Inorin

Here's a subbed video, only thing you might have to look out for would be related videos I guess.
 

Isn't it Shibuya (instead of Tokyo)? Anyways, I hope you like it!  It's probably one of the only few VNs which make full good use of the branching system and does it very effectively, unlike so many other VNs with arbitrary choices

Isn't it Shibuya (instead of Tokyo)? Anyways, I hope you like it!  It's probably one of the only few VNs which make full good use of the branching system and does it very effectively, unlike so many other VNs with arbitrary choices

Playing 428: Shibuya Scramble. I wanted something different from the other VNs I'm playing

I used to play like 5-6 vns at one go, but now it's one at a time because I finish them faster this way

I used to play like 5-6 vns at one go, but now it's one at a time because I finish them faster this way

I used to play like 5-6 vns at one go, but now it's one at a time because I finish them faster this way

Rewrite

I have played all-ages version of eroge however they are not my cup of tea. Because I don't like harem and at the very beginning, the girls would show their blatant affection (or dislike for tsundere) towards the protagonist, sometimes for no reason at all as it is their first meeting. Of course, this is just my preferences and opinion. So yeah, I'm not exactly avoiding them as you said but I don't mind limiting my reading options if it is mean I don't have to play something I don't like.

I am pretty sure almost everyone in this forum has read at least an eroge. As for nukiges, I don't think there are actually that many who played (or at least discussed) here. I was once like you: I avoided eroges. But as I started to read more non-eroges, the number of VNs that I was able to read became significantly smaller. Almost half of the VNs I read are 18+, and that's not because I want to view 'those scenes'. Rather, it's because I would limit my reading options by avoiding them, since many visual novels are 18+ and some do not have an all-ages version (Saya no Uta for instance).
As for the types of VNs I read frequently, it's almost everything except for nukige and moege.
 

I am pretty sure almost everyone in this forum has read at least an eroge. As for nukiges, I don't think there are actually that many who played (or at least discussed) here. I was once like you: I avoided eroges. But as I started to read more non-eroges, the number of VNs that I was able to read became significantly smaller. Almost half of the VNs I read are 18+, and that's not because I want to view 'those scenes'. Rather, it's because I would limit my reading options by avoiding them, since many visual novels are 18+ and some do not have an all-ages version (Saya no Uta for instance).
As for the types of VNs I read frequently, it's almost everything except for nukige and moege.
 

Play Muv Luv, then Muv Luv Alternative. You should never skip a sequel before reading a prequel, even if said prequel is not as good as the sequel. As others have mentioned, the Muv Luv series is supposed to be experienced as a whole. Even if Muv Luv Alternative works well on its own, its emotional impact is far greater if you had read Muv Luv. 

Well apparently Nasu's gonna step down from FGO after the end of the Lostbelt Arc, so maybe he's gonna finally start work on something else? Or maybe he's gonna continue playing Final Fantasy or some other game

So I finished 428 yesterday and everything I wrote about it previously still holds true. Seems I really swallowed that red herring. In general, if there is one thing 428 is really great at it's setting up and paying off plot devices, especially when it comes to the showdown on Shibuya Scramble. It definitely deserves all the praise coming its way as it's probably one of the best constructed VNs out there. I didn't fall in love with it like I did with my absolute favourite VNs but I still fully recommend it to anyone who likes visual novels since I can't find a single reason not to like it.

Reading 428 Shibuya Scramble (just reached 16:00) and so far this is the best VN I've read so far regarding the implementation of a choice system. Seeing choices by one protagonist impact the fate of another is really fascinating, even though the plot itself doesn't actually branch beyond wrong choices leading to bad ends. On a few occasions the degree to which everything is intertwined feels a bit forced and just seems to be there to include a few more choices and bad ends, but even the bad ends are worth watching as they often give you a nice scene that either is pretty funny (the cockroach end!) or gives some nice character development.
Beforehand I was a bit sceptical about the use of real photographs instead of drawn sprites and backgrounds as it reminded me of Plumbers Don't Wear Ties (which, btw, would qualify as a VN if it just had textboxes), but 428's art direction is just really well done making this is one of the few visual novels that have actual visual storytelling beyond reaction shots and simple visual effects.
Other than that, so far it's a good thriller (?). It gets bonus points for its Twin Peaks references although I hope my theory involving them turns out wrong that (spoilers for Twin Peaks and 428 ahead)
 

