Mousetrap

You always dreamed of working at Whimsey World. Well, tonight that dream becomes a nightmare... | a surreal survival horror story | written by albie

[mousetrap-if]

Welcome to Whimsey World!

May all your dreams nightmares come true...

DEMO (~50k words) | BLOG | DEV LOG | CAST PORTRAITS | PINTEREST | PLAYLIST | AUTHOR

WARNING: Mousetrap is rated 18+. It contains mature language, graphic violence, gore, surrealist horror, waking nightmares, and potential body horror, loss of self, and death. Detailed content warnings are available in-game and players will have the option to avoid or minimize exposure to triggers for specific phobias.

You are an overworked university student interning at Whimsey World. When it was announced that Hurricane Imogen—a category three storm—would hit Orlando, Florida, your supervisors offered 24 hours of triple pay to anyone willing to remain in the parks during the storm.

You and your friend were eager to volunteer. Sure, you won't be able to evacuate and you aren't entirely sure what you'll be doing, but this is a golden opportunity. You need the money and this can't be too dangerous. After all, Whimsey cares about your safety and wellbeing. They won't put you in danger. Right?

That's what you assume before being knocked unconscious, before you wake up chained to your friend and three strangers, before the neurotoxins poisoning the air system loosen your grip on reality, before nightmares and reality bleed into a horrifying, broken fantasy you can't wake up from.

According to Dickey the Rat's disembodied voice, the first "team" to find four keys and make it back to the Castle will receive $250,000 dollars—plus an extra 250k for every death they cause.

This is a game. No one asked if you want to play, but playing—and playing by their rules—is the only way you'll survive. The only choices you have are kill or be killed, maim or be maimed, traumatize or... well, there's likely no avoiding that.

If you outlast this storm (and the horrors lurking beneath it), you can win riches beyond your wildest dreams. But at what cost? How far will you go? How committed are you to pleasing your guests? To satisfying your spectators? The Show will go on. It will always go on. But what role will you play?

Customize your intern's name, gender, pronouns, appearance, and costume

Choose a role - Ride Operations, Custodial, Merchandise, or Character Acting - and gain unique strengths, weaknesses, abilities, insights, and choices.

Choose to play your part or rail against it

Fight to retain your sanity in an increasingly nightmarish world

Get to know your teammates personalities and strengths

Work together as one or attempt to break free of the chains that bind you

Attempt to navigate the tunnels beneath the Fairytale Kingdom or fight your way through a deadly storm

Collect four keys from around the park to earn your safety, freedom, and wealth

Kill or be killed along the way...

Alaric / Aria Wagner

Your cool and confident friend from Germany working in merchandise as part of an academic exchange program.

A's Profile

Emerson Liu

A fellow intern working as a custodian, an aspiring novelist with an insatiable thirst for truth and unending curiosity

Emerson's Profile

Jovy Rivera

A full-time lighting designer and gaffer for the park's stage shows, an extremely sarcastic individual who doesn't like having to take things seriously

Jovy's Profile

Max Keller

A part-time face character, part-time med student with a personality opposite those of the villains they portray

Max's Profile

A Wagner can be male or female, Emerson is female, Jovy is nonbinary, and Max can be male, female, or nonbinary.

This story was submitted to the game jam on January 31st at literally 23:59 UYT. The game that is out now is not the finished game. If you want to know when the finished game goes live or just want more info about the game, follow the Mousetrap blog (here) for game snippets, character profiles, progress reports, surveys, and more.

For more on this author's other projects, check out Albie's personal blog (gamesbyalbie) or the Hades' Kitchen (hadeskitchen) and Zorlok (zorlok-if) blogs.

Thanks for reading, all reblogs are greatly appreciated!

If you enjoy interactive fiction, I highly encourage you to check out the games that were created for the jams. You can find the ranked games here (cliffhanger theme) and the unranked games here (red herring theme).

