The fan translation group Snowy Ryujin TL has released their English patch for Key‘s planetarian ~Snow Globe~, almost a year after the project’s initial reveal. Originally released in Japan in 2021, fans will now be able to read an additional scenario featuring Hoshino Yumemi, prior to the events of the main game.
planetarian ~Snow Globe~ is based on the short story of the same name released by Key back in 2004. Titled planetarian ~The Reverie of a Little Planet~, it was the 4th visual novel released under the Key brand. Key (CLANNAD, Little Busters, Rewrite) is well-known within the visual novel community as one of the publishers that specialize in nakige — a type of story designed to have emotional impact on the player, making it a memorable experience (usually accompanied by tear-jerking stories and a happy ending).
~Snow Globe~ was originally one of the stretch goals for the crowdfunding campaign held for the series’ 15th anniversary back in 2019. It eventually spawned both a 36-minute long OVA and a short kinetic novel based on the prequel short story with the same name. This short story was the first of four illustrated short stories in a light novel bundled with the limited version of the original PC release.
This story occurs before the events of the war that brought the world to ruin; at this point, Yumemi has been working at the Flowercrest Department Store's rooftop planetarium for about ten years. One day, Yumemi begins to act strangely, culminating in her simply walking out and wandering around the town. The staff of the planetarium are bewildered, and one of the workers—a woman named Satomi Kurahashi—is ordered to go follow Yumemi and bring her back. Before long, Yumemi begins to run out of battery power. VNDB
planetarian ~Snowy Globe~ is available for purchase on DLsite for 660 yen (approximately $4.56). You can get the English patch here; the instructions can be found here.
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