In recent years, we’ve seen a surge of visual novels and games inspired by anime and manga. The House in Fata Morgana is one such game. A spectacular blend between creepy and romantic, any anime and manga lover will find this game a joy to play.
The House in Fata Morgana originally came out in late December of 2012 on Windows. Well, the Japanese version, anyway. The worldwide version of the game only came out in 2016. In the years following its release, the game would receive releases on different platforms both in Japanese and English in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2021. For reference, these are the platforms along with the year of release:
- iOS: May 16, 2014 (Japanese version)
- Nintendo 3DS: July 27, 2016 (Japanese version)
- PlayStation Vita: March 16, 2017 (Japanese version) and May 28, 2019 (English version)
- PlayStation 4: June 11, 2019
- Nintendo Switch: March 25, 2021 (Japanese version) and April 9, 2021 (English version)
As you can see, the game was popular enough to receive several ports. However, what do we truly know about The House in Fata Morgana? If you’re a part of the ones who don’t know much but are intrigued by this indie game, join us on an adventure where we find out everything there is to know about this game!
The House in Fata Morgana Gameplay
First, let’s talk about the gameplay. The House in Fata Morgana is a visual novel, so you’ll be doing a lot of reading and not much gameplay at all. This can make the game feel slow-paced if you’re into action and movement as it’s not very dynamic. However, if you’re a fan of storytelling and you like reading, you should definitely check out The House in Fata Morgana.
The biggest impact you have on the game itself is the choices you can make while interacting with characters. While there is only one true ending, it’s very easy to mess it up. That’s why you should be making multiple saves all throughout the game to ensure you can backtrack at any moment. You have 20 save slots spread across multiple pages, so don’t worry about saving too much. However, you should still plan accordingly.
Essentially, the trick is to know when to save. This can help you optimize the amount of saves you can make so you leave room for multiple choices, endings, and playthroughs.
How long is The House in Fata Morgana Gameplay?
The fact that The House in Fata Morgana is a visual novel is a very deceptive one. Most players will assume there’s only a couple of hours of gameplay to go through. In reality, there are around 30 hours of story (and gameplay) for you to discover.
However, if you’re a completionist, you’ll find yourself taking a little bit more time to see everything the game has to offer. If you want to check out all the side endings as well as the true ending, you’ll take around 36.5 hours to complete The House of Fata Morgana.
Speedrunning this game doesn’t make much sense, as there’s no real skill involved. All you have to do is make a couple of choices and scroll through a bunch of dialogue. That’s why there are no world records or other speedruns for The House in Fata Morgana.
What are the best characters at The House in Fata Morgana?
There are around 17 characters to meet throughout the entirety of The House in Fata Morgana including the player character.
We’ve compiled a list of who we think are the best 5 characters in the game. Let us know if you agree with our choices!
Michel
Those who have played the game won’t be surprised when we say Michel is the main character of the game. The protagonist of the story, Michel Bollinger, is the youngest son of the Bollinger family who was born intersex. The family raised Michel as a female until his teenage years when puberty did its part in making him more masculine. Michel wakes up in the mansion with a maid tending to him, but the player character doesn’t remember anything. This creates the premise of the story, as the maid makes Michel witness all the tragedies that happened in the mansion to help him remember.
Morgana
Morgana is the evil witch who resides in the mansion. Long ago, she put a curse on the mansion which was to bring misery to anyone who entered it. Before she became a witch, Morgana was just a young girl who had mystical healing powers. However, she also paid a price for her powers.
Jacopo
Jacopo Bearzatti appears in The House of Fata Morgana as a businessman from the year 1869. His family was powerful in their time, and the pressure of belonging to such a high-profile family definitely took a toll on Jacopo. In the game, his obsession with money and power turn out to be his downfall, as the player will learn throughout the game.
Giselle
Giselle is one of the main characters in The House of Fata Morgana. Also known as the Maid, she is the first character Michel comes to meet upon regaining consciousness. With a mysterious aura, Giselle leads the player through the game and everything that has transpired in the mansion. Although she may seem like a pretty unimportant character at the start, the player soon finds out the true story of what happened to Giselle and how she came to serve Michel at the mansion.
The White-Haired Girl
The White-Haired Girl is a character that will surely grab the player’s attention from the very start. With her red eyes, white hair, and pale skin, she was designed to stand out. There’s probably a good reason for that, too, as The White-Haired Girl appears in every tale the mansion has to tell. She is also not what she seems, as the player only learns in the Finale of the game.
Gameplay Walkthrough The House in Fata Morgana
Considering there is no actual gameplay in The House in Fata Morgana, the only thing left to do is walk you through the choices you should make. Depending on which ending you want, you should follow the guide below:
- Option 1: …Good morning…
- Option 1: Extend your hand
- Option 1: Who are you ?
- Option 1: Who am I ?
- Option 1: What is this place ?
- Option 1: Who is the maid ?
- Option 1: Reach into the frame
- Option 1: Go to the entrance
- Option 1: Go to the fireplace
- Option 1: Go to the den
- Option 1: Go outside to the rose garden
- Option 1: Go downstairs to the cellar
- Option 1: Go to the library
- Option 1: Go see the stained glass window
- Option 1: Go to the master bedroom
- Option 2: Call for the maid
- Option 1: Go see the stained glass window
- Option 1: Call for the maid
This is where you should make your first save.
- Option 3: There is still more to be done
- Option 1: Reclaim Yourself
- Option 1: Reclaim Yourself
- Option 1: Reclaim Yourself
- Option 1: Reclaim Yourself
- Option 1: Reclaim Yourself
- Option 1: Reclaim Yourself
- Option 1: Reclaim Yourself
This is where you should make your second save.
