For love of VNs: Gameplay Gods

[Clephas]

This is a list of untranslated (though some might have interface patches) VNs that are generally good.  One warning... for some reason, rape is almost a universal presence in VNs with gameplay, though it isn't the focus of it in most cases.  Also, though Debo no Su Seisakusho is one of the most famous/infamous producers of such works, most are of extremely low quality.  I will definitely take input from others who have ones they love and add them to the list.

 

Edit:  Incidentally, if you don't see a vote from me, it is because I didn't have the energy to go through all the paths of the game.  Generally speaking, one playthrough is all I can manage with  most gameplay VNs, simply because of their immense length.

 

Ouzoku (sort-of comedic strategy VN by SofthouseChara)

Madou Koukaku (strategy by Eushully, based in the same world as Ikusa Megami series)

Ikusa Megami Zero

Ikusa Megami Verita

Genrin no Kishougun (both)

Meishoku no Reiki (tons of rape in this game... but it is surprisingly fun being the bad guy from the beginning)

Soukoku no Arterial

Wizard's Climber

Demonion (tower-defense and conquest VN... lots of rape, but the battle system itself is fun to mess with)

Sengoku Hime III-V (VERY gameplay-focused Sengoku Jidai strategy)

Kanojo wa Sora ni Inoranai -quantum girlfriend- (decent Japanese mythology-based rpg VN)

Eiyuu*Senki

Daiteikoku (the only Alice Soft game I played that had a relatively good, if whacked out, plot)

Seinarukana (technically the translation isn't done)

Shinobi Ryuu (SofthouseChara, spy/ninja/strategy sim VN)

Baldr Sky Dive (both)

Baldr Sky Zero (both)

 

Last of all:  I LOATHE the Rance series.  Don't ask me to include it here.  When I can't stand a protagonist, I can't stand the game... and Rance pushes all the wrong buttons with me.

 

Edit2: SofthouseChara is one of the big names in the gameplay-VN business... but their games have really complex systems that are very hard to master without an extensive knowledge of Japanese or an interface patch.  tbh, rather than simple games like Eiyuu Senki, these games make a lot more sense to make an interface patch for, in my opinion.

[castor212]

So this is ALL interactive ones?

[Clephas]

Yes.  Also, these are all heavier on gameplay than ones where the gameplay is sort of just tossed out there, like Twinkle Crusaders (where it was used to cover up for a lack of writing talent for combat scenes).  Wizard's Climber and Kanojo wa Sora ni Inoranai are recommendations more from a friend of mine than me, though I've played both.  With Sengoku Hime, as a series, I ended up getting swallowed by the gameplay, and the story in general wasn't all that interesting in III, though V has a surprisingly good story for some of the factions.  Yes, there is a lot of Eushully up there, all of them ten times better than Kamidori (which was one of the worst games by that company).  Daiteikoku is my one nod at Alice Soft, because it was surprisingly good, despite the usual whacked-out antics common in their games.  Shinobi Ryuu and Ouzoku are HARD, though good.  Meishoku no Reiki... is basically a conquest game where you use an elven princess (sexually) to power your magic.  Demonion was a dungeon defense game I played randomly a year ago, and it was surprisingly good, despite being full of heroine choukyou.  The good ending is also surprisingly pleasant, considering your protagonist is a demon lord.  Eiyuu Senki vies with Koihime Musou for harem size, while being more of a conquest game.  My description of Soukoku no Arterial can be found in a thread in this forum.  Genrin no Kishougun's gameplay resembles that of Fire Emblem and is based in between Ikusa Megami Zero and Verita chronologically in the mythos.  Madou Koukaku is a HUGE conquest game, with an excellent story and lots of resource micromanagement and building.  Seinarukana is basically Aselia with a weaker story and an improved combat system.

 

Edit:  Incidentally, this is roughly 60% of the untranslated VNs with gameplay I've tried.  I really don't play them as much as I do normal ones, even proportionate to their numbers when compared to regular ones.  However, I do try those recommended to me by others...  I've played about seven Alice Soft games, and my opinion of them is almost universally negative, both from a gameplay and story perspective.  The exception is above, which managed to keep my interest despite its flaws (which are shared with all Alice Soft games).  I have a friend/fellow madman who plays gameplay-VNs almost exclusively, and I generally only play those I'm already interested in or that he has recommended to me.  Eushully's I generally try, because - with a few exceptions - their stories are generally good.  I usually at least sample SofthouseChara games as well, though those tend to be even more hit and miss. 

[Zhiroo]

I hate that most of these gameplay VNs are filled with rape '-'

[Funyarinpa]

Currently Super Danganronpa 2 is in the process of being translated as far as I know, if that counts as "untranslated" I have heard great things about it... ("Better than Virtue's Last Reward(my favorite game!)" is a statement enough by itself to make me play the damn game when it comes out)

[Clephas]

Generally speaking, VNs with serious gameplay tend to fall into one of two types... sort of spoofy/goofy with rape or story-heavy and with rape that is part of the plot.  Alice Soft's games fall into the former, with Eushully's games being the latter.  It is possible to get a sort of 'nice' ending in Meishoku no Reiki by keeping the evil protagonist's promise to the elf princess (protect her virginity), but the game is much easier if you don't, lol.  Alice Soft's games almost always have compulsory rape, with some joke rape thrown in. 

