Video Game / Dark Romance

The things one does for love...

Dark Romance is a hidden object games series created by Domini Games and published by Big Fish Games, with each game based on well-known stories - ranging from fairytales to classic literature (plays, novels, etc.) to folklore to sci-fi.

Unlike most hidden object games, this series takes a unique approach in storytelling by providing not one, but instead two main protagonists for the players to follow in the footsteps of, who aid each other in beating every obstacle in their path by solving puzzles and helping people in need along the way, culminating into defeating the villain near the end of the game that stands in the way to the happy ending they deserve.

The Dark Romance games in order:

1. Dark Romance: Vampire in Love is loosely based on Dracula. The story follows the vampire Enron and his human fiancée Emily having to find a way to reunite despite Dracula's threats to tear them apart.
2. Dark Romance: Heart of the Beast is based on the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. Desperate to seek a magical rose that could save her father's life, Beatrice agrees to help the enchanted prince Jonathan undo the spell placed on him and his servants at the hands of a dangerous witch.
3. Dark Romance: The Swan Sonata is based on the ballet Swan Lake, with a bonus chapter based on The Little Mermaid. Prince Siegfried and Odette's wedding plans are under threat by Rothbart, who plots to seize the kingdom for himself.
4. Dark Romance: Kingdom of Death is based on Classical Mythology and the myth of Persephone, with a bonus game based on the myth of the Minotaur. In ancient Greece, Elias and Persephone are forcibly parted due to the malicious trick of Hades, ruler of the underworld. The lovers must find a way back to each other while stopping a plot to usurp Olympus by Hades and Poseidon.
5. Dark Romance: Curse of Bluebeard is based on the fairy tale Bluebeard. The eponymous Bluebeard forcibly takes Rachel for a new bride, prompting Richard to give chase. Along the way, the lovers uncover the fate of his previous wives and the nature of the curse placed on their hated enemy.
6. Dark Romance: Romeo and Juliet is based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. A powerful sorcerer named Gaspar seeks revenge on the Capulets, threatening to part lovers Romeo and Juliet. Together, the lovers must stop the sorcerer from causing any more harm if they are to put an end to the family feuds once and for all.
7. Dark Romance: The Monster Within is loosely based on Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. Newlyweds Nigel and Sybil have been afflicted with a curse via magic paintings that turn them into monsters, and must track down the evil artist behind it all.
8. Dark Romance: Winter Lily is based on the fairy tale Snow White. King William and Princess Lily are driven to work together when Queen Nivella threatens both of their kingdoms in her quest for eternal youth, with Lily being the key needed to bring her down.
9. Dark Romance: A Performance To Die For is based on Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera. When Christine is kidnapped by a masked man, Raul gives chase after the kidnapper while Christine makes her escape to save herself from becoming a member of the Phantom's ghastly troupe.
10. Dark Romance: Hunchback of Notre Dame is based on Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. When Esmeralda is kidnapped by a hunchback, Frederic takes action to rescue her only to discover that the cardinal Frollo hides malicious secrets that ruined the life of Quasimodo and anyone involved.
11. Dark Romance: The Ethereal Gardens is loosely based on Sleeping Beauty. Prince Liam's quest to revive his father goes completely wrong when his mother takes the wings of the neighboring queen in a bid to fulfill her own agenda. He must work together with Celeste to put a stop to her goals.
12. Dark Romance: Ashville is based on the 2000 sci-fi film Frequency. Louise Mitchell and Robert Lawson help each other across time to uncover the truth behind the disaster that brought Ashville to ruin 15 years ago, all while avoiding being silenced by those who don't want the truth to come to the surface.
13. Dark Romance: Vampire Origins is based on the legend of vampires. Gabriel Dracula, a half-vampire, is threatened by the vampire Tamash, who demands he renounce his love for Sabrina and give in to his vampiric side for good.
14. Dark Romance: Sleepy Hollow is based on Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Kane Varvick and Katrin van Tassel seek answers on the Headless Horseman's attack on Sleepy Hollow, but have to contend with the machinations of the ruthless Judge Barrett, who has dark secrets of his own.

