Phantasmat: Behind the Mask Collector's Edition

Family reunions can be pretty awkward, although it depends on the circumstances and the people involved. No matter how awkward they get, on the other hand, you probably don’t need to worry about ghosts and monsters trying to hurt you. Old mansions usually have a bad reputation in this regard, because they are the prime targets for lost souls and evil spirits.

Phantasmat: Behind the Mask Collector's Edition is a puzzle game in which you have to unravel a mystery regarding a family reunion and a creepy manor filled with all sorts of unsettling things. While there are no hardcore horror elements involved, there are some disturbing scenes, and even a couple of jump scares to get your blood racing. Still, most of your time is going to be spent looking for items and solving puzzles.

The plot starts with the main character heading for a family reunion, only to discover that the location is pretty spooky and deserted. Instead of leaving, you decide to investigate the matter and poke around the estate in question. Creepy things keep happening while you do so, and there are plenty of scenes that contain disturbing imagery and various apparitions.

Most of your time is spent looking for useful items, which are then used to unlock the way further into the manor. Some of them can be combined, others are only useful for a single task, after which they disappear. Hidden object sequences are a significant portion of the gameplay as well, but they have plenty of interesting twists and turns to keep you entertained.

In the graphics department, the game uses classic point-and-click tricks to render the world. Hence, the environments are static and hand-drawn, although there are subtle animations every now and again. The cutscenes are pretty interesting and well-made, but they move very slowly for some reason, which makes it difficult to stay focused on what’s actually happening in them.

Even if Phantasmat: Behind the Mask Collector's Edition is designed for casual players, everyone can have a fun time with it as long as you do not have very high expectations. It is very well polished for a casual game, which is obvious in the puzzles and the level design.