Monster Sweethearts, quite frankly, is one of the most significant pieces of wlw representation that we have in games. I am fully aware of the presence of sapphics in major franchises such as TLOU, or even in indie darlings such as Night in the Woods, but Monster Sweethearts blows these straight out of the water.
Here's why.
Monster Sweethearts is a horror narrative that, while about loving women and having an almost 100% female cast, does not design itself around traumas that specifically impact women or queer women. We don't see male misogynists chasing down these girls, or men terrorizing or assaulting them, etc. The tension and trauma in the horror, refreshingly, also doesn't ground itself in homophobia; in fact, there is only one route which focuses on homophobic violence. They are women, being women and sapphic is important to their characters, but their identities are not the roots of their trauma. They are allowed to exist outside of that tired feminist horror aesthetic.
That's not to say that MS doesn't touch on serious themes. It has several layers within its narrative. There are overarching themes (consistent throughout all the routes) in regards to female sexuality, boundaries between friendship/romance, the struggles of coming out. In each individual route, further concepts are explored. For example, in Lyell's, the pressure of societal/hierarchial expectations and knowing what it means to protect those you love. For Victoria's, it's about self worth, societal beauty standards, and toxicity within female friendships. And in Xanthe's, the horrors of domestic violence, and the grueling, PTSD-ridden aftermath that comes with it. As you conclude each of the routes, more themes are uncovered: redemption, what it means to love, and furthermore, what it means to be human.
Of course, all of this intensity is coupled with the adorable and unique artstyle. The backgrounds? Painted and detailed, but soft focused. It very much brings me back to old school TV shows like As Told By Ginger. The character designs are also wonderfully done.
Notably, MS is a queer story that takes place in the South, which is a refreshing perspective compared to the countless queer stories that take place in LA, NYC, or other major cities. As a queer person who has lived in the South, I greatly appreciated that level of representation.
Is this visual novel the pinnacle of perfection? No, but truly this free visual novel is delivering the kind of emotional depth and intelligence that paid games-- ones backed my major corporations and staffed by people with collectively hundreds of years of experience-- do not have.
It is no wonder that this visual novel won the bronze medal award at the Melbourne Queer Games Festival.
My sincere thanks to the developer for allowing me to cover this on my channel. Thank you so much for making something that was so needed, and something that has brought so much joy to our lives.