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The Dark Romance series contains the following examples:

Shared Tropes

• Animorphism: Plenty of people are turned into animals either voluntarily or against their will.
• Because You Were Nice to Me: The reason many a person you meet offer you something that can help you progress on your quest and solve puzzles.
• Curse: The Dark Romance games wouldn't be the way they are without someone getting cursed for whatever reason there may be.
  • In Curse of Bluebeard, the titular antagonist was cursed by his aunt after his efforts to get rid of her and claim what he thinks belongs to him.
  • In The Monster Within, Basil used a magic brush to create cursed paintings that changed the subject into a monster.
  • In the Winter Lily bonus game, the mad king cursed Nivella to age quickly after a period of time for defeating him.
• Damsel in Distress and Distressed Dude: Both the male and female love interests often need the help of their friend or loved one to continue their quest or get out of danger.
• Earn Your Happy Ending: After everything that threatens the lovers every step of the way in each game, their happy ending is rightly deserved.
• Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: No matter what the backstory of the villain is that made them pursue the evil path, the lovers will let you know that it's no excuse for the damage they caused to their victims.
• Hero of Another Story: In some bonus games/chapters, you get to play as one of the characters who had a small role in the main game.
• Locking MacGyver in the Store Cupboard: No matter what the villain does to imprison the protagonists, there's always something conveniently available for them to use to escape.
• Marry for Love: Usually the reason the protagonists want to hook up.
• Rescue Romance: Regardless of whether the pair are engaged, married or not, the two protagonists are out to help each other whenever they're in trouble.
• Scenery Porn: Every location is extremely beautifully designed, even the creepy scenes.
• Star-Crossed Lovers: Plenty of those in the games, often under a variety of circumstances.
• Take Your Time: No matter what dire circumstances the protagonists find themselves in, there's always enough time to gather what you need to save the day. An especially egregious instance occurs in Kingdom of Death when Hades is shocking Elias to death in front of you and you can meander all you like.
• Villain Ball: Too many of the villains keep underestimating the persistence of the protagonists.

Dark Romance: Vampire In Love

• Cute Ghost Girl: Brigitta guides Emily through the castle, telling her what happened to herself and helps her find a way out.
• Damsel out of Distress: Emily, as she has no intentions on waiting for her kidnapper to return.
• Dark Is Not Evil: Enron, hands down.
• Dating What Daddy Hates: Gender flipped; Dracula doesn't approve of Enron's relationship with Emily, who is human.
• Dracula: The iconic vampire is often brought up and makes an appearance as the antagonist of the game.
• Emergency Transformation: In order to save Enron, she chooses to undergo becoming a vampire.
• Friendly Neighborhood Vampire: What Enron aspires to be.
• Ghost City: In the bonus chapter, Emily discovers one while trying to find resources to cross the broken bridge.
• Grayscale of Evil: Subverted. Enron sports shades of white, grey and black to contrast Emily, but he isn't evil.
• Interspecies Adoption: Dracula, a vampire, adopted the human child Brigitta. Later on, though, it took a tragic turn...
• Kill the Cutie: Brigitta died when Dracula failed to turn her into a vampire.
• Pink Means Feminine: Emily wears a pink dress.
• Romantic Vampire Boy: Enron is a vampire, but he fell in love with and formed a genuine romance with Emily.
• Sadistic Choice: In the bonus chapter, Emily is forced to make the choice of either becoming a vampire in order to free her love or refuse the change and let Enron die by sunlight.
• Weakened by the Light: Enron's fatal fate if Emily refuses to become a vampire.

