Mask Maiden: Beauty of a Mask is a short project I did for a friend. It's not so much a game as an incredibly brief stand-alone story, but perhaps someday I'll make a longer play out of it.
In a world where Yokai and humans feud nonstop and differences divide everyone, Queen Claudia has introduced an enigmatic solution to the world's woes. A smiling, pale smooth polished mask. One mask for every man woman and child, and identical masks for everyone.
This tale follows Mako and her sister Nibiki's blight as these Masks reign on high.
Can be played through in 10-15 short minutes~
In a world where Yokai and humans feud nonstop and differences divide everyone, Queen Claudia has introduced an enigmatic solution to the world's woes. A smiling, pale smooth polished mask. One mask for every man woman and child, and identical masks for everyone.
Mako - A girl scared for her sister and kingdom
Hibiki - Brave heroine of the Mercy Corps, a garrison disbanded after the introduction of mysterious masks
Queen Claudia - A royal offering a bold solution to her subjects
Yokai - The Other outside the kingdom walls, strange and different
slow text, linear plot, no lesbian sex just futa, text sex only.
short said: this game is crap.
The black text on the black background is really hard to read.
Not really a game at all, but an interactive story... and a good one. For what it is it was very well done and told. If I had any criticism at all it would be that black text on a black background was a poor choice and hard to read at times.
Not really a game, in the same way that Dear Ester isn't a game. There is no choices, and not a single fight. It's a short story but inn the form of a game.
Keeping that in mind, it can only be rated as a story and as an exprience. That story is nice, a strange niche that isn't reguarlly explored, with a tragic ending however is is acutally kind of frustrating. The theme of curruption is very rushed, the charaters change far too quickly, its extremely unnatural and even the suspension of disbelief isn't enough to make it alright. The theme of possession however is fine.
For a "game" that is only 10 - 20 minutes long, its surprising that it manages to make things that are redundent. One would assume the Yokai would play a large roll in the story, but they really don't. The story wouldn't been fine without them. Which makes one question why they are even in the game. The eroticism in the game falls under a similer issue. These senses really only number in about 4 bits of dialogue. I understand that possession of this theme is some's fetish, but this won't satify those, but instead make them frustrated at hiw quickly its over.
Its hard not to recommened the game, as its so short that a fully playthrough doesn't really waste anytime. But, it massively underexplores its themes, making for an unsatifying experience. The biggest problems with the game its length, it never gets the chance to expand on itself, a huge waste of potentional. The biggest frustration with this game is that I want to like it, I think the mask possession thing is cool, and I really want to say that the game is worth a shot simply due to the theme. But becuase the game fails to deliver on itself, I can't.
It's an okay-written "bad end," except it's ten minutes long, and has text you can't read half the time.
If that's what you're into, you might enjoy this. If not, you definitely won't.
