Blood Knights
Blood Knights
Game
Game2018
I am not a Monster: First Contact
Developer Cheerdealers
Retro sci-fi tactical turn-based strategy with an exciting storyline. The Albatross space liner is overrun by lizard-like monsters that can infect humans and turn them into their own kind. Save the passengers and defeat the hostile creatures. From the Steam store page
193 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Sep 29, 2026 · last updated Oct 13, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
56
Mixed
101 positive · 79 negative
95% range 49–63%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 101 | 79 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
299 of 461 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
57% recommend · 105 yes, 80 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 185 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (990 of 1,297 positive).
Players praise the cheesy 80s sci-fi aesthetic, story, and music. [1][2][3] Some enjoy the turn-based tactics and unique item crafting mechanics. [1][4][5] Others criticize the lack of manual saves and the removal of multiplayer. [6][7][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [6]
Apparently, this game has started out as a multiplayer-only project, and now they've turned off the multiplayer servers and tacked on a very unsatisfying single player 'campaign' (a set of disconnected combat encounters). And those singleplayer levels are basically not even turn-based tactics, but a turn-based puzzle. There's usually some sort of a gimmick on the level and you have to use it to finish it. It …
- [8]
WARNING: the single player version of this game has a save-game system that will, once you've reached the end of certain levels, very likely make you play that level all over again from the beginning. This game has a charming tone and fun, colorful graphics - but it can be VERY frustrating! Especially the save-game mechanics will make steam come out of your ears. You see, there is no way to save the game manually - …
- [1]
Sweet strategy game. The cheesy 80's B grade sci-fi theme is pretty awesome to be honest. The music, the art style, and the story all bring it together nicely. Has a nice long campaign and tons of different maps to check out. Some stages are a bit frustrating but otherwise map design seems well thought out. Many things to collect and upgrade as well as a fun crafting mechanic where you can combine items and weapons …
- [3]
i'm not a Monster -------------------------- Xcom meets 60s sci fi action. A fun story, fantastic art direction and great soundtrack. This is a really good TBS title. The multiplayer is DLC. Wich is a weird move. The story tho will give you 45 missions and some really 60s like movie moments. All of this is well crafted. The gameplay is solid. Big Props to the devs for this title. Enjoy the game !
- [4]
A turn based tactics game with simultaneous turns and no randomness at all. That already sets up as something very unique. And it has plenty of tricks up its sleeves besides that. Instead of skill trees characters get to use special abilities based off a combination of their weapon and utility item. A grenade plus a medkit gives you a healing grenade. A laser and a teleporter gives you the ability to swap places …
Summarised from 33 of the 197 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
I am not a Monster: First Contact sits at 56% positive across 180 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Reactions
60 of 193 · most liked firstTHANK YOU I USE ONLY THE FINEST CIVET MUSKS AND OILS TO APPLY TO IT NOT ACTUAL CIVET CAT MUSK I AM NOT A MONSTER I USE CIVETONE, ENTIRELY SYNTHETIC, MILKED PAINLESSLY FROM THE GLANDS OF ROBOTS YES ROBOTS HAVE GLANDS NOW ISN'T THE MODERN AGE WONDERFUL
neutral · AI labelView post →Who the heck makes multiplayer DLC? Tried to play this with some friends, couldn't join the game, realized it was because multiplayer is DLC despite the store page listing the base game as online PVP and online co-op. Absolute nonsense, can't believe I gave any money at all to this developer.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →SINGLE PLAYER ONLY REVIEW. I have had this game in my library for ages and loved the aesthetics but couldn't get myself to play it since I only play single player games. I was very happy when "First Contact" edition suddenly appeared and added single player to the game's content. My content, though, was short-lived as the more I played the single player campaign, the more I didn't like about it. First of all, turn-based combat games have a special place in my heart and I always give them more…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sweet strategy game. The cheesy 80's B grade sci-fi theme is pretty awesome to be honest. The music, the art style, and the story all bring it together nicely. Has a nice long campaign and tons of different maps to check out. Some stages are a bit frustrating but otherwise map design seems well thought out. Many things to collect and upgrade as well as a fun crafting mechanic where you can combine items and weapons to create some useful and wacky devices. Mechanically it's very similar to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Apparently, this game has started out as a multiplayer-only project, and now they've turned off the multiplayer servers and tacked on a very unsatisfying single player 'campaign' (a set of disconnected combat encounters). And those singleplayer levels are basically not even turn-based tactics, but a turn-based puzzle. There's usually some sort of a gimmick on the level and you have to use it to finish it. It desperately tries to be something like Tactical Breach Wizards (a much better game in…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →1. This game is a multiplayer game, the sp was tacked on. 2. They removed multiplayer.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You know they're getting desperate when they're dragging out the corpse of the Cryptkeeper #Auspol #IAmNotAMonster #Dutton #LNP
neutral · AI labelView post →The single-player campaign was added after launch and is now the base game; While the release game was in fact the multiplayer aspect, which has now been converted into purchasable DLC (That is completely dead). Confusing. Especially since multiplayer never seemed to take off in the first place. One wrong move in the single-player campaign and you are restarting yourself from the last saved checkpoint. This is almost a requirement considering you may waste valuable time searching weapon…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Anyway I’ve had a lot of inking to do recently so I’ve been blazing through documentaries on BBC Sounds, and the various I Am Not A Monster series are extraordinary pieces of journalism about Syria/Iraq. The BBC is a remarkable thing.
