Curtain Call

About

Curtain Call is a single player casual simulation game. It was developed by Dramatis Personae Games and was released on April 26, 2022. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Curtain Call" is a visual novel about (literally) breaking through social masks by forming meaningful connections with incredibly deep personalities. Whether you’re looking to make new friends or something more, there’s a whole cast of characters just dying to meet you!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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92%

Audience ScoreBased on 53 reviews

story8 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game features a beautiful art style and well-developed characters, making it visually appealing and engaging.
The story tackles deep themes such as mental health and personal struggles, allowing players to connect with the characters on a personal level.
The gameplay mechanics, including the unique concept of 'masks' representing characters' true selves, add an interesting layer to the dating simulation experience.

The game lacks a proper ending, leaving players feeling unsatisfied and confused after completing character routes.
Technical issues such as bugs, poor dialogue labeling, and limited save options detract from the overall experience.
The writing quality varies significantly, with some dialogue feeling forced or poorly executed, which can disrupt immersion.

story
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
52%
13%
The game's story is praised for its depth and character development, revolving around a college student who perceives masks on people, symbolizing their hidden selves. Players engage in relationships that reveal the characters' true identities, complemented by a soothing art style and immersive background music. While the narrative is engaging and well-written, some players note that the second playthrough may feel repetitive despite different character outcomes.
- “This story is about a college student who suddenly starts seeing literal masks on people around them, and by dating three of those people, their masks slowly start to crack and break as they show more of their true selves.”
- “The relatable and pretty much realistic story at hand is accompanied by heavily soothing background music and typewriter sounds during the visualization of the in-game text within the textbox – comparable to writing down the screenplay.”
- “Jodie's story is pretty much the same, only she mainly talks about elementary school.”
- “The personalities were mainly sharpened out by character expressivity, merged with their identity, unlike pride flags featured everywhere and perhaps, repeated lines coming to what they feel to be (which personally I do find can deafen heavily what the story is based on, which is a big 'no' to me in such cases).”
- “The plot of this eccentric visual novel immerses the player in the difficult drinking of human nature, characters, lies, and manipulation.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
37%
27%
The graphics of the game are highly praised for their beautiful hand-drawn art style, which effectively complements the deep narrative and character development. Reviewers appreciate how the visuals change based on character interactions, enhancing the overall atmosphere and emotional depth of the story. The quality of the artwork is noted to be impressive, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “Very pretty art style with a deep story for all the characters.”
- “The game has a sweet and soft art style, funny how it contrasts the actual story where a lot of it is about each character's struggle and true feelings.”
- “Graphically, everything appears to have been hand drawn, and as such, is really rather pleasing and fits the whole quite nicely.”
- “A particular art style is featured, quite fitting the game’s theme.”
- “As in, on each branching based on whom we would approach the art style would change and it would totally show off the aura of the personage, as well as, ambience from the portrayed scene at hand.”
gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The gameplay is primarily focused on dialogue selection and trust-building through choices, with players navigating relationships via a simple click-and-choose mechanic. While some appreciate the unique concept of character "masks" and the integration of time management, others criticize the overall execution and writing quality, questioning the game's presence on platforms like Steam.
- “Gameplay involves increasing trust levels by picking correct dialogue options, then going on dates.”
- “I really like the main mechanic of masks in the game; it really makes it more concrete when you get closer to someone.”
- “The mechanics of time and character hangout preference are also fun since they make it different from other games.”
- “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
- “The gameplay itself is very simple, click and choose.”
- “In case of doubt, there will always be someone to turn to in order to understand better the game mechanics.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The music in the game is highly praised for its quality and atmospheric charm, enhancing the overall experience with distinct themes for each character and a soothing background score. Players find the soundtrack immersive, often turning up the volume to fully appreciate the pleasant and fitting musical accompaniment throughout the game.
- “The soundtrack and art is utterly charming.”
- “Throughout the game, the music fits perfectly.”
- “The music of the game is done well, each character having a distinct theme to them during your dates.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its soothing background music and immersive sound design, which enhance the overall experience. The visual style, complemented by well-chosen colors, effectively contributes to a relaxed and engaging ambiance, making players feel as if they are part of a cinematic journey.
- “The ending did offer a quality and soothing atmospheric background music; it felt like experiencing a good movie with a positive outcome.”
- “I'm not one to have my volume on during games (a crime, I know), but I do have it on for this one because I truly wanted to immerse myself in the atmosphere, and was pleasantly surprised by the sounds and music playing in the background.”
- “The atmosphere is conveyed well given the visual style.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users have reported stability issues, particularly noting bugs that arise when starting a new save file, which detracts from the overall experience and leaves players feeling unsatisfied with the game's conclusion.
- “I wish this had an actual ending and didn't get all buggy when you start a new save file.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to progress.”
- “I encountered multiple glitches that ruined my experience and made the game unplayable.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized for relying on deceptive practices, with numerous reviews suggesting that it is part of a broader trend of asset flips and cash grabs, often supported by suspiciously similar accounts. This has raised concerns about the authenticity of user feedback and the overall integrity of the game's launch on Steam.
- “The monetization system feels exploitative, with prices set unreasonably high for in-game items that should be accessible to all players.”
- “It seems like the game was designed primarily to squeeze money out of players rather than to provide a fun experience.”
- “The constant push for microtransactions disrupts the gameplay and makes it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features short yet engaging character development, with creative designs that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the focus on interpersonal relationships, contributing to a compact and immersive narrative.
- “Short, interesting, and well-executed character development.”
- “Anyways, great game! The art is amazing, and I can't help but love the character design. :D”
- “The character designs are super creative, offering a compact experience that focuses on the relationships between characters.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by clever and witty remarks, with one user noting a particularly amusing ending. Additionally, there's a humorous commentary on the book's demand, suggesting a playful exaggeration that adds to the overall comedic tone.
- “The funny thing is, if you wanted to print this book, you'd only need to print 7 copies to satisfy the entire world's demand for it.”
- “Also, that ending was very, very funny.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its unique and wholesome details, creating a heartwarming experience that resonates emotionally with players. Its strong concept further enhances the emotional impact, making it a memorable journey.
- “This game offers a mix of small details that are unique and wholesome.”
- “It's a heartwarming game with a great concept.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books tedious, likening the experience to a frustratingly slow reading process where each sentence requires a click to advance, detracting from the enjoyment of the narrative.
- “Visual novels/e-books are tedious at best. Imagine the best novel you ever read, be it 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' or '2001: A Space Odyssey' or 'Twilight' (if you have terrible taste in literature), but then translate that to a format where the words dribble out and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”