Katawa Shoujo

 PC
User Score
8.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 210 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 186 out of 210
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 210
  3. Negative: 12 out of 210

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  1. EvilVitalya
    Apr 25, 2023
    10
    Эта визуальная новелла просто потрясающая, давно у меня игры не вызывали таких сильных эмоций, от плохой концовки Эми мне стало плохо , но затем я получил хорошую концовку Эми и мне стало лучше
  2. DavidDoesGaming
    Jan 25, 2023
    9
    This game was my first experience in the Visual Novel genre, and considering my enjoyment with reading, i knew it could be a pleasant pastime. Thinking back at it, i get thoroughly amused by the fact this was made with such a miniscule group of individuals. With a gameplay that is far from innovative, on the contrary, it can be flawed considering other games with changing choices in theirThis game was my first experience in the Visual Novel genre, and considering my enjoyment with reading, i knew it could be a pleasant pastime. Thinking back at it, i get thoroughly amused by the fact this was made with such a miniscule group of individuals. With a gameplay that is far from innovative, on the contrary, it can be flawed considering other games with changing choices in their narrative, being quite bland on its choice driven gameplay. And although the art and music is quite amusing, it can't be called splendid. However what made me come up with such a high score was its narrative and portrayal of character interaction, despite all 5 routes being written by different individuals, the characters are consistent throughout, and i found myself enjoying and even reflecting in its themes and plot. The game is far from perfect, but it's a great example on how to make a narrative with such different stories, and be consistent with it's thrilling moments and calming ones, it's story alone can make this game shine for me.… Expand
  3. renyw
    Dec 20, 2022
    9
    great great great great great great great great great great great great great
  4. EdelWeissFoster
    Mar 7, 2022
    10
    Esta es una recomendación surgida del deseo de que más personas conozcan Katawa Shoujo ❤️‍
  5. gold
    Dec 17, 2021
    9
    Окей, сначала техническая часть. Я хочу сказать что много экспозиций много "обсасывающих" описаний, но не буду потому что здесь их нет, а если и есть то не много и ещё это нормадля жанра. Вполне хорошо всё описано. По артам видно что их рисовали разные художники и в некоторых местах (в одном) это вызывает диссонанс. Техническая часть на 8/10 так норм.
    а сейчас к рутам и тут чисто моё    Окей, сначала техническая часть. Я хочу сказать что много экспозиций много "обсасывающих" описаний, но не буду потому что здесь их нет, а если и есть то не много и ещё это нормадля жанра. Вполне хорошо всё описано. По артам видно что их рисовали разные художники и в некоторых местах (в одном) это вызывает диссонанс. Техническая часть на 8/10 так норм.
    а сейчас к рутам и тут чисто моё мнение. от худшего к лудшему:
    6. Кендзи:
    Ха-ха. Шутку понял. Смешно.
    5. Сидзунэ:
    Самый скучный персонаж. за ней нудно и скучно наблюдать. её подруга и то интереснее, и то только в конце раскрывается. драма тоже в конце. 4/10
    4. Лилли:
    Приятный персонаж. Без психической драмы что печально. 7/10
    Переходим к даматическим персонажам с проблемами. В плохих концовках этих рутов глав. герой слишком душный как по мне:
    3. Ханако:
    Стеснительная - мне нравиться, только историю не дожали, как по мне. 7/10
    2. Эми:
    Самый быстрый рут - хм, плюс. история элементарная но меня зацепила, благодаря персонажу. 9/10
    3. Рин:
    Вот это замкнутый персонаж (на первый взгляд). "Битва" с ней прописано на отлично. 10/10
    в целом 9/10 классно, но можно было лучше.    … Expand
  6. ButterDawgBenne
    Jun 11, 2021
    10
    This game was life-changing. All the character's are fully fleshed out and the story is told in a way that TRUELY makes you feel like you are the student attending that high school, and that each of the characters are more than just faceless 2-D images, but actual people with whom you develop fully-fleshed out relationships with. And the music.... UGH DON'T GET ME STARTED! Each individualThis game was life-changing. All the character's are fully fleshed out and the story is told in a way that TRUELY makes you feel like you are the student attending that high school, and that each of the characters are more than just faceless 2-D images, but actual people with whom you develop fully-fleshed out relationships with. And the music.... UGH DON'T GET ME STARTED! Each individual track tells its own unique story and just helps add to the already dramatic scenes that take place. If you have never experienced a game like this, I could not recommend Katawa Shoujo ENOUGH!… Expand
  7. TheDarkKingCh
    Mar 14, 2021
    10
    excelente visual novel, las rutas están muy buenas y bien contadas, los personajes generan que te encariñes con ellos, muy buena banda sonora y los fondos son hermosos.

