#13cm

Fairytale Requiem

liar-soft is such a unique studio, i could fill up this whole list with their goodies but i'm trying to show restraint haha. FR is very much in my tastes: a stunningly illustrated, topsy-turvy fantasy story that is EXTREMELY disturbing right under those candy colors. It's a great example of how H scenes can be used in the medium, as in I felt deeply uncomfortable the entire time and oh boy oh boy that's my FAVORITE FEELING! 💗 But in the end FR is an enchanting, brutal and beautiful story of what it means to be a child, a victim, a princess, a prince, and a person. Also features my favorite illustrator Ooishi Ryuuko, my angel Sapporo Momoko on music, and the cut throat Umihara Nozomu on writing, making it a largely female lead production (although mareni is there too, doing my fav routes i wish i could up my jp enough to read his stuff!!!). I feel like it's important that there are indeed a LOT of women working in eroge.

Toheart PSE

This game doesn't do anything incredible, and that's okay. It's Toheart, and that's all you need! The most normallest galge because it was kinda the thing that codified what would become galge....as I understand it. Osananajimi, witch, robot, loudmouth, californian with big boobs, kansai inchou and Blue. It's just nice. Yeah. You can play the 3D remake right now in english, so go do that! I'm not huge on the presentation a bunch of the time, but there are points where it works splendidly, and it's STILL the good ol' toheart... Shiho is the best route btw.

Slow Damage

Okay no more comfort food it's time for the most UNSAFE CONSENSUAL SEX YOU COULD POSSIBLY HAVE. Wow. After playing Togainu and Sweet Pool, I was really surprised at SD-- Like, it's THIS polished? It's THIS well put together? What the hell! How are you gonna top this!!! But SD is a game that delivered for me on so many unexpected levels: it's a noir, it's a character study, it's a slice of life where you walk on glass, it's a crime thriller with a warm embrace. I kinda don't vibe with 99% of H so the scenes that are "technically not sex but totally are" were much appreciated (even if I vibe with non yaoi gay stuff a little more, although lesson was kinda nice. what was the term for that? between gei and yaoi? there's a term idk). Eventually i'll make a post about the game design and how it happily encourages you to interact with the world for that tasty NARRATIVE GAMEPLAY COHESION but yeah, Slow Damage is a fantastic self-harm noir with one of the greatest protagonists i've had the pleasure of reading.

Canary

I played this earlier this year completely on a whim (omg momoko art omg maids) and oh my lord. Oh my god. Yeah. It's one of the greats. I wrote about it more in depth here, but like Fairytale it's another example of what makes the medium so strong. Just a superb work I wouldn't change a single thing about. A unique presentation with a story as old as time. This helped me understand what I love from art and why I'm here in the eroge mines to begin with. Thank you Momoko, thank you Akuta. I'm so excited to read more of his work. Damn I didn't even explain the game I just exploded with gratitude. It's something very special.

Honorable Mention: Diabolique

so like you know how people like twilight even though it's not that good but they go omg i loooove it though??? this is my little baby. my representative alicesoft work. it's not racist like twilight though, it just has some glaring issues but like I LIKE IT, OKAY? A FANTASY REINCARNATION LOVE STORY STARRING A MALEWIFE DEMON DEVOTING HIS EXISTENCE TO MAKING ONE GIRL (or maybe boy haha) HAPPY FOREVER AND EVER AND ALSO COSMIC ANGELIQUE FOR SUPER NINTENDO STUFF HAPPENS???? I LOVE IT!! SO MOE!!!!!! I'M SQUEALING AND CRYING AND KICKING MY FEET! YEAH CHAPTER 3 WAS LIKE THE WORST THING EVER BUT WE GOT BACK UP IN THE END OKAY!!!! LOVE IS REAL!!!!!!!1 I READ THIS WHEN PMS'ING AND IT WAS AWESOME! SO IMMERSIVE!!!! ASULITE WILL DEFEAT ALL PERIOD CRAMPS FOR ME! KYAH!!!!!!!!

ahem. anyhow, it made me a tori fanboy. its just so charming. i am making azulite and leticia kiss in tomodachi life i am buying their doujinshis i am shitting my brains out i love LOVE!!!!!!!!!! my favorite otoge lol

THE ACTUAL FAVORITE VN: NUMBER 1: THE 25TH WARD TEH SILVER CASE!!!!!!!!!

my favorite game. i have issues.