The challenging part about enjoying a game from Japan is that we often don't receive timely updates. We know that there are probably distribution reasons, but the wait can provide such a high window of uncertainty. Mystic Mansion hasn't yet added the levels from Japan to its American version. I get why, but still, not having an update is killing me, and the creators haven't provided a release date.

I've been playing Mystic Mansion long after completing a challenge involving the game for Swagbucks. Since mythology is one of my hyperfixations, the game's storyline of an apartment mansion home for deities is my jam. The game takes advantage of the cute style for visual humor; I found it hilarious to learn why the king of the Greek Gods is a sentient teacup, or how Gal was having trouble using all the makeup she had to look amazing. 

Mystic Mansion is a standard sorting game where you clear boards using matching pieces, power-ups, and tools like arrows. It also has an ongoing plot where you, the human, are working undercover in an apartment house with gods. Meowlin, the owner, knows who you are, but he keeps that information on the down-low. In fact, any tenant suspecting the truth gets a surprise visit from him, with threats and ominous shadows. Every time he thinks about his plan, he chuckles. That's surely not ominous. 

Your partner-in-crime and building superintendent, Purrcy, doesn't know. While you complete the challenges by matching gemstones within a series of limited moves and different obstacles, Purrcy does the grunt work of replacing windows, making carpets, or installing sparkly lights. 

What Makes the Game Work?

The characters are a lot of fun. They provide challenges with their requests for different types of furniture, protesting when you clear their papers, and offering hints of backstories. Some blend in with the garbage in their apartments, while others stand out like the idols they admire. 

There is also plenty of lore to go with each character's designs and quirky interactions. As mentioned, Zeus has been turned into a teacup while his son has no idea (Hera is not in this game, not yet, as far as I know). Cleopatra remains miserly while getting as many renovations out of us as she can. We have an owl deity who can't get a good night's sleep while taking residence indoors, and a penguin Poseidon that cannot shed a cute nature to look fierce. The dialogue between completing challenges and fulfilling tasks is entertaining, especially if Purrcy tries to back out and Meowlin has to remind Purrcy that the superintendent has a job to do. 

Also, having Ganesha running an Indian restaurant but not making it look Indian hit close to home for me, with everyone wanting hamburgers. I can make decent almond burgers, but you're on your own with the meat stuff since I'd probably be making lamb, and I'd need to try out the recipe before. At the same time, as a diaspora, I wouldn't know exactly what details to put into restaurant decor to make it look authentically "Indian" since a lot of what I make at home is fusion. 

What I'm Waiting for In Mystic Mansion

Reaching the top floor. Seriously, the original game does have an ending according to its Wikipedia entry, but we Americans just haven't received it yet. It could be needing the translations or having to deal with the red tape of distributing international video games to Americans (thanks for that, by the way, tech bros). 

I still can't figure out why Meowlin needs a human to work discreetly as the handyman. The way Purrcy reacts, a demigod or spirit could work just as well. Humans seem to be special to Meowlin's mysterious plans, but it's unclear. The gods have powers, just a lot of emotional dysfunction given their various backstories and failures. What makes us special?

If the developers have a newsletter or social media account, it would be great to get an update. I want to know what happens next, sooner rather than later. 

Playing Celeste was a good idea, but I didn’t make any progress until a friend took pity on me. He gave me instructions on how to activate the game's invincibility mode. As Madeline, whom I renamed Angel because the game gave me the option, I was navigating a dangerous mountain with numerous supernatural obstacles and strawberries as a bonus reward. 

Celeste updates haven’t been my top priority. I knew about the 8-bit spinoff but had otherwise put Celeste out of mind. Finding out that the game became a symbol for the trans community snapped me back to attention. 

On November 20, 2019, during Trans Remembrance Day, the Celeste crew posted the above screencap. You reach this point in the climb at the first chapter’s conclusion, where you can pay homage to the other mountain explorers who didn’t survive. The game does, with the memorial reading “This memorial dedicated to those who perished in the climb.” Soon after, Madeline has a nightmare of a dark self and her past haunting her, with a phone call to someone she knows would never dial her. 