[zorlok-if]

Anyone want to play some @mousetrap-if ? I've got a couple routes I want some feedback on

[zorlok-if]

Hmm—ya know what—I'm gonna go get my laptop, and put it in a channel of the Zorlok discord server, that way people can just play it if they want

[zorlok-if]

Okay, there's a channel now in the discord server with the link now! It's called #albie-not-so-secret-secrets

Feel free to play! In particular, I'm looking for feedback/on the endings (spoiler alert? maybe? does that even count for what this is?) where you don't go into the park, you turn the cast members down and leave (and yes, endings). Naturally, please also let me know if you find any bugs, spelling/grammatical mistakes, audio errors, etc.

Anyways, have fun—if you want (if you dare) ☺️

[mousetrap-if]

An ask from @genraly

SPOILERS (for Mousetrap and the Saw franchise)

If you want the truth...

That and more 🙃

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.

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If you really want to become a villain, I recommend getting [redacted] to take over as your Host then impressing, befriending, and/or seducing her. That will provide you with the most opportunities.

[zorlok-if]

Anyone want to play some @mousetrap-if ? I've got a couple routes I want some feedback on

[mousetrap-if]

Returning to Mousetrap has given me a beautiful gift: the most sinister and evil antagonist I've yet to publish. Just wanted y'all to know that she exists and I love her very much.

[mousetrap-if]

I just read this, and i have to say that it is freaking amazing???? like i am immediately in love and cant wait for the next update(no pressure though)

Aw, thank you very much! 😊 I'm very much looking to releasing it!

[mousetrap-if]

I hope you didn't think this was over. The Show must go on...

Have a magical day! :)

[mousetrap-if]

Is this still being worked on 🥹🥹?

Yep, read more about what's been going on here

[lionfloss]

by jacko__official

[mousetrap-if]

Please excuse our pixie dust. For the past several months, our cast members here at Whimsey World have hard at work expanding upon our parks—both adding new rides and renovating old ones. We thank you for your patience.

Have a magical day!

♠️ ♥️ ♣️ ♦️

(cw: gore, blood, knife)

You slide the tip of your knife beneath the threads, into what should be the seam where the head detaches from the body—but your weapon does not slip in freely.

As you push, you feel the blade sink into something, something with the texture and firmness of a wet sponge. Threads snap. Hot blood pours from the incision, gushing out of the furry, smiling mask.

You recoil, horrified, squeezing your eyes shut, choking down acidic bile. {Alaric/Aria} moves to comfort you, still clutching their hand to their side. "{MC}, are you okay? What's wrong?"

You can't respond. Not coherently. Your lips just flap open and shut like a sock puppet piloted by a child. Curiosity betrays you. How can {Alaric/Aria} not see it? Your lids peel open, showing you the corpse once more.

The knife is still sticking out of the body, exactly where you left it.

But there is no blood in sight.

[mousetrap-if]

Please excuse our pixie dust. For the past several months, our cast members here at Whimsey World have hard at work expanding upon our parks—both adding new rides and renovating old ones. We thank you for your patience.

Have a magical day!

♠️ ♥️ ♣️ ♦️

(cw: gore, blood, knife)

You slide the tip of your knife beneath the threads, into what should be the seam where the head detaches from the body—but your weapon does not slip in freely.

As you push, you feel the blade sink into something, something with the texture and firmness of a wet sponge. Threads snap. Hot blood pours from the incision, gushing out of the furry, smiling mask.

You recoil, horrified, squeezing your eyes shut, choking down acidic bile. {Alaric/Aria} moves to comfort you, still clutching their hand to their side. "{MC}, are you okay? What's wrong?"

You can't respond. Not coherently. Your lips just flap open and shut like a sock puppet piloted by a child. Curiosity betrays you. How can {Alaric/Aria} not see it? Your lids peel open, showing you the corpse once more.

The knife is still sticking out of the body, exactly where you left it.

But there is no blood in sight.

[mousetrap-if]

Hey, I love your work so please accept these 💐💝

STOP more? Akdkdkkdhfbf thank you 😭💕

[mod2amaryllis]

to everyone who’s ever said something kind about my work: you help me get through the day. thank you.

[mousetrap-if]

Wait AHHH!! I just got the cave thibg!!!!!!! Fucking shit thats smart!! Like I think that I know what it is supposed to be mean but what does it specifically represent for tou?????? You said in that inspiration post that every thing is really prrsonal abd represent stuff from your life so what is Platos cave supposed to represent here???? (I hope youre willing to share cause Im really curious) Thank youu!!!!!!!!! 💕💕💕

Ah, thanks! Yeah, I'm willing to share some of what the cave metaphor means to me, but I'll go ahead and put it under the cut in case people aren't interested or would rather not hear my thoughts on it/discussions of my personal experiences.

