Skip to main content

Kanon

Kanon Game Cover
98%Game Brain Score
story, music
character development
98% User Score Based on 104 reviews

Platforms

PCSteam DeckWindows
Buy Nowfrom $29.99
Buy NowGet on Steam $29.99
Kanon Game Cover

About

Kanon is a single player casual simulation game. It was developed by VISUAL ARTS/Key and was released on June 19, 2024. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Kanon" is a visual novel from Key, known for their emotional storytelling in games like "Clannad" and "Little Busters". This version features HD visuals, retouched CG coloring, and full Japanese voice acting. The story follows the protagonist in a northern town, experiencing small miracles and building relationships with those around him. Languages include Japanese, English, and Simplified Chinese.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Kanon screenshot
Kanon screenshot
Kanon screenshot
Kanon screenshot
Kanon screenshot
Kanon screenshot
Kanon screenshot
Kanon screenshot
Skip User Reviews

98%
Audience ScoreBased on 104 reviews
story22 positive mentions
  • Kanon features beautifully updated graphics and an enhanced soundtrack that elevate the emotional depth of the story, making it a must-play for visual novel fans.
  • The game is praised for its heart-wrenching narrative that blends sadness and hope, leaving a lasting impact on players.
  • As Key's debut visual novel, Kanon set the standard for emotionally charged storytelling in the genre and remains a significant piece of visual novel history.
  • The localization choices, such as removing references to cultural elements like 'Taiyaki', have frustrated some players who feel it undermines the authenticity of the story.
  • Some players noted pacing issues and felt that certain routes were too short, leaving them wanting more depth in the character arcs.
  • The game's default resolution is considered low by modern standards, which may detract from the visual experience for some players.
  • story
    66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Kanon" centers on Yuichi Aizawa as he returns to a snowy town filled with forgotten memories and unfulfilled promises, offering a blend of emotional depth and supernatural elements. As a pioneering visual novel, it set a standard for storytelling in the genre, featuring branching narratives that depend on player choices, though some routes may feel short. Despite occasional pacing issues and reliance on tropes, the narrative remains engaging and impactful, making it a must-experience for fans of visual novels.

    • “Originally released in 1999 by Key, this game set the standard for emotionally charged storytelling in the genre.”
    • “Heart-wrenching story: follow Yuichi Aizawa as he reconnects with forgotten memories and unfulfilled promises in a town covered in snow.”
    • “Kanon is an amazing story that people should experience.”
    • “Most of the time the story just moves forward with no choices available, but sometimes you are presented with several choices of what to do or say, which branches the narrative into numerous different possibilities.”
    • “There is no branching timeline view in this game, so it’s all about the skip functionality and making saves if you want to 'optimize' the story unlocking.”
    • “Which… is kind of what the game becomes in the end to the detriment of its own strong storytelling.”
  • music
    21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, enhanced by remastered soundtracks and voice acting that effectively set the mood for various scenes. Reviewers highlight the audio quality as exceptional, contributing to the overall atmosphere and emotional connectivity with the characters. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, elevating the experience and aligning well with the game's snowy landscapes and narrative moments.

    • “Enhanced soundtrack: the remastered soundtracks and voice acting elevate the emotional depth of every scene.”
    • “The music has amazing audio, as expected of Key's other releases, which really sets the mood for the game's snowy landscapes and effectively portrays a scene, whether it's fooling around or a tense moment.”
    • “The voice acting and soundtrack really shine and give incredible atmosphere, something early Key titles excel at.”
  • emotional
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    "Kanon" is celebrated for its emotionally charged storytelling, following Yuichi Aizawa as he navigates forgotten memories and unfulfilled promises in a snowy town. The remastered soundtrack and voice acting significantly enhance the emotional depth, making each scene resonate powerfully. While some routes may present convoluted narratives, the overall experience delivers a heartwarming yet heartbreaking journey that leaves a lasting impact, solidifying its legacy in the visual novel genre.

    • “Heart-wrenching story: follow Yuichi Aizawa as he reconnects with forgotten memories and unfulfilled promises in a town covered in snow.”
    • “Dive into this heartwarming and heartbreaking tale—it's a gaming experience that will stay with you long after the snow has melted.”
    • “Even if you as a reader have the foresight to predict these events, the emotional delivery of the voice acting combined with the perfect musical choice for each important scene will be more than enough to elicit an emotional reaction through a newfound feeling of connectivity with the characters.”
  • graphics
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The remastered version of "Kanon," released on June 20, 2024, features stunning HD visuals that enhance the original's charm while revitalizing its snowy, melancholic setting. While the background artwork is detailed and impressive for its age, some players may find the character designs jarring, which could take time to adjust to. Overall, the remaster successfully updates the graphics, making it more appealing to a broader audience.

