Of course you can! In fact, I highly recommend you do so! When you contribute to Project Localized Otaku’s Trifecta and Pocket Otaku Project, you’ll be helping me and yourself ensure that many VNs, no matter how old or obscure, will continue to be enjoyed for generations to come. However, more info regarding ways to contribute to these projects are still being finalized and thus there isn’t anything you can do right now. Please stay tuned for updates regarding this matter. I can assure you that once the details are published, you can start contributing to the greater cause of preserving the VNs you and I enjoy.

In the meantime, a live preview of the Contribute page is available for all visitors to see what guilds/clubs they can learn more about and can join in the future.

There are a variety of sites where you can buy VNs. Below is a list of recommended sites that I personally browse when looking for the next VNs to add to the ViNISO catalogue:

• Sekai Project: Based in Norwalk, California and founded in 2013, this site is the all-ages version of Denpasoft and the company’s default site, where you can purchase digital, DRM-free, and the all-ages version of VNs. Unfortunately, their VN catalogue is very small compared to others on this list. The site also formerly sold VN-related goods and merchandise.
• MangaGamer: Based in Tokyo and founded in 2008, this site offers a good catalogue of DRM-free all-ages VNs, including those found at other sites. Given the company’s age, this is a great place to purchase VNs from the early to late 2000s though some listings from that time period have been delisted due to licensing so if you’re looking to snag some old and/or niche VNs before more kick the bucket, this site is a recommended place to visit.
• Johren: Based in Katholiki, Limassol (Cyprus), this site offers a small catalogue of digital all-ages VNs in English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese languages, including VNs from indie developers. They also offer publisher/site exclusive VNs, mobile games, and VNs that are found at other sites. However, all VNs listed on their site contain Johren DRM, which is an account and activation code-based DRM. An activation code and internet connection is required when running any VN from Johren for the first time, though the VN can be played offline without issue afterwards. Johren DRM also has a limit of 3 activations per VN which is tied to your account, and if all 3 activations are used, you must repurchase the VN or create another account then purchase the VN with that account to get 3 more activations.
• DLsite: Based in Tokyo (operated by EISYS) and founded in 1996, this site offers an overwhelming catalogue of all-ages doujinshi, manga, books, magazines, ASMR, Android games, and last but not the least, digital copies of VNs which include those from indie developers. They also offer publisher/site exclusive VNs and carry many VNs that are found at other sites. Given the company’s age, this is an excellent place to purchase VNs from previous decades, though many have been delisted over the years so if you’re looking to snag some old and/or niche VNs before they’re gone, this site is another great place to visit. While they have a large catalogue of VNs that are available in English, the vast majority are only in Japanese and all VNs listed on their site can only run on PCs with the system locale/region set to Japanese/Japan.
  
