Best Visual Novel Linux Games on Steam
Steam currently has 13,431 Visual Novel games, but not all of them are able to be played on Linux builds. Explore our list of the best picks ranked by Player Score. Our Player Score rankings are calculated directly from reviews left on the Steam store and will be updated in real-time as more players leave their feedback. Visual Novel game rankings were last updated on 2/23/2026.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
- Best visual novel games on Steam
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1. Helltaker
Helltaker is a short game about sharply dressed demon girls.
Helltaker holds the #1 spot for "best Linux Visual Novel game on Steam" with a Player Score of 96. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 126,937 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 124,038 positive reviews and 2,899 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Helltaker on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
2. Our Life: Beginnings & Always
A twenty-dollar bill, four summers, fifteen years, and a one of a kind life. Create an experience that’s all your own in this near-fully customizable visual novel where you grow from childhood to adulthood with the lonely boy next door.
Our Life: Beginnings & Always has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #2 spot for the best Linux Visual Novel games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 13,332 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 13,165 positive reviews and 167 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Linux systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run Our Life: Beginnings & Always on the Steam Deck.
| Release Date | 11/16/2020 |
| Franchise | GB Patch Games |
| Developer | GB Patch Games |
| Publisher | GB Patch Games |
| Steam App Id | 1129190 |
3. VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action
VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action is a booze em' up about waifus, technology, and post-dystopia life.
VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #3 spot for the best Linux Visual Novel games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 37,964 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 36,952 positive reviews and 1,012 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $14.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $14.99 |
| Release Date | 6/21/2016 |
| Franchise | Ysbryd Games |
| Developer | Sukeban Games |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 447530 |
4. A Date with Death
Fight against & romance the one hunting for your soul in A Date with Death, a romance chat simulator where you date(?) the Grim Reaper himself. Create your own character, decorate your apartment, and chat away with the charming yet dangerous Grim Reaper through text and video calls.
A Date with Death has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #4 spot for the best Linux Visual Novel games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 13,259 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 13,003 positive reviews and 256 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play A Date with Death on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 12/7/2023 |
| Franchise | Two and a Half Studios |
| Developer | Two and a Half Studios |
| Publisher | Two and a Half Studios |
| Steam App Id | 2415010 |
5. Z.A.T.O. // I Love the World and Everything In It
USSR, 1986. A girl goes missing in the closed city of Vorkuta-5, yet not a soul seems to be concerned. Uncover the mystery behind her disappearance and transmit your signal to the universe.
Z.A.T.O. // I Love the World and Everything In It has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #5 spot for the best Linux Visual Novel games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 7,677 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 7,549 positive reviews and 128 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Release Date | 11/10/2025 |
| Developer | Ferry // Nopanamaman |
| Publisher | Ferry // Nopanamaman |
| Steam App Id | 4122860 |
6. Slay the Princess — The Pristine Cut
You're here to slay the princess. Don't believe her lies.
Slay the Princess — The Pristine Cut has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #6 spot for the best Linux Visual Novel games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 30,730 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 29,749 positive reviews and 981 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $17.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $17.99 |
| Release Date | 10/23/2023 |
| Franchise | Black Tabby Games |
| Developer | Black Tabby Games |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 1989270 |
7. I Wani Hug that Gator!
I Wani Hug that Gator! Is a choice-driven narrative about teenagers struggling to find their way. Help Inco, loser highschooler extraordinaire, navigate his budding friendships (and romance!) while surviving being the only human in a dinosaur-filled school.
I Wani Hug that Gator! has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #7 spot for the best Linux Visual Novel games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 5,485 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 5,387 positive reviews and 98 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $14.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play I Wani Hug that Gator! on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
8. BAD END THEATER
select your protagonist and explore a variety of terrible fates!
BAD END THEATER has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #8 spot for the best Linux Visual Novel games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 9,532 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 9,300 positive reviews and 232 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $7.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $7.99 |
| Release Date | 10/26/2021 |
| Franchise | NomnomNami |
| Developer | NomnomNami |
| Publisher | NomnomNami |
| Steam App Id | 1764390 |
9. Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk
A short story about what sort of challenges everyday little things can be. Help the girl buy milk, be the first not to disappoint her.
Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk has achieved a Player Score of 95, placing it in the #9 spot for the best Linux Visual Novel games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 32,902 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 31,769 positive reviews and 1,133 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $1.49 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $1.49 |
| Release Date | 8/26/2020 |
| Developer | Nikita Kryukov |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 1392820 |
10. Until Then
A fateful meeting sets off a chain reaction, upending Mark's life. People disappear and memories prove unreliable. Uncover a hidden truth with Mark and his friends in this narrative adventure and race to unravel the mystery before it's too late.
Until Then has achieved a Player Score of 94, placing it in the #10 spot for the best Linux Visual Novel games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 15,379 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 14,921 positive reviews and 458 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $19.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $19.99 |
| Release Date | 6/25/2024 |
| Franchise | Maximum Entertainment |
| Developer | Polychroma Games |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 1574820 |
More Visual Novel Linux Games on Steam
Explore even more rankings for the 10 best Visual Novel games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 5/11/2020 | 96 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 102 | 11/16/2020 | 96 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 100 | 6/21/2016 | 95 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 126 | 12/7/2023 | 95 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 65 | 11/10/2025 | 95 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 134 | 10/23/2023 | 95 | $17.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 19 | 2/14/2024 | 95 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 8 | 10/26/2021 | 95 | $7.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 11 | 8/26/2020 | 95 | $1.49 | Steam Charts | |
| 149 | 6/25/2024 | 94 | $19.99 | Steam Charts |
Soures & References
Steambase has best-in-class data powered directly by Steam, our data partners, and in-house experts. Reviews and rankings are enriched, analyzed, and updated in real-time to ensure we surface the most up-to-date insights. Learn more about the Steambase approach to data collection and our review methodology.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, February 23). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, February 23). Helltaker on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 21). Our Life: Beginnings & Always on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 27). VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 11). A Date with Death on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 29). Z.A.T.O. // I Love the World and Everything In It on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 31). Slay the Princess — The Pristine Cut on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 13). I Wani Hug that Gator! on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 20). BAD END THEATER on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, February 9). Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2026, March 26). Until Then on Steam. Steam Store.