So Lilja and Natsuka: Painting Lies came out last week. I finished it the other day and was positively surprised, didn't expect smth this introspective from Frontwing of all studios.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2840900/Lilja_and_Natsuka_Painting_Lies/

Unfortunately the main pairing did not go anywhere in the end. I appreciate the explicit yuri side-pairings at least. Still somewhat baffling, unless they have planned a sequel already.

Not sure what you mean by that, they're as gay and together as can be. Maybe you missed their kissing at the christmas party?

It was one of those cop-out "kisses" that can be explained away by circumstance. In this case it was an "act".
There is no confession, no confirmation of any relationship and generally a huge lack of commitment. I would not consider this a major yuri work at all because of that. It's a good subtext VN with more explicit side-pairings, just as Bushiroad wants it. For some unfathomable reason they have decided to flood the market with yuri subtext VNs, something nobody has ever asked for. It certainly is on brand though.

I don't see the sense in it. Visual Novel readers are used to explicit content and there is no audience overlap... nobody who likes yuri wants subtext VNs and nobody who wants... uh... VNs with stuff other than yuri(?) wants these strongly yuri leaning subtext VNs. These are not CGDCT anime, they do not have a waifu chaser audience that has to be placated.

Supposing that they are leaning into the nakige/drama angle I perhaps can see some broader appeal, but that's stretching it. Heaven Burns Red this is not.

PS: Before I get eviscerated, I am not questioning the quality of Lilja and Natsuka as a story. This was solely about the yuri content.

last edited at Aug 3, 2024 10:01AM

There is no confession, no confirmation of any relationship and generally a huge lack of commitment. I would not consider this a major yuri work at all because of that.

I vehemently disagree with this not being an explicitly yuri work.
Setting aside that all the side couples are in committed, romantic relationships, the only reason there's no formal "I love you, please go out with me" style confession is because every single word they utter to and about each other just drips commitment. They're each others' other half, they'll be together forever, they're the type of couple that's 30 years married after knowing each other for 6 months.

And the kiss being a cop-out I also disagree with. The puppet show was a metaphor for their relationship that literally put the two in the roles of the Protagonist and the Love Interest. The whole chapter ran with that metaphor so it makes sense for them to go "a happy end needs a kiss between the MC and the love interest". It's not that they're only "acting" to kiss. The kisses (note: plural, they kiss twice) are the real culmination of everything ending well, including their relationship. Also reminder that Natsuka literally "can't act for shit" so we know what she does, she does earnestly.

Imho there's a big difference between actual "subtext" and "just not putting in the most literal words possible" and this VN def falls in the latter category imo. Ignoring all this feels like the equivalent of seeing a character saying "The moon is beautiful tonight." while giving a longing look and thinking "Man, she must really like the moon, huh." xD

Imho there's a big difference between actual "subtext" and "just not putting in the most literal words possible" and this VN def falls in the latter category imo. Ignoring all this feels like the equivalent of seeing a character saying "The moon is beautiful tonight." while giving a longing look and thinking "Man, she must really like the moon, huh." xD

Using the biggest example of not committing to actually showing romance and relationships in Japanese culture as an example was perhaps not the wisest move. You know that the majority of stories that use the moon line use it to not make the character openly confess to avoid showing a proper resolution? Subtext revels in the ambiguity. It was mostly used in fiction to nod at the audience that a character has romantic feelings and then regardless of the crush's response it is vague enough that it doesn't commit.

Anyway, it is easy to say that the romance works out or that it's "obvious" in this case, but if it is so obvious, why does the writer dance around it and give plausible deniability for no reason? This harkens back to the days of "superfriends" content where everyone always claims it's obvious that characters are in love or dating, but nothing on screen ever proves it and the author is laughing at yuri fans who will take anything. "They want to be together forever, they are soul-mates, they are like family, they care about each other" etc. etc. All used for superfriends media to justify the interpretation that they must be a couple when they openly state to being friends.
Lilja and Natsuka should not rely on these kinds of tropes or force people to use them in 2024.

I hope you understand that I am not stupid and can tell what the intention was. I am not ignoring all the obvious material here. It's clear that they are in love to me. But I do not fancy the writer relying on people to do the work for them to... to what? What end is there to justify the ambiguity? As you say there are plenty of confirmed and explicit side-couples. Is there any reason to not give the protagonists the same treatment?

It boggles the mind. As I said before, I can perhaps imagine a sequel being planned which will be more explicit and they are saving it up for that. Still what a turn from this author, who is known for his disgusting excessively mysoginistic non-con het porn to be so non-commital on yuri. I really do think there must have been some mandate from Bushiroad.