  The VNs listed on this site also may or may not have DRM, and it varies from one VN and/or publisher to another. VNs that do have DRM will most likely use PlayDRM, which is an activation code-based DRM which also requires internet connection to authenticate. PlayDRM also has 3-5 activations depending on the software and if you’ve used up all the activations, you must contact support and provide proof of purchase (the product number along with the email address that was used to purchase the software) to get more activations. PlayDRM also prevents software that have it from launching in virtual and remote Windows environments (such as Virtual PC, VMware, LAPLINK, Helpdesk, TeamViewer, and other similar environments). There’s also a “virtual battery” system/DRM called “soft-denchi” that may appear on some software. Each time you run the software, the soft-denchi is consumed and once the soft-denchi is fully depleted, it stops working. However, any software sold on DLsite that use soft-denchi contain 100-year virtual batteries, so they’ll run almost indefinitely (you can think of soft-denchi as the fuel that runs the software). However, if you replace your computer with a new one or reinstall the operating system, you will need to charge the soft-denchi again and the previously issued recharge number will not work. You must obtain a new recharge number by accessing the product’s download page then reissue a new recharge number that can be used on the software.
  • IMPORTANT NOTE: For those outside of Japan, you may experience issues purchasing products (physical or digital) on DLsite using non-Japanese credit cards (VISA, Mastercard, etc.). Only JCB credit cards and other methods (see all compatible payment methods here) are known to work without issue. If you’re planning on purchasing any product on DLsite, it’s HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to purchase them using DLsite points instead (learn more about DLsite points here), as non-Japanese credit cards or payment methods will work without issue when purchasing DLsite points. In addition for visitors outside of Japan, using a VPN (with the location set to Japan) may be required to enter or make purchases from the site.
• Steam: Last but not least, Steam offers a massive catalogue of digital all-ages VNs in English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese languages, with a large amount of them coming from indie developers. Keep in mind that while many VNs contain no DRM on Steam (particularly indie VNs), there are some VNs that have Steam DRM. VNs with this DRM require the Steam Launcher to be installed and for the VN to be tied to your Steam account. If the VN can’t detect that the launcher is running, it won’t start and opens Steam instead. In some cases, the VN can run without the launcher but it will suddenly quit or in rarer cases, it stops responding at all. Note that Steam DRM is considered as a “soft DRM” since it’s possible to bypass or remove this for anyone with enough technical know-how, and Steam DRM is only meant to prevent extremely casual piracy (copying all game files to another computer) as it has some level of obfuscation.
• Honorable Mention — Itch.io: This site offers a massive catalogue of free and premium digital DRM-free all-ages indie games from various genres, including VNs. This is your best alternative site to Steam if you’re looking for indie VNs, and if you’re into Yuri or BL VNs you can find an impressive catalogue of them here. This site is an excellent place to support (VN) indie developers so it’s a worthy site to check out every now and then.
• Honorable Mention — DMM: This JP site offers a large catalogue of digital all-ages JP localized VNs, and is a good alternative to DLsite. However, many VNs listed on their website use soft-denchi (like some of DLsite’s software) though it’s unknown how often you have to recharge the soft-denchi on the VNs (I haven’t personally played a VN with soft-denchi from DMM). My recommendation is that you should go to DLsite first for digital JP localized VNs (if you’re worried about soft-denchi and recharging it) but if you can’t find a specific VN or version of a VN there, then give this site a try.
  • IMPORTANT NOTE: For all visitors outside of Japan, you’re required to use a VPN (with the location set to Japan) to enter the site as it’s geo-locked.

Online VN Store and Reference Links (for EN/JP localized digital copies of VNs):

• Sekai Project
• MangaGamer
• Johren
• DLsite (software/VN catalogue link)
• Steam
• Itch.io (VN catalogue redirect link)
• DMM (VPN required to enter site)
• VNDB (for reference only)

DRM Info:

• Learn more about Steam DRM (forum post)
• Learn more about PlayDRM
• Learn more about Soft Denchi (virtual battery)
• See all types of DRM used on VNs (VNDB reference)

VNs with DRM Catalogues (VNDB):

• Full list of VNs using Johren DRM
• Full list of VNs using Steam DRM
• Full list of VNs using PlayDRM
• Full list of VNs using Soft Denchi (virtual battery)
• Hate DRM? See the full list of DRM-free VNs

How to Play JP Localized VNs on Windows Systems (DLsite Guides):

• How to set the Windows system locale to Japanese
• How to set Windows to Japanese
• Note that these guides work for all digital or physical copies of JP localized VNs and aren’t exclusive to DLsite VNs

If you’re looking for physical copies of EN localized VNs, there are very few publishers and sites that offer them. Such copies can be hard to find and/or in most cases are only available in a game console cartridge, particularly the Nintendo Switch (Original). Some well known examples include those from Key, such as Kanon, CLANNAD (both the base VN and Side Stories), Tomoyo After ~It’s a Wonderful Life~, and planetarian ~Chiisana Hoshi no Yume~. In addition, they are JP-exclusive copies and thus you must import them.

