Part samurai drama and part Japanese fairytale, we are currently bringing to life Mask of the Mountain™ as a modern 2D point-and-click adventure game.

Set in early Edo period Japan, it is a time of fragile peace in the valley lands of the noble Katsuden family. Sheltered by high mountains, in past generations the people here fought to defend themselves in a mortal rivalry with the Tsuneki clan, a proud and warlike family.

However, after the bloodshed of Japan’s last great battle, the reigning Shogun demanded peace from the country’s noble families. So, for almost three decades, an uncertain peace has built in the valley, but soon a historic wedding between the Tsuneki’s eldest daughter and Lord Katsuden is set to make this truce permanent.

Yet the mending of ancient rivalries is a delicate matter, and all too easily the wrong word or action could lead to a new war, so the Lord Katsuden has wisely arranged for a highly revered monk to attend as peacekeeper. Unfortunately, in his old age, the abbot is unable to travel to the valleys. Instead, he sends one of his most promising students, Shinkai, a young man well versed in Buddhist teachings.

Without the experience or status of his teacher, however, Shinkai is worried as to whether he will be able to dispel tensions at the wedding. Leaving the sheltered monastery for the first time, he is about to enter a world where history and reputation mean everything and the spirit world is closer than he may think. The abbot’s parting advice lingers in the corner of Shinkai’s mind,
‘Things are not always as they seem’.