Melty Amethyst

[b]Disclaimer: Game copy has been received via Curator Connect.[/b] Melty Amethyst is a short, fully voiced slice of life otoge that's very light-hearted. You play as Hotaru, a young woman who works in a convenience store, and one day you meet a shy guy named Nao, who also started working at the convenience store because his streamer career wasn't very stable in terms of income. While there are only two choices at the end to determine which of the two endings you will get, generally that doesn't ruin the experience if you consider how short the whole game is. The story itself might feel a bit rushed due to time being skipped, but still feels realistic in terms of how Hotaru and Nao's relationship progressed. I'm surprised by the quality, even though it only took me half an hour to finish the game. All of the characters, with the exception of the MC, are fully voiced, and the voice acting is really good. Character art is beautiful, and I liked the CGs. The story is cute without any emotional rollercoaster type of events going on, which are common in the otome genre. The only complaint I have is a few lines of poorly translated text, but they're not really hindering the experience because overall translation seems to be quite decent. Sadly, there's no steam overlay from what it seems, so it's not possible to take screenshots of the game, but I'll give this a pass. Overall, I think it's a nice otoge to pick up for some feel-good coffee break with a bit of reading.

“[i]You are so kind, hardworking, bright and sweet, my beloved. Please be more self-confident.[/i]” -Hiiragi Nao [h3]Plot[/h3] Hotaru Watari, is a part-time convenience store worker who has big dreams of moving to Shibuya. She aspires to be stylish like her sister and is passionate about fashion. At her job, she meets Nao Hiiragi, a quiet, slightly awkward younger guy with a surprising online presence—a streamer who has around 100,000 subscribers. Due to the unpredictability of his streaming income, he takes on part-time work at the convenience store. Though initially coming off as rude due to his shyness, Nao gradually warms up, and a simple, endearing relationship develops between him and Hotaru. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3357533617 The story is simple and short, the story moves quickly for the player, but it spans several months in the game’s universe. It only takes about an hour to complete the full game. The game is largely kinetic—meaning it has no real choices to make—save for one decision at the end, which determines either an abrupt bad ending or a slightly extended, feel-good conclusion. [h3]Gameplay and Quality[/h3] The game comes with some quality-of-life limitations that affect the experience. It runs only in windowed mode, which means you’re limited to a small window or a window with a title bar. There’s also no in-game “quit” option, so closing it requires using the title bar. Depending on your screen setup, you might notice black bars when you expand from the smaller windowed mode. The Steam overlay doesn’t work, which means you can’t easily take or upload screenshots without third-party software or the built-in option on your OS (screenshots only). Hiding the UI only removes the text and menu buttons, but the text box and Hotaru’s sprite remain on-screen, which limits the view. Fortunately, the game automatically clears the text box when a CG scene appears, letting you enjoy the image without the UI being in the way. A log feature allows you to revisit past lines, which is helpful since there’s no scroll-back option. The translation is functional but has notable errors. Lines like, “Hotaru likes girls like that” (where it should say “guys”) and “Help with cashier” (instead of “cash register”) lead to awkward or possibly confusing moments. The dialogue can feel stilted, with many sentences seeming like literal, word-for-word translations that don’t flow naturally in English. Interestingly, the game even comes with pre-loaded saves—presumably from the translators—with one save in a different language that adjusts back to English after advancing. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3357533130 [h3]Visuals and Sound[/h3] Visually, the game is a mixed-bag. The character sprites are well-done, but the CGs and backgrounds suffer from low resolution, especially the convenience store where much of the game takes place. It appears grainy and might even be an enlarged stock asset. This is a letdown, as clearer, sharper visuals would add greatly to the game’s atmosphere. Unfortunately, every CG appears in the Steam store. There’s no in-game gallery, so if you'd like to see them again, it would require you to replay or a screenshot. On a positive note, the music is relaxing, offering a lo-fi vibe that compliments the story. The voice acting is also quite good, adding depth to characters like Nao and the cheerful coworker Hana. It’s worth noting that every character is voiced except for Hotaru, the main character. The game’s opening video is untranslated in-game, though it’s subtitled on the Steam page. The credits are also untranslated. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3357535070 [h3]Final Thoughts[/h3] For those who enjoy short, slice-of-life visual novels, this game is worth a look. It’s a quick read, taking under an hour to complete, and carries the charm of a one-shot shoujo manga. With a relatable, low-stakes romance. it’s perfect for unwinding between more plot-heavy games. Its translation flaws, fuzzy visuals, and lack of polish may put off some players. While enjoyable, it doesn’t offer anything particularly groundbreaking. If you’re new to visual novels or simply looking for something light and inexpensive, this might be your cup of tea. For seasoned players, though, the experience may feel too simplistic. In the end, this game has the heart of a slice-of-life manga, and with a few improvements, it could easily become a fun, short experience for visual novel enthusiasts. Otome Lovers wishes to thank [i]Miniature fleur[/i] & [i]VNka[/i] for providing a free review copy for this game. [quote]When [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/4680120/]Otome Lovers[/url] encounters [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44686303/]The Butterfly Effects[/url], it's a blend of enchanting love stories and the magical ripples of fate! If you enjoyed the review, please follow us.[/quote]

