Clephas

If you are looking for something portable and have a PSP or Vita, I suggest Growlanser IV (the port/remake of the ps1 game).  It is very high quality, from a series by Atlus (makers of Persona and the rest of the SMT series). 

1.  Dragon Force- Sega Saturn
2.  Xenogears - PS1
3.  Chrono Trigger (multiple systems)
4.  Suikoden II- PS1
5.  Suikoden V- PS2
6.  Ar Tonelico I and II (PS2)
7.  Grandia II (PS2 and Dreamcast)
8.  Skies of Arcadia (Gamecube and Dreamcast)
9.  SMT: Digital Devil Saga (PS2)
10. Growlanser III (PS2)
 
What can I say?  The PS3 generation mostly sucked for my favorite genres and it shows.  I turned to PC gaming and VNs precisely because of the lack of truly obsession-worthy games on consoles, at least for me. 

Every VN company has specialties, in terms of genre, character types, and art styles. 
 
AXL tends to prefer a generally cheery atmosphere, replicating its own art in every VN it makes, and creating an oddly nostalgic atmosphere within its games (though this is probably an accident, rather than on purpose).  It tends to have some sort of action, whether it is actual violence or just sports, as part of the story, and the protagonists tend to be capable, if not perfect.
 
Akabeisoft2, which did Sharin no Kuni and formed Akatsuki Works and Shangrila (the makers of the Akatsuki no Goei series), tends to provide a facade of slice of life, with a much darker edge underneath.  Their games are mostly story-focused, with a few exceptions, and the general quality is very high.
 
Light is, oddly, a company that is the very reverse.  It's stories tend to be dark, with even the brightest and most cheery atmospheres carrying a blood-soaked edge beneath the surface.  Exceptions, like Kaminoyu (which was made by the group that eventually was shoved into the Sweet Light subsidiary) are exceptions to the rule.
 
Nitroplus was originally an action-focused utsuge company, but with the advent of Sumaga, their games both changed in atmosphere completely and dropped in quality overall.  Muramasa was the last truly great game done by the main team, and the Science series (Steins and Chaos) appeals to a completely different audience and was done by a different team.
 
Clochette is also known as 'Oppai R Us' by some of us English-speaking VN-readers.  They produce high-quality fantasy charage with decent stories... and lots of big-breasted girls. 
 
Yuzusoft tends to produce a wide variety of games, but their specialty lies in the creation of high-quality meldings of story and charage style.  Dracu-riot is a perfect example of this, melding a high-quality story with a strong and amusing cast of characters. 
 
Will, which is the largest VN conglomerate in Japan, is responsible for everything from Propeller's action games (Ayakashibito) to the lowest style of nukige.  Probably at least a third of all the highest-rated VNs in Japan were produced by this company over the last decade or so. 
 
Key... we all know, primarily produces character dynamics-driven nakige.  Their games include ridiculous levels of moe appeals, which have contributed to their popularity both over here and Japan. 
 
Minori... produces a wide variety of games, but the one major quality they share is a sense of surrealism that produces a sharp difference in reactions amongst readers... in other words, you either love a Minori game, or you hate it viciously. 
 
Eushully produces gameplay-VNs, including the famous Ikusa Megami series, Kamidori Alchemy Meister, and they also served as a producer for a much lower-quality maker's games on a number of occasions. 
 
SofthouseChara produces gameplay-vns with a strong humorous aspect, which mostly seems to deliberately parody games that take themselves more seriously.  Even so, their games seem to possess better stories than the ones they parody, for some reason. 
 
Alice Soft, the producers of the 'Dai' series (Daibanchou, etc) and the Rance series, are famous for fusing the ridiculous and the serious in their gameplay-focused VNs.  Like Minori, they are definitely an acquired taste, and as many people despise their work as like them.
 
August produces mostly straightforward charage, moege, and nakige, with a slightly more story-focused leaning.  However, they've yet to make what is considered a 'kamige', as they always manage to fall just short of what they are trying to achieve through a given game. 
 
Front Wing, which produced Grisaia, is normally a nukige company, which made its production of that series incredibly startling. 
 
Cotton Soft produces games that range from horror/mystery to simple mysteries, usually with a science-fantasy or Cthulhu Mythos aspect to them.
 
11eyes produces medium quality fantasy, that tends to be visually appealing but varies wildly in terms of writing quality.
 
Lump of Sugar produces charage, nakige, moege, and story-focused VNs with high-quality art.  While some of their games are not all that good, they have quietly built up a list of high-quality games over the last decade.
 
Applique, which produced Fake Azure Arcology, as well as Tasogare no Sinsemilla, is a subsidiary of Effordom soft, which consistently produces high-quality games. 
 
Studio Ryokucha, which is mostly inactive, produces middling to high quality moege and charage. 
 
Feng produces middling and low quality moege.
 
Until a few years ago, Purple Soft produced mostly middling quality moege.  However, with Mirai Nostalgia and Hapymaher, they experienced a sudden surge in quality that startled many.
 
Candy Soft, which is also the owner of Minato Soft (producer of Majikoi) is responsible for a large variety of games, mostly humorous moege.  However, they tend to be less than predictable with the themes of their games, so it is a good idea to take a quick look at anything they put out.
 
Pulltop is one of Will's many subsidiary companies, mostly specializing in middling to high-quality nakige and charage.
 
Propeller is another of Will's subsidiaries, producing primarily action VNs, that tend to have really good character dynamics, unusual art styles, and great stories. 
 
 
 
I could go on forever, but these were the ones that came to mind immediately.  Feel free to ask me about a particular company, if you are considering their games.  There is a good chance I've at least 'tasted' their games, so I can give you a decent idea of what to expect.

Umm... if anything, it is the fact that women are expected to end their careers if they marry over there.  It is pretty much a universal belief amongst anyone born prior to 1990 who works at a 'normal' job, so it is going to be at least another decade before society manages to dispose of that idea.

One of the things I've noticed over the years I've spent as a gamer (almost twenty-two years now, to one degree or another) is that a technically superior game (such as Final Fantasy XIII) is not necessarily a 'good' game.  I've frequently asked myself why this is... and I've yet to come to a full conclusion.
 
So, I decided to use an example of a truly great game that wasn't necessarily technically superior to everything around it.
 
Dragon Force- It was the release that interested me enough to pick up the Sega Saturn, a Working Designs localization of a conquest-strategy/rpg.  There were eight different nations you could start out leading, each with their own storyline (leading to the same endgame, but meh) with a different protagonist for each.  There were a lot of different units you could use, ranging from generic footsoldiers and cavalry to gorgon-like dragons and zombies.  You could recruit generals by capturing them after defeating them in battle, and the object of the game was to crush the other large nations, capture their leaders, and recruit them into your army. 
 
Now why was this game great?  First, it was downright addictive.  The gameplay was never the same two playthroughs in a row (though the methodology was) and considering the limited capabilities of the Saturn, it startles me what they did with the limited resources they had available to them, looking back at it now.  Second, it had ridiculously catchy songs.  I found myself humming along for hours while I fought battle after battle, never really getting bored with it.  Third was the story... while - like all conquest-strategy games with story - it was mostly activated by your conquest of certain castles/areas, it nonetheless managed to draw you in nicely.  The desperation of the shattered Kingdom of Izumo, the ambition of Junon, the mix of isolationism and a sense of duty driving the elf queen Teiris... All of these things served as a nice beginning, and the endgame was surprisingly poignant (despite being extremely predictable story-wise from a veteran rpg-gamer's point of view).  Also, I rofled constantly at the beastmen and the really weird music they stuck on their story sequences. 
 
Now, those are ELEMENTS of what made the game great... but by themselves, all of them could be matched to one degree or another in a number of other games.  Generations of Chaos (the first one released in the US) was a direct spiritual tribute to Dragon Force, and it seemingly had a similar level in each individual area... but it failed to be as addictive or interesting.
 
Why?  Because a truly great game is like a puzzle, its elements fitting so well together that it creates a whole greater than the sum of its parts.  Games like Dragon Force and Chrono Trigger are unusual more for this quality than for any individual aspect of their gameplay or story.  They are almost works of art, rather than simple merchandise. 
 
Needless to say, I was fortunate to grow up in the early era of video games, because it gave me an appreciation for this kind of masterful game artistry that I doubt I could have obtained if I had begun in the PS2 era or later, where technology began allowing the creation of games with an unbalanced emphasis on a one or a few aspects of a game while still managing to gather in mainstream and casual gamers. 
 
I'm not saying such artistry is dead, because that would be patently ridiculous.  It is just a lot rarer, proportionately, because of the simple fact that it IS so much easier to produce relatively high quality games under current technological conditions.  To be blunt, gaming has suffered from the same thing that happened to every cottage industry after it hit assembly-line mentalities... predictability.
 
Of course, some indie companies are reviving what was best about the old era, but they are also indulging in nostalgia far too often.  Yes, I do like the FFVI style... but is it really necessary to copy it or Dragon Quest for EVERY SINGLE new jrpg-imitation that comes out?  *Clephas rolls his eyes in exasperation*
 
I'm not saying that the 'golden age of the jrpg' (the SNES and PS1 eras) was absolutely unequivocally better than the modern era of games... it was just oh so much easier to recognize a truly great game when you saw it, lol.

One of the things I've noticed over the years I've spent as a gamer (almost twenty-two years now, to one degree or another) is that a technically superior game (such as Final Fantasy XIII) is not necessarily a 'good' game.  I've frequently asked myself why this is... and I've yet to come to a full conclusion.
 
So, I decided to use an example of a truly great game that wasn't necessarily technically superior to everything around it.
 
Dragon Force- It was the release that interested me enough to pick up the Sega Saturn, a Working Designs localization of a conquest-strategy/rpg.  There were eight different nations you could start out leading, each with their own storyline (leading to the same endgame, but meh) with a different protagonist for each.  There were a lot of different units you could use, ranging from generic footsoldiers and cavalry to gorgon-like dragons and zombies.  You could recruit generals by capturing them after defeating them in battle, and the object of the game was to crush the other large nations, capture their leaders, and recruit them into your army. 
 