---

But enough about the issues with the yuri, the actual character drama of the VN is mostly well executed. Perhaps some of the suffering was gratuitous, but I like the positive resolutions. This game could have been hopelessly edgy and self-indulgent, but it felt genuine where it mattered and Natsuka is always a highlight during the entire story for me.
The only complaint I can muster in regards to plot is that some stuff was way too obvious.and telegraphed. But that may just be my overexposure to this type of story.

I'll do something I don't usually do and talk about some upcoming titles I look forward to a great deal. It may be presumptuous to talk about VNs that are not yet released, but these have quite the pedigree, so to speak.

At the end of the month (August 29th) we will see the release of Everlasting Flowers, a yuri VN that is described as utterly cinematic. Hundreds of CGs that make it feel like a visual narrative, amazing voice acting and a great soundtrack were already shown off. The steam page has the animated intro movie and shows off everything I discussed. This is my most anticipated yuri VN of the year, bar none. Evermaiden's translation would be nice too, but this is honestly even more exciting.

The other project does not have a release date on its steam page yet, although the Japanese version is allegedly scheduled for 2024. It's the visual novel adaptation of Vampdoll. I think many in the yuri community are familiar with the main artist Saku Takano. She has done a lot of unique yuri manga and has a very obvious obssession with vampire content. This VN promises both of those + some top notch battle manga style action.
I have never interacted with Vampdoll before, so please do not treat this as some kind of informed recommendation. I simply love Takano's art and the premise.

Let's hope both of these deliver everything they promise and hopefully I have spread some minor awareness for them.

last edited at Aug 4, 2024 3:24PM

Well I put Aoi Shiro on hold after my interest began to wane a bit. Made it through 2 routes but the lack of real yuri has left me a bit unmotivated to continue reading. I may get back to it at some point because it's pretty well done overall.
It has nice variety of characters and a pretty decent plot. My biggest complaint other than the yuri being far too light is that best girl Ayashiro doesn't get a route.
So I do recommend it if you're fine with the yuri not amounting to much.
Vndb: https://vndb.org/v710

I dropped Highway Blossoms because the writing wasn't up to my expectations. A lot of the flirting was pretty good but the overarching plot and a lot of the character interactions were too nonsensical.
I'm told that Heart of the Woods is better and that Please Be Happy is much better. The Vndb scores for them are much higher than Highway Blossoms, so I'm optimistic about enjoying these other Studio Elan works despite not being a fan of my first VN from them.
Vndb: https://vndb.org/v18381

I've started reading Seven Days With the Ghost, which gets spicy pretty quick. Definitely making up for the yuri deficit I was experiencing while reading Aoi Shiro.
The main character is a total goof, always mucking things up and is "totally not into yuri". I can't tell if it's going to get more serious or stay mostly goofy and smuty.
Vndb: https://vndb.org/v6341

I'm also reading Salome's Kiss. This one is definitely a serious work and I'm enjoying this main character. She's trying hard to contain her inner demons (AKA her homosexuality), but I look forward to her losing that fight.
The prose does a wonderful job of fitting the Victorian England setting, though there's been a few more obscure words I've had to look up.
It's nice to read a OELVN with solid writing after my disappointing experience with Highway Blossoms.
Vndb: https://vndb.org/v32852

Next up was going to be Katahane, but I'll have to hold off on that since I've been very much looking forward Everlasting Flowers.
I've often dreamed about a yuri version of Aokana with Asuka as the protagonist, and while this isn't quite that, it does look promising and may scratch that itch. Hopefully studio Sprite will deliver with this one.
Katahane Vndb: https://vndb.org/v22
Everlasting Flowers Vndb: https://vndb.org/v46543

Well I put Aoi Shiro on hold after my interest began to wane a bit. Made it through 2 routes but the lack of real yuri has left me a bit unmotivated to continue reading.
So I do recommend it if you're fine with the yuri not amounting to much.

Did you play Akai Ito first? It's the first VN in the same universe and I think it is overall better, especially for the yuri. It also explains a lot of concepts that Aoishiro relies on. Of course some routes are just better than others.
Furthermore, did you rely on the fan translation? It is much better than the official mess of a MTL.

I dropped Highway Blossoms because the writing wasn't up to my expectations. A lot of the flirting was pretty good but the overarching plot and a lot of the character interactions were too nonsensical.

Nonsensical...? I can understand not being a fan of the writing or the melancholic atmosphere, but this is a new one. What about the "plot" was so nonsensical in your opinion?

