![monster prom artist monster prom artist](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/damien_00_default_7.png)
You can either play a quick game (about 30 minutes) or a full game (about 60) from the get-go, so an entire play-through is just one sitting. Restarting might sound like a lot of work is being lost, but it really isn’t because of how short a single playthrough is. Obviously, the game is designed to be played multiple times, so nothing is really lost when you mess up (I even restarted once just because of how deep I’d sunk myself with my dream ghostie-girl, Polly). Sometimes you just don’t have the right stats to pull off a choice effectively, leading to even more confusion on repeat playthroughs. Once I was offered the choice of presenting my grandmother’s engagement ring with my grandmother’s corpse still attached to it, or simply puking bees everywhere. It is impressively consistent how funny the dialogue and player choices are, although, the sheer weirdness of these situations often makes it very difficult to tell what exactly will win you points with your intended date.
![monster prom artist monster prom artist](https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/010/691/640/large/xen-vita-untitled.jpg)
The choices themselves are absolutely insane every single time. Occasionally, there will be other monsters hanging out with your boo (heh), and your choice can tip you towards one or the other. Each ‘day’ consists of visiting a location on campus (each rewarding a set amount of points to a specific stat) and then interacting with your monster crush, eventually leading to you having to solve a problem with a choice between two options. Each of the potential dates has individual likes and dislikes, and how much they like you is based on both your stats and how awesome they find you when interacting with them on an individual basis. To get into your heart-throbs’ good graces, you answer a quick questionnaire at the start that establishes your stats (smarts, boldness, creativity, charm, fun, and money) and then are let loose on the student body to either rise on your way to become prom king/queen, or doom yourself to a future of mediocrity because you didn’t get to go to prom.
![monster prom artist monster prom artist](https://i.redd.it/p8k949j38vl61.png)
All of the characters, male or female, are available for asking to prom, but it’s up to you to level up your traits and ingratiate yourself with the monster of your dreams before they’ll even consider being your date. As the player, we can pick from one of four characters, each a monster themselves (as opposed to say, Hatoful Boyfriend where you’re a normal human girl in a school for pigeons), to pursue one of Spooky High’s most popular (or in this case, hateful) students. Werewolves, vampires, zombies, hipsters, they’ve got all the horror bases covered.
![monster prom artist monster prom artist](https://art.ngfiles.com/images/1022000/1022852_misterphoenix_monster-prom.png)
The gimmick that makes this game stand out is that it’s themed around everyone being a type of mystical and/or pop-culture monster. Monster Prom is a kickstarted game from a new indie studio called Beautiful Glitch, and in the spirit of games like Dream Daddy and Hatoful Boyfriend, it’s a comedy-based dating sim. If you walk in the realms of horror and indulge in charming, wholesome media on occasion (because you’re actually a big softy), then continue on. And some of the implications of what these characters do for kicks is super messed up if I’m honest. It’s fun, and it has monsters and stuff in it. Monster Prom is at no point scary, nor is it going to make you fear for your safety or plunge you into an introspective dread where you feel as if the game is playing you more than you’re playing the game.