Top 10 Visual Novels for iOS and Android - 2020

Visual novels are an interesting genre of games. In fact, they are games, but visual novels do not play like normal games. The game mechanics have been simplified to a minimum, and the story of the game takes centre stage throughout the game. Some of them have mechanics, but they exist almost exclusively to advance the game.

It's a relaxing genre, so it's ideal for people who just want to hang out and watch the story unfold. Having originated in Japan, most of the visual novels on Android and iOS are in Japanese. Still, there are some excellent choices. Here are the best visual novels for iOS and Android.

Ace Attorney

Ace Attorney is a series of mysteries and dramas about Phoenix Wright, a lawyer who solves cases. There are hidden objects and point-and-click elements. Basically, you start a case, collect evidence, interview people and beat your opponents in court. The pacing is pretty good. Each game in the series is quite expensive at $19.99 each, but you get the full game with no in-app purchases or ads.

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Florence

Florence is a charming visual novel about Florence. Florence feels trapped in her routine when she meets a Krish. The game has some simple puzzles and point-and-click mechanics, but is otherwise very easy to play. It costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases or ads.

Gris

Gris is a puzzle game with several novel visual elements. You play as Gris, a girl lost in her own world. You help her navigate that world, get in touch with her emotions and navigate reality. There are some simple puzzles and little else. Visually it's pretty and there is a surprisingly small amount of text as the story unfolds mostly through visuals. It costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases or ads.

If My Heart Had Wings

If My Heart Had Wings is a relatively standard visual novel. The game has many good features, including full offline support and many different stories to play. There is also a comment function that allows you to leave annotations on scenes for others to read later. The game is very similar to the PC version. You can play the first half for free and pay for the rest later. There are also branching side stories about each character.

Life is Strange

Life is Strange is a visual novel by Square Enix. You play as Max Caulfield, a high school girl with the ability to rewind time in short bursts. Players make decisions, think better of them and rewind time to redo specific parts of the game. You use this ability to discover various things in the game. There is also a prequel to the game, Life is Strange: Before the Storm. Both games are free to download and play for a while and then you have to pay for the rest of the chapters.

Mysterious Forum y 7 Rumors

Mysterious Forum and 7 Rumors is another fairly typical horror visual novel that lasts about two hours. Players make choices and there are several different endings. It all takes place in a forum run by high school students. There are some stories posted there that come true and are not particularly pleasant.

OPUS

OPUS is a small series of investigation games. Players explore space as they make their way through the main plot of the game. The second title returns the player to a dystopian Earth to help a witch find her way. The two games are unrelated, so they can be played in any order and each story is completely different. OPUS: The Day We Found Earth is the first title in the series followed by OPUS: Rocket of Whispers. There is also a third (completely free) game called Rocket of Whispers: Prologue which tells the story of events prior to the second game.

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Oxenfree

Oxenfree is a horror thriller with elements of adventure, puzzles and exploration. It begins when a group of high school kids inadvertently open a ghostly rift and chaos ensues. It takes many of its elements from 1980s teen horror films. The writing is outstanding and the game elements fit the theme very well. It hasn't been updated in a while, so be sure to try it within the refund period in case you're not interested.

Telltale Games titles

Telltale Games was the top visual novel for several years on Google Play. The studio has since closed, but all of its games are still available on Google Play. Their visual novels are played by making decisions and using point-and-click mechanics. All games are free to play with optional chapters available as in-app purchases.

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To the Moon

To the Moon is a touching game with adventure and role-playing mechanics. It's about two doctors who give people the memories they want, but can only perform surgery while the patient is on their deathbed. It was one of the best Android games of 2017 and remains one of the best visual novels to this day. It costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases or ads.