It sounds easy to find a lost cat until you go deep into the woods. Mushroom Oasis combines the serenity of a mystery with psychological horror. This game is a story-based visual novel that puts you in a secluded hut and introduces you to Mychael. What appears to be an ordinary rescue soon turns into a high-stakes scenario where every word counts.
This game is mainly about choosing what to say. You will read dialog, watch Mychael, and decide how to react to increasingly bizarre situations. All choices are not created equal. Some answers just change your immediate reaction; some choices will lock you into a bad ending. If you are to know what is really going on, you have to look for the smallest change in the character's attitude.
The first three days have got to be watched closely. There are some endings to the game so far: four Bad Endings and a main story development.
The way you respond to Mychael impacts how he perceives you. You must strike a balance between agreeability and subtle investigative maneuvering. If you put too much pressure on yourself to find answers about the forest or the cat, it might provoke dangerous reactions.
The game plays with expectations, hiding the dark elements in beautiful artwork and serene settings. The storyline is heavily inspired by yandere elements, so the danger is from psychological obsession instead of the usual monsters. Players have to deal with the manipulation and the distortion of their memories. Trust is their biggest vulnerability.
The interface is kept minimalistic so players can focus on reading comprehension.
If you like games with meaningful words, this mystery adventure is definitely worth experiencing. Mushroom Oasis is a psychological experience that will make you think twice before doing anything.
