Read & Play
Visual novels have been a major part of the gaming industry since the very first one came out in 1982. They can cover many topics in unique ways, such as love, loss, growing up, mental illness, family issues and more. In no particular order and covering different genres with a variety of art styles, here are some of Hardcore Droid’s best visual novels for Android.
15. Ace Attorney Series
The knockout adventure series from powerhouse game developer and publisher Capcom is on Google Play. Well, four games anyway: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies, Investigations – Miles Edgeworth, Apollo Justice and Spirit of Justice. Between the funky hairstyles, outrageous outfits, spooky seances and wacky cases, each game offers unique crime-fighting challenges for you and the whole Ace Attorney cast. Play as lawyers Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice as well as prosecutor Miles Edgeworth as they look for clues and interrogate their clients. Prove them innocent, try to convict them, just find the truth.
Available on Google Play
14. Florence
Simple yet deep, short yet sweet, Florence is a touching emotional puzzle game published by Annapurna Interactive. Follow Florence Yeoh, a woman in her mid-20’s feeling like she’s stuck in a rut. All of that changes when she meets a talented cello player named Krish. Watch their relationship blossom and gradually fall apart through quirky puzzles like piecing together a speech bubble and browsing social media. Florence is an in-depth look at a realistic adult relationship shown without words that is guaranteed to tug at anyone’s heartstrings.
Available on Google Play
13. MazM: The Phantom of the Opera
In this third Android game from MazM, relive the classic tale of a lonely phantom, a beautiful woman and the man who loves her. Travel through the world of The Phantom of the Opera to discover over 102 footnotes detailing interesting tidbits about the period. Follow the main story and play minigames to unlock multiple endings. Chapter one can be played for free while the rest of the game can be bought for a one-time fee. Or watch ads to enjoy the whole game for free. Beautiful artwork and poetic dialogue combine into an unforgettable adventure.
Available on Google Play
12. Underworld Office
Play as young boy named Eugene who somehow ends up in the world of ghosts in this cute yet spooky adventure from Buff Studio. Search and find hidden objects to help spirits of the dead move on and find peace. Multiple choice dialogue options can lead you down seven unique routes with different endings. A bleak, pale-colored atmosphere is captured through 40 animated sequences and over 150 illustrated images. There is the occasional ad, but the game is free to play and enjoy without spending any money.
Available on Google Play
11. Burly Men At Sea
A Scandinavian folktale-inspired title from developer Brain & Brain featuring three large bearded men leaving their seaside town for adventure. Shape the nonlinear story however you want and watch the men get swallowed by a whale or survive a storm. On the way, meet classic Scandinavian creatures on the open sea like the Kraken while listening to colorful Nordic folk music.
Available on Google Play
10. OPUS Series
Beautiful and heartbreaking, OPUS: The Day We Found Earth and Rocket of Whispers from game development studio Sigono takes players on journeys through the stars. The Day We Found Earth stars cute little robot Emeth on a mission to find Earth. Use a giant telescope to locate and explore planets like Earth, all while unlocking a mystery on his spaceship. In Rocket of Whispers, two survivors of a plague are building a rocket destined to carry the ashes of the dead into space. Explore their frozen planet for materials and other items to piece the rocket together and rediscover the past. Breathtaking artwork and atmospheric music make both games a must-play for any age. The first act of each game is free, and the rest is available after a one-time purchase.
Available on Google Play
9. CAFÉ 0: The Sleeping Beast
From indie game developer Roseverte, this title is a supernatural mystery like its prequel CAFÉ 0: The Drowned Mermaid, though both games are standalone stories. In the present, follow Corliss Green as she goes back seven days before her death to figure out what happened. A second story, taking place in the past, shows a midwife named Sophie Evans who’s somehow related to a missing person’s case that occurred 15 years ago. How and where do these two lives connect? The only way to find out is to play. This visual novel is translated into English with a fully voiced Japanese cast. While the prologue is free, you will have to buy the full version, which has been said to be rather expensive.
Available on Google Play
8. The Letter
Inspired by Asian horror films, which are sometimes scarier than American, this terrifying horror drama from Yangyang Mobile has seven playable characters being victimized by a curse in a mansion. Your choices affect how the story plays out, along with who lives and who dies. Beautifully painted and detailed moving art make the characters and backgrounds stand out against a talented English voice cast. Seven chapters with over 700,000 words put emphasis on character relationships and development, so there are plenty of scenarios to read through. The first chapter is free while the rest of the game needs to be bought.
