Sifting Thyme Visual Novel vs Romantic HOLIC Premium
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sifting Thyme Visual Novel
Experience a culinary school romance as a new transfer student. Interact with four attractive characters, build relationships, and explore branching story paths. Enjoy a food-themed otome visual novel with multiple endings and unlockable content.
- Food-themed otome visual novel
- Four romanceable characters
- Branching story routes
- Unlockable CGs and social media content
- Multiple endings
- Ad-free experience
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You’re the newest transfer student at Lincoln Culinary Academy, a private culinary school to find your culinary calling and an unforgettable romance. Immerse yourself in your school adventures as you interact with four gorgeous guys with culinary skills of their own. As you spend time with these love interests, your experience at Lincoln turns to a delicious, romantic journey. "Sifting Thyme" is an anime, food-themed simulation game where the romanceable characters are a part of your culinary boarding school life. The way you interact with the characters will affect your relationship and intimacy with them. Enjoy a romantic school life with 4 attractive boys! An otome visual novel where you choose your romance with an attractive boy in culinary school. A perfectly delectable romance for foodies. ■ Game Experience An otome game with four romance-able characters you can bond and interact with to unlock text messages, social media content, and romantic scenarios in the story! Explore branching routes based on your answer choices and relationships with handsome boys. While romancing four love interests, experience unique scenarios inspired by foods, culinary destinations, the latest U.S. food industry trends, and delicious cuisines from around the world! ■ Features - One-time purchase for the game - Ad-free experience - Unlockable CGs - Immersive MC experience – select as a female, male, or non-binary MC - Unlockable in-game social media content with the characters - Original Soundtrack - 8 different endings ■ Official Website Looking for more Sifting Thyme or dating sim games from Nochi? Check out our official website http://nochistudios.com ■ Social Media Get the latest news from our social media! Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/nochistudios Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nochistudios/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nochigames/ Tumblr: https://nochistudios.tumblr.com Additional Info Compatibility with certain devices is not guaranteed. May not play on certain devices that meet OS version requirements.
Romantic HOLIC Premium
Experience a mystery romance visual novel where your choices shape the story and lead to multiple endings. Engage with three distinct male characters in a narrative that blends dreams and reality.
- Chat-style visual novel gameplay
- Multiple endings based on choices
- Mystery romance narrative
- Interactive story with branching paths
- Unlockable illustrations and achievements
- Timeline feature for replaying choices
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◆ The worst breakup of her life—and that night, she met him in a dream The day her boyfriend dumped her in the cruelest way possible, the only thing Jaime still had was the white phone he left behind. The moment she opened a mysterious app on it, [Dream ConNECTING], she slipped into a vivid lucid dream. Beyond the crumbling dream world, she came face to face with "him"… Is this dream mere coincidence, or fate? ◆ Three men, three kinds of love - Liam — A café owner who plays it cool but is secretly sweet. He quietly stays by her side when she falls apart. - Elliot — The ex who broke her heart in the worst way. Heir to a wealthy family empire, hiding a secret behind his cold words. - Allen — A mysterious man she can only meet in her dreams. Why has he been waiting for her? Who you choose changes everything: the way she loves, and the future that awaits her. ◆ What makes it special - A chat-style visual novel that reads as easily as your favorite messaging app - Multiple endings—Best, Normal, and Bad—where one small choice can change her fate - A mystery romance spanning dreams and reality across 16 chapters - Heart-fluttering cutscenes and 21 album illustrations - 42 achievements and hidden episodes, with more of the truth revealed every time you replay - A timeline feature that takes you back to past choices so you can discover a different ending ◆ Perfect for you if you… - Love otome games, dating sims, and romance games made for women - Are looking for an interactive story or choices game where your decisions change the ending - Want an easy-to-play visual novel told through chat messages - Miss the butterflies of romance fantasy and shoujo manga - Want an emotional text-based game you can get lost in, even in just a few spare minutes It's a dream, so of course it's a romance. How this story ends is up to you. Questions and suggestions: help@buffstudio.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Sifting Thyme Visual Novel at 4.9 against Romantic HOLIC Premium's 3.7. Sifting Thyme Visual Novel also leads on ratings volume (33 vs 3). Romantic HOLIC Premium's advantage is price ($4.99 vs $9.99). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Sifting Thyme Visual Novel costs $9.99 and Romantic HOLIC Premium $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Sifting Thyme Visual Novel holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sifting Thyme Visual Novel has 33 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 95% of Sifting Thyme Visual Novel's written reviews are positive against 100% of Romantic HOLIC Premium's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Sifting Thyme Visual Novel ships an update every 3 weeks, Romantic HOLIC Premium every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sifting Thyme Visual Novel | Romantic HOLIC Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | $4.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.9 (33 ratings) — better | 3.7 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 95.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 33 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 277 MB | 230 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Nochi Games | Buff Studio Co.Ltd. |
Customer experience
Sifting Thyme Visual Novel
Romantic HOLIC Premium
In-app purchases
Sifting Thyme Visual Novel
No in-app purchases
Romantic HOLIC Premium
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Sifting Thyme Visual Novel free?
Is Romantic HOLIC Premium free?
Which has better reviews, Sifting Thyme Visual Novel or Romantic HOLIC Premium?
Do Sifting Thyme Visual Novel or Romantic HOLIC Premium have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sifting Thyme Visual Novel or Romantic HOLIC Premium?
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