☆♥ Priro's Tea-Length Visual Novel List ♥ ☆

This is a list of visual novels by various independent developers that are short enough to be played within an afternoon (or an evening) with not much time. The idea is that you can make yourself a cup of tea, have some snacks, light some candles, and wind down with a short, but beautiful experience. Full-length visual novels are like full-sized cakes: Really delicious, but not really possible to finish on your own in a night (unless you're really determined!). Think of these like the macarons or chocolate truffles of visual novels!

Though this list is primarily for visual novels, I have also decided to add Twine games and other interactive fiction that might not be considered a conventional "visual novel." There is simply no reason to be rigid about what fits on this list, because more is merrier!

Since many of these pieces are made for short jams/ as experiments, the vast majority of them are FREE to play. Any games that are not free will be marked with a dollar sign, as told by the key.

Key:

🌐 = Browser Playable

🔞 = 18+ Content

🪢 = Made with Twine

▶️ = Demo

💲 = Paid

• Reflection. A short, tragic story about a jester named Ziri who laments about failing to make her dream come true. Unable to let it go, she wishes for a second chance.🌐

• A Late Night Convo. A Late Night Convo tells the story of a demisexual man being happy that he's found a partner who's accepted him for who he is. It's a very cute, heartwarming ace story that pulls a lot from my personal experiences + feelings about being asexual!🌐

• I Hate the Color White. A Twine game based off the developer's real-life experience of visiting her father in the hospital last year.🌐🪢

• Still Shining. A 7 minute VN about stargazing with your best friend. The game deals with some heavy topics, such as depression, drunk driving, survivor's guilt, and death so keep that in mind!🌐

• Midnight on the Milky Way. A person without face or memory boards a train through the galaxy. No crying 'till the end. 40mins-2hrs.

• Petrichor. Pommy —short for Pommeline— goes on a coffee date with her partner Paris and hopes to come out to him as asexual.

• Someone to Hold Me. A visual novel about longing for non-sexual closeness, starring an asexual girl and her internal and social tribulations. 30mins.

• Led Along a Torchlit Road. A black comedy/horror parody; the classic story of a mysterious evil child destroying his adopted families - but has now seemingly met his match with his new caretaker. ~1hr.🌐

• lastrain and firstrain. This is a train for those who are no longer here. Why are you here, my darling? Two short visual novels inspired by the developer's 2-man Call of Cthulu campaign.🌐

• Come Back Soon, Oddie. A deceased knight longs to reunite with his comrade of battle, Oddie, but wonders if he will remember him after all those years of being alive.

• In This Life. A short, ~10 minute visual novel about two middle aged men tackling change in their relationship. It has vampires, tea and some angst. Parfum Nostalgique fans will really like this one!

• Lamprey. A visual novel about four co-workers who find themselves trapped together after an experiment with an AI goes wrong. Free to play, runtime is 60-90 minutes.🌐

• No More Little Match Girl. A bite-sized Gothic retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen story. It’s got multiple endings, so she doesn’t have to freeze to death anymore (unless you want her to)!

• i like flying:). A 10-15 minute VN about travelling for business.

• Hello Counsel 💋. A romantic comedy that follows a criminal mastermind who just got arrested! Good news is that her lawyer boyfriend is here to help her avoid any jail time — if only she stops flirting with him, that is.

• Kill the Prince!? A prince is being married against his will. An assassin(?) is hired to take care of the issue. Wait, what? This game is gay? Infiltrate a party, dress up in weird outfits, and try to complete your mission in this espionage VN! 🌐

• Confluence: An Of Sense and Soul Sololoquy. A little side story to the main Of Sense and Soul game and it’s ~10min of fully voiced sappiness!

• BABELOMANIA (Demo). You are cordially invited to attend the wedding of Francesco Colombo and Delphine Badeaux. The ceremony will take place on the grounds of the historical Château de Bois-le-Dumont, a bizarre estate with a dark hidden past. Please be warned that when the lights go out, you shall find no succour. When the darkness overwhelms your neighbour, you shall find no salvation. When the cruel ambition reveals itself, you shall find no solace. Arm yourself with your wits, determination, and an open mind...Or lose your humanity, before you lose your life.▶️🌐

• Unsent Letter. Evan Wilhelm, the most fearsome knight of the Thyrs Empire is writing a letter to a friend on his day off.🌐

• Looking For my Mermaid. A short kinetic novel (800+ words) about a man who frequently goes to a certain beach to find a "mermaid."🌐

• Only When you Sleep. Wake up in a dream, choose your guardian and navigate a dangerous realm to try and return to the waking world.🌐

• Drink of Choice. By sharing a drink with someone you can learn their story, struggles, and more. When a sad patron enters the bar, the protagonist decides to share a drink with her and help her sort her problems.

• Date Cuenta!/Take a Hint! A short VN about making your friend realize she's in a toxic relationship through showing her the right evidence!

• Edda Cafe. A story about about traveling back through time to overcome grief from the loss of your loved one.