I've started reading Seven Days With the Ghost, which gets spicy pretty quick.
I can't tell if it's going to get more serious or stay mostly goofy and smuty.

I'm also reading Salome's Kiss. This one is definitely a serious work and I'm enjoying this main character. She's trying hard to contain her inner demons (AKA her homosexuality), but I look forward to her losing that fight.

I'd usually prefer you'd recommend them after you finish them. Though of course they are already on the thread's recommendation list, like all of these VNs you listed, so I suppose it's fine.

I've often dreamed about a yuri version of Aokana with Asuka as the protagonist, and while this isn't quite that, it does look promising and may scratch that itch. Hopefully studio Sprite will deliver with this one.
Everlasting Flowers Vndb: https://vndb.org/v46543

Yes, like I said in my last post, Everlasting Flowers certainly has a lot going for it in production value. It's only a week away, so I'm getting rather excited.

last edited at Aug 24, 2024 2:27AM

Did you play Akai Ito first? It's the first VN in the same universe and I think it is overall better, especially for the yuri. It also explains a lot of concepts that Aoishiro relies on. Of course some routes are just better than others.
Furthermore, did you rely on the fan translation? It is much better than the official mess of a MTL.

I was using the fan translation. It was pretty solid.
This is the first time I've seen anybody describe Akai Ito as a prerequisite of sorts for reading Aoi Shiro, but then again I haven't seen that much discussion about these VNs. I would've gone with Akai Ito first if I had known.
I decided on Aoi Shiro first because:
1. The fan translation was completed as opposed to the ~90% for Akai Ito.
2. I liked the MC's design...which in retrospect was a stupid reason since you never see the MC except for a CG here and there. You'd think having read several dozens of VNs that I would have realized this but I can be quite thick at times.
3. I had read somewhere that the yuri was slightly stronger in Aoi Shiro. I should have asked in this thread first so I could've had that misconception cleared up.

Ultimately what stalled me on the VN was that the yuri was lacking. I found the actual story to be relatively engaging and the cast quite charming. The somewhat dragged out SoL scenes didn't put me off either. They weren't a chore to read because it peppered in a decent amount of banter between the characters.

But that lack of yuri...
I was most optimistic about the first 2 routes because they seemed the most viable as love interests for the MC. Since the other 3 are A blood related relative, some form of supernatural creature, and a child. The last one is particularly demotivating since it seems to be the True Route.
Yasumi the kohai's route is the closest to romance, but there's only a vague acknowledgement of feelings for her by the MC and the ending is "up to interpretation" on their relationship
Migiwa's route isn't particularly romantic despite there being a kiss. And in the ending they are literally just rivals without even the benefit of "up to interpretation" for their relationship to be anything more.

If I could ask you about your first page list, why do you have Aoi Shiro listed under "VNs with Yuri focus" and then Fatal Twelve under "VNs with majorly Yuri content"? Because personally I'd either switch them or put them both in the latter category.
Admittedly I haven't finished the other routes for Aoi Shiro (but I'm expecting less, not more yuri in these routes) and it's been awhile since I read Fatal Twelve.
Both VNs have a main plot that drives the narrative with any yuri secondary. At least Fatal Twelve has an explicitly sapphic love interest who makes her interest in the main character clear at several points throughout the story, which is more yuri than what I saw in Aoi Shiro.
Also, don't they get together in the end, or am I misremembering? Which is definitely more yuri than Aoi Shiro. In fact it's a bit of a sore spot for me as far as Aoi Shiro's concerned.

But perhaps there's some unexpected hidden yuri in the remaining Aoi Shiro routes or I'm misremembering Fatal Twelve?

Did you play Akai Ito first? It's the first VN in the same universe and I think it is overall better, especially for the yuri. It also explains a lot of concepts that Aoishiro relies on. Of course some routes are just better than others.
Furthermore, did you rely on the fan translation? It is much better than the official mess of a MTL.

I was using the fan translation. It was pretty solid.
This is the first time I've seen anybody describe Akai Ito as a prerequisite of sorts for reading Aoi Shiro, but then again I haven't seen that much discussion about these VNs. I would've gone with Akai Ito first if I had known.

I don't want to give the impression that Akai Ito is absolutely necessary, in the end these are two different stories, simply set in the same universe with similar concepts. But while many consider Aoishiro the better of the two, I always had a preference for Akai.

1. The fan translation was completed as opposed to the ~90% for Akai Ito.

In regards to this, with the official release + fan patch you now have the entire game translated. Akai's official release was slightly more competent than Aoi's, so at the very least it's comprehendable if you read those last 10%.

