History VideoGame / DearMariko

* MoralMyopia: In ''Crimson'', [[spoiler: Liddy is angry at how Mariko did nothing to save her when she died, so her vengeful ghost convinces Shinku to kill Mariko and "avenge her". Coming from the one who killed Mariko's brother because he rejected her, it rings a little hollow.}]

** In the prequel expansion, ''Crimson'', [[spoiler:Liddy is the mysterious ghost girl who is [[TheManBehindTheMan manipulating Shinku]] into killing people]].

* RoseHairedSweetie: The protagonist has dark-pink hair and is cute as a button. [[spoiler:Later on subverted. The protagonist is a delusional stalker named Shinku and there is ''nothing'' cute about her.]]

* WhamLine: [[spoiler:The protagonist says, to the antagonist, "Goodnight, Mariko. And welcome home.", revealing that Mariko was actually [[HeroAntagonist the antagonist]] all along, while the PlayerCharacter is [[VillainProtagonist the stalker Shinku]].]]

** The original game has [[spoiler:the Normal Ending, where the protagonist (Shinku) leaves the house and accepts that she can never have Darien. Considering the True End, where she kills Mariko, this the best ending of the game.]]

** '''Bad Ending:''' The protagonist stays after reading Damien's letter and walks forlornly around the house. Suddenly, someone tries to open the front door. The protagonist hides in the bathroom either without taking anything with her or taking something that can't reliably be used as a weapon. The intruder enters, reads the letter, and breaks down into tears. She notices someone is hiding in the bathroom, enters, finds the protagonist, and kills her.
** '''Normal Ending:''' After reading Darien's letter, [[spoiler:Shinku]] leaves the house and sadly admits to herself that her and Darien's love was never meant to be.
** '''True Ending:''' The protagonist stays after reading Darien's letter, quietly walking around the house and going over his left behind belongings. After a while, someone attempts to enter the house. The protagonist grabs a pair of kitchen knives and hides in the cupboard. [[spoiler:The intruder enters the house, looking for Darien. When she finds the letter she breaks into tears and swears to kill the woman who made Darien run away. She eventually opens the cupboard and is stabbed by the protagonist. It's revealed that the "intruder" is actually Mariko, while the protagonist is Shinku, the stalker that drove Darien away. Shinku then kills Mariko with a SlasherSmile on her face.]]

* TheReveal: [[spoiler:You've actually been playing as ''[[BigBad Shinku]]'', [[IAmNotShazam not Mariko.]]]]

You are able to move around the house and examine the items filled with memories of Darien. Upon going into the bedroom, you will find the letter that Darien left before disappearing from the house. That's when a scary girl shows up at the door- the stalker has infiltrated the house and is out to kill Mariko.

There are [[MultipleEndings 3 different endings]] for you to explore: the Normal Ending, Bad Ending and True Ending. Different requirements have to be met and actions taken to achieve all of the endings. It is difficult to mention tropes without spoiling the twist in the True Ending, so be warned before reading beyond this point.

* AbhorrentAdmirer: [[spoiler: Shinku is this to Darien. So much so he broke up with Mariko and went into hiding, out of fear Shinku would hurt Mariko out of jealousy if he stayed with her.]]

* ButThouMust: In ''Crimson'', [[spoiler:one of Liddy's letters asks Shinku if she is ready to meet Darien. The choices are "I can't wait to meet him" and [[HeelRealization "This is wrong, Liddy"]]- but Liddy will not take the latter for an answer.]]

* TheEndingChangesEverything: The truth about Mariko is revealed by the ending; [[spoiler:namely the fact that the protagonist is ''not'' Mariko, but [[BigBad Shinku]]. Therefore a woman worried about her boyfriend's disappearance and looking through the house for him is actually a stalker seeking her victim.]]

** She comments in distaste several things around the house, claiming that Darien also dislikes them, which strongly hints that [[spoiler:the only one who likes them is Mariko- otherwise, there would be no reason for those things to be there if both members of the couple did not want them]]. She also complained about [[spoiler:Mariko's bed smelling strange, because of her hatred for her]].

