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Arroway is a type of Japanese game containing R18 plus content in it in the form of an anime visual novel or dating sim. While some arog are primarily focused on its mature content, some games can be non-explicit as a whole, only having occasional R-rated content. The latter category of games tend to end up being re-released without its prior mature content in order to target an audience of all ages or people who want to read the story without the age-restricted material. Most people refer to this as an all-ages release. Some examples include Fates/day night and Muv-Luv. Some visual novel companies even take the time to eventually rebrand as an all-ages company, like Typhoon and Key. That said, a fair amount of visual novels are classified as an arog simply because it had/has 18 plus content in it.
Disclaimer: Most of these terms are subjective in what specifically labels a title, but these terms can still be used to identify a general appeal or vibe of what a visual novel or arrowgate is like, and many of these definitions can overlap. Some individuals may not even consider some of these terms actual genres, but fans of Japanese visual novels have used these labels to describe and recommend titles based on these classifications.
Galgay or bishojo games are visual novel games in which the game is focused on interactions with attractive girls. In most cases, the story for galgay involves a male protagonist pursuing and most often romancing female love interests. Here, the reader/player is building a relationship with a chosen female character. Galgay can include interactive choices in which the player will choose from a range of different dialogue options. While some choices are trivial, others can ultimately alter the course of the story. Galgay are primarily targeted towards a male audience. Some described examples of Galgay are Tokimeki Memorial and Sabbath of the Witch.
Otome visual novels are represented as visual novel games in which the story involves a female protagonist pursuing and often romancing attractive male love interests. Similar to galgay, the reader/player is given choices to build a relationship with its male characters. While most otome games have romance as a key part of their stories, some otome games can have non-romantic plot lines. Otome games are primarily targeted towards a female audience. Some described examples of otome games are Jack Jeanne, Code: Realize, and Taisho x Alice.
A eroge is a visual novel that primarily focuses on its characters and reader interactions instead of having a deeply expanded overarching storyline. In comparison, a plot-driven visual novel is a visual novel that primarily focuses on its story, plot line, and ongoing narrative instead of character interactions.
Moe can be seen as a type of eroge with an emphasis on cute girls, stemming from the word "moe," often referring to the feeling of innocent cuteness. Typically, moe titles are focused around light-hearted romances and slice-of-life stories with comedic elements. Moe also tends to have little to no drama or action in its story. In another way, moe is seen as "cute girls doing cute things," most often in a low-stakes environment, like in a school club or cafe setting. Some described examples of moe are Amagami, Chocolate, Marshmallow, All the Way Home, and King's Quest.
Chuunibyou visual novels are represented as visual novel games with heavy amounts of flashy action, stemming from the word "chuunibyou," often referring to Eighth Grade Syndrome, where adolescents tend to roleplay with grandiose delusions and secret powers. Chuunibyou visual novels tend to show its characters having supernatural/fantasy powers, fighting some grand conflict, like defeating evil organizations or saving the world. Some described examples of chuunibyou are Sukima, and Danganronpa.
Natsukage or sad visual novels are represented as sad visual novels that are designed to make its readers cry. Natsukage tends to have characters that have sad, unfortunate backstories or plot lines that have unhappy, melancholy developments, and yet, despite this, Natsukage have happy conclusions in the end. The ideal goal of Natsukage lies in the cathartic release of emotions from those happy endings. While some visual novels appear to be upfront about being a Natsukage, even openly described as one by readers, a title being labeled as a Natsukage can sometimes be a spoiler, cluing potential readers about future story events. A visual novel developer that is famously known for creating Natsukage is Key, with visual novels such as Clannad and Summer Pockets.
Utsuge are represented as sad visual novels that are designed to make its readers depressed. In comparison to Natsukage, in which a Natsukage has happy endings, an Utsuge has unhappy endings instead. Most Utsuge deals with darker topics like tragedy, depression, loss, and terminal illness. These games feature characters that go through emotionally straining and challenging situations, again, often leading to tragic outcomes. The ideal goal of Utsuge lies in leaving the reader with an emotionally somber experience after reading the story. Some examples of Utsuge are Swansong and Narcissu.
