It’s an enchanting genre that I don’t see come up as often as it should. I would say my preference is towards exocolonist as it’s more forgiving, and the subsystem breaks up what might otherwise become monotonous.
A few of the things I like about the genre is the tangible growth and the impact your skills have on the story at large. Like the skill dialogues in fallout, but with more impact.
I also like the romance options and slow burn in exocolonist
You might be interested in “Magical Diary”. I wasn’t huge on the artstyle myself (it’s alright but didn’t strike me romantically(?) at all), but the rest of the game was awesome. The characters and story are good and the exams you go through feel creative and more interactive. You are at a magic school and have different solutions based on the classes you take.
Not sure if it would be a hit for you for sure, but worth taking a look at.