Ultimately what stalled me on the VN was that the yuri was lacking. I found the actual story to be relatively engaging and the cast quite charming. The somewhat dragged out SoL scenes didn't put me off either. They weren't a chore to read because it peppered in a decent amount of banter between the characters.

I will not lie to you, neither of the two VNs is as explicit and strong on the yuri as I would like. Akai will not suddenly become FLOWERS. All I am saying is that the yuri aspect feels more supported. You barely have to use headcanon in Akai, though it rarely ever goes fully direct confession territory. At least the true route isn't disappointing.

If I could ask you about your first page list, why do you have Aoi Shiro listed under "VNs with Yuri focus" and then Fatal Twelve under "VNs with majorly Yuri content"? Because personally I'd either switch them or put them both in the latter category.
Admittedly I haven't finished the other routes for Aoi Shiro (but I'm expecting less, not more yuri in these routes) and it's been awhile since I read Fatal Twelve.
Both VNs have a main plot that drives the narrative with any yuri secondary. At least Fatal Twelve has an explicitly sapphic love interest who makes her interest in the main character clear at several points throughout the story, which is more yuri than what I saw in Aoi Shiro.
Also, don't they get together in the end, or am I misremembering? Which is definitely more yuri than Aoi Shiro. In fact it's a bit of a sore spot for me as far as Aoi Shiro's concerned.

No matter who I talk to they consider Aoishiro a yuri focused story. Everything revolves around these "relationships" and there are several "heroine routes". I think most people played it a long time ago when this level of subtext was treated as equivalent to yuri, especially back when it came out.
If it were up to me I wouldn't put it in the yuri focused category either to be honest. And yes I know, my list and all, but I try to find a general consensus.

Fatal Twelve is way more yuri than it appears at first, but it still is mostly a death game/detective story where the yuri is really only relevant to two characters out of a huge cast. Considering the major plot relevance the yuri has I could probably put it into the yuri focused category. But it's a coinflip and ultimately makes little difference.

---

Update: Added Chrono Jotter and Seraphim Slum to the list. Excellent yuri VNs.

last edited at Aug 27, 2024 6:11AM

Alas, everlasting flowers was really disappointing for me in terms of the yuri.

Well, I guess it's yuri in the sense that there's a strong platonic friendship but there's no romance (which was incorrectly tagged on vndb at the time I read the VN). There is some subtext if you're into that but just a heads up to other people.

Also, is this thread still alive?

last edited at Apr 3, 2025 9:15PM

Alas, everlasting flowers was really disappointing for me in terms of the yuri.

Well, I guess it's yuri in the sense that there's a strong platonic friendship but there's no romance (which was incorrectly tagged on vndb at the time I read the VN). There is some subtext if you're into that but just a heads up to other people.

The ending is more or less sequel-baiting a romantic development if anything. We will see if said follow-up will ever happen.

Ahem... I confess that I have been procrastinating on making a new recommendation post for a long time. I have kept adding new VNs to the recommendation list, in case people bookmarked it for reference, but without update posts this thread is bound to be buried and forgotten, so that is a problem.

So without further ado, let me make a new post... about

CYOA

Yes, I have decided to add a new section to the recommendation list! One about text based Choose Your Own Adventure Games. These lean far heavier into the well, novel aspect and very little into the visual parts, so I would say these are not visual novels. Uhm... yeah. That makes them kind of off-topic. At the same time, some of these do have art in them and I simply don't see any other thread ever listing these gems! After all the audience who has the patience for VNs might overlap with those who have patience for text games, right?

So for the uninitiated, there are two major platforms for text based Choose Your Own Adventure games these days, although they are far from the only publishers/hosts.
https://www.choiceofgames.com/
Choice of Games hosts and releases CYOAs and also sells them on several other stores, like Steam, Apple and Amazon. They help a lot of individual writers sell and spread their works. Some of the rules include that all CYOAs hosted by CoG have to allow the player to choose their protagonist's gender. This means that 99% of all CYOAs by definition have yuri options, should there be romance.
https://chooseyourstory.com/
CYS is a community of CYOA writers who are more casual and wild. These are not trying to sell you games necessarily, they are written to be shared among users. There is even a full on fanfiction section to illustrate how different this site is in its approach. Unlike COG, these works have no rules about protagonists and romance, so you will not be able to pick up any work and receive yuri options. However the site allows for comments and feedback that will be far more casual than a Steam review that is gated behind a paywall.

