The House in Fata Morgana

The House in Fata Morgana
N/A
Metacritic
95
Steam
88.776
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Price
$12.49
Release date
13 May 2016
Developers
Publishers
Steam reviews score
Total
95 (3 450 votes)
Recent
94 (67 votes)

A gothic suspense tale set in a cursed mansion. "The House in Fata Morgana" is a full-length visual novel spanning nearly a millennium that deals in tragedy, human nature, and insanity.

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The House in Fata Morgana system requirements

Minimum:

  • OS: 2000 and newer
  • Processor: Pentium
  • Memory: 128 MB RAM
  • Graphics: 800×600
  • DirectX: Version 9.0
  • Storage: 1 GB available space

Recommended:

Recommended requirements are not yet specified.
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SunRiiZe
SunRiiZe

Our Father,
who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name.

I ask of thee, O Father,

to bestow upon their souls thy blessing.

Zeno
Zeno

Is it the most impactful, provoking VN I've ever read? Yes. It's one of the most incredible pieces of media I've ever experienced and I'll be thinking about it forever.

BUT: seriously content warning for basically everything, it's a real dark one. I think it earns it, and it's necessary, but damn it goes dark.

2B
2B

The first three chapters: this game is so boring

The rests: WAOW

Never cried like this before

The best visual novel game I have ever played

10/10

Seriously

BlueBell
BlueBell

i didnt finished it yet but i can already knew how much detail and effort they put in this game, especially soundtrack and artwork of this game was very on-point the character design was pretty good and the plot along with the facial express was the best

mpames
mpames

I heard the raves, and was skeptical. I thought perhaps the people praising this as the "best story ever" had a limited frame of reference. I don't know if this is the best story ever--there can't be a single best story--but it's certainly brilliant, one of the best pieces of art I've consumed.

There are some parts that could have used more aggressive editing, but still an A+++ experience.

Toaster
Toaster

Though I have yet to finish it, this visual novel has already earned it's place as my new all time favorite. The audio is wonderful, the story fascinating, the pacing fantastic and the plot to die for. I cannot wait to see what it holds next.

utopiasucks
utopiasucks

I didn't know I had that many tears in me. 10/10, game convinced me love is real.

(All jokes aside, this is now my favorite story in any format I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Deeply disturbing, deeply beautiful.)

Supol
Supol

The House in Fate Morgana is a beautiful visual novel, admittedly it starts off slow with the most boring arc according to most people(its still a lot enjoyable nonetheless) and slowly picks up from there feeiling like a continuous climax peaking with the actual climax of the story.

The soundtrack is outright amazing, to give you an example of how good it is id say that its on the same level of the Nier and Drankengard series.

The characters are very very charming and are the main drive force of the actual plot.

If i were to nitpick something that i didnt like that much it would probably be the background art since you may find it a bit lacking but it easily gets overshadowed by the art of the characters.

All in all Fata Morgana is a vn that i absolutely love and wholeheartedly recommend but beware, it may make you cry yourself to sleep.

aliasup
aliasup

besides the great storytelling and music and art, the pacing is much better than most vns of similar length, there is no point at which the story drags, besides maybe the last chapter. i liked the 2nd chapter the most, in a sense it is a similar story to saya no uta, but with a different perspective and a more clear message.

Zukitten
Zukitten

Beautiful. Poignant. Tragic.

An incredibly rich storyline, filled with well designed characters certain to evoke every emotion from pity and compassion to hatred and disgust. And supporting this incredible story is absolutely beautiful artwork and perhaps the best score I've encountered in any visual novel or piece of interactive fiction.

This game does deal with a great many painful topics, however, and is likely to be particularly triggering for members of the LGBTQ+ community who've dealt with discrimination, and also survivors of sexual abuse.

oS4RBE4Ro
oS4RBE4Ro

The worst visual novel I have ever played.

The music is horrendous, the writing is absolutely cheesy, I just can't anymore.

It blows my mind how this has overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Arthur the Fair
Arthur the Fair

brilliant story with awesome music and excellent artworks. the story it tells is touching, I even cried twice. HOWEVER I have to say the way of telling the story is extremely boring and repeating, the author clearly lacks the ability to organise those long stories in a way that makes the players feeling exciting. I used to feel touched in the game but when i finally finish one of the end it is THREE YEARS later. Every time I felt too bored and lost the willing of continuing exploring the story.

I finally finish only one of the ending, it is the forth so it means there are at least four ending, each of them requires you to come back to see most of chapters which makes me soon give up trying to read the other endings. even with the skip function it is quite boring and long procedure, with the possibility that you make skip some different parts, because the UI is quite outdated, it wont warn you or stop you from skipping them. When I finally finish it i gonna say i feel so liberated and released from the burden and I never want to play it again.

At the end I have to repeat my point: the story is good, the music is good, the artwork is good, all of the contents of the game are remarkable and deserve your time. But the unnecessarily long paragraphs and the way of telling the story ruined the gameplay experience (not surprising as many Japanese love stories have similar problems but this one goes further)

Trapito
Trapito

It took me almost a year to finish this game, because I got constantly demotivated after finishing chapter 3. Notheless, the game is a true masterpiece with it's very unique music, art and of course story-telling. I'm extremely satisfied with the experience, and hope to finish the prequel someday.

Vito
Vito

PEAK FICTION
PEAK FICTION
PEAK FICTION
PEAK FICTION

LighthousePilgrim
LighthousePilgrim

This is a fantastic example of what visual novels are capable of. It uses music, visuals, and effects perfectly to tell the story it wants to tell. And it succeeds greatly. Never before have I felt so connected to characters in a visual novel. Their pain and love is so expertly written, so beautiful, that I can't help but cry and smile at what is depicted.