Dark Romance: Heart of the Beast

• Asshole Victim: Damien gets his comeuppance from the restored villagers after all the ill treatment he had given to them in gnome forms.
• Circus of Magic: Damien gets one with Claudine's help, and plans to add Jonathan as a circus attraction.
• Find the Cure!: Beatrice seeks the Rose of Life in order to heal her ill father.
• Fortune Teller: Jonathan meets one who gives him advice on how to escape the circus.
• The Freakshow: What Damien planned to subject Jonathan to upon capturing him.
• Healing Herb: The Rose of Life
• Jerkass: Damien was the cause behind Claudine's cruelty, and is cruel himself to the people he enslaved. His brother Alistair in the bonus chapter is no different.
• Love Makes You Evil: Claudine's change of heart came from her obsession with winning Damien's heart.
• The Mirror Shows Your True Self: A magic frame Beatrice is given by a transformed servant allows her to see their true forms and get valuable information.
• Mirrors Reflect Everything: Beatrice uses a mirror to reflect Claudine's magic back at her.
• Must Make Amends: Jonathan finds out in the bonus chapter that Claudine has been trying to do good as penance for the harm she caused.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: The fortune teller who gave Jonathan advice on how to escape the circus gets turned into an owl by Alistair for her trouble.
• Rapid Aging: Claudine's excessive usage of her magic caused her to age rapidly.
• Take a Third Option: When Claudine believes the lovers will be forced to choose who to use the Rose of Life on, the pair use the flower to cure Beatrice's father, which in turn breaks the spell on Jonathan and his servants.
• Ungrateful Bastard: Damien, who demanded Claudine's help to establish a circus with her powers, but never gave her the love she wanted from him.

Dark Romance: The Swan Sonata

• Bride and Switch: Rothbart had his daughter impersonate Odette at the wedding in order to claim his kingdom.
• Caring Gardener: Odette was working as one when she met Siegfried.
• Daddy's Little Villain: Alana, Rothbart's equally evil daughter.
• A Friend in Need: In the bonus game, when the mermaid Rebecca uncovers Alana's deception, she gets helpful advice from Odette, who she helped previously in the main game.
• Girl in the Tower: Gender flipped; Odette finds Siegfried locked in a tower after being tricked into marrying Alana in disguise.
• Light Feminine and Dark Feminine: Odette is the Light Feminine with her white clothes, blonde hair and her kind and loving personality; Alana is the Dark Feminine with her black and red clothes, dark hair and her selfish and cruel personality.
• Raised by Grandparents: Odette's only known living relative is her grandmother.
• Red and Black and Evil All Over: Alana, hands down.
• When the Clock Strikes Twelve: A magic artifact Rebecca uses to temporarily return Odette to human form will only last until midnight.

Dark Romance: Kingdom of Death

• Adaptational Villainy: Hades and, shockingly, Poseidon.
• Canon Foreigner: Elias is unique to the game; in the original myths, Hades himself was Persephone's husband. Astraeus's nymph lover, Melissa, is also game-original (while there were nymphs named Melissa in mythology, none of them were connected to Astraeus).
• Classical Mythology: What the game is based on.
• Divine Date: Elias is in love with the goddess Persephone, and had just gotten consent to marriage from her father Zeus as an added bonus.
• Divine Parentage: Persephone is the daughter of Zeus.
• Escaped from Hell: Doubles as Rescued from the Underworld. Persephone manages to make her way through the underworld, only needing Elias's help to complete her escape and reunite with him.
• Everybody Hates Hades: Hades is portrayed as an irredeemable villain intent on overthrowing Zeus by any means necessary, even kidnapping his own niece.
• Evil Sorceror: Minos is a wizard who craves power and wealth for himself.
• Evil Uncle: Twofold with Hades and Poseidon.
• Foul Flower: Used by Hades to drag Persephone into the underworld.
• Harping on About Harpies: A trio of harpies serve as one of the minor obstacles Elias has to deal with.
• Hell Hound: Cerberus is one of the obstacles Persephone has to subdue to escape the underworld. To her dismay, "Sit, boy!" doesn't work nearly as well as when Hades says it.
• Lost Lenore: Melissa, a nymph who inspired Astraeus' star creation and loved him dearly.
• The Maze: The labyrinth in Crete is the focal location Olympia must traverse to in order to find Theseus.
• Open-Minded Parent: Zeus approved of Elias and Persephone's relationship to the point where he expresses full confidence that Elias can help his daughter escape the underworld.
• Our Minotaurs Are Different: A minotaur is said to be lurking within the labyrinth in the bonus game.
• Parental Marriage Veto: Averted. Zeus gave full consent for Elias and Persephone's marriage.
• The Power of Blood: Persephone uses her blood to help her former nurse change into a bird and get a message out to Elias.
• Rightful King Returns: Olympia finds an antidote that restores the real King of Crete to his rightful form.
• Supernormal Bindings: The shackles used to weaken Sisyphus are used against Hades so Persephone can get closer to leaving the underworld.
• The Usurper: Minos turned the King of Crete into a minotaur to take control of Crete for himself.
• Weakened by the Light: Daylight cast from the mirror is what is used to kill Minos.