A Climb to Crack Your Egg

It struck me, as more trans people are fighting for the right to exist, how Madeline is determined to climb. The mountain residents and guests like Granny and Theo ask her why she does it. She doesn’t have to traverse this mountain all the way to the top. Theo explores the ruins while Granny provides meals and instructions for the visitors.

Madeline can’t answer the question, admitting that she doesn’t know why she needs to climb, only that she must. It’s not that she expects to see or experience an epiphany at the peak; Madeline feels that she needs to complete the journey. 

The mountain helps people uncover their psyches and selves. Madeline’s insecurities, anger, and fear manifest in doppelgangers and colorful hazards. The more she persists, the more trigger-happy the obstacles become. Madeline wants to succeed because she needs to bring out that darkness and all her fears. She had an egg to crack.

What Did Celeste Uncover?

Developer Maddy Thorson is trans; she came out on Medium in a post that also revealed that the fictional Madeline is trans. Obviously, a gender identity doesn’t stay solid and can take a while to explore, so that gender could change in a few years or not at all. Thorson puts it best in the opening paragraph:

“But these are things that I was not aware of during the development of Celeste, where I was writing Madeline and speaking from her perspective. Creating Celeste with my friends helped me reach the point where I could realize this truth about myself.”

The team had also discussed revealing Madeline’s identity in the Chapter 9 DLC, an additional adventure that allows the player and Madeline to give a proper farewell to an important character. 

I haven’t heard of creating a game that helps the egg crack, but it makes sense. Jane Schoenbrun said they wrote I Saw the TV Glow to talk about their transition experience, and a good number of viewers mentioned they realized they were trans or nonbinary as well after seeing the movie. Co-star Jack Haven, who plays Maddy in TV Glow, came out as nonbinary after the movie’s premiere. Nate Stevenson mentioned that, in hindsight, concept art for the graphic novel Nimona, with the title character shapeshifting into a beefy man, was his subconscious speaking. 

For better or for worse, someone’s identity may not manifest as soon as they enter this world. It can take years, not helped by societal pressures or expectations. There’s a reason why many gay men and women end up in conventional relationships at a young age, only to languish within such a sham. 

Sometimes creations have those hints of what the subconscious knows. Internal crises show up within the narratives or character designs. Video games provide an excellent way to explore these conflicts because many different avenues allow us to play as different people, creatures, or beings. 

Uncovering Your Uncertainty

Madeline has to climb the mountain to deal with the growing storm within her. The natural hazards bring out her inner doubts and fears as Badeline, a floating entity that sends monsters to chase her host. While at first all Madeline can do is run, she tries to fight back at the first opportunity. She insists halfway through the game that she doesn’t need Badeline. Who wants a doppelganger chasing after them and trapping them in mirror temples? Badeline seems bad for Madeline’s health and later Theo’s well-being. 

Unfortunately, we can’t escape our negative feelings or doubts. We all fear failure and have hope right before life dashes it to bits. Badeline affirms violently that Madeline can’t tell her to go away or use a breathing exercise to fend her off. The two have to come to an agreement. 

To truly reach the top, Madeline has to reconcile with Badeline. Every human has those doubts and fears. If you have generalized anxiety, the anxiety is trying to keep you safe even as it makes you physically ill. Fighting it only makes you feel worse; what helps is when you confront it and communicate with others about it. 

Keeping Trans People And Representation Alive

2025 has truly become the year where we find out who we are. Who are we when our vulnerable neighbors and their creations are attacked? What will we do to resist the absurdity? I’ve seen those who stand up, communicate with their Badelines, and face pure evil. Others fold, and still more cheer on the cruelty. 

We have to keep climbing. If we don’t need to climb, we can provide support for those at the mountain base.

It’s a good time to return to Celeste and the mountains that we have to climb. I understand Madeline better with this concept, and I hope more people climb the mountain, making it to the top.

Did the success of a horror ARG made by one college student surprise you in 2024? That one person who looked at the genre of mascot horror and grounded it in a plausible time period? It surprised me pleasantly. As an animation nerd, I appreciated a game that understood how important research is for immersive meta-fiction. Shipwrecked 64 supplemented its story-within-a-story, of a company overworking employees it exploits in unusual ways, with jumpscares and gorgeous animation. Now the world of Broadside Animation is back with hotels! We don't know if it has men with axes or twin girls since all the characters in-game are anthropomorphized creatures, but we know the hype is real.