Furthermore, the pacing is phenomenal. Although the first half is purposely vague about what is occurring, this period of confusion is long enough to make you hungry for answers, but doesn't drag on until you are annoyed. As well as that, it lacks the overwritten sections many visuals novels fall victim to, where sentences repeat information three times in a row constantly (Looking at you Umineko).

I really can't recommend this enough. Please play it if you are even the least bit curious. It is a fantastic read.

🐼SAMOSH🐼
🐼SAMOSH🐼

I was originally made aware of Fata Morgana many years ago when I was asking for VN recommendations similar to Umineko. For some reason it took me a while to go ahead and buy the game and then even longer to actually play it.
Now that I finally did I can safely say that yeah, I can certainly see some similarities to Umineko both in terms of plot and characters and also the themes it is trying to convey, but more importantly: it simply is a damn good story that I wish I had read sooner.

The store page does a nice job at laying out the basics. You, the unnamed amnesiac protagonist, wake up in an abandoned mansion and are subsequently greeted by the similarly unnamed maid of the house who then proceeds to guide you through multiple doors which will show you the tragedies that occurred at this supposedly cursed location in an attempt to make you remember who you are. These all take place over 100 years apart from each other and feature casts of what seem to be completely unrelated characters, which makes one wonder how these tales could at all be connected to one another... yet there are certain elements that seem to exist in all of them no matter what year the story takes place in even though they realistically couldn't.

The mysteries behind these plot connections and your identity are - at least initially - the main hooks that are supposed to keep you engaged in the overarching narrative while you are reading what basically amounts to a collection of short stories.
These short stories, for better or for worse, only get better as the story progresses. Meaning if you aren't particularly engaged at the beginning but don't HATE the experience thus far, try giving it another chapter or two and keep in mind that there's probably more to things than meets the eye.

I'd love to just gush about the story and ESPECIALLY the characters of Fata Morgana, some of which are genuinely masterfully written and among my favorites of all time across all genres and mediums, but it is pretty impossible to go into detail about anything here without delving into spoiler territory.
To describe the whole thing in broad strokes, I would say it is a tale about humanity, identity and trauma. What it means to be yourself, to have a reason to live, to overcome hardships and deal with whatever scars said hardships left behind. This also means that it does not shy away from showing off the ugly sides of humanity most of us are probably familiar with, especially during the times Fata Morgana takes place in.
Personally, I don't think the game every veers into exploitation territory with its mature content like many other VNs tend to do. It certainly doesn't pull its punches in terms of the subject matters it chooses to tackle and won't try to hide whatever bad situation is currently playing out in front of you, but doesn't linger on these scenes for longer than necessary either. That doesn't mean that said scenes can't be hard to get through though; if anything they might stick with you even harder than those of some gory shockfest schlock because the goal isn't just to gross you out but instead to make you empathize... with some of the characters anyway. This is obviously highly subjective though, so ymmv. It might also be worth mentioning that the mature content is mostly contained in the writing. There are some images with blood and nudity but nothing too egregious not to also be released on consoles more or less untouched.
That being said, I do think that Fata Morgana handles multiple serious topics with more respect than the vast majority of media, no matter their form or place of origin, manages to do. And that is highly commendable.

Regarding its presentation, I think it's safe to say that its visuals are what made many people give Fata Morgana a closer look in the first place. The characters and CGs/event images all look amazing, although the backgrounds are admittedly a lot less impressive. Since this is the original version of the game it is also sadly stuck at a 4:3 aspect ratio, so keep that in mind. Another thing that often gets praised is the soundtrack, which is indeed pretty fantastic even if it might take a little while to get used to. I found the vocals to be a tad grating during the first door but quickly grew to appreciate them afterwards. Apropos vocals; there is no voice acting, which kinda makes sense with all the singing that's going on in the background but still - something to keep in mind.

There are multiple endings but only one True End in this game, which is really easy to reach without a guide as Bad/Dead Ends generally tend to occur immediately after a choice. Just in case, reserve a saveslot (of which there are a lot of) for each choice and you will be fine.

All in all I feel fairly confident in claiming that The House in Fata Morgana is one of my favorite stores of all time - or at least of all the ones I have experienced in my life thus far. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys character-driven stories as long as you don't mind a bit of suffering and have a little patience to handle waiting for all the story threads to come together.

TLDR

Pros
+ Very engaging character-driven plot with tons of mysteries to unravel
+ Amazing characters with A LOT more depth than initially meets the eye
+ Mature handling of complex topics
+ Pacing for the most part extremely good
+ Great art and soundtrack make for an enchanting atmosphere
+ Top-tier writing, devoid of many tropes that usually plague the medium
+ Extremely cathartic and satisfying conclusion

Cons
- Only in 4:3 resolution
- No voice acting in lieu of a vocals-focused soundtrack
- Arguably starts off with the weakest part
- Short story-style storytelling is not for everyone, despite the developing overarching narrative
- Many Bad Ends could be more fleshed out
- Might put you in a bad mood while reading

DarkOsa
DarkOsa

9.5 dangos out of 10. Great stuff!

Nana[shi]
Nana[shi]

Short synopsis: You awake in an empty house, a strange and mysterious maid being your only companion. And as you try to regain the memories you've lost, you are being guided by that foreign person and the house itself through all those stories it's got to tell.

Quite honestly: It's hard to recommend this game in general as it isn't much of a game at all. The thing you should know about "The House in Fata Morgana" from the get-go is: You are a spectator, you are not a player. The you who wanders through the halls of this house, is not "you". You don't get a say in how this whole story plays out - at least the times when what you do actually does influence what is going to happen, can be counted on less than one hand. And even those changes are more or less miniscule when it comes to the grand picture of things. I can recommend this game to the readers amongst us. The ones who don't mind sitting back and experiencing a story being told. "The House in Fata Morgana" fits the "Visual Novel" genre description more than any other game I have ever "played".