Now why was this game great?  First, it was downright addictive.  The gameplay was never the same two playthroughs in a row (though the methodology was) and considering the limited capabilities of the Saturn, it startles me what they did with the limited resources they had available to them, looking back at it now.  Second, it had ridiculously catchy songs.  I found myself humming along for hours while I fought battle after battle, never really getting bored with it.  Third was the story... while - like all conquest-strategy games with story - it was mostly activated by your conquest of certain castles/areas, it nonetheless managed to draw you in nicely.  The desperation of the shattered Kingdom of Izumo, the ambition of Junon, the mix of isolationism and a sense of duty driving the elf queen Teiris... All of these things served as a nice beginning, and the endgame was surprisingly poignant (despite being extremely predictable story-wise from a veteran rpg-gamer's point of view).  Also, I rofled constantly at the beastmen and the really weird music they stuck on their story sequences. 
 
Now, those are ELEMENTS of what made the game great... but by themselves, all of them could be matched to one degree or another in a number of other games.  Generations of Chaos (the first one released in the US) was a direct spiritual tribute to Dragon Force, and it seemingly had a similar level in each individual area... but it failed to be as addictive or interesting.
 
Why?  Because a truly great game is like a puzzle, its elements fitting so well together that it creates a whole greater than the sum of its parts.  Games like Dragon Force and Chrono Trigger are unusual more for this quality than for any individual aspect of their gameplay or story.  They are almost works of art, rather than simple merchandise. 
 
Needless to say, I was fortunate to grow up in the early era of video games, because it gave me an appreciation for this kind of masterful game artistry that I doubt I could have obtained if I had begun in the PS2 era or later, where technology began allowing the creation of games with an unbalanced emphasis on a one or a few aspects of a game while still managing to gather in mainstream and casual gamers. 
 
I'm not saying such artistry is dead, because that would be patently ridiculous.  It is just a lot rarer, proportionately, because of the simple fact that it IS so much easier to produce relatively high quality games under current technological conditions.  To be blunt, gaming has suffered from the same thing that happened to every cottage industry after it hit assembly-line mentalities... predictability.
 
Of course, some indie companies are reviving what was best about the old era, but they are also indulging in nostalgia far too often.  Yes, I do like the FFVI style... but is it really necessary to copy it or Dragon Quest for EVERY SINGLE new jrpg-imitation that comes out?  *Clephas rolls his eyes in exasperation*
 
I'm not saying that the 'golden age of the jrpg' (the SNES and PS1 eras) was absolutely unequivocally better than the modern era of games... it was just oh so much easier to recognize a truly great game when you saw it, lol.

One of the things I've noticed over the years I've spent as a gamer (almost twenty-two years now, to one degree or another) is that a technically superior game (such as Final Fantasy XIII) is not necessarily a 'good' game.  I've frequently asked myself why this is... and I've yet to come to a full conclusion.
 
So, I decided to use an example of a truly great game that wasn't necessarily technically superior to everything around it.
 
Dragon Force- It was the release that interested me enough to pick up the Sega Saturn, a Working Designs localization of a conquest-strategy/rpg.  There were eight different nations you could start out leading, each with their own storyline (leading to the same endgame, but meh) with a different protagonist for each.  There were a lot of different units you could use, ranging from generic footsoldiers and cavalry to gorgon-like dragons and zombies.  You could recruit generals by capturing them after defeating them in battle, and the object of the game was to crush the other large nations, capture their leaders, and recruit them into your army. 
 
Now why was this game great?  First, it was downright addictive.  The gameplay was never the same two playthroughs in a row (though the methodology was) and considering the limited capabilities of the Saturn, it startles me what they did with the limited resources they had available to them, looking back at it now.  Second, it had ridiculously catchy songs.  I found myself humming along for hours while I fought battle after battle, never really getting bored with it.  Third was the story... while - like all conquest-strategy games with story - it was mostly activated by your conquest of certain castles/areas, it nonetheless managed to draw you in nicely.  The desperation of the shattered Kingdom of Izumo, the ambition of Junon, the mix of isolationism and a sense of duty driving the elf queen Teiris... All of these things served as a nice beginning, and the endgame was surprisingly poignant (despite being extremely predictable story-wise from a veteran rpg-gamer's point of view).  Also, I rofled constantly at the beastmen and the really weird music they stuck on their story sequences. 
 
Now, those are ELEMENTS of what made the game great... but by themselves, all of them could be matched to one degree or another in a number of other games.  Generations of Chaos (the first one released in the US) was a direct spiritual tribute to Dragon Force, and it seemingly had a similar level in each individual area... but it failed to be as addictive or interesting.
 
Why?  Because a truly great game is like a puzzle, its elements fitting so well together that it creates a whole greater than the sum of its parts.  Games like Dragon Force and Chrono Trigger are unusual more for this quality than for any individual aspect of their gameplay or story.  They are almost works of art, rather than simple merchandise. 
 
Needless to say, I was fortunate to grow up in the early era of video games, because it gave me an appreciation for this kind of masterful game artistry that I doubt I could have obtained if I had begun in the PS2 era or later, where technology began allowing the creation of games with an unbalanced emphasis on a one or a few aspects of a game while still managing to gather in mainstream and casual gamers. 
 
I'm not saying such artistry is dead, because that would be patently ridiculous.  It is just a lot rarer, proportionately, because of the simple fact that it IS so much easier to produce relatively high quality games under current technological conditions.  To be blunt, gaming has suffered from the same thing that happened to every cottage industry after it hit assembly-line mentalities... predictability.
 
Of course, some indie companies are reviving what was best about the old era, but they are also indulging in nostalgia far too often.  Yes, I do like the FFVI style... but is it really necessary to copy it or Dragon Quest for EVERY SINGLE new jrpg-imitation that comes out?  *Clephas rolls his eyes in exasperation*
 
I'm not saying that the 'golden age of the jrpg' (the SNES and PS1 eras) was absolutely unequivocally better than the modern era of games... it was just oh so much easier to recognize a truly great game when you saw it, lol.

One of the things I've noticed over the years I've spent as a gamer (almost twenty-two years now, to one degree or another) is that a technically superior game (such as Final Fantasy XIII) is not necessarily a 'good' game.  I've frequently asked myself why this is... and I've yet to come to a full conclusion.
 
So, I decided to use an example of a truly great game that wasn't necessarily technically superior to everything around it.
 
Dragon Force- It was the release that interested me enough to pick up the Sega Saturn, a Working Designs localization of a conquest-strategy/rpg.  There were eight different nations you could start out leading, each with their own storyline (leading to the same endgame, but meh) with a different protagonist for each.  There were a lot of different units you could use, ranging from generic footsoldiers and cavalry to gorgon-like dragons and zombies.  You could recruit generals by capturing them after defeating them in battle, and the object of the game was to crush the other large nations, capture their leaders, and recruit them into your army. 
 
Now why was this game great?  First, it was downright addictive.  The gameplay was never the same two playthroughs in a row (though the methodology was) and considering the limited capabilities of the Saturn, it startles me what they did with the limited resources they had available to them, looking back at it now.  Second, it had ridiculously catchy songs.  I found myself humming along for hours while I fought battle after battle, never really getting bored with it.  Third was the story... while - like all conquest-strategy games with story - it was mostly activated by your conquest of certain castles/areas, it nonetheless managed to draw you in nicely.  The desperation of the shattered Kingdom of Izumo, the ambition of Junon, the mix of isolationism and a sense of duty driving the elf queen Teiris... All of these things served as a nice beginning, and the endgame was surprisingly poignant (despite being extremely predictable story-wise from a veteran rpg-gamer's point of view).  Also, I rofled constantly at the beastmen and the really weird music they stuck on their story sequences. 
 
Now, those are ELEMENTS of what made the game great... but by themselves, all of them could be matched to one degree or another in a number of other games.  Generations of Chaos (the first one released in the US) was a direct spiritual tribute to Dragon Force, and it seemingly had a similar level in each individual area... but it failed to be as addictive or interesting.
 
Why?  Because a truly great game is like a puzzle, its elements fitting so well together that it creates a whole greater than the sum of its parts.  Games like Dragon Force and Chrono Trigger are unusual more for this quality than for any individual aspect of their gameplay or story.  They are almost works of art, rather than simple merchandise. 
 
Needless to say, I was fortunate to grow up in the early era of video games, because it gave me an appreciation for this kind of masterful game artistry that I doubt I could have obtained if I had begun in the PS2 era or later, where technology began allowing the creation of games with an unbalanced emphasis on a one or a few aspects of a game while still managing to gather in mainstream and casual gamers. 
 
I'm not saying such artistry is dead, because that would be patently ridiculous.  It is just a lot rarer, proportionately, because of the simple fact that it IS so much easier to produce relatively high quality games under current technological conditions.  To be blunt, gaming has suffered from the same thing that happened to every cottage industry after it hit assembly-line mentalities... predictability.
 
Of course, some indie companies are reviving what was best about the old era, but they are also indulging in nostalgia far too often.  Yes, I do like the FFVI style... but is it really necessary to copy it or Dragon Quest for EVERY SINGLE new jrpg-imitation that comes out?  *Clephas rolls his eyes in exasperation*
 
I'm not saying that the 'golden age of the jrpg' (the SNES and PS1 eras) was absolutely unequivocally better than the modern era of games... it was just oh so much easier to recognize a truly great game when you saw it, lol.

