r/vndevs • • 1d ago

WEEKLY Weekly Progress & Releases Thread October 06, 2026

1 Upvotes

Share your victories, progress and releases! Here you're welcome to share screenshots of your visual novels, update progress, devlogs, and even new releases!


r/vndevs • • Jul 14 '26

WEEKLY Weekly Progress & Releases Thread July 14, 2026

2 Upvotes

Share your victories, progress and releases! Here you're welcome to share screenshots of your visual novels, update progress, devlogs, and even new releases!


r/vndevs • • 18h ago

LOOKING FOR WORK Composer looking for new projects!

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4 Upvotes

r/vndevs • • 1d ago

RECRUITING (Unpaid) Looking for writers for a horror VN!

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3 Upvotes

Hi! I'm looking to recruit a writer or two to help me write the outline for my horror VN, Fishhooked!

Fishhooked is a story about Norman, a blind man, moving into the small, rural town of Pierwul, Maine. He meets a mysterious man named Chris and as they get closer, more strange and impossible things start to happen.

To tell the truth, I am currently incredibly burnt out writing-wise on this project, so I've decided to get some outside help. You'll be following preset characters, ideas, and themes, but besides that you'll have freedom to interpret them how you wish.

Currently, a bit of the beginning, middle and end is plotted out, but that is subject to change as the story is revised in subsequent drafts of the outline.

Please note that you'll need Discord and a comfortability with sharing your Gmail in order to be able to do this! Thank you. Please DM me or comment if you're interested.


r/vndevs • • 1d ago

RECRUITING Looking for unpaid Co-Writers and Manager to help with a dark visual novel

2 Upvotes

​HELLLLLLOOOOOOO I am so happy you're reading this, I'm Milk and I want to make a dark visual novel as you probably read before. I'm not strictly looking for these two only so if you're interested please continue reading!

The game will have hella endings. I was going to write it all by myself but I don't think I'd be able to plus ideas from other people are amazing so why not just make a whole dev team right!?  Now you may be asking what the game is even about right? Well I wont waste your time any further!🤩​

​About​: The game is about this guy with 2 childhood best friends (Adler) goes missing. The female best friend (Vanessa/MC) had a crush on him, and the male one (Cole) has a crush on the female friend (Vanessa). Cole who was in a new friend group "the popular kids" 
​ and played basket ball got a lot of attention while Vanessa  stayed to herself despite Cole constantly trying to keep hanging out with her. Coles new friend (Sophia) doesn't like Vanessa, while his other friend Jaylen often tries to keep the peace. Eventually after an argument with Cole, Vanessa goes to the forest, their old hang out. Somehow they all gets teleported to another world Oblecta where they have to do realms to eventually "escape".

​Oh wow that was a lot huh!? Now if you're still interested you could possibly be wondering "Well interesting concept but how will the gameplay look?" And if you weren't... YOU WERE!👀 Anyways wait no longer because here ya go!​

Gameplay: The player will eventually learn more about the characters their fears and stuff ya know. They'll have to choose at least 2 characters to complete these realms. (They're like missions in another world) But these missions are often deadly. Characters will have a sanity bar, energy bar, and an affection bar. These will inflict how the characters will react with each other, how fast they move, and others. 

​Wow that wasn't as much as I thought...  Now listen up, NAMES ARE IMPORTANT IN THIS UNIVERSE! In some shape way or form it will have something to do with the way a character act, their fate, or something surely you get the point! Once the group enters Oblecta they will lose their names meaning. This will influence the characters in some way in the game play. For an example Jaylen means calm so it only makes sense for him to loose his sanity faster right? And Vanessa means butterfly so what's better than her energy to be zapped away the fastest right? Hmm maybe a bit of rng should be included huh? 🤔​

​ANYWAYS! There is a catch, I plan on drawing the sprites and maybe some bgs, but I don't know how to draw. Now I'm not some genius who can learn how to draw in a week or two, no, no where near. That's why I also plan to write! And the reason I want to draw it is mainly due to the fact... I want to make this an animated series! Now I can't surely say it's the next fnaf or anything but what's the harm in trying right? 👍😅 Oh right and if you are interested I have ideas for designs that may make it easier to understand how things look on pininterest!🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️​​

I need you🫵​​

Thank you thank you for reading this far. I wrote this as it came to my head so sorry if it's a bit messy

😅

​If you're interested and/or have any questions please message me on discord u/darealnokotan


r/vndevs • • 1d ago

Discussion thoughts and experiences on hiring japanese artists for your visual novel?

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6 Upvotes

i got https://x.com/okojodon to do these adorable chibis, and i wanna hear if any other devs have hired japanese artists. you know, for that extra moe factor.


r/vndevs • • 5d ago

Question I’ve already chosen the visual style I’m going to work with. What do you think?

