Baroque Syndrome

Baroque Syndrome (バロック▲シンドローム) is a Japanese PlayStation adventure game and dark visual novel developed and published by Sting Entertainment. It was released in Japan on July 27, 2000.

The story takes place in a society where an outbreak called “Baroque” has spread. Crimes with seemingly incomprehensible motives are grouped as “Baroque-type,” and the phenomenon becomes a source of exploitation as well as fear.

The player is a Baroque-ya, a dealer in delusions who works with people afflicted by Baroque syndrome. By creating the fantasies they desire, the protagonist attempts to heal them while the narrative follows the strange people and incidents surrounding the condition.

Its interaction is centered on reading and choices rather than exploration or combat. The game presents a multi-branching, surreal visual-novel story, with decisions guiding the player through different developments.

Baroque Syndrome is a prehistory story for Sting’s Baroque setting, based on Mariko Shimizu’s BAROQUISM▲SYNDROME novel serialized in Sega Saturn Magazine. It is not the original Saturn/PlayStation Baroque dungeon RPG, nor the later PlayStation 2 and Wii remake; it is a separate, story-focused entry in the same universe.