Games of the Year

RPGFan Games of the Year 2021: Best Graphic Adventure or Visual Novel

GOTY 2021 Adventure Visual Novel The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

Winner: The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

Trying to get into a long-running series can be daunting. With Ace Attorney, for example, you’ve got six mainline entries, three spin-offs, and two seasons of anime. That’s why I am so excited to tell you about The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, a collection of two previously Japan-only titles. After six years without an officially released version of The Great Ace Attorney games, Capcom has delivered a remarkable turnabout with this collection, giving us an exceptional experience that adventure game fans cannot miss. Not only are they outstanding games in their own right, but they also provide newcomers with a perfect jumping-in point. And as they take place a hundred years before the original Ace Attorney, you can simply enjoy the expertly crafted dramatic courtroom battles without worrying about returning characters or continuity. The games are filled to the brim with incredible music, memorable characters, and stories that will stick with you long after the credits roll, making The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles our best adventure game(s) of 2021. 

by Jono Logan


Runner-Up: Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is the definitive version of the acclaimed 2017 visual novel that made it onto our Essential Visual Novels feature for good reason. Words cannot express the game’s sheer subversive brilliance, and the additional content provided in Plus! makes an already enthralling game even deeper and more astonishing. You could easily say more about Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!, but this is one game where the less players know going into it, the more impactful their experience will be; because Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is just that — an experience. 

by Neal Chandran


Readers’ Choice: Best Graphic Adventure or Visual Novel

Winner: The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

Runner-Up: Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!

Jonathan Logan

Jonathan Logan

Jonathan (he/him), or Jono for short, is the host of Random Encounter and the Reviews Manager for RPGFan. While reviewing a game, he has been known to drink up to 10 cups of tea to keep focused (Earl Grey, milk, no sugar). Fun fact: Jono holds a Masters of Music Theatre degree, which is only slightly less useful than it sounds.