This is a list of good games to begin your journey into playing VNs in Japanese.  Inevitably, most of these games will be moege, charage, or nakige.  There is little to be done about this, as chuuni, sci-fi, and fantasy-action VNs have linguistic barriers that will be too much for someone still struggling with reading conversational Japanese.  In particular, the biggest barrier for someone who is used to dealing with Japanese that is 'spoken', rather than 'written' is the existence of literary Japanese.  The turns of phrase, different wording, etc. that an inexperienced reader might run into can either be seen as a learning experience or as pure confusion, depending on your level and state of mind.  As such, I am only putting down games that are readable for someone who understands spoken Japanese but is weaker in literary Japanese.  I will also put a 'second level' for those who are interested in challenging themselves a little but not too much.  This one will be for those who are willing to see if they can handle the easier action scenes, more difficult event descriptions, and the like.
 
 
First Level:
 
Maji Suki Marginal Skip
Suzunone Seven
Kamikaze Explorer
Tsuisou no Augment (this game is hilarious, and it is not a moege.  I recommend this to people who liked the atmosphere of Yume Miru Kusuri)
Akabanzu - Real na Sekai de Boku ga Kimi ni Dekiru Koto (this game has only minor scientific terms and jargon, mostly related to AI and MMO's.  Since it is distinctly possible you ran into these terms just watching anime, I went ahead and put this up.)
Chuning Lover (this game is just generally rofl)
Ichiban Janakya Dame Desu Ka (one of the few almost-pure comedy in my personal lineup)
Otomimi Infinity
Sakura Iro Quartet (this and the game above are for mimikko fetishists)
Ryuusei Kiseki (sci-fi moege, fairly easy.  Hardest parts are when the protag begins preaching about his hobby)
Shiawase Kazoku-bu
Sukimazakura to Uso no Machi (surrealist fantasy moege... mildly funny, interesting in general)
Toppara - Zashikiwarashi no Hanashi (use this as your crash course in youkai)
12/30/2014 edit
Love Revenge
Real Imouto ga Iru Ooizumi-kun no Baai
08/15/2016 Edit
Sakigake Generation
Minamijuujisei Renka
Primal Hearts
Primal Hearts 2
World Election
Koko Kara Natsu no Innocence
 
 
Second Level:
Irotoridori no Sekai (yeah, it is being translated, but it isn't done yet)
Konata yori Kanata Made (relatively low-difficulty action/event scenes, as well as being an excellent entry point into the utsuge genre)
Tiny Dungeon series (relatively normal conversational and event scenes, and the actions scenes are relatively low-difficulty, if somewhat fast-paced)
Draculius (similar to above in the action)
Haruka ni Aogi, Uruwashi no (this game is probably one of the top three non-action/sci-fi/fantasy games I've played and it is harder than the games on the first level... but in exchange it is also a lot better, lol)
Hyper→Highspeed→Genius (relatively high difficulty to first level, but it is easier than the games I'd prefer to introduce people to, lol)
Koisuru Otome to Shugo no Tate - The Code Name is "Shield 9" (fanboys of fantranslations know this as one of the many dead projects)
Ore no Tsure wa Hitodenashi
Kaminoyu (this one and the one above are your source for non-human love in this stage, lol)
Otome ga Tsumugu, Koi no Canvas (higher difficulty than first level primarily due to the art terms)
Aete Mushisuru, Kimi to no Mirai
Akatsuki no Goei (first one only, later ones are too hard for Second Level)
Re: birth Colony Lost Azurite (this, Tiny Dungeon, and Draculius are probably the hardest games on this list)
Fake Azure Arcology (direct link to the game above, and ditto)
Kimi to Boku to Eden no Ringo
Koiiro Soramoyou (famous for certain VN fanboys)
Kimi to Boku to no Kishi no HIbi (recent release, fairly easy, good protag)
Lunaris Filia (a vampire charage, for those who want some of that)
Naka no Hito nado Inai!! Tokyo Hero Project
Dracu-riot
Sakura Tale
Tojita Sekai no Tori Colony (this game is pretty hilarious, especially if you insist on seeing all of the loop ends before getting to the true end)
Tsuki ni Yorisou, Otome no Sahou (similar to Koi no Canvas, in that the terms that will give you the most trouble are the technical ones - this time for sewing and clothing design)
12/30/2014 edit
Zannen na Oretachi no Seishun Jijou
Kimi no Tonari de Koishiteiru
Sekai wo Sukuu Dake no Kantan na Shigoto
Nanairo Reincarnation (borderline within this if you are familiar with the base concepts of youkai and ghosts as understood by the Japanese)
Sakigake Generation
 
 
 
 
Edit:  This will be the last in my series of lists.  I will edit them with additions occasionally, but I won't be making any new ones.  Have fun yall.

This is a list of good games to begin your journey into playing VNs in Japanese.  Inevitably, most of these games will be moege, charage, or nakige.  There is little to be done about this, as chuuni, sci-fi, and fantasy-action VNs have linguistic barriers that will be too much for someone still struggling with reading conversational Japanese.  In particular, the biggest barrier for someone who is used to dealing with Japanese that is 'spoken', rather than 'written' is the existence of literary Japanese.  The turns of phrase, different wording, etc. that an inexperienced reader might run into can either be seen as a learning experience or as pure confusion, depending on your level and state of mind.  As such, I am only putting down games that are readable for someone who understands spoken Japanese but is weaker in literary Japanese.  I will also put a 'second level' for those who are interested in challenging themselves a little but not too much.  This one will be for those who are willing to see if they can handle the easier action scenes, more difficult event descriptions, and the like.
 
 
First Level:
 
Maji Suki Marginal Skip
Suzunone Seven
Kamikaze Explorer
Tsuisou no Augment (this game is hilarious, and it is not a moege.  I recommend this to people who liked the atmosphere of Yume Miru Kusuri)
Akabanzu - Real na Sekai de Boku ga Kimi ni Dekiru Koto (this game has only minor scientific terms and jargon, mostly related to AI and MMO's.  Since it is distinctly possible you ran into these terms just watching anime, I went ahead and put this up.)
Chuning Lover (this game is just generally rofl)
Ichiban Janakya Dame Desu Ka (one of the few almost-pure comedy in my personal lineup)
Otomimi Infinity
Sakura Iro Quartet (this and the game above are for mimikko fetishists)
Ryuusei Kiseki (sci-fi moege, fairly easy.  Hardest parts are when the protag begins preaching about his hobby)
Shiawase Kazoku-bu
Sukimazakura to Uso no Machi (surrealist fantasy moege... mildly funny, interesting in general)
Toppara - Zashikiwarashi no Hanashi (use this as your crash course in youkai)
12/30/2014 edit
Love Revenge
Real Imouto ga Iru Ooizumi-kun no Baai
08/15/2016 Edit
Sakigake Generation
Minamijuujisei Renka
Primal Hearts
Primal Hearts 2
World Election
Koko Kara Natsu no Innocence
 
 
Second Level:
Irotoridori no Sekai (yeah, it is being translated, but it isn't done yet)
Konata yori Kanata Made (relatively low-difficulty action/event scenes, as well as being an excellent entry point into the utsuge genre)
Tiny Dungeon series (relatively normal conversational and event scenes, and the actions scenes are relatively low-difficulty, if somewhat fast-paced)
Draculius (similar to above in the action)
Haruka ni Aogi, Uruwashi no (this game is probably one of the top three non-action/sci-fi/fantasy games I've played and it is harder than the games on the first level... but in exchange it is also a lot better, lol)
Hyper→Highspeed→Genius (relatively high difficulty to first level, but it is easier than the games I'd prefer to introduce people to, lol)
Koisuru Otome to Shugo no Tate - The Code Name is "Shield 9" (fanboys of fantranslations know this as one of the many dead projects)
Ore no Tsure wa Hitodenashi
Kaminoyu (this one and the one above are your source for non-human love in this stage, lol)
Otome ga Tsumugu, Koi no Canvas (higher difficulty than first level primarily due to the art terms)
Aete Mushisuru, Kimi to no Mirai
Akatsuki no Goei (first one only, later ones are too hard for Second Level)
Re: birth Colony Lost Azurite (this, Tiny Dungeon, and Draculius are probably the hardest games on this list)
Fake Azure Arcology (direct link to the game above, and ditto)
Kimi to Boku to Eden no Ringo
Koiiro Soramoyou (famous for certain VN fanboys)
Kimi to Boku to no Kishi no HIbi (recent release, fairly easy, good protag)
Lunaris Filia (a vampire charage, for those who want some of that)
Naka no Hito nado Inai!! Tokyo Hero Project
Dracu-riot
Sakura Tale
Tojita Sekai no Tori Colony (this game is pretty hilarious, especially if you insist on seeing all of the loop ends before getting to the true end)
Tsuki ni Yorisou, Otome no Sahou (similar to Koi no Canvas, in that the terms that will give you the most trouble are the technical ones - this time for sewing and clothing design)
12/30/2014 edit
Zannen na Oretachi no Seishun Jijou
Kimi no Tonari de Koishiteiru
Sekai wo Sukuu Dake no Kantan na Shigoto
Nanairo Reincarnation (borderline within this if you are familiar with the base concepts of youkai and ghosts as understood by the Japanese)
Sakigake Generation
 
 
 
 
Edit:  This will be the last in my series of lists.  I will edit them with additions occasionally, but I won't be making any new ones.  Have fun yall.

Sound effects can serve a number of different specific purposes... but the most important generalized aspect of them is that they help draw the player/reader into the game in question, giving it a better sense of solidity. 

Generally speaking, Light and the other major action-VN companies are exceptions to the rule.  They put more effort into every aspect of their games, because they know their survival is dependent on providing an exciting experience.  For 'peaceful' VNs, it is very rare now to see truly excellent music direction.
 
Edit:  What I mean is that presenting chuuni games as a representative example is... somewhat pointless.  By its nature, the chuuni genre attracts talented but eccentric people, and the results can be mixed... but inevitably, there is a definite artistic edge to serious chuuni that shows in aspects such as the language, art, and music.

Every VN company has specialties, in terms of genre, character types, and art styles. 
 
AXL tends to prefer a generally cheery atmosphere, replicating its own art in every VN it makes, and creating an oddly nostalgic atmosphere within its games (though this is probably an accident, rather than on purpose).  It tends to have some sort of action, whether it is actual violence or just sports, as part of the story, and the protagonists tend to be capable, if not perfect.
 
