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Thoughts on VNDB Preservation Thoughts on VNDB Preservation
Discussion

As most of you know, the near-sole creator and maintainer of VNDB, Yorhel, has passed away. Yorhel has done more than any of us for bringing awareness of and information on VNs to the West, and we have suffered a massive loss for the VN community.

As much as the community needs time to grieve, it is also a matter of urgency that we have a concrete plan for how to keep the site running. Everything Yorhel had put on the internet related to VNDB, including the site itself, the git repo with code, database dumps, etc all seem to have been self-hosted. We should act under the assumption that these resources will go down in the near future unless Yorhel has left behind very specific instructions about how to keep the site going (including passwords for hosting services and such).

As far as I know, VNDB mods have not announced that they have the ability to keep the site running themselves yet, and until we have a clear understanding of the situation, we should assume that they do not have this ability.

Code and database backups

The code for the site itself is at https://code.blicky.net/yorhel/vndb.git and can be put on your own computer with a git client simply using git clone https://code.blicky.net/yorhel/vndb.git.

Database dumps are here: https://vndb.org/d14.

As the site could possibly go down at any time, I recommend anyone and everyone with the technical capability to do so to download these sources, and if possible, even get a local copy running on your computer. The site is dockerized and detailed instructions for running it are on the README at https://code.blicky.net/yorhel/vndb.git, so this should be doable for most people with a CS background.

Hosting

Normally, re-hosting a website that you have running locally is not too difficult. I believe that VNDB will be more difficult than usual.

As you may know, VNDB has representative images of every VN out there, and Japanese laws regarding images of underage-looking people are most likely more lax than those in your country of residence or citizenship. In other words, there are real legal barriers with regards to re-hosting the site.

In the event that one of us will have to re-host VNDB, whoever re-hosts the site must be absolutely certain that it is legal for them to do so, and take extra care in this sense.

I myself have the technical capability to re-host VNDB, but cannot due to my citizenship and potential legal issues that it would cause (unless I nuked many images from the site and/or banned many VNs from the site, which sort of defeats the purpose).

From my understanding, Yorhel had Dutch citizenship, and I have confirmed that the site was also hosted in the Netherlands. Anyone with Japanese citizenship would also probably be ok to host the site. I am not sure about the laws of other countries.

Community Effort

I would recommend anyone with the ability and time to do so to:

  1. Comment in this thread regarding whether you were able to get the site running locally or not

  2. Comment about whether it would be legally feasible for you to re-host the site if necessary

Furthering development on VNDB is also an issue, but not as pressing an issue as making sure it survives in the first place, so I believe those discussions should be saved for later.

Thank you for creating VNDB Yorhel, and rest in peace.


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They weren't kidding when it said this is not a story of Heroes!! They weren't kidding when it said this is not a story of Heroes!!
Review

Just finished Muramasa and yeah… this goes straight to my #1. I’ve played a good number of chunige like Dies Irae, Tokyo Babel, Comyu, 11eyes, Hello Lady and F/S, but this one easily takes the throne for me. What really surprised me is how consistently engaging it is. There’s barely a moment where it feels like the narrative is dragging or overstaying its welcome. Even when it gets heavy, it never felt like a chore to read. Also gotta appreciate that the side routes are actually good. In a lot of VNs they feel incomplete or like an afterthought, but here they’re genuinely worth reading and don’t feel like filler. And honestly, one of the best things for me was that the MC actually has a face and voice. It makes a huge difference. You feel way more connected to Kageaki and his internal conflict compared to the usual silent/self-insert protagonists. VA-wise, I still think Dies Irae is the peak among kamige, but Muramasa is definitely up there. The OST is solid too, and Rakuyou / Fallen Leaves in the true route hit really hard with the ending. Only slightly hot take maybe, but I actually liked Kanae’s route more than Ichijou’s. Kanae’s felt more complete overall, while Kageaki accepting the law of balance in Ichijou’s route felt a bit off to me. Still a great ending though. Also really liked that the endings don’t just magically become happy. They feel like natural conclusions to everything that happens in each route, which fits the story way better. Overall yeah, this one just hit different. Easily my top VN so far.





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should i buy muv luv alternative, little busters or clannad? should i buy muv luv alternative, little busters or clannad?
Question

so i know its a wierd combination of games but im genuinly SO stuck on what to buy T_T i can only afford to get one out of the 3 and im so so stuck !! i wanna get muv luv cause i already own the first game but i havent started it yet so im not sure whether i even like it... and i want to get little busters becasue ive wanted to play it for AGES but i played kanon and now am playing air so like maybe i should just play the key games in release order and go clannad next? i really need help!! im a fan of mecha animes so i think i will love muv luv but im worried that muv luv will be similar to fsn with alot of fighting ( i hate how much fighting is in fsn ) which is why i dont know about muv luv alternative. ive wanted to buy little busters for SO long now but clannad is so tempting aswell especially how im playing the key games in release order so far T_T pls help..



How do I get a visual novel game DVD to play on my PC? How do I get a visual novel game DVD to play on my PC?
Question

I'm thinking of buying some physical copies of visual novels to add to my collection, but instead of just storing them, I'd like to at least test them to see if everything is working properly. But what do I need to buy to run this kind of thing? Can a regular DVD player play this kind of thing? Or do I need to buy a specific visual novel video game console that can run these things?


Need help with finding a visual novel by the cover Need help with finding a visual novel by the cover
Question

SOLVED! It's Waka-sama, by Minatosoft. Everyone who gave it a thought, thank you for your time!

Hi. I'm looking for a visual novel with two brunette girls sitting back to back with the sunset in the background. It always reminded me of Dusk Maiden of Amnesia, but I'm not 100% sure of the genre.

