Found this on Kai’s blog (deluscar.wordpress) first posted February this year. I think it makes a list of good recommendations for VN beginners. All great titles.
1. Ef – A fairy tale of the two
Beautiful, exotically beautiful. Ef uses the textbook method of story-telling, it gives us tales and tales of beautiful, heartwarming stories, befitting it’s name of a “fairy tale.” The story itself is divided into two different section, the first tale, and the latter tale, hence a fairy tale of the two. As the story progresses, you will be playing as a different character from another point of view, and it is interesting to see previous main characters appearing out of nowhere. Ultimately, the game’s beauty comes in the form of beautiful story and a beautiful music. It’s definitely a must-try.
2. Fate/Stay Night
Ahh Fate/Stay Night. One of the most revolutionary visual novels of all time. Every visual novel player should have played or should have at least heard of this title. While the anime didn’t do such a fine job in adapting the storyline, the visual novel, as expected of an original material, managed to expose the plot in fine detail. Fate/Stay Night has a very intriguing premise and as more light is shade on the Holy Grail battle, the more epic the visual novel become. 
3. G-Senjou no Maou
A visual novel which depicts a battle of wits for the ultimate supremacy. G-Senjou no Maou is probably one of the most mind-blowing visual novel ever made. With tales of epic tactical combat and intriguing plots and characters, G-Senjou no Maou would certainly cater to any kinds of visual novel players far and wide! 
4. Deus Machina Demonbane
Based on fiction horror story written by H.P. Lovecraft, Demonbane revolves around the tales of science, alchemy and religion. It feels like Full Metal Alchemist, a more mecha version of that. The best part about this visual novel is the 3D CG scenes, they are even slight animations so even though Demonbane isn’t the newest, there’s no denying that the graphics could hold it’s own against newer ones. Like Fate/Stay Night, intruiging plots are this visual novel’s main weapon as well, as the visual novel gets better as more truth within the mystery began to shape up in the bizarre world of magic, mecha, gods and monsters. 
5. Saya no Uta
Visually destructive visual novel, Saya no Uta depicts the pitiable tale of a young man, Fuminori Sakisaka, who involved in a traffic accident, had soon changed his perspective of the world in a completely different manner. The traffic accident that he had, “damaged” his brain permanently, and the way the brain reads the vision transmitted through his eyes.. are ghastly. Everything become guts and intestines and every person turned into some kind of tentacle monsters. Ironically, when one was reading Saya no Uta, chances are they are already expecting this and are playing the visual novel just to check out those scenes. Indeed, it is actually one of the good points about it, it’s definitely not Saya no Uta without the intestines. In a way, it is epic. Psychology thrills, nasty sequences and a tantalizing storytelling a makes up the epic visual novel, Saya no Uta. 
6. Sharin no Kuni
Likewise with G-Senjou no Maou, Sharin no Kuni was produced by Akabesoft2. The game depicts on how law and systems can change a country and focuses a lot conspiracies, criminology, political struggles and wits battles, just like G-Senjou no Maou. Sharin no Kuni introduces a really unique government system which aims to rehab certain “criminals.” 
7. Utawarerumono
While Utawarerumono has a strong plot, it’s battle game system is quite entertaining as well, which is akin to Final Fantasy Tactics or Ogre Battle. Standing on the boundary between visual novel and an SRPG, Utawarerumono provides an ample amount of plot twists. It at fist, revolves around the tale of one man, Hakuoro, a man without a memory, who was found unconscious in a rural village. A mask was strangely daunted on him and even more mysterious, it can’t be removed no matter how much physical force is used. As Hakuoro live alongside the villagers, he began to experience more and more events which would eventually lead to this true identity. 
8. Ever17/Remember11/Never7 -infinity trilogy-
The infinite trilogy of awesomeness by KID. These three visual novels at times feel like separate entities, but they can also be connected too, despite pretty minor. Most players would play Remember11 (or to a lesser extent, Never7) to expand their knowledge on the Ever17 universe; the trilogy is especially good in making the players to review back nostalgically the events of Ever 17. Though truthfully, even if the presence of universal relation is so subtle, one who isn’t even familiar with the KID franchise would be able to enjoy them to the full extent. KID is also known to mix in genres of mystery and sci-fi so fans in that particular genres would love these games. 
9. Clannad/Kanon/Air/Little Busters/Rewrite -key pentalogy-
Or basically anything from Key, is bound to be a masterpiece tear-jerker. Key likes to use the formula of slice-of-life + high school + drama = masterpiece. And even after all these years, there’s not once their pattern feels repetitive and they still feels like they are the top of their game. Key had also made certain awesome heroines in the past, Kyon (Clannad), Mai (Kanon), Rin (Little Busters) and so on. Aforementioned, anything made from Key is bound to give you a laugh and a cry. It’s romance and life hardships, portrayed in extreme simplicity and with a teensy weensy bit of magic is what spiced up Key’s top notch visual novels. 
10. Sono Hanabira Series
Of all the yuri media franchises I had come across, be it anime, manga, novels, the Sono Hanabira series, in my opinion, is one of the best of the best. There are nearly 10 instalments in the series, in some of t
hem, new couples are shown while some continues the cute and fluffy stories of our favorite yuri couples. The atmosphere portrayed in any of the Sono Hanabira instalment is sweet, heartwarming, fluffy and most of all, the girls making love with each other and is always a sight to see. I almost never enjoy H-scenes in visual novels much but I guess Sono Hanabira’s an exception.
Reblogged from http://deluscar.wordpress.com/all-time-favorite-lists/all-time-favorite-visual-novels/
