Best games
Best Visual Novel games of 2017
The 11 best Visual Novel games released in 2017, ranked from 1,329 critic and player ratings.
The best Visual Novel game of 2017 is Doki Doki Literature Club!, with a critic score of 94/100 — 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: 2017.
- 11 games are listed on this page, carrying 1,329 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 11
01
Doki Doki Literature Club!
The Literature Club is full of cute girls! Will you write the way into their heart? This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.
94
/100
02
Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
Zero welcomes you to take part in both the Nonary Game and the Nonary Game: Ambidex Edition as the award-winning escape-the-room visual novels Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (999) and its sequel, Virtue’s Last Reward (VLR), are together for the first time.
89
/100
03
Pyre
A party-based RPG/visual novel/sports game hybrid wherein the player, dubbed the Reader for their literacy by the group of scavengers who discovers them, is sent in exile to a lawless wasteland called the Downside and has to lead their ever-growing party of misfits to locations wherein many similar parties compete in Rites in order to attain freedom and be absolved of their crimes.
86
/100
Doki Doki Literature Club!
The Literature Club is full of cute girls! Will you write the way into their heart? This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.
94
/100
02
Zero Escape: The Nonary Games
Zero welcomes you to take part in both the Nonary Game and the Nonary Game: Ambidex Edition as the award-winning escape-the-room visual novels Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (999) and its sequel, Virtue’s Last Reward (VLR), are together for the first time.
89
/100
03
Pyre
A party-based RPG/visual novel/sports game hybrid wherein the player, dubbed the Reader for their literacy by the group of scavengers who discovers them, is sent in exile to a lawless wasteland called the Downside and has to lead their ever-growing party of misfits to locations wherein many similar parties compete in Rites in order to attain freedom and be absolved of their crimes.
86
/100
04
NEKOPARA Vol. 3
Patisserie "La Soleil", run by Kashou Minaduki, is flourishing thanks to the help of two catgirls: Maple, full of pride and a little on the haughty side, and Cinnamon, an impulsive daydreamer.
85
/100
05
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
Welcome to a new world of Danganronpa, and prepare yourself for the biggest, most exhilarating episode yet. Set in a “psycho-cool” environment, a new cast of 16 characters find themselves kidnapped and imprisoned in a school. Inside, some will kill, some will die, and some will be punished. Reimagine what you thought high-stakes, fast-paced investigation was as you investigate twisted murder cases and condemn your new friends to death.
80
/100
06
Emily Is Away Too
Emily is Away Too is the spiritual successor to the critically acclaimed original. Message both Emily and Evelyn as you determine the outcome of your senior year. Extend the story past the chat window with youtube links, facebook profiles and file transfers. And most importantly, change your text color to lime green so everyone knows you're the coolest kid in school.
80
/100
07
Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth
England, 12th century: Philip the monk becomes Prior of the small abbey of Kingsbridge. At the same time, a boy called Jack is raised by his outlawed mother in the woods. His apprenticeship as a stonemason paves his way to become a great architect. Soon, his steps lead him to Kingsbridge where he will build one of the greatest cathedrals England has ever seen. Aliena and Richard have to survive on their own, after the sibling's father, the Earl of Shiring, has been incarcerated and murdered. Aliena vows to make her brother the rightful heir and Earl of Shiring. Like Jack, their way leads them to Kingsbridge. Aliena puts her expertise as a tradeswoman to good use, supporting the cathedral's construction and falls in love with Jack. But Kingsbridge and its people are in grave danger. Philip's rivals, Bishop Waleran and Wiliam, a vengeful noble rejected by Aliena, see the town and its rise to importance as a thorn in their flesh. They want to see Kingsbridge burn. The game-adaption of the world-bestseller "The Pillars of the Earth" is the first co-operative project of Daedalic Entertainment and Bastei Lübbe. This game will be more than just complementary media to the book and will instead retell the story in a new, interactive way. A team of about 20 people works to create a multi-platform adaption of this bestseller. The writers are also in contact and co-operation with the Follett Office and Ken Follett himself. Daedalic is the only studio at the time adapting such an epic reading-experience into an interactive format. The game itself will be released in 2017, at the same time the third novel of the Kingsbridge-Series will be published. The game will be internationally available for PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox One and mobile devices.
