A couple of questions before buying

[Jindujun93]

As the title implies, I'm currently considering to buy it, though I've got a few questions before I decide on whether I'll get it right away, or wait until it is even cheaper during a sale (which it'll inevitably be), especially as it also makes it easier to judge as to whether they'll bring over the sequels as well. What mainly interests me is (and I hope you'll keep your answers spoiler-free):

1) Assuming I'm a somewhat fast reader for the unvoiced parts (if there are some), but will still wait until the voices are finished until advancing the text, how long would I need to completely finish the game?

2) I'm reading that the game has different routes. Is there some kind of flowchart in the game so that you can get into the other routes more easily, or would you need to start the game anew again (or alternatively, have a convenient save from before the branching starts)?

3) I've also read that the game has sequels - assuming I do buy it, are the games somewhat self-contained so that I don't have to wait on a cliff-hanger for a long time? Or is a lot of the story left open for the next part(s)? Considering that I've waited for about 3 years for the conclusion of another VN trilogy before (the Zero Escape series, though that was in part due to being stuck in development hell), this is something that I'd like to avoid going through again if possible.

[max]

Heya! I'll try to answer your questions the best I can, all whilst avoiding spoilers.

1) Whilst the majority of the game is beautifully voiced, there are, of course, personal thoughts from the main character, Suoh Shirahane's, point of view. In addition, there are some minor dialogue lines which aren't spoken, but they're miniscule compared to everything else. For me, even as a fast reader, I listened to everything on my first, blind playthrough. That, overall, took me about 25 hours. Though, you need to take into account that I got a bad end. If you were to properly achieve the true route, which is needed to unlock the alternate route, it adds on around an hour to an hour and a half of dialogue!

2) There's no flow chart, but there is a small lily venn diagram on the corner of the dialogue box. The two main routes are Miyuri Kousaka and Rikka Hanabishi. I've only completed Miyuri's, which is the true route that leads into the second game, but I'm assuming both would contain their own bad ends, in addition to the bad ends achieved by incorrectly completing the mystery puzzles. The lily itself will begin as a bud, just nearing its time of bloom. From there, it will have three stages until it is fully bloomed. But, if you were to go through Rikka's route, the flower would shrink. And why, you may ask? Because, Miyuri's choices allow Suoh to break through her anxiety and try something new, with her growing as a person, hence the growth of the lily. Likewise, Rikka's choices keep Suoh in line, not allowing her to go past the boundaries of her anxiety, so the flower shrinks back to a small bud in the middle of the venn diagram.
It's also worth mentioning that your choices do not truly matter until the end. You'll know for sure which route you're on if, in the later chapters, the transitional screen flashes with either Rikka or Miyuri's profile. Though, as mentioned before, you must do Mayuri's route before heading into Rikka's. Otherwise, your flower will not bloom, and you'll get a bad end with Mayuri. Don't make the same mistake I did!
Finally, I started a new game over entirely when I went for different routes. It may be a bit tedious, and the skipping is slow, but I feel as if it's worth it. There's some nice little cutscenes hidden here and there depending on which route you choose, and they aren't necessarily centered around said route's character, either!

3) There are four games in total.
The first; Flowers -Le Volume sur Printemps-
The second; Flowers -Le Volume sur Ete-
The third; Flowers -Le Volume sur Automne-
And the fourth; Flowers -Le Volume sur Hiver-
One for each season. As of today, all but Hiver have been released, though it is planned for a release at some point in 2017. I'm sure JAST USA will translate the other three and bring them to Steam, especially with the reception Printemps has gotten so far! I'd like to say there isn't a cliffhanger, but there is, somewhat, depending on how you take it. Though, from what I know, it's only in the true route. I doubt Rikka's would have a cliffhanger. However, I need to complete it before being sure.
In my opinion, I'm fully willing to wait. I've waited for the translation of this first game since it was originially released in Japanese two years back, and I have absolutely no regrets. The artwork is amazing, the music is calming and fits the mood, and even the CGs are stunningly detailed to create a perfect aesthetic for the novel. Each character is unique in their own way, as well. Not one is generic or an utter Mary Sue. I could honeslty play this over and over again, and not once get bored.

All in all, I'd totally consider buying it, at the least! Despite the wait for the translation of the sequel, this one should be able to hold you off for quite a while!
In the words of my own review, "This game is gay. All of the girls are gay. I'm gay. Please save me."