A masquerade is a social gathering of people wearing masks and often fantastic costumes. It is a special kind of formal ball where many participants attend in costume wearing masks. The masked guests are supposedly dressed so as to be unidentifiable, creating a type of game to see if a guest could determine each others identities. Masquerade balls were sometimes set as a game among the guests, adding a humorous effect to many masquerades and enabling a more enjoyable version of typical balls. In addition, masquerade can also mean to dress up as someone else, in costume. It can also mean to pretend to be someone else, or to live under false pretenses.