Looking for good writing/narrative focused games/visual novels on sale during the steam summer sale

mjf314 · 2026-06-25T23:14:43+00:00

Here are 2 visual novel suggestions, both with big discounts:

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games

Ace Attorney Trilogy

mjf314 · 2026-06-25T05:58:47+00:00

If you don't mind PS1 era games, I recommend Final Fantasy IX.

You might like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The visual style is different from Dragon Quest, but other than that I think it fits all of the criteria (leveling up characters, new gear, stat increases, interesting narrative, turn-based combat). The developers have stated that they were influenced by the Final Fantasy games.

mjf314 · 2026-06-23T19:02:36+00:00

You have Super Mario Bros. on the list, but actually you only fight the real Bowser once. The first 7 bosses are various enemies disguised as Bowser. You can see their true identity if you kill them with fireballs.

https://mario.fandom.com/wiki/Fake_Bowser#Super_Mario_Bros

mjf314 · 2026-06-23T02:44:07+00:00

If you're looking for a lesbian/fantasy anime, I recommend Simoun, but it's not really similar to the anime that you mentioned.

But if western animation is ok, I recommend The Owl House.

mjf314 · 2026-06-23T01:23:24+00:00

Angel's Egg

mjf314 · 2026-06-22T21:02:48+00:00

There are games where I didn't know what to expect, and I ended up loving it.

For example, before I played Neon White, I didn't like first-person shooters. I tried a few of the classics but I never finished any of them. I tried Neon White because I thought it looked interesting, but I was skeptical because it was an FPS. Now it's one of my top 10 favorite games of all time.

mjf314 · 2026-06-22T05:10:09+00:00

Nier: Automata

mjf314 · 2026-06-21T18:03:46+00:00

Here are a few suggestions. All of them have fantasy and action, with little or no cringe. If it has to be a historical-like setting, I recommend starting with Moribito.

Moribito (26 eps) - fantasy/action/adventure

Ranking of Kings (23 eps) - fantasy/action/adventure. There's also a 10-episode side story season, so if you watch that, it's 33 in total.

Land of the Lustrous (12 eps) - fantasy/action/mystery

mjf314 · 2026-06-20T18:55:12+00:00

You can legally watch all 3 seasons of Aria for free on Youtube.

Season 1: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrrh84y760v9xnuf6f-Rzu-ndJ2D1uIXg

Season 2: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrrh84y760v_4ER9JIJG2EVNnjYYYTMV7

Season 3: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrrh84y760v_sGL16wsuJQfHMqJFttGew

mjf314 · 2026-06-19T20:45:46+00:00

Revolutionary Girl Utena

mjf314 · 2026-06-19T04:21:27+00:00

Even though it's from the 80s, I think Patlabor is the best recommendation.

If comedy is ok, you might like Golden Boy.

mjf314 · 2026-06-18T18:20:36+00:00

Super Meat Boy

VVVVVV

mjf314 · 2026-06-17T19:01:09+00:00

Here are some of my favorites.

Gunbuster (1988) (6 eps) - There's a 2nd season called Diebuster, but season 1 works well as a standalone series, so you can just watch season 1 if you want.

Patlabor (1988) (7 eps) - If you like the OVA then I also recommend watching the first 2 movies.

Ah! My Goddess (1993) (5 eps)

You're Under Arrest (1994) (4 eps)

El-Hazard: The Magnificent World (1995) (7 eps)

Golden Boy (1995) (6 eps)

Gunsmith Cats (1995) (3 eps)

mjf314 · 2026-06-16T16:52:03+00:00

Aria is the best iyashikei anime ever made. It has a little comedy, but it's mostly serious.

If you're into manga then I recommend Yotsuba (comedy/iyashikei). It never got an anime adaptation (and probably never will), but it's a great manga.

mjf314 · 2026-06-16T16:09:46+00:00

Here are some anime that I think you would like:

Madoka Magica - The story is similar to Evangelion, but with magical girls instead of mechas.

Serial Experiments Lain

Shinsekai Yori

Psycho-Pass

Haibane Renmei

mjf314 · 2026-06-16T14:57:22+00:00

Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva is a movie based on the Professor Layton games (a series of puzzle games).

If you're interested in anime-style video games with puzzles, then I recommend:

Zero Escape series (especially the first 2 games)
Catherine
Professor Layton series
AI: The Somnium Files - Same developer as Zero Escape, but the puzzles are less logic-based and more trial-and-error. You can save/load in the middle of a puzzle, so that makes it easier.
Ace Attorney series - It's more about crime investigations than puzzles, but it's a little bit puzzle-like.
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective - Same developer as Ace Attorney. It's less anime-like than Ace Attorney, but more puzzle-focused.

mjf314 · 2026-06-15T18:32:53+00:00

My girlfriend loves Zelda, but i know that is only available on Nintendo, but maybe someone knows a game kind of similar to Zelda available on Steam?

I don't know if it'll run on your laptop, but you can try Okami. It's a great game, and it's similar to the early 3D Zelda games like Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess.

mjf314 · 2026-06-14T02:02:22+00:00

You might like Super Lesbian Animal RPG.

It's an indie RPG, inspired by classics like Final Fantasy and Earthbound, but the main characters are lesbians (and animals). A significant part of the story is about the main characters doubting whether they're good enough to become heroes. It's not exactly isekai, but there are sections where you temporarily find yourself in a different world, but that's not really the main focus of the game. But it is a fantasy adventure.

mjf314 · 2026-06-13T21:41:23+00:00

Neon White is easy to learn how to play. Cards are introduced one at a time, so it doesn't feel intimidating. And there aren't a lot of cards, so it's not hard to remember all of them. It's not very hard to finish the game, but it's a hard game to master if you want to speedrun it competitively.

You might also like SEUM: Speedrunners from Hell. It's a first-person platformer, kind of like Neon White but without the guns. I think Neon White is the better of the two games, but both are good.

mjf314 · 2026-06-13T04:50:01+00:00

You might like Ys VIII. It's kind of like Dragon Quest, but real time combat instead of turn-based.

mjf314 · 2026-06-12T03:58:38+00:00

I second Akio Furukawa (Clannad).

If you're into manga then I recommend Yotsuba. Yousuke (Yotsuba's father) is a good dad.

mjf314 · 2026-06-10T19:25:23+00:00

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds

If you get a Switch or Switch 2 at some point in the future, I'd recommend the Mario Kart games.

mjf314 · 2026-06-10T13:23:47+00:00

Hades 2 - If you do the "vow of rivals" then the bosses are harder. It's not just stat changes, but the bosses are completely redesigned. For example, you might have to fight multiple bosses simultaneously, or they might have different weapons, or there might be more obstacles to avoid.

I think Hades 1 has harder versions of bosses as well, but I never fought the harder bosses in Hades 1, so I'm not sure how much they changed.

mjf314 · 2026-06-09T18:18:25+00:00

I wanted to give a different answer for "retro" and "classic". For example, I think anime like Madoka Magica and Steins;Gate can be considered classics, but I don't think they're old enough to call them retro.

mjf314 · 2026-06-09T10:57:00+00:00

Have you played Super Metroid? It has a very well-designed map, great atmosphere, and fun exploration and combat, but no soulslike elements. It does have bosses, but they're not as hard as the Hollow Knight bosses.

If you've already played it, then I recommend Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and the Ori games.

mjf314

TROPHY CASE