What Is Get Ready With Me?

Overview

A psychological horror game from Studio Investigrave, featuring their signature blend of RPG Maker aesthetics and narrative-driven horror. The game explores themes of identity, trauma, and the darker aspects of human nature.

Key Features

• Atmospheric Horror: Tension-building narrative without relying on jump scares
• Multiple Endings: Your choices determine the outcome
• Rich Storytelling: Deep character development and environmental storytelling
• RPG Maker Engine: Accessible yet polished visual style

Development

Created by Studio Investigrave (racheldrawsthis and Rix), known for their acclaimed horror titles including Dead Plate, Cold Front, and Elevator Hitch.

Story & Themes

The Premise

The Setup

What presents itself as a mundane "Get Ready With Me" morning routine simulator quickly reveals itself to be something far more disturbing. You play through the daily rituals of preparing for the day, but something is deeply wrong.

The Horror of the Mundane

The game weaponizes the familiar. Every task you perform—brushing teeth, choosing clothes, applying makeup—becomes laden with dread. The horror emerges not from monsters but from the distortion of everyday reality.

The Narrative Structure

Routine as Ritual

The game explores how daily routines can become:

• Prison - Repetitive actions that trap rather than liberate
• Performance - The self we construct vs. who we truly are
• Dissociation - Going through motions while mentally absent
• Compulsion - Unable to stop even when we want to

The Protagonist's Reality

You're not just getting ready; you're maintaining a facade:

• The mirror - Reflects more than physical appearance
• The routine - Has been performed too many times before
• The day ahead - Something you're preparing for with dread
• The self - May not be as stable as it appears

Thematic Exploration

Body Horror and Identity

The game interrogates the relationship between body and self:

• Transformation - The process of "getting ready" as becoming someone else
• Dysphoria - The wrongness of the body you inhabit
• Performance - Constructing an acceptable presentation
• Decay - What happens when the routine can't mask the truth

Psychological Horror

The true horror is internal:

• Repetition - Doing the same things forever
• Futility - Getting ready for a day you'll never escape
• Awareness - Knowing something is wrong but unable to change it
• Isolation - Going through these rituals alone

The Revelation

What the Game Reveals

As the "morning routine" progresses, the cracks in reality widen. The game may be:

• A purgatory loop - Repeating the same day eternally
• A dissociative episode - Mental breakdown masked as routine
• A commentary on performance - The exhausting labor of presenting a self to the world
• A literal nightmare - Dreams of normalcy that can't be maintained

The Mirror Truth

The mirror becomes the game's central symbol—showing you not who you are but who you're trying to become, and the horror of that transformation.

Gameplay Mechanics

Core Gameplay Loop

The Morning Routine Simulation

The game presents a series of everyday tasks:

1. Wake up - Begin your day
2. Hygiene tasks - Brush teeth, shower, etc.
3. Grooming - Hair, makeup, skincare
4. Dressing - Choose and put on clothes
5. Final preparation - Last details before leaving
6. Departure - Face what comes next

Interaction System

• Point and click - Select objects and tasks
• Timed sequences - Some actions must be completed in order
• Choice moments - Decisions about how to prepare yourself
• Environmental observation - Notice changes in your surroundings

Gameplay Mechanics

Task Completion System

Each routine task can be:

• Skipped - Choosing not to perform it
• Rushed - Quick, minimal effort
• Thorough - Careful, complete execution
• Obsessive - Repetitive, excessive performance

Your approach affects the outcome.

Reality Degradation

As you progress, the routine becomes less stable:

• Objects behave strangely - Everyday items don't work correctly
• Environment shifts - Your bathroom/bedroom changes
• Time distorts - Minutes feel like hours or vice versa
• Mirror shows truth - Reflections reveal what's hidden

Key Gameplay Elements

Choice Impact

Your decisions shape:

• Narrative progression - Which story beats you experience
• Reality stability - How quickly things fall apart
• Self-presentation - Who you become by the routine's end
• Ending outcome - Where the morning leads

Observation and Discovery

• Notice anomalies - Small wrongnesses that accumulate
• Track changes - How the environment shifts between loops
• Read subtext - Understand what routine tasks symbolize
• Connect patterns - Link repeated elements across attempts

Endings Guide

Ending Structure

Multiple Outcomes

The game features different endings based on how you navigate the morning routine. Each ending represents a different relationship to the horror of daily performance.