    10/10 se los recomiendo
  8. Arch1998
    Feb 15, 2021
    10
    The best game about disabled. In my opinion Katawa Shoujo open eyes about love and sex of disabled person
  9. JetAlone
    Feb 1, 2021
    10
    Quite possibly the greatest visual novel ever created. Katawa Shoujo is a game that I was, admittedly, very reluctant to play at first. I heard nothing but positive things about it, so I went in with my expectations sky-high. After 100% completing the game, I can say, with zero hesitation, that it exceeded all of my expectations. The characters, the music, and especially the story, wereQuite possibly the greatest visual novel ever created. Katawa Shoujo is a game that I was, admittedly, very reluctant to play at first. I heard nothing but positive things about it, so I went in with my expectations sky-high. After 100% completing the game, I can say, with zero hesitation, that it exceeded all of my expectations. The characters, the music, and especially the story, were some of the best that I've seen in any game. Seriously. I cannot recommend this game enough, it is genuinely one of the VERY few game I can give a 10/10. Not to spoil anything, but it's a very emotionally-driven game, and there's a solid chance that you'll get choked up in at least one of the five main stories. It's a relatively short VN as well, with each route taking around 4-6 hours to fully complete. In short, if you haven't played Katawa Shoujo, and have even the slightest interest in checking it out, you absolutely should consider it, it's absolutely worth your time. I'd say that it's a very solid gateway-level visual novel as well. If you've never played a VN before, this is a great place to start.… Expand
  10. Sheriff-Bigby
    Aug 1, 2020
    10
    The only game that I want more of. truly amazing. Love it. I can't really say how good this game is. It made me realize I have feelings I didn't even knew existed. And now that I've finished it. I really want more....but it looks like it's not possible. In short : is it worth playing? Yes.
  11. VsevolodPin
    Jul 18, 2020
    10
    This game is enough to ruin your life of save that one.
    Actually I only completed 2 good endings. Only 2 endings to write this text review for the first time in my life. I dont know english as well as i would to know, but i liable to describe my feels after this game. I dont know. I Think it is stupid to be so emotional person, but i am unable to hold my thoughts and my wish to explain all    This game is enough to ruin your life of save that one.
    Actually I only completed 2 good endings. Only 2 endings to write this text review for the first time in my life. I dont know english as well as i would to know, but i liable to describe my feels after this game. I dont know. I Think it is stupid to be so emotional person, but i am unable to hold my thoughts and my wish to explain all of that. Must play.    … Expand
  12. bancandrei
    May 29, 2020
    5
    Kind of slow to start, and I felt really uncomfortable about the atmosphere. Some people may appreciate showcasing people with disabilities as normal people with normal problems/interests, but the whole point of the game is actually picking them up. But what really put me off is the art direction (especially realistic mundane backgrounds)
  13. Mutty99
    Apr 2, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is truly one unknown and underrated 18+ visual novel. Don't expect lots of NSFW content though, in the first route i've played it's a mere 4% of the content i've experienced, so that's not the point of the game. We get to play as Hisao, a boy who feels his life shattered by his heart condition: however, as the story goes on, he grows up along with the girl he/you has/have chosen to stay with, and so do his feelings alongside with the designated girl. Katawa Shoujo is a complete experience: the graphics are cured to the maximum, and the characters are pretty unique. I definitely recommend playing this game on spare time, since it has multiple routes and endings. It'll be an emotional rollercoaster, but totally worth trying!… Expand
  14. maranTana
    Jun 26, 2018
    10
    Katawa Shoujo is a wonderful -- if often sad -- visual novel that was the result of a community project. While some who didn't play it may have called it a dating sim because of the structure of the game, it is so much more than that.

