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A Little Lily Princess

A Little Lily Princess Game Cover
89%Game Brain Score
story, emotional
grinding, stability
94% User Score Based on 253 reviews
Critic Score 67%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo SwitchLinuxXbox Series X|SPCPlaystation 5Mac OSPlaystation 4Xbox OneXboxWindowsPlayStation
A Little Lily Princess Game Cover

About

A Little Lily Princess is a single player simulation game with romance, drama and anime themes. It was developed by Hanabira and was released on May 19, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

Newly arrived at a boarding school in Victorian England, Sara Crewe uses her love of books and storytelling to build new relationships. But what happens to a fairy-tale princess when she loses everything?

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94%
Audience ScoreBased on 253 reviews
story82 positive mentions
grinding7 negative mentions

  • Beautifully written and emotional story faithful to the original novel, expanded with well-developed characters and meaningful routes.
  • Charming and expressive art style complemented by atmospheric music that enhances emotional scenes.
  • Caring and likable protagonist with diverse, well-rounded characters who provide heartfelt and sometimes romantic relationships.
  • Stat-raising gameplay involves significant randomness which can be frustrating and encourages save reloading to get desired results.
  • Second act is more linear and rushed with limited interaction outside the chosen route; some routes feel incomplete or abruptly ended.
  • Limited player choices and gameplay impact, with small differences between routes making some content feel repetitive or less engaging.
  • story
    274 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    A Little Lily Princess is a heartfelt visual novel that closely adapts the classic story while enriching it with emotional depth, yuri romance, and well-developed character arcs. Though the main plot stays largely linear and faithful to the original, players influence which character route they pursue, each offering unique and touching perspectives. The story is praised for its well-paced, bittersweet tone, charming Victorian setting, and exploration of themes like resilience and kindness, though some note the limited branching and rushed endings as minor drawbacks.

    • “A little lily princess, developed by Hanabira and published by Hanako Games, is a thoughtful and heartfelt visual novel that reinterprets the classic story of a little princess through interactive storytelling and gentle yuri romance.”
    • “While the foundation of the story follows the familiar arc of privilege, loss, and resilience, this adaptation expands upon the emotional relationships within the setting, allowing players to shape Sara’s bonds with those around her in meaningful ways.”
    • “The devs have turned each of these characters into full, three-dimensional people, each with her own life and story and relationship with Sara.”
    • “I enjoyed the game, but replaying is somewhat tedious because the main story line is not impacted in any way by the events.”
    • “Once you're locked to a romance route, the other characters don't speak to you again, even in the game's main story, even platonically.”
    • “During the first act it doesn't seem strange at all, but in the second act it is because its plot doesn't change regardless of your choices.”
  • emotional
    63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game delivers a deeply emotional and heartwarming experience, with touching storylines that evoke a wide range of feelings from joy to heartbreak. Its sensitive handling of relationships, expressive characters, and fitting soundtrack combine to create a memorable and immersive narrative that often moves players to tears. Overall, it is praised for its wholesome, heartfelt storytelling and emotional depth.

    • “I played this way back in like 2017ish and I distinctly remember that I cried through most of it, it was like in the span of a single night much of which I just spent bawling.”
    • “This is just perfect in every way and does everything way better even though it is the very first attempt to adapt the novel, the amazing soundtracks, the great characters, the voice acting—everything just makes it feel so alive and make you feel attached to not only Sara Crewe but all of the characters. In my opinion, a must-watch for everyone who wants to experience an amazing and emotional story; this will not disappoint you at all.”
    • “But overall, it does a great job of drawing you in and making you care, able to move you on a number of emotional levels, from childlike joy and wonderful friendship to crushing heartbreak and even rage.”
  • gameplay
    50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in this visual novel is light and primarily revolves around simple stat-raising and scheduling mechanics to unlock character events, with minimal challenge and reliance on RNG that can feel tedious over multiple playthroughs. While some appreciate the added variety and thematic fit of these mechanics, others find them shallow or merely a token inclusion that doesn't significantly impact the narrative experience. Overall, the gameplay is accessible, non-frustrating, and complements the story without overshadowing it, though it may not satisfy those seeking depth or meaningful choices.

    • “Unlike purely linear visual novels, A Little Lily Princess incorporates light stat-raising and scheduling mechanics that add an element of strategy to the experience.”
    • “The gameplay is simple stat-raising: you choose activities to raise different stats, and use the stats gained to unlock the girls' events.”
    • “I like the game mechanic of building up attribute points and spending them on scenes, rather than the typical 'grinding to a particular level to unlock' you usually see in similar relationship building games.”
    • “The narratives are quite good (if a bit idealistic) and the art is alright so it's not bad if you can get it for cheaper but dear god just so you know the gameplay is literally just resetting at save points over and over again to get good rng.”
    • “Some mechanics get tedious by your 3rd playthrough, such as a random chance of learning nothing for a day.”
    • “Maybe the weakest part of the game is the resource management mechanic, which is very much dependent on RNG and doesn’t by itself add any real challenge to the game, unless you strategize to unlock multiple routes in the first chapter.”
  • music
    47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is consistently praised for its emotional depth, delicate compositions, and effective atmospheric support that enhances the storytelling and mood. While not always complex or standout, the soundtrack is fitting, well-paced, and memorable, often eliciting strong emotional responses from players. Overall, the music, alongside the art, significantly contributes to a deeply immersive and moving experience.