    • “The remastered version, released on Steam on June 20, 2024, is everything we loved about the original, with stunning HD visuals and enhanced sound.”
    • “Beautifully updated graphics: the remaster breathes new life into the snowy, melancholic setting of 'Kanon' with HD visuals that retain the charm of the original while enhancing the details.”
    • “The artwork of the background scenes has a great deal of detail for the game's age, whereas the character designs can be a bit jarring for some and will likely take time for people to get used to, as seen in the Steam store screenshots.”
    • “Outdated art style and all.”
    • “The full artwork is still available; however, which can be viewed by hitting the 'space' key during certain scenes and by either dragging your mouse on the screen or scrolling with a mouse wheel, so you can still enjoy the full art without any image cutting shenanigans.”
  • gameplay
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay features significant quality-of-life improvements that enhance navigation and interactions, while maintaining the core elements of branching narratives and multiple endings typical of visual novels. Players can expect a straightforward experience with a user-friendly interface, customizable options, and a convenient dialogue rewind feature, making for an enjoyable and immersive experience.

    • “Improved gameplay: quality-of-life improvements make navigation smoother and interactions more enjoyable, while the core gameplay of branching narratives and multiple endings remains intact.”
    • “The gameplay and mechanics of the game are fairly straightforward and what you would expect of a visual novel, featuring a heap of text lines with accompanying voice lines and character illustrations to convey the conversations between characters. The user interface is fairly intuitive, seamless, and easy to navigate, with plenty of options to customize your experience (font type, transparency, individual voice sliders, etc.) and a feature to jump back to previous dialogue akin to a quick-load option, which is a really great addition!”
    • “Improved gameplay: quality-of-life improvements make navigation smoother and interactions more enjoyable, while the core gameplay of branching narratives and multiple endings remains intact.”
    • “The gameplay and mechanics of the game are fairly straightforward and what you would expect of a visual novel, being a heap of text lines with accompanying voice lines and character illustrations to convey the conversations between characters, as well as a fairly intuitive, seamless, and easy to navigate user interface to complement it, with plenty of options to customize your experience (font type, transparency, individual voice sliders, etc.) and a feature to jump back to previous dialogue akin to a quick-load option, which is a really great option!”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its incredible quality, with standout voice acting and a captivating soundtrack that enhance the overall experience, reminiscent of the strengths found in early key titles.

    • “The voice acting and soundtrack really shine and create an incredible atmosphere, something early key titles excel at.”
    • “Incredible atmosphere.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game features detailed background artwork that enhances the overall experience, but the character designs may initially feel jarring to some players, requiring time to adjust.

  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers significant replayability, appealing to fans of visual novels with its engaging content, great music, and art. Players appreciate the effort put into the English port, making it accessible and enjoyable for a wider audience. Overall, it is considered a worthwhile investment due to its replay value and competitive pricing.

    • “Overall, the game is a really fun title with great music and art (depending on your taste) and plenty of replay value. I'm really pleased with the effort put into this release, with only minor nitpicks at best. I'm also relieved they've finally ported this game in English for fans of key and visual novels alike to enjoy one of the forefathers of modern visual novel games.”
Skip Game Offers

Buy Kanon

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Kanon

Games Like Kanon

Little Busters! Image
97%550reviews

Little Busters!

2017Casual Simulation
PCSteam DeckWindows
If My Heart Had Wings Image
91%2.3kreviews

If My Heart Had Wings

2014Casual Simulation
Playstation 3Nintendo SwitchPC+9
Crystalline Image
95%1.1kreviews

Crystalline

2018Role Playing
PCMac OSPhone+4
Senren Banka Image
96%888reviews

Senren Banka

2020Action
Nintendo SwitchPCTablet+2
Summer Pockets Image
96%670reviews

Summer Pockets

2020Action
Nintendo SwitchPCTablet+9
More games like Kanon
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Kanon is a casual simulation game.

Kanon is available on PC, Steam Deck and Windows.

Kanon was released on June 19, 2024.

Kanon was developed by VISUAL ARTS/Key.

Kanon has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its character development.

Kanon is a single player game.

Similar games include Little Busters!, If My Heart Had Wings, Crystalline, Senren Banka, Summer Pockets and others.