    The playable protagonist is Hisao, an 18 year old boy who transfers to a school for physically disabled students after he had a heart attack and was    Katawa Shoujo is a wonderful -- if often sad -- visual novel that was the result of a community project. While some who didn't play it may have called it a dating sim because of the structure of the game, it is so much more than that.

    The playable protagonist is Hisao, an 18 year old boy who transfers to a school for physically disabled students after he had a heart attack and was diagnosed with congenital arrhythmia.
    There he meets five girls and depending on player choices slowly falls into love with one of them.

    Each route has several branching points that can lead the player to at least one bad ending, in one case a neutral ending and a good ending (that may also be sad).

    The characters, their disabilities and how they handle them and their backstories are credible and detailed. Their personalities are well defined and multidimensional. The progression of interpersonal relations is realistic and believable, as are the steps leading to the various endings.

    In one route, unluckily the one I had reserved to play as the last route, the good ending is also very ambivalent and I'm not sure how to feel about it. I decided that for me it was sad.

    The writing is excellent, the background images and character sprites are beautiful and detailed with many expressions. The sound track has high musical quality.

    Before I forget: There are two H-scenes for three of the girls, one for one girl and three for one girl.
    Players who don't want to see them (but why would you do that) can disable them in the options menu.

    A complete playthrough will take you around 35 hours, but it's worth every single minute.
    I put this vn among the top 5 I've played so far.    … Expand
  15. aditya1101
    Jan 6, 2018
    9
    By far the best visual novel I've ever played. Few other games do such a good job of dealing with (and directly confronting) disability. I've played through 100% of this game, and I sincerely felt that the music, characters, and story were all 10/10.
  16. Moge4579
    Nov 3, 2017
    10
    La segunda mejor novela visual que e jugado!
    es tan genial y lo mejor de todo es que es gratis!!!!
    la verdad lo recomiendo un monton!! un saludo!!!!!!
  17. Wolfkovich
    Mar 31, 2016
    6
    Не знаю почему эту игру так нахваливают, да довольно приятная, атмосферная игрушка (местами нудная и скучноватая), не говорю что плохая, но точно не 10/10 и не лучшая визуальная новелла
  18. BoneCub
    Sep 21, 2015
    10
    Katawa Shoujo was quite a strange experience, this was my first Visual Novel, I wasn't expecting anything from it other than H scenes and I was actually a bit scared of what I was going to find in this game. Visual Novels don't have a very "good" image on the internet, normally seen as weeaboo material for people who don't enjoy regular adult content and want more "character development"Katawa Shoujo was quite a strange experience, this was my first Visual Novel, I wasn't expecting anything from it other than H scenes and I was actually a bit scared of what I was going to find in this game. Visual Novels don't have a very "good" image on the internet, normally seen as weeaboo material for people who don't enjoy regular adult content and want more "character development" to your usual erotic.
    Of course, I downloaded this game in secret. It is quite strange to say that this is the best game I have ever played.
    It has poor gameplay, even for VS standards. Few choices and almost no actual "entertainment", this is basically a book.
    What makes it great is the "human" aspect of the game. It is something that is very hard to find in games, the feeling that this is man-made. You can feel the warmth of the game, the sole humanity of the characters and the story, even the flaws make it feel human. This is the most warm, honest and human experience I have ever felt in any game, book or movie. I can't believe this was made by people with almost no experience making Visual novels. I have no words to express the effect this game had on me, it changed me as a person and marked my teenage years, this will always have a place in my heart.    … Expand
  19. Audisek
    Dec 14, 2014
    10
    Ignore the critics' ratings, they were based on a Beta 6-12 months before it's release. I was never into this kind of games and never played anything similar before. Honestly, I downloaded the game only because I was promised hentai scenes, and since the first minute of game-play I got hooked into the story, hit with feels and fell in love with this masterpiece.
  20. blaicefreeze