It's a gorgeous work of art, the dialogues and writing are simply divine (hats off to the translation team) and the soundtrack bewitchingly beautiful. Quite honestly, I wouldn't have minded having had a Graphic Novel tell me the exact same story, but after having "played" this gem, I also wouldn't know how to cram all "The House in Fata Morgana" has to offer into any kind of other medium. Even though it isn't a game in the traditional sense, it takes advantage of being one to make the player experience the story it has to tell the way it wants to.

But enough about that. All these words ring hollow as I honestly cannot say why this game is wonderful without destroying it, before you've got to experience it. So, if any of what I've said here, has made you curious: Get the game, play it and be awed by it.

Sciembe
Sciembe

There are some strong aspects to Fata Morgana but they're held back by some very serious structural issues with the story as a whole.

First of all, way too much time is spent on substories that only tangentially connect to the main plot. I understand their inclusion, but if they were going to take up so much time then the details should have mattered. As it stands, the key reason for each one's inclusion can pretty easily be boiled down to nothing but its most basic and superficial aspects.

Second, the story places far too much emphasis on some of its least interesting aspects. This relates to the first point above, but is further compounded by parts of the main plot which overstay their welcome. I can't go into too many details for spoiler reasons, but in general the VN is at its strongest whenever it focuses on the internal dilemmas and introspection of its main characters, and at its weakest in the many times it strays from the internal in order to cover the external pressures and interpersonal relationships (especially he romances) those characters have. And, unfortunately, Fata Morgana strays into its weakest aspects far more often than can be ignored.

There is still good material here but I cant give it the glowing reviews that it receives from others. If you are more willing to ignore a work's flaws and focus your attention on the positives, you'll likely have a much better experience than I did. But Fata Morgana stumbles way too often for me to ignore and it definitely hurt my overall enjoyment of the title as a whole. Not terrible, but certainly not an experience I'd be willing to recommend overall.

anjir4
anjir4

PROS:
* Interesting concept for a story, has potential. I can see what the creators are trying to do.

* The story was engaging enough to make me want to know what the solution to the mystery would be. In short, I wanted to see the ending.

CONS:
* Too much drama too fast. There is no chance to emotionally catch up in this, which made me feel jaded after the initial drama moments. I think the game was supposed to make me feel deeply emotionally affected, which many other reviewers attested to, but it just tired me out and made me very detached instead. I also suspect that many persons that feels like this is a mind blowing masterpiece of a story may be quite young and may not have experienced a lot of personal drama in their lives.

* People in the middle ages, I assume did not say "welp". Moments like that pull me out of immersion.

* I do not think the music was that special, it was quite repetitive at times and I even turned it off when it became too annoying.

* One of the achivements is to replay the game to find a paltry few hundred lines which feels very disrespectful of the player's time.

-----------------------------------------

If I could have voted Neutral, I would have. Now I will vote that I do not Recommend this game to balance the number of positive votes the game has, of which I think it is undeserving. It is an ok game, but not as good as the reviews make it out to be.

glassandgears
glassandgears

I know that at the time of this review, I only have twenty-four (24) hours in the game. But it does not change the fact that this game has haunted me, because it is a sort of game with stories that just stick with you. I adore the writing in this game, the characters feel so alive and like *people*, not characters in a story. The horror in each chapter does not hit you in the face, it is a slow-burn, letting you get to know these characters before the horrors are unleashed, and that makes it all the more effective.

If you want a visual-novel that will haunt you, that will not leave your head, I cannot recommend this game enough!

Eresia
Eresia

(don't mind my few hours of play, I played on psvita)

This is my favourite VN and my favourite story among all media.
You just have to endure a slow start and then you will find a series of events, twists and characters that will remain imprinted on you for years.
It has the best soundtrack listened in a VG along with Castlevania SOTN.
Reading "A Requiem for Innocence" is recommended to understand the full story

Priamos1
Priamos1

I've read my fill of VN's including several that never came to the west, but this one still comes out on top. To me it is the very best the media has to offer and I could not recommend more.

beretta
beretta

fiction peaked so hard it pierced the heavens

jaku
jaku

turned me into a shut-in nerd

mudjoe2
mudjoe2

this is a masterpiece that every steam user needs to play immediately.

Major Boner
Major Boner

It's like berserk but without the homosexuality

Phoenix
Phoenix

Truly one of the absolute best experiences I've had.

Skulli
Skulli

I LOVED THIS GAME. It’s more of a book with gorgeous art and beautiful music than a videogame, but it was an experience unlike any other. Obviously if you don’t like reading you probably won’t enjoy this. This was my first visual novel and now I fear nothing can compare to it because it was so good. I grew to love every character in this story, even the despicable ones.

I won’t give away too much story wise, but the atmosphere is gothic, dark and takes place in several historic time periods.

*It has a few triggering topics so those sensitive be wary. However there are lessons to be learned from every topic and story in this game that makes it worth the push through! (Also I played it on the switch, which I recommend, it’s very cozy haha) but you could play it on your steam deck!

Zalgo
Zalgo

This is the greatest visual novel of all time. It is very deep and the story is pure genius. Not even mentionning the wonderful ost. This is basically a masterpiece that anyone who enjoys reading should buy. Please be warned that it may break your soul though.

Adex
Adex

Even several months after finishing it, I still cannot stop thinking about it.

I feel like no other piece of fiction will ever come close to making me feel so much. I recommend this to anyone with a beating heart.

Also worth noting that anyone reading this should also read A Requiem for Innocence afterwards. It adds so much to the already masterful story.