Now for some actual recommandations that may help people get a foot into the bog of CYOA, so they may be sucked in and never escape again~

Wayhaven Chronicles

Synopsis:
"Your first case as a detective is forcing you to open your eyes to a world bigger than you thought. But maybe it's better to keep them closed. Knowing too much doesn’t help anyone sleep at night! Seems the supernatural didn’t get the memo that nothing exciting ever happens in the little town of Wayhaven.

The Wayhaven Chronicles: Book One is a thrilling 440,000 word interactive fantasy novel by Mishka Jenkins, where your choices control the story. It's entirely text-based—without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Experience the big and small moments with a host of characters throughout this exciting twist on the usual supernatural tale—a story which will take you through heart-pounding romance, smile-filled friendships, and shiver-inducing drama."

Review:
The Wayhaven books are basically a perfect introduction to CYOA in my opinion. They are not too long, not too oppressive, but still have some depth and interesting romance paths as well as an actual plot. Although the synopsis states differently, it really feels less like a detective series and more like a fun urban fantasy romp.
Vampires, magic and spooky elements aplenty and also some very quirky romance. Book 2 might by my favorite of the trilogy. Never go back to your ex. I'm warning you. Don't you do it! Or do it, if you really want to.

Vampire The Masquerade: Night Road

Synopsis:
"The elders have entrusted you, an elite vampire courier, to deliver their secrets. Can you outrun the hunters, the other drivers, and the rising sun?

Vampire: The Masquerade — Night Road is a 650,000-word interactive horror novel by Kyle Marquis, based on Vampire: The Masquerade and set in the World of Darkness shared story universe. Your choices control the story. It's entirely text-based—without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination. It won the "Best Game" award in the 2020 XYZZY Awards for interactive fiction.

It’s a new Dark Age for the dead. When the Second Inquisition's vampire hunters hacked phone lines and computer networks to expose and destroy vampires all over the world, the elders turned to undead couriers like you. For ten years, you’ve raced across the desert between cities, delivering vital information and supplies. But when an old friend reappears with a plan to disrupt the blood trade across the American Southwest, everything you’ve built starts crashing down."

Review:
Are you afraid of the dark? Well more importantly, are you afraid of being dragged into the intricacies of the World of Darkness franchise? If yes, this game will definitely make you nervous, because it is the perfect gateway drug into the Vampire the Masquerade side of said universe. On the upside, you absolutely don't need any prior knowledge about that universe, as this story works entirely standalone and explains its mechanics quite well. On the other hand it very deeply cuts into the lore of this universe and will be extra entertaining for seasoned veterans.

Regardless, Marquis' writing is exceptional and this story just works on so many levels. It is probably the best VTM story that has ever been written outside the confines of the tabletop experience with your friends. The main plot is a grand web of mysteries and the variety on how you can approach both the plot and your character definition is excellent. Be whatever vampire clan you want and use whatever powers suit you best. Make big choices and small choices that will actually come back to bite you (hah). Romance is perhaps not Marquis' strong suit, but it is a nice bonus.

Werewolf the Apocalypse: The book of hungry names

Synopsis:
"You and your shattered werewolf pack must save the living Earth with Rage and spirit! In this interactive novel with hundreds of choices, can you defeat a Wyrm Spirit that manifests as a lie that you want to believe?

Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names is an interactive novel by Kyle Marquis set in the World of Darkness. It's entirely text-based—1.6 million words, without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Shapeshifter. Mystic. Hero. Monster. You are a werewolf, and you are all these things. Werewolves are the living earth's last guardians, created by Gaia, given the gift of shifting between human and wolf forms, and called to stop humanity from destroying the world.

But you have failed."

Review:
We can't get off Kyle Marquis' wild ride yet! BoHN is another story from the World of Darkness, this time focused on the werewolf side of the universe. This is without a doubt a magnum opus if I have ever read one. It far suprasses Night Road, which was already excellent. Just like with that game, you do not need to have any prior knowledge of Werewolf and it's lore, because this game will tell you all you need.
The plot is amazing, the reactivity of your choices and abilities is phenomenal, the characters are layered and fascinating and the endings feel truly earned. An all around must play in my opinion and one of the longest standalone CYOAs I've ever read. And there is still new content for it coming out as I type this!

The romance is once again not the focus of this story, but it feels quite natural. There are two female love interests and as of last patch even a poly romance option if you just can't decide. Don't play it for the romance, but definitely do go for it.

If It Please The Court

Synopsis:
"Seduce and surveil as a sexy royal spy! Gather intel, or gamble on love in 18th-century Versailles. Who will catch your eye: a spymistress, a poet, or a traitor to the king?