Dark Romance: Curse of Bluebeard

• Abusive Dad: Bluebeard abused his younger sons Nigel and Sebastian for his cruel experiments.
• And Now You Must Marry Me: Bluebeard forces Rachel to agree to marry him when he threatened to harm her fiancé Richard.
• Beard of Evil: Bluebeard, naturally.
• The Bluebeard: Who else?
• Buy Them Off: Richard had to bribe a guard with gold coins to get out of his cell and escape.
• Disappeared Dad: Rachel's father isn't alive in the game. Her mother mentions him when planning a way to help Richard get out of prison.
• Disproportionate Retribution: Bluebeard murdered his wives because his sons turned into monsters after their birth, something none of them had any control over.
• Dragged Off to Hell: It's safe to say that his murdered wives will make sure Bluebeard goes exactly where he deserves to be.
• Dream Land: Rachel navigates through the dream world, finding not only more information on Bluebeard's past, but also find items Richard needs in the real world.
• Dream People: Rachel got to speak with Bluebeard's parents in the dream world.
• Haunted Castle: Bluebeard's castle is haunted by the spirits of his murdered wives.
• Inheritance Murder: Bluebeard killed his aunt so he can claim everything that he believes he is entitled to have.
• It's All My Fault: Meredith, Bluebeard's aunt, blames herself for the damage done to the wives and sons as consequence her curse brought on Bluebeard.
• Murder the Hypotenuse: Bluebeard has taken each of his wives from the men they truly loved, and left them to rot in the dungeons.
• Papa Wolf: When his son was kidnapped by Khasard, Ethan gives chase to stop the sorcerer and save his son.
• Parental Abandonment: Bluebeard abandoned his eldest son, Ethan, after his birth due to his monstrous features.
• Poison Is Evil: Olivia, Bluebeard's first wife, is killed this way after her son was born. Her journal confirms this.
• Rewarding Vandalism: While searching for a needed item in a hidden object scene, Rachel gets to vandalize the gifts Bluebeard sent to her.
• Rule of Three: You meet the three ghosts of Bluebeard's previous wives.
• Sadistic Choice: In the bonus game, Ethan is threatened by the sorcerer Khasard to either give up his wife's or son's soul as payment for his father's bargaining with dark magic.
• Speak Ill of the Dead: Bluebeard had a disrespectful epitaph marked where his aunt is buried.

  Dead and out of my way at last

• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: When Meredith realized Bluebeard was poisoning her in order to claim the estate she wanted to sell, she cursed him on her deathbed, kicking off the tragedy that befell anyone who got involved with Bluebeard.

