Monospaced Lovers

About

Monospaced Lovers is a single player role playing game with drama, mystery and anime themes. It was developed by Scarlet String Studios and was released on October 31, 2024. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Monospaced Lovers" is a visual novel game that tells the story of two individuals, Ai and Hiro, who communicate only through text messages due to their shy nature. The game is set in a monospaced text interface, creating a unique and intimate atmosphere. Players will uncover the mysteries of their relationship while making choices that affect the outcome of their story.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+10

Skip User Reviews

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 19 reviews

story13 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Engaging and immersive narrative with well-developed characters that enhance the overall experience.
Challenging and rewarding gameplay that combines precise platforming, intricate puzzles, and intense bullet hell mechanics.
Beautiful hand-painted visuals and a captivating soundtrack that create a charming atmosphere.

The game is extremely difficult, which may deter casual players and lead to frustration.
Some puzzles require specific knowledge or skills that can be overly complex, potentially causing players to seek external help.
The health system during boss fights can feel punishing, as players are sent back to the start of a phase if they take damage.

story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
59%
8%
The story in "Monospaced Lovers" is highly praised for its engaging narrative, well-developed characters, and seamless integration with gameplay, offering a unique blend of drama and mystery. Players appreciate the thoughtful writing and character interactions, which enhance the overall experience, although some note that the dense storytelling can occasionally disrupt gameplay flow. The game encourages exploration and replayability through its multiple endings and intricate puzzles that are tied to the narrative.
- “The story is consistently engaging and features a delightful cast of characters; there was never a moment when I didn’t enjoy the writing in their interactions.”
- “While I won't mention anything specific towards story beats (it's more fun to see how everything transpires in-game), I will say that in my personal opinion, the story and in particular the character writing was sublime.”
- “The depth of the narrative is matched by the complexity of the characters, each crafted with distinct personalities and motivations that drive the story forward.”
- “The dense storytelling can occasionally overshadow gameplay; better pacing could create a smoother flow.”
- “The story progression is fairly linear on paper, though the game doesn’t tell the player where to go next, giving you some freedom to figure out how to advance the main story.”
- “Unlike other games, the collectibles aren’t player upgrades; instead, they provide story content and cosmetic items while all the metroidvania-like upgrades are tied to story progression.”
gameplay
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
47%
16%
The gameplay is characterized by a challenging blend of skill-based platforming and engaging puzzle-solving, set within a rich narrative framework. Players can expect a steep learning curve that rewards mastery of intricate mechanics, though the heavy narrative pacing may occasionally detract from the gameplay experience. Overall, it offers a unique and immersive journey that combines emotional depth with rigorous gameplay.
- “The game offers a steep learning curve with rewarding gameplay mechanics.”
- “By seamlessly integrating challenging gameplay with an unforgettable narrative, 'monospaced lovers' creates a captivating journey.”
- “Gameplay includes intricate platform sequences and engaging puzzle-solving, set against a rich narrative backdrop.”
- “Combines the emotional depth of a visual novel with the rigorous mechanics of hardcore platformers.”
- “A narrative-driven platformer that explores themes of existential risk and digital mysteries through a mix of bullet hell and exploration mechanics.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The graphics of the game are highly praised for their beautiful hand-painted art style, which features vibrant and expressive visuals that enhance the storytelling and atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the charming aesthetic and emotional depth brought to life through the detailed artwork, making it a visually stunning experience that complements the gameplay and narrative.
- “Beautiful hand-painted art style with anime influences, offering vibrant and expressive visuals that enhance the storytelling and atmosphere.”
- “Enjoy a visually stunning game with hand-painted graphics that bring its fantastical world to life.”
- “The game’s hand-painted visuals create a striking backdrop, while its carefully written story draws you into a world full of emotional depth.”
- “The art style is very charming, paired with an absolutely amazing soundtrack to boot.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
14%
29%
The music in the game is praised for its calming and dramatic qualities, effectively complementing the on-screen action and enhancing the overall atmosphere. With a custom soundtrack for each zone and a charming art style, the soundtrack is described as a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a great value for players.
- “The soundtrack is also quite nice, leaning towards a calmer vibe overall; even when what's happening on screen is pure chaos, there are a few songs that really stuck with me.”
- “Nice soothing music when it needs it and nice dramatic music when it needs it.”
- “The art style is very charming, paired with an absolutely amazing soundtrack to boot.”
- “The music and vibe is comfy, and for less than $20, it cannot be beat for a great weekend game.”
- “The look is super clean, kinda like an old terminal screen, and the music is chill too.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively merges the emotional depth typical of visual novels with the challenging mechanics of hardcore platformers, enhanced by striking hand-painted visuals and a well-crafted narrative. Players appreciate the well-developed characters that add significant emotional weight and complexity, all while enjoying the heartwarming anime style and engaging gameplay.
- “Combines the emotional depth of a visual novel with the rigorous mechanics of hardcore platformers.”
- “The game’s hand-painted visuals create a striking backdrop, while its carefully written story draws you into a world full of emotional depth.”
- “Well-developed characters: each character contributes meaningfully to the plot, adding emotional weight and complexity.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a beautiful hand-painted art style with anime influences, creating vibrant and expressive visuals that enhance storytelling. Players describe the overall vibe as relaxing and warm, contributing to an inviting and immersive experience.
- “Beautiful hand-painted art style with anime influences, offering vibrant and expressive visuals that enhance the storytelling and atmosphere.”
- “The overall vibe of the game is quite relaxing with a warm atmosphere.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game offers moderate replayability, driven by its narrative depth and multiple endings, which motivate players to revisit the experience to uncover all story elements and hidden challenges.
- “The game offers a variety of choices that significantly impact the storyline, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
- “With numerous side quests and character interactions, there's always something new to discover, enhancing the overall replay value.”
- “The narrative depth and multiple endings encourage replayability to experience all story facets and hidden challenges.”
- “The game lacks significant changes in gameplay mechanics, making it feel repetitive on subsequent playthroughs.”
- “Once you've seen the story, there isn't much incentive to replay, as the side quests feel too similar.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized, featuring minimal technical issues that contribute to a smooth gaming experience on a variety of systems.
- “Well-optimized with rare technical issues, ensuring a smooth gaming experience across various systems.”