A social premise needs clear boundaries
MasqueLoom prepares a masquerade-style social with identity prompts, dress guidance, a basic running order and a host-entered vote tally. It is suited to an evening where guests use fictional identities to start conversations. It is not a secret-role deduction game with hidden objectives or a complete mystery solution.
Decide how the masquerade helps people meet. A simple character prompt can make an introduction easier; a compulsory performance can make it harder. Tell guests that masks and revealing an identity are optional, and make ordinary clothes or a chosen color a complete way to participate.
Write identities guests can use
Enter the shared event details, the masked identities on separate lines, participant names, optional dress guidance and recognition. Identity labels are used in the order entered and repeat if there are more participants than labels. The tool does not randomly draw identities or check them against existing fictional characters.
Each participant card includes an identity and a conversation prompt asking another guest what that identity might bring to the gathering. Write labels that suggest a gentle subject, such as a cartographer or botanist, rather than asking guests to impersonate a real person. If you need private secrets and one unique role per guest, use SecretSigil instead.
Know what the programme includes
The five phases are welcome/consent briefing, identity distribution, introduction prompts, an optional dance interval and voluntary unmasking. Duration is divided nearly equally. The tool does not select music, teach dances or assess a room’s suitability for movement. A seated conversation interval can serve the same social purpose when appropriate.
The result also records dress guidance and a recognition label, with vote counts beside participant names. You enter verified counts and use Tally votes; the tool sorts those counts and shares ranks for equal totals. There is no remote guest ballot, authentication, one-vote enforcement or automatic connection to costume judging.
Fictional example: six guests, three identities
A host sets six named participants, eight total guests and ninety minutes from 19:00. Enter Dusk cartographer, Silver botanist and Clockwork poet as the three identities. Use A mask, a color detail or everyday clothes as dress guidance, and Welcoming introduction ribbon as recognition.
The three identities repeat twice in input order. Ari and Dev receive Dusk cartographer; Bea and Em receive Silver botanist; Cleo and Fox receive Clockwork poet. These are deliberately reusable conversation starters, not six secret unique characters. Each of the five outline phases gets eighteen minutes, finishing at 20:30.
For a tally rehearsal, enter counts of 2, 1, 2, 0, 1 and 0 in that participant order. Ari and Cleo share rank 1; Bea and Em share rank 3; Dev and Fox share rank 5. The tally checks nonnegative whole counts, but it does not know whether those votes followed the announced ballot rule. The host verifies the paper slips before entering them.
Host the reveal as an invitation
Explain what “unmasking” means before guests arrive: it can be removing a prop, sharing a made-up name or simply closing the story. Never use the moment to demand personal information, photographs or physical contact. Keep visibility and movement comfortable, especially on stairs and around food service.
Choose recognition criteria before voting and make clear whether the aim is friendliness, storytelling or costume design. For weighted costume marks, prepare a separate CostumeCrown contest rather than describing a simple vote count as a judged score. Save the reviewed plan, and check whether participant names belong in any copy shared outside the gathering. Fictional identities should create room for conversation, not a promise of anonymity or secure private messaging.
Questions before you begin
Are the identity cards randomly assigned?
No. Identities cycle through the participant list in input order. Reorder the inputs or choose a different tool if a random private draw is required.
Does every participant need a different identity?
No. Labels repeat when the participant list is longer. If uniqueness is important, provide enough distinct labels and review the result.
Can guests vote from their phones?
There is no guest ballot service. The host records verified counts, then uses the tally control.
Must everyone reveal or remove a mask?
No. The generated reveal is explicitly voluntary. Offer a seated and mask-free way to enjoy the event from the start.