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The place for all of the best visual novels and dating sims used to be the PlayStation Vita, but following its tragic demise the Nintendo Switch has more than stepped up to the plate. Of all the modern consoles, the Switch is the place to go to play games with romance options, meaning that players are spoiled for choice. If you’ve been browsing the Switch’s library looking for your next dating sim visual novel to play, we have ten of our favorites that we want to recommend.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! 336h46

The original Doki Doki Literature Club launched in 2017, so it’s likely that you know the twist by now. Aside from being a romance visual novel, it’s also a horror game with plenty of meta, and fourth-wall breaking techniques that work to make you feel uneasy, and chill your bones. However, the horror elements of Doki Doki Literature Club make for a more touching and overall more emotional story and game.

The original was free-to-play, but the Switch version Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! adds so many more touching moments. There are a number of additional episodes that show our four main characters interacting with each other outside of the titular literature club. You get to learn more about their backstories, as well as their relationships to each other. Doki Doki is so much more than a visual novel, and for those who love puzzles and easter eggs, you’ll find a lot more by exploring the in-game PC.

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On the surface Collar X Malice is your standard otome visual novel, but the themes are intriguing enough to carry the story by itself even if you aren’t into dudes. Collar X Malice is set in a time where mass police and government incompetence has led to the rise of a vigilante group, Adonis, which has pledged to sort out the crime and inequality that is rampant throughout the city. The group holds an eye-for-an-eye mentality, and Collar X Malice brings up the moral dilemma of how to get justice when the system doesn’t work.

Our protagonist is a cop living at a time when confidence in the police is almost zero. She approaches a private agency and asks them for help getting to the bottom of the current vigilantism crisis. What’s interesting is that the game doesn’t tell you what to believe, instead it is portrayed as the morally gray topic it truly is. Each route leads to the true ending, giving you a sense of accomplishment as you make your way through the story. One of the best overarching stories in any romance game.

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Chaos;Child is part of what I like to call the semicolon series that includes the hugely popular Steins;Gate. Just like Steins;Gate it has an intriguing story you can enjoy without the romance, but there are also romantic undertones between our protagonist, and the many women in his life. In Japan they released a side story that is exclusively a dating sim to tie in with the game called Chaos;Child Love Chu Chu. However, you can experience romance without learning another language.

Chaos;Child is set in a world where several people have awoken to their psychic abilities. While these superhuman talents should be seen as a benefit, a serial killer is on the loose targeting those who have these powers. Knowing several people with these special abilities, our protagonist is desperate to solve the murders before everyone he loves is gone. Just like Steins;Gate it has multiple endings, and you’ll want to play through several times to see all of the positive and negative outcomes.

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There are two games in this series available on Nintendo Switch, but they are both stand alone tales, and Nurse Love Addiction is our favorite of the two. The Nurse Love stories are yuri dating sims, meaning that they are based on the relationships between two women, and they play very differently to your standard heterosexual romance. Each route and romance shows a deep tenderness, and is (mostly) cemented in reality rather than an emotional rollercoaster.

Our protagonist Asuka is floating aimlessly through life like a jellyfish on the waves. She decides to the nursing school where her younger sister studies. She even moves into the same dorm as her sister as she feels like she can’t manage on her own. It’s not just about the romantic partnerships that she forges along the way, but Asuka’s personal growth as she tries to stand on her own for the first time.

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The House in Fata Morgana is very strict on the meaning of visual novel. There is almost no player interaction with the game, but the story is so intricately woven, and expansive that you don’t need to have an impact on it to improve the experience. The master of the house wakes up with no knowledge of their past, and the manor’s maid by their side. She guides you through the doors of the titular house telling various stories from throughout the domicile’s history.

The thread between the stories is a young person with albinism who appears in every tale no matter the time period. You have to figure out how your past ties to the house’s other residents, and why history has repeated itself time after time. It is both one of the longest and highest-rated visual novels of all time, and once you have played it for yourself, you’ll see why it is worth every word.

