#INTERACTIVE FICTION

[seraphinitegames]

The Wayhaven Chronicles - Update 26/April/2024

Lots happening this week!

The edits and bug testing came back, so I’ll be starting on that! I know the demo is later than I’d hoped due to—still ongoing and super annoying!—internet issues, but at least the editing process is going as smoothly as I was hoping so no one is getting too overwhelmed!

Once those edits go in, I’ll send them out to my  next readers and sensitivity readers, then it’ll be ready to go!

And speaking of the demo, I thought you guys might like to see the logo for Book Four!

Super awesome, right? :D Really had a very clear idea of what Book Four’s logo was going to be, and Nai took it on board and smashed it as always!

And I was also smashing through chapter two this week! I am well ahead of myself on schedule, which is always a good feeling, lol! And because I was so ahead, I decided to add in an extra bigger choice set to add some variation to this somewhat linear chapter. It might be setting up the story, but that doesn’t mean the MC can’t have different ways to deal with how that happens!

So yeah, it’s been a busy week of some exciting developments, hehe! :D

Next week, I’ll be getting those edits in, sending off the demo section for final read overs, and then getting back to Chapter Two. It will also be social media days somewhere in between that, where I hope the internet will actually play ball long enough I can get asks done, as well as all the fun things coming up on Patreon! ;D

Hope you all have the most amazing weekend! We’ll be offline as usual, so I’ll update you all again next week <3

[twoandahalfstudios]

*falls over and drops this* OH NO...

how terrible... you've seen the 3D grimmy mousepad that will be available on our kickstarter next month...

(go follow!!!!!)

[night-market-if]

Chapter Four Public Release

Chapter Four is out for the public! Enjoy the ups and downs of this amazingly happy and angst free chapter. Promise. Swear it.

I love you all

You can read it here

[louroth]

Forget the IF, just wanted to check in and see if YOU were okay dear author? I hope everything is well. I know you have a process lol, but I miss seeing you on my TL from time to time.

oh, kjsdhfjskdf . how sweet<3 thank you for this! I am doing well, crafting ouro alongside some personal shifts and growth and setbacks and victories. it has been a godsend to take all this pressure off for this period and do things my way. though, I'll say: while it has taken and will probably take another while, this silence will be broken at some point. I'll avoid saying soon only because I'm staunchly sticking to my pace&process. however !! I finished the draft for the first book yesterday. !! I am currently doing some hefty edits, collecting art and testing coding (&learning something new a hundred times over, over, again, whether it be storycrafting, interactivity, ui design, social media, art, code ... the list goes on) and so for the most part, I'm having a good time, as long as we count the entire spectrum of the human condition as a mostly good time. pfft.

I miss hanging out here too! I genuinely can't wait to get back to online shenanigans once I feel ready for it; if you'll have me, of course. I can imagine that this type of secret development is frustrating and everyone has their limit. It means a lot that you sent this my way. Hope you're doing well too. <3

[wings-of-ink]

Update!

Hey everyone, just wanted to check in with you. I hope you all doing well!

Right now, I am feeling good about getting chapter 3 out by 4/30. It's a crunch for sure, but barring any disasters in the work itself or my personal life, I feel like it is doable. My aim is to get it to a point where it is release-worthy but will still need fine tuning after the fact. I generally like to edit things a couple times at least and have it play-tested, but I won't have time for all that. But, this is a work in progress, and I can always make improvements as I go. There are also a couple segments that I did not have time to add, but they're not pivotal to the story. I will add them if I find the time before the 30th (sorry to those who wanted to make a tasty cake for someone).

So far, I have gone through chapters 1 and 2 again and made some corrections to typos and grammar. I added a white hair option with some flavor text, and some other flavor text for purple eyes. The option to have your MC's hair turn grey (streaked or fully grey) from stress/illness was added, but I did not do it in the way I needed to, so if I have time, I'm going to fix that before release. I also updated some of the variable values of certain choices. A name bank was added for anyone who might struggle to come up with a name for their MC. I made all but one of them correspond to the marks. There's a wild card in there for the adventurous, lol. The codex was also updated.

Today, I am editing chapter 3. My very gracious boss encouraged me to take the day off, and I'm feeling pretty good, so I'm using this as an opportunity to get some serious work done.

If you're curious and don't mind my rambling about my life, you can read about my ordeal below!

I am feeling much better. I had a couple rough days in the past week, but mostly brought on by medication my dentist wanted me to take to stave off possible infection in a broken tooth. I had a less-than-stellar reaction to it, and it gave me insomnia and anxiety. Simply fantastic.

But, I had the root canal yesterday (got lucky and they had a cancelation so I was able to go in 5 days early). I am happy to report it was not bad at all. In fact, it may have been the easiest dental procedure aside from cleanings that I've ever had, lol. I was in and out within half an hour, and the endodontist numbed the fuck out of my mouth. The biggest pain was the drive there and back since I live so far away.

I chilled the whole day and took a glorious 2 hour nap, and have been sore but totally good. I even watched one of my favorite comfort-animes, Natsume Yuujinchou. If you are ever feeling poorly and down in the dumps or just need to relax, it is cute, a bit funny, and lighthearted - so I highly recommend it. So, all in all, I feel recharged and more than ready to see chapter 3 with fresh eyes!

Thank you to everyone who sent me encouraging messaging about the root canal. It really truly helped me show up for that appointment without feeling completely vulnerable. I was still anxious, because that is just what my brain do - I can't even see my GP without my hands shaking, lol. But, going into it knowing what your experiences have been helped so much.

Anyway, sorry for prattling! I'm going to get back to it now! ^_^

[yuveim]

FOLLOW ON ITCH.IO (demo relaunch coming soon!) 

