15 Alluring Visual Novel Story Ideas (Updated 2023)

Looking for enticing visual novel story ideas? You’ve come to the right place!

Read on for visual novel ideas like a novelist who gets sucked into a VR game and has to face retaliations from the characters in his stories, or a princess who rejects an arranged marriage in favor of eloping with her bodyguards, and many more!

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(The illustration picture is By TheAwesomeHwyh, User:Kasuga~commonswiki, Diego Delso – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80073188)

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The Definition of Visual Novel
- Appeal
- Criticisms
Visual Novel Story Ideas
More?

The Definition of Visual Novel

A visual novel is a type of interactive fiction game that typically features static graphics, with occasionally animated characters and background, and text-based gameplay. They are popular in Japan and often focus on character development, romantic relationships, and decision-making that leads to different story branches and endings.

Appeal

People like visual novels for a variety of reasons. One, they often feature well-developed characters and complex storylines that players can become emotionally invested in. Two, the decision-making elements in visual novels allow players to shape the story and create their own unique experiences. Three, many visual novels also include romance as a central theme, which can be appealing to players. Four, the interactive nature of the games allows players to immerse themselves in the story and feel like they are a part of the world and characters.

Criticisms

Some visual novels, particularly those that feature explicit sexual content or themes of sexual violence, has been the subject of many criticisms. This has led to some visual novels being banned or censored in certain countries, and has sparked debate over issues such as censorship and the portrayal of women in video games.

Additionally, some people have criticized visual novels for being overly passive experiences, where the player has little agency and is simply watching the story unfold. Despite these controversies, visual novels have a dedicated fanbase and continue to be popular in many countries.

Visual Novel Story Ideas

So, you want to write a visual novel? Let’s dive in for some intriguing visual novel story ideas!

Common themes in visual novels include romance, slice of life, and drama. Other popular themes include mystery, fantasy, and science fiction. Some visual novels also tackle mature or controversial themes such as mental illness, suicide, and abuse. Themes can vary widely, and many visual novels combine multiple themes.

I hope the ideas below are original although, undoubtedly, something similar could have existed out there already. But the smallest details and execution matter, and make all the difference!

Please note that the genders in these prompts and story ideas are just placeholders. It is not the intention to enforce any hurtful stereotypes or offend anyone.

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Romance

Here are some visual novels story ideas with romance as the main theme. Romantic themes are popular because they tap into universal human emotions and experiences, such as the desire for love and connection. (An example of romantic visual novels is LoveKami Trilogy.)

Additionally, they often provide an escape from the stresses of everyday life and offer a sense of hope and inspiration. The fantasy of falling in love and finding happiness is something that appeals to a wide audience.

1. The heir of the late Viking leader must attempt to uncover the truth when his enemies pit him against his newly-wedded wife. A historical romance. (For more story ideas in this genre, head to my post Historical Romance Story Ideas and Writing Prompts.)

2. A princess who grows up among her trusted bodyguards rejects an arranged marriage in favor of eloping with her bodyguards. A reverse harem story. (For more story ideas in this genre, head to my post Reverse Harem Story Ideas and Writing Prompts.)

3. In a post-apocalyptical world where all the men have been stricken by infertilities, the last fertile man is being passed around from one woman to another for solely breeding purposes. A dark romance story. (For more story ideas in this genre, head to my post Dark Romance Story Ideas.)

4. A museum curator accidentally awakens a centuries-old vampire who’s being confined inside of an artefact belonging to the museum. Could be a rom-com or straight up romance. (For more vampire romance story, head to my post Vampire Romance Story Ideas.

5. A witch lost her magical abilities when a neighbor moved next door to her apartment. Who’s the mysterious new neighbor and how does he make her lose her magic? A fantasy romance story. (For more ideas in this genre, head to my post Fantasy Romance Story Ideas.)

Need more romance-related story ideas? Check these out:

Mystery, Thriller and/or Horror

Here are some visual novels story ideas with mystery, thriller and/or horror as the main themes. These kind of stories often offer a sense of escape and a rush of adrenaline, evoking intense emotions such as suspense, excitement, fear, and surprise.

This is part of the reasons why horror visual novel game such as The Letter: A Horror Visual Novel has garnered great ratings in the platforms where it’s being sold.

Depicting unpredictable events and characters facing life-threatening situations, they also frequently challenge the reader’s or viewer’s perceptions of reality, and keep them engaged and on the edge of their seat, guessing what will happen next. Without further ado, here are some visual novel story ideas with horror, thriller, and/or mystery as the themes.

1. A zombie slayer keeps preserved pieces of the zombie they slayed as “souvenirs”, only for a freak mutation to occur one day, causing those souvenirs to come to life. (For more zombie-related story ideas, head to my post Unique Zombie Story Ideas.)

2. When identifying a dead body in a morgue, a woman discovers that it’s herself. Is it a case of a lost sibling, or twin sibling, or an impersonator, or a doppelganger? (For more psychological thriller story ideas, head to my post Psychological Thriller Story Ideas and Writing Prompts.)

3. The curator of a small art gallery suspects that a new artist she’s working with has murdered his assistant, and that the clues are hidden in the artist’s newest painting. (For more cozy mystery story ideas, head to my post Cozy Mystery Story Ideas and Writing Prompts.)

4. An aspiring author travels to a sleepy riverside town, in which a ghost ship appears on the river every 25 years or so. When the ship eventually manifests itself, he doesn’t expect to see a familiar sight on board. Based on Wyoming Death Ship urban legend. (For more urban legend inspired story ideas, head to my post Bone-Chilling Urban Legend Story Ideas and Writing Prompts.)

5. A priest takes matters into his own hands after hearing a congregation member’s crime confession in order to rid the society of criminals, one offender at a time. (For more vigilante-related story ideas, head to my post Vigilante Writing Prompts and Story Ideas.)

Adventure and/or Drama

Here are some visual novels story ideas with drama and adventure as the main themes. These stories offer a chance to experience different perspectives and emotions, and to see characters overcome challenges and obstacles. An example of drama/adventure visual novel is The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles.

Drama stories often explore complex relationships and human emotions, providing insight into the human experience. Adventure stories, on the other hand, offer a sense of excitement, discovery, and risk-taking, providing an escape from the routine of everyday life. Both types of stories can be compelling, and provide a means of entertainment and escapism.

1. When a novelist gets sucked into a Virtual Reality game full of all the characters he had created and “done dirty” over the length of his career, he finds out that they all want a piece of him. (For more survival-themed story ideas, head to my post Dramatic Survival Story Ideas.)

2. A sorcerer quickly rises to power by enchanting every mirror in the realm to behave as he wishes: as his spying tool, as a cloning device, as a portal to travel from one place to another, and more. The sorcerer could either be the protagonist or antagonist in the story. (For more high fantasy story ideas, head to my post High Fantasy Story Ideas and Writing Prompts.)

3. When a family with young children moves into a smart home and causes various damages to the house, the intelligent home launches counterattacks by cutting all utilities and holding the family hostage. (For more futuristic story ideas, head to my post Futuristic Story Ideas.)

4. Whenever someone takes a flower from an enchanted forest, a forest sprite will tag along and cause mischiefs wherever they go. (For more fantasy forest story ideas, head to my post Enchanted Forest Story Ideas.)

5. When a struggling 18th-century journalist who sneaks aboard a pirate ship to obtain an exclusive story gets found out by the rest of the crews, what will become of his fate? (For more pirate-related story ideas, head to my post Pirate Writing Prompts and Story Ideas.)