neutral · AI labelView post →This was a comical, turn-based, hidden role/impostor hunt, primarily a multiplayer game, with clunky UI, and cheesy retro aesthetics. All fun and good. And then they removed the multiplayer. Should support at least a local multiplayer. Stop killing games.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just FYI, this game has the "Online Co-Op" tag, but that is a bit misleading. I bought this game due to that tag, thinking I could play through the campaign with my wife. You can't. As far as I can tell, this version of the game has no multiplayer at all. If you download the Multiplayer DLC, you get access to a the tactical party game, but that's the only multiplayer this game has.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Yet another fun game (in terms of story, characters, tactical options...) that is irrevocably wrecked by incompetent progress saving. Checkpoints instead of a full-fledged, free, good old manual functionality. In a TBS no less. Said checkpoints are placed in the most random and useless places, easily setting you back 20 minutes, to redo a ton of busywork and micro-steps before any actual challenge that you are willing to replay. Furthermore, being designed with all the brainpower of a clam,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →That being said... I AM NOT A MONSTER I AM A MON🌟
neutral · AI labelView post →WARNING: the single player version of this game has a save-game system that will, once you've reached the end of certain levels, very likely make you play that level all over again from the beginning. This game has a charming tone and fun, colorful graphics - but it can be VERY frustrating! Especially the save-game mechanics will make steam come out of your ears. You see, there is no way to save the game manually - a "waypoint" system saves the game automatically. Unfortunately, due to the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →THIS IS A RUSSIAN GAME. Buying it (or even just adding it to your wishlist), you are supporting the enemies of our country
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Uncompletable due to game breaking bugs. On one level about three hours in the enemy will take turns of infinite time, with the only option being to quit the game and replay the level.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →How come nobody ever talks about this game? This is a gem: well polished, fun story, great setting, great visuals and sounds, lots of ingenious gameplay elements, and a surprisingly long campaign for the price tag. I recommend this game 100% to anyone with an interest in turn based tactics, or retro sci-fi aesthetics.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wanted to like this game because my eyes shone when I saw it on steam to be honest, but... I don't know if this is supposed to be a game focused on the story or fighting? If story, why is fighting so hard in comparison with how little you can actually do in fights? Secondly, why on earth can you shoot first and move later? This is just so incredibly nonsense... If focus is on fighting on the other hand, why is fighting system so bad? I really like turn-based combat and I cannot say…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I just wish, this game was better. I really like the setting, the characters, the items and the possibity to combine them, the story is fun and I really love this vintage sci-fi vibe. But this game is unnecessarily hard and always wants you to solve the missions in one particular way. After multiple tries of a mission with some bugs here and there and a stupid auto save function, it can get really frustrating. Also the servers are offline, so you won't get all the achivements and the game is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Giving a NO because the devs are morons who figured it'd be a good idea to rip multiplayer out of the game and instead charge an extra $2 for seemingly no reason. Just keep multiplayer and increase the game price or something, don't be ridiculous. Multiplayer was already dead, and they just made it even more dead by removing it from everyone except the few people who really hope they can get matches still. I mean come on, really now. If you agree with this, please give a No as well and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game has and interesting story and great visuals, but the difficulty is absurd. While some levels are challenging but fun, others are nightmarish. In other words, great ideas but too hard to be enjoyable.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →SIngle player has retro vibes and decent storyline. Multiplayer dead.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I purchased this in May 2019. You could play multiplayer games of it then. Now Multiplayer is dead, a situation made worse because the Dev removed multiplayer as a feature (it was already previously included). Retro visuals are awesome, I loved the theme, its a shame.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First off, I gotta say, I have no clue how this has a mostly positive rating. I've played 100's of turn based tactic games, this is the first one that I can recall, where you HAVE TO attack (or use an action) before you move. I can't even begin to tell you how awful that is, especially when you have characters who can only melee within a short distance. Enemies move out of position or they'll attack and kill you before you can get your attack in. This also means you are left with only playing…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Between the too high difficulty (example: there's a group of like four monsters, and I have a single character with a bunch of grenades - it takes a couple throws to kill them, but on the last try, they ran up to me and killed me after only the first throw) and no save option when the player wants to do that (just checkpoints and "restart mission" button when you die), it's just too frustrating and not fun. The way turns are handled doesn't help either. It's supposed to be simultaneous, but…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i'm not a Monster -------------------------- Xcom meets 60s sci fi action. A fun story, fantastic art direction and great soundtrack. This is a really good TBS title. The multiplayer is DLC. Wich is a weird move. The story tho will give you 45 missions and some really 60s like movie moments. All of this is well crafted. The gameplay is solid. Big Props to the devs for this title. Enjoy the game !
