What Is Il Fior di Moretti?

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 & Characters

The Historical Setting

1920s Italy

The game is set in the tumultuous period of early 20th century Italy, a time of social upheaval, political violence, and the rise of fascism. This historical context isn't mere decoration—it's fundamental to the game's exploration of power, identity, and survival.

The Moretti Family

You enter the world of the Morettis, a powerful family with deep roots in their community. The family operates Il Fiore di Moretti, a flower shop that serves as both legitimate business and something darker.

The Protagonist's Journey

Your Role

You play as a character drawn into the Moretti family's orbit. Whether by circumstance, choice, or fate, you find yourself navigating their dangerous world.

The Initiation

What begins as simple work at the flower shop evolves into something far more complex:

• Learning the trade - The art and language of flowers
• Understanding the family - The relationships and power dynamics
• Discovering the truth - What the Morettis really do
• Making your choice - Where your loyalties will lie

The Dual Nature

The Flower Shop

Il Fiore di Moretti is a study in duality:

• Public face - A respectable business selling beauty
• Hidden purpose - A cover for darker activities
• Symbolic system - Flowers as code and message
• Cultural tradition - Continuing old ways in a changing world

The Language of Flowers

The game employs floriography—the Victorian language of flowers—as a narrative and mechanical device:

• Red roses - Passion and danger
• White lilies - Death and mourning
• Forget-me-nots - Memory and loyalty
• Each flower carries meaning - Nothing is chosen by accident

The Dark Truth

What the Morettis Really Are

As the game progresses, you discover the family's true nature. They're involved in:

• Organized crime - Traditional mafia operations
• Political violence - Operating in the shadows of rising fascism
• Family loyalty - Bonds that transcend law and morality
• Survival - Doing what's necessary in a brutal world

Your Moral Position

The game forces you to navigate impossible choices:

• Complicity - Participating in criminal activities
• Loyalty - To family vs. to conscience
• Survival - What you'll do to stay alive
• Love - How it complicates everything

Themes and Atmosphere

Historical Horror

The game explores the horror of living through historical violence:

• Fascism's rise - The creeping normalization of authoritarianism
• Institutional violence - When the state itself becomes monstrous
• Moral compromise - Surviving by abandoning principles
• Historical complicity - How ordinary people enable atrocity

Family as Prison and Sanctuary

The Morettis represent both safety and danger:

• Protection - They shield their own from external threats
• Obligation - Family demands absolute loyalty
• Love - Genuine affection exists alongside horror
• Inheritance - You can't escape what you're born into

Gameplay Mechanics

Core Gameplay Systems

Visual Novel Structure

The game is primarily a visual novel with adventure game elements:

• Reading and choice - Narrative branches based on decisions
• Character interaction - Dialogue shapes relationships
• Investigation - Discovering secrets through exploration
• Time progression - Story advances through days and events

The Flower Shop Mechanics

Customer Service

Managing the flower shop involves:

• Taking orders - Understanding customer needs
• Selecting flowers - Choosing appropriate blooms
• Creating arrangements - Combining flowers for effect
• Understanding subtext - Reading coded requests

Floriography System

The language of flowers serves as both puzzle and narrative:

• Learning meanings - Each flower has significance
• Decoding messages - Customers use flowers to communicate secretly
• Sending your own - Using flowers to convey hidden meanings
• Building knowledge - Expanding your floral vocabulary

Character Interaction System

Relationship Management

Your connections with the Moretti family evolve:

• Trust building - Proving yourself to suspicious family members
• Romance options - Potential romantic relationships
• Loyalty tests - Situations that challenge your allegiance
• Consequences - Every relationship choice has impact

Dialogue Choice Impact

Conversations shape your path:

• Tone and approach - How you speak matters as much as what you say
• Information gathering - Learning secrets through careful questioning
• Alignment signaling - Your choices reveal your moral position
• Relationship locks - Some paths close based on earlier decisions

Investigation and Discovery

Environmental Exploration

• The shop - Hidden compartments and secret records
• Family spaces - Private areas revealing truth
• The city - Locations that expand the story
• Object examination - Items that tell stories

Information Piecing

Success requires:

• Memory - Tracking details across multiple scenes
• Pattern recognition - Connecting disparate information
• Historical knowledge - Understanding the era's context
• Moral reasoning - Deciding what truth means for your choices

Endings Guide

Multiple Endings Overview

Ending Philosophy

The game features several distinct endings reflecting different moral positions and relationship outcomes. There's no single "best" ending—each represents a valid response to the impossible situation you've navigated.

