In Monster Prom: Roadtrip, hitchhikers give stat boosts, romance options, and funny scenes. These are our favorites.
Monster Prom: Roadtrip adds a survival element to the visual novel series while keeping the crazy antics and cute monsters we’ve come to know and love. There are now stats to keep track of when you’re out on the open road. If you get to 25 in one of them, you can go to a great final destination, but if you get to zero, your run is over.
But along the way, hitchhikers who want to join the crew show up, which is what makes this series so romantic. Not only do they have complicated backstories, heartfelt conversations, and cute animations, but they also have other things going for them. Each NPC changes your stats, and if you get close enough to them, you can even open up new plot lines and places to go.
Moss Mann
Moss Mann knows about all the hot tea, and he’s happy to tell you about it, as long as there’s a bright light source. After you get this cryptid crew member, your stats will change randomly over the next week. This can be fun early in Monster Prom: Roadtrip to get things going or can keep you on your toes later. His conversations are mostly about how urban legends and rumors affect society and often last for years because people keep telling stories about them.
During a deep conversation, if you want to get on his good side, say “Not my Avril Lavigne.” If you do a good job of wooing him and get 25 Mind, you’ll be able to access a secret Cryptid Prom destination layer. This isn’t a game you can beat in one sitting, so it might take a few tries.
Stu
Stu is the calmest demon around. He can be picked up at random, seen looking at UFOs, or seen working as a lifeguard at a lake. Even on the road, he has an effect called “Chill Dude,” which makes every change to a stat by one less stressful. His romance doesn’t give you any cool bonuses at your final destination, but Stu has a separate romance ending that you can see if you choose “Folding hard, flying high” during a deep conversation.
The road encounter he makes will decide the fate of the world, and his Mind and Soul stats will also be on the line.
Oz
This cute shadow person is also a playable character in the DLC, so you won’t find them hitchhiking if you play as them. Oz has trouble dating and getting along with other people in general. But once he feels more at ease, he has the best deep conversations. To improve your relationship, suggest that he get himself a catchy catchphrase.
When Oz comes along on your trip, the Nervous Wreck effect will kick in. Every turn for the next week, you will gain or lose three random stats. You’re in for a wild ride, which is great for experienced players who want something new to do. When his road event comes up, you will lose two Soul no matter what you choose, so make sure that stat is high.
Adrien
Since Adrien works for the Merkingdom, his history overlaps with Miranda’s, which adds to the story of this game. They talk a lot about the politics of Monster Prom’s world, and things can get pretty heated between them. If you tell them that people might listen to someone in power, like Miranda, you’ll be liked by them.
Adrien’s hitchhiker effect is called “Protector of the Weak.” It keeps you from ever reaching zero by boosting your lowest stat a lot after you talk to them and lowering every other stat a little. This is a great character for newer players and makes it much easier to get through this crazy trip.
Liam de Lioncourt
Mind is one of the harder stats to keep track of, especially when you often walk into cult meetings and see Scott put on pancake lingerie. Getting the awesomely nerdy Liam can help a lot with this, since his ability, “Fun Facts,” makes your mind stronger every turn while reducing your hype. Hype isn’t as hard to get, so it’s easy to keep in check.
Liam likes art, and he also likes a lot of other things. What else are you supposed to do when you’re 400 years old? Polly makes fun of him a lot. Once, she messed up his art for an art show. But you have to date this cute nerd to get to the Veranotone Festival ending layer, which also requires you to have 25 Stamina.
Miranda Vanderbilt
Miranda is the cute princess of the Merkingdom. Before she takes over the throne, she goes on a quest to learn more about the world. At first, she is quick to defend the rather violent ways of her court, but as her character develops, she wants something different. When you talk to Miranda, the Whole New World effect starts, because listening to her talk drains your mind and makes your stamina better at the same time.
But if you stuff her cake hole with ice cream, her unique Road Event, “A WHOLE NEW ROOOOAD!” will return some of the Mind. Even though Miranda’s effect isn’t the best, it’s worth it to unlock a layer of the Merkingdom Feast ending and see how she acts. To get into this one, you’ll need a lot of money.
Valerie Oberlin
Valerie is the more laid-back of the two Oberlin sisters. She steals identities from people in shopping malls, while her sister Vera, who is called the gorgon, is all about making money. Valerie has a lot of street smarts, as the turn after you talk to her, if you go to Noodles’ Shop, you’ll get an extra stat. This is a great way to build up a stat and get the ending you want, but romancing her won’t add anything to the story. Then be sure to check Slope Game, too.
When you have a deep conversation with her, suggest that she takes the time to find out who she is. And you’ll get Money no matter what you choose in the Endless Cursed Fog event.
Polly Geist / Scott Howl
Polly and Scott aren’t really hitchhikers, but talking to them and getting romantic with them still has its own benefits and dialogue options. You can always find them at the Rest Stop. Just sit down with them on one of the benches. It’s hard not to care about the people on your Pranksterz crew, and dating them gives you real insight and depth that you would miss if you didn’t.
They both have the same trip effect: Chaotic Energy. This means that every turn that week, all stat losses and gains are increased by one. This makes the game harder, but it also makes each choice a little bit more important. Scott’s best answers in deep conversations all have something to do with his butt. Polly wants to know, though, that she would be a sexy general and a good person to coordinate intimacy.
Milo Belladonna
Milo is always in the spotlight in Monster Prom: Roadtrip, soaking up attention from their followers, even when you’re supposed to be having a private conversation. The way to their ancient heart is to encourage them to spend time doing what they enjoy, like traveling through Italy. After you talk to the cutest reaper around, he or she will give you a Free Pass for the week. This is a good way to save once if any of your stats reach zero.
When Milo asks what kind of good deed they should do, both answers will raise Soul, but bringing back roadkill uses up Magic and doing manual labor lowers Hype.
