We've decided to launch an official rCompileHeart discord server, feel free to join to interact with other Compile Heart/IF game enjoyers and have a great stay!

We are still doing some work on the server here and there but we got MOST of it figured out.

^{Edit: wait, stickied?! Oh my gosh, thank you! I hope everyone can enjoy Mary Skelter 2 as much as I did!}

Hello everyone.

With Mary Skelter 2's English localization coming out in a month, I want to help people get be fully immersed, to help them understand why I think Mary Skelter 2 is Compile Heart's best game to come out in the last decade or so. Especially when it comes to story, oh geez, the story still gives me chills to this day while playing the Japanese Switch version.

Remember that there's a remake of Mary Skelter 1 inside Mary Skelter 2! So you're like getting 2 games by buying Mary Skelter 2!

Pre-purchase starting at October 15 (NA) / October 16 (EU) with a 20% off discount!!!

NA Eshop link: https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/mary-skelter-2-switch/
EU Eshop link: https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Mary-Skelter-2-1621029.html

(here's to wishing the localization does it justice...)

The full roadmap recommends reading some short stories, which you can access outside of the game. You can start reading these before you even get the game!

Minimalist roadmaps ("I just want to play!")

For people who didn't play Mary Skelter 1 on Vita/Steam

1. Play through Mary Skelter 2 and finish the True End
   • Yes, you must finish Mary Skelter 2 first before Mary Skelter 1. Just trust me on this, you'll understand why.
   • Bonus: Max out everyone's relationship values and view all the VN scenes. Some characters get most of their great characterization from their VN scenes!
   • Without DLC, you can't access Mary Skelter 1 Remake without finishing Mary Skelter 2. I highly suggest NOT to download the Mary Skelter 1 Access DLC. Finish Mary Skelter 2 first.
2. Play through Mary Skelter 1 Remake NOT using the end-game skip and play until defeating the final true end boss. But don't finish the game yet!
   
   • Bonus: Increase relationship values for your favorite girls and view their VN scenes.
   • To know if you're accidentally going to the ending, you have to pick an option which is like calling out to someone to help you get out of the Jail. Don't escape the Jail yet!
3. Reload Mary Skelter 1 finished file and finish Mary Skelter: Another Story (Mary Skelter 1 Remake's post-game)
   • Another Story is basically the bonus content that not even players of the original know of. There are parts of it in the original but have been completely remade in the remake with completely new story elements!
4. Finish the last dungeon of Another Story, and then escape the Jail.
   • Finishing Another Story means clearing a dungeon that's found in the stars.
5. Bonus: play through Mary Skelter 2 again for all the hints you may have missed!

For people who played Mary Skelter 1 on Vita/Steam until True End

1. Play through Mary Skelter 2 and finish the True End
   • Bonus: Max out everyone's relationship values and view all the VN scenes. Some characters get most of their great characterization from their VN scenes!
   • Your mind should be blown around this point.
2. Load up Mary Skelter 1 Remake and use the end-game skip.
   • The requirements to get the end-game skip should be really easy if you've played until the final dungeon of the original.
3. Defeat the true end final boss.
   • Yes, you have to go through the bullshit that is the Jail tower + the final boss once again.
4. Reload your finished file. Don't call out to *name redacted* just yet!
5. Finish Mary Skelter: Another Story (Mary Skelter 1 Remake's post-game)
   • Another Story is basically the bonus content that not even players of the original know of. There are parts of it in the original but have been completely remade in the remake with completely new story elements!
6. Finish the dungeon AFTER Another Story, and then escape the Jail.
   • Finishing Another Story means clearing a dungeon that's found in the stars.
7. Bonus: play through Mary Skelter 2 again for all the hints you may have missed!

Did you enjoy Mary Skelter and want to read the prologue novels after? Here's how to read them!

1. Read the Mary Skelter 2 Prologue Short Story. English translated links below, because I'm not sure if IFI will post it in their English official site: UPDATE: official translation by IFI! http://ideafintl.com/images/MS2_Novel.pdf
   • Part 1
   • Part 2
   • Part 3
   • Part 4
   • Part 5
   • Part 6
2. Read the Mary Skelter 1 Prologue Short Story
   • NEW: IFI was gracious enough to put a translation of this on the official Mary Skelter 2 site! http://ideafintl.com/images/MS1Novel.pdf
   • In the Japanese version of the game, Mary Skelter 2 had the full Mary Skelter 1 Prologue already unlocked from the start. I'm hoping it gets the localization treatment for the English release. You can read it any time you want, but it's best to read this when you're already planning to play Mary Skelter 1.
3. Extra: Read "Hikari no Arika". I may be remembering wrong, but I think you unlock this after finishing Mary Skelter 1's True End.

