Your Recommended Titles Similar to Zero Escape Series

[Aqua Snake]

Figured I buy any good ones similar to Zero Escape series while the Steam Sales is going on right now.

Already beat all the Zero Escape, Danganronpa and Ace Attorney games, but was hoping there was any others I don't know about that's on Steam that has that fusion of Visual Novel and Investigation/Puzzle solving. Already own AI: The Somnium Files which I'm playing through now.

[NowBobCat]

AI: The somnium files is most likely where you'll find what you're looking for.
Root Double and Ever17 have a similar feel to the listed games, but don't have any gameplay, it's all visual novel
The Hello Charlotte series is incredibly complicated, uninviting, and ruthless, but if you can push past it's layers you will find what may possibly be the greatest work of fiction.

[Aqua Snake]

Originally posted by NowBobCat:

AI: The somnium files is most likely where you'll find what you're looking for.
Root Double and Ever17 have a similar feel to the listed games, but don't have any gameplay, it's all visual novel
The Hello Charlotte series is incredibly complicated, uninviting, and ruthless, but if you can push past it's layers you will find what may possibly be the greatest work of fiction.

I completely forgot to add in my original post that I own AI: The Somnium Files.

But interesting suggestions! I'll check them out.

[Mysti_Fogg]

Escape Room: Reality
Danganronpa

Maybe you might like Orwell

If you want a more cheery aesthetic you might also try Magical Diary

[Knelf]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1041270/Exogenesis_Perils_of_Rebirth/ this one was meant to be a bit like it. I seem to remember they wanted to make something a little zero escape/Ace Attorney esk... Note though that you should read around about the game first and check the kickstarter before deciding if it is for you. It was kinda one of those games that went a bit "wrong" after the kickstarter and not sure what state of finished ness it was in on eventual release. I know they didn't dub it for starters, which is a shame because they had a great cast for the original demo. I backed the KS but not got to checking out what they eventually turned out yet. Might have been ok... might have been a dogs dinner. So check first.

[Kakera of Miracles]

I'm surprised the indie titles similar to Zero Escape aren't being talked about more. These are pretty neat:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1338940/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1249260/

The first two are in the same series and a third is coming later, unknown when. I recommend Head AS Code first, even if it released second, because it's the original game but remade, and Birth ME Code is the sequel. Some people say it can be played in either order but I think HASC is easier to digest first. Both don't really have escape rooms by design, but the second has puzzles too.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1513120/

This one's pretty long, very low budget, has a decently cool ending though it takes super, super long to get to it and it's almost random if you get into a path that "matters". No flowchart either, difficult to keep patience in check at points. Characters feel very Danganronpa-y (a bit anime in their behavior and "traits", aka "the strong characters are dumb", "the nice character is a cinnamon roll", etc.) and they hardly have any development.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1020030/

This one's mixed for me. I didn't enjoy it a whole lot for many reasons, but I waited for it for a long time and it's not... that bad. Suffers from having development hell following a kickstarter years ago, just like Exogenesis, and the premise doesn't really deliver a satisfying conclusion in any fashion whatsoever. More about "parts of the journey" than the end, and don't expect it to make sense.

[lieutenantkirtar]

If you happen to have a DS "Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective" was great. Really wish they would remaster it and make it available on modern systems.

[Mysti_Fogg]

Not a visual novel, but if you like classics, it occurred to me today as I was playing through Birth ME Code that there's something about this style of game that reminds me of the old Zork: Nemesis.

Zork was a goofy series that's usually relied upon for laughs. And then Nemesis came along as a meld of fantasy and horror. It's from the early '90s, but I'd say the graphics are better than VLR since it uses FMV for the cut scenes.

[Mysti_Fogg]

Originally posted by Kakera of Miracles:

I'm surprised the indie titles similar to Zero Escape aren't being talked about more. These are pretty neat:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1338940/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1249260/

The first two are in the same series and a third is coming later, unknown when. I recommend Head AS Code first, even if it released second, because it's the original game but remade, and Birth ME Code is the sequel. Some people say it can be played in either order but I think HASC is easier to digest first. Both don't really have escape rooms by design, but the second has puzzles too.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1513120/

This one's pretty long, very low budget, has a decently cool ending though it takes super, super long to get to it and it's almost random if you get into a path that "matters". No flowchart either, difficult to keep patience in check at points. Characters feel very Danganronpa-y (a bit anime in their behavior and "traits", aka "the strong characters are dumb", "the nice character is a cinnamon roll", etc.) and they hardly have any development.

Thanks to these recommendations, I picked up both Birth ME Code and The Zodiac Trial. I would definitely recommend both. I loved The Zodiac Trial in particular. Yes, some of the characters are simplified in an anime style, however, each character is a potential murderer and each gets a route in much the way romance sims have different routes for each Love Interest. The game does a lot of murder mysteries, but also has tactics and combat stories to mix up the flow and keep it from being too predictable.