Dark Romance: Romeo and Juliet

• Adaptational Intelligence: Arguably, Romeo and Juliet. In the play, the lovers were prone to A Tragedy of Impulsiveness that lead to one another being Driven to Suicide. In the game, however, they demonstrate the intelligence to escape captive situations and solve puzzles to reunite with one another.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: Juliet's father, Lord Capulet, surprisingly. Where he wasn't the greatest father because of his ill temper against his daughter when she doesn't agree with his wishes in the play, he is a more pleasant character who truly cares about his daughter (aside from his paranoia after an attack caused by Gaspar at the beginning of the game).
  • The same can be said for Mercutio, the protagonist of the bonus chapter. He not only isn't a hot-blooded jerk like in the play, but he also very supportive of both Romeo and Juliet.
• Death by Childbirth: What we hear happened to Juliet's mother in the opening intro.
• Parental Neglect: Francesca holds her father Gaspar in high regard, but Uncle Octavio points out to Mercutio that Gaspar never paid attention to her in pursuit of Juliet's mother.
• Pining After Protagonist's Parent: Gaspar pursued Alberta, but she married Lord Capulet and had a daughter named Juliet.
• You Killed My Father: Francesca strikes at Romeo and Juliet to avenge her father.

Dark Romance: The Monster Within

• Anomalous Art: The magic paintings cause the subject to become a beastly monster.
• Beauty to Beast: Sibyl and later Nigel, Angelica and Henry were changed into beasts via magic paintings.
• Blackmail: What Basil tries to do against his old friends for a perceived betrayal.
• Clothing Damage: Angelica and Henry's clothes suffered serious damage post-transformations.
• Deceptive Disciple: Basil exploited Melissa's knowledge of the magic paints for his selfish gains.
• Fictional Painting: Paintings, to be specific. The paintings of the main protagonists and their friends created by Basil changes them into monsters by magical means.
• Greed: Basil's fatal flaw.
• Happily Married: Nigel and Sibyl, having just been married recently. The same could be said for Henry and Angelica, if the latter's concern for the safety of her beloved is anything to go on.
• Hostage For Macguffin: Basil holds Nigel hostage to force Sibyl into getting him closer to gaining the dragon's treasure.
• Karmic Nod: Albert, who had turned to Melissa's magic to win a gamble against Basil's father, humbly acknowledges that he lost everything he had in a fire as punishment.
• Mad Artist: Basil used the magic paints to hurt his old friends, their loved ones and damage property to get what he wants.
• Never My Fault: No matter how much evidence is stacked against him, Basil still won't stop blaming his old friends for the loss of his fortune.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Henry, when used as a watchdog at Basil's house under magic influence, sported these eyes.
• Riches to Rags: Basil's father gambled his money and lost it all, leaving his son in poverty.
• Slave Collar: What Basil placed Henry into in order to control him.
• Taken for Granite: How Basil meets his demise, courtesy of the nature of the dragon's treasure.
• That Satisfying "Crunch!": When Sibyl breaks the brush to end the curse, it's so satisfying.

Dark Romance: Winter Lily

• Big Sister Instinct: In the bonus game, Nivella went on a dangerous chase to rescue her younger brother from a psychotic king.
• Dying Curse: The mad king curses Nivella with rapid aging as revenge for his defeat.
• Fallen Princess: Lily's kingdom was subjected to the usurper Nivella, forcing her to go in hiding until William encounters her.
• God Save Us from the Queen!: Nivella not only tyrannized the kingdom of Winterhelm, but she also used its citizens to take their youth away from them for her own gain.
• Noble Fugitive: Lily was on the run from Queen Nivella because the queen meant to use her to regain her beauty.
• The Prophecy: In the bonus game, a prophecy that the king would meet his downfall by the child of a golden-eyed woman is what triggers the king abducting Nivella's brother.
• Pyrrhic Victory: Nivella succeeded in defeating the king and saving her brother, but he cursed her to age quickly in retaliation for his downfall.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: King William and Princess Lily are royalty, but neither are willing to stay out of Nivella's way when their kingdoms have been threatened by her.
• Start of Darkness: The bonus game reveals what caused Nivella to become the evil queen in the first place.
• Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Nivella, believe it or not.
• Vain Sorceress: Queen Nivella, unsurprisingly.