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People say that the Muv-Luv trilogy reaches its stride with the second game Muv-Luv Unlimited, however, we recommend that players start where it all begins with Muv-Luv. The first game in the series is a simple slice-of-life adventure where our protagonist Takeru can choose between the many women in his life. The main two love interests are Takeru’s childhood best friend, and a rich but sheltered girl who is new to town, but there are other girls in his class he can date too.

This simple setup is vital for fully understanding and enjoying the next two entries, Muv-Luv Unlimited and Muv-Luv Alternative. It introduces you to most of the characters to the story, and lets you see Takeru’s normal life before things go off the deep end. Without spoiling what is in store, it’s an epic adventure dating sim that is worth sinking a hundred hours or so into.

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If you’ve ever played Among Us you know the basic plot of Gnosia. You are out on a space station with various others, and some of them are infected with Gnosia, which turns them against their crewmates. You use social deduction to figure out who has the disease and put them in cryogenic stasis before they wreak havoc on the ship. The twist here is that you will be reliving the experience over and over with increasingly more complicated mechanics.

Not everything continues between loops, but your knowledge of each crewmate, the things they like and the things they do will expand each time you meet them. This means that every loop your deductions – in theory – become more accurate as you get to know how people work, and how they would act in certain situations. Once you have met all the characters Gnosia opens up, and you can control different factors in each loop and get closer to certain cohabitees.

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One of our favorite recent otome games, we almost considered putting it on the list of dating sims that aren’t visual novels. Unlike many of the other games on this list, Jack Jeanne has a number of gameplay modes that don’t surround player choice, most notably the numerous rhythm sections. You play a promicoming actor, but the best acting school where you live only accepts men, and you’re a woman. However, amazed by your talent the director approaches you and asks you to enroll while disguising your gender.

In an all boys acting school, males have to take on the female roles in the performances. This is why students are split into the mascs, the Jacks, and the femmes, the Jeannes. Because of this the characters of Jack Jeanne are used to people challenging the typical gender norms, and a new normal emerges in this enclosed society. The play on gender, and inclusion of rhythm game elements leads to a truly unique otome experience.

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Unlike Jack Jeanne the gameplay in Slay the Princess focuses heavily on the choices you make. That being said, it gives you seemingly endless options to choose from. Each fork in the road has literally dozens of options you can choose from, making you feel more in charge of where the story goes than most other games. Each decision you make has a drastic outcome on the story in a way that feels refreshing when compared to the majority of dating sims.

There are only three characters in Slay the Princess: the Princess, the Narrator, and you. The Princess changes based on things you say, how you treat her, and how you react to her. Sometimes you go past the point of no return, and there is no way to undo the things you have done, but that is the point. While the Princess and you wrestle over and over in ways that can range from sweet, to slaughterous, to sad, it truly is a love story.

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VA-11 HALL-A’s catchphrase is “It’s time to mix drinks and change lives” and that describes the game precisely. You play Jill, a bartender in a futuristic saloon, whose job is to make drinks and talk to customers. Players can influence the story by giving the customers the drinks they want, rather than the ones they ask for, because in the world of VA-11 HALL-A the customer isn’t always right.

It’s a deep character study surrounding not just Jill, and the affection she holds for her boss, but each person that comes to the bar, and the effect that just having someone to talk to has on their lives. Outside of the story, you can use the wages from the bar to design your room and make things feel more homey, making Jill just a little more upbeat. It’s a story about caring for others, but also taking care of yourself.

What are some of your favorite visual novels? Or which visual novels are you looking forward to getting your hands on? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Best Switch Dating Sim Visual Novels appeared first on Siliconera.

Animate has launched a Kujimate lottery based on Doki Doki Literature Club in Japan. People can purchase tickets priced at 770 yen (~$4.95) apiece, and each ticket is guaranteed to reward a prize item.

The primary highlight of this lottery will be the die-cut cushions with chibi illustrations of the visual novel's four main characters—Sayori, Yuri, Monika, and Natsuki. The prize lineup will also include acrylic stands featuring the above characters with quotes in English.

Here is the complete list of prizes in the lottery, along with the probabilities and whether the buyer will be able to specify the exact item or not.

