Best games
Best Visual Novel games of 2012
The 8 best Visual Novel games released in 2012, ranked from 747 critic and player ratings.
The best Visual Novel game of 2012 is Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, with a critic score of 86/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 30 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Each game is ranked in one genre only, the one that defines it best, so the same title never tops two different genre charts.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 2012.
- 8 games are listed on this page, carrying 747 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 8
01
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward
The second game in the Zero Escape series. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward is a mystery/thriller visual novel. It is story focused with multiple endings that use player choices and puzzle rooms to progress. Additions to the game include an 'auto-advance text' mode, so players can listen to the voice acting without clicking through dialog, a memo function that allows players to note anything they feel is useful, and a flow chart that shows how alternate choices unfold. The in-game calculator has been removed.
86
/100
02
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
The follow up to Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. The main character, Hajime Hinata, a new 'Ultimate' student at Hope's Peak Academy. On their first day, Hajime and all of his classmates are taken on a field trip to the mysterious Jabberwock island by their anthropomorphic rabbit teacher, Usami. Usami explains that on this island the students are to have fun together and become friends to gather Hope Fragments. Usami's field trip does not go as planned when Monokuma appears and begins a new Killing Game. Anyone that wants to leave the island must commit a murder and get away with it. If the murderer is successful, he/she is allowed to leave the island, while everyone else is killed. When a murder occurs, the player investigates. After the investigations, a trial commences to determine who the culprit is.
85
/100
03
Persona 4 Arena
Persona 4 Arena is a fighting video game developed for Japanese arcades and later ported to home consoles. Based on Atlus' Persona role-playing game series, Arena serves as a direct sequel to Persona 4 and features characters from its predecessor, Persona 3. Atlus wrote the story to the game while Arc System Works handled the gameplay.
84
/100
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward
The second game in the Zero Escape series. Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward is a mystery/thriller visual novel. It is story focused with multiple endings that use player choices and puzzle rooms to progress. Additions to the game include an 'auto-advance text' mode, so players can listen to the voice acting without clicking through dialog, a memo function that allows players to note anything they feel is useful, and a flow chart that shows how alternate choices unfold. The in-game calculator has been removed.
86
/100
02
Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
The follow up to Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. The main character, Hajime Hinata, a new 'Ultimate' student at Hope's Peak Academy. On their first day, Hajime and all of his classmates are taken on a field trip to the mysterious Jabberwock island by their anthropomorphic rabbit teacher, Usami. Usami explains that on this island the students are to have fun together and become friends to gather Hope Fragments. Usami's field trip does not go as planned when Monokuma appears and begins a new Killing Game. Anyone that wants to leave the island must commit a murder and get away with it. If the murderer is successful, he/she is allowed to leave the island, while everyone else is killed. When a murder occurs, the player investigates. After the investigations, a trial commences to determine who the culprit is.
85
/100
03
Persona 4 Arena
Persona 4 Arena is a fighting video game developed for Japanese arcades and later ported to home consoles. Based on Atlus' Persona role-playing game series, Arena serves as a direct sequel to Persona 4 and features characters from its predecessor, Persona 3. Atlus wrote the story to the game while Arc System Works handled the gameplay.
84
/100
04
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Join forces with expert investigator Professor Layton and ace attorney Phoenix Wright in this unbelievable crossover adventure! Find out what new twists they bring to the courtroom as they solve puzzles and debunk witnesses’ lies. Cross-examine multiple witnesses at the same time to uncover the mysteries of the magical city of Labyrinthia. In a medieval town where the people live in fear of witchcraft and those who wield it, Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright, along with their assistants Luke and Maya, join forces to face a perilous journey filled with harrowing mysteries that cannot be solved with mere logic. Investigate the city of Labyrinthia and gather information from its townspeople by solving puzzles, then prove your client’s innocence in court. In new group cross-examinations, you’ll pit one witness’ testimony against another’s to get the story straight, then literally rewrite history alongside the greatest puzzle-solving duo Labyrinthia has ever known.