Menarndi
Menarndi

I like the music and the story

lain
lain

this happened to my buddy michel

kirokito
kirokito

Simply a masterpiece. I am not a VN person by any means so that actually makes Fata Morgana my first mega length VN ( Besides 13 Sentinels.) and I was simply floored though the journey. This is very hard to talk about the game itself since it would force me to get into spoilers so I will simply not talk about story.

I can truly understand why this is considered a classic within its genre and one I am so happy I got to experience it.

My only complaint would be there was one part that dragged on for a bit longer then I liked but past that this is a masterfully crafted and a beautiful, heartbreaking story.

バージン
バージン

The House of Fata Morgana is simply peak fiction.
It does what it does best, though it may not be everyone's cup of tea, as naturally, people may not like the juiciest and ripest of peaches.
If you ever wanted to read something different and very good, this would be it.
The only complaint I have about this game is the playtime, which is around 40 hours of reading time. However, that does contribute to immensely detailed and descriptive storytelling, immersing the readers even more.
Nevertheless, it's a great game which I would highly recommend.

Stephanie
Stephanie

"I'll always be here waiting for you no matter what happens, in the House. "

Damn it's PERFECTO, godlike visual novel with godlike soundtracks. Its most part consists of tragedies, so sorrowful that can't keep eyes on, but also moving and inspiring. Trust me and Read it.

Spacedog
Spacedog

its not tears in my eye I swear

Muscular
Muscular

I loved this visual novel.....what a masterpiece

fire_petals
fire_petals

(I can't help but preface this review with a Content/Trigger Warning. This VN has depictions of incest, torture and rape. If any of this triggers you, I can't recommend this game to you. Please, put your mental health first and take care of yourself.)

This is seriously one of the best VNs I have ever played. A true masterpiece. The art style is beautiful and unique. The main cast of characters stand out in their own way and they each play an important role in the story. It's cliche in that it starts off with a main character who has amnesia, but the mystery of the MC, the mansion as well as the maid all unravel and come together quite nicely. Most of the BGM is nice although there's one in particular that got on my nerves so much I had to turn it off after a while. Other than that, I have no other issues with this VN. There are multiple endings, some of which you experience sooner than others. There are some nice twists and turns. By the end, the main cast have grown so much from everything that they've been through. The true ending will leave you feeling satisfied and happy for them.

Sephiroth
Sephiroth

The House in Fata Morgana is an entertaining and emotional graphic novel about pain, love and what we do with was is done to us. It takes the form of multiple stories that happen in the same house but in different time periods, each with it's own set of characters but with some thematic similarities.

Writing

The writing is mostly good. It's not classic literature by any means, but it gets the job done. Some analogies here and there are out of place in the eras context, but it's nothing so serious that can't be forgiven. It also can be a little adolescent from time to time, but it makes up for it with many emotional moments that have the potential to extract a tear or two.
The story itself has many misteries that will keep you hooked until the very end and does a great job at making you care for some of it's characters.

Gameplay

It's an oldschool graphic novel. You have a few choices along the way, but most of them aren't that important as they lead to dead ends, finishing the story prematurely. That being said it is a good practice to have multiple save files if you want to know what happens after any choice.
There is one, in particular, that is time dependant, so pay attention to the hints that a choice is coming and save beforehand. It's only one, so after that you can save on the choice prompt itself.

Random Stuff

-I thought the story was about to finish at least 3 times, but it kept going, so I kept reading like a madman
-Alucard makes a guest appearance at some point
-He seems to like squishing obese rats. (I wish I had an obese rat to squish...!)
-The 2nd time period is the worse by far because of how repetitive it gets. But if you can get past it, it gets a lot better fast.

Hotiraripha
Hotiraripha

This game... Is in no doubt a masterpiece,from the music to the writing ,it all is stellar. It didn't make me cry but I definitely felt pain seeing the characters I grew so attached to through their journeys ,it also is a very touching story, it has helped me understand someone I once knew... And wish I acted differently more than I already do, this is a story that will stay with you forever, I am glad to have bought it along with its prequel who you should NOT play first.

Bloody Bones
Bloody Bones

Ethereal and Unearthly

Elegance that treads through the sacred and the insane.

Love and hate; betwixt it dwindles, it flickers. One shall forgive, and one shall curse.

Over and over, tragedy shall befall them. For they are the worst of sinners.

This is no mere literature, but an otherworldly work of art that stands tall above the low.

Dreadfully bewitching. Dreadfully bewitching…

Merone
Merone

This is 95% novel so you'd enjoy it if you love reading. I was lured in by the art style, but was hesitant as I haven't been a fan of the dragged out campy writing style in less mainstream VNs, but after Jason Schreier avidly recommended it I decided to give it a shot - and dammit was it quite the experience. It's rare for me to get emotional over stories, but this game made me cry.

The prose is great, with descriptive words that try to be timely (although it's obviously not 100% historically accurate given that it wouldn't be fun to read Shakespearean lingo the whole time), and while I enjoyed the writing I can see some readers possibly finding it slow or stretched out as there are awkward lines (especially with repeated sound effects and ellipses). The gothic suspenseful tone is solid throughout with some light moments sprinkled here and there, with themes that get heavier and heavier as you dive deeper into the story, so be warned, it can wear you down. There are scenes written out in detail that can be triggering as well.

Take a tour through this mansion and listen to the tragic stories of these very flawed humans. I promise you that it is quite the experience.

Aiyana
Aiyana

A masterpiece of storytelling, truly among the best when it comes to visual novels or stories in general.

ArguableEight
ArguableEight

oh my god i had no clue what i was getting myself into when i started this game, but i'm so glad i stuck it through to the end.

i would go to bed not being able to stop thinking about this game, i would get misty eyed just thinking about how tragic yet utterly human the events are. my heart aches for these people so badly, and i don't think any other game has ever extracted such a wide range of emotions out of me.

