False Mavis

False Mavis is based on an old, creepy song and has managed to keep the same feel. Reading the song after you reach an ending can be helpful. The game has some pretty gruesome parts.

This game allows backing up and has multiple save slots. The game feels pretty wide-open, but can be completed in less than 45 minutes. The number of options you have at first can be overwhelming, until you start to understand your purpose.

One great idea the game had is time-based challenges, signaled by a banging sound. Your multiple options start fading away when this happens, often with bad results. It was exciting.

There are multiple endings; none of them seemed that great for the PC, so I'm wondering if I missed one or if the game is just a downer.

Time to completion: 15-20 minutes

This game is based on the English murder ballad Long Lankin and Burning Rope by Genesis. You are a servant in the Wearie household, and you need to secure the house, or Long Lankin will get in.

This game was based on and inspired by murder ballads, not just in the plot, but in the tone. It's probably worth listening to it after playing False Mavis. The author paints a decrepit mansion, filled with relics from a better time, filled with subtle dread. The reveal of the PC's true intentions was brilliantly done; the first time I read it, I did a double take. It's not immediately clear what you're supposed to do, but there's a lot in the setting to absorb the reader. This game apparently has multiple endings, but I haven't managed to reach a second.

False Mavis is a grim and brutal horror story about removing the traces of your past misdeeds. It has a great setting with lots of moving parts, and what the player has to do to progress in the story is thematically consistent.