The House in Fata Morgana

One of the best stories and soundtracks I've seen in a game. If you start it, play it through to the end. It's worth it

I cannot press the thumbs up button enough times to articulate my love of this game.

I heard about this game via Reddit when I was looking for a visual novel to play. It came recommended by a lot of Redditors, so I thought "Why not...? I'll check it out." Ooh boy, let's just say I'm very glad I did. This visual novel is by far the one I've spent most of my time on, and it's the reason I finally decided to cave and get a steam account.

I am always skeptical when a game is hyped THIS much... and honestly, I wasn't used to the art style at first. As the game progressed, I started to see how truly stunning the artwork was. Not just the art, but the music as well. It was unique, obviously a labor of love on creators' part, and the soundtrack itself made me feel sophisticated enough to don opera glasses. These elements were amazing enough, but that's not even touching the compelling story line that draws you in until you realize it's been 2 days and all you've eaten is cereal in your computer cave... Yeah... who needs to shower when you are hooked in the claws of this breathtaking narrative.

You will originally hate a character that you label as irredeemable... only to turn around the next chapter and actually... feel empathy for them? Yeah... it's literal witchcraft how they have this effect on you. The writers could make you feel empathy for the devil himself. And I'm not actually joking.

The initial mysterious nature of the characters will simultaneously drive you nuts and drive you forward with purpose as you seek answers to your questions. Is anything really what it seems? I ask myself that on a daily basis already, but the game sent my paranoia into hyper drive. None of the characters are "black and white" in their morality.. and that makes me love them more. They all have a relatable sense of humanity and make you examine yourself. Soon you'll find yourself in a full on downward spiral trying to leap through the screen and change your answers to choices, even when using a guide. Even for the GOOD ending.

It's too easy to spoil this amazing visual novel, so I've remained vague intentionally in my review. The TL;DR version? If you're thinking of buying this game, DO IT. Even when it's slow in the beginning and you're wondering how any of it relates to anything else... KEEP GOING. You will absolutely not regret it. In case you weren't sure, I would give this game 100/10 stars.

my favourite piece of fiction. it understands my soul

Very Very Good

SPOILER WARNING

"Ah, a relaxing visual novel!" – Said No One Ever. Fata Morgana: where doors lead to:

1603: Incest & jealousy? Check.

1707: Beast-mode massacre? Check.

1869: Victorian husband of the year? Check.

1099: Giselle: Gets raped, falls for Michel (who’s crucified), makes a deal with a witch, waits 1000 YEARS alone in a mansion ("But was it worth it?" meme energy). Michel? Born intersex, disowned, dies tortured. His "hero’s journey"? Surviving his own trauma conga line. Conclusion: Reincarnated meetup. "Finally, no more curse! ...Right?".

10/10 pain shopping. Soundtrack slaps while you cry.

peak fiction.

the last chapter is what everyone needs to experience

“Our lives shall be forfeit to the witch’s curse. Nevertheless, we must lay bare those with sin upon their souls, for the redemption of those whom are pure.”

The House in Fata Morgana is one of the best stories I was allowed to read and enjoy. If you love the visual novel genre with complex acts, emotional twists, and many layers, you will love this game. The gothic art style and the beautiful soundtrack perfectly complement the incredibly well-written story. I personally thought that it was a bit too stretched at the end, but besides that, I enjoyed this game a lot. 9.5/10
Masterpiece :p

An unforgettably beautiful, melancholic work of art

Woah, I don't even know where to start! Despite my initial concerns for the notable length of The House in Fata Morgana, I was completely absorbed in the slow-burn narrative from the get-go and instead of wishing for it to end, I found relief in the extended pleasures of reading. Honestly, I wasn't even going to give the game a chance at first because I did not find the art appealing enough nor did I think I'd be able to summon the patience needed to finish this story, but I am more than happy that I decided to give it a go!

The tunes and art style contribute massively to the melancholic, eerie and lonely atmosphere the likes of which I have never experienced in a horror game before. I appreciate the contrast between the blurry, surreal environments and the intricate, beautiful characters all of which have distinct personalities and engrossing backstories. Living through the tales like they were my own, I was sucked into the void of misery and left with an aftertaste of grey melancholy. I think it says something about the impactfulness of the game as it accomplished the stirring of emotions without any fancy writing or redundant flurry of words.