THERE WERE TIMES WHERE THIS GAME WAS GENUINELY FUNNY RIGHT BEFORE IT TORE TO YOUR HEART TO ABSOLUTE SHREDS AND I LOVE IT FOR THAT SO MUCH.

do yourself a favour and experience one of the greatest love stories ever told.

just a sidenote, JACOPO HOW THE FUCK DO YOU MAKE EVERY WRONG DECISION POSSIBLE MY GOD

Cloud
Cloud

This is THE Magnum Opus of video games, and the SINGLE MOST BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL STORY that I've ever experienced. With a soundtrack that could have been composed by angels, and makes you feel as if you've died and gone to heaven.

Diamond Arcana
Diamond Arcana

One of the most poignant stories I've ever read.

It's very rare that a single work can change my opinion on something which I've set severely, but Fata did that in spades. It commits to painting darker sides of humanity with colors that alternate between tragic and fantastical, yet never loses its sense of attachment to the real world.

There are archetypes here, but by the end of the journey, they all feel decidedly, even somewhat uncomfortably, human. Their goals and aspirations, their motivations, even their regrets, all blend together in something that hurts more deeply the more you relate and understand them, and I consider that a truly beautiful accomplishment.

I'd recommend this to anyone that enjoys reading. It's without a doubt one of the best experiences I've had.

redkelba
redkelba

Holy, that vn was interesting and all at first, but the final part is disgusting. I bet that this is some wet dream from one (or all) of the developers. Not worth time nor money that I spent on that, if only I knew this plot before. Atleast I fastforwarded almost all of the final part

lohan
lohan

now this is what i call a visual novel... it is so very well made and criminally underrated, nothing i read in the future will top this story. The vibe and ambience it creates is so intriguing and the constant plot twists and shocking revelations are truly unmatched, you have to give this out a try, in the beginning i was so hooked but then when i got to door two.. i assure you, door 2 will be the only time you feel bored or just want to stop playing, i did stop playing for a whole month because i was bored of door 2, but my friend begged for me to continue and i did, and let me tell you i was so satisfied now i forever hold a grudge on door two for making me stop.

TaK060
TaK060

a lot about what makes this game so great is something that you would rather experience for yourself rather then me saying it, but let's just say the prologue is long. pirate this game or not if your not ready for the investment of money (13 euro at sale not that expensive) then you clearly aren't ready for the investment in time, this is a rather long visual novel and mostly taking a count that you'll get dead ends so don't forget to save. but if you want the true ending this is gonna be a rather long visual novel, have fun and sorry for not describing what i like about the game, i'd rather people play this masterpiece as blind as possible and i believe that my review is saying a bit too much already.

Gonaks
Gonaks

You were able to bear them because they were not your tragedies.

kysi96
kysi96

Don't like to write reviews but makes an exception this time. Absolutely wonderful story. A once in a life time story for anybody willing to invest the time. If you're like anything story driven, give it a chance, it will hook you from the beginning and will never let up. I've played video games all my life and this is the best story. You will not be disappointed.

Maple
Maple

this is the best game I have ever played by far. just absolutely incredible, the only game I would give a 10/10

mymoo
mymoo

100% recommend
10 out of 10
Go play it right NOW!!!!!

You won't be able to tell what this VN is about during the first few hours. So if the first couple of stories aren't your cup of tea, don't let that stop you from reading further. Everything will make sense eventually. Every detail matters. Everything will be worth it at the end.

aloistrancy9225
aloistrancy9225

maybe they have twisted plot, one that kinda new and all but there is no helping the way they told their story. It's too long, boring and really, it's just the ideal that count, I find myself constantly drifting away in the middle of each story. They beat around the bush too much, I understand that it is their attempt to build tension, mislead the reader so the revealing part would be more thrilling but no, it's just backfire. You know after the long story, build up all tension and struggle and all that, ideally you should end it with the most high note and the end, but unfortunately, they do a contrary, constantly, build up and hurry up come back to the normal long boring stuff, tell the same story over and over. They have no talent to become a storyteller
Sound effect and soundtrack are all there to help you to get sleepy easily, so very average..Don't let them trick you into buying other music DLC, not worth a pen
Characters art work are beautiful but background are utterly terrible, I'm surprise myself for how lazy and poor they are
They try so hard to create all misfortune and tragedy to push into their characters, but the way they solve it is incredibly hypocrite, specifically those last chapters...
I play till the end because I don't want it unfinished, just that only

白いオオカミ
白いオオカミ

It took me 65 hours to complete this novel and I am finally ready to write my review. Was beating this novel worth? Definetely - yess!

Why?

Because if you need a novel with a beautiful story that can surprise you quite easily with its plot twists you will need to searh thouroughly to find something better in my opinion. All you need is patience, because some people who are not used to read long texts about similar topic might quit this novel in 3 hours because at first time it appears to be an ordinary novel without anything special.

Was it worth only because of plot or is there something else?

In my opinion, one of the most important things to spotlight about this game is the music. To not make any spoilers I just can say that the music perfectly fits to the atmosphere.

As an english learner for me was also important the language used to desribe the story, specificly I mean that the english text is quite rich at vocabulary, sometimes you can find up to 5 synonims of the same word.

Worekjarzyn
Worekjarzyn

This is the experience I will never forget.

meltrom <3
meltrom <3

While not without flaws, this is one of the most engrossing things I've ever experienced

Hardstuck Tin - I am Free Elo
Hardstuck Tin …

Quite possibly the best visual novel I've ever read. Stop reading reviews and get the game, go in blind and don't get spoiled. It moved me to tears.

The translation was well done, with prose that paints a vivid mental picture and captures the tone and personalities of each of the characters well. Music fit the scenes perfectly and the art was top notch as well.

