Well, this is it. If there is one VN released on Steam that I shall wholeheartedly recommend, it has got to be this one.

Here are a few tracks that you can listen to while reading my review; all of them are BGMs from the game, composed by the great Mizutsuki Ryo, that I have transcribed and performed after being deeply moved by the story of Kinkoi.

Golden Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb8Ep9RLX90
Sylvia's Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvCRmny3k7E
fortune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxsRMtUvaI0

Feel free to save these links and revisit them once you’ve finished reading the VN; these tracks will take on deeper significance once you have experienced the stories associated with them.

Kinkoi: Golden Loveriche (a.k.a. “Kin’iro Loveriche”) is VN maker SAGA PLANETS’ most successful work in recent years. Originally released in late 2017, the game not only won numerous awards in Japan, but prompted the company to release its first fandisc (an expansion pack of sorts for VNs, but sold as a standalone product) in over a decade.

The story of Kinkoi is not a complex one; our protagonist, Ichimatsu Ouro, transferred into a high school full of rich kids after a series of coincidence took place. He would move on to find the love of his life at this school, per the reader’s choice. What sets this game apart from the vast majority of VNs, I believe, is the touch of humanity that shines through its story, plus the unparalleled art by the likes of Hontani Kanae and Toranosuke (also, this was the first 1080P VN by SAGA PLANETS; it’s also available now in 1440P in this international edition!), the spectacular voice acting by the likes of Kotorii Yuuka and Nekomura Yuki, and the absolutely astounding BGM compositions, which hopefully you’ve already had a taste of by now. On a slightly more perverted note, this game is also a rarity for SAGA PLANETS in the sense that it has quite a few scenes with more than two people in action; a highly welcome change, if you ask me.

Whether you want to enjoy the story, the art, the casting, the music, or the adult content, I can wholeheartedly recommend that you give this game a try, whether you’re a seasoned VN reader or a first-timer. As for me, I have bought the original game, its fandisc, and numerous merch over the years, and yet here I am, buying it once again on Steam. Why, you ask? To support SAGA PLANETS and the hardworking localization teams at NekoNyan and Hikari Field, of course! SAGA PLANETS has been my favorite VN maker for long, and I was overjoyed to learn that Kinkoi would become their first venture into the international market by partnering with NekoNyan & Hikari Field. (Did I mention that the adult content in this international edition is uncensored??) Good work, and a big thank you, to all involved! Now, please allow me to once again take this opportunity to lobby for my favorite VN of all time, Karumaruka * Circle (an earlier work of SAGA PLANETS), to also be released on Steam in the future. I cannot wait for the day when all the great works of SAGA PLANETS can be enjoyed by VN fans all around the world. Until then (and even after that), what I’ll do is continue to support all of you that make it happen through hard work. You guys are awesome.

(A note on the story of Kinkoi: You may see some people describing it as a tragedy, with which I respectfully disagree. Discussing this topic in detail without spoiling the plot is impossible, so I will leave it to you to discover the story and decide for yourself; but even if you find the story a tragedy after reading through it, know that there’s still the fandisc, due to be released on Steam in the future, which will turn the whole story around for you. It’s quite magical, and I didn’t think it was possible prior to the fandisc’s release, but I was happy to be proven wrong.)

The Time has come. For any of you who badly needed a better ending for Ria after reading through the original Kinkoi, this is the moment you've been waiting for. NekoNyan calls this new Ria route "alternate universe," but it's actually something better; I'll leave it at that and let you explore it on your own. But I'll say this: for all her hard work and unwavering resolve, Ria undeniably deserves better. If you haven't played the original Kinkoi, and are wondering what I'm talking about, you should get the original right now, and give it a try. I wrote a review for that game too, which can be found here: https://steamcommunity.com/id/cklodar/recommended/1277940

As I did in that review, I will post below links to my covers of three of the most memorable soundtracks of the game, all of which were composed by the great Mizutsuki Ryo, and were transcribed and performed by yours truly; it was the only time ever where I was so moved by the story of a VN that I went through with transcribing so many of its tracks, just so I could express how I feel through my hands and a piano personally. (Piano sheets are available for download BTW, so you can play them too.)

