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What are some games like VA-11 HALL-A and Read Only Memories : 2064?
I played VA-11 HALL-A quite a while ago and recently played ROM 2064. Both have similar aesthetics, sound, themes although they have different mechanics. I really liked how ROM had voice acting too which is a shame to say is not the case of VA-11 HALL-A but I still quite enjoyed both. 2064 perhaps more since it felt more engaged but perhaps that's just memory tricking me.
I know there's N1RV Ann-A and ROM Neurodriver coming in 2020 but well, after that, I'll still have nothing so, what games have you played which are similar?
PS : Have a happy new year and hope I've not posted in the wrong place, I'm not sure if it would've fit in the recurring topic.
If you're looking for games in the style of old Scumm Games, best place to start would be some of those original Scumm Games. Go to Scummvm.com or GOG for the open source and purchaseable games for ScummVM, Beneath a Steel Sky being a pretty standout game available for free and open. As far as contemporary stuff, Thimbleweed Park is a pretty good example of what you might be looking for.
Edit: Depending on what version of Linux you're using, BaSS and other games may be available directly from the repo.
I mean, it's not necessarily in the style of Scumm games, it's more so the mechanics mixed in with the visual novel aspects. Although, I do know both games are somewhat inspired by PC98 graphics.
I might just try BASS because it's free. As for, Thimbleweed Park, I'm not sure if I'll get into it, the detective story could be interesting but it seems a little cliché.
What was it in particular that you liked about the games? Their stories, the cyberpunk settings, the gameplay, a confluence of all of the above? I ask only because that'll help narrow down recommendations.
I haven't played VA-11 HALL-A, and I only played part of 2064: Read Only Memories, so take these recommendations with a grain of salt, but two titles jumped out at me.
The first is Subsurface Circular which has a missing-person mystery that ties into larger technological concepts, similar to 2064. It's entirely dialogue-based (think text-message interface) and has a good story.
The other recommendation is one I haven't actually played but that has been on my wishlist for a while. It's called The Red Strings Club and I mention it here only because it seems to have a very similar aesthetic and has been similarly well-received.
I'd say the cyberpunk setting was definitely what pulled me in at first but I'd say it's mostly down to the gameplay mixing visual novels and point and click mechanics (although VA-11 HALL-A has no point-and-click and has "booze em up" mechanic where you make drinks. Basically I want something to think about and a way to interact with the game outside of just reading.
Subsurface being entirely dialogue-based does turn off but I might try it. Red Strings Club definitely has the aesthetic and the mechanics seem interesting so I think I'll check it out.
If you just want a VN with some point and click going on, you might want to try one of my all time favorites, YU-NO. The English version of the remake came out a little while back (though to be honest I haven't bought it yet and so I don't know if they kept the point-and-click elements). It's not cyberpunk but it is science fiction.
I would also second the Danganronpa recommendation.
Do anime visual novels interest you? Given that I don't know how much exposure you have to them, Planetarian is a very nice, short (3 hour) read, easy to recommend to people who have not played many VNs and are curious about them.
Planetarian English translation on Steam
HD edition without English for some reason
Both around $3 during the current Steam sale.
Anime visual novels do interest me. I grabbed Steins;Gate and Steins;Gate 0 recently but the lack of engaging mechanics in most visual novels make them somewhat hard to casually play. I really need to just sit down and turn everything off to be able to play them otherwise I can't follow effectively.
If what you're looking for is "visual novels with gameplay" then the quintessential recommendations are:
If you have PlayStation 4 or Vita, there is the Utawarerumono series, which is an anime visual novel with turn-based strategy battles.
Note that all of the above are not necessarily at all like VA-11 HALL-A or ROM:2064 thematically or aesthetically.