Order Up! Monorail Stories and the Adventure of Everyday Life
By Rae
For me, gaming has always been about living different lives – the adventure, fantasy, and magic of new worlds and solving mysteries. But sometimes a game takes everyday, mundane life and turns it into just as much of a world to explore. Monorail Stories (Stelex Software; Freedom Games) is that kind of game, built around the daily commute of Ahmal and Silvie, two commuters between the Cities of L and M.
Ahmal and Sylvie never actually cross paths, as they’re headed in opposite directions each trip, but their impact on their fellow passengers helps create Monorail Stories’ bigger picture. Each chapter consists of 4 parts – the morning trip for each character, and the evening one. You’ll be able to wander the train, talk to other passengers, and help with tasks such as catching a runaway cat or checking tickets.
A stripped down, nostalgic art style and fully voiced cast help to make Monorail Stories an enjoyable experience – it’s cute, colorful, and lively. It’s also hard not to like Silvie – who is going through big challenges in her relationship – and Ahmal – a laidback banker who seems ready to help anyone.
I liked being able to connect with different characters – when you see the same people every day, it’s interesting to see how things change or get to know them, and the game encompasses this really well if you want to invest some time into learning about your fellow passengers. Their impression of you can change with each interaction, making them feel a little more like independent agents as you make your way through each conversation. I do wish that you were able to trigger when the day ends, as when you finish a key task your trip ends and you move on to the next section – this would be a nice chance to get to talk to others and explore.
Monorail Stories boasts several different endings, and at about an hour a run it’s really reasonable to go back and try new things, make new choices, and try to uncover alternate routes. However, I have to admit that I did two playthroughs and ended up with an Icarus ending each time – a route that is honestly a bit jarring. The first one was a bad ending, the second was titled The Perfect Ending, so I suppose I did something right. Sadly, I wasn’t able to figure out how to get any drastically different story, which was a bit of a disappointment for me personally. However, for the time commitment it won’t be hard to go back and try to find more, and I like that your choices actually seem to matter.
Ultimately, how much you enjoy Monorail Stories will depend on the kind of player you are. If you’re someone who enjoys a short game that has a lot of branches and changes to find, and the chance to chase down new endings, I think this is a fun little game that should keep you occupied. Despite getting a similar route on both of my playthroughs, I noticed areas I want to explore later and characters that I’m pretty sure I can get closer to and explore my relationship with. Unfortunately at times going through the same conversations can feel a little tedious, but it’s hard to argue with the replayability and how accessible the game is with its short runtime.
I liked the lovely art style, realistic characters, and the focus on how everyday, ordinary people can impact each other (and, sometimes, the world). For someone who likes to uncover all the different paths in a game, I think this will be a fun one to explore throughout its multiple endings.
Order Up! is a column featuring indie-focused reviews, news, or interviews! We like old games just as much as new ones and are always looking for something to check out. Have a game recommendation, a project, or a company you want to talk about? Email me at rae@thegeeklygrind.com or find me on Twitter @ArcanaChance