If It Please the Court is a 242,000 word interactive lesbian romance novel by D.E. Chaudron, where your choices control the story. It's entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

You've been recruited from the slums of Paris into the Secret du Roi, Louis XV's league of covert emissaries and spies. As a spy for the court, you now have the power to change your life–and tip an unstable country toward transformation.

It's one thing to lie for a living, but your love life demands honesty. And women all over Versailles are ready to lure your heart. Will it be the spymistress with a lifetime of secrets, the poet languishing in the shadow of the queen, or the double agent haunting your every move? No matter who you pursue, you'll have to survive a rival's hostile ambitions, and see that the Crown doesn't crush yours.

Love and loyalty is all that will be left when this house of cards falls. Who will you protect to ensure a better future, and who will you sacrifice? When your mask falls away, will anyone trust the person underneath?"

Review:
The first CYOA on this list to actually be romance focused and what a banger to open with!
Do you like spy thrillers and historical dramas? This is the game for you. And as a cherry on top it is entirely sapphic, meaning unlike most CYOAs it truly does only focus on lesbian(ish) relationships.
Where it excells in character drama, the actual plot and intrigue of the story is more... basic. In my opinion anyway. That doesn't distract from what this is really about, the unapologetically gay romantic entanglements and dance.

Fallen Hero Rebirth and Retribution

Synopsis:
"Become the greatest telepathic villain Los Diablos has ever known! Once you were famous; soon you will be infamous. That is, unless your old friends in the Rangers stop you first. Juggle different identities and preserve your secrets as you build new alliances and try to forget the friendships you've left behind.

Fallen Hero: Rebirth is a 380,000 word interactive novel by Malin Rydén, where your choices control the story. It's entirely text-based—without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

How Far Will You Fall Down the Path Of Villainy?"

Review:
So warning ahead of time, Fallen Hero is not finished yet. The first (Rebirth) and second (Retribution) game are out, but we're still waiting for Revelations. So if you are not willing to end on a cliffhanger, perhaps wait a while before starting this story. If you are brave enough to believe in an eventual conclusion... definitely pick up Fallen Hero.

Despite the entire premise of becoming a major villain, how you go about this is entirely up to you. The protagonist's backstory is mostly set, which is rare for CYOAs, but you can influence the nuances and especially the present. Ultimately you can be a ruthless monster or a conflicted anti-hero. You can cooperate with the heroes, use them or completely oppose them. The most fun comes from the double identity play in my opinion, but some of the plans, powers and lore in this are just spectacular and exciting.

The romance is held back by a LOT, nay, a metric ton of trauma, so it will not be easy or quick. But that makes it all the more worthwhile. Even though it is not a romance focused story, somehow it excells more at its romance than many romance focused CYOAs.

Kitsune

Synopsis:
"Your life is unremarkable: you have a boring job, only one person you might call a friend, an ailing mother in an expensive hospital, and a single bedroom apartment which no-one else ever sees. The only interesting thing about your daily routine is the mysterious stranger who appears every night in your dreams. That is until you come home to find the dream-stranger in your apartment, injured and seeking your help.

Kitsune is a 300,000-word story about love, lies and foxes, written by Thom Baylay, author of the Evertree Saga and The Grim and I. It’s entirely text-based—without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Many a fox grows grey but few grow good, and this one has taken a shine to you. How will you react when an agent of chaos enters your mundane life? Will you embrace the opportunity to mix things up or try to maintain some semblance of control? Will you let a supernatural spirit aid you in a divine quest for meaning or will you suspect everyone’s motives and seek the truth behind the extraordinary?"

Review:
Confession time... I haven't finished it yet. Yes, I recommend a story I haven't even seen to its end yet. What a hack.
But hear me out, this game just released recently and I didn't have the time. But what I have read is already worth any recommendation I can give. I just love everything about the wirting style and set-up. Kitsune are one of my seven weaknesses, so it was bound to end this way.

It's quirky, it's kind of romantic and I hope it ends well. But even if it doesn't this story is actually really endearing all along the way.

last edited at Apr 19, 2025 6:32AM

Tokyo Necro (https://vndb.org/v13666)

I would recommend Tokyo Necro, a zombie cyberpunk visual novel by Nitroplus. It’s a high-budget vn with great worldbuilding and atmosphere. It’s very similar to Katahane in the sense that the perspective changes between the male MC and the openly lesbian MC who share equal screen time: you get het romance and H-scenes with So’Un and yuri romance and H-scenes with Ethica. Therefore, while the focus of the game isn’t on romance, the game being ~50% yuri content puts it pretty comfortably in the “Majorly Yuri” section.