It's not that old (99% certain it was released post 2010) but it's not recent either, I'd say released before 2025 for sure.

May have been featured on a blog, but I can't find it either.

I am looking through google and vndb on my end, but if it rings any bell, feel free to share your thoughts.

Thank you very much!



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Looking for visual novels about bonding with demons Looking for visual novels about bonding with demons
VN Request

I mean, to further clarify, I was just looking for a fun romantic simulator because I remember how School Days was fairly grounded.

Like what I am getting at is that a long time ago, I used to switch between School Days and Doom 1993, which I know is obviously a completely different game, but it’s just that I suddenly became interested in reading a visual novel about the concept of talking to demons.

Systems I am looking to read such a novel on are 3DS, PC, and PlayStation consoles because I just want a fun visual novel about a story that slowly turns into a demon harem about letting the player choose their mate.




Weekly Questions and Recommendations Megathread - Need some help? - Mar 14 Weekly Questions and Recommendations Megathread - Need some help? - Mar 14
Weekly

Welcome to the /r/visualnovels Weekly Questions and Recommendations Megathread!

Any and all questions/recommendations related to visual novels are permitted in this thread. This includes recommendation questions, technical questions, as well as meta questions about the subreddit. No matter if your question is small, big, or seemingly impossible to solve. Anything.

But please don't forget that our rules still apply. Summarized, that means no unmarked spoilers, no piracy in any shape or form, give warnings for 18+ stuff, and be nice!

Useful links to check out before asking questions or for recommendations

General:

From our wiki:

More awesome and useful links can be found here.


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Looking for technical VN translation communities / Discord servers Looking for technical VN translation communities / Discord servers
Question

Hi everyone, I’ve been a long-time fan of visual novels—specifically those from the early 2000s "moe" era—and lately, I’ve been diving deeper into the technical side of the medium. I have experience working with the Kirikiri engine, specifically handling .xp3 and .arc archives. I also use Photoshop for UI restoration and translating interface elements, as I’m quite meticulous about maintaining the original aesthetic during the translation process. Additionally, I am currently studying Japanese to better bridge the gap between the technical and linguistic aspects of these projects. I’m looking for active communities, forums, or Discord servers focused on VN hacking, tool development, or ongoing translation projects. I’m not looking for a job; I’m simply looking for a space to connect with like-minded people, share knowledge, and perhaps contribute to the technical side of things in a dedicated environment. Does anyone know of any specialized hubs or technical groups that are open to new members? Thanks in advance!







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Weekly Questions and Recommendations Megathread - Need some help? - Mar 21

Welcome to the /r/visualnovels Weekly Questions and Recommendations Megathread!

Any and all questions/recommendations related to visual novels are permitted in this thread. This includes recommendation questions, technical questions, as well as meta questions about the subreddit. No matter if your question is small, big, or seemingly impossible to solve. Anything.

But please don't forget that our rules still apply. Summarized, that means no unmarked spoilers, no piracy in any shape or form, give warnings for 18+ stuff, and be nice!

Useful links to check out before asking questions or for recommendations

General:

From our wiki:

More awesome and useful links can be found here.








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VNs with Sad/Melancholic Rainy Scenes VNs with Sad/Melancholic Rainy Scenes
VN Request

I’m looking for recommendations of VNs with rainy scenes that are sad or melancholic. If it’s a sad scene I’d prefer if it’s because of either some romance drama, or some internal struggle with the protagonist. Rain in general doesn’t have to be a big part of the VN, but the scene or scenes can be important to the story or not. For reference, there are things like that in KiraKira, Edelweiss, Chaos;Head, Soukou Akki Muramasa, Demonbane, Hello World, Fate/Stay Night, Harukoi Otome, Salem no Majo-tachi, Mahoutsukai no Yoru, and I think Hentai Prison but I don’t remember clearly, it’s been a long time. I’m sure there are more I’m not thinking of right now. Think back on your favorite VNs! Was there a scene with rain in it? Even if it didn’t leave an impression on you personally, was it sad or melancholic at all?

And if you have nothing rainy, I’d also be interested in any VNs with beach parts or vacation parts that move the romance forward significantly, such as KiraKira where the heroine confesses at the beach. If you have any recommendations that don’t exactly fit, but you think I’d like still based on this post, definitely mention them, but please specify that they aren’t exactly what I’m looking for. Thanks in advance! And feel free to recommend as many series as you want!

Also I’ve read every KEY series, though even when I mention that people always say “but have you read this one?” So please, none of that this time. All means all.


Anyone played Tsuki ni yorisou otome no sahou? Just feel like having some discussion on your opinions. It only has jp and cn so it's faily niche but I love it Anyone played Tsuki ni yorisou otome no sahou? Just feel like having some discussion on your opinions. It only has jp and cn so it's faily niche but I love it
Discussion

I acutally don't have much to say about 1 other than Luna is awesome and I even have a nendo of her that I overpaid and still don't regret (the asahi plushe really elevates the figure)

I'm more curious about opinions on 2, mc is honestly kind of tragic, overshadowed by his parents, and only the main girl Est is the true "happy end" because he is untalented compared to Luna and Yuusei in their respective fields. Ion only praises and dots on him bc of of his guilt to Yuusei. Also the incest route truly feels like a bad end, and probably among the worst feeling bad ends




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What VNs were the most financially successful and how did they achieve that? What VNs were the most financially successful and how did they achieve that?
Question

I guess one of the most important things is being lucky but otherwise when I think of really financially successful VNs, I think of

  • the ones that made it big in China like Yuzusoft

  • streamer bait like DDLC and Slay the Princess

  • the ones that hit it really big and brought in a large amount of fans from another piece of media like Nasuverse and their Gacha or Steins;Gate and its anime.