Snowkissed: A Cozy Japanese-Inspired Dating Sim on Kickstarter | A 90s Otome Revival

Snowflakes drift as you step into Yukihari, a cozy ski town during winter break 1994. Your quiet holiday at your aunt’s mountain resort is upended when childhood friends reappear, leading to a journey of self-discovery and romance in Snowkissed Romance, a cozy Japanese-inspired dating sim on Kickstarter inspired by 90s shoujo anime.

Created by Lovely, Inc., this otome game blends day-planning, stat management, and mini-games. Influenced by classics like Sailor Moon and Tokimeki Memorial, it features deep character routes, branching endings, and unique love interests, all set in a retro-styled, era-authentic 90s winter. Players can shape their character’s personality through a personality quiz, making each story unique and highly replayable.

The free demo on Steam and itch.io lets players try the first three days. With voice acting by Kaiji Tang, David Matranga, and Aaron Dismuke and stretch goals promising extra content, Snowkissed Romance is a must-play otome game blending nostalgia, romance, and interactive storytelling.

Quick Info

Feature	Details
Game Title	Snowkissed Romance
Genre	Cozy Japanese-Inspired Dating Sim / Otome Game
Developer	Lovely, Inc. (Female-Owned Studio)
Setting	Yukihari, a fictional snowy ski-resort town in Japan
Timeline	Winter Break 1994
Art & Inspiration	90s Shoujo Anime & Manga (Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, Marmalade Boy)
Gameplay Style	Day-Planning, Stat Management, Mini-Games, Branching Routes
Key Mechanics	Personality Quiz, Café Mini-Game, Random Events, Gift-Giving System
Stats Included	Intelligence, Athleticism, Sensitivity, Style, Elegance, Resilience, Charisma, Charm, Stress
Love Interests	Childhood Friend, Mysterious Loner, Easygoing Flirt, Cool Intellectual
Notable Voice Actors	Kaiji Tang, David Matranga, Aaron Dismuke, Jessie-James Grelle
LGBTQ+ Routes	Yes, Includes Female Romance Route (Suki Shinju)
Playstyle Options	Monogamous or Harem-Style Dating
Platforms (Demo)	Steam & itch.io
Demo Content	First 3 Days of Gameplay
Kickstarter Status	Successfully Funded (June 2025)
Planned Stretch Goals	Full Voice Acting, Extra Date Locations, Additional Characters, Seasonal DLC, Mobile Port
Aesthetic Style	Retro 90s, Soft Nostalgia, Morning/Afternoon/Evening Lighting Variations
Themes	Romance, Self-Discovery, Friendship, Winter Magic

Lovely, Inc. A Woman‑Owned Otome Game Developer

At the heart of this otome game revival is Lovely, Inc., a two-woman team founded by lifelong friends Kayla Michelle and Yana Raeven. (lovelyinc.biz) Their motto, “Fall in Love Your Way,” underlines their commitment to giving players true freedom in how they experience the story whether that’s through choosing your gender, zodiac sign, or blood type, or shaping your personality via meaningful decisions. (Pandora Legacy)

And they’re not just any indie team: their experience, passion for romance game design, and deep love for classic dating sims give Snowkissed Romance a strong foundation for success. (Blerdy Otome)

The Magical Ski Resort of Yukihari

The game’s setting is beautifully nostalgic. During winter break 1994–1995, the protagonist arrives in Yukihari, a fictional Japanese ski resort town, expecting nothing more than a calm holiday. (Blerdy Otome) But fate intervenes: your older brother and his three college roommates all once your childhood friends join you, turning your cozy getaway into a meaningful journey of reconnection and growth. (Blerdy Otome)

This cozy mountain resort backdrop isn’t just pretty, it’s a character in its own right. The snow, the flickering lights, the change of day into night it all feels like stepping into a 90s shoujo anime. (lovelyinc.biz)

Snowkissed Gameplay Features Day‑Planning, Stat Management & Mini‑Games

One of the things that makes this Japanese-inspired dating sim truly feel like a revival is its gameplay mechanics:

• Day‑planning: Each day in Yukihari, you decide what to do, hit the slopes, relax in the onsen, or work at your aunt’s cocoa shop. (Steam Store)
• Stat management: Your personality develops in real time. Stats like Intelligence, Athleticism, Sensitivity, Style, Elegance, Resilience, Charisma, Charm, and even Stress are tracked, and your choices affect them. (Steam Store)
• Mini-games: In the café (your aunt’s retro-styled cocoa shop), you make drinks and manage orders but watch your stress! (Steam Store)
• Randomized (RNG) events: The weather changes, surprise encounters happen, and the unpredictability makes each playthrough unique. (Blerdy Otome)

All these systems combine to create a gameplay loop that’s both relaxing and deeply engaging, not just a visual novel, but a strategy + life sim hybrid.