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There's currently a BBC Sounds podcast on the kidnap and ongoing search for Austin. "I Am Not A Monster: Where Is Austin Tice"
neutral · AI labelView post →This game has a weird story that's hard to follow and its turn base strategy is done in such a way that you can't plan much during your turn. You either do a action or you move and moving is always last and actions are always first, so you cannot move to a enemy and hit them with a sword in one turn and you cannot escape a pursuing enemy either. The only two cool things this game has going for it is fusion of your left hand and right hand abilities into a new ability and the retro-future…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →By this point I have passed about half of the campaign and I cannot in a good conscience recommend this game. Play literally any other turn-based strategy game. The reason I say this is the (in my opinion) horrible decision to not only completely separate "move" and "use/shoot" functions but to do this and then make "use/shoot" the first action and "move" the 2nd, executing only after the enemies have had a chance to move and attack you. It's just obnoxious and makes the game a tedious loop of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Multiplayer was amazing when it held a playerbase. Single player isn't bad.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Apart from the odd checkpoint, the lack of being able to save your game when you need to scores this game half a middy from me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I just recommended this games to some friends out of memory so we could play turn based strategy together. Came here to grab the link and noticed they removed the Multiplayer from the base game as a DLC. Not that the price is that bad when on sale to buy both, but that is kind of a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ move. I guess it was to try to increase the number of people player multiplayer since it is cheaper now. But by what I am seeing from people it looks more like a cash grab since the multiplayer is dead.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the most challanging games I've played. But the single player story is one of the greatest. Full of twists and surprises... Finished the single player game. Very satisfing expereance. Recomended to all who like turn based action games.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wouldn't recommend you buy this game just based on how many negatives reviews that there are. I really enjoy this game even with it's flaws. There are over 30 levels and I cannot remember how many episodes. I am currently in the beginning of episode 3 and like 13 missions in total. I picked it up back in 2023 but did not get around to playing it until last year. So mulitplayer was already offline, so that was no issue for me personally. For how cheap it is on sale to me it was worth it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I DID! I AM NOT A MONSTER!
neutral · AI labelView post →The turn based combat is very clunky and makes the game harder than it needs to be. Combat feels like you're being set up for failure.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game have some good artwork and nostalgic style cutscenes, but it's difficult to enjoy playing due to its gameplay designs. -There is no level replay and only checkpoint at the beginning of a level and after a battle. -Single player missions are heavily puzzle-oriented. If you don't play the way it's intend to, it's almost impossible to finish it. -Your character always carry the same loadout from the end of your last mission. I've made my way to episode 4 but I'm not able to finish the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was liking the game until the last part of the campaign. I remember playing hours without stop at the beginning and being hooked, but then lost almost all interest mostly due to how the story was written. Literally years passed before I decided to finally finish the game, hoping that the final missions would redeem themselves, but instead I witnessed the most atrocious ending since GoT S8 finale. I feel like the game-play was solid, but they went from satisfying to tedious when facing the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A turn based tactics game with simultaneous turns and no randomness at all. That already sets up as something very unique. And it has plenty of tricks up its sleeves besides that. Instead of skill trees characters get to use special abilities based off a combination of their weapon and utility item. A grenade plus a medkit gives you a healing grenade. A laser and a teleporter gives you the ability to swap places with a target (and letting them take any shots that were being aimed at you). This…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Strange gameplay at first, prince's melee attack could be like the monsters, moving and attacking. Amazing strategy and outstanding plot. I want more games like this.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →single player gets way too hard too quickly, and the multiplayer is dead
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is not a turn-based strategy or RPG. I'd call it as turn-base puzzle. Each mission has at least 1 way to finish it. You need to find this way or guess it. I like the art-style, voice acting, silly story. Gameplay is good only if you like turn-based puzzles with limited moves amount. I would like to play sequel if they ever release it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I get what they were going for here. The retro comedy is ok. But the combat was just too unsatisfying to be worth the effort. Having your action played before your movement was interesting for ranged combat. But it really hampered melee forcing you to use specials or debuffs on the enemy just to keep them in place long enough to strike.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →1) Hardcore tactics 2) Fantastic old-school "half-cheesy, half-serious" classic sci-fi atmosphere (think of this as basically Star Trek: The Game) 3) The story is linear and little is explained initially but the characters are memorable & sometimes iconic Haven't tried multiplayer but even Singleplayer campaign is so worth it. Solid 8/10, if you like old-school "Star Trek-like", "Cheesy sci-fi" settings, this game will be right your alley.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The multiplayer is an interesting mix of the Maffia/Werwolf social game using X-Com Style turned based tactics, sadly the mutliplayer side of the game is dead, with very few players playing it. The single player uses this same gameplay style, only the Player must navigate through puzzle levels, where there is usually just one correct answer. The awesome retrostyle of the graphics kept me going for a long while, but the increasing autistic ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ they make you go through is unacceptable…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →SIR! I AM NOT A MONSTER.