    Dec 4, 2014
    10
    Beautiful. That is enough said. There are some inappropriate images for kids, but very few. This is not perverse, it only shows a loving accepting portrayal of the character you choose to be. I am a man that many would be shocked to see cry, yet i bawled like a baby several times during this exploratory game/novel. The connection and just captivating story made this one of the mostBeautiful. That is enough said. There are some inappropriate images for kids, but very few. This is not perverse, it only shows a loving accepting portrayal of the character you choose to be. I am a man that many would be shocked to see cry, yet i bawled like a baby several times during this exploratory game/novel. The connection and just captivating story made this one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life, and yes, I'm saying these 2 years later.… Expand
  21. Lacuentadejoako
    Oct 20, 2014
    8
    This game is very good and inspiring ,I usually dont like japanese games or graphic novels,I dont watch anime or read manga,but this game catched my attention. The story is inmersive,you care about every character and you can play it for hours. Its a date sim,a beatiful love story. This game has 5 girls to date and many different endings for each one based on your choices, the only reasonThis game is very good and inspiring ,I usually dont like japanese games or graphic novels,I dont watch anime or read manga,but this game catched my attention. The story is inmersive,you care about every character and you can play it for hours. Its a date sim,a beatiful love story. This game has 5 girls to date and many different endings for each one based on your choices, the only reason I scored it 8/10 and not 10/10 its because Shi Zune path is very poorly written,its the worst path you can take,if you end up going to Shi Zune house in your first playthrough restart the game and go with someone else,as you may end up dissapointed with the game.The other paths are genius while Shi Zune looks a bad soap opera (androginous gay boy for brother,46 year old father who looks like the hulk,yells all the time,insults everyone for no reason and carries a sword like if that was normal for a japanese person,etc.)… Expand
  22. Gamer147
    Aug 16, 2014
    10
    I thought I needed to finish a game before deciding on a rating, especially one that hints and dabbles at being called perfection. But, alas, I think I wronged my own self by making such a statement. Katawa Shoujo is brilliance, and even after less than four hours of playtime I have to urge anybody who enjoys a character based story (emphasis on the word story, as it is more of a visualI thought I needed to finish a game before deciding on a rating, especially one that hints and dabbles at being called perfection. But, alas, I think I wronged my own self by making such a statement. Katawa Shoujo is brilliance, and even after less than four hours of playtime I have to urge anybody who enjoys a character based story (emphasis on the word story, as it is more of a visual novel than a game. Though it is indeed interactive at some parts of it) to give it a go. It made the small amount of hours I had left in my house (before I have to depart to other, less enjoyable tasks) very enjoyable and filled with emotionally-draught pleasure… Expand
  23. rizkisrq
    Jul 29, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm not a huge fan of Visual Novels due the fact that in many VN, the plot and tropes that related to it was 'overused', the story were done poorly and only focused on the H-scene or Playboy-Mode. And VN is not a popular genre for mainstream audience because 'I don't read games'. But as a person who enjoys reading AND Video games, Katawa Shoujo came out differently.

    Sure, when I first heard it I was kinda disgust with the idea and the origins of the development, but I give benefit of doubt to see if this game is actually good, AND IT IS.

    The characters are relate-able and has a good foundation, the story (excluding **** storyline) for a 'Bunch of Amateur' was decent, the endings can make you cry, the soundtrack was amazing (although, short. Average track only last for 1 - 2 minutes and the longest one is only 4 minutes, comparing it to other video games like Halo or FEZ it is short), and the whole moral behind the story (if you understand) is a huge slap in your face.

    Emi lost her leg but she's "The Fastest Thing with No Legs", Rin doesn't even have hands but could produce beautiful paintings, **** is mute and deaf but she can be a leader, Lily is blind but she's an independent woman, and what many of us (players) who have a complete body with no defects or whatever doing ?