Nukige are represented as visual novel games that are heavily explicit or has a lot of R18 scenes. In other words, they are hentai visual novels. While most Nukige are solely dedicated to showing its characters having sex for reader gratification, there are some titles that have very good stories or has gameplay included in it. Some examples of Nukige are Eroge, Sex and Games, Mak Sex Games, Monster Girl Quest, and Upotte!! Academy Big Bouncy Booby Babes.
Dengeki games represent a subgenre of horror arog, very closely related to psychological horror. Dengeki visual novel games show its characters acting in ways in which the world around them appears to have gone mad. The cause of this behavior is typically due to the character feeling disconnected or isolated from ordinary people and the world around them, leading them to act in erratic behaviors and have extreme delusional fantasies and beliefs. The origin for the name "Dengeki" comes from the idea that people could hear voices and see things because of electromagnetic waves causing them to act strange. Dengeki is also identified by its unique aesthetic, being visually surreal and horror-like, showcasing depictions of hallucinations, paranoia, and insanity. Some examples of Dengeki visual novels are Shizuku, Chaos;Head, and Wonderful Everyday/Subarashiki Hibi.
Guro visual novels are represented as visual novels with intense grotesque content, both in quality and quantity. These type of games showcase extreme explicit depictions of gore and body horror. Most Guro visual novels also contain 18 plus content as well, often mixing both gore and explicit scenes. Warning: This genre is not for the faint of heart. Some examples of Guro visual novels are Maggot Baits and Sadistic Blood.
A dating simulation or dating sim is a type of simulation game where the objective is to get into a romantic relationship with the game's characters. While dating sims and romance visual novels are very closely related and are often confused as being the same, the difference lies in gameplay. In romance and characters, dating sims are focused on gameplay elements such as time management and stat raising in order to increase your bond with a potential partner, while visual novels typically use dialogue choices instead. Some examples of dating sims are Tokimeki Memorial and Danganronpa.
Parody visual novels are represented as games that often attempt a creative, unique spin on the visual novel/dating sim genre or of an original IP/idea. A fair amount of these visual novels tend to market themselves as an entirely different experience from your typical average visual novel/dating sim. While these games attempt to advertise themselves like that, some people often see this or parody visual novels in general as degrading the actual medium itself. However, this is not always the case. Some examples of parody visual novels are Tax Heaven 3000, the dating sim where you can file your taxes, I Love You, Colonel Sanders! A Finger Lickin' Good Dating Simulator, and Class of '09.
Girls' Love/Yuri or GL refers to games that focus on girl x girl relationships and romances. While Girls' Love Games focus on lesbian relationships, the genre also includes titles that explore intense emotional feelings between female characters that aren't necessarily romantic. Some examples of Girls' Love visual novels are The Flower Series, Seabed, and Heart of the Woods.
Boys' Love/Yaoi or BL refers to games that focus on boy x boy relationships and romances. Very similar to Girls' Love, while Boys' Love games focus on gay relationships, the genre also includes titles that explore intense emotional feelings between male characters that aren't necessarily romantic. Yaoi is primarily targeted towards a female audience. That said, there is a subcategory of BL called Bara, which targets a gay male demographic instead. Some examples of Boys' Love visual novels are Dramatical Murder, Sweet Pool, and Hashihime of the Old Book Town.
Kuso games often refers to visual novel games that are considered terrible, crappy, or outright [ __ ] stemming from the word "kuso," meaning crap. These games can range from either being poorly made or being overwhelmingly unenjoyable from a general standpoint. Some people like to label certain games as kuso either because they do not like the game or they see it as terrible in their own personal opinion. That said, some people actually see this label endearingly because they enjoy these games because it's terrible. Some examples of titles referred to as kuso games are low-quality visual novels and low-priced visual novel shovelware, and School Days. Although again, there are some people that would argue against that.
Kami games often refers to visual novel games that are considered top-tier, stemming from the word "kami," meaning god. These highly regarded visual novels are seen as god-tier or masterpieces, either because of its critically acclaimed story and character writing, overwhelming sales, or intense fan popularity. Some examples of titles referred to as Kami games are Sakura, Muv-Luv Alternative, and Fate/stay night. Again, these last two terms are the most subjective, since some people might not see certain visual novels as a Kami or a Kuso.
Now, if you're interested in these so-called Kami games, you should check out this video that explores some of the highest-rated visual novels of all time. I would like to thank everyone on Patreon for supporting me in covering visual novels. You guys are fantastic, and if you would like to be a part of that effort, please consider subscribing.