(Also, adding this after writing the next bit, there are explicit spoilers for the different cave dreams so if you haven't played through all of those yet and don't want to have them spoiled, I'd suggest playing through them first before reading what's under the cut. Warning that this is also long and rambling. When I talk about this kind of stuff I can never tell if I'm being coherent or not, so, please let me know if something is unclear.)

Yeah, so, I think you got it ☺️ The intro dream is a take on Plato's Allegory of the Cave both literally and figuratively.

Literally you have the setting of the cave with the pathway, the fire, the chained spectators, and the shadows on the wall.

The one aspect that's notably missing is the wall with the people showing puppets/carrying objects behind it, creating the shadows upon the wall. This is absent for a couple reasons. First, in the physical space of the scene, where you land you're in the place of those individuals. At the beginning of the story, MC is one of those people continuing the show, creating the unreal world that the spectators believe in (as I myself was before, and by telling this story I'm putting the readers into my shoes, showing my perspective). You are literally in the place of the individuals behind the scene.

Secondly, not being able to see any puppeteers putting on the puppet show is a representation of how at Whimsey everything behind the scenes is meant to stay as hidden as possible (a philosophy which led to the construction and use of the tunnels) to the point where it's meant to give the impression that the puppeteers simply don't exist. Even if you're freed of the chains and able to perceive the fire, you're still unable to see all the moving pieces. You're still intentionally being kept in the dark.

Now, as for the fire, I could go into what the Shadow represents, but that mostly lies outside of the metaphor of the cave. Thinking about it now, the fire is mostly relevant to the literal aspects of the cave and the specific fire dream moves away from the cave metaphor.

The descent dream also departs from the cave metaphor and has in itself deeper meanings related to personal experience and foreshadowing (as a hint, some of the most innocuous and seemingly unimportant lines in that section will become the most important) but that's not really relevant to Plato (or at least, it's not consciously related to his works).

Now the two dreams which are heavily tied to the cave metaphor are the puppet dream and the escape dream.

With the puppet dream, you become shackled in the same way the residents of the cave are shackled. You've seen the truth, but are being forced into silence and made to accept a shattered fantasy. (Again, many deeper meanings, but I think that's it for the cave relevance)

The final dream is the one that's most tied to the cave metaphor. In the escape dream, you've taken in the fantasy and the show, know something of the truth, and wish to escape. Perhaps to share what you've learned with others, perhaps to learn more about the world you've only caught glimpses of, or perhaps just to escape from the horrifying reality you've awoken to. But you aren't allowed to leave. Something wishes to keep you there and no matter how hard you try, you cannot be free of the cave. Because you've experienced the fantasy, you can never be free of it and this manifests as a creature preventing your escape.

But what is it that keeps you in your own cave, reader? When you turn around at the end, what do you see? A terrifying amalgamation of the worst aspects of the fantasy? Something horrifyingly and uncannily inhuman? Yourself? Is the thing compelling you to stay in the darkness something external and sadistic or is it internal and masochistic? For me all of the above are valid answers and I don't think there's one true one (might help to know that I loved my job more than anything and was almost killing myself for it but I self-termed just before my program was supposed to end cause I was literally working myself to the grave and at the mercy of some particularly awful coworkers). Now, I do have something very specific that I imagine when I picture the Creature, but I don't want to share what that is. I'd rather leave that unsaid so you can imagine whatever your mind fills in the blank with.

The other major meaning behind the cave, is how it parallels my purpose for writing the story. In a way I feel like I was a prisoner of the cave for years without realizing it. Now, I've escaped the cave, seen the reality behind the fantasy, and this is me attempting to explain the truths that I witnessed (and the staggering fear which accompanies that act). There's also the lingering question of would I be better off in ignorance of the truth or am I better off knowing reality? I might wish to return to the blissful ignorance of the puppet show, but I'll never be able to. My eyes have adjusted to the sun and I'm no longer able to perceive the shadows on the wall. When I return to the cave, I no longer see the wonders of the fantasy. All I see is darkness. Darkness accompanied by lapping waves of pleasant nostalgia, vicious pain, and icy regret.