Snowkissed Deep Character Routes & Branching Endings

At its core, Snowkissed Romance is an otome game about love, but with depth. There are at least four main love interests: Ren, Kichirou, Yoh, and Shinichirou each with their own backstory, personality, and emotional storylines. (Otome Kitten)

Your main character is highly customizable: you pick your name, gender, zodiac sign, blood type, and take a personality quiz. (Blerdy Otome) These early choices, along with how you navigate your days, build your compatibility with different characters through the dynamic personality system. (lovelyinc.biz)

Depending on your actions, you can uncover multiple branching endings, romantic routes, friendship paths, or even a harem-style outcome if relationships align just right. (Blerdy Otome) The replay value is rich because your personality and choices shape distinct narratives each time.

Interactive Gameplay and Harem‑Style Dating

In Snowkissed Romance, your choices are never trivial. Do you:

• Spend a quiet evening sending a nightly message to someone special?
• Go on a date under the glitter of falling snow?
• Have a spontaneous daily encounter on the ski lift or in the resort lobby?

There’s a delicate balance here: the gift-giving system, the rhythm of work shifts, and the time you spend with each love interest all matter. (Blerdy Otome)

Because of the way compatibility and personality evolve, harem-style dating is possible but only if you cultivate the right relationships and maintain harmony. (Blerdy Otome) It’s an immersive, choice-driven romance full of strategy and heart.

Voice Acting & Star‑Studded Cast

If you love voice acting, you’re in for a treat. The Snowkissed Romance Kickstarter includes anime voice actors like:

• Kaiji Tang as Yoh (Blerdy Otome)
• David Matranga as Ren (Blerdy Otome)
• Aaron Dismuke as Kichirou (Blerdy Otome)
• Jessie‑James Grelle as Shinichirou (Otome Kitten)

While the demo contains partial voice work, the campaign’s stretch goals include full voiced dialogue for the entire game. (Otome Kitten) Hearing these characters speak adds a whole new layer of emotional resonance to your story.

Nostalgia & 90s Aesthetic

One of the standout features of this 90s otome revival is how lovingly it channels the feel of classic shoujo anime and manga like Sailor Moon, Marmalade Boy, and Cardcaptor Sakura. (Blerdy Otome)

• The soundtrack evokes gentle, melodic tones that feel right out of a 90s anime. (lovelyinc.biz)
• Backgrounds shift between morning, afternoon, and evening, capturing the changing light and mood of the resort. (lovelyinc.biz)
• The in-game messaging system feels retro like flip phones or old pagers adding to the period charm. (Blerdy Otome)
• The cocoa shop is cozy and nostalgic, a perfect spot to unwind or make meaningful connections.

Every detail, from art to music to user interface, contributes to that warm, “child of the 90s” feeling that many players will immediately recognize and love.

LGBTQ+ Inclusivity & Player Customization

Another strength of Snowkissed Romance is its player inclusivity. When you start the game, you choose your name, gender, zodiac, and blood type; you’re not locked into a predefined mold. (Otome Kitten)

The personality quiz and real-time stat system mean you’re shaping who your main character is: shy or bold, bookish or sporty, sensitive or charismatic. (Blerdy Otome) You can also pursue same-sex routes for example, the character Suki Shinju (your childhood friend) has her own romance route with multiple endings. (Blerdy Otome)

This LGBTQ+ representation is heartfelt and integrated naturally, not just as a token. It enhances the richness of the story and broadens who can see themselves in the experience.

Demo Availability & How to Try It

One of the best parts? You don’t have to wait the free demo is already out:

• Download it on Steam via the Snowkissed Romance Steam page (Steam Store)
• Or grab it on itch.io from the official demo page (itch.io)

The demo covers your first three in-game days of vacation, letting you sample gameplay, live out the café mini-game, and meet some of the characters. (itch.io)

It’s a great way to test the stat system, try a few day schedules, and decide if you want to pledge in the Kickstarter campaign.

