Tips on shorter visual novels?

[Ashadow700]

Hey everyone.

 

So lately I've been trying to read Ever17 and before that I finished Rewrite, and it's just getting really tiring to go through these titanic 50h+ beasts, so I just wanted to ask if you have any tips on some shorter visual novels I can try out. 

By shorter I mean any game that's around 10-30h, or is structured in a manner that you can choose to only read one or two routes before quitting, and you're not forced to read the whole novel to fully understand it. Also, I would prefer it if the novel got straight to the point and doesn't spend 10h lulzing around meaningless comedy stuff, like Rewrite did.  -_-

 

So... do you have anything?

 

[Kaguya]

I can recommend some which are even smaller and are still awesome.

Try Phenomeno, Dysfunctional Systems and World End Economica for now.

I'll come with more suggestions later~

3 should suffice for now.

 

EDIT: Also, Rose Guns Days. I can't go forgetting that one~

Edited October 9, 2013 by Kaguya

[Kitouski]

To add to that list, "Narcissu" and "Planetarian" are both extremely good, though you could probably hammer these out in a couple days a piece.

 

"Saya no Uta" is also something I'd recommend to a lot of people, but given what you've seen thus far I'm not sure it would be up your alley or not. Could always read the synopsis and decide for yourself;

http://vndb.org/v97

[shcboomer]

G-Senjou no Maou is about short to medium length with optional routes.

[nohman]

You might enjoy Sekien no Inganock and/or Shikkoku no Sharnoth. There's also Sharin no Kuni.

[Ryechu]

G-Senjou no Maou is about short to medium length with optional routes.

 

Stolen from a walkthrough for the game:

 

2. The story is somewhat linear, with different routes branching

off at different times in the story.

Because of the second reason, it is recommended that you play the routes

in the order they are given. It is not necessary, but I highly recommend

it.

 

By shorter I mean any game that's around 10-30h, or is structured in a manner that you can choose to only read one or two routes before quitting, and you're not forced to read the whole novel to fully understand it.

 

@Boomer, and anybody who has read it:

Recall that there is the scene when Kyousuke is in prison, and meets with all of the characters. All of them refer to things that happen in their scenes.  Not playing the "optional" (which, granted, they ultimately are) routes will destroy a good chunk of the storyline.  This is only personal opinion though.

 

I enjoyed Yume Miru Kusuri and Wanko to Kurasou.  They are rather short compared to what you're listing, and great stories, in my opinion.

[Down]

Higurashi and Umineko are both divided into chapters within the 10 hours range. You can play one, make a pause for a few days/weeks/months and pick up back without any particular problems. 

[Zakamutt]

LEAVEs and May Sky are both <5hours probably. Not only that, you can DDL them lollegally from insani if you feel like it

[InvertMouse]

I always have the same problem so this thread is great for me as well. Too much fluff in most of the VNs out there. As mentioned earlier, Narcissu is a great one to recommend. It's really a story that went straight to the point .

[shcboomer]

@Ryechu, I agree that it does kind of ruin part of the story. However, they are "optional" in quotes. Even with all the routes, I don't think it is longer than 30 hours.