What key game should I start with?

[Kawasumi]

So, I want to play a key game soon, but what key game should I play? YOU DECIDE.

[Novel21]

I would recommend pick Air first:-)

[Asonn]

Angel beats, it is the only one who force you to play the superior Japanese version.

if AB fails, count my vote for rewrite.

[Yuuko]

Why would you play a KEY VN when the glorious Snow is out there waiting for you!?

[Kaguya]

Planetarian, tbh. 

[VirginSmasher]

I'll go with Planetarian as well. I feel you'll enjoy it a lot more.

[Arcadeotic]

Probably would vote for Planetarian, but as it's absent from the voting, I'll put my vote on the good old Little Busters, the Key VN I enjoyed the most

Edit: rip in replay :x

Edited May 11, 2016 by Arcadeotic

[john 'mr. customer' smith]

+1 for planetarian cuz it's short, though it's not really representative of their usual way of doing things.

Edit: Oh wait, seems you've already played that one

I'd say just pick one you like the sound of

 

[Okarin]

Depends on your time budget, Key games are fine if you have many hours to sink into them. Expect some months to finish Little Busters, for example. If low on time you can always pick Planetarian, that has a good ratio of time-to-feelz. Kanon, for example, is fine because you can play the routes that interest you and there's no true route.

[Nosebleed]

Definitely Planetarian. It's the only good one anyway.

Edit: Like everyone else, I didn't see you had played it. In that case, probably Air or Clannad.

[Huguito748]

Clannad, Rewrite, Little busters! (once the EX version is out.)  also Planetarian. Although personally, I prefer longer games.

[Dergonu]

Planetarian! Hah! ... 

Yeeeah, not that funny after the 100th time, huh?  

 

I voted Angel Beats, and thats because it's the only long key novel I can get through personally. I have stalled all the others I have tried so far... Just not my thing.

[melo4496]

Angel Beats. You'll never get bored. Yurippe is love.

[Kawasumi]

I actually lied, I have read planetarian and tbh it didnt get me as much as people said it would, thats what mostly scared me from reading key even though I enjoyed the anime for air and kanon a lot.

[john 'mr. customer' smith]

1 hour ago, Kawasumi said:

I enjoyed the anime for air and kanon a lot.

In that case, probably clannad because it's the same but better

[Zantax]

I would say Clannad if you want some romance, and Rewrite if you want some plot. If you want some laugh then anything should work.

And Planetarian is short so you can read that anyway.

(I didn't read Angel Beats yet)

[Fred the Barber]

The Kanon anime is mostly better than the VN, with the exception of Nayuki's route, so I definitely wouldn't suggest playing that if you saw and enjoyed the anime (which, by the way, I thoroughly enjoyed and think is great). Not that I would suggest it anyway... the VN doesn't really stand the test of time well, even if it was quite likely the gold standard at the time it was released, an eon ago.

I put in a vote for Rewrite. Little Busters! is actually my favorite, but after crawling your VNDB, Rewrite seemed more likely to appeal.

I will say, though, that of all the Key VNs I've played, Little Busters! is the one I think of as being most Key-like, whatever that means. Rewrite seems like it'd appeal to you more, but in a lot of ways it's not an especially Key-like VN the way Little Busters!, Clannad, and Kanon all are (and I can't speak to Air since I still haven't played it... but I suspect it's also a bit different). Oh, and I don't know anything about Angel Beats!, so yeah, maybe that one. Who knows.

[Eclipsed]

Just play Rewrite, watch the Clannad anime, and maybe throw in some LB! (your choice anime or VN, but VN is only worth going Rin1 + 2 -> Refrain imo), then ignore the rest. 

Watch Charlotte first, then watch Angel Beats! I wanna see how one's reaction goes in that order, soo many people shat on Charlotte cuz of it not living up to Angel Beats and other Key predecessors

 

[Kawasumi]

I dont know tbh, rewrite seems kinda "unfair" to the others because it has R07 and romeo in it as well, I guess Ill start with something more classical "key'esque" first, but I dont know, im really learning towards little busters because of this OST, but I really liked air back in the day, so I could also do that for the nostalgia trip

 

[DarkZedge]

Play Little Busters!  Follow your gut!

[Fred the Barber]

The Little Busters! soundtrack is godly. I listen to VN soundtracks fairly frequently at work, and it's certainly the one I've picked the most, easily outpacing Rewrite (with all others way behind).

Also, don't listen to Eclipsed. Kurugaya's route is absolutely beautiful, though it should definitely be played last, right before Rin2 + Refrain. And frankly I found the others to be good as well... but I'm an unapologetic LB fanboy, so my advice is probably not the best.

[Eclipsed]

idkk, knowing Kawasumi's tastes he might actually go 2/10 LB!

but we'll see if Key can work their magic on him.

[Tweek91330]

I'd say LB.

I didn't like most of the routes, but i liked common route, haruka, rin, refrain a lot.

[imcoming0515]

I don't like any of these because they are too old especially these CG and people's faces are much alike on graphics. I would recommend Rewrite because it will be animated this year or next year.