* TheGhost: Darien never appears in the game. [[spoiler: Probably on purpose, since he's actively trying to hide from Shinku and left Mariko to keep her safe.]]

* MeetCute: Mariko fondly remembers meeting Darien on a Chirstmas day when she accidentally bumped into him, but he was kind to her nonetheless. [[spoiler: Becomes a lot more tragic after TheReveal that Darien ran away from her to protect her from Shinku.]]

* MultipleEndings: You have the Bad Ending, the Normal Ending and the True Ending.
** '''Bad Ending:''' The protagonist stays after reading Damien's letter and walks forlornly around the house. Suddenly someone tries to open the front door. The protagonist hides in the bathroom either without taking anything with her or taking something that can't reliably be used as a weapon. The intruder enters, reads the letter and breaks down into tears. She notices someone is hiding in the bathroom, enters, finds the protagonist and kills her.
** '''Normal Ending:''' After reading Darien's letter, [[spoiler: Shinku]] leaves the house and sadly admits to herself that her and Darien's love was never meant to be.
** '''True Ending:''' The protagonist stays after reading Darien's letter, quietly walking around the house and going over his left behind belongings. After a while, someone attempts to enter the house. The protagonist grabs a pair of kitchen knives and hides in the cupboard. [[spoiler: The intruder enters the house, looking for Darien. When she finds the letter she breaks into tears and swears to kill the woman who made Darien run away. She eventually opens the cupboard and is stabbed by the protagonist. It's revealed that the "intruder" is actually Mariko, while the protagonist is Shinku, the stalker that drove Darien away. Shinku then kills Mariko with a SlasherSmile on her face.]]
* ProtagonistTitle: [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope Subverting this trope]] is the whole point of the game- Mariko is the antagonist, Shinku is the PlayerCharacter.]]
* RedEyesTakeWarning: The intruder has red eyes and will kill the protagonist if she catches her. [[spoiler: Subverted. The ending reveals that she is Mariko and she has every right to be pissed at Shinku for stalking her boyfriend and being the reason he disappeared.]]
* TheReveal: [[spoiler: You've actually been playing as ''[[BigBad Shinku]]'', [[IAmNotShazam not Mariko.]]]]
* RoseHairedSweetie: The protagonist has dark-pink hair and is cute as a button. [[spoiler: Later on subverted. The protagonist is a delusional stalker named Shinku and there is ''nothing'' cute about her.]]

* WhamLine: [[spoiler:The protagonist says, to the antagonist, "Goodnight, Mariko. And welcome home.", revealing that Mariko was actually [[HeroAntagonist the antagonist]] all along, while the PlayerCharacter is [[VillainProtagonist the stalker Shinku]]]].

* AdultFear: The idea that your significant other is being stalked by an insane person is disturbing on its own.

Mariko and Darien are a happy couple who are unfortunately dealing with a sinister stalker, [[BigBad Shinku]]. The stalker has strained their relationship, and one day Darien decides he cannot take it any more. One day, Mariko decides to come home to find Darien. You are able to control the protagonist around the house and have her examine the items filled with memories of her beloved one. Upon going into the bedroom, she will find the letter that Darien left before disappearing from the house. That's when a scary girl shows up at the door- the stalker has infiltrated the house and is out to kill Mariko.

** '''True Ending:''' The protagonist stays after reading Darien's letter, quietly walking around the house and going over his left behind belongings. After a while, someone attempts to enter the house. The protagonist grabs a pair of kitchen knives and hides in the cupboard. [[spoiler: The intruder enters the house, looking for Darien. When she finds the letter she breaks into tears and swears to kill the woman who made Darien run away. She eventually opens the cupboard and is stabbed by the protagonist. It's revealed that the "intruder" is actually Mariko, while the protagonist is Shinku, the stalker that drove Darien away. Shinku then kills Mariko with a SlasherSnmile on her face.]]

