PC User Reviews

I went into this a bit nervous because of the premise, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much heart it has. It’s a very down-to-earth story about living with disability and navigating high school life, and it handles those themes with a lot of grace and sincerity. Some of the routes are definitely stronger and more emotional than others, but the characters feel like real people with real struggles. It’s a bit of an older game now, but it still feels very special.

Great characters and a genuinely moving story. It tackles its subject matter surprisingly well and delivers a really emotional experience. A totally solid and memorable visual novel.

Este juego es una absoluta obra de arte, los personajes, su historia, narrativa y mensaje son preciosos

Es una de las mejores (si no es que la mejor) historia y desarrollo que una novela visual puede ofrecer. Los personajes son tan memorables que estoy 100% seguro de que te memorizarás el nombre de al menos 3 personajes en menos de 2 horas. La historia es larga y rica, con escenas que te pueden hacer sonreir, reir, o sentir que se te metió algo en el ojo, incluso las escenas +18 que tiene, ofrecen aportes bastante grandes a la historia, por lo que dudo que quieras saltártelas. La cantidad de finales que tiene hace que la historia nunca quede corta, y de seguro que querrás tener al menos 10 saving slots preparados en caso de tomar una decisión de la cual te puedes arrepentir un chingo. Sin duda, junto con Class of 09, la mejor novela visual que he probado. Pero claro no todo es tan bueno, a pesar de que solo es una minima cosa, sigue siendo algo malo. En la ruta de **** (tranquilos, no hay spoilers) se siente un poco apurado el desarrollo de la historia. Se que se quiere ofrecer una amplia variedad de personajes, pero por favor, introducir personajes con actitudes exageradas para desarrollar mas fácilmente una trama (sabran de que personaje me refiero) me parece una decisión de cobardía o de pereza por desarrollar una trama con paciencia. Creo que es lo único malo. (Ah, y no esta de mas añadir que Kenji es un rompe bolas tremendo, no me arrepiento cuando le doy skip a todos sus diálogos)

I learned about KS when YT recommended me those -Matty interviewing the KS devs- videos. I ended up playing KS for the 10 year aniv of the game. It was weird. It was strange. It was really good. What's great about KS is that as the stories evolve, they bring you with them. The characters grow, and a part of you does too. I've recommended KS to people that have never played a VN, that's the highest praise I can think of. I just played OmOneko, the other game some of the KS devs helped make, It's brilliant.

This was one of the many visual novels i have played, and out of all them this one shines past the rest. This game had me wanting more, it was an amazing and everlasting story that i couldn't put down. Who knew a game could make you feel genuinely like your the main character, i felt like i was going through his emotions will playing, the grief, sadness, happiness you name it. I was never into reading but this game had me hooked instantly and brought me back daily to play even for minutes. I would say this game is a must play, it brings out some unseen scenes, that most of us wont experience which was cool. Overall this game was amazing, its one of the only games where i want a sequel or just another scene to play, even if it seems slow at the start wait, trust me.

It's an interesting visual novel with novel and creative characters, and the writing rarely feels immersion-breaking. It's ultimately not that memorable and its adult aspects do end up feeling like they hold it back to some degree, but if you're into visual novels this one is still worth your time

the best game I've ever played brings out a lot of emotions. I simply have no words, I advise everyone to play this wonderful game

Wholesome game.

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 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.

great great great great great great great great great great great great great

Esta es una recomendación surgida del deseo de que más personas conozcan Katawa Shoujo ️‍

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.

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 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!

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

The best game about disabled. In my opinion Katawa Shoujo open eyes about love and sex of disabled person

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, 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.

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 **** it looks like it's not possible. In short : is it worth playing? Yes.

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.

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)

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

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.

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.

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!!!!!!

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

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.

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.

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 most enjoyable experiences of my life, and yes, I'm saying these 2 years later.

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 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 **** 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.)

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 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

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

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 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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!

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 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.

