History Videogame / DarkTales

* In the third game, ''The Premature Burial'', you and Dupin are summoned to help a despondent young man, Julian, whose true love Victorine was wedded to another man against her will. Victorine died very suddenly, and her husband had her buried so quickly that no one was able to pay their respects. Julian suspects something is very wrong - and it's up to you to figure out what.

* In the fifth game ''The Masque of The Red Death'', Dupin receives a letter requesting his help in the city of Lumineaux, where you join him. A masked man with a bright red mask is killing off city officials, and it's believed that Mayor Prospero will be the next target. The people of the city are angry with Prospero, who has ruled with an iron fist for several years. The real question is, who is the most guilty and who will be the one who will face justice when the time comes?

* GottaCatchEmAll: In ''The Premature Burial'' there are 33 roses that are scattered throughout the world, which are needed to create the Rose Bouquet for Julian.

* LampshadeHanging: One diary entry in ''The Gold Bug'' lampshades how the player character has do everything.

* AdaptationExpansion: The first two games follow the ending of their original stories. The third and fifth games have their own stories, because of the nature of the original material; ''The Premature Burial'' was mostly a parody of BuriedAlive stories, and ''Masque of Red Death'' only had two named characters. The fourth game still has William [=LeGrand=] and the subject of searching for the Gold Bug, but there is now a mysterious masked man trying to kill [=LeGrand=], and the African slave was replaced with a Newfoundland dog named Arthur.
* AdaptationalVillainy: In the short story ''Masque of The Red Death'', Prospero was a man who held a masquerade ball for guests while trying to avoid the Red Death. In the game, he's a MayorPain whom the villagers despise. Inverted with the Red Death himself, as in the story he took the form of a plague that killed everyone, but is now a man wearing a red mask, killing the corrupt officials of the town and seems to be a hero to the villagers.

* AscendedExtra: Dupin, who only appeared in three stories (''Murders in the Rue Morgue'' was his debut), has been in all five cases so far.

* CuteKitten: The player adopts one in ''Masque of The Red Death'' and can collect items for the kitty to play with.
* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Masque of The Red Death'' is this compared to its predecessors. While the first four games had deaths and blood, the opening scene to ''Masque of Red Death'' has a man killed and blood pooling out from the back of his head. It also has a theme about justice between the corrupt Mayor Prospero and the vigilant Red Mask.

* ExactWords: ERS Games stated that Dupin will have his shirt removed in the collector's edition of ''The Masque of Red Death''. What they did not say was that this would happen when [[spoiler: he gets shot in the chest by Jacques Morrow. Fortunately, it didn't reach his heart and the shirt is only removed up to the left arm and chest.]]

* IAmSpartacus: The ending scene of Masque of Red Death's bonus chapter has [[spoiler: Jacques Morro exclaiming that he wasn't responsible for the crimes but rather the Red Masque. After this, the mob tosses a bunch of masks into the air - one of them being the eponymous mask.]]

* MalevolentMaskedMan: The man with the red mask in ''Masque of Red Death'' combined with InTheHood. The same goes to the previous masked man in ''The Gold Bug''.
* MayorPain: Mayor Prospero in ''Masque of The Red Death''.
** Subverted in the Bonus Chapter. [[spoiler: He was set up by Officer Rene Durand and police officer Jacques Morro, although it's never stated whether Prospero was really evil as he seemed to be.]]
* MeaningfulName: Lumineaux, the setting for ''Masque of The Red Death'' is French for [[LightIsNotGood 'Light']].

* MultipleEndings: In ''Masque of The Red Death'', [[spoiler: you can arrest either Mayor Prospero or the Red Masque. It ends with one sent to jail and the innocent party walking out of the court house. Of course, as the Bonus Chapter in the Collector's Edition shows, it doesn't make that much of a difference.]]

* PandaingToTheAudience: In ''Masque of Red Death'', the player character finds two panda toys as part of a painting.
* ProducePelting: In the beginning of ''Masque of The Red Death'', there are villagers throwing eggs at a fountain of Mayor Prospero.

** And again in ''The Masque of Red Death''; [[spoiler:the first Red Masque is Perenn, the town guard who disguised himself as the Red Masque to free the prisoners, but isn't the one who killed the town officials.]]
* ShipTease: Arguably, between Dupin and the player character. He always comments on how glad he is to see you, and one piece of dialogue in ''Murders in the Rue Morgue'' has him suggesting that he take you to dinner at the fancy restaurant you're exploring.