** In the expansion, ''Crimson'', [[spoiler:Liddy is the mysterious ghost girl who is [[TheManBehindTheMan manipulating Shinku]] into killing people]].

** In the prequel, ''Crimson'', [[spoiler:Liddy is the mysterious ghost girl who is [[TheManBehindTheMan manipulating Shinku]] into killing people]].

There are 3 different endings for you to explore: the [[MultipleEndings True Ending, Normal Ending and Bad Ending]]. Different requirements have to be met and actions taken to achieve all of the endings. It is difficult to mention tropes without spoiling the twist in the True Ending, so be warned before reading beyond this point.

** In the prequel, ''Crimson'', [[spoiler:Libby is the mysterious ghost girl who is [[TheManBehindTheMan manipulating Shinku]] into killing people]].
* ButThouMust: In ''Crimson'', [[spoiler: one of Libby's letters asks Shinku if she is ready to meet Darien. The choices are "I can't wait to meet him" and [[HeelRealization "This is wrong, Liddy"]]- but Liddy will not take the latter for an answer.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Some of the things that [[spoiler:the protagonist]] says should clue the player in that [[spoiler:she's not Mariko]]:
** [[spoiler:She comments in distaste several things around the house, claiming that Darien also dislikes them, which strongly hints that the only one who likes them is Mariko. She also complained about Mariko's bed smelling strange, because of her hatred for her.]]
** [[spoiler:One major clue was that upon reading Darien's letter, she said 'So that's what you really feel'. While it appears at first that it is 'Mariko' being touched by Darien's love, it is actually Shinku realizing that Darien thinks of her as a stalker.]]
** [[spoiler:Also, the protagonist doesn't have the key to the bedroom and has to look for the spare key, because that's not "her" bedroom.]]
** In addition, notice how [[spoiler:the protagonist has ''[[GreenEyedMonster green]]'' eyes.]]
* GoldenEnding: [[spoiler:The Normal Ending with the protagonist leaving the house. Considering the True End, this the best ending of the game.]]
** ''Crimson'' has [[spoiler: [[IronicName Bad Ending I]], wherin Shinku blocks out Libby and turns herself in to the police before she kills anyone.]]
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: In ''Crimson,'' it's not clear if [[spoiler: "Libby" is just a hallucination of Shinku or an actual spirit communicating with her.]]
* MoodWhiplash: What seems like a sad love story turns into horror.
* ProtagonistTitle: [[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope Subverting this trope]] is the whole point of the game.]]

* SuddenlyVoiced: [[spoiler:"[[WhamLine Oyasuminasai, Mariko-chan]]."]]
** [[spoiler:Mariko's cries are also voiced.]]
* TomatoSurprise
* TwistEnding

Mariko and Darien are a happy couple who are unfortunately dealing with a sinister stalker, [[BigBad Shinku]]. The stalker has strained their relationship. One day, Mariko decides to come home to find Darien. You are able to control the protagonist around the house and have her examine the items filled with memories of her beloved one. Upon going into the bedroom, she will find the letter that Darien left before disappearing from the house. That's when an intruder shows up at the door- the stalker has infiltrated the house and is out to kill Mariko.

* AxCrazy: [[spoiler:[[VillainProtagonist The protagonist.]]]]
* TheBadGuyWins: In the True ending.

* BerserkerTears: [[spoiler:Mariko breaks down after reading Darien's letter.]]

* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: You have green eyes, and the intruder has red. [[spoiler: Shinku is a GreenEyedMonster, and Mariko is ''[[TheDogBitesBack incredibly pissed.]]'']]
* DualWielding: [[spoiler:Shinku uses two kitchen knives.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: [[spoiler:Some of the things that the protagonist says should clue the player in that she's not Mariko.]]
** [[spoiler:For instance, she comments in distaste several things around the house, claiming that Darien also dislikes them, which strongly hints that the only one who likes them is Mariko. She also complained about Mariko's bed smelling strange, because of her hatred for her.]]

