VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

I'm a sucker for the setting and the characters were well written and believable.
Overall a good visual novel.

good vibes, good storytelling, good characters; story ends a lot earlier than i expected unfortunately

An inebriating journey.

Set on a cyberpunk dystopian future, one that seems not so distant anymore, we acompany Jill Stingray, a bartender by trade, on her nightly run-ins with the colorful cast of characters that inhabit Glitch City, listen to their stories, help them unravel mysteries, aid them to escape the chaos of the bustling city life, or make ammends with their past; all enabled by the drinks we mix and tailor for them.

If you enjoy inmersive stories where paying attention to all interactions is key, and a chill vibe with retro inspired tunes and graphics, mixing drinks and changing lives; this is your game.

This game is an absolute gem. It offers a cosy experience that at least to me is unparalleled by any game I've played. I spent a good two weeks every morning playing this game with a coffee in hand and it was truly a treat. This game doesn't have intense cyberpunk violence or any exhilarating high-octane game play. What it does have is an incredibly grounded perspective of a bartender in a cyberpunk city, memorable characters and a beautiful story that will ABSOLUTELY stick with you. Its everything one could want from a grounded cyberpunk narrative, there is even a lot of tid-bits about the world you can discover through reading the newspaper at the start of each day before work. Overall this game is a 10/10 for me, I'm truly grateful for being able to experience this game and I'm excited to see what Sukeban does next.

Overall I think the game is well worth the twenty dollars and even more so if it is on sale, this game will surprise you with how much pizaz it has in a grounded bartender visual novel. The characters feel alive and real, they're engaging and interesting down to the very last one. This game is truly a treat and even has some replay-ability with a NG+ mode. If anyone is reading my review wondering if this game is worth it, it absolutely is IF this is up your alley.

Anyways for those who pulled the trigger and bought the game, have a wonderful time with this game. :)

Sometimes I play games after seeing a glowing recommendation from a random person online. That was the case with Valhalla, but unfortunately, it wasn't a match made in heaven. To tell the truth, I don’t particularly enjoy visual novels, but I keep finding myself drawn back to the genre because of its focus on storytelling.

Valhalla didn’t resonate with me at all. The main protagonist wasn't even remotely relatable. Although the game has a diverse cast of characters, playing it felt like watching paint dry. By the end, I was bored out of my mind and only finished it through sheer force of will.

73%. A stylized visual novel with un-timed bartending and a mature story. Top 10 OSTs ever (and I've heard hundreds of OSTs).

Conversations are usually grounded and interesting, though they often teeter into feeling unnatural as if the writer wanted to cram in as many snappy, sarcastic jokes as possible without considering whether people talk like that.

My favorite thing about the game (besides the soundtrack) is character progression. The game takes many cliched types of bar regulars, combines that with the cyberpunk aesthetic, and creates interesting characters, such as a thoughtful cyborg hitman and a self-aware sex robot.

When first served, the regulars tend to be flat characters, but on repeat visits, they become more well-rounded as they give more insight into their lives. By the end of the game, it feels as if Jill is genuinely friends with many of them.

An extremely interesting novel, I really liked that there is no obvious choice from the ready-made options. A great gaming experience with interesting characters. If only working behind the bar was as easy as playing this game.

score ! drinks and lesbians ! jane is so me
ost is good i like the characters so realistic and enjoyable

Very comfy gameplay making drinks. Also really enjoyed the music and achievement hunting was fun! It did touch on some interesting/sensitive topics that are directed towards mature players, and was overall a great game!

Game with characters that feel real and have to learn about in order to serve the right drinks with amazing music and art which just leaves you wanting more after it finishes to continue to mix drinks and change lives.

This game found me in a very rough and stressful period, and while I'm still stressed, it's both helped me feel way more comfortable about my life as well as having a brighter outlook on the future. This decade old game really feels like one of its kind, and I truly treasure and cherish it for that.