• A Prize - Die-cut cushion - Selectable - 3.0%
• B Prize - Ballpoint pen - Selectable - 15.0%
• C Prize - Acrylic stand - Random - 34.0%
• D Prize - Tin badge - Random - 48.0%

In addition, for every ten orders made in a single receipt, Animate will hand over a bonus random postcard based on a scene from the visual novel. The company will also make the shipping cost-free if the buyer spends more than 8,800 yen, or at least 12 tickets in this lottery.

Team Salvato's visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club has been receiving numerous merchandise in Japan. In 2023, Good Smile Company revealed Nendoroids and Pop Up Parade figures based on the characters. SuperGroupies also released bags inspired by Monika and watches modeled after all four club .

Animate will close the order period for the Doki Doki Literature Club Kujimate lottery on July 7, 2024. It will deliver the prizes in September 2024.

The post Doki Doki Literature Club Kujimate Lottery Appears appeared first on Siliconera.

Good Smile Company is about to finish a line of figures from a series. The Doki Doki Literature Club Yuri Nendoroid is now available to order. She’ll show up in May 2024 in Japan. After that, she’ll come to read and drink tea in people’s homes in Q4 2024. She costs ¥6,500/$40.99. Also, if people buy her direct from the manufacturer, she comes with a piece of chocolate to hold.

Editor’s Note: The gallery below will feature spoilers for Doki Doki Literature Club.

The base version of the Nendoroid comes with three face plates. One features Yuri smiling and blushing. In another, she looks more anxious and embarrassed. The final one shows her when she’s glitching out. She also has a book she can hold and a cup of tea. There are also background and text box parts.

Here’s a closer look at Yuri.

As for the chocolate accessory, people only get that with Yuri if she’s purchased from the Good Smile Company storefronts. It is a hand part that includes a piece of opened chocolate with a bite taken out of it.

This marks the last Nendoroid people will need to complete a collection fo the heroines. Monika arrived first. Natsuki arrived after her. Orders for Sayori opened at the end of September 2023 ahead of her 2024 debut.

The Doki Doki Literature Club Yuri Nendoroid will arrive in Japan in May 2023 and in North America in Q4 2024. The pre-order phase closes on November 16, 2023. DDLC is available on PCs for free., whileDDLC Plus is on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. 

The post Doki Doki Literature Club Yuri Nendoroid Can Come with Tea and Chocolate appeared first on Siliconera.

Serenity Forge announced via Twitter that Doki Doki Literature Club Plus physical copies will see another delay. This news comes just a week before its planned release on September 21, 2021. Physical copies will now release on October 8, 2021. Serenity Forge also assured customers that there will be no more further delays going forward.

Like the previous delay, Serenity Forge cited the pandemic as the main cause. Specifically, manufacturing limitations and shipping delays, as well as material and labor shortages. The fault doesn't seem to lie with Serenity Forge. It noted that its partners are the ones dealing with the logistical challenges.

However, the publisher has confirmed with partners that there will be "no further delays" past the new release date. Furthermore, Serenity Forge thanked customers for their continued and enthusiasm. Below is a portion of the official statement:

Due to these continued logistical challenges our partners have been facing, the physical release will be delayed to October 8, 2021. After assessing their production timelines our partners have confirmed with us that there will be no further delays in the physical release.

We want to sincerely thank you for your continued as a community, both in your reception of the initial release of DDLC Plus, and in your enthusiasm for the physical edition. We are as excited as you are to experience all the love that has been put into this physical edition when you receive it in just a few short weeks.

The Doki Doki Literature Club Plus physical edition will come with a physical copy of the game, as well as various bonus merchandise such as acrylic stands, a poem from Monika, and more. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus itself features a variety of new content such as art, songs, and six new side stories to enjoy.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is immediately available digitally on the PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. Physical copies for the Switch, PS4, and PS5 will arrive on October 8, 2021.

The post Doki Doki Literature Club Plus Physical Copies Delayed Again to October appeared first on Siliconera.

People won’t be getting the Doki Doki Literature Club Plus physical copies on August 30, 2021. Serenity Forge announced a North American delay due to the pandemic. Instead of appearing as expected, they will now show up on September 21, 2021. The European physical release already had a September 2021 release date.

Here’s the official statement from Serenity Forge, which cited manufacturing and shipping delays as the reason why the physical copies won’t appear when they were supposed to.

