GamesAdventureThis fang-tastic visual novel had me talking kinder to myself, and I can’t thank it enough for thatWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesAdventureThis fang-tastic visual novel had me talking kinder to myself, and I can’t thank it enough for thatWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Little Bat Games)
“You are deserving of love, especially from yourself.” says the 3000-year-old vampire man, as I sit on my sofa with tears in my eyes. This is a quote I didn’t expect to affect me as much as it has, and it’s also not the kind of quote I’d expect from a vampire visual novel game set above a goth Leipzig night club where you play as a cowboy.
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(Image credit: Little Bat Games)
The characters you meet are full of life (maybe a poor choice of words on my part considering some of them are undead and thousands of years old) and are all written very authentically, with a little theatrical edge. They really feel like actual people that would seek out therapy, and are complex with multiple layers of trauma to process. They’re not simply two dimensional “I am a vampire and I hate it” characters. I actively found myself wanting to help them, wanting them to better themselves and see the light (again, an insensitive phrase). I even caught myself cheering on the characters you treat when they had a breakthrough, no matter how small. It was just nice and rewarding to see them realizesomething.
Indie Spotlight(Image credit: Humble Games)This beautiful, Japanese mythology-inspired Metroidvania is far from a Hollow Knight clone, but it’s exactly what you need while you wait for Silksong
Indie Spotlight
(Image credit: Humble Games)This beautiful, Japanese mythology-inspired Metroidvania is far from a Hollow Knight clone, but it’s exactly what you need while you wait for Silksong
(Image credit: Humble Games)
This beautiful, Japanese mythology-inspired Metroidvania is far from a Hollow Knight clone, but it’s exactly what you need while you wait for Silksong
I think these characters are not only brought to life through thefang-tastic writing, but also the truly talented team of voice actors behind the roles. I especially have to give props to the creator of the game, writer, and voice actor behind Sam and several other characters, Cyrus Nemati, whose performances were a real stand out to me.
Helping the Haunted Ones
(Image credit: Little Bat Games)
Initially I was dubious about how well the real world therapy aspect would work in a game with such humorous inspirations. Do sexy vampires, visiting a “kink room” and making jokes about farting on a chair Jesus Christ himself made, really go hand in hand with talking about CBT? Oddly enough, yes, and it pulls it off masterfully.
Little Bat Games clearly cares about getting the therapy aspect of the game perfect. It isn’t just a gimmick or throwaway plot with meaningless made up language which was included for the sake of humor. Vampire Therapist was made in conjunction with real licensed therapists, and for that I can only applaud it. The fact you actively learn and begin to understand real life cognitive distortions and therapy techniques while playing as a gun slingin', blood suckin' cowboy is a testament to just how much Little Bat Games wanted to get right when approaching such a sensitive and complex subject. Therapy is confusing and serious, and I am so glad that the developer behind Vampire Therapist understands this and doesn’t just make a gag out of it.
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One thing I didn’t expect to happen after playing this game was that I started to recognize my own behavioral patterns and the way I talk to myself. Sam and Andy seemed to have wriggled their way into my brain and I now catch myself when using Labeling language, or Nosferatu Thinking. I genuinely cannot believe a vampire visual novel has helped me use kinder language on myself, but I love it.
(Image credit: Little Bat Games)
Now that being said, is this game arealtherapy tool? No. I don’t think any game, even one written in collaboration with a real therapist, could do such a thing. I also don’t think Little Bat Games were trying to achieve that. There is no real replacement for therapy, but it’s been a delight to game-ify my own way of thinking and relate what I learned to the wonderful cast of characters the game throws at you. Sadly, I do not share enough in common with a 400 year old vampire to have this game be my own form of therapy. Maybe if you’re a 400 year old vampire with centuries old trauma it’ll work for you though!
It’s very rare that I play a game that has an emotional impact on me for reasons other than the dog died or my favorite cowboy has Tuberculosis. However, I came away from Vampire Therapist actively wanting to emotionally improve and be kinder tomyself. I can’t believe how quickly this game helped me realize I needed to just love myself that bit more… and I also came out of it with a new favorite cowboy who, luckily for me, doesn’t have TB.
“You are deserving of love, especially from yourself”… I cannot think of a more poignant quote from this game to sum up my experience of playing it.
Vampire Therapist was abloodygood time and I cannot recommend it enough.
Vampire Therapist is out now on PC. For more of our indie game highlights, check out ourIndie Spotlightseries in full.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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1
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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3
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
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5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”