Unfortunately (being a Nitro+ game), there are a couple non-con (both yuri and het) scenes. If you play Ethica’s route you can avoid nearly all of the het and non-con scenes save for three (they don't involve her or any of her love interests if that matters). I didn’t care for this type of content either and getting the censored version of the game on Steam is a good idea to avoid it. The H-scenes are very much skippable and don’t really add anything to the story.

Most of the yuri romance is tied to the route focusing on Ethica (which is one of four main routes), so if you’re reading it for the yuri you should look at a guide. I would actually say that this was the best route of the game, not just because of an obvious bias, but because the developments in it were much more compelling compared to the others (and many people who reviewed the game held this opinion as well). It was very dramatic and emotional, and had a very surprising twist for one of the characters who was important to Ethica's story.

The game outside of the yuri was pretty appealing if you like thrillers. The setting, worldbuilding, themes of life and death, and characters kept me very engaged throughout the VN. The visual novel definitely focuses on trying to be a spectacle, with decent action sequences and even 3D-animated fight scenes. There were even a lot of nice immersive touches when it came to the user interface and menu. Ultimately I would recommend this game for people who want to play something with more spectacle, but there probably should be a disclaimer for a lot of blood and gore due to the nature of killing zombies in addition to the previously mentioned sexual content.

last edited at Apr 25, 2025 4:26AM

Also, I'll add a rundown similar to the other recommendations on this thread

Duration: The full vn is Long (40-45 hours) but I’m assuming people reading this thread want to play it for the yuri-focused content, which is Medium in length (10-15 hours).

Gameplay: Basically Kinetic. There’s only two choices you can make that can lead to four endings (and the True Ending, if you play through all four). One of them focuses on the female protagonist Ethica, so if you just want to play that route make sure to search up a guide.

Yuri: Majorly Yuri. The game isn’t focused on romance but the female lead is openly lesbian and has sexual encounters with a couple other female characters throughout the story. There is only one endgame romance option and I feel the relationship itself could be fleshed more, but I still think the route was satisfying. The start of the game seems to lean more on the male MC's side but as things progress screentime flips back and forth more evenly.

Version: You can get the JastUSA version or Steam version. The former contains everything in its uncensored glory while the latter cuts out sex scenes and violent scenes.

Sexual content: Het scenes are greatly minimized but still present in Ethica's route if reading the 18+ version. The yuri scenes are a mix of vanilla and BDSM, though there are two rape scenes in other routes.

last edited at Apr 25, 2025 4:53AM

Tokyo Necro... I dislike it strongly and had hoped nobody would ever force me to put it on the recommendation list.
I don't think you can downplay that this is more of a het VN than a yuri VN, it is nowhere near 50% yuri and at that indulges in way too much het and futanari rape scenarios which you can't even properly avoid most of the time. You can't possibly believe anybody is just gonna stick to the Ethica route exclusively when the true ending involving her and her girlfriend is locked behind playing through all the routes.
I cannot in good conscience EVER recommend it to a yuri fan looking for a yuri game, but for those with more general tastes it might be fine.

How comforting to know that the era where we had to rely on this kind of garbage have long passed. Comparing this to katahane is kind of insulting to katahane...

Anyway, I will add it to the list. Let people see your recommendation post and figure out themselves if they are willing to risk it.

last edited at Apr 25, 2025 5:50AM

Tokyo Necro... I dislike it strongly and had hoped nobody would ever force me to put it on the recommendation list.
I don't think you can downplay that this is more of a het VN than a yuri VN, it is nowhere near 50% yuri and at that indulges in way too much het and futanari rape scenarios which you can't even properly avoid most of the time. You can't possibly believe anybody is just gonna stick to the Ethica route exclusively when the true ending involving her and her girlfriend is locked behind playing through all the routes.
I cannot in good conscience EVER recommend it to a yuri fan looking for a yuri game, but for those with more general tastes it might be fine.

How comforting to know that the era where we had to rely on this kind of garbage have long passed. Comparing this to katahane is kind of insulting to katahane...

Anyway, I will add it to the list. Let people see your recommendation post and figure out themselves if they are willing to risk it.

Er, sorry.

Er, sorry.