One of the best looking and sounding visual novels I've had the pleasure to play.

It does a great job at setting up this colorful cast of silly little characters and, while the sci-fi dystopian background is interesting, the story itself is decisively character driven.

Overall its main appeal is still the massive amount of style the game oozes from every pore.
So if you like what you see/hear in the trailer, I'd say just buy it for any price and get ready for an extremely comfy and relaxing ride in VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action.

a probabilidade de voce gostar desse jogo é bem alta se vc tem tendencias alcoólicas

An absolute gem of a game. Everything from the soundtrack, to the characters, to the dystopian city, this game does it all so well. You can tell there is a lot of passion behind all who were involved with this game.

If you want a chill gaming experience while getting wrapped up in an unassumingly deep story, this is the game for you. This game is more about the journey, than the destination. The game doesn't hit you over the head with pretentious themes or anything like that; it just tells its story naturally. And a beautiful story it is.

I look forward to the next time I play this game, and the next installment of this series. Cheers to the dev's. You guys made something special.

I've had a strange relationship with this game. I bought it back in Nov 2020 and have only now, 4 years later, finished it. Why did it take me so long? Well first off I played it in real time, one in-game night for every irl night. And of course I had to always have a drink. Because of that it morphed into a ritual game that I had to be in a very specific mood for. As time went on and I got more attached to the characters and the world I took longer breaks between playing, until there were months between sessions. Eventually it became so rare and special for me to play it that I feared it ending, that I'd have to move on.

So I neglected it for like 2 years, forgot the plot and had a excuse to restart after completing 3/5ths of the game. I have so many screenshots of lines from this game, I've listened to Garoad's OST thousands of times, this game is a massive reason I worked at a hole in the wall cocktail bar when I moved to London; I went through severe anxiety and PTSD incidents and this game was one of the few things that just got me when I needed it most.

It's had such a comforting, cathartic and reassuring impact on me during the formative years of my young adulthood. And I couldn't have asked for a better source of all that.

Now that I've finally finished it, it feels like I've grown up. I can let the story end and a new one begin.

Overall, it's not a perfect game but it's a amazing one nonetheless. Play it, learn from it, laugh with it.
Mix drinks and change lives

I've played both Coffee Talk games and Red Strings Club as far as visual novel bartenders go and I have to say this one is my favorite. The cyberpunk vibes are incredible, and the characters are enticing. What sets this game apart for me is the narrative. It sucked me in so quickly. Jill is a character I can place myself in so easily and the rest of the cast are so well written I got attached to them quickly. All in all a great game to play after work with a drink and a blanket :3

Half a century later and amongst neon lights and neoliberal hellscapes, not letting our close ones know how much we love them is still the biggest tragedy.

also talking dog with hawaiian shirt and sunglasses

Very fun! I'm a huge fan of the bartending game play and as a generally nosy person, i had so much fun learning about the characters. ended up being a super touching story, i really liked it

Highly recommended it super vibe and alot of story really touching and meaningfull really enjoying it : D !

Good music, simple gameplay, good writing. Grab a drink and make sure to remember what everyone likes to order. ;)

Absolutely worth the price, on or off sale. Phenomenal writing for the setting and characters. The setting was easy to understand, the characters were easy to love(some sooner than others). They felt relatable and all had pretty realistic stories, which made getting attached to them much easier. Writing was really nice too. It contains mature themes which were handled well, which was a huge plus.

10/10 game, got me emotional, and will recommend.

So fun, very replayable and chill. The world is gorgeous and thoughtful.

玩了很久了甚至不记得很多剧情，但一直会觉得是个好游戏

Really chill game with nice pixel art and an engaging story.
Every character is unique and funny (except for Donovan). All of them actually feel like they belong in the world they are set in. Every dialogue, every scene and interaction really sells that. Characters vary from a douchebag boss to a tough-looking but innocent and upstanding girl (and her cat-girl best friend).
Memorable MC and good storyline won't let you forget this game for a long time. MC has some problems of her own, like having to pay for rent, electricity, and porn. But also one deep problem that eats her from the inside out.
The music in this game is top-notch and some of the best I've heard for a long time.
Chill game for chill people. The really slow pacing of this game is not for everyone.
If you want a game to wind down after work, then this game is for you.