Ending Determinants

Your ending depends on:

• Routine completion - Which tasks you performed and how
• Reality acknowledgment - Whether you notice and respond to wrongness
• Time management - How long you spend on different tasks
• Mirror interactions - How you engage with your reflection

The Endings

Ending 1: The Perfect Routine

How to achieve: Complete every task thoroughly and ignore all anomalies.

What happens: You successfully complete your morning routine and leave for your day.

Meaning: Denial through performance—you've maintained the facade perfectly by refusing to see the horror beneath it.

Ending 2: The Breaking Point

How to achieve: Engage with anomalies and let the routine fall apart.

What happens: The morning routine collapses as reality fractures completely.

Meaning: Truth through breakdown—you can't maintain the performance once you've seen it for what it is.

Ending 3: The Loop

How to achieve: Try to restart the routine after beginning it.

What happens: You find yourself at the beginning again, unable to progress past the morning.

Meaning: Trapped in repetition—the recognition that you've done this before and will do it again.

Ending 4: The Refusal

How to achieve: Choose not to perform key routine tasks.

What happens: You reject the morning ritual and face the consequences.

Meaning: Liberation through rejection—refusing to perform the expected self.

Achievement Strategy

Completionist Approach

To experience all endings:

1. Play straight first - Complete the routine normally
2. Experiment with failure - See what happens when you skip tasks
3. Engage with horror - Interact with anomalies directly
4. Test boundaries - Try unexpected actions

Tips & Strategy

Essential Tips

Observation is Critical

Pay attention to small details:

• Mirror changes - Your reflection may not match your actions
• Object placement - Items move or appear/disappear
• Time inconsistencies - Clocks that don't match elapsed time
• Sound cues - Audio that shouldn't be there

Managing the Horror

Pacing Strategy

• Don't rush - Missing details locks you out of understanding
• Take breaks - The atmosphere can be psychologically intense
• Multiple playthroughs - Each run reveals new layers
• Document anomalies - Keep notes on what seems wrong

Emotional Preparation

The game's horror is subtle but effective:

• Body horror elements - Be prepared for disturbing imagery
• Psychological tension - The wrongness builds slowly
• Ambiguity - Not everything is explained
• Personal resonance - May hit close to home for some players

Strategic Approach

First Playthrough

1. Complete routine normally - Understand the baseline
2. Notice everything - Pay attention to details
3. Don't fight it - Accept confusion as part of the experience
4. Remember the sequence - Learn the routine's structure

Subsequent Runs

Once you know the routine:

1. Experiment deliberately - Try different task orders
2. Engage with horror - Interact with anomalies you avoided before
3. Skip different tasks - See how each choice affects outcome
4. Test the mirror - Explore reflection interactions fully

Technical Tips

Interface Navigation

• Clickable objects - Not everything is obvious at first
• Hotspots - Learn where interactive areas are
• Sequence breaking - Some tasks can be done out of order
• Time limits - Some sequences may be subtly timed

Optimization for Discovery

• Save often - Before making major choices
• Try everything - Click on all objects
• Revisit spaces - Return to previous rooms
• Exhaust options - Try all available interactions

Common Misconceptions

Things to Understand

• It's not a real routine sim - The mundanity is the horror
• Completion isn't always good - Successfully finishing may not be the best outcome
• The mirror matters - Reflection interactions are key
• Repetition is intentional - The loop structure is meaningful

Avoiding Frustration

• Don't expect clear answers - Ambiguity is intentional
• Performance vs. progress - Doing tasks "well" may not be the goal
• Multiple valid approaches - There's no single correct way to play
• Endings aren't ranked - Each ending is meaningful in different ways