 

Edit: Danganronpa is mostly a point and click adventure game, so it doesn't really count...

[Berilium]

I am currently playing Kamidori and I'm enjoying it so far. After I finish this game I would like to keep playing this sort of VNs: which of the listed VN's are like Kamidori? I am not looking for heavy or something like strategic gameplay (I never had the abilities of a tactician) but if it's worth it I may give it a try.

[Decay]

Question: Just how Eushully is Soukoku no Arterial? In some ways it looks like a departure for them, but I still suspect it has quite a few totally random sex scenes. Also, what would you say is the ratio of gameplay to story?

[Clephas]

There are a few random scenes... gameplay-story ratio is about 3:1 (small for a game with serious gameplay).  The card battles are surprisingly easy to work with (see my dead thread in this forum), and the characters are fairly interesting.  There is only rape on the demon path, and you are supposed to do it last, in any case.  There are some random-feeling H-scenes... but that is unavoidable.

 

As for stuff similar to Kamidori... if you get rid of the alchemy, give the game a much better story and a normal rpg battle system, Ikusa Megami Zero comes the closest.  To be blunt, if you loved Kamidori, you probably didn't love it for the story, lol.  Protagonist from it makes a cameo appearance as a usable character in Soukoku no Arterial with the append disc on a second playthrough, along with Haishiera from Ikusa Megami Zero, and Mao from Himegari, incidentally.  Late in the game, Soukoku no Arterial lets you create new cards by fusing others, including cards of characters from other Eushully games (though those only become available on a second playthrough).

[Clephas]

Added Baldr Sky series.

[Avil]

Is the gameplay of Eiyuu Senki /Gold easy enough to understand without extensive japanese knowledge?

The vn seemed great so I'm really interested, thank you!.

[kratoscar2008]

Is the gameplay of Eiyuu Senki /Gold easy enough to understand without extensive japanese knowledge?

The vn seemed great so I'm really interested, thank you!.

Of course even easier since you have many options:

 

-Both games have translations of the effects of the items you can equip available in PDF/wiki.

-The first game got an interface patch so you can see anything besides the story translated.

-Gameplay works like FE weapon triangle

-Exploit an enemy weakness for more damage but increase their skill metter (Like hit a sword user with a gun user, you will deal more damage but the enemy skill metter fills faster).

-Dont exploit an enemy weakness and you deal normal damage but fill your own skill metter.

 

Basically the gameplay depends on character positioning as skills have different target areas. Its pretty simple and fun to play, the downside is that there arent any choices besides choosing the MC name and the story is linear but the cast its really impressive and fun.

 

Lastly i agree TC, Rance is a douche and i cant see how people like him (Rance is a literal manchild).

[Avil]

I'm already playing GOLD and it's easier than I thought, the only downsides are the number of non voiced scenes and that the mc's only voiced in combat

[Okami]

There are a few random scenes... gameplay-story ratio is about 3:1 (small for a game with serious gameplay).  The card battles are surprisingly easy to work with (see my dead thread in this forum), and the characters are fairly interesting.  There is only rape on the demon path, and you are supposed to do it last, in any case.  There are some random-feeling H-scenes... but that is unavoidable.

 

As for stuff similar to Kamidori... if you get rid of the alchemy, give the game a much better story and a normal rpg battle system, Ikusa Megami Zero comes the closest.  To be blunt, if you loved Kamidori, you probably didn't love it for the story, lol.  Protagonist from it makes a cameo appearance as a usable character in Soukoku no Arterial with the append disc on a second playthrough, along with Haishiera from Ikusa Megami Zero, and Mao from Himegari, incidentally.  Late in the game, Soukoku no Arterial lets you create new cards by fusing others, including cards of characters from other Eushully games (though those only become available on a second playthrough).

 

I think that gameplay in Kamidori was just amazing, in terms of gameplay it is probably a best game I had ever played (or one of the best), when it comes to story well it's noting special but I still think it's nice and has a great side characters. So when you talk about VNs with great gameplay I think that Kamidori must be included. Also as far as I remember there is no any rape in Kamidori, true there is a lot of cheating.

[Clephas]

My reasons for not including Kamidori are simple... I didn't enjoy the game. 

[kratoscar2008]

I'm already playing GOLD and it's easier than I thought, the only downsides are the number of non voiced scenes and that the mc's only voiced in combat

Compared to how many seiyus the game has i think it has a lot of VA, only treasure and some story events arent voiced while all heroine events are.

[kratoscar2008]

I'm already playing GOLD and it's easier than I thought, the only downsides are the number of non voiced scenes and that the mc's only voiced in combat

By the way an interface patch for Gold has been released if you want it. It works witouth problems for me so far.

 

http://www.hongfire.com/forum/showthread.php/432440-Eiyuu%2ASenki-Gold-Interface-patch

[Alucard]

I found kamidori to be a great game. It was light enough that I could play it while watching tv but had enough gameplay meat to it that it didn't feel brain dead (as opposed to something like say koihime musou). I found the pacing of h content to be evenly interspersed. The story may have been a bit thin but is fairly typical of this type of game.