Mask of the Rose
- June 8, 2023
- Failbetter Games
- 5h median play time
Mask of the Rose's writing and characters shine, but the game underneath them never fully gels together.
Get on Steam"Mask of the Rose" is a visual novel game set in the same universe as "Fallen London" and "Sunless Sea." The game follows a group of characters as they investigate a series of mysterious disappearances in Fallen London, using their wits and social skills to uncover the truth. With multiple branching storylines and vividly realized characters, "Mask of the Rose" offers a rich, immersive narrative experience.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Linux
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The writing and worldbuilding are exceptional, capturing the dark and atmospheric essence of the Fallen London universe.
- The characters are diverse and engaging, with unique personalities that make interactions enjoyable.
- The game encourages multiple playthroughs, allowing players to explore different storylines and character relationships.
- The pacing is rushed, with only two actions per day and a limited timeframe, making it difficult to fully explore the game's content.
- The lack of a manual save feature and reliance on autosaves can lead to frustrating experiences if players want to retry specific choices.
- The romance mechanics feel shallow and forced, often lacking the depth and emotional connection expected in a dating sim.
- story316 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, featuring engaging characters and a richly detailed world, but suffers from pacing issues and a convoluted storycrafting system that can feel shallow and clunky. Players appreciate the depth and humor in the narrative, yet many express frustration over the limited time to explore multiple storylines, leading to a sense of incompleteness in their experiences. While the potential for replayability exists, the need to replay the game multiple times to uncover different paths can detract from the overall enjoyment of the story.
“The story progression is so smooth and sweet, so wherever you go, it doesn’t feel like the story is hanging there for no reason and there’s always something to pick up with every encounter.”
“The story was well thought out and was very entertaining to follow through.”
“At its heart, however, is a story of surprisingly human (even when, species-wise, they are not) characters, themes of second and third chances, redemption, growth, and love in all shapes and sizes.”
“They are not characters; they are dummies with plot and background stories.”
“The big flaw, as many have mentioned, is that the whole 'story-writing' investigation system still seems clunky, and I didn't succeed on either of my runs in solving the murder.”
“Unfortunately, the game's writing seems far more interested in progressing the plot than allowing for cute moments, forgetting that these moments are the very thing that makes us attached to the characters and thus invested in resolving the plot.”
- gameplay134 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Mask of the Rose" is a blend of visual novel, detective game, and dating sim, featuring innovative mechanics that encourage player choice and relationship building. However, many players find the mechanics to be clunky and poorly explained, leading to frustration with the game's pacing and lack of clarity. While the writing and art are praised, the overall gameplay experience is hindered by sluggish performance and a lack of basic features like manual saves, making it challenging for newcomers to fully engage with the story.
“Mask of the Rose is a solid game with some engaging gameplay aspects, a wide-ranging story that encourages player choice, and more playthroughs with a distinctive art style and soundtrack.”
“The gameplay is a visual novel that is also both a detective game and a dating sim.”
“There is a lot to love about this game-- fantastic writing and worldbuilding, and a genuinely innovative gameplay format.”
“That said, I cannot for the life of me understand why there is no manual save function, nor ability to copy a save file; the accessibility of the game is massively undercut by the need to replay the entirety of the plot to get different endings, especially when many of the underlying gameplay elements are, in the style of Fallen London, rather arcane and opaque.”
“However, the gameplay is kind of frustrating, and while the UI design is good, using it feels just awful, given the weird mandatory delays on every line of dialogue, super slow screen transitions, and just generally sluggish performance - a bizarre thing to say about a visual novel, but here we are.”
“But the gameplay loop is a grindy mess and entirely unsuited to telling the story.”
- music56 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in "Mask of the Rose" is widely praised for its haunting beauty and atmospheric quality, enhancing the game's immersive experience. While some reviewers noted that the soundtrack may feel repetitive over time, it remains engaging and complements the game's art and storytelling effectively. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's emotional depth and ambiance.