Available on Google Play
7. If My Heart Had Wings
From WillPlus and taking place in a high school, as a lot of Japanese media does, a young boy named Aoi Minase returns to his hometown of Kazegaura. He meets a girl in a wheelchair who dreams of flying, and they work together to revive their school’s Soaring Club. All for the sake of the ‘Morning Glory,’ the name of a phantom cloud (whatever that is). Despite the fact there’s sexual implications with the cast of minors, gorgeous art and a heartfelt story almost make up for it.
Available on Google Play
6. Mysterious Forum and 7 Rumors
One of the top 10 Google Indie Game Festival winners from Entabridge Co., join three high school girls in the newspaper club as they try to unravel the mystery of a secret forum. Anything posted on the forum becomes real, and the results are often terrifying. One example is a photo of a creepy, blood-splattered girl that gets sent to someone multiple times. In the image, she moves closer and closer until she’s as close as possible, and then the person she was sent to dies. The newspaper club is determined to figure out these horrors, even if it means putting themselves in danger. Divided into chapters, pick what each character says to see what responses you’ll get. Some options are better than others, so try to avoid one that leads to a bad end.
Available on Google Play
5. Solve It – A Visual Novel
“Matthew Park was fabulously wealthy, had a beautiful wife, and was renowned for his genius. In short, he had it all – that is, until he was murdered.” So begins the game description, hooking players into a stylish murder mystery from Haiku Games. You play as the detective looking to solve the crime where every choice you make affects the story. Choose to be a hard-boiled interrogator or a laid-back one to uncover all the clues you need. Will you keep things professional or seduce your suspects? They’ll remember how you treated them down the road. Was it the wife? The son? Heck, the investor? Play now to find out.
Available on Google Play
4. One Thousand Lies
Accomplished liar Ciarán Endyein is writing a fable about a wolf that wants to touch the sun. When he starts receiving strange emails from an unknown sender, his life transforms into a psychological romantic comedy from Keinart Lobre. Meet charismatic characters like wannabe witch Ziva Shani, womanizer Ausse Ealdwine and sleepy Diniz D’Cruze, who all must deal with the main character. Ciarán, interestingly, has been described as ‘unlikeable’ overall, which is rather rare for a visual novel main character. Most MC’s are usually kind, if a bit oblivious, so a disagreeable MC is certainly a unique direction. Makes me wonder how he gets to be romantic with any of the girls if they all agree he’s ‘a fairly stupid person.’ Regardless, the art is beautiful, the story is interesting and it’s free to play, so it might be worth checking out.
Available on Google Play
3. Orwell’s Animal Farm
If you had a high school English class, chances are you read George Orwell’s Animal Farm, an intense critique of totalitarianism told through farm animals. Now his book has been turned into a mobile game from The Dairymen Limited, where you take control of well-known characters like vengeful Napoleon, yes-man Snowball and somber Major. Run the farm how you want by assigning tasks, managing resources, choosing and changing laws and even directing propaganda. Sometimes you’ll even need to decide which animal will need to be sacrificed and who will have more power than others. See how far you can abuse your power under the guise of equality.
Available on Google Play
2. Argo’s Choice
Another title from Buff Studio, a man named Argo walks into a bar called Styx. He starts to open up about his life and you are dragged into it. Follow him through war, dealing with a shady lawyer and other intense scenarios. Observe his interactions with others, like the pretty yet mysterious bartender, and make choices that will impact the story. Wrong decisions could get Argo killed, while the right ones help him uncover new and important information. A noir story told through emotionally powerful flashbacks, this is one visual novel you don’t want to miss.
Available on Google Play
1. Leviathan: The Last Day of the Decade
Lastly, from Lostwood, realistic and often grotesque artwork combines with cyberpunk and dark fantasy in a world where the nobility lives in luxury while commoners constantly die from plagues caused by the Plague King. The game tells the story of Oliver Vertran, a noble-born boy living with the man who killed his parents. Follow Oliver through the hectic world to solve mysteries of the past and fight back against the powers that be. Meet colorful people who will either help or hinder your quest and make decisions that will eventually decide the ending. There are four episodes of the game available now, with a fifth on the way later. While the first episode is free, you will have to pay for the others, though those prices are unclear.
Available on Google Play
If you liked this list of the best visual novels on Android, check out Hardcore Droid’s lists of indie games like the Best Android Indies of 2021 and the Best Android Indies You Never Heard Of for more awesome titles.