Free visual novel for Mac
Katawa Shoujo is a free anime visual novel for Mac by Four Leaf Studios. This title is similar to others in the genre, such as Contract Demon and Wednesday, but unlike those, Katawa Shoujo has explicit adult content.
It's the story of protagonist Hisao Nakai and how he comes to grips with his newly-found heart condition. In this coming-of-age story, the main character meets some female counterparts with different disabilities. The story unfolds in such a way that you, the protagonist, can become romantically involved with some of the female characters.
It’s all about the story
The point here is to let the story develop based on your choices. These choices come from different dialogue options that define what follows.
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The story is interesting because it shows disabled people in a way that few visual novels, if any, have done before. Disabilities are not objectified. These characters are portrayed as real people with a real life who happen to have some form of disability or the other. It takes a natural approach to it, which is excellent.
However, this is not just a cute boy-meets-girl family story. You can become intimate with the girls, and there are very explicit sexual scenes. If you're not into that, remember that this is one of the "objectives" here.
Amazing art
This amateur developer's game boasts some incredible art. The characters are all beautifully drawn, as are the backgrounds.
The font, like the sound, fits perfectly with the game's tone. Unfortunately, there's no spoken dialogue here, perhaps the only shortcoming compared to other major-developer productions.
A good story
It’s worth remembering that this isn’t a game. It is, however, a compelling story with good characters, mostly good writing, and excellent production values.
The elephant in the room is perhaps the adult content within. It's not news that sex sells, and this seems to be the deal with Katawa Shoujo. It doesn't need the sex parts, and it's not the main focus of the game, but it almost certainly attracts many people who would've otherwise completely ignored. That being said, there's an option to turn the sex scenes off, so you can focus on the story development.
