Ann is an RPG Maker puzzle-oriented horror game by RongRong. The game was first released in August 2021, for Windows.
Synopsis[]
A girl named Ann finds herself trapped inside her school after falling asleep for too long. When she wakes up after midnight, she finds that the school has not only changed but is also haunted.
With a help of a nameless security guard, Ann must travers the haunted hall until she reaches the exit.
Gameplay[]
The player moves a character through two-dimensional fields, interacting with and examining various objects. Obstacles come in the forms of blocked paths, which the player must somehow overcome. The game can be saved by accessing the menu.
Almost everything that moves on its own without you're interception in the school can kill you and without a health bar you're dead in one hit. Luckily, saving is a constant luxury and should be used thoroughly throughout the entire game.
When you are playing as Security and are holding a baton, you have the ability to break the art-pieces and are immune to them.
Characters[]
Ann[]
Ann is a quiet and reserved girl, just trying to get through the school year. Abandoned at a young age from both her parents for showing signs of extremely slow learning, Ann's only passion in life appears to be art. She enrolled in at Delta Academy of Arts, and found her calling in the Digital Art Department.
Security[]
Security is a painting drawn by someone from the school. Due to the curse inflicted upon the building, he comes to life and is the only true ally Ann has.
Principal[]
The principal is the owner of the Delta Academy of Arts. Turns out there's more to him than it looks, as he's indirectly responsible for the curse inside the school.
As Ann finds out, he slept with his students in exchange for promoting their artworks. One of his students was a girl named Clara, who slept with him so her painting could be exhibited. Clara's best friend, Hana, found out about it and tried to confront the Principal, but he killed her and hid her body. He's aware Hana's vengeful spirit roams the building at night, but chooses not to do anything but forbid his students not to stay at the school during midnight.
Hana[]
Hana is one of the souls trapped in the school and the direct cause of the art pieces and captured in the haunted building. When she was alive, she found out that her best friend, Clara, was sleeping with the Principal and was accidentally murdered when she tried to confront him about it.
Afterwards, she became a vengeful spirit who roams the school at night, capturing any student who stays and turning them into monsters, forcing them to help find and capture any students who enter. Deep down she wants to kill the Principal for what he did to her and secondly his abusive actions.
Myra Hess[]
Myra is one of the souls trapped in the school and the boss of the Music department in the haunted building. Before she was captured, her classmates were jealous of her for her piano talent. One of her classmates, Ivy, drugged her and stole one of her compositions in order to present it as hers. The unconscious Myra slept all night and became one of the victims of the haunted school.
While initially friendly to Ann, she snaps upon finding out Ivy stole her composition and attacks her with moving pianos. Depending on the ending, she can still be saved from being captured.
Charles Worth[]
Charles is one of the souls trapped in the school and the boss of the Fashion department in the haunted building. When he was alive, he was an eccentric student that spent all night modelling his classmate's works for fun, but by the time he finished it was midnight and he became one of the victims of the haunted school and his appearance was changed into a monstruous mannequin.
He likes to mess around with Ann and the security guard, sending killer mannequins to attack her. Depending on the ending, he can still be saved from being captured.
Endings[]
Bad Ending: The New Resident of the School[]
Should Ann not listen to Hana's warning, she will be chased and if she tries to leave though main door, she finds herself in a new room. After looking around Ann realizes she is a permanent resident of the school.
Normal Ending : Escaped[]
After gaining the Master Key, Ann escapes though the main door but forgets all that happened.
Bittersweet Ending: The Painting's Sacrifice[]
Should Ann not listen to Hana's warning, she will be chased after both of them get knocked out, she finds a portrait with the security guard's drawing on it. After she learns of his identity, she tries to run away. Should she get caught, the security will take her outside.
After being confronted by Hana for what he did, she becomes enraged and burns his portrait, alas killing him. Meanwhile Ann forgets all that happened and returns to the school the next day. She finds out there's a big commotion inside, after a certain painting was found burned...
Good Ending: Truth[]
Should Ann not listen to Hana's warning, she will be chased after both of them get knocked out, she finds a portrait with the security guard's drawing on it. After she learns of his identity, she tries to run away. Should she manage to get away, the security guards reveals his intentions.
Choosing to trust him Ann want's to find a way to free all the trapped spirits. Together with Myra and Charles, they tricked the principal into entering the school at night and after he is captured, Hana is freed and the curse is lifted. Myra and Charles are changed back to normal and Ann gives a heartfelt goodbye to the security guard before returning to her world, but not before taking a selfie with him; though the selfie doesn't save. When the three students return to their world, they forget everything that happened.
The next day, Ann returns to the school, when she finds out the principal is gone, but all his crimes were exposed to the light. Myra and Charles will have to be held back one year for all the classes they lost, while Clara finally got closure about Hana's disappearance. Ann checks her phone and remembers what happened the previous night after checking her selfie with the security guard which inexplicably opens though it didn't save that day.
Trivia[]
- If you visit the Music department at the beginning, you find out there's rumor the winner piano piece of the exhibition was stolen from another students. Turns out it's true, as Ivy stole it from Myra and took the credit for it.
- At the beginning of the game, two NPCs notice that the winning sculpture is very ugly, and they are confused as to how it was possibly chosen. Turns out the sculptor slept with the Principal in exchange for getting her sculpture chosen.
- An extra scene shows that Clara was the one who painted Security. Since the theme for the contest was "security", she painted a random guard on a whim.
- The creator had stated, that how the painting portrait of the security guard was brought to life is because of the curse, Hana is the reason for the security guard to be brought back from the dead. However, Hana doesn't have full control over the security guard at all.
- The story is loosely based on Corpse Party (the original 1996 version) and Ib.
- Just like the latter, a quiet girl is trapped in an art-themed building and chased by statues and other artwork. She meets a dependable adult who protects her from harm and a certain character is revealed to be a painting in the end. Depending on the ending, she might forget her experiences when she returns to her world.
- Just like the former, the principal murdered a girl in the past, resulting in her becoming a vengeful spirit and haunting the school.
- Myra Hess was a pianist who lived during late 1800s - mid 1900s
- Charles Worth was an English fashion designer who lived during mid - late 1800s