78
/100
08
Tokyo Dark
Tokyo Dark is an anime-style horror adventure game combining point and click and visual novel genres. The story follows Detective Itou across Tokyo, searching for the truth behind her partner's strange disappearance. Featuring puzzles, stat management, and difficult decisions, Tokyo Dark puts the narrative in the hands of the player. Players' decisions change their character, opening or locking options and leading to multiple endings.
78
/100
09
Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator is a game where you play as a Dad and your goal is to meet and romance other hot Dads. Are you ready? Hi ready, I'm Dad.
73
/100
10
Simulacra
An interactive horror experience of exploring a missing woman’s phone.
70
/100
11
A Raven Monologue
60
/100
NEKOPARA Vol. 3
Patisserie "La Soleil", run by Kashou Minaduki, is flourishing thanks to the help of two catgirls: Maple, full of pride and a little on the haughty side, and Cinnamon, an impulsive daydreamer.
85
/100
05
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
Welcome to a new world of Danganronpa, and prepare yourself for the biggest, most exhilarating episode yet. Set in a “psycho-cool” environment, a new cast of 16 characters find themselves kidnapped and imprisoned in a school. Inside, some will kill, some will die, and some will be punished. Reimagine what you thought high-stakes, fast-paced investigation was as you investigate twisted murder cases and condemn your new friends to death.
80
/100
06
Emily Is Away Too
Emily is Away Too is the spiritual successor to the critically acclaimed original. Message both Emily and Evelyn as you determine the outcome of your senior year. Extend the story past the chat window with youtube links, facebook profiles and file transfers. And most importantly, change your text color to lime green so everyone knows you're the coolest kid in school.
80
/100
07
Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth
England, 12th century: Philip the monk becomes Prior of the small abbey of Kingsbridge. At the same time, a boy called Jack is raised by his outlawed mother in the woods. His apprenticeship as a stonemason paves his way to become a great architect. Soon, his steps lead him to Kingsbridge where he will build one of the greatest cathedrals England has ever seen. Aliena and Richard have to survive on their own, after the sibling's father, the Earl of Shiring, has been incarcerated and murdered. Aliena vows to make her brother the rightful heir and Earl of Shiring. Like Jack, their way leads them to Kingsbridge. Aliena puts her expertise as a tradeswoman to good use, supporting the cathedral's construction and falls in love with Jack. But Kingsbridge and its people are in grave danger. Philip's rivals, Bishop Waleran and Wiliam, a vengeful noble rejected by Aliena, see the town and its rise to importance as a thorn in their flesh. They want to see Kingsbridge burn. The game-adaption of the world-bestseller "The Pillars of the Earth" is the first co-operative project of Daedalic Entertainment and Bastei Lübbe. This game will be more than just complementary media to the book and will instead retell the story in a new, interactive way. A team of about 20 people works to create a multi-platform adaption of this bestseller. The writers are also in contact and co-operation with the Follett Office and Ken Follett himself. Daedalic is the only studio at the time adapting such an epic reading-experience into an interactive format. The game itself will be released in 2017, at the same time the third novel of the Kingsbridge-Series will be published. The game will be internationally available for PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox One and mobile devices.
78
/100
08
Tokyo Dark
Tokyo Dark is an anime-style horror adventure game combining point and click and visual novel genres. The story follows Detective Itou across Tokyo, searching for the truth behind her partner's strange disappearance. Featuring puzzles, stat management, and difficult decisions, Tokyo Dark puts the narrative in the hands of the player. Players' decisions change their character, opening or locking options and leading to multiple endings.
78
/100
09
Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator is a game where you play as a Dad and your goal is to meet and romance other hot Dads. Are you ready? Hi ready, I'm Dad.
73
/100
10
Simulacra
An interactive horror experience of exploring a missing woman’s phone.
70
/100
11
A Raven Monologue
60
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Visual Novel game of 2017?
Doki Doki Literature Club! currently tops the ranking with a score of 94/100 across 521 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.