No need to apologize. You enjoyed it and you wanted to share it. Fair enough. Whether I like it or not has no influence on whether I put it on the list.... or "Yurinate" wouldn't be on it, believe me lol

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EDIT: I added Love Curse Find Your Soulmate and the sequel to Find Love Or Die Trying to the list. Chinese yuri VNs really have been on the rise lately.

last edited at Apr 26, 2025 3:16AM

Given that Tokyo Necro has been hanging around my Steam wishlist unproductively for a while: there's an unofficial "R15" patch which reinstates all the actual story content absent from the censored steam version, whilst skipping past the porn. Can anybody provide guidance if that's a worthwhile compromise?

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Also, I'd like to add Just Kiss Her Already! to the list. It's woefully short, but at a price of exactly zero, you can't really complain. (If you even remotely enjoy yaoi, you should read Just Kiss Him Already! beforehand, although it's not required.)

Given that Tokyo Necro has been hanging around my Steam wishlist unproductively for a while: there's an unofficial "R15" patch which reinstates all the actual story content absent from the censored steam version, whilst skipping past the porn. Can anybody provide guidance if that's a worthwhile compromise?

If you can bear copious amounts of het content with a bland unlikable male protagonist, then go ahead I guess. Skipping the sexual content at least makes the VN 30% more bearable in my opinion. But what happened in it is no less canon unfortunately...

Also, I'd like to add Just Kiss Her Already! to the list. It's woefully short, but at a price of exactly zero, you can't really complain. (If you even remotely enjoy yaoi, you should read Just Kiss Him Already! beforehand, although it's not required.)

The art seems nice, though 20 minutes really is quite short. Then again, I have put The Waters Above demo on the list, which is only marginally longer, so I can't really talk. I'll add it then (but definitely not the BL prequel).

last edited at Apr 27, 2025 4:13PM

If you can bear copious amounts of het content with a bland unlikable male protagonist, then go ahead I guess. Skipping the sexual content at least makes the VN 30% more bearable in my opinion. But what happened in it is no less canon unfortunately...

I will point out that the male protagonist doesn't have any romance in Ethica's route (and with the H-scenes removed, the route as a whole is clean of het and futa). I don't really think the True Ending (where you have to play the het routes) is a must-need since it didn't have much content or ramifications for Ethica and her girlfriend that were different from her route's ending.

Just searching up a guide and just playing Ethica's route is an acceptable option in my opinion. It has a reasonably long playtime (~10-15 hrs) and is probably the most enjoyable (well, if you like this type of VN) route anyways even when disregarding the yuri.

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Anyway... moving onto other things, I think the translation for Ever Maiden might be in hot water. The company has gone completely radio silent for almost one and a half years despite the localization originally being slated for release in 2024. I'm not familiar with how these things work, so assuming the worst case scenario, does Love Lab take the rights with them to limbo or can someone else smoothly pick it up later on?

last edited at Apr 27, 2025 9:01PM

Just searching up a guide and just playing Ethica's route is an acceptable option in my opinion. It has a reasonably long playtime (~10-15 hrs) and is probably the most enjoyable (well, if you like this type of VN) route anyways even when disregarding the yuri.

Please understand that nearly nobody wants to play just 1/3rd of a story focused game. Paying 40+ bucks to play a fraction of the content is not appealing.

I'm not familiar with how these things work, so assuming the worst case scenario, does Love Lab take the rights with them to limbo or can someone else smoothly pick it up later on?

Love Lab has no rights at all. They were just hired to translate the VN. It is not their property, especially if they don't even release a translated version. They didn't buy the license, they were paid to do a job.

Is it okay to mention het VNs with yuri subplots here? Because Nekopara is getting a new volume in a month, and the trailer already showed the Yuri is still present.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W-C0PZmSS4

Is it okay to mention het VNs with yuri subplots here? Because Nekopara is getting a new volume in a month, and the trailer already showed the Yuri is still present.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W-C0PZmSS4

Of course you can mention it, I will never suppress discourse.
But I refuse to put this on the list or recommend it. Tokyo Necro is one thing, but I draw the line at Nekopara, a literal het harem eroge. Nekopara has no real yuri, just threesomes and mostly irrelevant bisexual eye-candy for the male self-insert player. The only tiniest bit of yuri is always subverted by more het (looking at you Volume 3).

I could perhaps put the series into the "yuri adjacent" category, but I honestly do not see the point. I can't fathom why someone coming to the "Yuri Visual Novel" thread would ever be interested in Nekopara.

last edited at Apr 30, 2025 12:09PM

The English version of VividX's VN Clover Reset is out today~!

And the Kickstarter for the localization of another VN published by mirai works, Black Lily's Tale has also been successfully funded, the pledge goal been broken by almost 600%.

last edited at May 30, 2025 8:01AM