    In the end, this is not just a game for those nerdy-pervs with weird fetish like everybody thinks, but it's a game that has a good moral story, and it's free.    … Expand
  24. SoraRoxasXion13
    Jun 29, 2014
    10
    Even though this Visual Novel has a first impression as an H-Game, once you start to play it, it will touch your feelings. No matter which route you take, the story and the mood of it will touch you. Plus, you can't help but to get attached to the characters once you get to know them (I know they are not real to all of you that say "they are not real, it is just a game".) like with myEven though this Visual Novel has a first impression as an H-Game, once you start to play it, it will touch your feelings. No matter which route you take, the story and the mood of it will touch you. Plus, you can't help but to get attached to the characters once you get to know them (I know they are not real to all of you that say "they are not real, it is just a game".) like with my route with Emi since she was my first route that I had experienced.

    If you did work on this, I would like to say thank you to you all that made this game that touched my feelings and my heart.    … Expand
  25. Sporks
    Apr 15, 2014
    10
    I don't really play these sorts of games, but my friend asked me to try it and I did. This game is one of my favorite PC games of all time now. After I finished the fairly lengthy game (around 10 hours, maybe) I really started to think to myself and started to change some things in my life that I do. Really amazing game overall and I recommend anyone who is interested to play immediately.
  26. Jazza017
    Jul 9, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Never before have I been so moved by a game, or book, or anything really.
    Firstly, I've never written a review, or played a game even remotely like this, this is more my personal opinion.
    Katawa Shoujo was introduced to me by a couple friends, mostly because they wouldn't stop talking about it, but now I'm the one not shutting up. After a week or so of them talking about it and me blanking out, I decided "What the heck, I'll have a look", and that was the first of many sleepless nights. I stayed up for nights, captivated by the thoughtfully created characters and storyline, the incredible artwork and music (that I'm currently listening to), and literally everything in between.
    I'm going to split all of this up so it nice and clean, different categories and all that.

    Music:
    I love every track in this game, even the quirky, weird ones associated with Kenji. They have left me feeling many emotions, my favourite one being 'Wisona', which leaves me in a strange mood, one that I can't describe, as much as I try.
    There are song that make you feel happy, sad, on edge, and as mentioned, in indescribable moods.

    Artwork:
    When I first started the game, a name flashed past my eyes during the opening credits, a name I recognized, could it be? And indeed it was, I was thoroughly surprised and thriller to discover that an artist I follow on DeviantART, MikeInel, did the animated sequences for Katawa, this propelled me even more to read it because he animated my favourite animation ever, and he didn't disappoint.
    The same goes for the rest of the artists, the interesting use of backgrounds, the absolutely beautiful fullscreen drawings, especially the ones at the end of each storyline that I could only dream to recreate.
    The only downside to the artwork (and possibly the entire game) is I personally thought there were too little variations of expressions during dialogue, but the times it felt like that were only in the less important moments.
    Overall, the artwork was done incredibly well, nice and neat, but at the same time a bit sketched, which I think worked great.

    Characters:
    If only triple A game developers put this much effort into their characters, their stories, emotions, feelings and thoughts. In every story I found a way I could relate to the character, My friends and I have agreed that I am a male version of Rin, we are both absentminded artists, who think about the world in different ways than most people, I found myself about to predict what she was thinking in a way, despite most people finding her the most confusing and least relatable.
    Each girl's story made me feel something different, from Emi I found a sense of motivation, which I have been lacking lately, From Lilly, I learnt to look at things from different perspectives (how ironic...), from Rin... well I'm not sure, but that's Rin for you isn't it? From Hanako, I felt a lot, I was really satisfied with the ending, but throughout the story I felt incredibly strongly towards everything that happened, and I don't know how to describe it any better than that, apart from it left me with a strange empty feeling in my chest, but it wasn't good or bad.
    Now some may have noticed I haven't mentioned yet, and though I enjoyed the story most of the time, I along with many others, felt it was the weakest story unfortunately, yet I could still relate to her, mostly through her hearing, though my hearing loss is only partial, anyway, back to the review-y bit.
    So even though I enjoyed the story, the thing that brought it down was the ending, the way I interpreted it was pretty much "See you in 10 years or whatever", which does ruin something you've spent hours playing. None the less, I'm a forgiving person, and everyone makes mistakes, it's only human.