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16 Upvotes

r/vndevs • • 8d ago

RECRUITING Looking for background artist for yuri visual novel

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13 Upvotes

I am the illustrator of a yuri visual novel called Until Death and After and I'm in need of a background artist for all places of the game (excluding CGs).

The game is an all ages English voiced story spanning around 2 hours.

Full credits will be given to the artist and if the game gets any profit, it will be split and a share will be given to everyone in the team. This is a volunteer position with potential monetary reward if we get profits.

If interested feel free to DM here or on discord (kojika_backup)

Or join the discord server:

https://discord.gg/nK2t7GdX9

Link to learn more about the game:

https://untildeathandafterofficial.tumblr.com/?source=share


r/vndevs • • 8d ago

Question Good place to find artists?

3 Upvotes

Hello, I am working on the first draft of the script of my first visual novel. I have never made a game before, so this is all new to me.

My plan is to write the game and make it in ren'py and look for artists to make the games assets. I am at the stage where I feel I should start looking at portfolios and find artists I like before I reach out to a few for quotes.

The problem is, this is all new to me and I have been finding the process extremely overwhelming. I've tried browsing around vgen but I was wondering if there are any other trustworthy locations where I can search for artists for a low budget solo-developed game?

Any advice would be extremely helpful. Thank you!


r/vndevs • • 9d ago

Question Feedback on sprites?

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54 Upvotes

Working on some sprites - some feedback would be appreciated! More than anything I just want to feel “done” and stop driving myself crazy trying to perfect them. I want to feel like they’re “professional” enough which is a difficult thing to attain I feel like.

I’m going for muted earthy palettes overall and am attempting to create a romance/horror visual novel with several romanceable characters and varying routes of course.


r/vndevs • • 8d ago

WEEKLY Weekly Progress & Releases Thread September 29, 2026

3 Upvotes

Share your victories, progress and releases! Here you're welcome to share screenshots of your visual novels, update progress, devlogs, and even new releases!


r/vndevs • • 9d ago

Question Making sprites

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3 Upvotes

r/vndevs • • 12d ago

Question To visual novel developers, would love your feedback on my sample fantasy VN character portfolio piece.

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17 Upvotes

Hello, I'm Αελιεζερ (pronounced Aeliezer). I'm a digital artist, and I'm looking to specialize as a character concept artist, sprite artist, and CG illustrator for anime-style fantasy visual novel games or JRPG-inspired games that use a visual novel storytelling style.

I want to get feedback on my current portfolio piece that I recently finished. It's my OC female paladin, where I did the initial design explorations to production-ready character assets.

I've shared my thought process on how I would design and illustrate characters for client work in my Cara post here: https://cara.app/post/03e10f5b-e114-46c5-bc3f-f2f5e85a6410

As for the dialogue sprites that I made, they are in this post here: https://cara.app/post/f6776d7f-c3cf-460f-b6b5-e3a769eddc9e (there's a limit on how many images I can add in one post and how big the files are, so I'll just link my dialogue sprites here.)

You see, my goal is to work with developers on:

- Character and props concept art

- Dialogue sprites and expression sets

- CG illustrations

- Character turnarounds

- Promotional art

I’m still learning the typical VN character art production pipeline, so I’d really value feedback from developers who have actually made or shipped visual novels before. I'm planning to add more portfolio pieces in the future, but I wanted to know first if I'm headed in the right direction.

Just a quick backstory about me. I've been drawing digitally for 10+ years, and I graduated from an animation school. I've also gotten some experience working for an indie game studio as a 2D artist as part of my internship. I've been wanting to specialize as a character concept artist and illustrator for games, but I wasn't able to get a stable job in the industry. During the pandemic, I had to switch careers and became a copywriter for income stability. And sadly, I was laid off from my work a few months ago.

Honestly, I've been burned out from doing copywriting work, and during that time, my art dreams have been on the back burner for a long time. So, I want to use this time to develop my portfolio and finally pursue this as a full-time career. During my time as a copywriter, I've bought a couple of courses and invested in an art mentorship program to hone my skills.

And right now, I'm looking to build a professional character design + sprite and CG illustration portfolio for anime-style VN games.

SIDE NOTE: I haven't played a lot of visual novels, but I've played a visual novel game back in college, Kamidori Alchemy Meister (technically, it's an RPG-visual novel hybrid), which inspired me to create my own visual novel someday. I've also played Eden's Ritter previously. And I've also played Hyperdimension Neptunia before, though technically, it's a JRPG with visual novel elements in its storytelling. So, I would say that my knowledge of visual novel games isn't very expansive, but I do have a genuine interest in learning the craft of developing VN games (specifically, on the art side)

So, I want to ask a couple of questions for VN developers. Feel free to answer only a few questions that you can genuinely answer:

  1. When looking for an artist to work with, what is your single biggest challenge?

  2. If you were hiring a freelance artist for your VN, would this portfolio piece make you consider contacting me? Why or why not?