- Option 1: I won’t force her
After selecting this option, you’ll get the first ending. When the game lets you, return to the title screen and select the option “Inspect Your Memories”. Once you do this, load up your second save.
- Option 2: Not remembering is an option
In this part of the game, you’ll have to be quick with your fingers, as you need to quick save as soon as you see the years 1707 and 1863 flash on the screen. After that, let the timer run down and receive the second ending.
Upon viewing the second ending, repeat the process with returning to the title screen and selecting “Inspect Your Memories”. Load up your quicksave, and follow these steps:
- Option 1: Deny it (This is a timed choice, be quick!)
- Option 1: You haven’t told me your age
- Option 1: Eighteen
- Option 1: Tell me about your family
- Option 1: Tell me your preferences
- Option 1: Do you like being here?
This is where you’ll want to make your third real save.
- Option 1: Go to the den
You’ll get your third ending. After this, return to the title screen and select “Inspect Your Memories”, where you’ll load your third save.
- Option 3: Go outside to the rose garden
- Option 2: Go downstairs to the cellar (You’ll have to make a quicksave right after you make this choice)
- Option 1: Let go (This is a timed choice, be quick!)
This is the fourth ending. After seeing it, load the quicksave and let the timer run down. Then, select the first option “I was sleeping in a tree”. Once you select it, make your fourth save and select the option “Tell him everything”.
This gives you your fifth ending and requires you to reload your fourth save. Then, make the following choices:
- Option 2: Tread carefully
- Option 1: Naps
- Option 1: He’s a nice guy
- Option 1: I try not to scrutinize other men
Here you’ll make your fifth save. Then, choose the option “Stay here”. After that, you’ll receive the sixth ending. Reload your fifth save and choose the option “Go after Nellie”, then select “I already have someone”. Make your sixth save and answer “It’s better to be safe”.
This gives you the seventh ending. Reload your sixth save and answer “If you’re certain, very well”. Here you’ll make the seventh save and choose the option “Shove the lord aside”.
Choosing this option results in the eighth ending of the game. You’ll have to load save #7 and select the following options:
- Option 1: Reach into the darkness
- Option 1: I can’t
- Option 1: I can’t do it
- Option 1: …………
- Option 1: Take the sword
Make your eighth save here, then answer with “Let’s go” to receive the ninth ending. Reload your eighth save and answer “There’s one more stop to make” to get your tenth ending.
Finally we go back to save #1, where you’ll select the option “Accept her proposition” to receive the eleventh ending. Reload the first save and select “Reject her proposition” to receive the final, twelfth ending of The House in Fata Morgana.
Which Editions of The House in Fata Morgana Do We Have?
The editions you can choose depend on the platform you want to play the game on. On Steam, you can buy the base game, the Deluxe Edition, and the Complete Collection.
However, for pretty much any other platform, you can only buy The House in Fata Morgana: Dreams of the Revenants Edition.
Buying this edition is the same as buying the Complete Collection on Steam, as it gives you three games and more goodies:
- The House in Fata Morgana: the main storyline
- A Requiem For Innocence – a prequel for the game
- Reincarnation – a sequel for the game
- Other additional short stories.
Where Can I Buy The House in Fata Morgana?
You can buy The House in Fata Morgana in the following stores:
- Steam
- PlayStation Store
- Nintendo Store
- Amazon
The game costs $39.99 on most platforms. However, Steam will charge you around $60 for the Complete Collection bundle. This makes it the most inefficient choice out of all. However, you do get soundtracks for all three games!
Is The House in Fata Morgana Available on Switch?
Yes, you can play The House in Fata Morgana on the Nintendo Switch!
Can I buy The House in Fata Morgana on Steam?
Yes, you can buy the base game, the Deluxe Edition, or the Complete Collection for $22.99, $31.99 and $60, respectively.
How to download The House in Fata Morgana?
You can download The House in Fata Morgana from any of the stores you can buy it from. Just make sure you’re on the right console, you own the game, and your system can handle playing it.
What is the story of The House in Fata Morgana?
The premise of The House in Fata Morgana is the player character waking up in a mansion with no recollection of who they are or why they’re there. You meet The Maid, a character that will stay pretty consistent throughout the game.
As you find out a little bit about yourself, The Maid has an idea to help you regain your memories faster. She shows you several events that have transpired in the mansion as a means of jogging your memory, which eventually works.
Does Fata Morgana have a happy ending?
Although it takes a while and you definitely have to work for it, The House in Fata Morgana has a happy ending for every character. Well, that really depends on what you consider to be a happy ending. Most of the happy endings for each character are rather bittersweet.
The House in Fata Morgana Manga
You’ve heard of cases where the anime or manga is adapted into a video game. However, this is a rare case of a role reversal. The House in Fata Morgana was actually a video game first! What’s more, the video game later inspired a manga adaptation.
The manga’s name is Fata Morgana no Yakata: Anata no Hitomi o Tozasu Monogatari. You can also find an English version under the name The House in Fata Morgana: The Veil Over Your Eyes, although its translation has caused some controversy.
Conclusion
Overall, if you’re looking for a good story, The House in Fata Morgana is definitely a great choice. The game has lots of twists and turns that will keep the player on their toes.
Although it might look pricy at first glance, The House in Fata Morgana will definitely deliver in the entertainment department. However, if you’re not the type that’s into storytelling rather than gameplay, this visual novel may not be for you.