Muv Luv Alternative

Perhaps the most universal complaint of those who read Japanese VNs, regardless of their tastes, is the bland, non-people, average protagonists that make up better than 90% of all VN protagonists.  This trend began with the first moege, as a technique to allow people to self-insert more easily, but the tradition has worked against VNs more than it has worked for them, with protagonists with unique quirks turning out to be almost as important to a VN's lasting popularity as heroine quality. 
Unfortunately for those new to VNs, it is impossible to tell at a glance whether a protagonist will be interesting or not based on the cover, since most protagonists don't have a tachie, voice-acting, or a character description on the official site, lol. 
So, as a service to my fellow Fuwans, I decided to go ahead and make this list.  The greater majority of these games will be untranslated, but I will go ahead and list ones that are translated that I know of.  Feel free to help me add to the list, though this one is for Japanese-origin games, not EVNs. 
The baseline for these protagonists will be that they are either unique, unusual, or capable (intelligent, talented, and/or skilled at something and have something approaching a personality) without deliberate nerfing of their qualities to make heroines stand out more.  Harem protagonists who are merely kind to everyone will not count for the purpose of this list, and characters whose personality/capabilities/talents/skills get toned down in the heroine routes will also not qualify.
Translated
Tokyo Babel
Ayakashibito
Hello, Lady (soon)
Hapymaher
Noble Works (yes, he does make the baseline)
Dracu-riot (assuming the official release comes out)
Nanairo Reincarnation (soon)
Tsukihime
FSN
Comyu (yes, I include this... because even if you hate Akihito's man-whore qualities, he is definitely not a cardboard cut-out character)
Rance games (I hate the Rance games, personally, but you can't say he isn't unique)
Majikoi
Tsujidou-san no Jun'ai Road (Dai only seems sheeple on the surface... he has enough depth as a character to qualify) 
Eien no Aselia (while his personality is standard for a jrpg protagonist, it has enough twists and unique qualities to make the list)
Seinarukana (similar to above)
Fata Morgana no Yakata (I wavered because of the way the game is structured, but I chose to list it anyway)
Grisaia series
Kikokugai
Demonbane
11eyes
Rewrite (I hate this protagonist, but he stands out, even if he is a dumbass)
Animamundi
Baldr SkyDive (whenever it comes out)
ChuSinGura (I honestly wavered on this one, both because the protagonist is a moron and because I don't consider this to have been truly translated)
Cross Channel
Daiteikoku
Daitoshokan no Hitsujikai
Dies Irae
I/O
Yumina
Kyonyuu Fantasy (yes, I'm serious even as I'm laughing)
Planetarian
Rose Guns Days
Sekien no Inganock
Gakthun
Sharin no Kuni
Shikkoku no Sharnoth
Shin Koihime Musou (apparently tl is at 100%, so I'm including it)
Sorcery Jokers (Senri!!!)
Tears to Tiara
Tokeijikake no Leyline series
Venus Blood Frontier (whenever it comes out)
Wanko to Kurasou
Eden*
Untranslated
Akeiro Kaikitan
Ikusa Megami series
Soukoku no Arterial
Fuukan no Grasesta
Madou Koukaku
Silverio series
Tiny Dungeon series
Zero Infinity
Electro-Arms
Soranica Ele
Kikan Bakumatsu Ibun Last Cavalier
Komorebi no Nostalgica
Devils Devel Concept