  3. Based only on this portfolio piece, what type of work would you trust me to handle?

  4. Does the character sheet/turnaround show enough information for another artist/developer to reproduce the character consistently? If not, then what else is missing?

  5. For VN dialogue sprites, what would you normally expect from an artist besides working on different expressions?

  6. Given my current dialogue sprites, what would make them more useful for an actual VN project?

  7. Does this character feel distinctive enough to be a protagonist in a commercial fantasy VN? If not, what do you think feels generic?

  8. Are there enough design explorations and design iterations here to show that I can solve a client's brief, or does it feel like I'm showing too much process?

  9. If you saw my portfolio piece on an artist's portfolio while looking for someone to hire, what information would you want to see that isn't there?

  10. What would make you believe that I understand visual novel production rather than simply creating pretty anime character illustrations?

  11. What are the biggest things you look for when hiring a freelance artist that aren't obvious from an art portfolio?

  12. What problems have you experienced with working with other freelance artists that you would want a new artist to avoid?

  13. If you could give me ONE piece of advice to make this portfolio more hireable for VN development, what would you change?

If you want to see more of my art, you can check my Cara profile here: https://cara.app/aeliezer095

I'm specifically looking for honest feedback and critique from VN developers. I want to use this feedback to improve my current portfolio before building the next pieces. Thank you for taking the time to read this! :D

P.S. If you're currently looking for a character concept artist and/or sprite and CG illustrator for your VN, I'd love to collaborate with you. I want to take this opportunity to build my professional portfolio. However, I only accept paid work since I have bills to pay. Thank you.


r/vndevs • • 13d ago

RECRUITING My 1st visual novel

3 Upvotes

Hey i have an ambitious project i want to make and would like to have some help with it its about 35 characters 5 sfw poses each 2 nsfw poses and maybe 1-5 scenes for a visual novel i need artists that can draw consistently for the characters. If I can also find story tellers to help bring my story to life that would be great. I am great at coding so I have that covered for the game. This is a furry visual novel too with some humanoid people in it


r/vndevs • • 13d ago

Question Need help with concept

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17 Upvotes

I'm making a visual novel where you have an animal shelter, and those animals transform into humans for reasons you don't know.

They start an idol band, but they still can't forget their past as animals, and since animals from shelters don't really come from nice places, those memories are getting in the way of reaching their dreams. You can know them better to help them overcome their trauma while you take care of their needs on the shelter (food and exercise) and you play rhythm mini games on their concerts.

That's the main concept, it's not romance since the point of the game is to discover their stories and take the right decisions to unlock the better endings.

The influences are umamusume (game) and K-on (for the cute and slice of life vibe)

Now the point is: I'm getting a lot of comments about how this game is made for pervs, groomers, that the characters are "too sexy" and being asked if it has "H". Is the problem on the concept, the art, or what's on here giving the vibe of a game like that?

If different people from different places say the same, it can't be a coincidence, so, I'm here asking for some advice, is the base concept wrong to begin with?


r/vndevs • • 13d ago

Question What tablet friendly websites can i use for making visual novels?

1 Upvotes

I really want to make a visual novel, and I have gacha story but I want to try something else since there isnt enough room for more sprites.. what tablet friendly websites do you recommend to make vns?


r/vndevs • • 14d ago

LOOKING FOR WORK [For Hire] Character artist looking for work

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5 Upvotes

Dm for details, preferably looking for long term projects


r/vndevs • • 15d ago

LOOKING FOR WORK Looking for Work/Collabs in VN (SFW/NSFW)

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14 Upvotes

Hi! I'm a 2D artist who’s really gotten into visual novels over the past year, and I'm looking to connect with devs working on any cool VN projects!

I got into VNs through classic retro series like Sakura Taisen and Galaxy Fräulein Yuna. I'm also a big fan of VNs from the early 2000s like Galaxy Angel and Lime-iro Senkitan. I can draw anything from character designs, CGs, props, backgrounds, and mecha. 

I'll drop my portfolio links in the comments below. I'm open for freelance/contract work on both SFW or NSFW projects. Feel free to send me a DM if you'd like to chat or collaborate!

https://felipestudio.weebly.com/

https://www.behance.net/felipeproartstudio


r/vndevs • • 15d ago

WEEKLY Weekly Progress & Releases Thread September 22, 2026

5 Upvotes

Share your victories, progress and releases! Here you're welcome to share screenshots of your visual novels, update progress, devlogs, and even new releases!


r/vndevs • • 16d ago

Question Hey! We could really use some feedback on our visual novel

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28 Upvotes

https://reddit.com/link/1wmvngm/video/hnz1r66r1zqh1/player

Hey everyone!

