Mousetrap (albie)

Welcome to Whimsey World! May all your dreams nightmares come true... WARNING: Mousetrap is rated 18+. It contains graphic violence, gore, surrealist horror, potential body horror, waking nightmares, and death.

Mousetrap is a surrealist survival horror story written by Albie for the @interact-if 2022 ranked game jam.

The Story

You're one of the many overworked interns working at Whimsey World. When it was announced that Imogen, a category three hurricane, would soon hit Orlando, Florida, your employers asked for volunteers to remain in the parks during the storm, promising triple pay for at least 24 hours. You and your friend seized the opportunity. After all, Whimsey wouldn't ask its cast members to stay behind if it was potentially dangerous.

That's what you assumed before you were knocked unconscious. Before you woke up in a costume chained to your friend and three strangers. Before Dickey the Rat informed you and your "team" that you get $250,000 for each person you kill. Before the neurotoxins pumping through the park's air system began to loosen your grip on reality. Before nightmares and the real world bled into a horrifying, broken fantasy you can't wake up from.

If you survive the storm (and the things lurking within it), you'll win riches beyond your wildest dreams. But how far are you willing to go? How committed are you to pleasing your guests and satisfying your spectators? The Show will go on. It will always go on. But what role will you play in it?

The Cast

Alaric/Aria Wagner - your optimistic and level-headed friend from Germany working in merchandise as part of a work exchange program

Emerson Liu - a fellow intern who works as a custodian, an aspiring novelist with an insatiable thirst for truth and unending curiosity

Jovy Rivera - a full-time stagehand and gaffer for the park's stage shows, an extremely sarcastic individual who hates having to take things seriously

Max Keller - a part-time face character, part-time med student with a personality opposite those of the viallainous or chaotic characters  they portray

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

Timeline

Since the voting period for this game jam lasts throughout February, I can only make smaller patches to correct bugs and spelling/grammar during this time. On March 1st you can expect a big update that adds new content and expands upon content currently in the story.

The voting process for this game jam runs through February, so, until then this story can only be updated with small bug patches. A big update is scheduled for March 1st that will add a lot of new content and expand upon existing choices. 

If you want more info on the project and how it's developing, check out the Mousetrap Tumblr blog (here).

This game was created as part of the 2022 Interact-IF ranked game jam. Developers had the month of January to make a game that fit the theme "cliffhanger."
If you enjoy interactive fiction, I highly encourage you to check out the other games that were completed for these game jams (check them out here).