Monster Prom Review

No Prom-ises here

The idea of prom and what it represents is probably familiar to most American students. From an early age, we’re exposed to media (movies, tv shows, cartoons) that depicts prom, and often centers it as a major, magical life event. There’s a lot of fervor in the lead up to prom — getting the decorations settled, finding the right attire, and (perhaps most importantly) finding the right date. All that pressure can be crushing for young people. Monster Prom takes what is often perceived to be a frightening or overwhelming event during your high school years and asks, “what if everyone were (real) monsters?”

Set three weeks before prom at Spooky High School, you’re on a mission to make your chosen mark fall for you — lest you risk going it alone. With 6 potential dates to choose from, the player (and up to 3 other friends) must go through a series of events to woo whomever you have set your eyes on. Luckily, no matter which creature you choose, it's all dazzling.

Publisher: Xelu, Those Awesome Guys

Developer: Beautiful Glitch

Platform: Played on PC

Availability: Released on Apr 27, 2018 for PC, Mac, and Linux (Steam), and on May 21st, 2020 for Nintendo Switch

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The three-week journey starts off with a short quiz that will determine your starting stats: SMARTS, BOLDNESS, CREATIVITY, CHARM, FUN, and MONEY. Stats correspond to what answers your character can successfully select, and serve as thresholds for your prospective dates. You’ll need to meet certain criteria by the end to pair up with your chosen one, but it’s a fairly easy process. To start, you’ll select an area of Spooky High School you’ll go to, where an event will play and you’ll increase the stat associated with that room. Following this, another event will show up, featuring two of the classmates. It is here where your answers will determine who you impress (if anyone) and what type of stat bonuses you can receive for the “right” answer. Generally speaking you can either cater your answers to what the monster you are wooing likes, or choose the option most closely associated with your stat distribution.

There are also some other things to be aware of that don’t directly relate to raising affection. There’s a shop you can visit, which can offer items to boost stats, or serve as totems necessary for secret endings and encounters. There are non-romanceable characters you can speak with who may provide you with items or bonuses as well, so it’s always a good idea to explore and get a feel for how things work in-game.

Truthfully, the first few runs felt a bit like the wild west in that I did not understand the exact mechanics of the game. It seemed as if anything was possible – as if the meetups were random and the answers I chose were always going to be right for somebody. When I discovered the more “gamey” aspects of it and understood the systems a bit more, the game lost a bit of that luster for me in the ‘surprise’ department. That said, I also gained an appreciation for just how wide open the game still remained. With hundreds of possible events and nearly 50 secret endings, there’s a lot to discover, even if you know how to game the system.

Heavily stylized art lends a lot of character to the scenes throughout the game.

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This is doubly true for the multiplayer component. I played this game with my wife a few times, and while no run was the same, they were always a blast. Multiplayer differs in a few distinct ways from the single-player experience. First off, you’re competing (or supporting one another) for the cast’s limited affections. If you each have your eyes set on the same person, it becomes a race for who can woo the monster first. Stat requirements for success are lower in multiplayer, so that part is less of a concern than when you’re going solo. A major highlight is a challenge you can initiate for your group between rounds. A prompt displays on screen that asks players to say an object, person, or animal out loud. The actual challenge is revealed only after each player has spoken up, and players will need to discuss amongst themselves who has won the challenge. Players will then determine the player order for the next round.  To give you an idea of how it works, the game might ask you to name an object, only for the game to then ask players to rank answers based on which object is most likely to be used as a plot device in a caper story (this is not a real, specific example, just an approximation of the format). Some of the fun here can probably be attributed to my wife being hilarious, but I think the writing itself leaves a lot of space for creativity. 

To be honest, the writing throughout the entire game is so charming. Yes, it is often juvenile, but it is also fun. It is creative, vivid, clear, and conversational. It carries a distinct and consistent voice all throughout the journey, both in terms of overall tone, and for each individual character. Despite the light-hearted nature of the game, I am impressed. Or maybe I am more impressed that the game is able to so creatively express these moments while maintaining that levity. However, if you’re looking for a strong, personal narrative, you probably won't find it here. There’s no overarching story aside from your upcoming prom, and the characters don’t go through major development arcs — that’s just not what they’re aiming for in this title, as it's a parody of the genre. What it does aim for is style.

A game with great visual style always leaves a positive impression in my book, and Monster Prom has more than enough to spare. Character designs are bright, simple, and fun — using thick lines, sharp angles, and basic shadows to cut a distinct figure. The backgrounds and other artwork share those same features, creating a vibrant scenery that makes every event pop. Even the UI feels fun, with elements featuring uneven lines, wacky patterns, and emotive pop-ups throughout. This is all used to great effect for the characters (who are all pretty one-dimensional archetypes) by allowing their emotions to be loud and immediately recognizable.

That light, poppy art style, combined with the simple mechanics and fun dialogue, melds together and creates an experience a little different than your usual dating sim. It’s not meant to be heavy. In that respect, it is better described as light reading, or even more of a party game than your usual fare. It often turns into an effort to plan around your competitors, making turn order even more important than you might initially suspect.  There is a simplicity to the underlying mechanics that make this fairly easy to do, and the game seems to accommodate the player by pushing the monsters you’re going for into your events as you progress.

Whether you succeed or fail, it's a lot of fun to deal with the eclectic cast of characters.

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That simplicity cuts both ways, though, as the basic loop remains the same in not just every playthrough, but each act of an individual run. Go to a room, get stats, see an event, choose your answer — rinse and repeat. The large variety in events and endings does lend itself to multiple runs, but the monotonous nature of the gameplay itself wore on me quickly. Seeing repeated events is not out of the question, especially if you’re aiming for the same monster as a prior run. This is unfortunate, as the writing is so clever and enjoyable, and I would much rather view something new in any given scenario.

When you do reach the end of the road, you finally get to ask your chosen date to prom. Whether they accept or not and what ending you get will be determined by your choices throughout. Thankfully, this process is much less nerve-wracking than its real-life counterpart, and even the rejection scenes can feel rewarding — if only because they end up being very funny most of the time.

Overall, Monster Prom is a more light-hearted take on the dating sim format, and not meant to be taken too seriously. While I do have some quibbles with the gameplay loop, the chaotic nature of multiplayer and the excellent writing keep the game amusing throughout each run. The variety of events and endings keep things fresh enough to keep you going, and maybe even asking for more. I think this game would be a great choice for someone just getting into the dating sim genre, or even someone who is just looking for a more light-hearted, satirical rendezvous with some wacky characters.

Verdict

Monster Prom is a more light-hearted take on the dating sim format with a poppy art style, simple mechanics, and fun dialogue. Boasting 47 secret endings, 400+ events, and 1500+ outcomes, there’s a veritable mountain of things to see. If you’re looking for something a little more breezy for you and some friends to join in on, this laugh-out-loud escapade is as good a choice as any.

Image Credits: Taylor Rioux