Best Horror Visual Novels for Beginners, Ranked

Visual novels explore many different genres, telling tales of drama in futuristic sci-fi landscapes, worlds of myths and monsters, or contemporary settings filled with emotionally charged stories of love and romance. The latter in particular has found a lot of popularity among players, but there are those who are looking for quite the opposite, and may enjoy a darker story.

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Best Visual Novels For Beginners, Ranked

For gamers who are curious about dipping their toes into the ever-growing visual novel genre, these games make for the perfect introduction.

Luckily for these players, there are countless horror visual novels ready to thrill and chill all those who dare to read, elevating these words of horror with visuals and ambiance to match. For those who are uncertain where to begin, these great horror visual novels are perfect for beginners.

8

Vampire: the Masquerade – Shadows of New York

A Vampiric Tale for More Mature Gamers

Visual novels, even those in the horror genre, are likely going to be more enjoyed by gamers who have played them from a younger age and are more accustomed with their sometimes cutesy artstyle and exaggerated plot lines. But what about gamers who might be charting into the territory of horror visual novels at a more mature age? What games should they begin with that won’t immediately turn them off from these types of games?

Titles such as Vampire: the Masquerade – Shadows of New York might be the perfect game for them, as they play a newly turned vampire embroiled in the world of vampire politics, hiding in the shadows of humanity. It’s a tale of more personal horror, exploring morality, humanity, and delving deep into Vampire: the Masquerade lore, with plenty of aid for those who are new to the franchise, making it not only a perfect horror visual novel for beginners, but also an introduction to the fascinating world of darkness.

7

Slay the Princess

Steps Away from the Typical Anime Art Style

An unnamed hero is given directions by an unseen speaker to venture into the dark cabin they see before them, and kill the Princess held within. Apparently, she is much more dangerous than she seems, holding the power to end the world should she escape. The agency is given to the player as they interact with the Princess, deciding if they should kill or spare her. The catch is the two of them are stuck in a loop, and both can recall each previous interaction — and how the player chooses to end it.

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It’s a simpler concept, reduced down to just two characters and their interactions together, which makes it much more slimmed down than many horror visual novels that aren’t shy about delivering over-the-top plots. But, this is exactly what makes the more intimate Slay the Princess better for those who haven’t played many — especially taking into consideration its gorgeous and unique visuals, as the anime style isn’t for everyone.

6

Higurashi When They Cry (Series)

Inspired a Popular Anime Series

• Platform(s): PC, PS2, Nintendo DS, PS3, PS Vita, Nintendo Switch, PS4
• Release Date: December 15th, 2002
• Developer(s): 07th Expansion

When people hear the term Higurashi, they might think of the horror anime that boomed with popularity upon its release. But, before it was a hit anime series, it was a long-running series of visual novels, providing a backlog of plentiful content to get lost within, which will certainly keep newcomers to the franchise occupied for a month or two if they can get their hands on all the games.

The fictional city of Hinamizawa acts as the setting, where a strange event occurs every year: the death of one inhabitant and the disappearance of another. It is a simple yet compelling enough story to draw the players in, and with plenty of releases, 14 of which are readily available on Steam, this could be the perfect game for newcomers to experience, as they are bound to derive hours of enjoyment.

5

Raging Loop

The Looping Mechanic Alleviates Pressure

• Platform(s): iOS, Android, PC, Nintendo Switch, PS Vita, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Release Date: April 22nd, 2021
• Developer(s): Kemco

Arriving in the remote village of Yasumizu by complete accident, protagonist Haruaki could never have imagined the events that would follow. Meeting a college student by the name of Chiemi, they learn of the dark truth behind this village. Each night, they partake in a ritual called the Feast of the Yomi-Purge, in which one person is killed by several villagers who assume the role of wolves, whom the other villagers want to purge from their village.

During his stay in the village, Haruaki realizes he has the ability to loop back in time, a power that will certainly come in handy and also takes off some of the pressure placed on the player, as what is the harm of taking the more risky, uncertain options if they are just going to loop back to the start? As such, this might be the most low-stakes horror visual novel, making it the perfect way for newcomers to experience the genre.

4

The Letter

Horror Intespersed with Moments of Relief

Most know what chain letters are — just urban legends said to curse those who behold them until passed along to another. This is, in essence, the horror at the heart of the aptly named game The Letter, when realtor Isabella beholds a cursed letter in an ancient mansion she has been tasked with selling. Her friends and latest clients witness the supposed cursed letter and begin sharing her visions of the horrific ghostly spirit following her around.

The Letter can seem a little intimidating to newbies to horror visual novels, thanks to its terrifying visuals and spine-chilling ambiance, yet the horror has plenty of moments of calm to give the players a much-needed reprieve. As such, those who are not as accustomed to horror will find The Letter a much more manageable experience.

3

999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors

An Escape-Room Horror

Straddling the line between puzzle game and visual novel, 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors surrounds the unfortunate fate of nine strangers waking up on a sinking cruiser that they now have only nine hours to escape, all while trying to piece together who brought them there and for what purpose.

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With the inclusion of puzzles to break up long bouts of reading, this makes 999 a much more accessible game for beginners who may have never really ventured much into the genre before, while injecting horror with its escape-room themes that can most certainly result in death. Seeing the characters’ fear and desperation for survival will make players feel their tension and fear themselves.

2

Doki Doki Literature Club

A Mainstream Horror Visual Novel

Doki Doki Literature Club!

Systems

Released

September 22, 2017

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Doki Doki Literature Club offers a collection of adorable characters and light-hearted gameplay consisting of creating and sharing poems… at least, at first. On the surface, it seems like there is nothing odd about Doki Doki Literature Club, even taking into consideration the warning at the beginning of the game of some rather disturbing content.

Doki Doki broke awake from just visual novel fans and became so main-stream that, unfortunately, many already know the cuteness is just a disguise, but perhaps that might be better for newcomers to the genre, as they are then better prepared for the surreal and fourth-wall breaking horror that is to come.

1

Overboard

Be the Killer Rather than the Potential Victim

Adventure

Puzzle

Strategy

Systems

Released

June 2, 2021

Developer(s)

Very Positive

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

For those new to horror visual novels, they might be slightly put-off by enduring the horror of being a potential victim, as nearly all horror visual novels place players in the shoes of the victims and the innocents charged with surviving the horrors. But, what if there was a game that was quite the opposite — one that could help alleviate the horror of attempting to survive?

This is exactly what Overboard is, as players control the murderess Veronica, who must see if she can get away with murder on an eight-hour cruise. It has plenty of its own tension and suspense as the player must cover their tracks and find a way to deal with other passengers who might grow suspicious. With fun gameplay and offering a clever subversion to the whodunnit murder mysteries, Overboard could be the perfect gateway to horror visual novels until players are ready for something more substantial.

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