Hi ho, editor Ritobito here! It’s hard to believe that The House in Fata Morgana‘s release is finally right around the corner, but here we are, and with a beefy demo for you all, no less. It’s been quite a journey, and if you’ve been following my blatherings on Twitter, you’re already familiar with just how much I personally adore this visual novel. But it bears repeating: this is a truly special VN, and there’s really nothing quite like it.

But enough of my fanboying! Today, we’re thrilled to give you a little tour of The House in Fata Morgana–more specifically, what lay beyond its first two doors, which make up most of the demo’s content. Let’s have a look! Holding onto my hand is strictly optional.

The game begins in the dreary, lifeless mansion. You–whose identity is not yet clear–awaken in a rocking chair, greeted by an enigmatic (and equally lifeless) maid who seems to recognize You. However, You have no recollection of who You are, much less her, to her confusion and dismay. So what’s the best way to jog Your screwed up memory? Show You a bunch of twisted tragedies from a variety of time periods, of course!

Beyond the First Door, we meet two of our major characters–the inseparable brother and sister pair Mell and Nellie Rhodes. The two are quite close, as evidenced by Nellie’s insistence that Mell is her “prince”–much to Mell’s annoyance. Even as we jump from their childhood to their teens–where Mell is struggling to tackle some difficult decisions of early adulthood–Nellie is still as incessantly obsessive as ever.

One day, a mysterious white-haired girl shows up at the mansion as a maid, and Mell quickly takes an interest to her. Who is she, and where did she come from? And more pressingly, how will Nellie react to this wedge driven between her and her beloved prince?

Our definitely bright and happy ending of chapter 1 leads us to the Second Door, which you’ll quickly notice has a dramatically different atmosphere from what we’ve previously seen. A ravenous beast lurks the mansion in this era, a terrifying creature that knows nothing but sadism and bloodshed. The Maid manages to teach him the human tongue and convince him to become the mansion’s master, serving to his needs and pacifying his innate savagery. He even begins to seem humanlike–until he’s driven into a bloody frenzy and doubles down on his beasthood, at any rate.

Not long after, a mysterious white-haired girl shows up at his door, and we’re shown glimpses of a young woman in a city on the sea in search of her shipwrecked beloved. Once again, who is this strange girl with the snow-white hair and pale skin? What is the black-haired woman’s role in this story? And what is the true nature of the beast?

Sizeable as this demo may be, these are but two of its tales, and only scratches the surface of what The House in Fata Morgana has to offer. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

By all means, let us know what you think. We’re working hard to polish up the rest of the game for its upcoming May 13th release, and can’t wait for you all to unfold the mysteries and tragedies within.