Karenai Sekai to Owaru Hana
Evolimit
Bullet Butlers
Tokyo Necro
Soukou Akki Muramasa
Ou no Mimi ni wa Todokanai
Shugo no Tate series
Amatsutsumi
Floral Flowlove
Aoi Tori
Mirai Nostalgia
Bradyon Veda
Draculius
Gensou  no Avatar
Abyss Homicide Club
Hyper→Highspeed→Genius
Inochi no Spare
Hatsuru Koto Naki Mirai
Kitto, Sumiwataru Asairo yori mo
Konata yori Kanata Made
Kanojo wa Tenshi de Imouto de
Jingai Makyou
"Hello, World"
Natsu no Owari no Nirvana
Otome ga Tsumugu Koi no Canvas
Rui wa Tomo o Yobu
Ryuukishi Bloody Saga
Vermilion Bind of Blood
Satsukoi
Sinclient
Tenshi no Hane o Fumanaide
Suisei Ginka
Yurikago yori Tenshi Made
Izuna Zanshinken
Tasogare no Sinsemilla
Valkyrie Runabout
Sekai o Sukuu dake no Kantan na Oshigoto
Haru to Yuki
Semiramis no Tenbin
Tsukiakari Lunch
Tsuisou no Augment
Kamikaze Explorer
Prism Recollection
Houkago no Futekikakusha
Izayoi no Fortuna
Natsuzora no Perseus
Minamijuujisei Renka
Ojou-sama no Hanbun wa Ren'ai de Dekiteimasu
Yami to Hikari no Sanctuary
Sakura no Mori Dreamers
AstralAir no Shiroki Towa
Irotoridori no Sekai
Senren Banka
Reminiscence
Akagoei series
Soshite Hatsukoi ga Imouto ni Naru
Harumade Kururu
Haruru Minamo ni
Kin'iro Loveriche
Love Rec.
Natsuiro Recipe
Shuumatsu Shoujo Gensou Alicematic
Sakura Nikagetsu
Iroha ~Aki no Yuuhi ni Kagefumi o~
Campus's Uso series
World Election (seriously push this one for fantasy charage lovers)
Curio Dealer
Kami no Ue no Mahoutsukai
Lamunation
Sora no Tsukurikata
Hikoukigumo no Mukougawa
Sakura, Sakimashita
Amairo Islenauts
Blade x Bullet
Gouen no Soleil
Dekinai Watashi ga, Kurikaesu
Doushite, Sonna ni Kurokami ga Suki na no?! (more charage with some plot)
Boku ga Tenshi ni Natta Wake
Butterfly Seeker
Fake Azure Arcology
Re:Birth Colony
Gekkou no Carnevale
Hatsuyuki Sakura
Gurenka
Hikari no Umi no Apeiria (this guy's personality is so out there you wouldn't even be able to tell if anything effected him, lol)
Hotel. (this is also a joke from me that I can share only with those few who have read it, lol)
Kamigakari Cross Heart
Kimi to Boku to no Kishi no Hibi
Witch's Garden
Kono Sekai no Mukou de
Kouyoku no Soleil
Lovesick Puppies (more food for charagamers)
Toppara Zashiki Warashi no Hanashi
Naka no Hito Nado Inai
Natsuiro no Nostalgia
Ojou-sama wa Gokigen Naname
Onigokko
Otomimi Infinity
Para-Sol
Prima Stella
Paradise Lost
Kajiri Kamui Kagura
Sanzen Sekai Yuugi (only Otomege I know of that fulfills the prime condition)
Primal x Hearts
Tayutama  (original only)
Shinigami no Testament
Shogun-sama wa Otoshigoro
Stellula Eques Codex Tasogare no Himekishi (seriously, the protagonist is subject to some interesting stuff, like akuochi and/or corruption of characters)
Toki o Tsumugu Yakusoku
Unjou no Fairy Tale
Yuganda Uso no Koi to Letter
Yoru Meguru, Bokura no Maigo Kyoushitsu
Tsuki ni Yorisou, Otome no Sahou
Request includes
G-Senjou no Maou
Aiyoku no Eustia
Watashi no Real wa Juujitsu Shisugiteiru
Shirogane no Soleil
Root Double
Edit:  A lot of these characters stand out due to personality traits or quirks, as much as anything else.  The key point is that the protagonist is a 'person' instead of a cipher or catalyst.  For those who wonder why I didn't include Tsuki ni Yorisou, Otome no Sahou 2, the reason is pretty simple... in every path, the protagonist's individuality vanishes and he becomes enslaved to the heroine's character needs. 
 