10/10

TimeWarpSystem
TimeWarpSystem

Before proceeding in this experience, note that should any of the provided triggers be a problem for you, I would advise caution in beginning this experience. (https://twitter.com/thelof9/status/1133674881898274817)
This is a visual novel, so the conventions that come with this medium should be noted.

So...that being said, I still come back to this game sometimes when the world feels...not great. A friend reccomended this to me, and while it took me some time to get around to for many reasons, I'm beyond glad I did. The experience of this story and its characters were something that I found both formative and important to me. The narrative in and of itself is not lighthearted by any means, though filled with light moments and some brevity. It is a very hard to swallow story, but all the more worth reading to the conclusion for the satisfaction of crawling through metaphorical hell and seeing the sunlight in a new future. This is not to call it bad writing, in fact. I have nothing but praise for the themes that are explored, often with a great deal of respect and understanding despite their graphic and painful nature.
It makes you remember that there is hope, even when you have nothing left to give. There is still a reason to keep pushing even after all that you had to give is dried up and gone.

Take a read for yourself if you have the time. I promise it will be worth it.

daveycadaver
daveycadaver

I haven't had a good cry like that in a very long time.

NickyK
NickyK

Good Storytelling

please release fata morgana reincarnation on steam so i can complete the trilogy (House of Fata Morgana, A Requiem of Innocence and Reincarnation).

stuartgreene
stuartgreene

Engrossing. The story is amazing and the characters are portrayed with great detail. However, there are some frustrating elements to the dialogue and IMHO the game would benefit from being a couple of hours shorter. It's not that there is too much story, but the dialogue would benefit from being more concise in a number of scenes. On the whole though, a positive experience and a story that sticks in the mind long after finishing the game.

saden2549
saden2549

It is the best visual novel game I have ever played in my life. The storyline, arts, and music are incredible and beautiful. The quality is very suitable for the price. And it took me so long to finish this game because this game is a story about tragedy and tragedy and tragedy. I cried a lot while reading the text. It's just so painful and beautiful at the same time.

mewi
mewi

Hauntingly beautiful is the only way to describe this game. The best visual novel I've ever read; it's nothing short of a masterpiece.

Lullabytes
Lullabytes

Absolute masterpiece of a story.

NotTrying2k
NotTrying2k

10/10 one of the bests stories ever made

メスッ子
メスッ子

Cats kept climbing in through the window, cutting onions and blowing specks of sand straight into my eyes every time I was reading this, causing my tear ducts to open and tears to start falling inadvertently, and totally not because I was crying like a baby the whole way through. Cats, I blame cats. It was the cats. I'm not a crybaby. I swear. Fata Morgana totally isn't the most heart-wrenching tale I have ever read. Not by a long shot... I'm not crying. You're crying! ;_;

uwu
uwu

michel couldn't resist the BOOBA

edit: aight I take that back fucking PLOT TWIST

Quailoou
Quailoou

holy fucking shit

Edit: HOLY FUCKING SHIT

Soulfire72
Soulfire72

One of the most tragic yet beautiful visual novels I've ever experienced.

justagoblin
justagoblin

This VN deserves way more attention. Great atmosphere, mature writing, hauntingly beautiful soundtrack and a ton of emotional damage inflicted with every plot twist. And there is a lot of those

Marcello Montanari
Marcello Montanari

I find it hard to describe everything I read, I’m not even the person who usually reviews games in a serious way because of my difficulty in expressing my emotion, however, I felt the need to externalize what I felt in a simple and fast way.

What I read is not a game neither a visual novel, it's a story of a life... Everything that’s happened in this story has stolen my heart, there have been so many beautiful moments that will be impossible to forget...
I found myself crying over tragedies that weren’t mine.

Thanks NOVECT for this masterpiece full of love.

yoomster
yoomster

Read this years ago and it still sticks. Easily the best Visual Novel I've ever read, and one of the best pieces of literature I've ever read.

382
382

What can I say?!
The House in Fata Morgana is:
Mediocrity,
Delirium of the plot,
Far-fetched and ridiculous events,
The worst sort of outspoken feminism.

The characters are so stereotypical it's not fun to read.
At the moment, the best visual novels are developed on the former USSR territory, in Europe and in the US. I do not recommend Japanese visual novels to anyone!

Hyl3g
Hyl3g

One of the most beautiful visual novels I've ever played, and the soundtrack is amazing too.

Big Soup
Big Soup

This game is a masterpiece with the art, story, and music easily being a 10/10 for me. Please get this, it's worth every penny and more

ironically weeaboo
ironically weeaboo

an amazing story with amazing art and music to go with it. made me feel things, shed a single manly tear at the ending.

Brody Gam3s
Brody Gam3s

The House in Fata Morgana is an exceptionally well written VN that I thoroughly enjoyed and wholeheartedly recommend to anyone with the patience for slow burn tragedies, the first four chapters are more of an extended prologue but it picks up quite a bit after that point and has a very strong final chapter and true ending. The art and the music in this game both do an excellent job building up the creepy, yet surreal and beautiful atmosphere in much of the game and I found most of the characters to be well written with only a couple exceptions. Overall the game is fantastic and you would be doing yourself a disservice by not at least giving it a shot.

fantasticfox
fantasticfox

The House in Fata Morgana touched me in a way no other piece of media ever has and I don't know if anything else ever could the way this game did. My experience with it and my feelings about it are deeply personal, so it's bound not to have the same effect on everyone, but it makes me happy to know that a lot of people love this story. To some extent, it make me feel a certain amount of acceptance for myself.