Dark Romance: A Performance To Die For

• Barred from the Afterlife: Isaac's dark magic prevents the ghosts of his chosen victims from escaping him.
• Falling Chandelier of Doom: What caused the fire that burned Isaac's face. It also was used at least to try and hinder the protagonists' progress.
• Green-Eyed Monster: Bruna, who hated Roselle for being married to Isaac.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: Bruna gets her due punishment when Christine traps her spirit in a crystal ball, just like she did with Roselle in the past.
• Magic Mirror: Isaac applies magic to a mirror to kidnap Christine.
• Murder the Hypotenuse: Bruna killed Isaac's wife, Roselle, and placed her spirit in a crystal ball so she can have him all to herself.
• Necromancer: Isaac is a practitioner of this, given what he's done to his victims.
• Our Ghosts Are Different: The ghosts in the game are aware of who caused their demise, and most of them never wanted to be part of Isaac's insane plans to create a ghost opera. The only evil ghost is Bruna, who is more than happy to help the man who made her a ghost in the first place.
• Soul Jar: Roselle's spirit was trapped in a crystal ball by Bruna.
• Spirit Advisor: After being freed from the binds, Agnette helps Raul and Christine as best she can, warning them of Isaac's traps and helping them escape their current predicament.

Dark Romance: Hunchback of Notre Dame

• Domestic Abuse: Frollo has married several women, but he never loved them; he only used them to maintain his unnaturally gained youth.
• God Save Us from the Queen!: The queen tried to use dark magic to kill Louis so she can take the throne for herself, and tried to get rid of Esmeralda when her secret heritage is discovered.
• The Grotesque: Quasimodo, who had his beauty magically taken away by Frollo as a baby. Frollo himself was a hunchback who used dark magic to take the beauty of others for himself.
• The Kindnapper: Quasimodo kidnapped Esmeralda with the intent to prevent Frollo from doing any harm to her.
• Knight in Shining Armor: Frederic
• Life Drinker: Frollo's method of stealing youth from his victims to become younger and less grotesque.
• Long-Lost Relative: In the bonus game, Esmeralda finds out that she's the illegitimate daughter of King Louis the 12th.
• Luke, I Am Your Father: King Louis confirms Esmeralda is his secret daughter.
• The Only One I Trust: Regarding her safety, Esmeralda places her trust in Frederic to help her.
• Personal Mook: Quasimodo used to serve as one to Frollo, doing dirty deeds for him. That is, until he heard of his master's latest plan, and decided to interfere in his own way.
• Really Royalty Reveal: Esmeralda is revealed to have ties to royalty.
• Secret Relationship: King Louis had one with Esmeralda's birth mother, who was a flower girl. Doubles as Star-Crossed Lovers.
• Sinister Minister: Frollo is the cardinal in charge of the religious order Frederic is recruited into, but he has ulterior motives for using the order and has more sinister plans for Esmeralda.
• Would Hurt a Child: Frollo used his magic to take the infant Quasimodo's beauty and make himself look more youthful.

Dark Romance: The Ethereal Gardens

• Big Brother Bully: Henrietta imprisoning her own sister in a magic garden is pretty cruel.
• Big Sister Instinct: When Bethany is kidnapped by Augustina after their parents were magically frozen, her older sister takes matters into her own hands to save her.
• Cassandra Truth: Verda the centaur warns Liam about Henrietta's true goals, and that Celeste isn't the true enemy. He doesn't believe it...at first.
• Enemy Mine: When Henrietta reveals her true colors, Liam and Celeste decide to work together to stop her plans.
• Evil Matriarch: Henrietta proves to be this the moment she takes the wings for herself and has Liam imprisoned.
• Fantastic Fruits and Vegetables: The ethereal apple tree possesses magic powers, which Henrietta seeks to use to bring her brother back.

• Human Popsicle: At the beginning of the bonus chapter, Liam and Celeste and everyone present are magically frozen save for Bethany (who gets kidnapped) and her older sister.
• An Ice Person: Augustina has ice magic, allowing her to freeze anything and create constructs from ice.
• Just Following Orders: The guard detained for information admits this after spilling the beans on Henrietta's plans with the Ethereal Gardens.
• Long-Lost Relative: The older sister finds out from Ond that Celeste had a brother who went missing.
• Loved by All: The residents of the Hallowed Kingdom respect and are fond of Celeste.