Akabeisoft2, which did Sharin no Kuni and formed Akatsuki Works and Shangrila (the makers of the Akatsuki no Goei series), tends to provide a facade of slice of life, with a much darker edge underneath.  Their games are mostly story-focused, with a few exceptions, and the general quality is very high.
 
Light is, oddly, a company that is the very reverse.  It's stories tend to be dark, with even the brightest and most cheery atmospheres carrying a blood-soaked edge beneath the surface.  Exceptions, like Kaminoyu (which was made by the group that eventually was shoved into the Sweet Light subsidiary) are exceptions to the rule.
 
Nitroplus was originally an action-focused utsuge company, but with the advent of Sumaga, their games both changed in atmosphere completely and dropped in quality overall.  Muramasa was the last truly great game done by the main team, and the Science series (Steins and Chaos) appeals to a completely different audience and was done by a different team.
 
Clochette is also known as 'Oppai R Us' by some of us English-speaking VN-readers.  They produce high-quality fantasy charage with decent stories... and lots of big-breasted girls. 
 
Yuzusoft tends to produce a wide variety of games, but their specialty lies in the creation of high-quality meldings of story and charage style.  Dracu-riot is a perfect example of this, melding a high-quality story with a strong and amusing cast of characters. 
 
Will, which is the largest VN conglomerate in Japan, is responsible for everything from Propeller's action games (Ayakashibito) to the lowest style of nukige.  Probably at least a third of all the highest-rated VNs in Japan were produced by this company over the last decade or so. 
 
Key... we all know, primarily produces character dynamics-driven nakige.  Their games include ridiculous levels of moe appeals, which have contributed to their popularity both over here and Japan. 
 
Minori... produces a wide variety of games, but the one major quality they share is a sense of surrealism that produces a sharp difference in reactions amongst readers... in other words, you either love a Minori game, or you hate it viciously. 
 
Eushully produces gameplay-VNs, including the famous Ikusa Megami series, Kamidori Alchemy Meister, and they also served as a producer for a much lower-quality maker's games on a number of occasions. 
 
SofthouseChara produces gameplay-vns with a strong humorous aspect, which mostly seems to deliberately parody games that take themselves more seriously.  Even so, their games seem to possess better stories than the ones they parody, for some reason. 
 
Alice Soft, the producers of the 'Dai' series (Daibanchou, etc) and the Rance series, are famous for fusing the ridiculous and the serious in their gameplay-focused VNs.  Like Minori, they are definitely an acquired taste, and as many people despise their work as like them.
 
August produces mostly straightforward charage, moege, and nakige, with a slightly more story-focused leaning.  However, they've yet to make what is considered a 'kamige', as they always manage to fall just short of what they are trying to achieve through a given game. 
 
Front Wing, which produced Grisaia, is normally a nukige company, which made its production of that series incredibly startling. 
 
Cotton Soft produces games that range from horror/mystery to simple mysteries, usually with a science-fantasy or Cthulhu Mythos aspect to them.
 
11eyes produces medium quality fantasy, that tends to be visually appealing but varies wildly in terms of writing quality.
 
Lump of Sugar produces charage, nakige, moege, and story-focused VNs with high-quality art.  While some of their games are not all that good, they have quietly built up a list of high-quality games over the last decade.
 
Applique, which produced Fake Azure Arcology, as well as Tasogare no Sinsemilla, is a subsidiary of Effordom soft, which consistently produces high-quality games. 
 
Studio Ryokucha, which is mostly inactive, produces middling to high quality moege and charage. 
 
Feng produces middling and low quality moege.
 
Until a few years ago, Purple Soft produced mostly middling quality moege.  However, with Mirai Nostalgia and Hapymaher, they experienced a sudden surge in quality that startled many.
 
Candy Soft, which is also the owner of Minato Soft (producer of Majikoi) is responsible for a large variety of games, mostly humorous moege.  However, they tend to be less than predictable with the themes of their games, so it is a good idea to take a quick look at anything they put out.
 
Pulltop is one of Will's many subsidiary companies, mostly specializing in middling to high-quality nakige and charage.
 
Propeller is another of Will's subsidiaries, producing primarily action VNs, that tend to have really good character dynamics, unusual art styles, and great stories. 
 
 
 
I could go on forever, but these were the ones that came to mind immediately.  Feel free to ask me about a particular company, if you are considering their games.  There is a good chance I've at least 'tasted' their games, so I can give you a decent idea of what to expect.

Basically, in this thread, you come up with a basic game setting you'd like to see brought into reality, starting from the genre of game and genre of the story, moving on to the details.
 
Here is a basic format
 
Game Genre:
 
Story Genre:
 
Gameplay description:
 
Setting Details:
 
Other:
 
 
Here is an example
 
Game Genre: Turn-based Strategy/RTS/VN
 
Story Genre: Fantasy/magitech
 
Gameplay description:  The game is split between a large-scale resource-management on the world map, where you allocate resources and troops, build up defenses, and engage in research; real-time battles during invasion or defense of a province, in which you command up to twelve units of up to ten thousand soldiers each in field battles ranging from straight wilderness, town defense, and castle sieges with the ability to build siege engines, minor fortifications, and the like with resources at hand (either in your supply train or the surrounding area, up to and including dismantling nearby buildings such as houses to provide materials); and a story portion told in VN-style, with events either begun from the resource-management phase or events based on how you have expanded your territory and how well your war effort against a particular faction is going. 
 
Setting details:  A continent that is on the verge of a huge surge in magitech (technology reliant on magical rules combined with more recognizable technology), as the beginnings of something resembling the Industrial Revolution have started to bud, with the first assembly-lines and interchangeable parts having been developed in a few of the more advanced nations.  However, this sudden surge of technological development has disturbed the existing balance of power, resulting in a continent-wide war, in which nobody is sure who they can trust, and border skirmishes are a fact of life.  The sudden collapse of the great Empire of Tosalt creates a huge power vacuum, as the provinces declare independence and the center of the Empire sinks into civil war.  You are the former military governor of a mixed-race frontier province, surrounded by the dead Empire's enemies, and you find yourself lifted up as a temporary leader, in order to protect the people of your land.  You can make alliances or war as you wish, but the complex network of alliances, enemies, and races can make either choice have unintended results that might very well ruin your lands.  Your first task, securing your people's immediate prosperity and safety, might be more difficult than you first imagined...  It is a world with many races, ranging from giant beast-like dorasa to more common races such as elves or dwarves.  As the human leader of a multi-racial nation, you find yourself in the position of balancing one race's needs against the needs of the whole on a regular basis, and going too far to one side could result in a rebellion you don't have the resources to put down...
 
Other:  Unit types range from simple spearmen (basic infantry unit) to magitech cyborgs made from the corpses of the dead using a combination of necromancy and enchanted artificial limbs.  Sieges not only involve the taking of the castle walls, but also dealing with any magical defenses the fortress might possess (in many cases, this being a far more difficult task).  With a magical barrier, you can either choose to sit back and pound it with catapults and sorcery, or you can choose to hunt down the barrier keystones, shattering them to bring it down more quickly... unfortunately, since the keystones are usually well-defended, this means you will likely take much greater losses than you would simply wearing the barrier down... though you would have more supplies left when it was over.  Dealing with efforts at espionage (spies, assassins, and saboteurs) is a constant effort in both the RTS and world map stages.  Construction of provincial border checkpoints, the use of armed patrols, and the establishment of the rule of law all make it harder to insert such individuals during the world map stage, but during the RTS stage, such efforts can only be countered through the use of counter-agents, even going so far as to insert spies into your own troops to ferret out traitors and spies...  Your protagonist will eventually be faced with a choice between making himself immortal through high sorcery (which will earn him suspicion from races with a high nature-affinity such as elves or nature spirits), form a contract with the land in order to become a higher existence (thus earning the suspicion of the industry barons), or marry a princess from another nation to create your successor, continuing the story into the next generation (there will be a single princess from each of nine different nations, who will become part of the story only if you don't choose either of the immortality options).  What you will choose will effect how your nation grows and what kind of society will form, as well as your fate and the fate of your descendents. 

Basically, in this thread, you come up with a basic game setting you'd like to see brought into reality, starting from the genre of game and genre of the story, moving on to the details.
 
Here is a basic format
 
Game Genre:
 
Story Genre:
 
Gameplay description:
 
Setting Details:
 
Other:
 
 
Here is an example
 
Game Genre: Turn-based Strategy/RTS/VN
 
Story Genre: Fantasy/magitech
 
Gameplay description:  The game is split between a large-scale resource-management on the world map, where you allocate resources and troops, build up defenses, and engage in research; real-time battles during invasion or defense of a province, in which you command up to twelve units of up to ten thousand soldiers each in field battles ranging from straight wilderness, town defense, and castle sieges with the ability to build siege engines, minor fortifications, and the like with resources at hand (either in your supply train or the surrounding area, up to and including dismantling nearby buildings such as houses to provide materials); and a story portion told in VN-style, with events either begun from the resource-management phase or events based on how you have expanded your territory and how well your war effort against a particular faction is going. 
 
Setting details:  A continent that is on the verge of a huge surge in magitech (technology reliant on magical rules combined with more recognizable technology), as the beginnings of something resembling the Industrial Revolution have started to bud, with the first assembly-lines and interchangeable parts having been developed in a few of the more advanced nations.  However, this sudden surge of technological development has disturbed the existing balance of power, resulting in a continent-wide war, in which nobody is sure who they can trust, and border skirmishes are a fact of life.  The sudden collapse of the great Empire of Tosalt creates a huge power vacuum, as the provinces declare independence and the center of the Empire sinks into civil war.  You are the former military governor of a mixed-race frontier province, surrounded by the dead Empire's enemies, and you find yourself lifted up as a temporary leader, in order to protect the people of your land.  You can make alliances or war as you wish, but the complex network of alliances, enemies, and races can make either choice have unintended results that might very well ruin your lands.  Your first task, securing your people's immediate prosperity and safety, might be more difficult than you first imagined...  It is a world with many races, ranging from giant beast-like dorasa to more common races such as elves or dwarves.  As the human leader of a multi-racial nation, you find yourself in the position of balancing one race's needs against the needs of the whole on a regular basis, and going too far to one side could result in a rebellion you don't have the resources to put down...
 
