Games like An Absinthian Ballad

Synopsis The Princess of Nalaantai was never expected to be born, much less to survive past infancy. Unfortunately, her life is expected to be used as a penance for her family's follies, and that entails being forced to marry a man twice her age, and into the volatile Essenian court. Every four generations, the ruling clan of the Ximoyan Desert and the Empire of Essenia would engage in a marriage … If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to A Broken Ever After.

84%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding

83% User Score Based on 409 reviews

Critic Score 87%Based on 3 reviews

Along the Edge is a visual novel set in the European countryside, where your choices impact the main character's personality and appearance. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Along the Edge.

91%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:stability

91% User Score Based on 444 reviews

Suoh Shirahane, a shy girl with a mysterious past, will begin her first year of high school at Saint Angraecum Academy, where she hopes to find a new beginning. She will navigate friendships and mysteries at her new school, and discovers that love can come in many forms. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Flowers: Le Volume sur Printemps.

STATUS: In development Last Updated 03/27/2025 Chapter 1 Part 3 Current word count: ~149.5k words Free public side story available to free members on Patreon and Kofi! Features Kieran's POV! Posted for the one year anniversary of the Tumblr intro post. As a note: while the game is playable on mobile, the template I used for the game was designed with desktop in mind. I've updated it (03/29/202… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Stygian Sun: Total Eclipse IF.

97%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, humor

Most mentioned negative aspects:monetization

97% User Score Based on 126 reviews

Far Away is a visual novel full of dark humor depicting immersive storylines rather than romantic drama. You will play as Krosa, a typical girl who experiences gang conflicts, crimes, conspiracies, and family grudges in the port city of Bedjan. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Far Away.

69%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:replayability, graphics

92% User Score Based on 26 reviews

Death Becomes You is a whodunit mystery set in a magical school. You find your best friend dead, and 4 suspicious students lingering around the scene. Who is the one that did it? Who is lying about their intentions on that night? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Death Becomes You.

84%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, emotional

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, character development

84% User Score Based on 311 reviews

Memories...One of the most important things in our lives. But what happens if you forget who you are? If you don't remember anything? Then you can only hope that the people that do know who you are help you out...This is your journey...On your way to finding new memories... If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to My New Memories.

STATUS: In development Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/stygiansun-totaleclipse Synopsis: After the deaths of your four oldest siblings, taken from you by war, your older sibling, Nour, once fifth in line for the Solar Imperial throne, is now the heir.  This day never should have happened.  As recompense for the ravages your kingdom’s war has inflicted upon the Lunar kingdom of Celesty… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Stygian Sun: Total Eclipse IF.

91%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding

91% User Score Based on 579 reviews

A free game created by Ebi-Hime, author of Asphyxia, The Way We ALL GO, and Strawberry Vinegar. TSSofEB is a free yuri (girls' love) game created for a game jam. As the saying goes, dead men tell no tales. They only leave tales behind. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Sad Story of Emmeline Burns.

89%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, character development

89% User Score Based on 211 reviews

Madeleine Valois is a prince's companion. Her job is to guide and advise him, to make him look good so that he can land a royal bride. It is her responsibility to keep him out of trouble - not to let him walk blindly into a political minefield, not to let him get arrested for a crime he didn't commit, and definitely not to let him fall in love with her. Unfortunately, events are not going accordi… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Confines Of The Crown.

81%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, stability

86% User Score Based on 329 reviews

Critic Score 60%Based on 1 reviews

Fujiwara Bittersweet is a GxB Otome/Visual Novel, slice of life, with cute but somehow dark theme. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Fujiwara Bittersweet.

95%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:character development, replayability

95% User Score Based on 247 reviews

Can you collect all the fragments to reach your happy ending? Or will your attempts only end in tragedy? Find out in this psychological otome game! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Heart Fragment.

The tiny town of Neverdale has a nasty secret, and the truth will one day come out  As a product of that secret, your own horrific truth will one day, come out... Whether they want it to or not *                         *                               *                        *                                                          Irene Roger (Changeable name) is an 18 year old girl who wishes… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Think Again.

84%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, gameplay

84% User Score Based on 102 reviews

The Radiants is a magical adventure visual novel with light stat raising & multiple endings. Choose what kind of Oracle you will become and maybe find romance along the way. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Radiants.

74%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:character development, gameplay

74% User Score Based on 148 reviews

Someone is killing half-bloods (half-elves, half-humans) in a small city. The protagonist, a young half-blood girl called Mia Silverlight, falls into a whirlpool of events. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Never give up!.

87%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, emotional

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, replayability

99% User Score Based on 108 reviews

Critic Score 45%Based on 2 reviews

Mitsuki, an aimless young man studying to take his university entrance exams, falls for a young single mother who lives in his apartment complex. A relationship develops between these mismatched social outcasts, and then... If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Language Of Love.

64%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:stability, optimization

64% User Score Based on 236 reviews

"Leviathan: The Last Day of the Decade" is a detective story told by a dweller of a cruel dark fantasy world affected by the pandemic. The world ruled by a five noble-born kins under the suzerainty of the undead Plague King. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Leviathan: The Last Day of the Decade.