It's quite hard to call Katawa Shoujo a game. I'd call it a great visual novel, even if it's the first one I've ever played. It features a lot of very different endings. It is mainly made of perfectly fitting dialogues and thoughts of the main character, but hand-drawn graphics are also really great. I would recommend it for anyone, who enjoyed playing point&click games, reading all of the dialogues. You can't forgot that this game shows also a few eroge scenes, which you can turn off, it you find it necessary. It's not really a type of game in which your main goals are the girls themselves. The story is the main thing that made me complete the game in 100% without getting bored at all.

KS is one of the better visual novels available on the English market, at the moment. It has a great engaging (albeit too dark in certain routes) story, fantastic music and, most importantly, it is... believable, for lack of a better word. Of course, the necessary VN cliches are in there, but the characters don't feel overly stereotypical as it happens in many others. It being free is just an added bonus.

I rarely give 10s, but this game really deserves it. All 5 story paths have a remarkable story and teach good lessons, and i shed some manly tears here and there as well. As many people said it's not an H-game, and it's not a dating sim either. It's a book with pictures, just 10x better than what that sounds.

I registered here just to praise this. Never in my life had I read a vn before. I found this on piratebay about a week ago and let my curiosity get the better of me. It blew me away. The english version is pleasingly easy to read. Interesting characters, five different paths. Great soundtrack. Amazing story. 40 hours of gameplay. The list goes on... And all this for no cost at all. It's really hard to believe that this is the work of "amateurs." This is a very subjective review. This is one of those things you either love, or hate. What made this especially moving for me, was how I felt connected with the main character. Just like the main character I have a "medical setback"(diabetes.) I need medications every single day to stay alive and healthy. I have also been stuck alone for almost half a year. Just like the main character. Until I played this I never realized how depressed I was. And as I kept playing the story brightened. By the end of my first playthrough, after 8 hours, I feel like my life has changed. I got more lust for life. Hope of a future. Changed my mood from depressed to positive. I have started exercising and eating more healthy. After playing through all the paths, I still can't put it away. To sum up my thoughts, simply unbelievable! Let this story consume you, you wont regret it.

First, let me say I don't give out a 10 light heartedly. In my mind, I reserve a 10 for the greatest experiences in gaming that I have played so far... it doesn't mean its perfect, just that its the best I know of. Why does Katawa Shoujo deserve a 10 from me? I'm not new to games, but Katawa Shoujo just touched me in a way few others have. I'm not talking about falling hopelessly in love with fictional characters(although they are all very memorable and beautifully written) but talking about what this game teaches you and makes you feel. If you could bottle that feel, and drink it every day, you'd be the happiest person on earth. KS basically helps you realize what YOU want in life, helps you empathize and believe in love when you're depressed and down on the whole idea of it, gives you profound life wisdom woven casually in its story arc, it gives you a perspective on disability and inner beauty and (I dont know how they do this) make you feel genuine emotions reading through the banal events of its amazing love stories. By the end of one route, as the credits rolled, I found my cheeks sore from subconciously smiling like an idiot for so damn long. My eyes could not contain the happiness/sadness. I haven't cried in 3 years, but I cried when it ended. I started running due to KS, the first day I ran 3 km. And this is coming from a guy who can only do 200m if he lays down and pants afterwards. And I kept it up the next day too. And the next. And the next. And I plan to keep doing so. People going into this game for the sex often end up complaining about the lack of 'sex' and 'game', but its so much more, and by the end, you don't even care. I myself took it up as I'd never heard of it and found it beating Battlefield 3(and coming close to Skyrim) on Reddit's Most Played list. That and the fact that a group of **** had apparently gotten together to create this over the course of 5 years and then released it free, no strings attached(actually huge heart pulling strings attached). I've never been more delightfully surprised.