• Protective Charm: The bonus chapter's protagonist is protected from Augustina's magic thanks to Bethany's gift to her.
• Revenge by Proxy: Augustina takes revenge against Liam for her sister's wrongdoings in the past.
• Seeks Another's Resurrection: Henrietta's reason for stealing Celeste's wings is to reach the tree in the Ethereal Gardens and use its power to resurrect her dead brother.
• Sibling Rivalry: Henrietta and Augustina hated each other to the point of feuding with each other.
• Winged Humanoid: Celeste - until it was stolen from her.

Dark Romance: Ashville

• Big Brother Instinct: When his sister, Sheryl, is kidnapped during the protest, Robert immediately takes action to rescue her.
• Corrupt Corporate Executive: Bradley, who wanted to establish the mines in Ashville, possible hazards to the city be damned.
• For Want Of A Nail: Louise writing notes in Robert's journal is what triggers Robert's direct involvement in investigating Bradley's business during a protest.
• Gas Leak Cover Up: Reports from the past thought the disaster of the mines to be an accident.
• He Knows Too Much: Louise and Robert are under threat of being killed for investigating the truth behind Ashville's disaster.
• I Have Your Wife: When cornered by the police, Bradley threatens to kill Robert's sister Sheryl. It doesn't stop Robert from finding a way to intercept him.
• Intrepid Reporter: Louise Mitchell
• Last-Minute Hookup: With Bradley's demise and his crimes exposed, Louise and Robert meet one another at last when he shows up to greet her.
• Moral Myopia: Ben thinks nobody should expose the truth behind Ashville's destruction, even though he should know that the miserable situation he also was put in was caused by Bradley.
• Oddball in the Series: While every other game is based on fantasy to some degree, this one is based on a sci-fi movie.
• Parallel Conflict Sequence: At the climax, Louise works to avoid getting killed by Bradley while Robert goes to confront Bradley in their respective timeline.
• Paranormal Mundane Item: Robert's journal is what triggers the investigation and pursuit of bringing Bradley to justice.
• Reverse Whodunnit: Louise's investigations and notes helps Robert acquire concrete proof of Bradley's unethical business that can get police to take action against him.
• Ripple Effect Indicator: When Bradley is killed by Robert in the past, the present Bradley blurs before he disappears into nothing.

Dark Romance: Vampire Origins

• Amulet of Concentrated Awesome: The Sun and Moon amulet has the power to subdue and weaken vampires.
• Braving the Blizzard: After being attacked by bats, Gabriel and his father make for the castle to seek shelter. It doesn't go too well.
  • Sabrina gets in on that as well when she attempts to ride out to Brasov to get help for Gabriel.
• Cassandra Truth: Skeglima, a healer and fortune-teller, had tried to warn people about vampires. Nobody believed her until it was too late.
• Crusading Widow: Stefan had fought Tamash before to avenge his wife's death, and he helps confront the vampire again.
• Death by Childbirth: How Gabriel lost his mother.
• Dhampyr: Gabriel's origin. His mother was attacked by Tamash and afflicted with vampirism while she was pregnant with him.
• Eternal Love: Sabrina accepts becoming a vampire out of love so she can be with Gabriel.
• Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Tamash can't wrap his head around why Gabriel clings to his love for Sabrina despite his vampiric heritage.
• Glowing Eyelights of Undeath: Hinted at as one of the signs of Gabriel's vampiric side.
• Heal It with Blood: To help his son heal his wounds, he cut himself and fed blood to him.
• Hide Your Otherness: Since childhood, Stefan has concealed his son's vampiric side, trying to raise him as a human with outside help.
• Magical Accessory: Tamash has an amulet that houses a bat monster meant to protect its master.
• The Mirror Shows Your True Self: When Diane brings a mirror to her mother, she senses what's wrong and knocks the mirror away.
• The Owl-Knowing One: Palmyra, a trusted pet of Gabriel's, who has not only been a reliable messenger, but also not afraid to protect her master from Tamash.
• Papa Wolf: Stefan has no intentions to stand by the sidelines while his son is harassed by Tamash.
• Parents in Distress: When Stella is forced to come to Marku, the vampire who bit her, her daughter, Diane, takes action to save her.
• Romantic Vampire Boy: Dhampyr, technically, but Gabriel counts since he loves Sabrina dearly.
• Silver Bullet: Gabriel crafts one to take out the bat monster.
• They Were Holding You Back: Tamash, in his bid to force Gabriel to give in to his vampiric side and gain an ally, repeatedly threatened Sabrina's life.
• Undeathly Pallor: Tamash, hands down.
• We Can Rule Together: Tamash repeatedly tries to sway Gabriel into joining him as a vampire.
• White Hair, Black Heart: Tamash fits the bill as such, given he's the opposite of Gabriel.
• Wooden Stake: Diane uses a silvered wood stake to kill Marku once and for all.
• Would Hit a Girl: Tamash had no qualms about stabbing Sabrina to make his propositions with Gabriel go his way.

