlie
[S Tier] [EXPLICIT/OPTIONAL] [UNFINISHED] Minotaur Hotel is a magnificent ride through mythologies made by Minoh Workshop, a collective of content producers. You are handed a strange parchment by an old man, he claims that it is the contract of ownership to a hotel. Skeptically, you accept the so-called contract and decide to head to the said hotel to see if it is true. What you come to witness is a massive run-down building covered with vegetation in the middle of nowhere. Curious, you decide to go inside. That is when you meet a malnourished, forgotten, sad... minotaur? And it's claiming that it'll serve you as his master? From there, you go on an endless adventure: Discovery of mythical beings, recovery of lost stories, patching of unrecoverable bonds, decisions and deceits, hate and love, unknown feelings, and a mixture of species and personalities.
Minotaur Hotel is a beautiful visual novel with RPG elements. It perfectly blends multiple mythologies of many cultures and presents it with an original story above its mythic fundamentals. It also presents several options to the reader, such as determining their specialty, multiple paths to solve issues, free time events to bond with their preferred characters, and many more that I just could not say due to spoiler reasons. There are no routes, however, be aware that your decisions may lead you to an unpreferable premature ending.
The writing of MinoH is exceptional. Every character has their personality, beliefs, and past; this makes them absolute on not straying from their actions or easily adapting to others. This is perfectly portrayed through the usage of words and the construction of sentences. While more serious, more strict characters use more sophisticated words and think before they speak, more laid-back characters use more casual words and speak their mind without thinking too hard. On top of that, the thought process of certain characters changes their execution depending on the intensity of the moment. For example, when they're thinking of what to say next in a conversation, they use more common words in the sentences in their minds. However, when they are alone and pondering about past events, they use more obscure words that depict their way of perceiving things.
As far as my knowledge goes, the majority of the foreground art is made by Nanoff. Emotions are perfectly depicted through the usage of sprites and quite often make up for hilarious or wholesome moments. The characters are drawn in such a way that even the grumpiest one of them would seem approachable. It's a lovely art style that feels cartoony at funny moments and detailed at serious moments. The background pictures are mostly stock images.
Ahh the beautiful, beautiful BGM. It'll be very hard to put my love for it into words. It wouldn't be wrong if I were to say that the BGM made for half of my experience in this game. It makes you live the story, not just read it. The warm breeze of the desert on your skin, the mirage reflecting what's above at the far end of your vision. It is magnificent and it is an experience to be lived, so I highly recommend you step into it.
The UI is an altered version of Ren'Py's basekit UI, with the additions of colored backgrounds, re-arranged tabs, artifacts, documents, achievements tabs, and a lot more, which increases interactivity and immersion. There are also visual effects on sprites, although sprites themselves are not animated.
Overall Minotaur Hotel is an RPG visual novel that I wish I could've had a fresh start and an uninterrupted read until the end as I engulf myself in its universe. I admire every single person who worked on this project as every single person has done an exceptional job. Thank you for making this amazing experience that is to have a special place in my heart for years to come!
SIDE NOTE: I wish Kota was real.