So, yeah. Real pleasant stuff. Hope that answers your questions and that my prattle makes at least some sense. Thanks again for this ask, I enjoy talking about philosophy and stuff and since no one knows that I write this stuff, I never get the chance to talk about it.

[magiciansvoyage]

A Few IFs I’ve Enjoyed Recently

I’ve played a few IFs over the last several months, so figured I’d make a list of some of the games I enjoyed. Most of these are shorter (or WIPs with short demos) because that’s what I’ve had the attention span for lately:

Keep reading

[mousetrap-if]

Aww, thanks, Arlo!! 💚 I'll wholeheartedly second every recommendation on here (and will be reading the few I haven't checked out yet asap).

I'll add to this by saying, if you haven't read Magician's Voyage you should probably drop everything and go do that now ☺️ Arlo's an incredible writer who's created such a thrilling story with amazing characters, enthralling lore, and an overwhelmingly wholesome vibe. Go check them and their work out too!! @magiciansvoyage

[gamesbyalbie]

Mousetrap was super engaging! I can’t wait to see how it fleshes out. What sorts of inspiration do you draw on for your writing?

Aw thank you so much, groggydog!!

I'm a really scattered person with lots of unrelated special interests. So, for me, inspiration comes from all over the damn place.

In general, myths (ancient and modern), religion, and philosophy are some of my biggest sources of inspiration (ex., the cave scene in Mousetrap). Plus, literal or figurative depictions of monsters/monstrosity are present in pretty much everything I do. Movies, shows, anime, books, etc. are also big sources of inspo for me. In particular, Mousetrap drew a lot from Saw, It Chapter Two, and Disney movies. I think DC's The Scarecrow and that one level in Arkham Asylum impacted the nightmare stuff as well as classic RPG Maker horror games like Ib, The Witch's House, and Misao. Dimension 20 Fantasy High: Sophomore Year had a big impact (and one of the two new nightmares in the next update is directly inspired by a character from that show). Finally, I think that some of my favorite Victorian sci-fi stories like the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, The Invisible Man, and Frankenstein had some impact on Mousetrap too.

However, Mousetrap is really unique for me in that everything is first and foremost based in personal experience (I've semi-jokingly described it as the closest I'll ever get to memoir). When I came up with the idea, my goal wasn't to create a horror game based on a premise like Saw, etc., it was just to tell the story of my time working at Disney World twisted to make it fictional (and due to my experience, it naturally evolved into surreal horror). In addition to the literal life experiences it draws from, all my dominant fears, anxieties, and insecurities are present in this story. The characters are made from splintered fragments of myself and memories of people I've known through the years (particularly those I knew during that period of my life). I've felt lost for a long time and like I lost a large part of myself, but writing Mousetrap has allowed me to feel like I've reclaimed my own narrative and, with that, regained some of what I'd lost.

So, uh... Sorry, that got a bit heavy. But, yeah. For me, Mousetrap is really unique in terms of inspiration. It's not unusual for me to base themes, plot lines, or characters on things I deal with, experiences I've had, or people I've met; but I almost feel like I lived Mousetrap and this is just me taking my internal experience and sharing it with others.

Okay, that's about all I'll bore you with 😅 And sorry for taking so long to respond, it took me a while to get my thoughts in order. Thanks again! 💜

[mousetrap-if]

I LOVE THIS GAME!! ♡ Congrats for creating a story that's so interesting! I'm very curious about the dynamic between a Princess Margareux MC romancing male Max, bcs you know, he's dressed as Damien so MC has to pretend to hate him 😭😭 also, what is the costume of Max if they're female? Thank u

Yess!!! These kind of dynamics are so exciting to me (and in the same vein, Albert!MC + Damien!Max). They do have to act like their characters while onstage, but even more troublingly, Max is able to watch out for and protect MC but MC can't help or save Max without being punished...

And the descriptions for Max's other costumes can be found under the cut in this post! ☺️ (But the basic vibe of the Mostruosa costume is super sexy, badass, raven feather gown)