CAT'S MANSION
Lyuba Alekseeva
Game Plot: Cat’s Mansion
Nikki’s husband, Tom, has gone missing. To find him, she travels to Stranger Hills to visit his mother, Bertha — the last person who heard from him. Tom had talked about wanting to go back to his childhood town before he vanished.
Bertha lives in a huge mansion full of five cats and piles of old junk. As Nikki investigates Tom’s disappearance, she also helps her mother-in-law fix up the house. Bertha insists she keeps hearing strange noises in the mansion, as if someone is watching her. Recently she received a letter supposedly from Tom saying he’s on a business trip, but the handwriting doesn’t match his.
In the hallway, Nikki finds drafts of letters allegedly written by Tom. She starts to suspect Bertha is faking them to cover up her son’s disappearance. But the truth is stranger. Bertha stole the letters from their neighbor, John, thinking he was responsible. John and Tom used to be classmates — both excellent students — but Tom got the better job, leaving John behind. John tried to forge Tom’s handwriting to get a recommendation letter, framing Tom in the process. He’s a fraud, but not a kidnapper.
The investigation seems to lead nowhere. Then Nikki’s friend Cinthia arrives at the mansion with a letter claiming that Tom has simply stopped loving Nikki and no longer wants to be with her.
Trying to cope, Nikki throws herself into restoring the mansion with Cinthia’s help. While working, Cinthia drops a handkerchief — Tom’s handkerchief, the one Nikki once gave him. Nikki instantly recognizes it.
They soon discover that Tom has actually been locked up the whole time in a treehouse on Bertha’s property. This explains the noises and the sense of a presence in the mansion — and why the cats reacted strangely. Cinthia had become obsessed with Tom. When they find him, he’s barely alive and keeps whispering, “Red door... red door.” But there is no red door anywhere in Bertha’s house.
Now it’s up to Nikki, Bertha, and the cats to unravel the mystery.
End of the First Story.
Intro Cinematic:
I’m Nikki, an aspiring interior designer. This is my husband, Tom, an engineer. He recently went missing.
I’m heading to his mother Bertha’s house in Stranger Hills, where she lives with her five cats. Tom had planned to visit before he disappeared. The police aren’t doing anything. I have to find him.
Dialogues:
Start, Quest 0:
Bertha:
1. Nikki, you’re here! No wonder all the cats have disappeared. They usually only run from the scarecrow in the garden. Come in, sit down. I’ll make you some tea.Nikki walks up the mansion steps and sets down her suitcase. Bertha greets her.
Nikki:
2. It’s good to see you, Bertha. Thanks for the tea. It’s very… rich. With notes of cat fur.
Nikki sits on the porch. A cup of tea rests on the table. She takes a sip and gently sets it down.
Bertha:
3. How have you been, dear? Still sleeping with gloves on?
Nikki:
4. You know I’m terrified of germs and parasites.
Bertha:
5. Oh, someone used to sit in that chair who was quite a parasite…
Nikki:
6. What? A parasite?
Nikki jumps up, brushing herself off nervously.
Bertha:
7. My ex-husband. Shall we replace the chair? It’s a perfect excuse for you to show off your design skills.
Quest 1: Replace the Chair
Bertha:
1. Beautiful! My cats will love sharpening their claws on it.Chair selection. Customization. Joyful animation for Nikki and Bertha.
Bertha:
2. Nikki, I received a strange letter from Tom. But this isn’t his handwriting. Take a look.
Bertha awkwardly hands Nikki the letter, but the envelope slips from her fingers and falls through a crack in the floor.
Nikki:
3. Oh no, it fell through! Well, I guess we have a reason to fix the floor now.
Bertha:
4. But we just had the floor repaired...
Nikki:
5. Really? It doesn’t look like much has changed.
Bertha:
6. Oh, it did. My wallet certainly feels lighter now.
St. Petersburg, 2021