In terms of building 'romantic' relationships with NPCs at the very least, Prowler is somewhat similar to Grove. But I would at least like to think -- as the writer for both games -- that the rest of the game's story and content (and definitely gameplay) has some differences to keep it interesting and not just a rehash or "nothing I didn't find in Grove".
Thank you for the praise re. Grove's writing, and your explanation of what happens. All I can say is that the reason the game takes the turn it does regarding NPC interactions is that, ultimately, we're an RPG first and not a Visual Novel, and we don't want the character interactions and relationships that should span the entire game being something you can rush and conclude well before the actual main game's narrative.
So those moments you've described in terms of interactions, they're a bit 'significant', yes, but far from the end. Just a milestone on the way of the overall relationship, which is intended to span the entire game. Prowler works in a similar way, where you can't build relationships past a certain point without continuing in the story.
Hopefully that explains everything to you as well as possible. And if you have taken the plunge and purchased Prowler, we're very grateful for you giving it a go, and as the writer I hope you enjoy the game to a similar degree, even if the content and context is different!