You start the game as Mark Matthews, or whatever you choose to name yourself, a senior at the fictional Orlin University (Go Otters!).
Your first of many choices is how to come out to your two faithful roommates, Penny and Ian. Both are very accepting and cue up a chance to visit the local gay bar to celebrate and attempt to find a guy. Speaking of finding a guy, you have five options in the game - each with a special ending you can unlock if you choose the right path. Lets meet them:
This is Alex, the first guy that you'll meet. He approaches you at the gay bar and asks for your number. One small problem: you discover the next day that he's your Anatomy professor.
Next is Phil, Penny's cousin, a surly Marine. I must say that out of all of the storylines, his was the most difficult to pursue. He's a tough guy to win over.
Jed, your upstairs neighbor, is an interesting guy. When you first meet him he's naked - not that you the player can see anything (yet). And if you play your cards right he can be the first guy you get to hook-up with in the game.
Next is Brad, the hunky ginger Quarterback whom you are hired to tutor in English. His storyline is a bit tricky, too, because he'll try and bribe you to write his papers which will alter your endings with him.
Lastly, we have your "straight" roommate and best bud, Ian as an option. Of the five, his storyline was my favorite and I loved his ending the best, too. Ian is just so adorkable and sweet that he was the guy I pursued the first time I played the game before I even saw my other options.
Of course, the game isn't totally about chasing hot guys - you also need to keep your grades up by studying, earn extra cash from tutoring, and maintain peace with your roommates. All of these will effect the endings you get when you graduate and doing well can offer bonus scenes.
So why have I been so obsessed with this game? First, lets look at the art. From the screencaps above you can see that not only are the guys incredibly gorgeous, so are the backgrounds. And you have some options to change it up a bit, too. You can add a beard or chest hair to any of the guys and also add/remove the condoms from the cut-scenes. I didn't provide any screencaps from the cutscenes at the risk of spoilers, but they are gorgeous pieces of art.
But art aside, the storyline(s) for each character just suck you into it. It's funny at all the right moments and dramatic when needed. Each character has a unique voice that compliments their personality perfectly. Well, not everything is 100% perfect. There are a few moments in the game where you do feel a little trapped and wish you had other options. And some "mistakes" can lead you to unexpectedly end a relationship with no chance to repair it later.
The good news is Obscurasoft is constantly updating and adding new features - like the recently added gallery - as well as making plans for an additional storyline and "Brofinder dates" for our hero Mark. Of course, as much as I love the characters, I can't help but wonder if there will be a "Coming Out On Top 2" or another series in the future. I hope there is, I would definitely support the Kickstarter if they do!
And for no reason, shirtless Ian
For you, Ian, anytime!
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