So if you are like me and show even a speck of inclination towards visual novels that are rich in gothic aesthetics, deep psychology and existential horror, please give The House in Fata Morgana a try; there is a reason why it is so highly rated. You'll never know, with some persistence, you might discover your next favorite thing!

Graphics
☐ Stunning
☑ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Jumble of pixels

Gameplay
☐ Super fun
☐ Enjoyable
☑ Normal
☐ Boring
☐ Don’t fall asleep

Audio
☐ Eargasm
☑ Amazing
☐ Good
☐ Not horrible
☐ Better without headphones

PC Requirements
☑ Potato
☐ Medium
☐ Fast
☐ Ask NASA for a spare computer

Difficulty
☑ Piece of cake
☐ Easy
☐ Average
☐ Difficult
☐ Very difficult

Story
☐ No story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☑ Masterpiece

Length
☐ Super short (0-2 h)
☐ Short (2-6 h)
☐ Average (6-10 h)
☑ Long (10+)
☐ Endless

Price
☐ Free
☑ Worth the price
☐ Buy it on sale
☐ If you have extra money
☐ Not recommended

Bugs
☑ No
☐ Minor
☐ Annoying
☐ Too much
☐ The game itself is a bug

Replayability
☐ No replay value
☑ Maybe once
☐ Multiple times
☐ Infinite replayability

9.5/10

a beautiful story, every door interconnected, a true masterpiece. fatamoru deserves more attention.

The story is told as an anthology of sorts. The whole package has a fairy tale quality to it.

Some of the chapters are stronger than others. It can be a double-edged sword: the especially strong chapters are over too quickly and the weaker sections seem to drag on a bit.

I love the character artwork. Moyotaro's work is outstanding. In comparison, the background artwork is a little lacking. With that said, the more abstract settings are forgivable considering the fairy tale style.

I enjoyed some of the music tracks. I admit that I ended up turning the music volume down after a while. Definitely a personal preference and not a comment on the quality of the music.

The developers deserve praise for switching things up over the course of the story. It helped keep the reading experience fresh.

This title has "horror" tags on certain database websites, which may not exactly be accurate. There aren't many horror elements compared to something like Higurashi: When They Cry.

Overall I enjoyed my time in the house. The characters are likeable and it's interesting to see their interactions with each other.

Incestuous Rape of Minors. I don't ever want to be in the head space of the reviewers who call this peak fiction.

Got this suggested to me as my first vn, was not dissapointed. the first few arcs were slightly slow but it all wraps up together in a great ending.

Its Peak. No story compares. go in blind, its worth it

A literal masterpiece in subverting the reader's expectations, a collection of tales about tragedies on romance and later shows that love triumphs all.

Even though it's unvoiced, the sheer beauty of the background music to progressively set the mood and tone is simply sublime. The great illustrations of the character sprites shows a great contrast to the abstract visual background.

Even though you feel you have no love for romance stories, the sheer depth in the writing and the characters show that not all romance stories are cheesy and one-trick ponies. There are no higher praise for this work, and I recommend everyone who's willing to read to get swallowed into the tales within the House.

completely ruined my chances of thinking highly of any other visual novel. having this much talent should be illegal.

I love reading (:

Exactly what the other reviews claim. The first few hours were good but not good enough for me so I almost dropped it, but I'm glad I didn't. It gets better and better and at one point, it gets so good that you'll think to yourself "it can't get any better". But then it does. This is the best piece of fiction I've experienced yet.

Teared up more times than I can count, cried more than once. I don't even cry to media that often. I tried to recount the story to someone that doesn't even play games and started to cry thinking about the protagonist. It got that sad. Reading t his shit reminded me I have emotions and process them like normal people, because I got emotional. I will say the game does have a bit of a slow start though, to the point that I took a small break from it. But I kept thinking about the mysteries that were unanswered, and I am so glad I went back to finish the game because the game increases in quality the more you read it. It's awesome, and scary. But not only is it awesome and scary, it's probably every positive adjective under the sun. I am not bullshitting you I am a massive hater of games when they are overhyped, this is NOT that. If you like reading in any capacity I swear to you, you will NOT regret reading this. Take heed of the maturity content because it can get super dark at times.

overall i'd say i liked it. the art direction is very unique, the soundtrack is very beautiful and the themes were all interesting. however, i could feel my patience getting tested especially during the mid section of door 8 and that definitely hampered my enjoyment quite a bit. the dialogue was long and the characters were reiterating a lot of things that didn't add a whole lot to the table. still, the finale ties everything up in mostly a pretty nice bow. i'm not very keen on romance focused story-telling so while i could recognize that the characters shared a very deep and touching bond i don't think it emotionally resonated with me as much as it did for some people. still, it has a unique narrative and i'd recommend it to anyone who loves thematically rich storytelling.

greatest story i ever read. 10/10

The best novel ever written.