“The music and sound effects are perfectly spooky and soothing in alternate measure.”
“The soundtrack is exceptional, featuring heavy strings that create an inviting and mysterious feel with some sinister undertones.”
“The music and atmosphere are stunning, and I admit the game has a few moments that are genuinely tear-jerkers.”
“Also, the music, while fine, lacks some of the character of the Sunless Seas/Skies soundtracks, unfortunately.”
“Realistically speaking, the music may feel repetitive after a couple of games, but it never annoyed me to the point of needing to turn it off or switch to something else.”
“Other people's feelings may differ, but I find that offering a more varied soundtrack would have been beyond the scope of this game.”
- atmosphere26 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charm, depth, and emotional impact, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning music and engaging writing. Players appreciate the freedom to explore various storylines and character interactions, although some express confusion about the game's objectives. Overall, the atmosphere is described as dark, moody, and immersive, contributing significantly to the game's appeal despite some pacing and structural flaws.
“It's got a wonderful atmosphere, characters, and secrets for you to uncover.”
“Wonderfully atmospheric and engaging with excellent writing.”
“The atmosphere and setting is both charming and mysterious.”
“The prose is gorgeous, characters surprise with their depth as you get to know them more, music and overall atmosphere is 11/10.”
“I love the game's atmosphere, I just felt like it ended way too soon and the game itself didn't even warn me that I was only going to get a few 'days' in which to impact things.”
- replayability22 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to its multiple endings and diverse story paths, encouraging players to explore different outcomes after their initial playthrough. However, some players noted issues such as pacing and the absence of manual saves, which can detract from the overall replay experience, particularly for those seeking a more casual gameplay style. Overall, while the game excels in replay value, it may not appeal to everyone.
“I played for 7 hours straight... I managed to complete the game, but it has such huge replayability potential that you actually want to play again and again in order to find out all the secrets and multiple endings.”
“As a result of the variety of different ways the story can play out and paths that can be pursued, replayability is highly encouraged. Once the player has gone through the game once and understands how it works, they can achieve much more on subsequent playthroughs.”
“The universe, character depths, and replayability really work for me.”
“I would say that this game does have some problems with replayability in the Yule season and also left me rather confused on my first run about what to do, but it was still a nice and enjoyable experience.”
“In a genre that's all about replayability and discovery, this seems a strange choice.”
“After my first playthrough of 'Mask of the Rose' and after reading several reviews, I have to agree with people who criticize the pacing and lack of manual saves—both of which lead to poor replayability.”
- emotional20 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Mask of the Rose" is polarizing; while some players find the stories genuinely touching and intriguing, others feel a lack of emotional investment undermines the experience. Many reviewers express frustration over the characters' emotional responses and the need for significant time investment without satisfactory emotional returns, leading to disappointment despite the game's quality writing and art. Overall, the game offers a unique narrative experience that may resonate with some, but leaves others feeling emotionally unfulfilled.
“Summary: Mask of the Rose has many genuinely touching, funny, and intriguing stories in it, although it takes a significant amount of patience and perhaps a spreadsheet documenting choices to be able to access much of this content.”
“Exactly the profoundly tangled, deliciously alluring, and deeply heartfelt journey that I hoped it would be.”
“It's a totally different view of the people of Fallen London, not trying to 'make life bearable' but 'avoid starving or being slain by the unknown and wretched things of this strange country.'”
- humor20 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is praised for its tasteful and engaging execution, blending dark and hilarious elements effectively. Players appreciate the well-defined characters and the satisfying, often funny interactions, whether through friendships or romances. Overall, the writing is described as top-notch, with humor that resonates alongside the game's intriguing and macabre storytelling.
“The writing is top notch, evocative and humorous; the characters are all well-defined and engaging.”
“It balances dark and hilarious vibes, and romance is entirely optional - in fact, you can perfectly enjoy the game by just befriending everyone - even the monsters!”
