The Masquerade

The Masquerade is a first-person adventure visual novel about Youta, a manager in the fictional Pigpen Compound. Three years ago, he shot and killed a medical student under the compound’s coercion, earning his position. Now he trains and manages the people trapped there, called “little pigs,” and also works as the compound’s infirmary doctor.

Story

A trainee nurse named Tsuki is lured into the compound with the claim that her critically ill mother needs a kidney transplant. She becomes Little Pig No. 317, and her gentle, obedient and efficient manner soon sets her apart. As Youta spends time with her, he notices something unusual and begins to uncover why she came to the compound. Their connection stirs the conscience he has tried to suppress while following the compound’s rules to survive.

You make choices as Youta, caught between the compound’s harsh reality and his own conscience. Decisions can change his fate and lead to different outcomes. The story focuses on the characters’ psychological struggles and moral dilemmas, and has six endings.

The compound’s characters

Youta’s colleague and longtime partner Kawa is a seasoned employee who once guided him into the system. Ruthless and pragmatic, Kawa exploits the little pigs without mercy. Seiko, captain of the compound’s enforcer squad, is a formidable fighter trusted by upper management; she keeps a cold exterior and follows a strict personal code. When Youta seeks help, she becomes an important part of his escape plan.

Yato, a hacker and expert in cyber systems, once tried to escape and lost both legs. Now wheelchair-bound and hidden deep within the compound, he continues to work with technology. He can alter the compound’s digital records and becomes another key part of Youta’s plan.

Story content

The game contains around 100,000 Chinese characters of non-repetitive text, and takes 2–3 hours to explore all story branches. The Pigpen Compound and its story are fictional, and all characters are adults.