Dark Romance: Sleepy Hollow

• Abhorrent Admirer: Judge Barrett has been trying to court Katrin for some time, but she has no interest in him whatsoever.
• Balcony Escape: Window, actually. Katrin escapes through her bedroom window to cross rooftops and save Kane from the fire.
• Burn the Witch!: Sleepy Hollow had quite a history for burning witches at the stake. This was also the fate of Judge Barrett's mother years before the story began.
• Calling the Old Man Out: Katrin calls out her father for his involvement in trying to kill Kane, pointing out evidence against him and makes it clear she wants nothing to do with him or Barrett anymore.
• Childhood Friends: Kane and Katrin have lived in Sleepy Hollow and been friends since childhood.
• Dirty Cop: Sheriff McCollins not only gave a lot of headaches for Kane and Katrin, but he also has been helping Barrett attempt to cover his tracks.
• Fiery Cover-Up: Judge Barrett and Baltus attempted to kill Kane in a fire to stop the investigation.
• Good Witch Versus Bad Witch: Priscilla is a good witch as she is driven to help people with her powers, even aiding Kane and Katrin when one of them needed her and rescuing Adrian in the past from her own clan. Ragehild is one of the nastier witches who holds hatred for those without magic and antagonizes Katrin by threatening to make Kane into a new Headless Horseman for her clan's use.
• Guardian Entity: The Headless Horseman was made into one after a group of witches lured and killed a cavalryman into a trap.
• Hanging Judge: Barrett falsely places the blame for Baltus' death on Kane, attempting to have him executed.
• Hates Their Parent: Justified in Katrin's case when she discovers her father was in on attempting to kill her beloved Kane in a fire.
• Headless Horseman: Wouldn't be a game based on Sleepy Hollow without it.
• Instant Allegiance Artifact: The Horseman is controlled by whoever is in possession of his skull. Katrin shoots the skull out of Barrett's hands and uses it to turn the Headless Horseman against him.
• Love-Obstructing Parents: Baltus van Tassel, to the point where he helped Barrett try to kill Kane.
• Murder the Hypotenuse: Barrett tried to have Kane killed more than once so he can marry Katrin.
• Off with His Head!: The fate that befalls the victims of the Headless Horseman. This ends up being Judge Barrett's fate after Katrin turns the Horseman against him.
• Pay Evil unto Evil: Barrett uses the Headless Horseman to exact his revenge against the people of Sleepy Hollow for killing his mother.
• Revenge Is Not Justice: Priscilla, rightly so, calls out Barrett for using his heritage for revenge instead of helping people.
• Small Role, Big Impact: Anro's appearance was very short, trying to flee the Headless Horseman only to be killed once caught. However, it's what brings Kane to Sleepy Hollow (at Katrin's request) to investigate the murders.
• Technicolor Magic: Ragehild's magic emanates green colors for anything she does.
• Witch Hunt: A prominent history subject within Sleepy Hollow.
• The Witch Hunter: Adrian is a witch hunter who helps Katrin gather clues to Ragehild's plan.