** In addition, notice how [[spoiler:the protagonist has ''[[GreenEyedMonster green]]'' eyes?]]

* HeroAntagonist: [[spoiler:Mariko.]]
* InnocentCohabitation. Darien and Mariko live together, but have separate beds. Subverted in that they are in a relationship, though.
* KnifeNut: [[spoiler:Both Shinku and Mariko.]]
* ManBehindTheMan: ''Crimson'' reveals that [[spoiler: a ghost girl named "Liddy" is the one who's guiding Shinku to commit the horrible actions she does.]]

* MeaningfulName: The stalker's name is Shinku, which is Japanese for "[[{{Yandere}} crimson]]".
* MoodWhiplash: What seems like a sad love story turns into horror.
* MurderTheHypotenuse: What Darien was afraid his stalker would do to Mariko if he stayed with her. [[spoiler:In the True End, Shinku [[TheBadGuyWins successfully kills Mariko.]]]]
* NeverMyFault: [[spoiler:In the True Ending, Shinku blames Mariko for being the reason why Darien ran away. She doesn't acknowledge that she's the one who drove Darien away. Although it may be because she's so insane that she honestly believes that she and Darien are in a relationship and Mariko is interfering.]]
* PetTheDog: The Normal ending, [[spoiler:if the protagonist leaves the house after reading the letter]], is one for the stalker (although it only makes sense after watching the True ending). [[spoiler:The {{Yandere}} protagonist leaves the house without any more fuss after learning that Darien thinks of her as a stalker and is deeply afraid of her. It's implied she gives up on him afterwards]].

* RedEyesTakeWarning: The intruder has bright crimson eyes. [[spoiler:Subverted.]]
* RedheadInGreen
* TheReveal: [[spoiler: You've actually been playing as ''[[BigBad Shinku,]]'' [[IAmNotShazam not Mariko.]]]]
* SanitySlippage: [[spoiler:Implied with Mariko.]]
* SignificantGreenEyedRedhead
* SlasherSmile: [[spoiler:Shinku wears one before stabbing Mariko the second time.]]
* StalkerWithACrush: Shinku towards Darien. She is the one driving him and Mariko apart.

* TwistEnding/[[spoiler:CruelTwistEnding]]
* [[spoiler:VillainProtagonist: You play as the stalker Shinku.]]
* WalkingSpoiler: [[spoiler:The protagonist, who is actually the stalker Shinku.]]
* WhamLine: [[spoiler:"Goodnight, Mariko. And welcome home."]]
* WomanInWhite: [[spoiler:Mariko.]]
* {{Yandere}}: Shinku, the stalker who is after Darien. [[spoiler:[[TomatoSurprise Who turns out to be the protagonist herself.]] Mariko also shows signs of being Yandere, though hers appears more to be [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds the psychological trauma of being stalked and threatened consistently.]]]]

Into the game, you are able to control the protagonist around the house and have her examine the items filled with memories of her beloved one - Darien. Upon going into the bedroom, she will find the letter that Darien left before disappearing from the house. That's when you realise something is wrong and things start going down - fast.

* BigBad: Shinku, the stalker [[spoiler: and [[VillainProtagonist the protagonist.]]]]

* ButThouMust: In ''Crimson,'' [[spoiler: one of Libby's letters asks Shinku if she is ready to meet Darien. The choices are "I can't wait to meet him" and [[HeelRealization "This is wrong, Liddy"]]- but Liddy will not take the latter for an answer.]]

* TheEndingChangesEverything: The truth about Mariko is revealed by the ending; [[spoiler:namely the fact that the protagonist is ''not'' Mariko. Therefore a woman worried about her boyfriend's disappearance and looking through the house for him is actually a stalker seeking her victim.]]

Dear Mariko is a short, simple game about a girl who comes home to find a goodbye letter from the one she loves.

