Vampire Therapist is a comedic visual novel following a reformed cowboy vampire on his journey to provide the best therapy to the vampire community.
What we do in the Immernacht
The story follows Sam Wall, a cowboy vampire who after a hundred years decided there was more to being a vampire than the clichés. Now a cognitive behavioral therapist in training, Sam hopes to improve the lives of other vampires as he improved his own; however he still has a long way to go to be confident in his vocation and himself.
Using vmail, Sam befriends a 3000-year-old vampire called Andromachos (Andy), living in Germany, who is willing to tutor him in the ways of therapy. Sam takes Andy up on his offer and heads to his nightclub, Immernacht, to progress his vocational endeavors.
As he builds his therapy skills with Andy’s support, Sam takes on five emotionally damaged vampire clients in need of assistance, all with different unique perspectives and stories. Players are in for a real treat helping these characters find themselves, using real therapy concepts that the players will learn and apply throughout the story.
The nightclub has a wonderful array of intriguing patrons, with fantastic performances from an all-star cast. This includes: Cyrus Nemati, Francesca Meaux, Sarah Grayson, Kylie Clark, and Matthew Mercer. Francesca Meaux’s role as bartender, Crimson, was a standout performance, as she aids Sam by offering advice, showing support and constantly reiterating the nature of the nightclub and, most importantly, consent.
As Sam’s relationship with everyone evolves, fun twists and turns ensue, and by the end of the story, with all the knowledge required to be a therapist, Sam must decide what is next for him and his relationships, with the player’s guidance.
Play with your food
The visual novel gameplay is simple with art and sound design that is the perfect combination of goth vibes, neon lighting, synth-pop and ancient vampires; with occasional minigames of mindfulness and consensual biting.
As players journey through therapy sessions, they will have to challenge client statements that contain “cognitive distortions,” this will aid the clients in seeing where their thoughts don’t match reality. If the player gets an option incorrect, Andy will explain why the option was wrong and offer some advice to choose the correct one. Most times, the game will prevent the player from making long-lasting mistakes and choosing to educate, instead of punish.
Does it slay?
Vampire Therapist is a narrative adventure, with simple gameplay, a terrific sense of humor, outstanding visuals, and great storytelling, made even better by its characters and actors. Sink your fangs into this one.
Vampire Therapist is available now on Steam
The Review
Great