“Story, characters, lore: Failbetter always excels at its world-building and thought-provoking writing, and continues to use a fantastic, macabre, and darkly humorous world to tell stories that resonate with very real struggles and emotions experienced by many people.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Mask of the Rose" are highly praised for their detailed, hand-drawn art style that beautifully captures a Victorian London aesthetic infused with dark, Lovecraftian elements. Players appreciate the game's mesmerizing visuals and vibrant soundtrack, which enhance the overall experience, despite some noted pacing issues. Overall, the game's aesthetics contribute significantly to its charm and appeal.
“Mask of the Rose is a truly beautiful game, full of incredibly mesmerizing writing, delightful visuals, and colorful music.”
“The graphics are detailed and hand-drawn, and each piece fits well with a Victorian London look meshed with a darker and Lovecraftian feel.”
“Overall, great aesthetics, fun stories, and worth the price of admission post-patch.”
“Visually and aesthetically a very pleasing game, but it suffers from pacing issues.”
“If you are looking for graphical descriptions, they are indeed available, but it's still worth noting that Mask of the Rose is more of an adventure game with extra romance than a conventional dating simulator.”
“The graphics are detailed and hand-drawn, and each piece fits well with a Victorian London look meshed with a more dark and Lovecraftian feel.”
- grinding12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a significant frustration with grinding in the game, describing it as tedious and detracting from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the charm of the narrative, they feel that the gameplay loop is overly grindy and poorly aligned with storytelling, leading to fatigue over time. The absence of manual saves further exacerbates the issue, making experimentation cumbersome and potentially ruining progress.
“An interesting idea done in the most tedious way imaginable.”
“The lack of manual saves is a bummer - not only does it make it tedious to try new options or to figure out where something went wrong, it also can destroy a run if you misclick.”
“But the gameplay loop is a grindy mess and entirely unsuited to telling the story.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoother on PC with reduced loading times, players experience frustratingly slow dialogue transitions and mandatory delays that hinder the overall gameplay experience. The user interface is well-designed, but the sluggish performance detracts from the enjoyment, making the action economy feel poorly optimized.
“I will say that the game is more optimized for PC, in that it runs smoother, with less loading time.”
“However, the gameplay is kind of frustrating, and while the UI design is good, using it feels just awful, given the weird mandatory delays on every line of dialogue, super slow screen transitions, and just generally sluggish performance - a bizarre thing to say about a visual novel, but here we are.”
“The 'action economy', to put it in another game's terms, is incredibly unoptimized, and I felt as though I had to only pursue conversations in which I knew would have an outcome that would further a storyline.”
“A better optimized way might be to do this through the dialogue tree as a 'last minute' change, rather than forcing the long load times to and from the dressing room.”
- character development6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for being overshadowed by a focus on romance options, making it difficult for players to engage with the deeper narratives. While the art and character designs are praised, the writing is described as sparse, leaving intriguing stories underexplored and hard to access. Overall, the potential for meaningful character growth is hindered by the game's structure and presentation.
“The art is lovely with great character design, and there are intriguing stories hidden in there, but they're too hard to access.”
“The writing is sparse, and whatever character development there might be is buried beneath a constant flurry of 'do you want to romance this person?'”
“The writing is sparse, and whatever character development there might be is buried beneath a constant flurry of 'Do you want to romance this person?'”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is reported to be quite unstable, with numerous bugs affecting gameplay, particularly when using the fast forward feature, which can lead to unintended actions. Users recommend waiting for a sale or a patch to address these issues before purchasing, especially for Mac users, as experiences may vary by platform.
“There is a fast forward, but using it at all got buggy fast---it would sweep past things when I didn't want it to, and the logs don't go back indefinitely, and turn on randomly.”
“If you're really a big Sunless-head this is pretty fun, but I'd wait until it goes on sale, certainly at least until it's not so buggy (I'm on a Mac though so your bugs may vary).”
“Super buggy.”