For those who want a JP localized physical copy of a VN, meaning that you either understand Japanese, have obtained an unofficial English translation patch (fan translations) from links provided by VNDB, or have obtained the digital EN localized version and you just want a JP localized physical copy for VN preservation (and the physical goodies that may be included in JP first press/deluxe/limited/collector’s edition sets), ZenMarket is my recommended go-to site. ZenMarket is a JP proxy shopping site that’s not a VN storefront nor affiliated with any of the sites listed above and is a great alternative to eBay, offering worldwide shipping. ZenMarket lists new/open box/pre-owned items from various JP sites like Rakuten, Amazon JP, JDirectItems, ZenPlus, Rakuma, Mercari, minne, Digimart, Luxe Auctions, and many others. You can also take a URL to an item that you want to buy from any JP site not listed here and let ZenMarket handle the rest (checking stock, purchasing, etc.). Because of this, it allows you to purchase items from various sites and pool them into one package, saving you on shipping costs and time.

• Tip: To save yourself some hassle searching for your VN (or any other item) on ZenMarket, you should properly identify and list the item(s) you’re looking to buy ahead of time. In the case of VNs, note the full JP and/or EN localized title and you can refer to VNDB for proper identification. Skipping this step may lead to frequent irrelevant and/or inaccurate results, even with search filters applied. My recommendation is that you should search whatever item you’re looking for in Japanese first for improved search results before switching to English.
• Tip: When browsing Japanese sites that don’t provide or have limited English translation, Google Translate is your best friend. By default, Chrome will auto-translate upon loading any site/page outside your set region/language. If the page doesn’t auto-translate, refresh the page. If that doesn’t work, click on the three dots on the top-right of the browser to pull up additional options then select “Translate”. When the pop-up appears, toggle to English (or another language by clicking the three dots in the pop-up then selecting “Choose another language”) to translate the whole page. Do note that Google Translate can’t translate words on images, icons, site banners, and other image-based elements (unless you use the mobile app where you can use the phone camera to snap an image to translate anything that resembles text on the image, or similar tools). Lastly, ZenMarket does provide English translation on all listings when searching for any item through their site.
• IMPORTANT NOTE: Not all JP web storefronts are compatible with ZenMarket using its “search/add item via URL” option, presumably because they’ve blocked ZenMarket and proxy shopping sites in general (it might hurt their business in some way though that can be debatable), or their website just doesn’t support this option due to the way it is designed. An example of this based from my personal experience would be Sofmap/Sofmap★Akiba, after previously trying to add item URLs from their site to ZenMarket (this might change after time of writing). Therefore, try to stick with the sites listed on ZenMarket when shopping (see the list below) before resorting to other sites not listed.

Keep in mind that while there are other popular JP localized VNs with English translations (official or not), the vast majority don’t, which severely reduces the amount of JP localized VNs that can be played in English. So before shopping for any JP localized physical copy of VNs and to save yourself some hassle, it’s highly recommended to do some research first on VNDB to determine which VNs have an English (fan) translation. As for the type of media, physical copies of JP localized VNs are either sold in DVD-ROMs (for VNs from early 2000s and newer), CD-ROMs (for VNs from the 1980s to early 2000s), or in game console cartridges/discs (see next FAQ below). Like their EN localized counterparts, physical copies of JP localized VNs also have no DRM in most cases however, some VNs require the physical disc in order to play them (provide proof that you still own the disc) despite being installed locally on your system. To get around this, you can try to clone the original ISO by copying the files into an ISO file or burning its contents onto an empty disc, then mounting that cloned ISO and check if the already installed VN still sees the cloned ISO as a “genuine” copy. For VNs with multiple discs for storing game data, you’re typically only required to clone one of the ISOs. Lastly in relation to VNs with multiple discs, some physical copies of JP localized VNs require to be installed in sequence using two discs, which can be identified as “Disc 1” and “Disc 2” or “Blue Disc” and “Orange Disc” respectively. In that case, you’d first mount “Disc 1”, “Blue Disc” or whatever the first disc is identified as, then go through the installation process. At some point during installation, you’d see a message that (when translated) says to replace the first disc with the second disc (“Disc 2”, “Orange Disc” or whatever the second disc is identified as). After you replace the first disc with the second disc, simply press the button that (when translated) says “OK”, “Continue”, or anything similar to finish the installation.

