22 Cozy Visual Novels on Nintendo Switch

Here are the very best visual novels on Switch that will stir your heart and soul, and leave you yearning for more.

You don’t need to be a gamer to enjoy the visual novel genre.

Visual novels are interactive stories that combine elements of literature, graphic novels, and video games. They typically feature a strong emphasis on narrative, character development, and player choice, and present stories through text-based dialogue. 

While gameplay mechanics in visual novels are generally minimal compared to other game genres, the focus lies on immersing players in rich narratives, emotional journeys, and engaging dialogue, offering an experience that closely resembles reading a book or watching an interactive movie.

Embrace worlds filled with gut-wrenching stories of love, grief, and inner contemplation, soothing soundtracks, gorgeous artwork, and heartfelt storytelling.

So it’s time to get your nose out of those books and take a look at the best visual novels on Switch.

22 Cozy Visual Novels on Nintendo Switch

Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator

‘Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator’ is by the Game Grumps.

Play as a single Dad and meet other cute Dads. 

You and your daughter have just moved into the sleepy seaside town of Maple Bay only to discover that everyone in your neighborhood is a single, dateable Dad!

With minigames, sidequests, and a variety of paths and endings, Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator is probably the best cozy Dad-based visual novel.

Ghostpia Season One

Ghostpia is a kinetic, visual novel with colorful visuals that look like a picture book. 

Adorned with glitches and noise, ghostpia is inspired by a deep sense of longing and nostalgia. Follow Sayoko’s captivating story as she searches for answers in this isolated town, surrounded by a vast desert of snow and unable to fit in with the ghostly atmosphere.

Experience a beautiful melancholic soundtrack and unique sound effects.

The Wreck

Inspired by real-life events, The Wreck intimately portrays a pivotal day in the life of failed screenwriter Junon.

Alter the past, present and future to help Junon find peace with herself as she’s called to the ER to find her estranged mother in a critical condition.

The Wreck covers mature themes and is a 3D visual novel about sisterhood, motherhood, grief and survival.

Hindsight

Not many puzzle games can boost a gut-wrenching slice-of-life story, but Hindsight does it so well.

Hindsight is an emotional story that delves into the life of a woman, covering her experiences from birth to the present day as she tries to better understand her late mother.

The game takes you on a journey through her childhood home, reliving memories frozen in time. This story captures the many aspects of grief so well. Hindsight is a fantastic game and one of the best visual novel games I’ve played in a long time.

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South of the Circle

South of the Circle is a love story between colleagues Peter and Clara, set against the backdrop of the Cold War.

The main story takes place in the Antarctic and UK during the 60s. A narrative adventure game about memory, survival, and the consequences of not dealing with the past.

This is a minimalistic game you can finish in 3-4 hours but the story will linger with you much longer.

Kaichu: The Kaiju Dating Sim

Kaichu is a dating sim about kaiju!

You play the role of Gigachu, a gigantic romantic looking for love.

Meet 6 other unique characters and visit 24 famous landmarks where Gigachu will answer challenging compatibility questions to decide the fate of your relationship.

I Was a Teenage Exocolonist

I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is a high school simulation game about growing up on an alien planet.

Growing up in humanity’s first extrasolar space colony means navigating a new world full of wonder, danger, and beauty. Explore the wilderness, study, fall in love, discover strange creatures, and deal with the consequences of your actions.

Your choices will directly affect the lives of your friends and the fate of the colony.

A Sketchbook About Her Sun

A Sketchbook About Her Sun is a narrative-driven game based on the album Planet X from Red Ribbon.

Lose yourself into Lucia’s mindscape, divided between her thoughts, drawings and the music she’s listening to through her journey to re-discover her own self.

A Sketchbook About Her Sun offers you a unique art style and a pendulum of emotions.

Inua – a Story in Ice and Time

Inua is a mystical narrative adventure spanning several time periods in the Canadian far North.

Follow the story of Taïna, Peter and Simon, three characters separated by more than a century but whose destinies are mysteriously intertwined with Nanurluk, the great polar bear.