If you don't know anything about The House in Fata Morgana and you're wondering if it's for you, I will say that it is a visual novel without a ton of choices and, while not any more visually gruesome than an R-rated movie, it deals with very serious and potentially triggering subjects. It is handled very respectfully, but be aware that it does portray rape, incest, and torture.

It's also worth noting if you want something scary in the way modern Horror is, you're not going to get it here. It's more literary than it is scary.

All that said, this is a perfect 10/10 for me. If you want a good story, this is as good as it gets, at least in my book.

kero
kero

One of the best stories I have ever experienced in my life. Masterpiece.

rabeamara
rabeamara

When I initially started the game, I did not expect anything out of the ordinary.
It indeed took a while for me to warm up to the main cast of characters and the Storyline - but im so glad, i still gave it a Chance.
To say that i like this game, would be an understatement. Honestly I would say that this is probably one of the greatest VN i ever had the pleasure of playing/reading. The Character Development, the Storyline Progression and the intertwined Fates of all of them, really had me hooked. If i had to choose one game, which i could replay without knowing the Story, it would definitly be this one.

GTFO4CapitalLetters
GTFO4CapitalLetters

First half of this game is tight. Great writing. The time setting and art is not to my tastes, but I enjoyed them. Its really the 2nd half of the game that kills it for me. It drags. HARD.

This should not be as highly regarded as it is... This is no Steins;Gate. It's good, but it's not even close to the top 3 visual novels ever made.

I was pretty absorbed by the story for the first half of the game, but finishing it is miserable...

theodorus.chandra
theodorus.chandra

A very neat game with interesting characters and unpredictable storyline, absolutely recommended.

Ravne
Ravne

One of the most devastatingly, beautifully romantic pieces of fiction ever made, interwoven with a thousand year story of tragedy and curses. It gets incredibly heavy at times, but it is so very very worth it.

okasion1
okasion1

I haven't finished it yet, but I wanted to write a review.
This VN went quite fast to the top 3 I have ever played; I am thankful it was translated quite well to English because of it's length and fascination, I think buying this game is *investing* in future games like this.
Totally recommended.

RucaXIII
RucaXIII

I teared up several times and actually cried once while playing this game. It was way beyond my expectation. I wish I could play the game again with first encounter experience just to be impressed by the plot revealing one more time.

The story is amazing and beautifully narrated. I suggest anyone who interest to dive into the game as blindly as possible. The more unknown about it, the more impact it will be. I myself felt it like that.

To be honest, I was not familiar with the art style but growing to love it in the end. The gorgeous art suited the eerie/gothic atmosphere very much which is great. More to that, I would like to point out the awesome music. I appreciated dev team for making soundtracks this beautiful, such ear blessing.

Only one thing that lacking is the game was not voiced. And I would be glad if there will be voice patch in the future.

For short, this is one of the best story VN I have played in my life. Definitely be top ranking in my list. 10/10 would recommended this masterpiece.

Just remember that "You were able to bear them because they were not your tragedies"

Cici
Cici

this game made me cry really bad and i loved it

PoorGuy
PoorGuy

DO NOT BUY THIS IF YOU ARE NOT A FAN OF ROMANCE.

This visual novel is brilliant, don't get me wrong, but I didn't know this VN was about romantic stories, so I had a hard time sitting through the whole thing. Also, the use of vocabularies is a lil bit hard so you better have a dictionary in the background when you're playing, in case ur not an English native speaker.
If you like romance, then, by all means, please go for it. The story is great and the bgms are phenomenal.
I feel sorry for leaving a bad review but I just couldn't invest in the story. And to top it all off, I enjoyed Muvluv Extra more than this one. I hate myself lol.

Flambelk
Flambelk

The "House in Fata Morgana" is the best piece of literature I've read in my life.

The game tells a deep and dramatic story, with a lot of mystery to it. Overall, I'd say it has a very dark plot, but by no means it lacks wholesome and loving moments. The overall darkness of the events that unfold emphasize by a great deal the beauty of such moments of calmness, emotional vulnerability and acceptance some characters go through.

The novel also has some of the most remarkably human characters I've seen in any piece of fiction. By "human" I mean they do not have cartoonishly simple or superficial motivations designed to make them fit a role in the plot or to justify their actions. Personally, by the end of the game, I ended up empathizing and caring about all the characters, even some of those who were objectively immoral and/or evil.

Fata Morgana also makes a masterful use of its OST -which is mind-blowing and beautiful in its own right- to set the mood for the different kind of moments in the story. It is very effective at making the delivery of some of the most dramatic moments in the novel completely unforgettable.

I would describe the artwork as "hauntingly beautiful". I will say, however, that it took me some time to get used to the art style. Initially I did not find it very appealing as I do now (mostly because the other VNs I have played have a typical anime art-style). However, Fata Morgana's choice of art seems perfect for the story they are trying to tell.

I give this game a 10/10, if you are reading this, just buy it, tbh.
I hope this visual novel one day becomes as famous as it deserves to be.

TimidCat
TimidCat

I didn't like the music or the pacing much, but it's a decent novel.

GRAFFITIDOG
GRAFFITIDOG

A good piece of literature will entertain; a beautiful piece of literature will engross. An engrossing piece of literature will make those that read it consume it and be left in want for more.
The House in Fata Morgana engrossed me. Become Engrossed my friend...

The Blackfish
The Blackfish

A hauntingly beautiful experience

nicholashooper619
nicholashooper619

This is an absolutely beautiful game in both the artwork and the writing. I got attached to the main characters while playing this and felt a lot of relief when I finally got to the true ending.

arborknight
arborknight

Fata Morgana is one of the most emotional works of fiction I've had the pleasure of reading. While it doesn't shy away from displaying the ugly sides of even the characters you're meant to root for, that is what makes its tragic (but ultimately uplifting) story feel much more human. I would recommend looking up the content warnings list before jumping into this (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fNS7xvH_ul45puni7c9ofyAkXvpVI9uUL8A…), but if you feel you have the stomach for it, then the payoff is more than worth it.