There is nothing else to say, just read it.

Oh my god. One of the best NOVELS, not just VNs, I have ever had the pleasure to read. What an absolutely heartbreaking story of love, loss, tragedy, triumph, and hope. Incredible. 10/10

无论时光荏苒，无论荆棘几度，无论你的颜姿将化作何形——我都将与你相迎。

无敌的配乐无敌的画风，请让米吉永远幸福吧

I genuinely believe this is one of the greatest works of fiction ever written.

10/10 Masterpiece

This was a FOMO-buy for me but after having played 13 hours I cannot take this snore-fest any longer. I was not emotionally involved in the characters, the music is good and the art too (although Michel's got very small hands).
But it feel like something that's been written by a 19-year old girl or something.

Am I really missing out if I quit right now, considering all I've said`
You tell me.

This is one of the best stories I ever read! And it had me in tears multiple times.

incredibly well thought out and meaningful visual novel. 10/10

most beautifully paced, i recommend this to all not just those who indulge in visual novels. true masterpiece.

One of the most beautiful and best written works i've ever read. 10/10 masterpiece, would recommend for everyone.

The best game ever

Una de las mejores novelas visuales que he jugado. Cuando crees que entiendes lo que esta pasando, hay un nuevo giro en la trama. El unico inconveniente es que para algunas personas puede tardar en ponerse interesante. Todo se empieza a conectar alrededor de las 20 horas.
Altamente recomendado.

An amazing piece of writing that makes full use of its medium. It is a long slow burn of a read, but the pacing works. The few scenes that felt like they dragged on must be on purpose, looking back on them. The art and music were also good. The only critique I could think of are the out-of-place, fanservice-y outfit/CG for one character and some of the audio mixing. Otherwise had a great time with this. The game even makes use of it not being voice acted in a genius way. Absolutely recommended for anyone who likes long, gothic horror tales with a large sprinkling of human drama.

Honestly, I'm not sure I've ever had a story quite effect me as much as this one at times, between the art, music, and story I was more or less moved. Mainly wrote-off visual novels seeing as how many stories can get pushed out without much thought within the format, but this visual novel more or less changed my perception of the genre. Worth for me 100%, I had got this on sale, but even if I hadn't I wouldn't have regretted it. I will be getting more visual novels, next time there is a sale, and it will be because of this one.

This story was life-changing—it was truly a beautiful experience.
From the characters to every internal and external conflict,
It explored the meaning of life, the importance of never giving up,
And the beautiful dynamic between Michel and Giselle.
It also taught how important perspective is—
Because The House in Fata Morgana shows us how different a story can be
If we never try to understand others fully.
Without seeing every perspective, we can never uncover the truth.
They were always misunderstood by one another.
And the art of forgiving those who have wronged you—
Because holding on to hatred gives you nothing.
If you stay in anger, you remain controlled by it; you are never truly free.
It also explored understanding one another and learning to endure.
Even though it was difficult, they managed—
Even for a hundred years, a hundreds hundreds more.
In conclusion, this was a story worth every moment of my life.
You should definitely take the time to read this wonderful visual novel—
It's truly one of the greatest works of fiction of all time.

Greatest of all time. Zenith of the medium. Hallmark of media. Gold standard of storytelling. Apogee of creativity. Vertex of invention. Crest of ingenuity. Acme of imagination. Pinnacle of innovation. Epic of epics. Legend among legends. Peak fiction.

If you have eyes that can read the text, ears that can hear the music and a few dollars to spare, you have to try out this visual novel. An emotional tale that uses different perspectives to show the full depth of the story perfectly. Truly an experience of a lifetime.

Exceptional VN with a harrowing tale full of hope and despair, tragedy and comedy, sin and redemption. Visuals are beautiful, music is fantastic, characters are engaging and the plot does a great job of revealing its layers with perfect pacing and suspense. I had this in my library for a while now and I'm so glad I got around to reading it. Looking forward to checking out the other titles in this series.

Its peak just play it

Fan of narrative in every way, this is one of the best story ever told to me.