* WesternZodiac: In ''The Gold Bug'', one puzzle requires all twelve signs be placed in order. ''Masque of Red Death'' has a chest with a combination based on three symbols. ''The Premature Burial'' has the player connect the dots to create six constellations of the Zodiac.

''Dark Tales'' is a series of {{hidden object game}}s created by ERS Game Studios and distributed by Big Fish Games. Based on the works of [[Creator/EdgarAllanPoe Edgar Allan Poe]], the games follow Detective August Dupin, and his assistant (the player character) as they solve a set of mysteries based on Poe's works.

In the first game, ''Murders in the Rue Morgue'', [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a string of murders has been uncovered in Rue Morgue.]] The player character soon meets up with August Dupin, and becomes his fellow partner to solve the case.

In the second game, ''The Black Cat'', Dupin and apprentice must figure out the disappearance of Monsieur Mark Davies's wife Sara. However, they also cross paths with a black cat, and the figure of Sara watching them.

In the third game, ''The Premature Burial'', Dupin and apprentice are called to uncover the mysterious death of a woman named Victorine, and why she had been buried so soon. They also see Victorine's ghost following them, but for what purpose?

In the fourth game, ''The Gold Bug'', Dupin and apprentice receive a letter from Dupin's dear friend William [=LeGrand=], who has uncovered clues regarding Captain Kidd's treasure. However, a mysterious hooded assailant stands inbetween them and the treasure along with a mysterious veiled woman who also has connections to Captain Kidd

In the fifth game ''The Masque of The Red Death'', Dupin has received a letter requesting his help in the city of Lumineaux. A masked man with a bright red mask is killing off city officials, and at the same time the city isn't quite fond of Mayor Prospero. The question is though, who is the most guilty and who will be the one who will face justice when the time comes?

!!Dark Tales provide examples of:
* AdaptationExpansion: Dark Tales 1 and 2 follow the ending of their original stories. Dark Tales 3 and 5 have their own stories (which is just as well seeing as ''The Premature Burial'' was mostly a parody of BuriedAlive stories and ''Masque of Red Death'' only had two named characters).
** The only exception to this is Dark Tales 4. While it still had William [=LeGrand=] and the subject of searching for the Gold Bug, but there is now a mysterious masked man trying to kill [=LeGrand=], and the African slave was replaced with a Newfoundland dog named Arthur.
* AdaptationalVillainy: In the short story ''Masque of The Red Death'', Prospero was a man who held a masquerade ball for guests while trying to avoid the Red Death. In the game, he's a MayorPain whom the villagers despise. Inverted with the Red Death himself, as he was the form of a plague in the short-story that killed everyone, but it is now an man wearing a red mask, killing the corrupt officials of the town and seems to be a hero to the villagers.

* AscendedExtra: Dupin, who only appeared in three stories (Murders in the Rue Morgue his debut), has been shown in all five cases so far.

* BigBad: Varies from story. A list would include:
** ''Masque of Red Death'': this goes to either Mayor Prospero or the Red Masque.
*** BiggerBad: [[spoiler: Jacques Morrow who played both Prospero and the Red Masque for chumps so he becomes the new Mayor of Lumineaux.]]
* BrickJoke: In ''Masque of Red Death'', the player character finds a message stating that animals have escaped from the zoo. Near the end of the game, [[spoiler: a lion cub appears in Mayor Prospero's mansion who had escaped from the zoo.]]
* BuriedAlive: The mystery in ''The Premature Burial''.

* ChekhovsGunman: The Daschund seen in the beginning '' Masque of Red Death'' was used to chase rats away. It returns at the very end to [[spoiler: scar away the lion cub--see BrickJoke--that was in the manor.]]

* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Masque of The Red Death'' is shaping up to be this. While the first four had deaths and blood, the opening scene to ''Masque of Red Death'' has a man killed and blood pooling out from the back of his head. It also has a theme about justice between the corrupt Mayor Prospero and the vigilant Red Mask.

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: In ''Masque of the Red Death'', Jacques Morro has a sweet little daughter that he loves very much. [[spoiler: Which makes him being the BiggerBad in the collector's edition all the more jarring.]]
* ExactWords: ERS Games stated that Dupin will have his shirt removed in the Collector's Edition of ''The Masque of Red Death''. What they did not say was that this was when [[spoiler: he was shot in the chest by Jacques Morrow. Fortunately, it didn't reach his heart and the shirt was only removed up to the left arm and chest.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: The guard you meet early on mentions that he has a sister. [[spoiler: You meet up with him again as the first Red Masque because his sister, Amelia Durand, was sent into jail and went to free her.]]
* GottaCatchEmAll: In ''The Premature Burial'' there are 33 roses that are scattered throughout the world, which are needed to create the Rose Bouquet for Juliene.