Michel and Giselle made me believe in love again.

bagel_remover
bagel_remover

Possibly the finest story, or piece of fiction for that matter I've ever consumed. I'm surprised I'm saying this because of my lack of experience with playing visual novels I didn't expect to find such a gem so quickly (or at all) I find it baffling that this story was able to extract such emotion from me, there are only a few pieces of fiction that have left me sobbing in the end, this is one of them. The sound track for this game is also breath taking, truly legendary and one of the best I've heard. I think anyone who's a fan of visual novels and can stand a slower pacing at times will find It life changing. The slow-burn story left me thinking about past encounters in my life, and the unjustified anger I've had towards others at times over minute things. The House in Fata Morgana is a story of love, loss, hurt, recovery, understanding and forgiveness. This game will leave you wrecked for awhile. Without doubt a masterpiece.

"But I've learned something in my years... "reality" exists from more than one perspective." -Michel

Sitalk
Sitalk

A masterful visual novel, well worthy to be among the best ones ever written.
I will think about those tragic and heartbreaking tales for a long time.

GARcher
GARcher

"Without Love, it cannot be-" wait wrong VN

gailygirl
gailygirl

If you like going on an emotional roller coaster ride, then this visual novel is for you.

The soundtrack is also marvelous, to be honest I found the first few songs... strange? eerie? creepy? weird? I couldn't quite put a finger on what it is. But it grew on me a lot, and it's now definitely one of the most memorable game OSTs for me.

Liesley
Liesley

Was described to me as "the best visual novel of all time" and it didn't disappoint. The soundtrack is breathtaking, gorgeous art style and the story is so powerfully resonant.

12/10 would suffer again

atsushiken
atsushiken

This has gotta be one of the best pieces of fiction I have gotten to experience in my whole life. Whether we're talking books, comics, movies, TV series, or games, I have read/watched/played very few things that have had the same level of impact as this VN has had on me. Everything from the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack to the detailed and expressive artwork, not to mention the incredibly well-written dialogue, comes together to form a work that I can call nothing short of a masterpiece. As far as "gameplay" is concerned, if you happen to have no experience playing VNs (like I did before playing this), you may be relieved to find that the story branching is very minimal and relatively easy to follow, at least compared to what I believe normal VNs are supposed to be like. This means that you will be able to concentrate fully on the ingenious plot, which is of course, what most people give praise to this game for. All the twists and plot developments, along with the cast of dynamic and complex characters, are so good that I question how the author is able to live in peace with such a massive brain.

TLDR: get the OST on your Spotify, avoid spoilers like the plague, and buy this game. Sell your house if you have to.

aesthetiCat
aesthetiCat

An emotional gothic horror visual novel with an unforgettable soundtrack. While the story is quite lengthy with limited interactions, the ending is completely worth it.

mar10
mar10

If there was ever a visual novel with literary merit, The House in Fata Morgana is it.
A must read, especially if you can go into it with as little information as possible.

Omega Multiverse
Omega Multiverse

Well, I just finished the main game, I think it's one of the best experiences I've had in video games, I like visual novels and this is the best I've ever played. It may not be as friendly compared to other games of the genre but it certainly has an incredible story. I feel a void after finishing it, but fortunately it has a DLC, so I will continue to be happy to finish it too. 10/10 recommended for those who enjoy reading.

NED
NED

Very compelling story. Great visual and audio design.

Yekna
Yekna

One of my favorite stories ever if not my favorite. I just bought it after beating it 6 months ago using a pirated version. The story is so good I needed to buy it to support the people that made it because I felt bad. If I had to critic it I guess I didn't really care that much for door 2 and the writing in the beginning was a bit better where it felt like I was reading an actual book and later it felt more like they were rushing to finish the game so the dialogue felt more anime-y

DavidJDMC
DavidJDMC

this game emotionally manipulated me multiple times

that said though this is one of the best stories i've had the pleasure of experiencing and i rate this 10/10

molecules du mal
molecules du mal

It tops some stories I'd call masterpieces

PunkerBunnyz
PunkerBunnyz

The best visual novel I have ever played and I have played a lot of them. This is also the only game I have given a review for on steam so take that as you will. The story can be depressing and a ton of tragic things happen, but it's also beautiful at the same time. It shows the horrible things that humans can do to each other, but also shows the good things humans can do with each other. It can make you laugh one second and cry the next. Don't disregard this game just because it has a darker story or is depressing at times because in the end the story really stays with you. This game honestly help me appreciate life more and the people around me which sounds sappy but it's true. For the price its totally worth it since it will take well over 10 hours to get through the good ending without reaching any of the bad ends. It took me 40 hours to beat so well worth the price. 10/10

winds爱吃熊肉
winds爱吃熊肉

A beautifully written narration of tragedies and perspectives. The artwork and music complement well the dark theme of the story sets out to be. Remarkably, one of the best visual novels out there and I would gladly read it once more. Not for the faint of heart, but I would recommend giving it a try.

Oh, I didn't know this game came along with an onion grinding machine too. :')

Tobisawa Misaki
Tobisawa Misaki

Good song
Story is superb
One of the best VN i ever played

Sir Connie
Sir Connie

Easily one of the best stories I have ever encountered. Turns out it's really hard to read when your eyes are full of tears.

"You were able to bear 'em because they weren't your tragedies."

Avo
Avo

I own the PS4 Remastered Edition of Fata, but god, this game has one of the best stories I have ever seen with such a beautiful soundtrack and it is so damn consistent, all the characters are incredible and there are no disturbing NSFW content, it's story and everything is just phenomenal man