In November 2014, the team at Sekai Project held a crowdfunding campaign to release an English-localised version of KEY and VisualArt’s school-life visual novel Clannad to the PC. A month later, they had well and truly surpassed their crowdfunding goal, raising $541,161 from a 5,819 member strong community. In the years that followed the visual novel was released on Steam where it has continued to receive overwhelmingly positive feedback, while select backers (including myself) received their physical editions shortly afterwards.
While Clannad received many console ports in Japan over the years, in western markets, it has maintained PC exclusivity until now. Sekai Project will begin offering Clannad on the Nintendo Switch very soon as a digital download. However, they have partnered up with Limited Run Games to provide both standard and collector’s physical editions through their online store.
.@sekaiproject's CLANNAD, one of the most successful visual novels of all time, gets its first physical release for home consoles in the West through our distribution line!
— Limited Run Games (@LimitedRunGames) April 9, 2020
CLANNAD's six-week pre-order for Switch opens at 12pm ET on April 14th (aka, the first day in-game). pic.twitter.com/hKEznRRVEJ
.@sekaiproject have recreated the first-print Japanese Collector's Edition 1:1, making it available in English!
— Limited Run Games (@LimitedRunGames) April 9, 2020
This Switch CE will be available for a six-week pre-order starting April 14 at 12pm ET on https://t.co/5Lksol4sqo. pic.twitter.com/3ONEQ2GYhL
You will be able to order both editions over a six week period from 14 April 2020 at 12.00pm ET, while stocks last. While the standard edition (priced at $49.99 USD) will contain just the case and localised visual novel on a standard Nintendo Switch cartridge, spending an extra $40.00 USD will provide access to the Collector’s Edition which also includes a visual guidebook and Clannad arrange album “Mabinogi”. Based on the covers alone, these appear to be identical to the ones offered to physical backers of the Kickstarter campaign.
Clannad on the Nintendo Switch will feature KEY’s original visual novel in 1080p high definition. Players will be able to select between Japanese and English text, however the audio will still be Japanese only.