Other:  Unit types range from simple spearmen (basic infantry unit) to magitech cyborgs made from the corpses of the dead using a combination of necromancy and enchanted artificial limbs.  Sieges not only involve the taking of the castle walls, but also dealing with any magical defenses the fortress might possess (in many cases, this being a far more difficult task).  With a magical barrier, you can either choose to sit back and pound it with catapults and sorcery, or you can choose to hunt down the barrier keystones, shattering them to bring it down more quickly... unfortunately, since the keystones are usually well-defended, this means you will likely take much greater losses than you would simply wearing the barrier down... though you would have more supplies left when it was over.  Dealing with efforts at espionage (spies, assassins, and saboteurs) is a constant effort in both the RTS and world map stages.  Construction of provincial border checkpoints, the use of armed patrols, and the establishment of the rule of law all make it harder to insert such individuals during the world map stage, but during the RTS stage, such efforts can only be countered through the use of counter-agents, even going so far as to insert spies into your own troops to ferret out traitors and spies...  Your protagonist will eventually be faced with a choice between making himself immortal through high sorcery (which will earn him suspicion from races with a high nature-affinity such as elves or nature spirits), form a contract with the land in order to become a higher existence (thus earning the suspicion of the industry barons), or marry a princess from another nation to create your successor, continuing the story into the next generation (there will be a single princess from each of nine different nations, who will become part of the story only if you don't choose either of the immortality options).  What you will choose will effect how your nation grows and what kind of society will form, as well as your fate and the fate of your descendents. 

Just finished Houkago no Futekikakusha... two things.  One, if you don't cry within the first hour, you are heartless... and you'll probably end up crying throughout the entire VN, if you are even a little vulnerable to tragic scenes.  Another is that the writer seems to have done his best to create a setting/situation that is unbelievably cruel to the characters involved.  Itsuka, the protagonist, is the worst off of the entire group, and the writer does a wonderful job of portraying his suffering (making me wonder if he is a sadist). 
 
There is no rape or snuff in this game, despite what Erogamescape says (though you shouldn't trust the tags there anyway).  However, because of the rather brutal scenes that are unavoidable in each path, it is understandable that they would see it that way.  This game has some really horribly violent scenes in it, and for that reason, it would hit someone not used to that sort of thing far too hard.  This game is an utsuge, for all but the final path, so the lack of hope to the characters' situation will probably sink someone that goes in expecting chuuni or a moege.
 
Two huge problems with this game, from a lover of a good story.  Too many issues with the setting in general go unexplained, and though they are explained in a sort of off-hand manner at the end of the final path, it isn't in detail or with any real explanation of the deepest underlying issues.  Another is that, while the final path's ending provides a conclusion, it also leaves the reader feeling uneasy, because it seems like something else is behind what caused all the tragedies, based on the words from the antagonist that appears in the final path.  For those reasons, I had to rate this game a bit below what I would have preferred.  While I enjoyed this game emotionally and feel an immense amount of stress relief after the end, those issues prevented it from entering my permanent favorites list.

Just finished Houkago no Futekikakusha... two things.  One, if you don't cry within the first hour, you are heartless... and you'll probably end up crying throughout the entire VN, if you are even a little vulnerable to tragic scenes.  Another is that the writer seems to have done his best to create a setting/situation that is unbelievably cruel to the characters involved.  Itsuka, the protagonist, is the worst off of the entire group, and the writer does a wonderful job of portraying his suffering (making me wonder if he is a sadist). 
 
There is no rape or snuff in this game, despite what Erogamescape says (though you shouldn't trust the tags there anyway).  However, because of the rather brutal scenes that are unavoidable in each path, it is understandable that they would see it that way.  This game has some really horribly violent scenes in it, and for that reason, it would hit someone not used to that sort of thing far too hard.  This game is an utsuge, for all but the final path, so the lack of hope to the characters' situation will probably sink someone that goes in expecting chuuni or a moege.
 
Two huge problems with this game, from a lover of a good story.  Too many issues with the setting in general go unexplained, and though they are explained in a sort of off-hand manner at the end of the final path, it isn't in detail or with any real explanation of the deepest underlying issues.  Another is that, while the final path's ending provides a conclusion, it also leaves the reader feeling uneasy, because it seems like something else is behind what caused all the tragedies, based on the words from the antagonist that appears in the final path.  For those reasons, I had to rate this game a bit below what I would have preferred.  While I enjoyed this game emotionally and feel an immense amount of stress relief after the end, those issues prevented it from entering my permanent favorites list.

Just finished Houkago no Futekikakusha... two things.  One, if you don't cry within the first hour, you are heartless... and you'll probably end up crying throughout the entire VN, if you are even a little vulnerable to tragic scenes.  Another is that the writer seems to have done his best to create a setting/situation that is unbelievably cruel to the characters involved.  Itsuka, the protagonist, is the worst off of the entire group, and the writer does a wonderful job of portraying his suffering (making me wonder if he is a sadist). 
 
There is no rape or snuff in this game, despite what Erogamescape says (though you shouldn't trust the tags there anyway).  However, because of the rather brutal scenes that are unavoidable in each path, it is understandable that they would see it that way.  This game has some really horribly violent scenes in it, and for that reason, it would hit someone not used to that sort of thing far too hard.  This game is an utsuge, for all but the final path, so the lack of hope to the characters' situation will probably sink someone that goes in expecting chuuni or a moege.
 
Two huge problems with this game, from a lover of a good story.  Too many issues with the setting in general go unexplained, and though they are explained in a sort of off-hand manner at the end of the final path, it isn't in detail or with any real explanation of the deepest underlying issues.  Another is that, while the final path's ending provides a conclusion, it also leaves the reader feeling uneasy, because it seems like something else is behind what caused all the tragedies, based on the words from the antagonist that appears in the final path.  For those reasons, I had to rate this game a bit below what I would have preferred.  While I enjoyed this game emotionally and feel an immense amount of stress relief after the end, those issues prevented it from entering my permanent favorites list.

Every VN company has specialties, in terms of genre, character types, and art styles. 
 
AXL tends to prefer a generally cheery atmosphere, replicating its own art in every VN it makes, and creating an oddly nostalgic atmosphere within its games (though this is probably an accident, rather than on purpose).  It tends to have some sort of action, whether it is actual violence or just sports, as part of the story, and the protagonists tend to be capable, if not perfect.
 
Akabeisoft2, which did Sharin no Kuni and formed Akatsuki Works and Shangrila (the makers of the Akatsuki no Goei series), tends to provide a facade of slice of life, with a much darker edge underneath.  Their games are mostly story-focused, with a few exceptions, and the general quality is very high.
 
Light is, oddly, a company that is the very reverse.  It's stories tend to be dark, with even the brightest and most cheery atmospheres carrying a blood-soaked edge beneath the surface.  Exceptions, like Kaminoyu (which was made by the group that eventually was shoved into the Sweet Light subsidiary) are exceptions to the rule.
 
Nitroplus was originally an action-focused utsuge company, but with the advent of Sumaga, their games both changed in atmosphere completely and dropped in quality overall.  Muramasa was the last truly great game done by the main team, and the Science series (Steins and Chaos) appeals to a completely different audience and was done by a different team.
 
Clochette is also known as 'Oppai R Us' by some of us English-speaking VN-readers.  They produce high-quality fantasy charage with decent stories... and lots of big-breasted girls. 
 
Yuzusoft tends to produce a wide variety of games, but their specialty lies in the creation of high-quality meldings of story and charage style.  Dracu-riot is a perfect example of this, melding a high-quality story with a strong and amusing cast of characters. 
 
Will, which is the largest VN conglomerate in Japan, is responsible for everything from Propeller's action games (Ayakashibito) to the lowest style of nukige.  Probably at least a third of all the highest-rated VNs in Japan were produced by this company over the last decade or so. 
 
Key... we all know, primarily produces character dynamics-driven nakige.  Their games include ridiculous levels of moe appeals, which have contributed to their popularity both over here and Japan. 
 
Minori... produces a wide variety of games, but the one major quality they share is a sense of surrealism that produces a sharp difference in reactions amongst readers... in other words, you either love a Minori game, or you hate it viciously. 
 
Eushully produces gameplay-VNs, including the famous Ikusa Megami series, Kamidori Alchemy Meister, and they also served as a producer for a much lower-quality maker's games on a number of occasions. 
 
SofthouseChara produces gameplay-vns with a strong humorous aspect, which mostly seems to deliberately parody games that take themselves more seriously.  Even so, their games seem to possess better stories than the ones they parody, for some reason. 
 
Alice Soft, the producers of the 'Dai' series (Daibanchou, etc) and the Rance series, are famous for fusing the ridiculous and the serious in their gameplay-focused VNs.  Like Minori, they are definitely an acquired taste, and as many people despise their work as like them.
 
August produces mostly straightforward charage, moege, and nakige, with a slightly more story-focused leaning.  However, they've yet to make what is considered a 'kamige', as they always manage to fall just short of what they are trying to achieve through a given game. 
 
Front Wing, which produced Grisaia, is normally a nukige company, which made its production of that series incredibly startling. 
 
Cotton Soft produces games that range from horror/mystery to simple mysteries, usually with a science-fantasy or Cthulhu Mythos aspect to them.
 
11eyes produces medium quality fantasy, that tends to be visually appealing but varies wildly in terms of writing quality.
 
Lump of Sugar produces charage, nakige, moege, and story-focused VNs with high-quality art.  While some of their games are not all that good, they have quietly built up a list of high-quality games over the last decade.
 
