Masq is an interactive comic with typical soap opera elements such as love,
betrayal and murder, and the portrayal of characters in a pulp fiction
fashion. It consists of five seamless episodes, which can be finished in an
hour, but depending on the choices different storylines and plot twists can be
explored. Notable developer Noah Falstein, of LucasArts adventure game, is
involved with the project as an advisor.

The protagonist owns a fashion firm and is about to launch a new collection
called MASQ. He is married to Susan, an elementary school teacher. Other major
characters are Thelma, an employee married to your friend Carlos, Peter,
designer of the new collection, Williams, the superintendent of Susan’s
school, and Rogers who works at the bank. An investment is needed to launch
the collection and there are different options to consider; there is a loan
request at the bank but Mr Williams is prepared to make an offer as well. At
the beginning of the game, Carlos needs your help and at the same time, the
sexy, yet familiar, Nikki starts to work at the office.

As a work of interactive fiction, the game cannot be lost. Instead, there are
different outcomes based on the player’s actions, offering a high
replayability factor. The gameplay is shown as a series of still and animated
comic-style sequences and images. The game is entire in black and white, with
scarce spots of colour and no sound at all. At certain moments, the player can
choose one of the available options or responses at the bottom of the screen.
Before starting the game, the player’s reading speed is determined. Not taking
an action or late actions are interpreted by the game as well. It can still be
adjusted manually while playing. Players can engage in relationships with
other characters, and explore both violent and non-violent ways to solve
conflicts. The game starts with 15 lives. Every time episode 5 is entered, a
life is used up and when out of lives, the game cannot longer be played from
the account. Sudden endings before the start of the fifth episode do not
influence the number of lives.

An active internet connection is required to play the game. The game exchanges
messages, surveys and ads, and gathers playing behaviour for future games.
Players need to register as the third episode can only be activated through
e-mail. The game can also be played inside a browser. Due to the explicit
content, such as swearing, nudity, sex and violence, players should be over 17
years.

Masq