A supernatural tale based on incredible historical facts.

Reminiscence in the Night

Reminiscence in the Night is a visual novel that tells the story of a character who wakes up one day with no memories.

The story is told through interactions with the world, which see you gather your memories as you progress through a few days and explore more of your apartment.

My Aunt is a Witch

My Aunt is a Witch is a Visual Novel full of adventures and quests in the world of magic.

The protagonist, a boy named Thomas, has a difficult life. It gets even worse when his father marries a woman who simply can’t stand her stepson.

His whole life changes with a sudden trip to his aunt, whom he visited once many years ago. Now he is definitely distracted from all sad thoughts, because his aunt Alice is a real witch who has a talking cat and a bunch of magical things, and her house is not exactly the right place for little boys.

If Found…

If Found… is a game about going home, coming out and erasing everything.

An interactive novel about finding connections.

If Found is the wistful story of Kasio, as told through her journal, set in 90’s Ireland. Kasio is a trans woman who’s trying to understand where she is going by erasing where she has been.

Best Friend Forever

Best Friend Forever is the world’s first simulation game to combine pet care and dating.

Train, pat, and play with your very own dog to form a bond that will last the ages.

With your four-legged companion by your side, meet, woo and cherish the many cuties of Rainbow Bay’s thriving singles scene.

To The Moon

To the Moon is an indie adventure game that offers a poignant and story-heavy playthrough.

In the game, players take on the role of two doctors who are able to fulfill the dying wish of a man to go to the moon.

Travel through memories, unlocking new ones by solving puzzles, to change his past and create a new timeline that leads to him achieving his dream. To The Moon is one of the best games you’ll play this year!

Coffee Talk

Coffee Talk is a narrative-driven game that won the hearts of cozy gamers.

Based on a fantasy world version of Seattle, alternative human beings, werewolves, and vampires live side by side. You play as the barista and owner of Coffee Talk. The only late-night coffee shop in the city.

As Seattle sleeps you brew a warm drink or two for the local night shift workers, secret lovers, and nocturnal regulars.

Raptor Boyfriend: A High School Romance

Raptor Boyfriend: A High School Romance is a fantasy coming-of-age dating sim.

Set in the mid 90’s you play as socially anxious Stella, the new kid at school, who’s looking to just fit in, make new friendships, and find the love of her life.

Guide her decisions and interactions across a graphic hand-drawn adventure filled with drama and comical situations. 

Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers

Arcade Spirits is a romantic visual novel that follows an alternate timeline set in the year 20XX where the 1983 video game crash never occurred.

After a period of turbulent employment, your character starts an exciting new job at the Funplex: a popular local arcade with a team of staff that are as eccentric as the customers.

A Memoir Blue

A Memoir Blue is an interactive fiction about the bond between mother and daughter.

A sweet tale that will make you think about your own relationships and all for less than a price of a cup of coffee. Can be completed in under 2 hours.

Night in the Woods

Night in the Woods is a narrative-driven adventure game that explores themes of identity, mental health, and friendship.

You follow the journey of a college dropout named Mae, who returns to her hometown of Possum Springs and discovers that something strange is happening in the woods.

Pop. Love. Panic! The OFK Story

Pop. Love. Panic! The OFK Story is an interactive tv series.

Argue over lyrics, send sad texts, and play Interactive Music Videos! (also known as “We Are OFK”). Start a band in this fully-voiced acted musical TV show. 

What Comes After

What Comes After is a side-scrolling adventure.

A short heartwarming story about learning how to love yourself. Experience a heartwarming story and love letter to anyone who thinks they are a burden to other people. 

ValiDate: Struggling Singles in your Area

ValiDate is a visual novel about thirteen struggling singles.

Help them navigate through soul-sucking 9-to-5s, quarter-life crises, and the harsh truths millennials learn as soon as they hit their 20s.

With realistic queer representation and different characters that you won’t see in other games, ValiDate leans into the reality of dating in this encouraging original game.