10/10. Tragedy sets the stage, but forgiveness directs the finale.

the best story i have ever read

perhaps one of the most beautiful stories i've ever read, legit binged this in a week

Can't describe this in words, it's some of the best fiction I've come across in quite a while. Definitely 10/10.

my heart feels like it's been pulled out, stepped on then put back into my chest.

Michel Bollinger is the top character in media

Absolute cinema. Peak fiction.

This is a visual novel. Usually, I praise a good story-focused game for doing something that would be impossible in a book. This one, however, wouldn’t work as a book—not because of its structure, but because I doubt anyone would have published it, at least not without heavy editing and cutting its length in half.

The game features both mystery and romance. It attempts to depict multiple historical settings and does so relatively well, mainly because it avoids focusing on historical details and keeps the language modern without doing the usual tired attempts at ye olde Anglo speech. It doesn’t even explicitly name locations, though it’s usually obvious what they’re meant to be. The story is structured as a collection of loosely connected short stories, each of them a Shakespearean-style tragedy, all thematically similar. This repetition is clearly a deliberate choice, but by the time I reached the fifth story, I couldn’t handle it anymore. It felt like reading five raw drafts of a short novel exploring the same idea—without ever getting a fully realized novel out of it.

I’m used to people calling a game’s writing "great" when it simply doesn’t offend the senses. This one isn’t exactly bad—the book lover in me never felt pain while reading it, just boredom.

It might sound like I dislike the visual novel genre itself, but I’ve enjoyed some in the past. While I have plenty of criticism for this game, I wouldn’t say it’s bad just because of anime tropes, unlike some other VNs. In story-driven games like this, the true strength often lies not in the writing alone but in how it leverages the unique tools of the medium. Unfortunately, this game misses the mark there as well. The art style is interesting, but many images feel like rough drafts, with broken perspectives, incorrect body proportions, and other issues. The background art is even worse—cheap-looking, heavily blurred photographs. There’s no voice acting. The game does have choices, but they all boil down to either "See Bad Ending #X" or "Continue the Story," so while there’s a mystery, you don’t actively engage in unraveling it. There are some spoiler-ish mechanics that wouldn’t work in a book, but they’re minor, and if you don’t notice them, you won’t miss much.

One genuinely great aspect is the music—it features a lot of vocal tracks, all performed exceptionally well.

The game clearly has a huge following, so don’t take my thumbs-down too seriously. Aside from some of the art, I can’t say anything in it is outright bad—it just didn’t resonate with me (except for the music). That, of course, is entirely subjective. It’s not a game for me, and I gave it a fair shot, playing more than half before putting it down.

If you decide to play it, I recommend using the Remaid of Dreams mod—it significantly improves the technical and visual aspects. Naturally, the game runs well on Steam Deck.

Just ended it. And I'm no native speaker but writing this in spanish would be pointless as the novel doesn't have (an official) translation.

Anyway this was a drawn out project for me. Started reading it years ago while my life was on an ever increasing, painful melancholy that I'm still slowly accepting. I see now the parallelisms of this game and my situation but the start of this story was more like a pulp horror to me, where twists are thrown cheaply for shock factor. I wasn't very optimistic of the outcomes of those first doors as it seemed rather disjointed. I wasn't paying much attention too. It however punched me on my feelings, seeing how that fantasy love was twisted by petty misunderstadings and wanton curses. Oh yeah I related to that.

On recent times I walked the later half of this and I'm impressed at the coherence, depth and beauty of it all. I can't really convince you if you haven't played it yet, and if you have this is maybe redundant, but every character gets such a lovely treatment of their wishes, fears and yearnings that I don't think I'll forget them anytime soon. The walls of the mansion soaked me in and they felt alive, that's just how good the relations between its elements is.

Yeah this is getting a bit fanboyish. Maybe the pacing is a bit drawn out, maybe the plots are a bit too exposed and too explained, not leaving much room for mistery once you get to the heart of it all. Honestly I think these are tiny flaws because the core of the experience was made of some pristine darkness that allowed me to reflect about my also turbulent life, giving me a renewed sense of hope and love for the important things on life, mainly people.

I truly mean it when I say that The House in Fata Morgana is one of the best stories I have ever read in my entire life, and I would go as far as to say it IS a perfect story, it actually has 0 flaws, I recommend it to anybody, I went into it blind, with absolutely no context and I believe that is the best way to experience it, so, what are you waiting for?