It's that time of the year again. Time to reflect on everything you made of good and bad in the year. But who cares about getting chained down by your past forever huh? So let's skip that part and look forward to the future! To what we can (and can't do) to make Fuwanovel great... again? Did we ever were great? Debatable.
So anyways, let's all collect suggestions of changes we want to see here in the coming year. If you're feeling a bit uninspired, I suggest to vote for one of the wonderful suggestions I make below. Because I thought long and hard (aka 3 minutes, rough estimation) in the well being of our beloved dysfunctional community.
Create a pinned "Translation Salt" thread under Visual Novel Talk, because lately every single release gets this; Rename Walkthrough section to "SeniorBlitz's Secret Dungeon"; Rename Translation Projects to "Fan Translations Burial Ground" because lately they're mostly dropped anyway; Create a board "Introduce Yourself and Never Speak Again" under Introduce Yourself because yep; Rename Community Coordination and Feedback to "Tay and Co. Burial Ground" (I'm sorry Tay, we love you); Create a pinned "Looking for Hentai Animation or Visual Novel (Powered by Monta93TM)" thread under Anime/Manga Recommendation; Rename Leaderboard to...... anything tbh no one will notice kek kthxbye

vndb  Steam Official website Summary
September 16, 2030 - 6:19 AM.
At "LABO", a giant scientific research facility built by a lake on the outskirts of "Rokumei City", an "incident" occurs...!
And thus, nine souls are trapped in LABO's basement.
A world where death eats away at every passing moment.
The way out, shut. Frequent inexplicable phenomena. Countless mysteries.
And... a bizarre murder that occurred right in that closed space.
There are two routes out of this extreme situation:
An amnesiac rescue squad captain in LABO- Watase Kasasagi.
A nine hour escape drama unfolds from his viewpoint.
A high school student trapped in LABO- Natsuhiko Tenkawa.
A journey into his memories of the six days leading up to the incident starts from his viewpoint.
When two intentions and two sets of memories overlap... all will be revealed.
In the end, is there a route for all nine to escape with their lives?
 
Ending Guideline / Suggested Route Order
Root Double has an enforced route order so there isn't really a need for a suggested route order.
However, if you still want to know the route flow, it is as follows:  √After--> √Before --> √Current --> √Double --> Xtend Episode
For the fastest reading experience: 

√After - Bad Endings 1-17
 
√After - Good Ending and Normal Ending
 
√After CG Recovery
 
√Before - Bad Endings 1-4

√Before - Good Ending

 
√Current
 
√Double - Bad Endings 1-6
 

√Double - Normal Endings 1-3, Good Endings and True Ending
 
Xtend Episode

√Double CG Scenes and a brief (Steam) achievements guide
 
Attribution
Based on the Steam walkthrough of the game, with improvements made by me.

Yeah I suppose bond of marriage is the closest thing to a true end that root letter has. Generally I wouldn't recommend skipping any of the routes (since you can't actually say you completed the game without actually completing it), but I leave it up to your own discretion.

Finally read Muv Luv and Alternative (which I don't understand why it's marked as 50+ hours when it's like 30+ hours, and I'm not really a fast reader).
So, my overall disappointment for what many people overhyped aside, let's talk about the best point of both VNs: Sprite gimmicks.
This is the most freaking amazing usage of the sprites I ever saw in a VN (well, not like I read that many anyway).
Lips and eyes aside, the way the characters change expression and move during the conversation is good. The fact that they actually change their direction depending on who they talk to. The fact the characters you don't talk to also change their expression and even move in the background. The usage of the depth of the background. How cute Kasumi is when her rabbit ears move with a sfx.
All these sprite gimmicks make the overall experience so alive and so much better that all the VNs I read so far (minus Bladr Sky, which is amazing in a different sense) feel like shit. And from now on the still sprites I'll see in all the VNs I'll read will feel really stale.
I didn't read that much discussions about Muv luv, so I don't know if it's actually praised along the story and all, but I feel like it should be, because to me it's the most stand out point of the VNs and the only thing that actually left an impression on me.

they aren't gonna get much better. In fact, some of them are kinda ludicrous and have no relation to one another whatsoever (except for "crossing paths" and "the bond of marriage")

Instructions unclear; you'll have to choose between one of the below:


 
Is possible!