It's my devout hope that Bright Oak will fulfill that for you, as well! 🌿
My reason in choosing the "relationship" tag is to better represent the scope of interactions the story represents-- not only between the player character and a chosen someone, but also among the rest of the cast; and not only restricted to romantic love, but further encompassing friendship and found family. After all: there is a lot of range and nuance that fall under the larger umbrella of "relationships". ✨
The demo is just the first act of three, and focuses primarily on introducing the characters and setting; with that now set, the rest of the game involves deepening the interactions between characters, as well as addressing the overarching narrative storyline. The MC/Kit is naturally a major hub in that, and while I did my best to leave enough breathing room to accommodate a variety of different players, I do consider Kit as coming with a pre-established personality, which becomes increasingly evident as the tension mounts.
Looking at the game you cite, it does look absolutely fantastic! --and it also looks like it has a very, very different shape and aim from Bright Oak (to say nothing of having been made by a group over four times the size of my tiny studio 🫣). Bright Oak does feature relationships as a major story element, but I would not say that Bright Oak is either a dating sim, nor would I describe it as a romance first and foremost. It is not focused on stat-building, nor customizing appearances, nor is the overall narrative predicated entirely on player choice: there is a specific vision and story I wanted to tell with Bright Oak, and while it is my dear hope that people will enjoy shaping and exploring the way that story unfolds, I totally understand if that isn't what you're looking for. 💕
Thank you so much for taking the time to play the demo, and for leaving a response so clearly close to your heart; I hope that the finished story will meet your standards, and if it doesn't, that you're able to find many others that do! 🌿