Applique, which produced Fake Azure Arcology, as well as Tasogare no Sinsemilla, is a subsidiary of Effordom soft, which consistently produces high-quality games. 
 
Studio Ryokucha, which is mostly inactive, produces middling to high quality moege and charage. 
 
Feng produces middling and low quality moege.
 
Until a few years ago, Purple Soft produced mostly middling quality moege.  However, with Mirai Nostalgia and Hapymaher, they experienced a sudden surge in quality that startled many.
 
Candy Soft, which is also the owner of Minato Soft (producer of Majikoi) is responsible for a large variety of games, mostly humorous moege.  However, they tend to be less than predictable with the themes of their games, so it is a good idea to take a quick look at anything they put out.
 
Pulltop is one of Will's many subsidiary companies, mostly specializing in middling to high-quality nakige and charage.
 
Propeller is another of Will's subsidiaries, producing primarily action VNs, that tend to have really good character dynamics, unusual art styles, and great stories. 
 
 
 
I could go on forever, but these were the ones that came to mind immediately.  Feel free to ask me about a particular company, if you are considering their games.  There is a good chance I've at least 'tasted' their games, so I can give you a decent idea of what to expect.

Every VN company has specialties, in terms of genre, character types, and art styles. 
 
AXL tends to prefer a generally cheery atmosphere, replicating its own art in every VN it makes, and creating an oddly nostalgic atmosphere within its games (though this is probably an accident, rather than on purpose).  It tends to have some sort of action, whether it is actual violence or just sports, as part of the story, and the protagonists tend to be capable, if not perfect.
 
Akabeisoft2, which did Sharin no Kuni and formed Akatsuki Works and Shangrila (the makers of the Akatsuki no Goei series), tends to provide a facade of slice of life, with a much darker edge underneath.  Their games are mostly story-focused, with a few exceptions, and the general quality is very high.
 
Light is, oddly, a company that is the very reverse.  It's stories tend to be dark, with even the brightest and most cheery atmospheres carrying a blood-soaked edge beneath the surface.  Exceptions, like Kaminoyu (which was made by the group that eventually was shoved into the Sweet Light subsidiary) are exceptions to the rule.
 
Nitroplus was originally an action-focused utsuge company, but with the advent of Sumaga, their games both changed in atmosphere completely and dropped in quality overall.  Muramasa was the last truly great game done by the main team, and the Science series (Steins and Chaos) appeals to a completely different audience and was done by a different team.
 
Clochette is also known as 'Oppai R Us' by some of us English-speaking VN-readers.  They produce high-quality fantasy charage with decent stories... and lots of big-breasted girls. 
 
Yuzusoft tends to produce a wide variety of games, but their specialty lies in the creation of high-quality meldings of story and charage style.  Dracu-riot is a perfect example of this, melding a high-quality story with a strong and amusing cast of characters. 
 
Will, which is the largest VN conglomerate in Japan, is responsible for everything from Propeller's action games (Ayakashibito) to the lowest style of nukige.  Probably at least a third of all the highest-rated VNs in Japan were produced by this company over the last decade or so. 
 
Key... we all know, primarily produces character dynamics-driven nakige.  Their games include ridiculous levels of moe appeals, which have contributed to their popularity both over here and Japan. 
 
Minori... produces a wide variety of games, but the one major quality they share is a sense of surrealism that produces a sharp difference in reactions amongst readers... in other words, you either love a Minori game, or you hate it viciously. 
 
Eushully produces gameplay-VNs, including the famous Ikusa Megami series, Kamidori Alchemy Meister, and they also served as a producer for a much lower-quality maker's games on a number of occasions. 
 
SofthouseChara produces gameplay-vns with a strong humorous aspect, which mostly seems to deliberately parody games that take themselves more seriously.  Even so, their games seem to possess better stories than the ones they parody, for some reason. 
 
Alice Soft, the producers of the 'Dai' series (Daibanchou, etc) and the Rance series, are famous for fusing the ridiculous and the serious in their gameplay-focused VNs.  Like Minori, they are definitely an acquired taste, and as many people despise their work as like them.
 
August produces mostly straightforward charage, moege, and nakige, with a slightly more story-focused leaning.  However, they've yet to make what is considered a 'kamige', as they always manage to fall just short of what they are trying to achieve through a given game. 
 
Front Wing, which produced Grisaia, is normally a nukige company, which made its production of that series incredibly startling. 
 
Cotton Soft produces games that range from horror/mystery to simple mysteries, usually with a science-fantasy or Cthulhu Mythos aspect to them.
 
11eyes produces medium quality fantasy, that tends to be visually appealing but varies wildly in terms of writing quality.
 
Lump of Sugar produces charage, nakige, moege, and story-focused VNs with high-quality art.  While some of their games are not all that good, they have quietly built up a list of high-quality games over the last decade.
 
Applique, which produced Fake Azure Arcology, as well as Tasogare no Sinsemilla, is a subsidiary of Effordom soft, which consistently produces high-quality games. 
 
Studio Ryokucha, which is mostly inactive, produces middling to high quality moege and charage. 
 
Feng produces middling and low quality moege.
 
Until a few years ago, Purple Soft produced mostly middling quality moege.  However, with Mirai Nostalgia and Hapymaher, they experienced a sudden surge in quality that startled many.
 
Candy Soft, which is also the owner of Minato Soft (producer of Majikoi) is responsible for a large variety of games, mostly humorous moege.  However, they tend to be less than predictable with the themes of their games, so it is a good idea to take a quick look at anything they put out.
 
Pulltop is one of Will's many subsidiary companies, mostly specializing in middling to high-quality nakige and charage.
 
Propeller is another of Will's subsidiaries, producing primarily action VNs, that tend to have really good character dynamics, unusual art styles, and great stories. 
 
 
 
I could go on forever, but these were the ones that came to mind immediately.  Feel free to ask me about a particular company, if you are considering their games.  There is a good chance I've at least 'tasted' their games, so I can give you a decent idea of what to expect.

Every VN company has specialties, in terms of genre, character types, and art styles. 
 
AXL tends to prefer a generally cheery atmosphere, replicating its own art in every VN it makes, and creating an oddly nostalgic atmosphere within its games (though this is probably an accident, rather than on purpose).  It tends to have some sort of action, whether it is actual violence or just sports, as part of the story, and the protagonists tend to be capable, if not perfect.
 
Akabeisoft2, which did Sharin no Kuni and formed Akatsuki Works and Shangrila (the makers of the Akatsuki no Goei series), tends to provide a facade of slice of life, with a much darker edge underneath.  Their games are mostly story-focused, with a few exceptions, and the general quality is very high.
 
Light is, oddly, a company that is the very reverse.  It's stories tend to be dark, with even the brightest and most cheery atmospheres carrying a blood-soaked edge beneath the surface.  Exceptions, like Kaminoyu (which was made by the group that eventually was shoved into the Sweet Light subsidiary) are exceptions to the rule.
 
Nitroplus was originally an action-focused utsuge company, but with the advent of Sumaga, their games both changed in atmosphere completely and dropped in quality overall.  Muramasa was the last truly great game done by the main team, and the Science series (Steins and Chaos) appeals to a completely different audience and was done by a different team.
 
Clochette is also known as 'Oppai R Us' by some of us English-speaking VN-readers.  They produce high-quality fantasy charage with decent stories... and lots of big-breasted girls. 
 
Yuzusoft tends to produce a wide variety of games, but their specialty lies in the creation of high-quality meldings of story and charage style.  Dracu-riot is a perfect example of this, melding a high-quality story with a strong and amusing cast of characters. 
 
Will, which is the largest VN conglomerate in Japan, is responsible for everything from Propeller's action games (Ayakashibito) to the lowest style of nukige.  Probably at least a third of all the highest-rated VNs in Japan were produced by this company over the last decade or so. 
 
Key... we all know, primarily produces character dynamics-driven nakige.  Their games include ridiculous levels of moe appeals, which have contributed to their popularity both over here and Japan. 
 
Minori... produces a wide variety of games, but the one major quality they share is a sense of surrealism that produces a sharp difference in reactions amongst readers... in other words, you either love a Minori game, or you hate it viciously. 
 
Eushully produces gameplay-VNs, including the famous Ikusa Megami series, Kamidori Alchemy Meister, and they also served as a producer for a much lower-quality maker's games on a number of occasions. 
 
SofthouseChara produces gameplay-vns with a strong humorous aspect, which mostly seems to deliberately parody games that take themselves more seriously.  Even so, their games seem to possess better stories than the ones they parody, for some reason. 
 
Alice Soft, the producers of the 'Dai' series (Daibanchou, etc) and the Rance series, are famous for fusing the ridiculous and the serious in their gameplay-focused VNs.  Like Minori, they are definitely an acquired taste, and as many people despise their work as like them.
 
August produces mostly straightforward charage, moege, and nakige, with a slightly more story-focused leaning.  However, they've yet to make what is considered a 'kamige', as they always manage to fall just short of what they are trying to achieve through a given game. 
 
Front Wing, which produced Grisaia, is normally a nukige company, which made its production of that series incredibly startling. 
 
Cotton Soft produces games that range from horror/mystery to simple mysteries, usually with a science-fantasy or Cthulhu Mythos aspect to them.
 
11eyes produces medium quality fantasy, that tends to be visually appealing but varies wildly in terms of writing quality.
 
Lump of Sugar produces charage, nakige, moege, and story-focused VNs with high-quality art.  While some of their games are not all that good, they have quietly built up a list of high-quality games over the last decade.
 
Applique, which produced Fake Azure Arcology, as well as Tasogare no Sinsemilla, is a subsidiary of Effordom soft, which consistently produces high-quality games. 
 
Studio Ryokucha, which is mostly inactive, produces middling to high quality moege and charage. 
 
Feng produces middling and low quality moege.
 