    • “The soundtrack features gentle compositions that enhance the emotional beats of the story, creating a consistent and immersive mood.”
    • “The music too was very fitting for the setting and various moods of the story—light and princess-like for the earlier game, with somber, heart-wrenching pieces for the latter half, all very dreamy in the way a fairy tale might sound.”
    • “In the climax of the story, the music is used perfectly, giving me goosebumps.”
    • “The music of this novel is honestly nothing special or fancy, but it really does its job at supporting the different scenes and scenarios of the novel.”
    • “And I think the soundtrack of this novel may not excel at this job, but definitely covers the necessities.”
    • “Overall, in terms of pure quality of the soundtrack and the artworks, characters, and backgrounds, this novel might be just a decent experience at best and pretty standard.”
  • graphics
    33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features a charming, anime-inspired art style that beautifully complements its Victorian setting, with consistently adorable and well-crafted character designs and backgrounds. The artwork is praised for its quality, appeal, and ability to enhance the story's atmosphere, often described as lovely, cute, and visually delightful. Overall, the graphics significantly contribute to an engaging and emotionally resonant experience.

    • “Visually, the game adopts a soft anime-inspired art style that complements its Victorian setting.”
    • “The artwork is beautiful, the writing is smooth, the music is atmospheric, and each interaction presented to the player easily flowed into the subsequent consequences from making said choice.”
    • “The art style is gorgeous, if pretty anime-esque, but it matched the feel-good tone of the game.”
    • “Overall, in terms of pure quality of the soundtrack and the artworks, characters, and backgrounds, this novel might be just a decent experience at best and pretty standard.”
    • “Story/graphics 8 of 10;”
    • “The artwork is well done, not too messy, not too 'perfect', and the explanations of the icons during lessons help you to get the events you want or still need.”
  • grinding
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is generally manageable and not overly tedious, thanks to an engaging stat-raising system that ties attribute-building to unlocking scenes rather than conventional leveling. While some players find replaying and achieving all routes a bit grindy, features like a useful skip function help mitigate repetitiveness, keeping the experience enjoyable. Overall, grinding is present but balanced, maintaining player interest without becoming frustrating.

    • “The stat raising is easy and not too tedious.”
    • “It involves stat raising, but it is not tedious or annoying.”
    • “The game thus gets lonely, grindy, and a hair boring in spite of Sarah's budding romance.”
    • “Black Closet is fun, but a bit tedious to get all the routes. This game gets everything right: the artwork and story are amazing, but you might bore yourself trying to see all the routes you are interested in.”
    • “I enjoyed the game, but replaying is somewhat tedious because the main storyline is not impacted in any way by the events.”
  • character development
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is notably improved from the original novel, offering engaging story segments and meaningful interactions with well-designed, appealing characters. The writing and art complement each other, featuring charming character designs, beautiful CGs, and unlockable scenes that enhance the overall experience. Despite some simplicity in progression, the development feels well-executed and adds depth to the narrative.

    • “It just offers more conversation and character development with each "event".”
    • “Character development skyrocketed in comparison to the original novel, and despite our little Sara being a virtual Mary Sue, it falls on the favorable side of main characters.”
    • “It just offers more conversation and character development with each 'event'.”
    • “It's fairly simple in how the character development is managed and story segments unlocked by gradually upgrading qualities, but nicely executed and engaging.”
  • atmosphere
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game excels in creating a richly detailed and immersive English boarding school atmosphere, enhanced by beautiful artwork, period-appropriate backgrounds, and soothing, memorable music. The writing complements the setting perfectly, delivering a smooth narrative flow that deeply engages players. Overall, the atmospheric elements work harmoniously to reinforce the tone without overshadowing the story.

    • “Backgrounds capture the atmosphere of the boarding school and surrounding London streets, reinforcing the period tone without overwhelming the narrative focus.”
    • “This game is so good with its English atmosphere and setting and I absolutely loved all the details in it.”
    • “The atmosphere is very soothing, with the soundtracks becoming dislodged in your head for weeks on end.”
  • humor
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in this visual novel is praised for being genuinely funny and well-integrated with the story, balancing humor with heartfelt and emotional moments. Specific character quirks, like Sara's "princess" dress, add charming and amusing touches that enhance the overall experience.

    • “I've always had funny feelings about visual novels, but this one is absolutely a gem in its format!”
    • “Each of the routes were at times funny, heart-breaking, touching, and fantastical — evocative of the original novel it was based on.”
    • “Random aside: I felt like laughing whenever I saw Sara's 'princess' dress, mostly because it was the most frilly and cutesy thing I have ever seen and didn't quite mesh with her character, but whatever I loved it anyways.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers strong replayability with six different routes, including non-romantic options, and a scheduling system that adds variety. However, some unpredictability due to stat thresholds and random events may affect the experience. Overall, multiple playthroughs are encouraged, providing 7-8 hours per run.

    • “There are six routes, not all of which are romantic, so there’s plenty of replay value here.”
    • “Played the entire game in one sitting, took 7-8 hours to read through, and lots of replay value with 5 other characters.”
    • “While the scheduling system adds replay value, it can occasionally feel unpredictable, as certain events depend on stat thresholds or random outcomes.”
  • stability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game demonstrates strong stability, with users reporting no glitches or technical issues during gameplay.

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67%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews
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7h Median play time
7h Average play time
7-7h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

A Little Lily Princess is a simulation game with romance, drama and anime themes.

A Little Lily Princess is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

On average players spend around 7 hours playing A Little Lily Princess.

A Little Lily Princess was released on May 19, 2016.

A Little Lily Princess was developed by Hanabira.

A Little Lily Princess has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked A Little Lily Princess for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

A Little Lily Princess is a single player game.

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