Monster Prom 2: Monster Camp is delightful horny chaos. The competition of this dating sim doesn’t solely come from other players but also from yourself. Can you accurrately tell which stat is needed to successfully execute a certain choice or are you destined for scorn from your virtual boo? They certainly don’t make it easy for you either way.
Similar to the original game, Monster Camp is a couch co-op that can be played with up to 4 players or as a solo adventure. Players are given stats like charm, smarts, and boldness based on the items they pack in their backpack at the start of the game. Those stats can be boosted by visiting certain locations or successfully completing scenarios. The end goal is to ask your crush to a meteor shower on the last night of camp and have them say yes, thus cementing your summer romance.
The success of both Monster Prom and Monster Camp lie in the writing. Maggie Herskowitz and Cory O’Brien of the original game are back and cranking it up a notch. The scenarios are more twisted and elaborate than before. The storylines are wholly original, horny as hell, and full of unknowable hyjinx, just like in the first game.
Whether an option has a positive or negative outcome is dependent on what stats a player has. If an answer requires charm but that’s the player’s lowest stat, it likely fails. Monster Camp seems to have made it harder to guess which skill is tied to a particular answer but some are easier to guess than others. Smarts, for example, is normally whatever sounds the closest to something you could do in the real world, even if you wouldn’t actually do that thing. But part of the fun is never knowing which answer will actually be useful and the fact that each scenario can play out two ways adds to overall replayability.
One of the new mechanics introduced in Monster Camp is a mini-game that involves potions. Players can either battle AI for whatever potion looks at least slightly pleasant or take a gamble on what’s in the box. The potions offer a mix of both good and bad effects that can completely upend a player’s strategy at a moment’s notice. It’s a nice addition to the otherwise consistent cadence of the rest of the game.
The mini-game, however, highlights the lack of direction that frequently causes frustration in an otherwise fun game. Players aren’t told how to play, they’re just thrown into it as a timer starts counting down. Similarly, players don’t get guidance on how they’re doing with their crushes as time progresses. The cues offered in the moment may not reflect the final decision. While some may enjoy the added layer of mystery, it adds a major deficit between players picking Monster Camp up for the first time and those that have played it quite a bit.
The Kickstarter campaign said that Monster Prom 2 would be 3 games in 1 all centered on a vacation theme. It seems likely the other two will be added as DLCs down the line, similarly to their first DLC Monster Prom: Second Term. Monster Camp is the only one that is currently available but each of the sequels is set to focus on two characters from the original game that acted as romance options for the player so if your favorite OCs didn’t make it to Monster Camp, there will be other opportunities. No dates are currently announced.
