Best games
Best Visual Novel games of 2016
The 11 best Visual Novel games released in 2016, ranked from 1,131 critic and player ratings.
The best Visual Novel game of 2016 is Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You, 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: 2016.
- 11 games are listed on this page, carrying 1,131 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 11
01
Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You
Using the new governmental security program that has the power to survey the online presence of every person in The Nation, you investigate the lives of citizens to find those responsible for a series of terror attacks. Information from the internet, personal communications and private files are all accessible to you. But, be warned, the information you supply will have consequences…
86
/100
02
VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action
Learn about daily life in a cyberpunk dystopia. A branching storyline where your decisions do not depend on traditional choices, but through the drinks you prepare. Visuals inspired by old japanese adventure games for the PC-98, with a modern touch for an other-wordly experience. A beatiful soundtrack composed entirely by Garoad. Get to know your clients, their tastes, and prepare the drink that will change their lives.
84
/100
03
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice
Ace Attorney 6 continues the investigation and courtroom of its predecessors, in which players take the role of the defense attorneys; Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice, and Athena Cykes, and try to defend their clients. The game continues the 3D navigation introduced in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney − Dual Destinies, allowing players to navigate environments from various angles. Along with returning gameplay elements, such as the Mood Matrix introduced in Dual Destinies, the game introduces Spirit Medium Vision, in which the players are shown the memories of victims moment before their deaths and must find contradictions in their five senses to determine what really happened.
81
/100
Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You
Using the new governmental security program that has the power to survey the online presence of every person in The Nation, you investigate the lives of citizens to find those responsible for a series of terror attacks. Information from the internet, personal communications and private files are all accessible to you. But, be warned, the information you supply will have consequences…
86
/100
02
VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action
Learn about daily life in a cyberpunk dystopia. A branching storyline where your decisions do not depend on traditional choices, but through the drinks you prepare. Visuals inspired by old japanese adventure games for the PC-98, with a modern touch for an other-wordly experience. A beatiful soundtrack composed entirely by Garoad. Get to know your clients, their tastes, and prepare the drink that will change their lives.
84
/100
03
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice
Ace Attorney 6 continues the investigation and courtroom of its predecessors, in which players take the role of the defense attorneys; Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice, and Athena Cykes, and try to defend their clients. The game continues the 3D navigation introduced in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney − Dual Destinies, allowing players to navigate environments from various angles. Along with returning gameplay elements, such as the Mood Matrix introduced in Dual Destinies, the game introduces Spirit Medium Vision, in which the players are shown the memories of victims moment before their deaths and must find contradictions in their five senses to determine what really happened.
81
/100
04
Super Star
You are a star agent in show biz as well as a fan of video games and animation as well. You have recently set up your own management company and are looking for someone with the talent. Although you have been trying hard, no one talented has been spotted yet. On night, you decided to play H-Game to cheer yourself up. After you finished the game, a strange thing happened: a pretty girl was found in your bed…
80
/100
05
Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma
Zero Time Dilemma is the third and final entry in the Zero Escape series. It is a story focused mystery/thriller visual novel with multiple endings that involves player choices and puzzle rooms.
78
/100
06
Virginia
Virginia is a first person interactive drama. It is the story of a recently graduated FBI agent and her partner as they seek to uncover the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a young boy. In the birthplace of America nothing is quite what it seems.
74
/100
07
Honkai Impact 3rd
Honkai Impact 3rd follows Valkyries as they defend the world from Honkai, the “mysterious power responsible for destroying human civilization countless times.”
72
/100
08
NEKOPARA Vol. 2
Business is booming for La Soleil, the patisserie run by Kashou Minaduki with his two catgirls, Chocola and Vanilla, his sister Shigure, and the Minaduki family's four catgirl sisters.
68
/100
09
The Silver Case
This is the first time "The Silver Case" has been fully localized to English. In this hit, the player takes control of the protagonist, a member of the Special Forces Unit "Republic", from a first-person perspective. The game takes inspiration from the adventure and novel genres, leading the player through an in-depth story in which the truth is gradually revealed as they solve various puzzles, offering a fresh and unique experience.
67
/100
10
Crush Crush
Welcome to Crush Crush - the Idle Dating Sim! Meet, flirt, and fall in love with a motley cast of girls in this heartfelt and hilarious game. Crush Crush is casual, idle fun with hundreds of hours of gameplay. It's heartfelt, charming, sexy, hilarious - and free! So what are you waiting for? Play it today!
60
/100
11
Frosty Kiss
60
/100
Super Star
You are a star agent in show biz as well as a fan of video games and animation as well. You have recently set up your own management company and are looking for someone with the talent. Although you have been trying hard, no one talented has been spotted yet. On night, you decided to play H-Game to cheer yourself up. After you finished the game, a strange thing happened: a pretty girl was found in your bed…
80
/100
05
Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma
Zero Time Dilemma is the third and final entry in the Zero Escape series. It is a story focused mystery/thriller visual novel with multiple endings that involves player choices and puzzle rooms.
78
/100
06
Virginia
Virginia is a first person interactive drama. It is the story of a recently graduated FBI agent and her partner as they seek to uncover the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a young boy. In the birthplace of America nothing is quite what it seems.
74
/100
07
Honkai Impact 3rd
Honkai Impact 3rd follows Valkyries as they defend the world from Honkai, the “mysterious power responsible for destroying human civilization countless times.”
72
/100
08
NEKOPARA Vol. 2
Business is booming for La Soleil, the patisserie run by Kashou Minaduki with his two catgirls, Chocola and Vanilla, his sister Shigure, and the Minaduki family's four catgirl sisters.
68
/100
09
The Silver Case
This is the first time "The Silver Case" has been fully localized to English. In this hit, the player takes control of the protagonist, a member of the Special Forces Unit "Republic", from a first-person perspective. The game takes inspiration from the adventure and novel genres, leading the player through an in-depth story in which the truth is gradually revealed as they solve various puzzles, offering a fresh and unique experience.
67
/100
10
Crush Crush
Welcome to Crush Crush - the Idle Dating Sim! Meet, flirt, and fall in love with a motley cast of girls in this heartfelt and hilarious game. Crush Crush is casual, idle fun with hundreds of hours of gameplay. It's heartfelt, charming, sexy, hilarious - and free! So what are you waiting for? Play it today!
60
/100
11
Frosty Kiss
60
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Visual Novel game of 2016?
Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You currently tops the ranking with a score of 86/100 across 134 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.