Always Sometimes Monsters similar games & best alternatives

Always Sometimes Monsters

Mac, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), Linux, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS • 2014

Should you play it?

Set out on a cross-country journey to win back the love of your life and endure the hardship of making story-defining choices that affect your life and the lives of those around you.

What works
  • Deep, emotionally engaging story
  • Meaningful player choices
  • Multiple endings and replayability
  • Diverse character customization
  • Unique narrative experience
Things to keep in mind
  • Tedious and repetitive minigames
  • Some pacing issues and uneven content
  • Limited gameplay mechanics
  • Occasional bugs and awkward controls
  • Story can be heavy and emotionally taxing

What to play next

Similar games, hidden gems, and fresh directions from this game.

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • and Roger

  • Farmer's Life

  • Cabin Fever

  • Disco Elysium - The Final Cut

  • ORDER 13

  • Heart's Medicine - Time to Heal

  • MiSide

  • [Chilla's Art] Parasocial | パラソーシャル

  • OMORI
Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Cabin Fever

  • The Rainy Port Keelung 雨港基隆

  • Final Profit: A Shop RPG
If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

  • Story

    Angel Wings
  • Autonomy

    Legend of Mortal
  • Escapism

    TYRONE vs COPS

Similarity map

Explore nearby similar games and see why they’re close.

How to use the graph
Similarity map

Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Why this game works” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

  • Purple star: this page’s game — everything on the map is relative to it.
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot for a screenshot preview, score, and top score gaps; click to compare in the panel on the right.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers (hidden on purpose).

Always Sometimes Monsters: Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Violence, Fantasy, Story, Thrill. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Intimacy, Story, Survival.

Why this game works

A motivational profile of the game, with the closest similar game for each player motivation.

  • Autonomy

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    "Players make meaningful decisions affecting story outcomes and character development, with freedom to choose different paths and endings."

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    "Players have significant freedom to make choices affecting story and character development, with multiple paths and endings."

  • Competence

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    "Gameplay involves simple, repetitive tasks with minimal skill or challenge."

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  • Competition

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    "Focus is on story and personal experience without competitive elements or player comparison."

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    "Focus is on personal story and choices without competitive elements or player comparison."

  • Continuation

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    "High replay value due to branching storylines and multiple endings encourages repeated playthroughs."

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  • Cooperation

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    "Primarily a single-player experience with individual decision-making and limited social interaction."

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  • Creativity

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    "Players shape the story through choices, creating a personalized narrative experience."

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  • Domination

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    "Interactions emphasize mutual respect and relationships rather than exerting control or superiority over others."

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    "Interactions emphasize mutual respect and personal consequences rather than exerting control or superiority over others."

  • Escapism

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    "Players use the game as an emotional outlet and escape from real-life struggles and stress."

    Capsule for TYRONE vs COPS TYRONE vs COPS

    "Players use the game to explore emotional and moral dilemmas, providing a strong escape from real-life stress."

  • Expectation

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    "Engagement is driven by intrinsic interest in story and characters rather than obligation or external pressure."

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    "Engagement is driven by intrinsic interest in story and personal choice rather than obligation or external pressure."

  • Experimenting

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    "Encourages trying different choices and exploring various story paths and endings."

    Capsule for Along the Edge Along the Edge

    "Encourages trying different choices and exploring alternate story paths and endings."

  • Exploration

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    "Players explore multiple locations and revisit areas, though environments are familiar and limited."

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  • Expression

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    "Character customization includes race, appearance, and class combinations, allowing personal expression within gameplay."

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    "Allows character customization in terms of race, gender, and sexuality, affecting narrative and social interactions."

  • Fantasy

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    "Grounded in realistic, relatable life events and environments without fantastical elements."

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  • Fellowship

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    "Focus is on individual narrative experience with minimal social or community interaction."

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  • Growth

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    "Players develop their character's skills and relationships, learning consequences of choices and story progression."

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  • Health

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    "Sedentary gameplay with no physical activity or health-related features."

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  • Idle

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    "Gameplay involves slow walking and waiting (e.g. elevator rides), allowing for less intense focus at times."

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    "Some repetitive tasks and minigames allow for less intense focus, but story requires attention."

  • Intimacy

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    "Deep emotional connections and relationships are central to the narrative experience."

    Capsule for Perfect Tides Perfect Tides

    "Strong emotional connections and relationships are central to the narrative experience."

  • Leadership

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    "Players follow the narrative and character arcs without leading or managing others."

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  • Progression

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    "Progression through story advancement, unlocking endings and achievements."

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  • Relaxation

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    "Emotional tension and psychological themes create sustained engagement rather than pure relaxation."

    Capsule for Crimson Gray Crimson Gray

    "Emotional tension and moral dilemmas create sustained engagement rather than pure relaxation."

  • Sensation

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    "Pixel art and soundtrack provide moderate sensory stimulation; some emotional intensity in story."

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    "Simple pixel art and music provide moderate sensory stimulation fitting the narrative tone."

  • Status

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    "Game focuses on personal story without social recognition or status systems."

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    "Game focuses on personal story without social recognition or status systems."

  • Story

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    "Narrative immersion and character-driven plot are the core of the game experience."

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    "Narrative immersion and player-driven story are the core of the game experience."

  • Strategy

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    "Some strategic decision-making in resource management and choice consequences, but overall straightforward."

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    "Requires planning and decision-making about resource management and moral choices."

  • Thrill

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    "Some suspense and emotional moments, but mostly controlled and predictable."

    Capsule for Stay! Stay! Democratic People's Republic of Korea! Stay! Stay! Democratic People's Republic of Korea!

    "Some suspenseful moments but overall controlled and predictable emotional tone."

  • Value

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    "Players find strong value in gameplay depth, story, and replayability relative to price"

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    "Players find strong value in story depth and replayability relative to price."

  • Violence

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    "Minimal violence; focus is on narrative and puzzles rather than combat or destruction."

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    "Minimal violence; focus is on narrative and moral choices rather than combat or destruction."

  • Survival

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    "Players manage resources like health, money, and time to avoid failure and progress."

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Last update: 01/06/2026