Very good game. Has plenty of varying topics and issues presented throughout. Worth the money 4 SURE. 10/10 would bartend again. (Also, music is a vibe)

Storyline is great and the art is fantastic
Obtaining drink mixing maestry makes it a masterpiece lol

Really good vibes, really good characters, really interesting setting. Can't wait for N1RV Ann-A, .45 PARABELLUM BLOODHOUND, and all other Sukeban Games projects.

I really wish I could turn back time, or manually perform selective amnesia on myself. I want to experience this game again, from the very beginning, blind

But, I'd leave a note for my amnesiac self first, saying "Don't worry about the endings. Just play normally"

Luckily, I DID play this game blind. I discovered this game because of a streamer, but I merely checked it out for a few seconds and then dipped, afraid of spoilers. I do not regret that decision. I LOVE this game. I would do a lot of things just to experience this game for the first time again

A really good story. It changed my outlook for my life's future. I guess Jill really mixed some drinks and changed my life, as corny as that sounds

I REALLY wish there was more though. I'm DESPERATE for more

I want to be clever and end this review with Jill's iconic quote, but I'm not smart enough for that. "Time to mix some drinks and change lives"

If you enjoy narrative-driven games but often find visual novels too cheesy or overly focused on high school settings, you’ll love this game. It has mature, engaging, and well-written stories with a diverse and eclectic cast of characters. Also Jill, your main character, doesn’t just stand by and listen. Rather she actively engages with others, forms relationships, and delivers witty remarks and opinions. And she's a great character herself.

The worldbuilding is immersive and believable. The OST is outstanding, perfectly complementing the game’s stylish and classy visuals.
If you’re drawn to a melancholic cyberpunk aesthetic mixed with outrun and vaporwave music, this is the game for you.

The bartending gameplay is relaxing and serves as a natural extension of the storytelling. You’ll mix drinks, remember customers’ favorite orders, and interact with them like a real bartender would.

Having played many narrative games, I can say this one feels special. It’s the kind of game where you can feel the love and effort poured into it by its small development team. There aren’t many games quite like it.

Only one shift in, and I can tell that this game is going to be absolutely lovely. Get some bourbon, some potato chips; whatever, and get comfy.

If this game is on sale, I think you should get it.

Absolutly enjoyed my stay in VA-11 Hall-A! The characters are great story is awesome and the music kicks ass!

Im not a visual novel guy but this game is cute, the writing is really insightful and thoughtful and it killed time while I was bored at work.

Oh my god I get to play bartender and serve drinks

To a cast of interesting characters

In a cyberpunk setting

And it's all in pretty pixel graphics

Oh my god

Flawless game, ngl. No notes.

One thing I think the game does really well is make the setting feel very real and grounded. It's one thing for a game to tell you about the dystopian state of their world, many games do that. VA- 11 Hall-A takes that many steps further though, making you feel like a part of the world, rather than just an outside observer. And despite the visual novel style of the game, the drink system adds a meaningful feeling of agency to the game, even when there's sometimes a correct answer.

A beautifully crafted universe and fantastic story. The characters are fun and full of color, the story is highly emotional and well written, and the drinking mini game is pretty fun. The humor is fantastic, too. I’m partial to sex jokes, and there’s plenty of those. The soundtrack is a masterpiece and a masterclass in synthwave music, and I find myself listening to it as background music. Depending on your reading speed, it should take about 12 hours to get through all the content. I revisited it after completing my first play through to get all of the achievements. This game is top notch and I’ll be waiting excitedly for the sequel.