* HeroicDog: Arthur in ''The Gold Bug'' who is used to sniff out clues and is smarter than most dogs giving that he uses a hat to help carry a chick or sets an empty lantern near a patch of fireflies as a light source. The player also finds a Daschund to use as an inventory item in ''Masque of The Red Death''.

* IAmSpartacus: The ending scene of Masque of Red Death's bonus chapter has [[spoiler: Jacques Morro exclaming that he wasn't responsible for the crimes but rather the Red Masque. After this, the mob tosses a bunch of masks into the air--one of them being the eponymous mask.]]
* LampshadeHanging: One diary entry in ''The Gold Bug'' lampshades how the Player Character has do everything.
-->'''Diary Entry:''': ''(In regards to cutting up shrubs blocking the path)'' And by 'we' (Dupin and the Player Character), I'm certain that he's most likely referring to 'me'.

* MrFanservice: C. Auguste Dupin himself.

* OnceAnEpisode: Starting from Dark Tales 3, each game starts with Dupin beginning to read a letter regarding the case in question.

* ProductionForeshadowing: In ''The Gold Bug'', the sound effects for hints and one of the music scores is from the ''Maestro'' series that the company produces. The game published after ''The Gold Bug'' was the third Maestro game, ''Music From the Void''.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Pluto the eponymous Black Cat has one red eye.

** And again in ''The Masque of Red Death'', the first Red Masque is [[spoiler: Perenn, the town guard who disguised himself as the Red Masque to free the prisoners, but isn't the one who killed the town officials.]]
* SuddenlyVoiced: In ''The Premature Burial''.

* WesternZodiac: In ''The Gold Bug'', one puzzle requires all twelve signs be placed in order. ''Masque of Red Death'' has a chest with a combination based on three symbols. ''The Premature Burial'' has the player connect the dots to create six constellations of the Zodiac.

* BigBad: In ''Masque of Red Death'' this goes to either Mayor Prospero or the Red Masque.
** BiggerBad: [[spoiler: Jacques Morrow who played both Prospero and the Red Masque for chumps so he becomes the new Mayor of Lumineaux.]]

* BuriedAlive: In ''The Premature Burial''.

* PandaingToTheAudience: In ''Masque of Red Death'', the player character finds two two panda toys as part of a painting.

* WesternZodiac: In ''The Gold Bug'', one puzzle requires all twelve signs be placed in order. ''Masque of Red Death'' has a chest with a combination based on three symbols.

** Subverted in the Bonus Chapter. [[spoiler: He was set up by Officer Rene and police officer Jacques Morrow, although it's never stated whether Prospero was really evil as he seemed to be.]]

* TarotMotif: Justice plays a prominent role as the player character obtains a set of scales hung by a woman in a blindfold, and a puzzle involves rearranging some books so the spines create the woman in the tarot card.

* ExactWords: ERS Games stated that Dupin will have his shirt removed in the Collector's Edition of ''The Masque of Red Death''. What they did not say was that this was when [[spoiler: he was shot in the chest by Jacques Morrow. Fortunately, it didn't reach his heart.]]

A beta for the fifth game ''The Masque of The Red Death'' was released. Dupin has received a letter requesting his help in the city of Lumineaux. A masked man with a bright red mask is killing off city officials, and at the same time the city isn't quite fond of Mayor Prospero. The question is though, who is the most guilty and who will be the one who will face justice when the time comes?

* BrickJoke: In ''Masque of Red Death'', the player character finds a message stating that animals have escaped from the zoo. Near the end of the game, [[spoiler: a lion cub appears in Mayor Prospero's mansion.]]

* ChekhovsGunman: The daschund seen in '' Masque of Red Death'' was used to chase rats away. It returns at the very end to [[spoiler: scar away the lion cub--see BrickJoke--that was in the manor.]]

* AlwaysNight: In ''Murders in the Rue Morgue'' and ''The Black Cat''

* AdaptationExpansion: Dark Tales 1 and 2 follow the original stories. Dark Tales 3 and 5 have their own stories (which is just as well seeing as ''The Premature Burial'' was mostly a parody of BuriedAlive stories and ''Masque of Red Death'' only had two named characters).

* HeroicDog: Arthur in ''The Gold Bug'' who is used to sniff out clues. The player also finds a Daschund to use as an inventory item in ''Masque of The Red Death''.

