Katawa Shoujo

Maybe the greatest visual novel ever made. A dating sim starring disabled highschool students made by 4chan may sound like an outlandish psyop ♥♥♥♥ post, but whatever they put it this stuff goes crazy. Every character feels real and every route has struck a chord in me in some way or another. I will write a more detailed review after the %100 In the meantime, the game is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ free just take a crack at it.

An excellent visual novel. Everything about it is wonderful, from the dialogue to the music. The characters are brilliantly crafted and memorable.

One of the most profoundly beautiful games I've ever played. I first played Katawa Shoujo when I was far too young to play it. It's the first VN I've ever played, and even now I can't bring myself to play many more- as any other VN I play simply does not live up to how purely sublime Katawa Shoujo is. It greatly affected me, giving me profound lessons about love, relationships, disability, and some things that I would never expect from a game like this. Some games make me cry one or two times; this game makes me cry twice per route, minimum. It also makes me laugh; it makes me laugh *heartily*, seriously. The writing is so fun, introspective, and emotional- it asks deep questions about the nature of disability, how we view others with disabilities, and the nature of ableism- although I'm very wary of any discussion of ableism myself, this game tackles it with a very, very deft hand. I am still on the road to 100% the game again. I did when I first played it because I simply could not put it down, but I'm getting there. This is likely a contender for one of my favorite games of all time. It is also likely one of the first experiences ever to inspire me to write myself (I've been writing fiction since I was 11); and replaying it now is helping me through some severe writers block. It also opened my eyes to the fact that I don't have to be alone, in a way. I've always been a hopeless romantic, and this game reinvigorated my drive to meet people. It depicts falling in love with someone in such an honest and blissful way, that I can't help but want it for myself. It makes me hopeful; while I don't think I'm a bad looking guy, I have given up these past few years in ever finding something meaningful. Katawa Shoujo tells me it isn't impossible, even as I'm at my lowest. I have to thank the game for that. If you have any interest in romance stories, play this. It will make you laugh, then cry inconsolably. Thank you for reading.