82
/100
05
Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask
Professor Layton's first adventure on the Nintendo 3DS system takes him to the colorful city of Monte d'Or, where he must stop a mysterious man from wreaking havoc with the powerful Mask of Chaos. Unravel new details about Professor Layton's past alongside Luke, assistant Emmy Altava, and a whole new cast of characters in this riveting story. Wrack your brain with hundreds of puzzles weaving their way throughout the story. In addition, download free daily puzzles for a year! With a robust hint system to help players of all experience levels, and an epic tale packed to the brim with all-new puzzles, Professor Layton makes his triumphant return-only for Nintendo 3DS.
82
/100
06
Katawa Shoujo
Katawa Shoujo is a bishoujo-style visual novel set in the fictional Yamaku High School for disabled children, located somewhere in modern Japan. Hisao Nakai, a normal boy living a normal life, has his life turned upside down when a congenital heart defect forces him to move to a new school after a long hospitalization. Despite his difficulties, Hisao is able to find friends—and perhaps love, if he plays his cards right. There are five main paths corresponding to the 5 main female characters, each path following the storyline pertaining to that character.
76
/100
07
Long Live The Queen
Rule the world or die trying! Being a Princess is not an easy job. Being a Queen is even harder. Especially when you're only fourteen years old, and the reason you've inherited the throne is that your royal mother has just met an untimely end. Now power is up for grabs.
67
/100
08
Analogue: A Hate Story
A dark visual mystery novel featuring transhumanism, traditional marriage, loneliness, and cosplay. Two pursuable characters. Five endings. Welcome to the future.
62
/100
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Join forces with expert investigator Professor Layton and ace attorney Phoenix Wright in this unbelievable crossover adventure! Find out what new twists they bring to the courtroom as they solve puzzles and debunk witnesses’ lies. Cross-examine multiple witnesses at the same time to uncover the mysteries of the magical city of Labyrinthia. In a medieval town where the people live in fear of witchcraft and those who wield it, Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright, along with their assistants Luke and Maya, join forces to face a perilous journey filled with harrowing mysteries that cannot be solved with mere logic. Investigate the city of Labyrinthia and gather information from its townspeople by solving puzzles, then prove your client’s innocence in court. In new group cross-examinations, you’ll pit one witness’ testimony against another’s to get the story straight, then literally rewrite history alongside the greatest puzzle-solving duo Labyrinthia has ever known.
82
/100
05
Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask
Professor Layton's first adventure on the Nintendo 3DS system takes him to the colorful city of Monte d'Or, where he must stop a mysterious man from wreaking havoc with the powerful Mask of Chaos. Unravel new details about Professor Layton's past alongside Luke, assistant Emmy Altava, and a whole new cast of characters in this riveting story. Wrack your brain with hundreds of puzzles weaving their way throughout the story. In addition, download free daily puzzles for a year! With a robust hint system to help players of all experience levels, and an epic tale packed to the brim with all-new puzzles, Professor Layton makes his triumphant return-only for Nintendo 3DS.
82
/100
06
Katawa Shoujo
Katawa Shoujo is a bishoujo-style visual novel set in the fictional Yamaku High School for disabled children, located somewhere in modern Japan. Hisao Nakai, a normal boy living a normal life, has his life turned upside down when a congenital heart defect forces him to move to a new school after a long hospitalization. Despite his difficulties, Hisao is able to find friends—and perhaps love, if he plays his cards right. There are five main paths corresponding to the 5 main female characters, each path following the storyline pertaining to that character.
76
/100
07
Long Live The Queen
Rule the world or die trying! Being a Princess is not an easy job. Being a Queen is even harder. Especially when you're only fourteen years old, and the reason you've inherited the throne is that your royal mother has just met an untimely end. Now power is up for grabs.
67
/100
08
Analogue: A Hate Story
A dark visual mystery novel featuring transhumanism, traditional marriage, loneliness, and cosplay. Two pursuable characters. Five endings. Welcome to the future.
62
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Visual Novel game of 2012?
Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward currently tops the ranking with a score of 86/100 across 117 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.