They might be considered a new form of literature as well as means to bring literature to new level, transgresing the pure textual wall. The growing popularity of this kind of gaming is based on three main factors: they are compatible with any computer, they are also quite easy to make and are really easy to play – they do not require any special skills or good eye-hand coordination.

Most of the narratives use popular culture tropes, although more ambitious and artistic projects also exist. A fair share of erotica and pornographic games also exist. The genres vary from every day school romance stories to horror and grotesque productions. However, there are also titles inspired by European literature or made by non-Japanese fans. The stories presented are based, mostly, on Japanese cultural context. The player becomes the main hero of the story and he is not exploring the world as much as in the more common computer role playing games or other similar to literature genres. The dialogues and narrative parts are always illustrated, sometimes also improved by sound effects. Visual novels re-create the experiencing of the literature in a more immersive way. They can be described as a kind of interactive fiction, which consists of image, dialogues, first person perspective and very low level of interaction with the gaming world.

The visual novels are less known but increasingly popular games, especially among aficionados of Japanese culture.

Saya no uta visual novel vs manga