    The story itself:
    Now I'm your typical teenager, troubled by thing I need not trouble about, yet I do anyway.. yep I'm dumb, or more was dumb.
    The stories in Katawa were ones I could relate to (I'm using that a lot) in nearly every way, I've actually overcome personal problems from relating myself to Hisao and his problems. On top of that, seeing the characters, though they may not be real (though I wish they were), seeing them overcome their disabilities made me realise that my problems aren't worth worrying about, there are people out there in the real world who have similar problems as the characters, yet they don't sit around moping.

    Anyway, enough rambling about personal experiences, sorry about that. Overall this is my personal favourite story ever, books, games TV shows, movies, whatever, this is the best in my opinion. I went in not expecting much, as my friend mention it was a dating simulator, but I never really realised that. Also the mature sections, I never really though of them as arousing or anything, I'm a teenage boy mind you. I will admit, that at many points I did end up crying, and I'm not the only one.

    If you haven't played it, go get it, it's free, and go into it with an open mind.    … Expand
  27. Wire
    Jun 3, 2013
    10
    Interesting VN, not usually my kind of thing but it seemed tastefully done compared to others of the genre. Also if you haven't played this because of the H content, you can disable it.
  28. Dynasma
    Apr 11, 2013
    7
    A well made Visual Novel, does a fine work with the dating part and the evolution in the girls relationships with the protagonist. However Rin and Emi I just couldn't bring myself to romance. I know the game is based on the core of love someone however he looks like but these two look more like kids to me. The story of Lilly and Hanako on the other side were great and I'll sure not forgetA well made Visual Novel, does a fine work with the dating part and the evolution in the girls relationships with the protagonist. However Rin and Emi I just couldn't bring myself to romance. I know the game is based on the core of love someone however he looks like but these two look more like kids to me. The story of Lilly and Hanako on the other side were great and I'll sure not forget them. Amazing soundtrack especially the track "Afternoon" has a special feel to it and always makes me miss the game. Visuals are good, and story progression is fine. If I would rate this VN comparing it to other dating ones it would be a 9/10, but as far as the general quality of Visual Novels goes, it's a great one but surpassed by a lot others.… Expand
  29. sharksfan98
    Mar 17, 2013
    10
    This game was constructed beautifully. The plot was bittersweet, alongside a beautiful soundtrack. I nearly cried that the end, with such a great built-up plot that softly touched the lives of disabled lovers, and not being a flood of fan service. Thank you for 5 hours of pure entertainment!
  30. drakenseng
    Feb 10, 2013
    9
    story- the overall game is about YOU. As a teenage boy in highschool that suffers a fatal heart situation. You get transfered to a school for disabled students. gameplay- the game is played in a Visual novel style. using picture slides. and you choosing responses to dialogue between you and whoever. Your life is basically up to you to decide, how you want to spend during your time at thestory- the overall game is about YOU. As a teenage boy in highschool that suffers a fatal heart situation. You get transfered to a school for disabled students. gameplay- the game is played in a Visual novel style. using picture slides. and you choosing responses to dialogue between you and whoever. Your life is basically up to you to decide, how you want to spend during your time at the school.

    video the graphics are great for any visual novel styled game. warning: contains nudity. but there is an option to block them if you have problems with that.

    audio- the music in the game really sets the mood and matches perfectly with all the dialogue and cutscenes.

    overall- the game is the first visual novel styled game i have played and it is one of the better games in general. mostly because the game reacts to all the choices you make. like an rpg almost without the fighting. i wonder if they can incorporate some type of 'QTE' quick time action events in these types of games. it would add some nice quick thinking and responses.    … Expand
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Critic Reviews

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No score yet - based on 2 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. The A.V. Club
    Mar 4, 2012
    75
    The writing isn't lyrical, but it's warm and honest enough to be carried by the character art, photographed settings, and music that surround it.
    Read full review
  2. Gameblog.fr
    Jan 6, 2012
    60
    Katawa Shoujo is more of an interactive ebook than a full fledged dating sim, but by using a faire, smart, and humourous tone in dealing with its disabled characters, it takes by surprise all those who could have tagged Four Leaf Studio as a band of pervs.
    Read full review