Unfortunately, we have encountered unforeseen delays with manufacturing and shipping as a result of COVID-19, requiring us to delay the physical release of Doki Doki Literature Club Plus to September 21st. We understand your excitement and are working around the clock with our manufacturers across the globe to bring you the highest quality and most meaningful product possible. We appreciate your dedication, patience, and continued .

As a reminder, the Doki Doki Literature Club Plus retail copies will be a special edition version. In addition to the game, people will get acrylic standees of Monika, Natsuki, Sayori, and Yuri, stickers, and a digital copy of the soundtrack.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is available digitally on the PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC, and physical copies will appear in North America on September 21, 2021 and in Europe on September 24, 2021.

The post Doki Doki Literature Club Plus Physical Copies Delayed appeared first on Siliconera.

In a new interview with PC Invasion, Doki Doki Literature Club creator Dan Salvato went over the different sources of inspiration for the game, and Yume Nikki was among them. In addition, the developer also jokingly spoke about how Monika would behave if she was included in Super Smash Bros Ultimate as a character. [Thanks, PC Invasion!]

Editor’s Note: There will be no Doki Doki Literature Club spoilers below. 4k2x6z

When it came to Yume Nikki and the effect it had on Doki Doki Literature Club, Salvato noted that it was more of an inspiration for its ambiance and feeling. He also cited games like Riven and Eversion as inspiring him.

The anime/dating sim side was inspired by my breadth of experience with anime and visual novels, as well as my observations of Western anime culture as a whole. As for the horror, I pulled from a wide range of emotional experiences I’ve had with games and technology over time. Yume Nikki and Eversion were two influential games—not because of their literal content, but because of how they made me feel. There are other amusing influences too, such as my childhood memories of feeling creeped out when the CD tray opened automatically when traversing between islands in Riven, and the disturbing grinding noise my Amiga’s disk drive would make whenever there was a disk read error.

As for the reference to how Monika from Doki Doki Literature Club would behave in SSBU if she ever appeared, Salvato spoke about her potential “Final Smash.”

[Monika] would lecture you about how she’s not going to spoil her starring role just for some cool attack, and you would die from disappointment.

Doki Doki Literature Club is available for PCs, while Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is available for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

Editor’s Disclosure: Like Siliconera, PC Invasion is owned by Enthusiast Gaming. 191cb

The post Doki Doki Literature Club Creator Listed Yume Nikki as an Inspiration, Joked About Monika in SSBU appeared first on Siliconera.

Doki Doki Literature Club is a notorious visual novel. It went from a free-to-play game to a phenomenon, due to its characters and content. With Doki Doki Literature Club Plus, for consoles like the Switch and PC, more people get to play what is a richer and fuller experience. It’s as entertaining and haunting as before, with a little more depth. But while the Switch version does everything you’d expect, font and UI choices can make it difficult to read.

Editor’s Note: This is a spoiler-free review. 31y2l

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus begins as most visual novels with dating sim elements do. You’re a high school student roped into ing the club your childhood friend Sayori is a part of. After attending a meeting, which involves club president Monika and fellow Yuri and Natsuki, you decide to stay and get to know your classmates. You write poems, which might resonate with different characters depending on the word choices. And, as you spend time there, you’ll get to learn all sorts of secrets.

Now, part of what makes Doki Doki Literature Club so unique on the PC is being able to… let’s say mess around with files and things. Once you’ve played, the next time you play a virtual desktop comes up. This ensures you get the same sort of experience with Doki Doki Literature Club Plus on the Switch. It presents you with an actual menu where you can access the game, the six side stories, the special pictures that can be desktop backgrounds, and the jukebox with songs from the game. It’s handled quite well.

As for the side stories, those also are a fun addition. For example, the first Trust one involves the Literature Club’s origins. We see as it goes from one member, Monika, to what it is at the game’s outset. The unlocking methods are reasonable and make sense, since they involve playing the main game and writing poems. So all is generally well and fitting with the overall experience. As promised, these side stories offer more chances to spend time with the heroines, with the more effort invested resulting in more moments.

