My Husband is a Stranger

What can I say, other than "bravo" and "thank you for allowing me to beta read and beta test this demo"?

My Husband is a Stranger (MHiaS) puts us in the shoes of a customisable protagonist, married to a very nice guy (no, not this type of nice guys) named Morgan. But things have gone south: MC's blank page syndrome might put an end to their promising career as a writer, they lost their grandfather, and their relationship with their husband is getting more and more strained. The day after an argument, MC finds Morgan on the beach of their island, but... for some reasons, strange details start multiplying, and MC starts wondering: is the man in front of them truly their husband? He has to be... right?

On a technical standpoint, Chattercap once more outdoes herself: the game uses a lot of Ren'Py functionalities to be a highly atmospheric and cinematic experience. Different textboxes? You have them. Ren'Py speech bubbles? Here they are. Cool transitions with BUBBLES? You have those too!! Clever use of ADV and NVL formats? Here you go, buddy. The game also contains a lot of content regarding inclusivity (possibility to choose MC's skin colour, which affects the CGs they're partially in, a lot of different fonts to choose from for accessibility...), which is a high plus.

But the game isn't only extremely well-coded: it is GORGEOUS. The art is absolutely magnificent: Morgan's looks are enough to steal hearts, and his sprites and CGs depictions are absolutely lovely. Similarly, the backgrounds in this game are simply gorgeous. The GUI too looks absolulely STELLAR, be it the main GUI or the little interface details (the frame around the memories CGs, the logo etc.). The music too is very well-picked and contributes wonderfully to the atmospheric ambiance of the game.

The story is very compelling. Chattercap adds another horror/romance game to her rooster, and it's amazing to see how different they all are: MindMindMind was nothing like Karamu, and My Husband is a Stranger is even more different, as it strays away from the yandere trope: quite the contrary, actually, as the one so devoted, sweet and tender Morgan reveals a ruder side to MC and behaves in a way that is... frankly weird. Consequences of their strained relationship? Or is there something more?

Such are the questions the game raises, and that I cannot detail my thoughts on in the spoiler-free section. So you guys should definitely play the game and come back to this review later! For now, I'll just highlight that the characters and the situations are very well-written, and the themes of the game tackled with great care and intelligence, as per usual.

(SPOILERS START)

One major theme of the game so far is obviously the relationship between MC and Morgan, and one thing seems obvious: how unbalanced it is. MC clearly is the star around which everything has to gravitate, while Morgan is a satellite, trying his best to make MC happy, despite their highly toxic behaviour (the game mentions that, the night before it starts, MC even threw a mug at Morgan). MC realises their attitude is selfish, and if, in the game, they relatively try to be a more fair partner (more or less, depending on player's input), the memories put the spotlight on very alarming behaviour: confronted to a Morgan who's selfless and devoted, MC wishes that he would hurt them back, instead of being supportive and neglecting his own feelings. Other details spangle the game, leading to that direction: how Morgan made his career a side interest to support Harper (after all, the game narrates how the two of them stay on an island so that MC can focus on their grief and their writing; which technically prevents Morgan from selling his paintings, or giving classes; and MC makes it clear they despise how little success Morgan has), how, because of MC's writing, they don't share the same bed anymore...

However, in game, MC is far from being an irredeemable jerk. Their perspective, although toxic, is very human, and the player will sympathise with them. Regarding Morgan, the game highlights how slightly off he feels, and the contrast between the Morgan we see in MC's memories, and the one we face in game is different. Of course, in the little details: the first thing MC notes is Morgan doesn't spread jam on his toast the usual way. Of course, they immediately think that being critical of how Morgan makes his toasts is toxic, which shows both how toxic MC is, but also that they do notice pattern they try to fix in their behaviour, characterising them further. But, more notably regarding Morgan, he is much more assertive and active regarding MC: he doesn't let them have their way anymore, but instead imposes his: flushing MC's pills down the toilet, and, more notably, heartlessly telling them to throw all their grandparents' stuff away and to move on in the lighthouse. The demo, in that regard, ends in a climax: did Morgan try... to kill MC? Or is MC truly getting crazy and paranoid? But Morgan lied to them, which isn't like him. Morgan spoke to them with violence, which isn't like him. As if Morgan was done with the situation or... as if it wasn't Morgan? No, but MC has to be paranoid... right? Even though they heard Morgan speak to himself???????

That is the premise of MHIAS: you're on an island, with no one but you and your husband, and yet... your husband isn't your husband. Too many things are wrong... So, what is going on?? If the current demo makes it clear that, indeed, the man we spend the game with isn't the Morgan we used to know, and that such a change overnight should worry us, it leaves mystery on what actually happened to Morgan, which helps the demo end on a very intriguing note.

Congrats for this game, Chatter, and thank you for letting me part of this project! It truly is an amazing game and story!!