It’s almost time to wrap up 2022, but before we do, how about celebrating the Winter season in style with some top picks of festive goodness within the visual novel genre? Here are ten of our very own favourites of these that either take place or celebrate the Winter season or Christmas specifically. Be it due to how its setting is Winter based or how its story happens across the festive holiday, these are the most fitting visual novels to play across the time of writing this up. Enjoy!
Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star
If we are going to recommended Hatoful Boyfriend as one of the best dating sims out of the weirdest ones available, then you can bet that we would also highlight its sequel. It also happens to be highly appropriate for such a list as this one.
With its holiday-themed antics and presentation, the quintessential Hatoful Boyfriend fan service and the plotlines that will hit you directly in the feels going hand in hand is something truly worth experiencing at least once. Fall in love with your favourite pigeon bachelors all over again, enjoy all the puns that come from such a premise and appreciate the many call-backs to its original title all whilst celebrating the festive season in the most uniquely bizarre style imaginable.
Available on the PS4, PlayStation Vita and Microsoft Windows.
Code: Realize -Wintertide Miracles-
Code: Realize -Wintertide Miracles- is the second fandisc of the Code: Realize series. While most certainly appreciated and enjoyed by fans of the series first and foremost, therefor making it best suited to those who have experienced both the original and first fandisc, what it does provide is plenty of fluff in the Holiday season for this time of year.
Encompassing the events of its Heroines’ first Christmas with the love interest of the player’s choosing, love triangle scenarios involving cross over dates with said bachelors and After Story’s of side characters, Wintertide Miracles will certainly put a warm smile on your face for its feel-good content and superb visuals capturing the festive season in all its glory.
Available on the PS4, PlayStation Vita and Nintendo Switch.
Christmas Tina: Ephemeral Views of Winter
Christmas Tina stands out for many reasons with two especially being worth highlighting here. As an extremely heart-warming story that completely avoids romance as its crux and instead focuses on platonic love, it already offers something new and rather revolutionary for the genre that has since become oversaturated with romance or mystery genres especially.
Additionally, it is a genuinely cinematic experience what with presentation unlike the standard visual novel style, instead with motion and everchanging art and scenes. Set within a single year sometime within the 80’s, Christmas Tina offers a short but warm tale of friendship and connecting with one another.
Available on the Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows.
The Last Matches
As one of the only outstanding, indie visual novels to capture and represent the winter season, The Last Matches is the shortest game entry on this list. Set on Christmas Eve and with a plot interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Match Girl that puts a positive spin on the melancholic tale instead,
The Last Matches is a beautiful creation made with love and care. Poignant and deep within barely an hour’s length of playtime, its gorgeous, old book presentation and writing that depicts a pure love story will move you this Winter. If you are looking for a shorter title to experience this Christmas day, it does not get any more suitable than this one.
Available via itch.io for Microsoft Windows.
A Winter’s Daydream
A Winter’s Daydream is another short tale that will warm your heart in no time this Winter. Developed, penned and lovingly created by visual novel maker ebi-hime, A Winter’s Daydream also sets itself apart from the atypical genre formula. With a premise focused on appreciating the limited time we have as mortal beings, its plot could not sound any more comedic.
Its deeper messages however make it all the more of a reflective experience, something one may not initially expect from it. If you feel brave enough to feel emotionally touched this Winter, this title is worth every second of your attention. Let it warm the heart this Winter season.
Available on the PlayStation Vita and Microsoft Windows.
ef – a fairy tale of the two.
Unlike almost every other entry on our list, ef – a fairy tale of the two. is a slow burner. Clocking in at 40 hours if not longer, the title takes players for a ride (two at that as its title suggests). With an emotionally moving plot that is kickstarted by a fateful reunion of two old friends crossing paths once more on Christmas Eve, its romantic and dramatic build-up across the entire package and multiple plotlines are something to truly marvel at and appreciate even if it starts up the waterworks at the player’s expense.
If you want to get emotionally damaged this Winter, you won’t need to look any further than here. Just keep in mind that this is on the longer end of things for this list as it can clock in at around 40 hours depending on reading speed.
Available on Microsoft Windows.
Snow Sakura
Set in the countryside within the Heisei Era, Snow Sakura is a throwback of a title in every meaning of the word. Originally released back in 2003 in Japan and as one of the earliest localised visual novels by G-Collections (founded in 2001), Snow Sakura is another example of a slow-burner romance tale.
Although it does not last for quite a long as ef – a tale of two. as it sits around roughly 15 hours to complete instead, it also does not cover such incredible dialogue or storytelling as it either. Snow Sakura instead provides a wholesome, slice-of-life narrative that you do not have to think too hard on. It’s quite the opposite of the majority of our other recommendations even. With a cosy aesthetic and winter ambience in both visuals and sound, its humorous group interactions between the entire cast is the unique selling point of it.
Available on Microsoft Windows.
Rose of Winter
For an otome (dating sims aimed at females), Rose of Winter presents a unique premise for the genre. That’s right, it’s that our very own Heroine is the Knight in Shining Armor this time around. Players embody Rosemary, a knight fledgling attempting to escort and protect one of four princes as they cross the treacherous terrain of Mount Needle.
With a gutsy Heroine you will love in no time, love interests whose appeal gradually reveal their more attractive traits as they become more vulnerable and human over time, and music composed by none other than Toby Fox – that of Undertale, Deltarune and Homestuck – Rose of Winter is a short but sweet and refreshing tale for the otome genre that does not overstay its welcome.
Available on Microsoft Windows.
Bokuten – Why I Became an Angel
Bokuten – Why I Became an Angel is another tearjerker of a visual novel with idyllic and atmospheric visuals and overall ambience that captures the Winter season perfectly. As an extreme example of what a utsuge title is all about – meaning “depressing game” – Bokuten does not shy away from the most bleak and depressing conclusions based on its major themes of love and happiness.
It is uncomfortably grounded in realism despite its fantasy elements, and for that alone, its narrative is a one of a kind experience that only certain players will appreciate and hold onto for the rest of their lifetime. It’s beautiful in every way and as long as you can brave its more blunt and harsh themes this Winter, it is well worth exploring regardless of its explicit or censored version.
Available on Microsoft Windows.
TRUE REMEMBRANCE
Seasonal depression seems to be a thing when it comes to Winter in visual novels, and with TRUE REMEMBRANCE, that cannot be any more accurate to say. While the premise could not sound any more melancholic, its actual substance is a lot more wholesome than one would expect. As a kinetic novel, its story is entirely linear and follows one set path, one in which is as drama-filled as it is comedic thanks to the heart-warming and loving relationship between its main two characters.
It remains important despite its old age due to its themes and underlining messages that no matter how we live our lives, seeing the good in the worst of it is what being content is all about – no matter what life throws at us. It’s quite the uplifting tale to end this list with.
Available on Microsoft Windows.
Related: 7 Best Games That Take Place During The Holidays
Thank you for reading. To check out more related content on our site, see similar articles like Top 10 Best horror visual novels to help you get ready for Halloween or Top 5 Best Visual Novels of 2022. Additionally, do stay up-to-date with our articles and coverage on Facebook.