Until a few years ago, Purple Soft produced mostly middling quality moege.  However, with Mirai Nostalgia and Hapymaher, they experienced a sudden surge in quality that startled many.
 
Candy Soft, which is also the owner of Minato Soft (producer of Majikoi) is responsible for a large variety of games, mostly humorous moege.  However, they tend to be less than predictable with the themes of their games, so it is a good idea to take a quick look at anything they put out.
 
Pulltop is one of Will's many subsidiary companies, mostly specializing in middling to high-quality nakige and charage.
 
Propeller is another of Will's subsidiaries, producing primarily action VNs, that tend to have really good character dynamics, unusual art styles, and great stories. 
 
 
 
I could go on forever, but these were the ones that came to mind immediately.  Feel free to ask me about a particular company, if you are considering their games.  There is a good chance I've at least 'tasted' their games, so I can give you a decent idea of what to expect.

Every VN company has specialties, in terms of genre, character types, and art styles. 
 
AXL tends to prefer a generally cheery atmosphere, replicating its own art in every VN it makes, and creating an oddly nostalgic atmosphere within its games (though this is probably an accident, rather than on purpose).  It tends to have some sort of action, whether it is actual violence or just sports, as part of the story, and the protagonists tend to be capable, if not perfect.
 
Akabeisoft2, which did Sharin no Kuni and formed Akatsuki Works and Shangrila (the makers of the Akatsuki no Goei series), tends to provide a facade of slice of life, with a much darker edge underneath.  Their games are mostly story-focused, with a few exceptions, and the general quality is very high.
 
Light is, oddly, a company that is the very reverse.  It's stories tend to be dark, with even the brightest and most cheery atmospheres carrying a blood-soaked edge beneath the surface.  Exceptions, like Kaminoyu (which was made by the group that eventually was shoved into the Sweet Light subsidiary) are exceptions to the rule.
 
Nitroplus was originally an action-focused utsuge company, but with the advent of Sumaga, their games both changed in atmosphere completely and dropped in quality overall.  Muramasa was the last truly great game done by the main team, and the Science series (Steins and Chaos) appeals to a completely different audience and was done by a different team.
 
Clochette is also known as 'Oppai R Us' by some of us English-speaking VN-readers.  They produce high-quality fantasy charage with decent stories... and lots of big-breasted girls. 
 
Yuzusoft tends to produce a wide variety of games, but their specialty lies in the creation of high-quality meldings of story and charage style.  Dracu-riot is a perfect example of this, melding a high-quality story with a strong and amusing cast of characters. 
 
Will, which is the largest VN conglomerate in Japan, is responsible for everything from Propeller's action games (Ayakashibito) to the lowest style of nukige.  Probably at least a third of all the highest-rated VNs in Japan were produced by this company over the last decade or so. 
 
Key... we all know, primarily produces character dynamics-driven nakige.  Their games include ridiculous levels of moe appeals, which have contributed to their popularity both over here and Japan. 
 
Minori... produces a wide variety of games, but the one major quality they share is a sense of surrealism that produces a sharp difference in reactions amongst readers... in other words, you either love a Minori game, or you hate it viciously. 
 
Eushully produces gameplay-VNs, including the famous Ikusa Megami series, Kamidori Alchemy Meister, and they also served as a producer for a much lower-quality maker's games on a number of occasions. 
 
SofthouseChara produces gameplay-vns with a strong humorous aspect, which mostly seems to deliberately parody games that take themselves more seriously.  Even so, their games seem to possess better stories than the ones they parody, for some reason. 
 
Alice Soft, the producers of the 'Dai' series (Daibanchou, etc) and the Rance series, are famous for fusing the ridiculous and the serious in their gameplay-focused VNs.  Like Minori, they are definitely an acquired taste, and as many people despise their work as like them.
 
August produces mostly straightforward charage, moege, and nakige, with a slightly more story-focused leaning.  However, they've yet to make what is considered a 'kamige', as they always manage to fall just short of what they are trying to achieve through a given game. 
 
Front Wing, which produced Grisaia, is normally a nukige company, which made its production of that series incredibly startling. 
 
Cotton Soft produces games that range from horror/mystery to simple mysteries, usually with a science-fantasy or Cthulhu Mythos aspect to them.
 
11eyes produces medium quality fantasy, that tends to be visually appealing but varies wildly in terms of writing quality.
 
Lump of Sugar produces charage, nakige, moege, and story-focused VNs with high-quality art.  While some of their games are not all that good, they have quietly built up a list of high-quality games over the last decade.
 
Applique, which produced Fake Azure Arcology, as well as Tasogare no Sinsemilla, is a subsidiary of Effordom soft, which consistently produces high-quality games. 
 
Studio Ryokucha, which is mostly inactive, produces middling to high quality moege and charage. 
 
Feng produces middling and low quality moege.
 
Until a few years ago, Purple Soft produced mostly middling quality moege.  However, with Mirai Nostalgia and Hapymaher, they experienced a sudden surge in quality that startled many.
 
Candy Soft, which is also the owner of Minato Soft (producer of Majikoi) is responsible for a large variety of games, mostly humorous moege.  However, they tend to be less than predictable with the themes of their games, so it is a good idea to take a quick look at anything they put out.
 
Pulltop is one of Will's many subsidiary companies, mostly specializing in middling to high-quality nakige and charage.
 
Propeller is another of Will's subsidiaries, producing primarily action VNs, that tend to have really good character dynamics, unusual art styles, and great stories. 
 
 
 
I could go on forever, but these were the ones that came to mind immediately.  Feel free to ask me about a particular company, if you are considering their games.  There is a good chance I've at least 'tasted' their games, so I can give you a decent idea of what to expect.

Every VN company has specialties, in terms of genre, character types, and art styles. 
 
AXL tends to prefer a generally cheery atmosphere, replicating its own art in every VN it makes, and creating an oddly nostalgic atmosphere within its games (though this is probably an accident, rather than on purpose).  It tends to have some sort of action, whether it is actual violence or just sports, as part of the story, and the protagonists tend to be capable, if not perfect.
 
Akabeisoft2, which did Sharin no Kuni and formed Akatsuki Works and Shangrila (the makers of the Akatsuki no Goei series), tends to provide a facade of slice of life, with a much darker edge underneath.  Their games are mostly story-focused, with a few exceptions, and the general quality is very high.
 
Light is, oddly, a company that is the very reverse.  It's stories tend to be dark, with even the brightest and most cheery atmospheres carrying a blood-soaked edge beneath the surface.  Exceptions, like Kaminoyu (which was made by the group that eventually was shoved into the Sweet Light subsidiary) are exceptions to the rule.
 
Nitroplus was originally an action-focused utsuge company, but with the advent of Sumaga, their games both changed in atmosphere completely and dropped in quality overall.  Muramasa was the last truly great game done by the main team, and the Science series (Steins and Chaos) appeals to a completely different audience and was done by a different team.
 
Clochette is also known as 'Oppai R Us' by some of us English-speaking VN-readers.  They produce high-quality fantasy charage with decent stories... and lots of big-breasted girls. 
 
Yuzusoft tends to produce a wide variety of games, but their specialty lies in the creation of high-quality meldings of story and charage style.  Dracu-riot is a perfect example of this, melding a high-quality story with a strong and amusing cast of characters. 
 
Will, which is the largest VN conglomerate in Japan, is responsible for everything from Propeller's action games (Ayakashibito) to the lowest style of nukige.  Probably at least a third of all the highest-rated VNs in Japan were produced by this company over the last decade or so. 
 
Key... we all know, primarily produces character dynamics-driven nakige.  Their games include ridiculous levels of moe appeals, which have contributed to their popularity both over here and Japan. 
 
Minori... produces a wide variety of games, but the one major quality they share is a sense of surrealism that produces a sharp difference in reactions amongst readers... in other words, you either love a Minori game, or you hate it viciously. 
 
Eushully produces gameplay-VNs, including the famous Ikusa Megami series, Kamidori Alchemy Meister, and they also served as a producer for a much lower-quality maker's games on a number of occasions. 
 
SofthouseChara produces gameplay-vns with a strong humorous aspect, which mostly seems to deliberately parody games that take themselves more seriously.  Even so, their games seem to possess better stories than the ones they parody, for some reason. 
 
Alice Soft, the producers of the 'Dai' series (Daibanchou, etc) and the Rance series, are famous for fusing the ridiculous and the serious in their gameplay-focused VNs.  Like Minori, they are definitely an acquired taste, and as many people despise their work as like them.
 
August produces mostly straightforward charage, moege, and nakige, with a slightly more story-focused leaning.  However, they've yet to make what is considered a 'kamige', as they always manage to fall just short of what they are trying to achieve through a given game. 
 
Front Wing, which produced Grisaia, is normally a nukige company, which made its production of that series incredibly startling. 
 
Cotton Soft produces games that range from horror/mystery to simple mysteries, usually with a science-fantasy or Cthulhu Mythos aspect to them.
 
11eyes produces medium quality fantasy, that tends to be visually appealing but varies wildly in terms of writing quality.
 
Lump of Sugar produces charage, nakige, moege, and story-focused VNs with high-quality art.  While some of their games are not all that good, they have quietly built up a list of high-quality games over the last decade.
 
Applique, which produced Fake Azure Arcology, as well as Tasogare no Sinsemilla, is a subsidiary of Effordom soft, which consistently produces high-quality games. 
 
Studio Ryokucha, which is mostly inactive, produces middling to high quality moege and charage. 
 
Feng produces middling and low quality moege.
 
Until a few years ago, Purple Soft produced mostly middling quality moege.  However, with Mirai Nostalgia and Hapymaher, they experienced a sudden surge in quality that startled many.
 
Candy Soft, which is also the owner of Minato Soft (producer of Majikoi) is responsible for a large variety of games, mostly humorous moege.  However, they tend to be less than predictable with the themes of their games, so it is a good idea to take a quick look at anything they put out.
 
