Paper Masks

Hello! This is my review of Paper Masks by LarkyLabs. As of writing this, I’ve played all of Season 1, Max POV 1, and Season 2 Episode 1. I can confidently say this is one of the best text‑based games I’ve ever played. I love Max but also hate him. Fucking Max Woods! He and the MC have such a complex relationship, and without getting into spoilers for anyone reading this to decide whether to try the game, I highly recommend it! Like, download it. Right now! Especially if you’re someone like me who started off with visual novels. One of my main issues with visual novels is that they can’t go into deep detail without becoming overly wordy because they rely so much on visuals. It makes sense,. Text‑based games can afford to be more descriptive, and the writing here is incredible. The emotions, the tension, the push and pull between you and Max. It’s all so well done. The writing tackles heavy topics with care and detail. It highlights the different unhealthy coping mechanisms victims face: the depression, the chest aches, and the numbness. As a reader, you really feel it. I’ve had to pause and just sit there. The story hits hard, especially if you play in self‑insert style. Even as I write this, my chest still aches from the emotions this game brings out. Max is a sweet kind of hell. You love his character, his shield, his mask … it feels real, like the kind many people wear in real life. But you know the hard things he does, how he hides, and as the story says, he is a ticking time bomb. If you're like me, you will feel the pull to let it just blow … or you will feel the push. To have your MC run and run away from him. The same goes for the MC. The despair, the need to escape, the crash‑and‑burn spiral they both see coming but still run toward because they need that moment together… ugh. This game hooks you on Max and the brutal and complex mess that is MC's life. It helps you connect with the MC on a deeper level and understand their poor sickness called "love" for Max. Trust me when I say it affects you too. Sigh… someone, please update this game. TT

I have no words... but don't worry, the Dev has plenty to say in this first release of Paper Masks. OK I do have some words. I'm not often tempted by text-based VNs but WOW, simply wow. This amazing work reads like a condensed novel filled with tension, emotion and craft. This unique and captivating story (and so far I have read one "path") has me hooked, has me second guessing, and has stunned by its quality, imagination and pacing. Perfect, nothing is, but this is rare pearl. Grats to the Dev(s?). Do yourself a favor and download this. Probably the best English work on this site, probably the best story-telling on this site, and for those out there that like a more complex, thoughtful and emotionally-charged experience, then you'll be in for a treat.