Mask of the Rose is a role-playing game by Failbetter Games. It is a romantic visual novel that focuses on love, mystery, and the restructuring of society. Here, you will play as a character sharing a boarding house with other characters. Each of them has a story that you can get involved in or not.

Mask of the Rose shares the universe of Fallen London. Although, it is less dating sim than its predecessor. There is also more to the game than conversations. However, as with other visual novel games, you have a variety of endings and playthrough wildly branches. 

What is Mask of the Rose?

Mask of the Rose is a game described as a romantic visual novel and a prequel to Fallen London. As mentioned, you will play as one of the characters sharing a boarding house. You can either be the landlady, the medical student, or the local constable. Each will have its own back story and personal drama. Although, unlike other VN games, you have the choice to be involved or not.

Although it is a visual novel, there is more to the game than conversations and choosing from various options. Here, you will have locations to visit, jobs to pick up, and outfits to collect. There is also a good dose of resource management involved. Moreover, there are different storylines to pursue, and based on your choices, your playthrough may branch out to a different plot.

As noted, the game is set in the same universe as Fallen London. In fact, much of the art style from the previous games has been retained in it. Although, it comes with a slight update to give it a bit of a Film Noir effect. Don't worry, though. The game does not require too much from your machine to work smoothly. 

Is the game good?

If you are a fan of Fallen London, then Mask of the Rose will be right up your alley. The game will have the same content as the latter, like exploration and solving mysteries. However, there will also be a significant amount of time on romancing and one-on-one time with other characters. Although, the various and branching playthroughs can make the experience a little more complex.