And Doki Doki Literature Club Plus does feel like a game which prioritizes its experience and fits on the Switch. The system is great for visual novels, after all. It looks great on the system’s screen. The accessibility options are a good fit too. in general, I’d wager most people have an idea of what they’re in for when playing the game. It warns you about potential trigger warnings, with an option to see an explanation of what to expect. You can also choose to turn content warnings on in-game before the darkest scenes.

The problem with Doki Doki Literature Club Plus on the Switch is that it isn’t conducive to being played in the ideal condition. That is, playing it in handheld mode on the go. The font is incredibly small and is white on a pink background. While there is a black outline, it is not enough to make it pop on that small screen. And even with all of the accessibility options present, there is no option to change the UI to perhaps have it be white on pink instead. It gets even worse if you go to the options menu to change something, as the highlight color is, you guessed it, pink. In the settings, it is pure white text with darker pink borders on pink, with the highlight also being pink.

Navigating through the Doki Doki Literature Club Plus UI is also not quite ideal on the Switch. Say you’re in the middle of reading and want to choose to turn auto-advance on, skip text, or head to the settings. Well, you can’t press a button to start auto or skip or read the history. You have to press the plus or minus key to scroll through the six options in the bottom of the text box. And when you do that, the highlighted option has a small arrow below it and the text turns, you guessed it, pink. On the pink background. It is an unfortunate design choice, and one where some button mapping and additional color choices would have made a big difference.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is a great way to revisit a visual novel that made quite a splash. For newcomers, it’s easy to hop into and enjoy, even offering the PC “workarounds.” For people who’ve ed the club before, the extra stories and media are enjoyable. The sole downside is that, with all its accessibility, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is difficult to read on the Switch and has an unfriendly UI. It also lacks easy one-button controls for things like auto-advancing or checking the history, as its contemporaries do. Still, it’s a fascinating read and story.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus is available on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

The post Review: Doki Doki Literature Club Plus Switch Can Be Hard to Read appeared first on Siliconera.

Barring spoilers and potential reveals, Doki Doki Literature Club is a game that involve some unexpectedly dark topics. In the original release, this meant brief warnings were presented ahead of time. Now, ahead of the Doki Doki Literature Club Plus debut, Team Salvato explained how the content warnings are expanded. However, it also notes that all of these new warning possibilities are optional.

There are essentially two major ways people can get warnings if they wish. The first happens when you start the game. People can choose to see “detailed content warnings” with spoilers. In addition to the textbox warning about spoilers, the button to make your decision mentions it as well. People also have the option to see content warnings before certain in-game events. Should someone make this choice and decide they don’t want or need them, they can then toggle whether they appear in the options section.

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As pointed out in the Team Salvato update, Doki Doki Literature Club content warnings aren’t new. The original game offered them as well. A warning appeared before you played that said, “This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.” Salvato also opened up a website that briefly let people know about four “themes” that come up in the game and could negatively affect people.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus will come to the PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on June 30, 2021. The original game is on the PC.

The post Doki Doki Literature Club Content Warnings Added in Plus Edition appeared first on Siliconera.

People will soon be able to play Doki Doki Literature Club Plus, an enhanced version of the visual novel, on the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. On June 30, 2021, it will show up on all systems and both Steam and Epic Games Store. There will also be Switch, PS4, and PS5 physical copies out in July 2021.

Like the original game, this new version involves an opportunity to get to know of a high school literature club. You can get closer to classmates like Natsuki, Sayori, and Yuri. The new version includes over 100 new pieces of art, 13 more Nikki Kaelar songs, a jukebox function, and six side stories.

As for the Doki Doki Literature Club Plus Switch, PS4, and PS5 physical copies, people get the game an array of bonus items. Each one includes four character standees of the main cast, 17 stickers, a club hip card, a poem from Monika, and a digital copy of the soundtrack. The Switch version also has a “poem notebook inner coversheet.”

Here’s the trailer for the new version of the game. Be advised that if you haven’t ever played Doki Doki Literature Club, there spoilers as to the nature of the game.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus will come to the PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on June 30, 2021. Digital copies will be $14.99. Physical Switch, PS4, and PS5 copies will be $29.99.

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