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A visual novel is a game (usually on the computer but they've been ported to the PS2 and are now big on the DS) first and foremost.

Visual novels (and sound novels if there is no interaction at all except saving and clicking to start reading) are basically novels with music, voice acting (usually), character sprites, backgrounds, and choices to advance the story. Sometimes the choices determine which ending you get, sometimes they are just so you get different scenes for a different experience.

I have a library in the Library section that has examples of the "traditional" and "adventure" style that the text is displayed as.

Sometimes, like in Phoenix Wright and most DS visual novels, there is more interaction on the player's part. the game Utawarerumono is a visual novel, but there is also a strategy game system in it as well.

There are a LOT of visual novels out there, and they make up over half of the Japanese computer game market. Most people mistake dating sims as visual novels, but it is easy to tell them apart as dating sims have little to no story and focus on dating the character and interacting with them instead of being interested in much else.. Even the ero-games on the market (which is what most of the translated visual novels are, unfortunately) are visual novels compared to dating sims. However, most ero-games are mistaken as dating sims because of the stories.

The games I listed above are all appropriate for people under 18, and there are many more.

- Bane Ria