Pulltop is one of Will's many subsidiary companies, mostly specializing in middling to high-quality nakige and charage.
 
Propeller is another of Will's subsidiaries, producing primarily action VNs, that tend to have really good character dynamics, unusual art styles, and great stories. 
 
 
 
I could go on forever, but these were the ones that came to mind immediately.  Feel free to ask me about a particular company, if you are considering their games.  There is a good chance I've at least 'tasted' their games, so I can give you a decent idea of what to expect.

Every VN company has specialties, in terms of genre, character types, and art styles. 
 
AXL tends to prefer a generally cheery atmosphere, replicating its own art in every VN it makes, and creating an oddly nostalgic atmosphere within its games (though this is probably an accident, rather than on purpose).  It tends to have some sort of action, whether it is actual violence or just sports, as part of the story, and the protagonists tend to be capable, if not perfect.
 
Akabeisoft2, which did Sharin no Kuni and formed Akatsuki Works and Shangrila (the makers of the Akatsuki no Goei series), tends to provide a facade of slice of life, with a much darker edge underneath.  Their games are mostly story-focused, with a few exceptions, and the general quality is very high.
 
Light is, oddly, a company that is the very reverse.  It's stories tend to be dark, with even the brightest and most cheery atmospheres carrying a blood-soaked edge beneath the surface.  Exceptions, like Kaminoyu (which was made by the group that eventually was shoved into the Sweet Light subsidiary) are exceptions to the rule.
 
Nitroplus was originally an action-focused utsuge company, but with the advent of Sumaga, their games both changed in atmosphere completely and dropped in quality overall.  Muramasa was the last truly great game done by the main team, and the Science series (Steins and Chaos) appeals to a completely different audience and was done by a different team.
 
Clochette is also known as 'Oppai R Us' by some of us English-speaking VN-readers.  They produce high-quality fantasy charage with decent stories... and lots of big-breasted girls. 
 
Yuzusoft tends to produce a wide variety of games, but their specialty lies in the creation of high-quality meldings of story and charage style.  Dracu-riot is a perfect example of this, melding a high-quality story with a strong and amusing cast of characters. 
 
Will, which is the largest VN conglomerate in Japan, is responsible for everything from Propeller's action games (Ayakashibito) to the lowest style of nukige.  Probably at least a third of all the highest-rated VNs in Japan were produced by this company over the last decade or so. 
 
Key... we all know, primarily produces character dynamics-driven nakige.  Their games include ridiculous levels of moe appeals, which have contributed to their popularity both over here and Japan. 
 
Minori... produces a wide variety of games, but the one major quality they share is a sense of surrealism that produces a sharp difference in reactions amongst readers... in other words, you either love a Minori game, or you hate it viciously. 
 
Eushully produces gameplay-VNs, including the famous Ikusa Megami series, Kamidori Alchemy Meister, and they also served as a producer for a much lower-quality maker's games on a number of occasions. 
 
SofthouseChara produces gameplay-vns with a strong humorous aspect, which mostly seems to deliberately parody games that take themselves more seriously.  Even so, their games seem to possess better stories than the ones they parody, for some reason. 
 
Alice Soft, the producers of the 'Dai' series (Daibanchou, etc) and the Rance series, are famous for fusing the ridiculous and the serious in their gameplay-focused VNs.  Like Minori, they are definitely an acquired taste, and as many people despise their work as like them.
 
August produces mostly straightforward charage, moege, and nakige, with a slightly more story-focused leaning.  However, they've yet to make what is considered a 'kamige', as they always manage to fall just short of what they are trying to achieve through a given game. 
 
Front Wing, which produced Grisaia, is normally a nukige company, which made its production of that series incredibly startling. 
 
Cotton Soft produces games that range from horror/mystery to simple mysteries, usually with a science-fantasy or Cthulhu Mythos aspect to them.
 
11eyes produces medium quality fantasy, that tends to be visually appealing but varies wildly in terms of writing quality.
 
Lump of Sugar produces charage, nakige, moege, and story-focused VNs with high-quality art.  While some of their games are not all that good, they have quietly built up a list of high-quality games over the last decade.
 
Applique, which produced Fake Azure Arcology, as well as Tasogare no Sinsemilla, is a subsidiary of Effordom soft, which consistently produces high-quality games. 
 
Studio Ryokucha, which is mostly inactive, produces middling to high quality moege and charage. 
 
Feng produces middling and low quality moege.
 
Until a few years ago, Purple Soft produced mostly middling quality moege.  However, with Mirai Nostalgia and Hapymaher, they experienced a sudden surge in quality that startled many.
 
Candy Soft, which is also the owner of Minato Soft (producer of Majikoi) is responsible for a large variety of games, mostly humorous moege.  However, they tend to be less than predictable with the themes of their games, so it is a good idea to take a quick look at anything they put out.
 
Pulltop is one of Will's many subsidiary companies, mostly specializing in middling to high-quality nakige and charage.
 
Propeller is another of Will's subsidiaries, producing primarily action VNs, that tend to have really good character dynamics, unusual art styles, and great stories. 
 
 
 
I could go on forever, but these were the ones that came to mind immediately.  Feel free to ask me about a particular company, if you are considering their games.  There is a good chance I've at least 'tasted' their games, so I can give you a decent idea of what to expect.

Every VN company has specialties, in terms of genre, character types, and art styles. 
 
AXL tends to prefer a generally cheery atmosphere, replicating its own art in every VN it makes, and creating an oddly nostalgic atmosphere within its games (though this is probably an accident, rather than on purpose).  It tends to have some sort of action, whether it is actual violence or just sports, as part of the story, and the protagonists tend to be capable, if not perfect.
 
Akabeisoft2, which did Sharin no Kuni and formed Akatsuki Works and Shangrila (the makers of the Akatsuki no Goei series), tends to provide a facade of slice of life, with a much darker edge underneath.  Their games are mostly story-focused, with a few exceptions, and the general quality is very high.
 
Light is, oddly, a company that is the very reverse.  It's stories tend to be dark, with even the brightest and most cheery atmospheres carrying a blood-soaked edge beneath the surface.  Exceptions, like Kaminoyu (which was made by the group that eventually was shoved into the Sweet Light subsidiary) are exceptions to the rule.
 
Nitroplus was originally an action-focused utsuge company, but with the advent of Sumaga, their games both changed in atmosphere completely and dropped in quality overall.  Muramasa was the last truly great game done by the main team, and the Science series (Steins and Chaos) appeals to a completely different audience and was done by a different team.
 
Clochette is also known as 'Oppai R Us' by some of us English-speaking VN-readers.  They produce high-quality fantasy charage with decent stories... and lots of big-breasted girls. 
 
Yuzusoft tends to produce a wide variety of games, but their specialty lies in the creation of high-quality meldings of story and charage style.  Dracu-riot is a perfect example of this, melding a high-quality story with a strong and amusing cast of characters. 
 
Will, which is the largest VN conglomerate in Japan, is responsible for everything from Propeller's action games (Ayakashibito) to the lowest style of nukige.  Probably at least a third of all the highest-rated VNs in Japan were produced by this company over the last decade or so. 
 
Key... we all know, primarily produces character dynamics-driven nakige.  Their games include ridiculous levels of moe appeals, which have contributed to their popularity both over here and Japan. 
 
Minori... produces a wide variety of games, but the one major quality they share is a sense of surrealism that produces a sharp difference in reactions amongst readers... in other words, you either love a Minori game, or you hate it viciously. 
 
Eushully produces gameplay-VNs, including the famous Ikusa Megami series, Kamidori Alchemy Meister, and they also served as a producer for a much lower-quality maker's games on a number of occasions. 
 
SofthouseChara produces gameplay-vns with a strong humorous aspect, which mostly seems to deliberately parody games that take themselves more seriously.  Even so, their games seem to possess better stories than the ones they parody, for some reason. 
 
Alice Soft, the producers of the 'Dai' series (Daibanchou, etc) and the Rance series, are famous for fusing the ridiculous and the serious in their gameplay-focused VNs.  Like Minori, they are definitely an acquired taste, and as many people despise their work as like them.
 
August produces mostly straightforward charage, moege, and nakige, with a slightly more story-focused leaning.  However, they've yet to make what is considered a 'kamige', as they always manage to fall just short of what they are trying to achieve through a given game. 
 
Front Wing, which produced Grisaia, is normally a nukige company, which made its production of that series incredibly startling. 
 
Cotton Soft produces games that range from horror/mystery to simple mysteries, usually with a science-fantasy or Cthulhu Mythos aspect to them.
 
11eyes produces medium quality fantasy, that tends to be visually appealing but varies wildly in terms of writing quality.
 
Lump of Sugar produces charage, nakige, moege, and story-focused VNs with high-quality art.  While some of their games are not all that good, they have quietly built up a list of high-quality games over the last decade.
 
Applique, which produced Fake Azure Arcology, as well as Tasogare no Sinsemilla, is a subsidiary of Effordom soft, which consistently produces high-quality games. 
 
Studio Ryokucha, which is mostly inactive, produces middling to high quality moege and charage. 
 
Feng produces middling and low quality moege.
 
Until a few years ago, Purple Soft produced mostly middling quality moege.  However, with Mirai Nostalgia and Hapymaher, they experienced a sudden surge in quality that startled many.
 
Candy Soft, which is also the owner of Minato Soft (producer of Majikoi) is responsible for a large variety of games, mostly humorous moege.  However, they tend to be less than predictable with the themes of their games, so it is a good idea to take a quick look at anything they put out.
 
Pulltop is one of Will's many subsidiary companies, mostly specializing in middling to high-quality nakige and charage.
 
Propeller is another of Will's subsidiaries, producing primarily action VNs, that tend to have really good character dynamics, unusual art styles, and great stories. 
 
 
 
I could go on forever, but these were the ones that came to mind immediately.  Feel free to ask me about a particular company, if you are considering their games.  There is a good chance I've at least 'tasted' their games, so I can give you a decent idea of what to expect.