The game can be downloaded [[https://coren.itch.io/dear-mariko here]]. It was created by ''Creator/SoyasushiProductions''.

* WalkingSpoiler: [[spoiler:The protagonist, [[IAmNotShazam who is actually]] the stalker Shinku.]]

* TheEndingChangesEverything: The truth about Mariko is revealed by the ending; [[spoiler:namely the fact that the protagonist is ''not'' Mariko. Therefore a woman worried about her boyfriend's disappearance and looking through the house for him is actually stalker seeking her victim.]]

* [[spoiler:TheEndingChangesEverything]]

* INeverSaidItWasPoison: A BreakingTheFourthWall edition. [[spoiler:She never said her name was Mariko...]]

* MeaningfulName: The stalker's name is Shinku, which is Japanese for "crimson". [[SarcasmMode I wonder]] [[{{Yandere}} why]]...

* NeverMyFault: [[spoiler:In the True Ending, Shinku blames Mariko for being the reason why Darien ran away. She doesn't acknowledge that she's the one who drove Darien away. Although it may be because she's so insane that she honestly believes that she and Darien are in a relationship and Mariko is intervering.]]

** ManBehindTheMan: ''Crimson'' reveals that [[spoiler: a ghost girl named "Liddy" is the one who's guiding Shinku to commit the horrible actions she does.]]

[[caption-width-right:291:[[spoiler:[[IAmNotShazam That's not]] [[TheReveal Mariko]].]]]]

* [[spoiler:TheBadGuyWins]]: In the [[spoiler:True]] ending.

* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: You have green eyes, and the intruder has red.

* Also, notice how [[spoiler:the protagonist has ''[[GreenEyedMonster green]]'' eyes?]]

Into the game, you are able to control the main heroine around the house and have her examine the items filled with memories of her beloved one - Darien. Upon going into the bedroom, she will find the letter that Darien left before disappearing from the house. That's when you realise something is wrong and things start going down - fast.

* KnifeNut: [[spoiler:Both the protagonist and Mariko.]]

* MurderTheHypotenuse: What Darien was afraid his stalker would do to Mariko if he stayed with her. [[spoiler:In the True Ending, the protagonist successfully kills Mariko.]]
* NeverMyFault: [[spoiler:In the True Ending, the protagonist blames Mariko for being the reason why Darien ran away. She doesn't acknowledge that she's the one who drove Darien away. Although it may be because she's so insane that she honestly believes that she and Darien are in a relationship and Mariko is intervering.]]
* PetTheDog: The end of the Normal ending, [[spoiler:if the protagonist leaves the house after reading the letter]], is one for the stalker (although it only makes sense after watching the True ending). [[spoiler:The {{Yandere}} protagonist leaves the house without any more fuss after learning that Darien thinks of her as a stalker and is deeply afraid of her. It's implied she gives up on him afterwards]].

* SlasherSmile: [[spoiler:The protagonist wears one before stabbing Mariko the second time.]]

* [[spoiler:VillainProtagonist]]

* {{Yandere}}: Shinku, the stalker who is after Darien. [[spoiler:Who turns out to be the protagonist herself. Mariko also shows signs of being Yandere, though hers appears more to be the psychological trauma of being threatened consistently.]]

[[caption-width-right:291:[[spoiler:[[WhamLine Goodnight, Mariko]].]]]]

* AxCrazy: [[spoiler:The protagonist.]]

** [[spoiler:One major clue was that upon reading Darien's letter, she said 'So that's what you really feel'. While it appears at first that it is 'Mariko' being touched by Darien's love, it is actually the protagonist realizing that Darien thinks of her as a stalker.]]

* WalkingSpoiler: [[spoiler:The protagonist.]]

* {{Yandere}}: The stalker who is after Darien. [[spoiler:Who turns out to be the protagonist herself. Mariko also shows signs of being Yandere, though hers appears more to be the psychological trauma of being threatened consistently.]]