• Unsettled. Upcoming indie musician, Delia Kate, has a conversation with her music producer over the phone about a song she wrote about an ex. Fully voice acted with an original song!🌐

• Magic, Motherhood, and Mayhem. A short but cute visual novel about a couple trying to survive after they have saved the kingdom! It's fully voice acted! 🌐

Update 10.25.24

• Keep It Smooth, Elliot. Elliot has finally mustered up the courage to confess to her long-time crush, Lana. But first, she needs to get through another day of work before she can tell her manager how she feels.🌐

• Moral Retrograde. Ian wakes up in hospital with the last 3 years of his life missing from his memories. Upon opening his eyes, he's greeted by a stranger that claims to be someone intimately close to him. But who is this stranger? And are they telling the truth?🌐

• I'm a SIDE CHARACTER in a BL story! Ever wondered what the side characters get up to in a BL story? Here's your chance to find out. 🌐

• Self-Help. Gary's most complicated case is in his office, and they're ready for their session. Or at least, ready as they'll probably ever be. Will today be the day a breakthrough happens, or will the session just continue as usual? You decide! 🌐

• Night on the Bayou. An All-Saints' Day undead lesbian rom-com with gorgeous art, alligators, and a deadly amount of puns. 20mins-1hr20mins.

Update 11.2.24

• A Techie in Love byte: Dominic. After a particularly strenuous year and day, childhood friends Dominic and Cecilia find themselves trying to gather their bearings during an afternoon lunch. Follow the pov of Love Interest Dominic in this prequel to Sagemintiart's upcoming otome, (A) Techie in Love.🌐

• Goat Hill Mansion. A short Gothic suspense visual novel depicting a young woman inheriting a mansion - including a dangerously handsome guy!🌐

• Larut. Larut is a fictional work retelling of the Indonesian folklore and mythological figure, Nyi Roro Kidul. Having lost her home and her family's trust due to her stepmother’s schemes, Kandita finds herself struggling alone on the beach marking the edge of the South Sea. There, she meets her savior, the eternally kind and loving Queen of the Southern Sea who takes her in and grants her a position as the Queen’s lady-in-waiting. Eternally grateful for the Queen’s kindness and generosity, Kandita promises to devote her whole life to her savior. However, in this dog-eat-dog world society, a frail and naive lady like her must learn to adapt or lose everything yet again. 🌐

• Step by Little Step. Bring your cat back to the world of the living.🌐

• Imago Dirge. Based on Franz Kafka's Metamorphasis. You are no longer the same person you were yesterday and everyone knows this. Are you even still human? How does one cope with something like this?🌐

• The Maid of Honour. Lady Violetta has always dreamed of becoming a beautiful bride. But there are things she must give up in order to live the life of her dreams. As her most trusted confidante- and as her maid of honour, it is your role to listen to all her worries and put them to rest. But that's not easy to do when it is your relationship with her that she has decided to give up on in order to live the life she's always wanted.

• Undergrowth. Slightly over time at 2-3 hours playtime, but screw you, it's my list. You play as Morgan, who is an undercover cop on an expedition as a camp guide-in-training far out in the mountains. You make friends within the camps, searching for answers regarding your lost comrade, who was also undercover before they were wiped off the radar. In time, you realize that everyone starts developing a strange infection and you discover that its source is right at the heart of the research center near camp. Some kind of mold has been growing, and it's not pretty. No back ups have been called, and you're essentially stranded for months. Your mission is simple: Find the truth behind the disappearance of your comrade, survive the cold with your newfound allies and escape the frozen confines of the mountains before it’s too late. Fully voice acted, and Parfum Nostalgique fans should expect to hear some familiar voices! ▶️

Update 11.17.24

• Destiny's Paths. Destiny's Paths is a free yuri visual novel following three sets of lovers through an intertwined anthology of stories.🌐

• What is Your Source of Power. A free personality quiz and yuri short story anthology with four possible outcomes.🌐

• REALITY. Alex is a loner college student that works hard to live up to society's standards. One day she meets a mysterious woman, Helen, who gifts her more food and things than she knows how to handle! What does this woman want from Alex? REALITY is an ~8000 word kinetic novel about belief, magic, and the power of food. Featuring 8 original songs written by Noa S and unique illustrations by Rafael S.

• Ambition Plot. Hart Lovelace is a secretary with too much ambition. Bitter from not achieving the life he wanted, he curses every analyst, banker, and fresh-faced new hire to walk through the firm's doors. His boss is no good and neither is anyone else. No matter how hard he tries, he can't get anywhere. Evil Batlet—full name Eveline, but call him Evil—is a financial associate. Smug, satisfied, and utterly secure in himself, he lives like Hart wishes he could. Evil has a bright future, with a ladder to climb and promotions to look forward to. When Evil approaches him with a thinly veiled proposition, Hart sees his chance. To pull himself up or drag Evil down, they'll find out.

• Ambition Plot 2. Hart Lovelace's ambition knows no bounds. As a secretary in one of Toronto's finance firms, he sees rich, successful people every day. He wishes he could be one of them, but his job offers no opportunity to climb. The best chance he has is Evil Batlet. Evil is the smug, secure financial associate who happens to be three-timing in the office. Hart can't stand that they're sleeping together, and he's not even Evil's favourite either. He'd do anything to take Evil's place, if he can't get there himself. So when Hart gets fired, he makes one last shot. He'll drag himself up or take everyone down with him.

If you have a visual novel/piece of interactive fiction you think would fit well on this list, email Prince Rosalium about it here!

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