[b]Note:[/b] I received a copy of this game, courtesy of a wonderful friend. ^^ [i]Melty Amethyst[/i] is an otome, slice-of-life visual novel developed by Miniature fleur and published by VNka. You take on the role of Hotaru Watarai, a 21 year old female who lives in Tokyo, wanting to follow in her older sister's successful footsteps. She works as a part-time employee at a convenience store along with Hana Sakura, a fellow co-worker who's friendly and outgoing. As the two are chatting at work, their manager introduces them to a new employee, Nao Hiiragi. He's a couple of years younger than Hotaru, which Hana points out since she knows that Hotaru tends to prefer older men (or at least, guys her age). At first, Nao comes off as rude because he's quiet and he doesn't talk to his fellow co-workers. However, after Hotaru starts talking to him, Nao slowly opens himself up and becomes more talkative although he's still on the quiet side. Especially, he's comfortable around Hotaru, and the two of them open up and learn things about each other, which may eventually lead to a sweet romance. In regards to gameplay, the story mostly plays out in a linear fashion. There is only one choice presented towards the very latter part of the story, which leads either to the good or bad ending. A few CGs are present as well as a varied soundtrack and full-on Japanese voice acting (with the exception of Hotaru). At the time of this review, no Steam achievements are present, and the game itself won't count towards a user's global total until it's out of "Steam is learning about this game". Having finished summarizing the story and gameplay, I'll get to my thoughts. I remember this visual novel being on my radar a few months back when the English translator contacted me a while back, so I was on the lookout for the game's release. Although I did receive both a review key and curator copy (which was totally awesome of the publisher), a friend gifted me this game first, so that's why I put the above disclaimer. XD First, I enjoyed the story. We're introduced to Hotaru, a cheerful young woman who has an eye for fashion and such. I found her to be very likable and sweet, a great main character, although she does have her flaws, like having to hurry so that she isn't late for work. Then there's Nao, the main love interest. I like how Hotaru isn't immediately attracted to him even though she comments that it'll be great to have another co-worker help out and she's happy to show him the ropes. I enjoyed seeing the ever closer interactions between these two. They're very cute and sweet towards each other, and I especially loved when Hotaru would see Nao's kinder side, like when he found a little girl's bunny hair clip and returned it to her. Assuming that you make the choice which leads to the good ending, it was great to see Nao confess his love to Hotaru and for her to do the same in return. The story doesn't end there, though. There is a little more to it in regards to Nao and a bit of drama, but in the good ending, it all gets resolved. Regarding the writing, there are quite a lot of time skips, so the story can feel like it goes by quickly. However, this didn't bother me too much since I feel like a story can drag on for way too long if each day is narrated. With the English translation, it is understandable. However, as a native English speaker, I noticed places where the sentences sounded awkward and could use some rephrasing to make them sound more natural. Still, I can very much appreciate that effort was made to translate this story into English. With the art, it is very beautiful. The sprites and backgrounds are drawn and colored well. Especially, I liked the choices of colors in regards to softness. Of course, the CGs are especially done well. I wish that there was a CG gallery in the main menu where we can view them afterwards. Also, I wasn't able to take any screenshots using Steam overlay (but it's probably possible to upload them using external software), so unfortunately, I can't show off the lovely art. In regards to the music, there are a few tracks that are great to listen to and fit well with the tone of the story. However, when you first start the game, you may need to increase the volume in the settings/configuration area since it's a bit too quiet. In addition to music, there's full-on Japanese voice acting, and it's always great when there are VAs in games. The voices fit well with their respective characters. Especially, I enjoyed listening to Hana's cheerful voice and Nao's quiet, calming one. Overall, would I recommend [i]Melty Amethyst[/i]? It does have a few quality-of-life issues, like the English translation as well as the absence of an "Exit Game" button. However, if you enjoy indie otome visual novels that have a sweet romance as well as lovely music and Japanese voice acting, I think it's worth giving it a try. It has a low asking price, and it took me less than an hour to complete the game and obtain both endings. I am a slow reader, though, since I prefer to fully immerse and enjoy a story, so it may take less time for others. Regardless, you can wait for a sale. ^^ [quote][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44702020/]The Introverted Gamer[/url] and [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/7593237/]Otome Rakuen[/url] team up to give readers highly detailed, thorough reviews of hot romance games.[/quote]

A simple and cute game. A good visual novel to spend a romantic evening. I remembered that feeling of first love.

A short but sweet Otome visual novel. Despite it's length (less than an hour) and (reasonable) price point, the production values are very good, sporting attractive character designs and full voice acting aside from the main heroine. While I wish it had been a bit longer to have a chance to flesh things out more, I appreciate that it did not have time drag. Given the short length, it's really hard to talk about the plot without spoiling everything, but this is a romance between a fashionable young woman and the shy guy she works with a corner store. At no point does the story ever explain why it's called Melty Amethyst.

Dear Developers, I have chosen your game for the 1000th review. Your game is very adorable and really pleasant to read. The characters are cute and the soundtrack helps make it all feel delightful. I also didn't expect there to be some VA (Voice Acting), as well as an Opening Intro! It was all very well done. Albeit the story is short and has only one choice (phew!) -> I felt cozy and fluffy whilst enjoying it. If you ever wish to make a continuation or another story, I'll be more than happy to stick around and find out what else you have to offer. Thank you and congratulations on a job well done! :D :> (P.S. When you go to "Save" the game, there are already three existing save points. One of them is in Russian. I didn't touch them and used my own Save in the fourth slot... This is just a heads up.)

"Nothing ever happens," the visual novel. The protagonist Watarai is a part-time worker at a convenience store. One day, she gets a new coworker, the shy-but-handsome Hiiragi. They talk and get to know each other; [spoiler]their boss says their store will close in a few months; at their closing party, Hiiragi confesses to Watarai, and they enter into a relationship.[/spoiler] That's it. Nothing interesting happens; it's just a paint-by-numbers romance story stripped down to its bare essentials. And that's not to mention the stilted prose; the English translation reads like a machine translation edited by a non-native speaker. Overall, while not awful, I can't say Melty Amethyst was worth the not-even 30 minutes I spent with it. 4/10

Cute but very short