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm Not A Monster multiplayer is the better game you've never heard of that Among Us ripped off and dumbed down. A brilliant fusion of turn based tactics and social deception games. It's nothing short of tragic that this game never really caught on.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good game. MP is dead, but the story is decent and gameplay is solid.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cheesy sci-fi movie aesthetic is a lot of fun. Game mechanics and interface are pretty good. Mysterious bonus boxes are mysterious. Very pleasant surprise to come in a recent humble bundle.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i can't recommended it the solo story is way too hard and i dont mean its difficult , i mean its unfair hard just take the mission thruster for example everything need to be perfectly executed and it can be done until you come at the middle of the mission and now a turn based strategy game has turned into an if your lucky man you will get it ! The online experience look cool but prepare to find friends with this game because i could not find a server with people in it . So in short avoid…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of kind cringe fest with XCOM-light mechanics and speed up and a bit puzzle like gameplay.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Follow our [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/36214917/]Curator Group for more reviews I am not a Monster: First Contact is a turn-based tactics game, most notably similar to the rebooted XCOM franchise. The main difference between this game an XCOM is the lack of an overall strategy layer. Instead, each mission is mostly self-contained and has almost no effect on later missions, aside from the 4 items each character has. This kills all sense of progression and makes every mission feel…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →9/10 - Unbelievable indie retro shenanigans! Watching Cheerdealers for their next gem + Game plays like a dream with colorful, engaging, creative, surprising, and satisfying mechanics + World-building is a blast with backstory, swashbuckling adventures and realized characters + Excellent story structure/act themes with continuous escalation of challenges + Each character can use items and weapons to combine them into different specials + Masterful difficulty curve + Thematic use of music and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I AM NOT A MONSTER.
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm not a monster this isn;t some joke thing I'm serious I am not a monster I AM NOT A MONSTER! I AM NOT A MONSTER!
neutral · AI labelView post →The main aspect of this game, the multiplayer is no longer able to be played since the servers have been shutdown and you are not able to host servers yourself. So with the main part of the game now permanently unavaible, it can't really be recommended. Please at least remove the multiplayer only achievements so we can still get a 100% completion
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I hate to give this game a thumbs down as I snatched it on a giveaway. I really enjoyed the retro futuristic art style, and a mid-century cinematic narration and dialogues. Personally I feel it's a great example how to create visually appealing game with a very entertaining premise, then ruin it with lackluster and repetitive gameplay. I kept playing hoping it'll become more fun at some point, when I reached the chapter 3 level called Black Sheep. It's about running against the clock to reach…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First review -Dead online. Second review -They changed it to a single player game. Which I find probably for the the best so people can still play and no server cost for online play for them. -Games still not for me but I like what they did. -XCOM and space theme not my vibe. -Art 👍
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Get ready to uncover secrets, make tough choices, and outwit the unknown as you navigate through this gripping game. Here's why I found "I Am Not a Monster" to be an exceptional adventure: >>> The Good <<< The Gripping Story: - A captivating storyline that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Set in a world where monsters are real, you must uncover the truth behind a series of sinister events, making choices that will impact the outcome of the game. - Engaging and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The story is great and the concept very original. I have laughed many times to the story and the interactions the characters have with each other. The only negative I can apply to this game is that it is less of a tactical turn-based game and more of a turn-based puzzle solver.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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