I found this game by chance on this site. A positive review made me download it and try it out. It turned out to be a great idea. I must say that it is the second visual novel game I have played. I stopped playing the first one after a short time. As you can see, I have almost no experience with these games, I am an average gamer, usually playing the popular and highly reviewed games. I noticed that this title, Katawa Shoujo, has some positive reviews, so why not to give it a try? And so I did and downloaded it from the developer's site. Running the prologue, even if it was the very beginning of the game, I knew the plot was going to be great. And it was becoming more and more interesting and enjoyable with every hour I spent playing it. Really, this game has one of the most brilliant plots I have ever experienced in any game, any film or any book! It is so touching, the characters are so fascinating that I could not wait to see what happens next, until the very end! Also the game is surprisingly long, it took me over 14 hours to finish it, which is a great advantage. Playing it feels a little like reading a manga, so if you like it, there is a high chance you will love Katawa Shoujo too. I really think this game deserves to be more popular. The plot is absolutely great and so are the characters, you just cannot be unconcerned about their fates. I am perfectly convinced everyone seeking a mature, interesting story and fascinating characters is ought to give Katawa Shoujo a try, especially when you can download it for free.

Katawa Shoujo is great, I've spent many hours on it. You must expect to do a lot of reading, because it is quite literally a visual novel. Great writing, although some phrases seem to appear quite a few times throughout the stories. I've recommended this to all of my friends and most of them loved it too, and even for those who didn't like it, they still admitted to the good writing. For the small and odd developer team over 5 years, I'd say it was a job well done, I only wish it was a little longer, although the different endings do give it nice re-playability. The art was well done as far as I'm concerned, but I'm no expert in art design. I think the best thing was how much I got addicted to the story and attached to the characters. I kept forcing myself to stop playing so I could actually sleep. The other thing is the sex scenes, if you're playing this VN for just the sex scenes, don't play it, if you don't want the sex scenes, you can turn them off in options. The sex scenes are actually not overwhelming or overdone, they're interesting, tasteful, and sometimes funny. Overall a very nice visual novel with a great story, love it.

A very solid game with an amazing story to it. The characterization and development along the different paths were beyond enjoyable and even carried over to when other path's were taken. This didn't play as a game, but it did come out as a novel. This doesn't phase me at all simply because I don't see a limit on what gaming can entail. I loved the artwork, the music, the emotions, and almost everything within the game. A few areas seemed out of place, but such is only a personal preference, not deterring a 10 rating from me. Also considering the shear amount of time needed to complete just one the paths makes the game last a long time. I recommend the game to anyone who enjoys visual novels, and sometimes difficult decisions.

Any shortcomings in the production or the medium are very much overcome by what KS offers, and that is a profound, touching, and deeply human experience. Something like this does not come by often in one's lifetime, thus I cannot recommend it highly enough. You simply *must* play/read/experience this.

Do not start playing this game expecting it to be either a game or hentai, because it is neither. It is a book. If you go into it thinking it is a game, you will be very disappointed, and not because it is bad, but because it is not a game. I did not know this at first, and thought the start of the game was just a dialogue intro showing what happened to your character. After reading the "intro" for around 10 minutes, I realized that this was how the entire "game" played out. I then started rapidly clicking to see if anything interesting would happen, but doing so is like rapidly flipping through pages in a book. I am not giving it a score* simply because as I said, it is not a game. Having me review this visual novel would be like having my mom review a good game, as she is someone who loves books, but does not personally enjoy videogames. *Turns out you have to rate it, I am putting a 5 simply because it is the middle number

Independent projects such as the one that birth this VN are such a rare occurrence one the internet that one could be left wondering whether experiencing what they have to offer is worth experiencing. In this case, the experience most definitely is. While the story's premise is highly unusual and quite questionable at best to the uninitiated, readers will be able to find an incredible amount of empathy for the characters in this story. The sound track is also exceptionally well done and accompanies the story scenes almost perfectly. I would encourage anyone with even a slight interest to experience what this game has to offer.

I have never been as impacted by a game as I have been by this one. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the story told here ( with special nods to Lilly's section) are among the best I have experienced in a very long time.

I write this review oddly touched by this game; Now I am not a "Visual Novel" person. I read comic books and classic literature. I play western videogames, mostly WRPGs and Grand Strategy games. Ive never read manga, and the only anime I was remotely excited about was Dragonball Z. This game has touched me in a way I cannot describe more than any other medium has. And, considering it was created by people who met on **** of all places, I am impressed with the quality. I wont bore you with a synopsis since that gives away too many spoilers, but I will say this: jsut try it. sure there's a sex scene, it's "weeaboo" etc all the stigmas about playing an Japanese inspired game. I say just try it.