As someone who don't socialize that much this game is just wants me to go to talk to people and have fun with them but i can't in real life so we have this masterpiece.
Amazing story and lovely characters that you think about them everyday and night it's somehow you have deep unbreakable connection with them If you want that kind of feeling then it's for you.

Things feel different when I first bought it half decade ago. When I finally play the game, relaxing and 'understandable'.

Silly review innit

"Fore": So you did finish it al last.
Jill: What do you mean "at last"? It's been only like... you know it doesn't matter, what matters is-
Gil: Hey Jill, do you think KGB will find me here?
Jill: How the hell did you get inside my house???!!?!

What is it with dystopian bartending games?
VA-11 Hall-A, The Red Strings Club, even the short bartending section in 1000xRESIST.
Why is something so specific and seemingly unimportant so damn effective? Why is it so great every time? And yet in a really different way each time.

I guess there's just *something* about talking to strangers as the world crumbles until they're not strangers anymore, or at least not as much. To just revel in emotions and life stories that are virtual, but maybe not that fictional. In a quiet shoddy atmosphere, a respite from the ever-approaching end. A lot of these are also reflections on what you think about it, and what you can, or cannot do about it. VA-11 Hall-A is more on the cannot side of things.

Man, I can say with 100% certainty that this is one of if not the most well-written, emotional games I've ever played. I'm not even a fan of visual novels. Hell, I didn't even know this was a visual novel until I started playing, I just got it because someone recommended it to me and it was on sale. Best purchase of my life. If you like cyberpunk, bartending, visual novels, mystery, or I guess just good games in general, you'll want to give this one a shot.

Where do I even start with this masterpiece of a game?

You play as a bartender named Jill Stingray while serving drinks to customers and listening to them ramble about their daily lives. It's a simple concept that has been done before, but it's because it's so simple that the writing and atmosphere can really shine.

First off, the gameplay loop is Wait for Customer -> Make Their Drink -> Listen and Talk with Them -> Repeat. This gives you something to do in-between the dense dialogue sections. Also, later on in the story, characters will start asking you to guess what drink they want or what their favorite drink is, essentially testing whether you really paid attention to them when they came to the bar. It just further simulates that bartender + regular customer/friend relationship very nicely.

On that topic, the dialogue is extremely well written. It's serious when it needs to be, but for the most part, the dialogue is comedic and dystopian with a mix of heartwarming. Every character leads such different lives that you end up having all types of conversations with your clientele. You end up discovering the true personalities of not just these people but yourself as well.

And how could I forget the music? Garoad is such a good composer it is honestly shocking he doesn't do more game soundtracks (besides Yuppie Psycho). The chill bar vibes reach their peak when combined with the melodic soundtrack, It drives home the fact that this bar really is an oasis in a desert; a haven for the many stressed citizens of Glitch City.

If you like visual novels of any kind, this game was definitely made for you. And even if you don't typically enjoy visual novels, I urge you to try out this game. I guarantee that once you start, you'll be hooked one way or another.

Fun characters and dialogue, feels kinda like serving alcohol to a psych ward sometimes

ending was extremely touching. very good game.

I'm not optimistic that we'll ever get another game like this from Sukeban, but I really hope we do.

Banger. Really surprised me with how solid it was. Great soundtrack and some really likeable characters. This probably wont be on any "1000 best games ever" list but for me personally thus hit at the right place at the right time and im glad to have played it. Give this one a shot!

I'm very late to this bandwagon, I love cyberpunk/story-rich games but didn't have leisure to play at the time ;w; really got emotionally attached to the main character bartender who's a similar age to myself and whenever I'd have some free time, a beer, and was in the mood for cool pixel art, lore, and cute girls I'd log on. What more do gamers want?

Cozy story, with fun characters.

A nice and comfy VN to unwind with, with a very relatable main character.

100%ing it is a pain though, that bullet hell minigame sucks.

Best visual novel so far.
Played on 2017. Replayed on 2025. Still the same.

arguably one of the best interactive visual novels out in the market