85%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding

85% User Score Based on 1,417 reviews

Trick & Treat is a Visual Novel that test your instincts by making choices that can get you out from the cursed forest or drive you to death… or maybe just maybe your choices can guide you to something more? Could you be the one that unfolds the truth about the Wychwood forest that have been hidden about hundred years, and release the forest from its curse? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Trick and Treat - Visual Novel.

99%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

99% User Score Based on 73 reviews

A global crisis that only continues to escalate. A dangerous run-in with a shadowy stranger. And a mysterious word that won't stop gnawing at you. How does everything tie together? And what role could you possibly play in all of this? Enter a world of magic—of Fae and Dragon. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Alaris.

90%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:monetization, gameplay

90% User Score Based on 90 reviews

A lesbian gothic romance tale set in Victorian England, in which an anxious governess is aggressively pursued by her unruly, tempestuous pupil. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Salome's Kiss.

77%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, emotional

77% User Score Based on 122 reviews

Plunge into court politics and change the course of history, or pursue a love affair that rocks the kingdom to its foundations! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Affairs of the Court: Choice of Romance.

78%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:character development, grinding

78% User Score Based on 138 reviews

Her fairy tale life laid out before her, Risa’s eyes are set on the future. With thoughts of her family spurring her on, will she earn a place beside Ren Yamato, Prince Charming himself? The turmoil in her heart knows life is rarely so straight forward. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Without Romance.

94%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, emotional

Most mentioned negative aspects:character development, grinding

94% User Score Based on 289 reviews

You're a young man named Alex who arrives in the cliffside town of Silverpine. Explore the town's many mysteries and meet its colourful townsfolk, while you grow closer to a kind-hearted local named Jake. Can the two of you save the town from the impending doom brewing inside the mysterious Vault? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Newfound Courage.

Story You come from a disgraced noble lineage, and as your father's bastard you must vindicate yourself by overcoming your artistic failure. Thus, you are torn from your family and transferred to your new Maestro's workshop. You spend your first years in desolation until… A spirited boy. A sharp girl.  Fellow apprentices. On your quest for greatness, will you become each other's salva… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Tarnished in Sanguine.

☆彡 ❝keep your heart with me, ❞ Last updated: March 7, 2025 Currently contains Prologue and Chapter 1Word Count: ~13K words without code; ~20K with code Rains in Heaven is a text-based fantasy romance interactive fiction and is free to play on desktop and mobile devices through itch.io. Inspired by kpop boy group NCT Dream’s song of the same name, you embark on a journey with five other characte… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Rains In Heaven.

77%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, monetization

77% User Score Based on 115 reviews

DOLL EYE: CHAPTER ONE is the first part of a dialogue-based, story-driven psychological horror game made in RPG Maker MZ. "Where did this all start?" Tomorrow is the anniversary of your son's death, but you can't let that distract you from your everyday life. Your daughter has just sent you a message asking you to pick her up near that one shark dude's bar. Worry not - your guardian an… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to DOLL EYE: CHAPTER ONE.

97%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:character development, optimization

97% User Score Based on 185 reviews

Yandere x Otome x Mystery A mystery Otome game with all yandere love interest, play as a detective and find out the truth! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Heart Cage.

70%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding

70% User Score Based on 112 reviews

Nicole is a dating sim that revolves around your day-to-day life as a college student. You can take up part-time jobs to earn money, explore various locations, do recreational and extra-curricular activities, and meet intriguing characters like Darren, Kurt, Jeff and Ted. You might even get to date the culprit! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Nicole.

95%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding

95% User Score Based on 1,794 reviews

You are Avery Grey, the newest employee at a popular cat cafe called A Cat's Paw. The coffee's good and the staff is friendly (and kinda cute!) but mysterious. One day, you find a strange book in the basement, with letters you can't quite read... If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Hustle Cat.

84%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

84% User Score Based on 62 reviews

When a withdrawn virtual reality nerd has the opportunity to beta test a neural device that feels more "real" than reality itself, everything she assumed about the nature of existence is thrown into question. In this interactive novel, your choices will shape Lilya and Jacob's beliefs about what is real, or if reality even exists. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Reality.

94%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

94% User Score Based on 102 reviews

Marnie, a bored goth girl, accidentally stumbles upon a sleeping female knight in the forest. Together, the pair must work to break a centuries-old curse, while romantic feelings between them begin to grow. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Fairy's Song.

27%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story

Most mentioned negative aspects:music, character development

43% User Score Based on 14 reviews

Alice thought high school would just be an easy ride. But when she suddenly becomes very popular, the drama begins. Threats first. It always starts with threats... but what comes next? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Game of Love.

78%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, humor

Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, music

78% User Score Based on 250 reviews

What's scarier: the principal, your psychic powers, or finding a date for prom? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Psy High.

