Snowkissed Romance is a dating sim set during winter break around 1994-1995. The art and soundtrack are heavily inspired by 90s-era shoujo manga and anime, so fans of popular titles like Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Marmalade Boy will likely find the style and subject matter pleasing.
As a huge Sailor Moon fan, I find the character designs to be incredibly nostalgic and keep in theme with the designs the anime had.
You’ll play as someone who is heading to the ski town of Yukihari for winter break at your aunt’s resort. You go with your best friend to relax, but things take an emotional turn when your brother crashes the holiday with his three college roommates in tow. They aren’t strangers, however, they’re your childhood friends who moved away years ago.
You’ll have the opportunity to forge connections with any or none of them. It’s possible to leave the resort with a new beau or to continue on your own path alone. You can choose a path of love, friendship, or even choose to be in a love triangle! There are multiple endings to suit the story you want to create.
You’ll be able to customize your character by choosing their name, zodiac sign, gender, and — as any manga reader is familiar with — their blood type. Decide several factors from what your character looks like right down to what their favorite food is.
There are several personality types to fall within like shy, confident, bookish, and more. You just have to keep track of your stats to help shape who you are. Stats include Sensitivity, Charisma, Athleticism, Style, Charm, Elegance, and Stress.
Every choice you make when interacting with others or picking daily activities will affect your personality and compatibility with different characters as well as shape the dialogue options you may be able to use.
Meet the bachelors of Snowkissed Romance
You have four options for romance: Ren Usui, Kichirou Ishii, Yoh Moriyama, and Shinichirou Matsubara.
Ren is confident, popular, and enjoys making people laugh. Growing up, his parents moved around a lot, but now that he’s back in Japan, will you be the stability he’s been missing?
Kichirou is quiet and hard to emotionally read. He’s caring and protective but has a sharp tongue. After the death of his mother, he moved to Kyoto. Now that he’s here, will you be the anchor that helps him make sense of his past so he can move forward?
Yoh is rebellious and flirty with exceptional charm. Despite his playful exterior, there’s the pressure of growing up in an affluent family. Previously, he had moved with his family to Okinawa but got drawn in by a rowdier crowd. Will you be the calming influence that helps settle him?
Shinichirou is a native of Yukihari that you’ve known since childhood. He’s kind and is a natural leader. He works at your Aunt’s cocoa shop and is always there to help. He doesn’t appear to be grappling with anything, but he’s always there to guide and assure you. Will he be more than just your trusted confidant?
The other two major characters are your best friend, Suki Shinju, who isn’t a love interest, sadly. She appears to have her eye on your brother, Toma.
The gameplay for Snowkissed Romance offers several options. You can hit the slopes, relax in the onsen, work at your aunt’s cocoa shop, and go on dates. You have the freedom to shape your day the way you want to spend it. And, you can spend it with whomever you choose. Go alone, as a group, or with a special someone.
By working at your aunt’s shop, you’ll earn money that can be used to buy gifts or do activities. Just don’t overdo it or you might burn yourself out! All you have to do is take orders, craft the drinks in time, and you’re golden!
You can expect to be treated to unpredictable weather and chance encounters through an RNG (random number generator) system set in place. This means that every playthrough is entirely unique.
When it comes to going on dates, Snowkissed Romance brings something unique to the dating sim table. If the characters are friendly enough, it’s possible to go on dates with two characters at the same time!
You can enjoy a fully voice-acted game from talent such as:
- Kaiji Tang (Gojo Satoru from Jujutsu Kaisen) as Yoh Moriyama
- David Matranga (Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia) as Ren Usui
- Aaron Dismuke (Senku Ishigami from DR. STONE) as Kichirou Ishii
- Jessie James Grelle (Satan from Devil is a Part-Timer!) as Shinichirou Masubara.
If you’d like to give Snowkissed Romance a try, the demo is currently out for you to enjoy! I highly suggest that you wishlist the game on Steam and check out the Kickstarter which is currently going on until February 19th, 2025.
The game isn’t fully funded yet, so if you want to support the Kickstarter and be a part of the creation of Snowkissed Romance, please consider doing so!
As someone who grew up on 90s shoujo anime and played a lot of dating sims on ye olden Newgrounds, I’m excited to see Snowkissed Romance make its debut. I’m sure it’ll be bursting with charm and nostalgia.
Also, you can date someone with the voice of Todoroki… so, who wouldn’t want to pitch in?
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