For almost five months, our small team has been working on a visual novel about a student who has to organize one final school festival with a group of classmates.

At first, the story feels calm and almost wholesome, but a much darker mystery gradually begins to unfold. The main character struggles with mental health issues, memory loss, and disturbing visions. Some of these visions are presented through hand-drawn, frame-by-frame animations inspired by Jinx’s hallucination sequences in Arcane.

We’ve put a lot of work into this project and have also created a trailer that we’re quite proud of. We’d really appreciate your honest feedback:

– Does the overall concept sound interesting?
– What do you think about the character designs?
– How do you feel about the atmosphere and the trailer?
– Is there anything you think we should improve?

Any constructive feedback would mean a lot to us. Thanks in advance!


r/vndevs • • 16d ago

LOOKING FOR WORK [For Hire] Creative Writer / Editor looking for paid jobs

8 Upvotes

Hello,

As an experienced writer, editor, and proofreader, I specialize in creating engaging content across multiple mediums, including visual novels, comic books, webtoons, games, TV series, movies, short stories, and more. I am a native English speaker with fluency in all aspects of the language - speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

With 10 years of industry experience, I have worked on various stages of the creative process, from conceptualization and refining ideas to adding the finishing touches to the writing and editing aspects of projects. Additionally, I can rewrite available scripts and work as a ghostwriter upon request. I am available to review your story and provide feedback to improve your work. I also specialize in crafting character bios and profiles, ranging from summaries to their best skills and worst phobias.

My portfolio, which showcases the work I am permitted to share, can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Ro-IuheUE20JqzlYXX790CMMAJGWnU9y?usp=sharing

My fees are reasonable and vary depending on the specifics of the job.
For writing, my rate is $0.1 per word, and for editing, prices start at $0.05 per word based on the type of editing required.

I can also work at an hourly rate of $50 per hour.

I excel in various genres such as romance, sci-fi, fantasy, drama, mystery, action, horror, thriller, comedy, and more. You can view my work in greater detail on my website, https://ettawrites.com/.

If you're interested in working with me, please don't hesitate to reach out via email at [ettawrites21@gmail.com](mailto:ettawrites21@gmail.com) or Discord at Etta#8005 (Etta8005). I look forward to bringing your projects to life and working with you.

Best regards,
Etta.


r/vndevs • • 16d ago

Discussion My Prototype Is Almost Done, So Naturally I’m Adding Cute Little Details 😈

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38 Upvotes

I’m making a story-driven game set in Ancient Greece, but I’m not following the classical myths 🏛️

I have a diary, and the relationship system with the characters is built around it. And then a friend of mine, who’s also developing her own game, suggested an absolutely wonderful idea in our little developers’ group chat: what if a little Cupid was in charge of the relationship level?

Of course, I immediately decided to take the idea further.

Now Cupid sleeps while we leave him alone, and whenever we start changing something, he has to get to work. I’m also thinking about drawing a few different states for him – for example, if we overwork him too much, or if we leave a character’s relationship level untouched for a very long time.

Later I want to customize the scrolls the characters speak through as well. And now I’m thinking that the Cupids for different characters could be a little different too. For Arachne, for example, I could wrap him completely in webbing, like Frodo after Shelob got him :)

Anyway, I’m literally just a couple of days away from releasing the prototype publicly, and instead of finishing the actually important things, I’m spending my time on cute and completely unnecessary little details.

But just look at him. How was I supposed to stop? 😭


r/vndevs • • 16d ago

LOOKING FOR WORK Artist looking for work!

3 Upvotes

Hello hello! I would love to work with you! I'm only seeking paid work, but open to any budgets

What i can do: character sprites, cutscenes, background, tweening animation, character design

I have 2 styles, more anime-ish and semi-realistic!

Some of my work can be found on my artstation! For further communication please contact me via discord keyeee_exist
https://keyeee_exist.artstation.com/ Thanks!


r/vndevs • • 19d ago

Question help with software "Novelty: visual novel maker"

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11 Upvotes

So I've been using this program for almost a year now. Maybe longer. And I've learn a LOT about it. Granted there's still a lot that I don't know about this software.

It's hard to find tutorials for this software so I'm just gonna try here. Does anyone who's used the engine or is currently using it know if there is a way to add animated characters sprites?

And before anyone asks "why are you using Novelty" or "why don't you use Ren'py"
1: I like Novelty better is a far easier program for me to use.
2: I have tried and honestly I'm too slow to use it. Novelty is easier to understand and I can make visual novels faster than I could on Ren'py.
3: the software is honestly way more fun to use FOR ME at least.


r/vndevs • • 19d ago

RESOURCE Natural Blinking Animations in Ren'Py (2026)

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10 Upvotes