Sound novel

Sound novels are a distinct branch of visual novels which emphasize atmosphere through use of music, sound effects, and silence. They typically feature text that is drawn across the entire screen, rather than being confined to a text box. Digitized photographs are often used for backgrounds, and characters are often drawn as featureless silhouettes, though anime style visuals are not uncommon. Most sound novels are horror or mystery themed. Having one of the aforementioned characteristics does not make a game a sound novel, but a distinction can be made when several of these characteristics are seen together.

The term "sound novel" was trademarked by Chunsoft in the early 1990s to describe their novel games. Following the success of Otogirisou [弟切草] and Banshee's Last Cry [かまいたちの夜], a sound novel boom erupted in the mid to late 90s, with many other developers producing similar games. The widespread permeation of sound novels has lead to their recognition as a unique genre that extends beyond Chunsoft's titles. Popular examples of the genre include Tsukihime [月姫], Higurashi When They Cry [ひぐらしのなく頃に], and 428: Shibuya Scramble [428 〜封鎖された渋谷で〜].