• IMPORTANT NOTE: JP localized physical copies of VNs for Windows systems can only run with the system locale/region set to Japanese/Japan. You can overcome this hurdle by using Locale Emulator if you want to play JP localized VNs with the system locale set to English, though this still requires your system’s region to be set to Japan. If Locale Emulator doesn’t work, you can either manually change your system locale/region to Japanese/Japan or create a Windows VM (using Hyper-V if you have Windows Pro) with the system locale/region set to Japanese/Japan. Note that you don’t need to set the Windows/system language to Japanese after changing the system locale/region in either scenario. In most cases, the VNs should work with the Windows/system language set to English (or a different language) but if they don’t work, that likely means you also need to change the Windows/system language to Japanese either manually or through Locale Emulator. If that still doesn’t let you run the VNs, see the second guide link below “How to Play JP Localized VNs on Windows Systems (DLsite Guides)”.
• ***CAUTION***: If you manually change your system locale/region to Japanese/Japan, while there’s no risk of your system from breaking completely there’s a chance that you’ll encounter these potential issues:
  • Garbled Text: This is the most common issue when changing your system locale/region. Many older applications (especially those from regions with different character sets, like Japanese games or software) were written without full Unicode support. If your system locale doesn’t match the encoding they expect (like Shift-JIS for Japanese), text in these programs can appear as unreadable squares, question marks, or random characters.
  • Corrupted Filenames: Similarly, non-Unicode programs might create files or folders with names that become garbled or unreadable if the system locale isn’t set appropriately.
  • Program Malfunctions: While less common for modern Unicode-aware applications, some programs might behave unexpectedly or even fail to install or launch if their expected locale environment is not met.
  • Installer/Setup Issues: The installation process of certain software might encounter problems if it’s designed with a specific locale in mind and your system’s locale differs.
  • File Paths: In some instances, depending on the locale, backslashes in file paths might display as different characters (e.g., yen symbols in Japanese locale), a remnant of older encoding issues.
  • If you want to avoid these risks in your system, you must create a Japanese Windows VM using Hyper-V and a Japanese Windows ISO (as your installation media) to ensure maximum compatibility with all JP localized VNs. Additionally, do not make any unnecessary changes to the VM or to the VN itself (either during or after the installation process) unless if it’s absolutely necessary (you’re troubleshooting problematic VNs for example), and make frequent backups of your VM and by extension your VNs in case something goes wrong.
• ***WARNING!!!***: If the VN you’re trying to install via disc suddenly fails (due to issues with the disc drive or your disc drive suddenly fails for example based on my personal experience in a VM), there’s a good chance that it will corrupt your Windows registry, which can quickly lead to these issues, some of which are severe or critical:
  • System Instability and Crashes: This is one of the most common and frustrating outcomes. Windows relies heavily on the registry for its core operations and if crucial registry entries are damaged, the system can become unstable, leading to frequent freezing, unresponsiveness, and sudden restarts with a BSOD (commonly known as the Blue Screen of Death). The specific error messages on the BSOD often point to various system files or drivers.
  • Application Malfunctions: Programs may refuse to start, displaying error messages like “Application failed to initialize” or simply doing nothing when you try to open them. Applications might crash unexpectedly or freeze frequently during use. Software may lose its personalized settings, revert to default configurations, or behave erratically because it can’t read or write its required registry entries. If registry entries related to an uninstalled program are corrupted, it might prevent a clean uninstallation, leaving behind remnants that cause issues.
  • Boot Issues: In severe cases, especially if critical boot-related registry hives (like SYSTEM or SOFTWARE) are corrupted, Windows might fail to start at all. You might see a black screen, a “Missing Operating System” error, or get stuck in a boot loop. Even if it eventually boots, a corrupted registry can significantly slow down the startup process as Windows struggles to read necessary configuration data.
  • Hardware Malfunctions: Drivers for hardware components (graphics card, sound card, network adapter, USB devices) rely on registry entries. Corruption can lead to devices not being recognized, not working correctly, or displaying error codes in Device Manager. USB drives, printers, scanners, or other external devices might not function or be detected by Windows.
  • Error Messages: You might encounter frequent pop-up error messages during normal operation, indicating issues with various system components or applications. These errors can be generic or very specific, sometimes pointing to missing or corrupted .dll files.
  • If you want to avoid these risks in your system, it’s HIGHLY recommended to use a 5.25″ internal disc drive that isn’t region-locked (and add an external enclosure if you can’t install one in your system) when installing VNs via disc as they’re generally known to be more reliable than external disc drives. If you’re using a VM and want to install VNs there via disc, you can pass that disc drive through the VM in the VM’s configuration settings.