Note that the ARG isn't over; Broadside Animation's shenanigans will unfold over a series of website updates before releasing a Steam game titled Hotel Investigation 09. The updates, titled "Phases," will crack the Easter eggs, revealing what happened to Broadside after the CEO engaged in unethical deeds, and not to improve stock options for investors or to fuel his ego.

While we have to wait for the full HI-09, as creator Squeaks d'Corgeh abbreviates it, a preview game is available online. Go to https://hi-09.com/ to play a demo nicknamed The Waiting Room. If you would rather get the Cliff Notes, there are playthroughs and streams online.

What To Know About Squeaks d'Corgeh

Squeaks d'Corgeh has worked on Shipwrecked 64 for three to five years, first releasing the game in 2022. Squeaks then retooled the game and reintroduced it to the world in January 2024.

Full disclosure: Squeaks and I both support the YouTuber Nightmind through Patreon, and thus know each other in a social Discord. In fact, Discord was how I first found out about Shipwrecked 64 when Nightmind started streaming and analyzing it. He's also shared some progress with little spoilers, and I may have the twenty-second song stuck in my head for a while (I hope it becomes a meme with the full release). Squeaks also offered to read this draft and fact-check it, and he has permission to modify anything that seems too spoiler-y.

If you want a detailed recap of what happened in Shipwrecked 64, my thoughts are here. But to make a long story short, a cutesy video game paying homage to the Nintendo 64 era had evidence of murder. Not just murder, but also rich people trying to emulate Victor Frankenstein while adding cute mascots to the mix. One heir to corporate corruption mixed with generational trauma wants to find the truth, but releasing it to the world may have dire consequences.

The Hotel Update

In line with Broadside Animation attempting to prove it could compete with Disney during its 1980s flop era, they opened nine hotels to host Studiogrounds theme park guests. Only eight opened, while the ninth one became a ghost-hunting spot. The new game, where we literally have to wait for the next round of horrors, is set inside this mystery hotel.

In the Waiting Room demo on the H09 website, Stumbler comes back for an encore from Shipwrecked 64. He serves as our introductory narrator, though Chief Wulf also makes audio cameos. An artist who lost his hands but has great dreams, Stumbler gives random facts about Leonardo da Vinci and discusses procrastination. He shows more awareness of his plight and the reasons behind his creation, both inside and outside the Broadside canon.

Tragically, Stumbler knows there's nothing we can do to fix his situation. He knows he was created for the developer to vent about a real person. The player has to either follow the rules or break boundaries, which hurts the NPCs; we don't have a compromise or a means to help Stumbler. Stumbler uses his narration to vent about his plight and provide necessary exposition.

Meanwhile, the player is a new animal, Officer Howlz. Howlz has to explore this recreation of Hotel 09 to rescue a hostage. He seems to take Stumbler's monologuing and warnings in stride despite Stumbler's occasional nihilism. So far, Howlz and the player can use his camera to uncover secrets. The rooms, however, don't yet allow for progression beyond that.

The Waiting Room hints at a meta-narrative that covers crossover episodes. Howlz isn't part of the original Shipwrecked 64 crew, instead hailing from another Cogware Game, Blundercover. It makes me wonder why he's game jumping to solve this mystery. A real-life Nintendo equivalent would be Mario tunneling into the Castlevania world to stomp on vampires, while in edutainment, it would be Reader Rabbit running to help the Cluefinders. Some fans have theorized that the Waiting Room and the Hotel 09 ARG are preparing players for a Blundercover "recreation".

If the secrets of Shipwrecked 64 involved murder and necromancy, what could Blundercover reveal that would be even worse or more dramatic? What is worse than murder?

Come Play With Howlz and Chief Wulf

That Squeaks has been able to keep spoilers under wraps is amazing. He has an audience that wants to uncover more Broadside Animation secrets. One video game has linked the company to workplace abuse and murder. We aren't going into the theme park, but Hotel 09 may have its own secrets without needing the Disney or Universal analogy.

It's going to be a long wait for the whole game to be released and for the next Broadside chapter to be revealed. Still, the community is waiting patiently, carefully viewing every update and Easter Egg. Saving Bucky was not an option, but maybe the other NPCs still have a chance.