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🧰 Useful Tools

Essential tools and utilities to enhance your visual novel reading experience, from text extraction to productivity improvements.

🧠 Text Hookers

  • Textractor (Chenx211 Fork) — Modern fork of the classic texthooker. Best for most modern Windows VNs. | Guide
  • Agent — Script-based texthooker used for cases where normal text-hookers won't work. Many scripts for emulated games are available. | Guide
  • ITHVNR — Replaced by textractor, but may work better with certain older games.
  • LunaTranslator — More bloated than all of the other options, but may work when the others fail and does have legitimately useful features. Apparently controversial for stealing code from Agent and Textractor, but must be included as a more modern texthooker. You better turn off the MTL if you actually intend to learn anything.

📖 Dictionaries

  • Yomitan — The browser based dictionary extension that everyone loves.
  • JL — The hover dictionary program made specifically for VN readers. | Guide

🧪 OCR Tools

  • OwOCR — An optical character recognition program that can make reading Japanese text from visual novels much easier. | Guide
  • GameSentenceMiner — GUI alternative to OwOCR with additional features for sentence mining.
  • MeikiPop — OCR popup dictionary tool.
  • YomiNinja — OCR and dictionary tool that extracts text from any visual content and overlays it for seamless dictionary lookups.

⏰ Time Management & Productivity

  • VNTimeTracker — Track your reading progress across visual novels. | Guide
  • ManicTime — Automatic time tracking software to monitor your reading sessions.
  • Cold Turkey — Website and application blocker to help maintain focus while reading.
  • Plucky — Advanced self-control filter with command line support for blocking distracting websites and applications. Only works with Chromium-based browsers.
  • Procrastitracker — Lightweight Windows time tracker that automatically monitors application usage.

🎮 Controller Support

  • JoyToKey — Controller-to-keyboard mapping software for using gamepads with visual novels.
  • DS4Windows — Tool for using PlayStation controllers on Windows with advanced customization.

🖥️ Display & Window Management

  • Hover — Simple python application that makes any window invisible until you hover over it.
  • Magpie — General-purpose window upscaler for Windows 10/11, useful for playing older games at higher resolutions.
  • ShaderGlass — Real-time shader effects for any Windows application, useful for enhancing visual novels.
  • DxWnd — Tool for running older games in windowed mode and fixing compatibility issues.
  • QuickChangeResolution — Small utility for quickly changing display resolution.

📱 Android/Mobile

  • ExaGear — Windows emulator for Android that allows you to play Windows games and visual novels on mobile devices.
  • Kirikiroid2Yuri — Android application for playing visual novels made with the Kirikiri engine (.xp3 format files).

🔧 Miscellaneous

  • JDownloader — Download manager for handling file hosting services and bulk downloads. | Guide
  • ShareX — Advanced screenshot and screen capture tool with automation features.
  • Daemon Tools — Virtual drive software for mounting disc images.
  • Locale Emulator — Tool for running Japanese applications with proper locale settings without changing system locale.
  • Bottles — Linux compatibility layer for easily running Windows visual novels and applications with Wine. Works well with textractor.