ZenMarket Guides & Tutorials:

• ZenMarket Quick Guide
• ZenMarket article about shopping for items from Japan
• How to use ZenMarket

How to Play JP Localized VNs on Windows Systems (DLsite Guides):

• How to set the Windows system locale to Japanese
• How to set Windows to Japanese
• Note that these guides work for all digital or physical copies of JP localized VNs and aren’t exclusive to DLsite VNs

How to Create a Windows Virtual Machine (VM) using Hyper-V (in case Locale Emulator doesn’t work):

• An overview of Hyper-V (read this first)
• Hyper-V system requirements (read this first)
• How to install Hyper-V
• How to create and configure a virtual network switch (for device/internet connectivity in the VM)
• How to create a Windows virtual machine (VM)
• Note: To install Windows on your virtual machine, you need a Windows ISO file from Microsoft by clicking on this link then assign that downloaded ISO to the virtual machine. Alternatively, if you own a physical copy of a Windows ISO you can mount the disc then assign the ISO to the VM during the VM creation process

ZenMarket/Partner Links and Reference Links (for JP localized physical copies of VNs):

• ZenMarket (JP)
  • Amazon JP (via ZenMarket)
  • Rakuten (via ZenMarket)
  • Mercari (via ZenMarket)
  • Rakuma (via ZenMarket)
    • Rakuma Store Sellers Page
    • Rakuma Individual Sellers Page
  • ZenPlus (via ZenMarket)
• Melonbooks (JP; ZenMarket “search/add item via URL” supported)
• Toranoana (JP; ZenMarket “search/add item via URL” supported)
• Mandrake (JP; ZenMarket “search/add item via URL” supported)
• VNDB (for reference only)

While all JP localized VNs are originally designed for Windows systems, there are many that have been ported over to JP localized game consoles such as the Sony PlayStation family of systems (which include the PS1/2/3/4, PSP and PS Vita), Sega Dreamcast, Xbox 360, and even the Nintendo Switch (Original). These ported versions typically have improvements over the original PC version, such as brand new content or voiced dialogue just to name a few. On the mobile side of things, there’s a small amount of VNs that can be played on Android and/or iOS phones. However, you’re required to use the JP version of Google Play/App Store since I doubt that you’ll find many VNs (that are EN localized) on the NA (or any other region) version of Google Play/App Store.

In the case of DLsite VNs that are available for Android/iOS phones, you’re required to use DLsite ADV or DL Play Box. DLsite ADV is an APK/app (for Android phones only) where you can download compatible JP localized VNs from DLsite on your phone, though an internet connection is required to play the downloaded VNs and has fewer capabilities than DL Play Box. Meanwhile, DL Play Box is an app for both Android and iOS phones where you can play compatible JP localized VNs from DLsite on your device via streaming, which removes the need to download or install the VN data files on your phone (if your phone has a small storage capacity for example). DL Play Box also has exclusive features that aren’t present in DLsite ADV, such as save backups, touch keyboard configuration, and control type switching between mouse or gamepad mode. Note that the DL Play Box app is exclusive to the JP version of Google Play/App Store, and that you need a DLsite account for both apps to download compatible VNs which are also required to be tied to your account.