Golden Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb8Ep9RLX90
Sylvia's Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvCRmny3k7E
fortune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxsRMtUvaI0

Kin'iro Loveriche -Golden Time-, a.k.a. Kinkoi: Golden Time (or Kinkoi GT), was originally released in February 2019, a year and two months after the phenomenally successful release of the original Kinkoi. It was the first time where its maker, SAGA PLANETS, released a fandisc for any of its VNs in more than a decade. As a fandisc, Kinkoi GT contains two types of content: a collection of short follow-up stories to each of the routes in the original game (and to some of the new routes), and three new routes stemming from the so-called "alternate universe." As such, if you're not familiar with fandiscs of VNs, parts of the game might feel slightly disconnected; but even those follow-up stories to Ria's & Sylvia's original routes contain critical information that will help you appreciate the new Ria route ever more, so make sure you finish everything else in Kinkoi GT before you're ready to push open the gate to the grand finale.

Ria's new route is not everything that this fandisc has to offer, though; the other two routes of the "alternate universe" are worth a read too, if for rather different reasons. Mina's route is a sweet love story that will undoubtedly make anyone who bemoaned her lack of a route in the original Kinkoi happy; Ayaka similarly gains a personal route in Kinkoi GT, but this one is anything but ordinary: you'll either love it or hate some fundamental elements of it. Regardless, though, this route packs a ton of hilarious moments, and it's arguably worth reading for this reason alone.

(Update: I have been reminded that there is a third type of content in Kinkoi GT that doesn't fit into either the "alternate universe" or the "follow-up" category: it's a short story that is unlocked after completing Ayaka's route, ostensibly filling the role of her route's follow-up story, but is actually set in an imaginary universe where one of the key assumptions of her route flips around. This story is where the writer (and the voice actresses / actors as well) has a ton of fun, breaks the fourth wall constantly, and also throws in some really good H scenes. Importantly, it appears that for the Steam version, you won't see the option for this short story unless you install the adult patch, available for free on NekoNyan's website. I don't know why you wouldn't want to enjoy the game in its fullest form, though. ;) )

As with the original game, Kinkoi GT comes with top-notch art (although Mina did get a slight downgrade, as her original artist, Hisama Kumako, was ill during production and was partially replaced by Pudding Pudding, who unfortunately didn't quite draw her right in a couple of CGs), excellent casting, and unrivaled soundtracks. The combination of the original Kinkoi and Kinkoi GT provides a perfect gateway to the fascinating world of visual novels for those who haven't had a taste of the genre before and aren't aware of the magic that is novel accompanied by art and sound, while also packing a powerful emotional punch for VN veterans. Give the Kinkoi franchise a try if you haven't; I doubt you'll ever regret it.

This final part is a tradition for my VN reviews: the reason I buy these Steam releases and write reviews. I bought both Kinkoi & Kinkoi GT on pre-order from Japan back in the day, along with loads of merch through the years. I buy this game again on Steam in order to support NekoNyan & Hikari Field in their noble quest to bring great VNs to the global market and expand the medium's influence. Recently NekoNyan has announced, much to my excitement, the planned release of another two recent works of SAGA PLANETS: Floral Flowlove and Kakenuke ★ Seishun Sparking. While I understand that, to be released on Steam, SAGA PLANETS' earlier works face the issue of Visual Art's actually holding their copyrights, I can still hope, that one day, the obstacles will be overcome, and we'll see Karumaruka * Circle, one of their earlier works and my favorite VN of all time, released on Steam and enjoyed by VN fans all around the world. I cannot wait to write a Steam review for it. Until then, please keep up your great work, NekoNyan & Hikari Field!