Trick or Treat

Trick or Treat tells the story of Michael, who returns to his childhood home after the death of his parents. The game begins on Halloween night, when the house is filled with visitors wearing masks and costumes. What appears to be a simple evening quickly turns uncertain as small inconsistencies start to appear in the environment. The player controls Michael as he moves through the house, performing ordinary actions that reveal unfamiliar patterns. The calm surface hides subtle distortions, and every interaction moves the story closer to an explanation that remains partially obscured.

Story Development

The structure of Trick or Treat is built around gradual discovery. The player explores rooms, speaks to guests, and observes details that change depending on timing and sequence. There are no battles or puzzles in the traditional sense; progress depends on observation. The story develops through ordinary actions—cleaning, answering the door, listening to conversations—but each step adds context about Michael’s relationship to the house. The short length of the game supports multiple playthroughs, allowing players to recognize small differences and rearrange the fragments of the narrative into personal interpretations.

Gameplay Systems

Trick or Treat functions through a set of simple mechanics that frame the story and guide attention:

·         Movement through the house to trigger interactions and discover new scenes.

·         Object examination that reveals notes, sounds, or memory fragments.

·         Dialogue choices that slightly adjust the tone of later events.

·         A looping timeline where the order of exploration influences what is revealed.
These systems create structure without relying on goals or checkpoints. Instead of defining success or failure, the game measures progress through awareness and recognition. Each completed loop changes the understanding of what the player has seen.

Character Focus

Michael remains the only clearly identified figure in Trick or Treat. The other characters—neighbors, children, visitors—serve as reflections of memory and context rather than independent personalities. The dialogue and placement of these figures hint at stories that might not exist outside Michael’s perception. The player’s task is to interpret these fragments while maintaining routine actions inside the house. This use of repetition and limited interaction reinforces the sense of confinement and cyclical movement. The player becomes both participant and observer, watching how small changes alter meaning.