* EverythingsWorseWithBears: Averted in ''Masque of the Red Death'' as the bear is very friendly and helps you knock apples down from a tree.

* AdaptationalVillainy: In the short story ''Masque of The Red Death'', Prospero was a man who held a masquerade ball for guests while trying to avoid the Red Death. In the game, he's a MayorPain whom the villagers despise.

* AdaptationExpansion: Dark Tales 1 and 2 follow the original stories. Games 3 to 5 have their own stories (which is just as well seeing as ''The Premature Burial'' was mostly a parody of BuriedAlive stories and ''Masque of Red Death'' only had two named characters) Dupin is also a main character in all five games, whereas he only appeared in three short stories (''Murders in the Rue Morgue'' being his first).

* CallingCard:

* {{Motif}}: Justice in ''Masque of Red Death''. Most notably, the player finds a statue of Justice and some scales to balance out the guilts between Mayor Prospero and the Red Mask and the word written on Mayor Prospero's door reads "justice". Also, the Red Mask asks the question "What is justice? That is for you to decide" when the player starts a new game.

* ProductionForeshadowing: In ''The Gold Bug'', the sound effects for hints and one of the music scores is based on the ''Maestro'' series that the company produces. The game published after ''The Gold Bug'' was the third Maestro game, ''Music From the Void''.

* MalevolentMaskedMan: The man with the red mask in ''Masque of Red Death''.

A beta for the fifth game ''The Masque of Red Death'' was released. Dupin has received a letter requesting his help in the city of Lumineaux. A masked man with a bright red mask is killing off city officials, and at the same time the city isn't quite fond of Mayor Prospero. The question is though, who is the most guilty and who will be the one who will face justice when the time comes?

* AdaptationalVillainy: In the short story ''Masque of Red Death'', Prospero was a man who held a masquerade ball for guests while trying to avoid the Red Death. In the game, he's a MayorPain whom the villagers despise.

* CuteKitten: The player adopts one in ''Masque of Red Death'' and can collect items for the kitty to play with.
* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Masque of Red Death'' is shaping up to be this. While the first four had deaths and blood, the opening scene to ''Masque of Red Death'' has a man killed and blood pooling out from the back of his head. It also has a theme about justice between the corrupt Mayor Prospero and the vigilant Red Mask.

* HeroicDog: Arthur in ''The Gold Bug'' who is used to sniff out clues. The player also finds a Daschund to use as an inventory item in ''Masque of Red Death''.

* MayorPain: Mayor Prospero in ''Masque of Red Death''.
* MeaningfulName: Lumineaux, the setting for ''Masque of Red Death'' is French for [[LightIsNotGood 'Light']].

* ProducePelting: In the beginning of ''Masque of Red Death'', there are villagers throwing eggs at a fountain of Mayor Prospero.

* AdaptationalVillainry: In the short story ''Masque of Red Death'', Prospero was a man who held a masquerade ball for guests while trying to avoid the Red Death. In the game, he's a MayorPain whom the villagers despise.

* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Masque of Red Death'' is shaping up to be this. While the first four had deaths and blood, the opening scene to ''Masque of Red Death'' has a man killed and blood pooling out from the back of his head. It also has a theme about justice between the corrupt Mayor Propsero and the vigilant Red Mask.

* HeroicDog: Arthur in ''The Gold Bug'' who is used to sniff out clues.
* MalevolentMaskedMan: The man with the red mask in ''Masked of Red Death''.

* {{Motif}}: Justice in ''Masque of Red Death''. Most notably, the player finds a statue of Justice and some scales to balance out the guilts between Mayor Prospero and the Red Mask and the word written on Mayor Prospero's door reads "justice".

In the fourth game, ''The Gold Bug'', Dupin and apprentice receive a letter from Dupin's dear friend William LeGrand, who has uncovered clues regarding Captain Kidd's treasure. However, a mysterious hooded assailant stands inbetween them and the treasure along with a mysterious veiled woman who also has connections to Captain Kidd

* CuteKitty: The player adopts one in ''Masque of Red Death'' and can collect items for the kitty to play with.

* AdaptationExpansion: Dark Tales 1 and 2 follow the original stories. Games 3 to 5 have their own stories (which is just as well seeing as ''The Premature Burial'' was mostly a parody of BuriedAlive stories and ''Masque of Red Death'' only had two named characters)

In the first game, ''Murders in the Rue Morgue'', a string of murders has been uncovered in Rue Morgue. The player character soon meets up with August Dupin, and becomes his fellow partner to solve the case.