Primary Determinants

Your ending depends on:

• Family loyalty - How deeply you've committed to the Morettis
• Romantic relationships - Which characters you've grown close to
• Moral choices - Decisions about violence, crime, and complicity
• Knowledge discovered - Secrets you've uncovered and how you've used them

The Endings

Ending 1: La Famiglia (The Family)

How to achieve: Demonstrate unwavering loyalty to the Morettis and fully embrace the family.

What happens: You become a full member of the Moretti family, accepting both protection and obligation.

Meaning: Security through belonging—you've chosen family over individual morality.

Ending 2: Il Traditore (The Traitor)

How to achieve: Betray the Morettis to authorities or rivals.

What happens: You break from the family, facing the consequences of that choice.

Meaning: Conscience over safety—you've chosen what you believe is right despite the cost.

Ending 3: L'Amante (The Lover)

How to achieve: Prioritize a specific romantic relationship above other considerations.

What happens: Love complicates your relationship with the family, leading to a personal resolution.

Meaning: Love as both salvation and damnation—personal connection transcends larger conflicts.

Ending 4: Il Fiore Appassito (The Withered Flower)

How to achieve: Refuse full commitment to the family while avoiding outright betrayal.

What happens: You exist in a liminal state, neither family nor outsider.

Meaning: Moral ambiguity—there are no clean choices in a corrupt world.

Ending 5: La Fuga (The Escape)

How to achieve: Successfully extract yourself from the Moretti world.

What happens: You flee the family and the city, leaving everything behind.

Meaning: Freedom through loss—escape is possible but costs everything you've built.

Achievement Strategy

Multiple Playthrough Approach

The game rewards multiple playthroughs:

1. First run: Experience naturally, following your instincts
2. Loyalty run: Commit fully to the family
3. Romance run: Focus on specific relationship paths
4. Truth run: Prioritize discovering all secrets
5. Completionist run: Use guides to find remaining content

Tips & Strategy

Essential Strategy

Understanding the Historical Context

The game is richer with historical knowledge:

• Research 1920s Italy - Understanding the era enhances immersion
• Learn about fascism's rise - Contextualizes the political elements
• Study floriography - Knowing flower meanings helps gameplay
• Understand organized crime - Mafia structure and culture matter

Floriography Mastery

Learning the Language

• Take notes externally - Create your own flower dictionary
• Pay attention to context - Meanings can be nuanced
• Look for patterns - Repeated flowers signal importance
• Test your knowledge - Try creating meaningful arrangements

Using Flowers Strategically

• Coded communication - Use flowers to send hidden messages
• Building trust - Correct arrangements prove your competence
• Gathering information - Customer requests reveal secrets
• Avoiding suspicion - Wrong choices can expose you

Relationship Navigation

Building Family Trust

• Prove usefulness - Complete tasks competently
• Show discretion - Don't ask too many questions early
• Demonstrate loyalty - Support family interests in conflicts
• Learn the culture - Understand and respect family traditions

Romance Management

• Choose deliberately - Romance paths can conflict with other goals
• Pay attention to signals - Characters indicate interest subtly
• Balance personal and family - Love and loyalty often conflict
• Accept consequences - Relationships have mechanical and narrative impact

Strategic Decision-Making

Moral Choice Framework

The game presents difficult ethical dilemmas:

• No perfect choices - Every option has costs
• Consider consequences - Think beyond immediate outcomes
• Character consistency - Contradictory choices confuse branching logic
• Moral flexibility - Rigid thinking may lock you out of content

Information Management

• Listen more than speak - Characters reveal more when you're patient
• Remember details - Callback to earlier information
• Connect information - Link discoveries across different scenes
• Strategic ignorance - Sometimes not knowing protects you

Technical and Quality of Life

Save File Management

• Save before major choices - Branch points for different paths
• Maintain multiple saves - Track different storylines
• Label your saves - Note which path you're exploring
• Don't overwrite carelessly - Keep backup saves

Optimization Tips

• Read everything - Flavor text often contains clues
• Examine all objects - Environmental details matter
• Exhaust dialogue - Talk to everyone about everything
• Replay key scenes - Notice new details on subsequent viewings

Common Pitfalls

Mistakes to Avoid

• Rushing through text - Missing crucial information
• Ignoring flowers - The floriography system is mechanically important
• Inconsistent character - Acting randomly rather than role-playing a coherent person
• Neglecting relationships - Focusing only on plot ignores important character content
• Historical ignorance - Not understanding the context diminishes impact

Maximizing Your Experience

• Embrace ambiguity - Not everything is clearly explained
• Role-play deliberately - Choose a character approach and commit
• Accept moral discomfort - The game is meant to challenge you
• Multiple playthroughs expected - One run can't show everything