63%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, emotional

Most mentioned negative aspects:monetization, grinding

78% User Score Based on 32 reviews

As a future seer, you know exactly who you're going to spend the rest of your life with. Unfortunately, it seems convincing them on that matter might not be so simple. Come to enjoy the journey in this amusing, exciting, and touching Visual Novel. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to A Foretold Affair.

87%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding

89% User Score Based on 404 reviews

Critic Score 80%Based on 1 reviews

A Light in the Dark is a new, suspense-filled visual novel on PC. A collaboration between CreSpirit, developers of Rabi-Ribi, and the tag team duo of Storia and Narrator, developers focused on visual novels and RPGs. Having worked with CreSpirit on Rabi-Ribi and Narrator on Companion, Sekai Project is teaming up with this dream team of developers to bring their new game project to the West! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to A Light in the Dark.

95%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:character development

97% User Score Based on 274 reviews

Critic Score 85%Based on 1 reviews

Cinderella Phenomenon: Evermore is a visual novel fandisk for Cinderella Phenomenon. This game is is akin to an extended epilogue, containing five chapters of additional content that occur after the good endings of the original game. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Cinderella Phenomenon: Evermore.

73%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding

73% User Score Based on 250 reviews

In a small inn located in the snowy Japanese mountains, an unlikely relationship blossoms between a once-popular poet and the daughter of the inn's proprietress. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Six Days of Snow.

89%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, optimization

89% User Score Based on 53 reviews

Will Ekaterina be able to safely complete her coming-of-age ceremony and emerge as the rightful successor to the House? If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Winter Tower.

90%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:character development, grinding

90% User Score Based on 148 reviews

Five days ago, Janet left her dorm to go on a date - and never came back. Was she kidnapped? Murdered? The truth may be even stranger. Solve puzzles to connect together pieces of the story in a science-fiction adventure with eleven possible endings! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Date Warp.

75%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:character development, replayability

75% User Score Based on 1,295 reviews

Azure comes across a strange ring one day. This ring changes her future drastically making each day action packed. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Written in the Sky.

78%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, optimization

78% User Score Based on 378 reviews

A marvellous romance with a hint of murder. Lose your heart to a stolen city in this game of amorous intrigue! Seek love, for yourself or your friends. Help a murdered man find justice. And watch out for the bats. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Mask of the Rose.

90%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding

90% User Score Based on 210 reviews

Nothing is what it first appears. You live in a small, peaceful village. Every day is the same as any other; boring. Right when you wish for something exciting to happen, strange things start to occur, stemming from the nearby forest. If that isn't enough, the locals have begun disappearing. At the same time you meet four mysterious guys. Will you discover the truth before becoming the next targe… If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Dark Nights.

94%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, gameplay

Most mentioned negative aspects:grinding, monetization

94% User Score Based on 438 reviews

Intrigue, betrayal, deaths! A survival stats-raising Otome / BxB Dating Sim in a high-fantasy royal court setting with RPG elements. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Royal Alchemist.

75%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, gameplay

75% User Score Based on 79 reviews

Become the noble of a country on the brink of war. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Paths Taken.

80%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, emotional

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, music

80% User Score Based on 64 reviews

Filled with puzzles, the story between she and me at the end of the world. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Our End of the World.

90%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:music, replayability

90% User Score Based on 73 reviews

Having been enrolled into an all-girls school by his mother due to severe bullying for his feminine appearance, a 17-year-old boy spends the remainder of his high school life dressed as a girl to avoid being found out. He quickly becomes popular with many of the girls, much to his surprise. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to My Life as a Maiden.

69%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, emotional

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, character development

92% User Score Based on 26 reviews

A wholesome BL VN about a young man, Yuel, struggling to come to terms with his father’s death. Seeking solace, he turns to his older cousin, Tavi, for help, and their relationship takes a surprising turn as Yuel begins to develop feelings for Tavi that are more than just familial. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Unluckily in Love.

47%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, music

Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, gameplay

47% User Score Based on 87 reviews

Last Days of Spring is a YA (Young Adult) Otome Visual Novel following a group of high school seniors in their last week of school as they come to terms with questions about love, life and destiny. Follow the steps of Yuka Kishimoto as she navigates across her final week as a high school student and sees her life come to a complete change! If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Last Days of Spring Visual Novel.

81%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, grinding

81% User Score Based on 842 reviews

Critic Score 80%Based on 2 reviews

Once upon a time, a girl, her pet dog, and three companions made a journey to meet a great wizard who could grant their wishes. But what if the girl hadn’t believed that “there’s no place like home”? Explore a fairytale world through a dozen routes and 20+ endings! A Visual Novel with women as the target demographic. If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to OZMAFIA!!.

98%Game Brain Score

Most mentioned positive aspects:story, graphics

Most mentioned negative aspects:gameplay, character development

98% User Score Based on 211 reviews

"Life After Magic" is a Y2K, queer WLW visual novel focused around retired magical girls! What's a magical girl to do when the teenage years are over, and there's no more bad guys for you to fight? How about navigating lost connections? Or juggling a totally awful retail gig? Worst of all - your magical powers are fading... If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Life After Magic.