Alternatively, you can also access/stream your PC remotely using third-party applications such as GeForce Experience*/Moonlight, Sunshine/Moonlight or Apollo/Artemis. Either pair of applications will require some setting up and technical knowhow but if they’re installed and configured properly, this will enable you to stream your PC and by extension your VNs remotely to any compatible device (via an app) such as another PC or under the context of the topic, mobile devices such as your phone. Note that streaming your PC to another device requires a stable and quick internet/cellular connection. If you want the connection to be secure and private at all times regardless of your location, network, and/or device you access your PC from, using a VPN that works with either pair of applications is also recommended. I personally use Tailscale to secure my remote PC streaming sessions and it has been confirmed to work with Moonlight based on my experience.

• *IMPORTANT NOTE: The new NVIDIA app (that replaced GeForce Experience) is NOT compatible with Moonlight because the Gamestream (NVIDIA Shield) settings (which is required for Moonlight) have been removed (only GeForce Experience has these settings). If you still have GeForce Experience installed in your system, DO NOT UPGRADE TO NOR DOWNLOAD the new NVIDIA app if you plan on using Moonlight. If you already have the NVIDIA app, you have to use Sunshine or Apollo instead. If you don’t have the NVIDIA app or GeForce Experience installed, you can still download GeForce Experience from other sources such as the Internet Archive (the NVIDIA website doesn’t have the download link for GeForce Experience anymore at the time of writing). (BUT BEFORE YOU DO THIS, DOUBLE AND TRIPLE CHECK IF IT’S GENUINE BEFORE DOWNLOADING/INSTALLING IT IN YOUR SYSTEM!!!)
• Reddit thread about where to download GeForce Experience

How to Play Compatible DLsite VNs on Android/iOS:

• What is DLsite ADV and how to use the app
• What is DL Play Box
  • Learn more about cloud gaming on DL Play Box
  • How to play VNs on DL Play Box
  • DL Play Box app features

More Information About PC Streaming Applications & Dependencies:

• Learn more about Sunshine (PC streaming host/server; Moonlight dependency)
  • Learn more about Moonlight (PC streaming client/app for Sunshine; GeForce Experience dependency)
• Learn more about Apollo (PC streaming host/server and a fork of Sunshine; Artemis dependency)
  • Learn more about Artemis (PC streaming client/app for Apollo; was originally named Moonlight Noir)
• Learn more about Tailscale (VPN client/host for securing PC streams and much more)

All digital and/or physical copies of VNs I personally purchase for Project Localized Otaku’s Trifecta and Pocket Otaku Project are bought from genuine online sites/third-party sellers that are highly reputable and/or are highly recommended by online communities. You can see a list of them in the previous FAQs. I do not and will never make purchases from sites and/or sellers that do not have the qualities aforementioned or if insufficient evidence is present to prove the site or seller is genuine and/or reputable. All physical copies of VNs (and the physical goodies that may be included in JP first press/deluxe/limited/collector’s edition sets) are visually inspected for any kind of damage or physical tampering upon delivery, and digital tampering when inspecting/installing the content in the disc(s). Secondhand physical copies of VNs purchased from ZenMarket (using its partner or external links), other JP online storefronts (using ZenMarket), or eBay will undergo the same process but more time will be spent on the inspections, ignoring any damage that’s been disclosed/acknowledged prior to purchase and delivery during the visual inspection.

I do not encourage myself to pirate and/or own pirated VNs unless I’m forced to do so if (AND ONLY IF) I believe that [insert VN/VN fan disc/other content here] is at risk of being lost or forgotten to either time or neglect, and/or there are no more legitimate sources left where I can get a digital or physical copy of that VN. This will be more evident if I’m very interested in [insert VN/VN fan disc/other content here]. If I (in the very rare instance) happen to own pirated VNs, they’re NOT SHARED with anyone and they’ll be deleted immediately once I own a legitimate digital or physical copy of that VN. While there’s typically no issue when it comes to obtaining digital or physical copies of VNs since there are a plethora of legitimate sources to choose from, once availability fully dries up for any given VN it’s only a matter of time before people will resort to more drastic measures. If the worst does come for any VN, it’s up to ourselves to try and navigate through uncertain and dangerous waters. Remember, two men did say that:

“Piracy is almost always a service problem and not a pricing problem.”

Gabe Newell

“If buying isn’t owning, piracy isn’t stealing.”

Markus Persson (Notch)