Tri City Monsters

akello is peak

I got to say something and it’s rare that I give thoughts on games at all since they leave me deeply unimpressed. Visual Novels for LGBT folks are either to raunchy or the writing is so flat and filled with so many grammatical errors, I am taken out of the story entirely. This visual novel is charming and spicy without being too much. The characters are different and nuanced. There is pacing without it turning into a Micheal Bay movie. It’s rare that the characters aren’t cardboard cutout of the writers. So many times, we as readers are shown characters that have problems and issues that are resolved rather quickly and easily, without any personal growth, the MCs don't learn anything, and the reader feels used like a condom. Also why isn't the team charging for this, if the team is scared there is no need. Stop it. The work is good. The art is fantastic. Also, the Protagonists are not melanin deficient. The world wants this.

Love this so much I went and left a dono on the Itch page. Why are all of the LIs so likeable? Help!!!

TriCity Monsters is an LGBTQ supernatural horror visual novel set in a very stylish and dark version of the 1990s, At the present you can meet 3 characters, each with their own personality and supernatural ability, with whom you interact in a fashion similar to a dating sim, unlocking scenes based on your choices and providing replayability in the form of different endings to find even within the same character arc. I consider myself to be asexual so I cannot really comment on that aspect of the game, but I do want to comment on the incredible work by the developer: Studio Peaches. In this specific instance I want to praise the dedication and continuous work to expand the content, not just story-wise but in features and QoL over the years. The game is completely hand-drawn, the writing feels human, atmospheric, quirky, in a way that reminds you that at the end of the day creativity is an exercise and it doesn't necessarily need to appeal to you for you to recognize their effort. In their socials, patreon and Discord, the dev has fostered a sense of community that I wish more studios adopted, in an era rife with polarization and tribalism as engagement techniques. In the latest update (which included not only a new character but a gallery and a music player) I found a bug that not only prevented achievements from being awarded, it also caused a crash. I decided (since I was interested in hunting achievements) to report it on their Discord. The response was immediate. Within hours and with a little back and forth, the developer had not only identified the bug, but the specific issue, pushed as much as 3 different updates and eventually cracked down on the issue fixing achievement synchronization (without the need to replay it) and providing a workshop mod that allowed players to unlock any missing achievements. The effort put into the fix and follow-up experience are what prompted me to write this review, because I would be a hypocrite if I said that developers like this don't deserve your support, people who are passionate about and married to their craft, and I'm not the kind of person to not show appreciation even if the subject matter does not align with my personal preferences. I have massive respect for developers not just from a technical but also an artistic perspective, and I am happy to recommend a game that delivers on all fronts like TriCity Monsters. Massive respect to Studio Peaches. And thank you very much for the fixes! Long live independent games.

I’ve been following Tri City Monsters since before it was even finished, back when it was free, and it’s been really cool watching it grow. The art is absolutely gorgeous, the soundtrack is fantastic, and the writing genuinely surprised me. I came for the hot monster dudes, but I stayed because I actually got invested in the story and characters. I also have to give the developer a ton of credit. They’ve been really active with updates and listening to feedback from players. The UI is clean and easy to use, achievements are pretty reasonable to get, and I love how much choice for your sexuality and preferences the game gives you. And when players asked for a Raath route, the dev basically said "yep, it's coming." Instant +10,000 points from me because... I can't say no to a bad boy. It’s not perfect, though. If you choose not to bone some of the characters, some conversations with them can feel a little awkward, like the game assumes you’re going to sleep with everyone eventually. (I did... but that’s not the point, okay? 😂) The endings also felt a bit rushed after such a fun journey, and while your choices determine which ending you get, they don’t always feel super impactful during the story itself. I also wouldn’t have complained about getting a few more CGs, but that’s just me being greedy. Overall though, I had a great time with it. If you’re looking for a monster-themed visual novel with great art, fun writing, and some very attractive dudes, this one is absolutely worth checking out.

I really want to like this game, but I just... can't? I guess it's one of those I wish I could give a neutral to, instead of just a no, but alas. I would like to say I deeply applaud the art direction. I'm an otome fan in a genre where the dateable candidates are never to my liking (pretty boys are so tiring); so to see something... slightly... more my speed (at least on the same highway) is nice. Granted, I've not gotten to what's finished yet - I've skimmed through to both Amir and Mori's chapter 2s and I just, I dunno. It's just not doing it. I realize that visual novels are, well, visual novels, but I do expect some choice with them. And you're not really given any here. Oh, you get to click boxes, but they all amount to the same thing. So far I've not met a choice that leads anywhere different, or anything. Like, you can't ever be a little pissed about some of the actions these guys take? No, you just 100% are down with everything they do. It doesn't make me feel like I have a choice in the matter, which leaves me feeling just eeky. I don't need to be blushing every five minutes over them doing something stupid or obnoxious. I want to choose what I find charming and I don't think that's really too much to ask. I hope more games come out with this aesthetic, for sure, but I also hope they come out with better characterization (we get it, Amir, you ♥♥♥♥, you've been written expressly for all the people who went after BG3's Astarion, and yet even as a certified BG3 disliker, even I found Astarion at least nominally better written as you could actually confront him for being ♥♥♥♥♥♥) for both dateables and the MC. I do love you can pick gender/sex attributes, that's nice, but I'd like a little more than that to really shape the character's personality. Hair/eye color and even body type picker can help distinguish MCs a lot, especially if given attention to in dialogue. Maybe I'll change my mind by going further down a path but as it stands right now, this is just kinda meh writing in a kind-of-pleasing-to-my-specific-tastes package. Edit: Give us a Raath path. He's honestly the most compellingly-written character of the bunch. I'd also like to add that unless you choose the sexual options the first time down most of the paths, things run together in an odd way. What I mean is, that I chose to not pursue Mori sexually the first two times it gave me the option. But then it acted like we definitely had? So my choice basically had no meaning whatsoever. Another thing that really doesn't feel good.

Genuinely this game is one of the most interested I've been in a story; each character has so much personality i can't get enough of them- The fact that this game is free AND with constant updates is honestly crazy. The art and character designs (both human and monster) are also incredible; definitely recommend to all monster-lovers out there. <3 <3

I really like this game, it updates regularly and is super interesting. I really like that it strikes a good balance between the adult aspects and actual compelling storylines