Where to get it

2014 · Adventure · Indie

Always Sometimes Monsters

Timed PlayStation exclusive

Always Sometimes Monsters is a unique role-playing game set in the modern world. You take on the life of your character for 30 days as you try and make it from the east coast to the west coast before your one true love marries someone else.

Released: 21 May 2014
Platforms: Android Linux Nintendo Switch PlayStation 4 Windows iOS macOS
Genres: Adventure Indie LGBT themes Role-playing Simulation
Developers: —
Publishers: Devolver Digital
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Third person Bird view / Isometric
Themes: Drama
Engine: RPG Maker VX
Country: Canada
Age ratings: PEGI 18 ESRB M
Languages: English
Time to beat: 9hmain story17hwith extras12hcompletionist

About

Always Sometimes Monsters is a 2014 role-playing video game developed by Canadian studio Vagabond Dog and published by Devolver Digital for Microsoft Windows. A later update using the MonoGame framework brought the game to OS X and Linux on 8 January 2015, iOS and Android on 28 May 2015 and PlayStation 4 on 10 October 2017. After Vagabond Dog acquired the publishing rights to the game, a port to the Nintendo Switch were released.

The game puts players in the role of an author who receives notice that the love of their life is marrying someone else across the country within a month. After being evicted from their apartment on the east coast, players then head to the west coast in order to intercept the wedding and win back the love they lost.

›Story

Your pockets are empty.

Your life is in shambles.

You've ruined your career.

You're being evicted.

The love of your life is marrying someone else.

With precious little time left you make a last-ditch effort to salvage your world.

How far will you be willing to go to make things right again?

What are you willing to sacrifice for one more chance at happiness?

Who are you willing to hurt in the process?

Who could judge you?

In the end, aren't we always sometimes monsters?

Players say

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

As the game starts, players are introduced to their character through a narrative sequence that allows the selection of their character and love interest. The player's relationship with their love interest can be both straight or gay, depending on their choice. From there, the game begins its narrative, told through text windows supported by character portraits. Players make choices in dialogue and in action to alter the course of the story and change the fate of their protagonist.

Players can walk around to explore city environments, interact with NPCs, and find the means to earn money so they may progress to the next location. This often means taking repetitive odd jobs for low pay, or compromising a concept of morality.

Reception

The PlayStation 4 version received "favourable" reviews, while the PC and iOS versions received "mixed or average reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

Platform	Released	Regions
Windows	21 May 2014	Worldwide
macOS	10 January 2015	Worldwide
Linux	10 January 2015	Worldwide
Android	27 May 2015	Worldwide
iOS	28 May 2015	Worldwide
PlayStation 4	10 October 2017	Worldwide
Nintendo Switch	8 April 2021	North America · Europe 8 April 2021