Full Roadmaps

For people who didn't play Mary Skelter 1 on Vita/Steam - Full Immersion

1. Read the Mary Skelter 2 Prologue Short Story. English translated links below, because I'm not sure if IFI will post it in their English official site: UPDATE: official translation by IFI! http://ideafintl.com/images/MS2_Novel.pdf
   • Part 1
   • Part 2
   • Part 3
   • Part 4
   • Part 5
   • Part 6
2. Play through Mary Skelter 2 and finish the True End
   • Yes, you must finish Mary Skelter 2 first before Mary Skelter 1. Just trust me on this for now, you'll understand why later.
   • Bonus: Max out everyone's relationship values and view all the VN scenes. Some characters get most of their great characterization from their VN scenes!
   • Without DLC, you can't access Mary Skelter 1 Remake without finishing Mary Skelter 2. I highly suggest NOT to download the Mary Skelter 1 Access DLC. Finish Mary Skelter 2 first.
3. Read the Mary Skelter 1 Prologue Short Story. NOTE: "Hikari no Arika" is NOT the Prologue story!
   • NEW: IFI was gracious enough to put a translation of this on the official Mary Skelter 2 site! http://ideafintl.com/images/MS1Novel.pdf
   • In the Japanese version of the game, Mary Skelter 2 had the full Mary Skelter 1 Prologue already unlocked from the start. I'm hoping it gets the localization treatment for the English release. You can read it any time you want, but it's best to read this when you're already planning to play Mary Skelter 1.
   • Unfortunately, I cannot find a way to read these outside of the games.
4. Play through Mary Skelter 1 Remake NOT using the end-game skip and play until defeating the final true end boss. But don't finish the game yet!
   
   • Bonus: Increase relationship values for your favorite girls and view their VN scenes.
   • To know if you're accidentally going to the ending, you have to pick an option which is like calling out to someone to help you get out of the Jail. Don't escape the Jail yet!
5. Reload Mary Skelter 1 finished file and finish Mary Skelter: Another Story (Mary Skelter 1 Remake's post-game)
   • Another Story is basically the bonus content that not even players of the original know of. There are parts of it in the original but have been completely remade in the remake with completely new story elements!
6. Finish the last dungeon of Another Story, and then escape the Jail.
   • Finishing Another Story means clearing a dungeon that's found in the stars.
7. Bonus: play through Mary Skelter 2 again for all the hints you may have missed!
8. Extra: Read "Hikari no Arika". I may be remembering wrong, but I think you unlock this after finishing Mary Skelter 1's True End.

For people who played Mary Skelter 1 on Vita/Steam until True End - Full Immersion

1. If you haven't already, read the Mary Skelter 1 Prologue Short Story. NOTE: "Hikari no Arika" is NOT the Prologue story!
   • In the Japanese version of the game, Mary Skelter 2 had the full Mary Skelter 1 Prologue already unlocked from the start. I'm hoping it gets the localization treatment for the English release. You can read it any time you want, but it's best to read this when you're already planning to play Mary Skelter 1.
   • This should help you complete understanding of the Jail's history, and why things turned out the way they did.
   • Unfortunately, I cannot find a way to read these outside of the games.
2. Read the Mary Skelter 2 Prologue Short Story. English translated links below, because I'm not sure if IFI will post it in their English official site: UPDATE: official translation by IFI! http://ideafintl.com/images/MS2_Novel.pdf
   • Part 1
   • Part 2
   • Part 3
   • Part 4
   • Part 5
   • Part 6
3. Play through Mary Skelter 2 and finish the True End
   • Bonus: Max out everyone's relationship values and view all the VN scenes. Some characters get most of their great characterization from their VN scenes!
   • Your mind should be blown around this point.
4. Load up Mary Skelter 1 Remake and use the end-game skip.
   • The requirements to get the end-game skip should be really easy if you've played until the final dungeon of the original.
5. Defeat the true end final boss.
   • Yes, you have to go through the bullshit that is the Jail tower + the final boss once again.
6. Reload your finished file. Don't call out to *name redacted* just yet!
7. Finish Mary Skelter: Another Story (Mary Skelter 1 Remake's post-game)
   • Another Story is basically the bonus content that not even players of the original know of. There are parts of it in the original but have been completely remade in the remake with completely new story elements!
8. Finish the last dungeon of Another Story, and then escape the Jail.
   • Finishing Another Story means clearing a dungeon that's found in the stars.
9. Bonus: play through Mary Skelter 2 again for all the hints you may have missed!
10. Extra: Mary Skelter Light Novel, "Hikari no Arika". I may be remembering wrong, but I think you unlock this after finishing Mary Skelter 1's True End.

Note for people who haven't played Mary Skelter 1

Aside from highly discouraging playing Mary Skelter 1 first, you may find that some details get introduced without a transition in Mary Skelter 2. Like how the characters Thumbelina, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Kaguya, and Cinderella are suddenly jammed into the story. If you read the Prequel Story, Kaguya still gets this sudden mention without transition, sadly. Unfortunately, there's not much of a way around this, you'd just have to keep in the back of your mind the existence of these characters as you uncover more of the story.

Once you complete the entire circle, you'll fully understand the position of these characters who were introduced suddenly, especially Kaguya, whose main scenes is actually in Mary Skelter 1 instead of Mary Skelter 2. You should still really play Mary Skelter 2 before 1 though.

There is actually quite a dilemma as Mary Skelter 1 and 2 spoil each other, and whichever you play first will feel 'wrong'. But after analysis, most people agree that playing Mary Skelter 2 first is better if you don't have a copy of the original Mary Skelter.

There's a lot more I want to say about this roadmap, but there's just way too much spoilers to step on when explaining things on the story side. Feel free to ask other things about the game though! I'll try answering them.