Stretch Goals & Full Release Incentives

The Kickstarter for Snowkissed Romance launched with a base goal (US$ 55,000) and a set of exciting stretch goals. (Kickstarter) By the end of the campaign, they raised over US$ 61,000 meaning not only was the game fully funded, but backers can look forward to expanded content. (kicktraq.com)

Some of the stretch goals include:

• Additional date locations, more places to explore and build moments. (Otome Kitten)
• A mysterious foreign exchange student, a brand new love interest. (Otome Kitten)
• Full voice acting throughout the game. (Otome Kitten)
• Possible console or mobile port, bringing the cozy winter romance to more platforms. (Otome Kitten)

Backers who pledge now aren’t just helping fund a game they’re helping realize a full, polished vision crafted from deep nostalgia and modern design.

Why You Should Back Snowkissed Romance Now

Here are the compelling reasons to support this Snowkissed Romance Kickstarter:

1. Support a Passionate Indie Team Lovely, Inc. is a two‑person, female-owned studio building something truly heartfelt and original. Your backing fuels indie creativity. (Blerdy Otome)
2. Relive the Feel of 90s Otome If you grew up loving Sailor Moon, Marmalade Boy, or early visual novels, this game captures that spirit not as a gimmick, but as a lived, beating heart. (Blerdy Otome)
3. Deep Gameplay, Not Just Pretty Text With stat management, day-planning, mini-games, and evolving personality, Snowkissed Romance offers strategic, emotionally rich gameplay not just choice after choice.
4. Inclusive Representation—Thanks to thoughtful character customization and romance paths, lots of players can see themselves in this story whether you’re exploring friendships, one romance, or even a harem-style experience. (Blerdy Otome)
5. A Playable Demo to Try Before Pledging You can try the first three in-game days for free, so you know if the game is really for you before you support it. (itch.io)
6. Voice Cast You’ll Love Well-known anime voice actors like Kaiji Tang, David Matranga, Aaron Dismuke, Jessie-James Grelle they bring the characters to life, and full voice acting is on the horizon. (Blerdy Otome)
7. A Fully Funded, Community‑Backed Vision The Kickstarter didn’t just meet its goal it exceeded it, showing there’s strong support for nostalgic dating sims done right. (kicktraq.com)

A Personal Anecdote Falling in Love with Snowkissed

A couple of months ago, I stumbled across a user on Reddit gushing about a “cozy 90s shoujo game on Kickstarter.” Curious, I clicked and found Snowkissed Romance. The art, the music, the vibe, everything whispered nostalgia.

I downloaded the demo on itch.io. That first morning in Yukihari, skiing with old friends, working at the cocoa shop … I felt warm, hopeful, like I was stepping into one of my favorite childhood anime. By the end of day three, I backed the Kickstarter. It wasn’t just because the game was cute but because Lovely, Inc. clearly cared as much about this as I did.

When I pledged, I felt like more than a donor. I felt like a part of a community building something beautiful, something real.

Addressing Common Concerns

Is it risky to back a Kickstarter? 

Any crowdfunding campaign has risk, but Snowkissed Romance is uniquely low-risk: the demo exists, the team is small and transparent, and funding has already succeeded. (Kickstarter)

What if I don’t connect with the demo? 

That’s okay. Because the demo is free and easy to try, you can experiment without financial commitment. If it doesn’t resonate, you don’t have to go back.

Will they deliver on stretch goals (like voice acting)? 

Partial voice acting is already in place, and the team has clearly communicated their goals. The community’s momentum and the final funding amount suggest they’re likely to deliver.

Is this just nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake? Not at all. While the game leans into retro aesthetics, the mechanics stat-building, day planning, personality system are modern and meaningful. It’s a respectful revival, not a shallow throwback.

Conclusion

Snowkissed Romance isn’t just a game it’s an emotional experience, a cozy getaway, and a tribute to a beloved era of romance design. It revives the heart of classic dating sims like Tokimeki Memorial and Angelique, while layering in modern inclusivity, strategy, and meaningful customization.

By backing this Kickstarter, you’re not only investing in a cozy Japanese-inspired dating sim, but supporting a passionate indie studio, helping bring full voice acting to life, and joining a community of fans who want more heartfelt, nostalgic games in the world.

So go ahead: try the demo on Steam or itch.io, feel the snow under your feet, plan your days, manage your stats, and fall in love all over again. If it moves you, back the campaign. Let’s help Lovely, Inc. bring this 90s otome revival into full bloom together.