There is something haunting you. Tugging at the very last threads of your consciousness as you lay in bed, longing for sleep. There is something waiting for you in the window, wanting. You are watched. Known. They say your youth doesn't define you and yet your childhood experiences led you to an adulthood of investigating the paranormal. There comes a time when you need to face the ghosts of your past; and those of your present.

The Spirited: Origins is an interactive fiction horror game with elements of romance. In TS:O you take the role of an amateur paranormal investigator who jump-starts their career with a case of a demonic entity, while being haunted by their own inner demons.

The game is entirely text-based, and driven by your choices. Create and shape your P.I.; their identity and looks, their personality, their fears. Develop relationships, take on new cases and see the impact your decisions have on the world around you.

This game is rated 18+ for mature content and graphic descriptions of violence. Themes and trigger warnings are listed in the title screen.

DEMO ✦ ITCH.IO ✦ KO-FI ✦ ROMANCE ROUTES

[idrellegames]

Hi friends, 

New Episode 3 content is available to play on Wayfarer’s alpha build!

Overview

Part 3 Route 1 includes a new playable route. 

Because Episode 3 is still in development, not all routes are accessible at this time. To play the new content, you must have reached one of Aeran or Veyer's endings in Episode 2, then choose Path 1 when you reach Diradan Tower. 

80,000 words of content.

Story Features

This update picks up where the last Episode 3 update left off and includes:

A fight with some ivy

Creepy libraries

Sudden and unnecessary explosions

Weird things that go bump in the dark

Resolving a mystery with more mysteries

Elven eyesight

A new flashback sequence starring your favourite mentor

A huge thank you to my patrons for their unending support. Wayfarer would not be possible without you!

Episode 3 will remain a Patreon exclusive until Episode 4 is developed and released. You can play it by supporting me (Recruit tier and above) at patreon.com/idrellegames.

→ NOTE: Because Patreon charges on the 1st of the month, you may want to wait until May 1st to pledge so you aren't charged back-to-back. Additionally, the alpha password changes on the 1st of the month, so if you pledge for April and then de-pledge for May, you will lose alpha access when your benefits are up.

[amewillie]

played a demo ( @infamous-if ) of an IF for the first time in awhile and I really enjoyed living out my fantasy of being a wannabe rockstar. so I drew up a character for funsies. Her name is Nadine Abebe, lead singer of Aesop’s Struggles, likes to jump around the stage.

[minthe-drawings]

Did some sketches!

[lightweaver-chosen-if]

Dev Update..?

This month been a whirlwind, but the biggest reason why I've been inactive is because… my laptop died. I (really) tried not to panic too much and waited until there's no hope before saying anything.

Fortunately, I managed to recover my files! But my laptop's still dead. I had to find a way to acquire a PC somehow since I also need it for work.

Long story short, things are kind of okay now and I'll get back to writing again come May (just finishing up work backlogs).

There's not much progress this month, but hey at least I didn't lose those precious docs forever… especially since there's so much info there + it's already outlined, that would suck, so bad.

On a lighter note, here's a little piece of info on what's to come:

Next Update Spoilers!

Start of the Weave Assessment arc. Will consist of training scenes with the ROs, and lots of action with other weavers. ;)

[if-whats-new]

What's New In IF? Issue 2 (2024)

By Erika, Marjorie, Axel, Zach and Noi

Now Available!

Itch.io - Google Drive - Keep Reading below

EDITORIAL

We didn't grasp what it would mean to do this project…

We are so grateful about the love we received from the community since the release of the first issue of What's New in IF?

We didn't think it would reach so many people so quickly, and so positively. We're really floored by the lovely comments we received in the reblogged tags and replies and dms. It really means so much to us!

Though it is quite a bit of work, to track so many places and select the coolest stuff (especially from itch…), and we really didn't realise until now what we brought ourselves into…

But it is all worth it.

And we hope we can meet your expectations every week!

Thank you for everything!

ERIKA, MARJORIE, AXEL, ZACH, AND NOI

ADDENDUM

The game mentioned as The Dice in the zine is actually called The Dice Test. Apologies to @stanwixbuster .

We misnamed the project Bladeweaver (as Dawn of Heroes), and the update only included new scenes, not the full Ch2. Apologies to @bladeweaver-if.

REWIND

BECAUSE WE MISSED SOME THINGS LAST WEEK

Femboy Dating Simulator received an update with new routes. (@kathrinesadventures)

anhedonia and SUDDEN DEATH by DOMINOCLUB were released.

EVENTS

Spotlight on: The Spring Thing

Currently in its Voting Period, the Spring Thing is a yearly Interactive Fiction festival, meant as an informal counterpart of the big IFComp in the autumn. It has been held every year since 2002.

“The Spring Thing especially welcomes diverse voices and populations traditionally under-voices and populations traditionally under-represented in gaming, including women, people of color, queer and LGBT+ folks, and blind, neuro-diverse, or disabled creators. People from all walks of life should feel encouraged to participate as players, authors, or reviewers.”

The event is sectioned into three categories: the Main Garden, for games eligible for prizes, the Back Garden, for unfinished projects or experiments, and New Game+, for remastered and updated games.

Aside from the winning “Best in Show” ribbon (and prizes), each entry can receive “Audience Awards”, customised ribbons submitted by voters.

You can play the 33 entries over on the Spring Thing website! And if you liked one very much, consider voting for it before May 11th!

According to the organiser, the votes are really split, so EVERY VOTE COUNTS!!

CONFERENCE

You can now register for the Narrascope! It is happening June 21-23, in hybrid. They've also released the schedule of talks!

ONGOING (VOTING)

Do you speak German? The annual Grand Prix has released its submissions and is looking for voters! Deadline is May 1st!

[And the Spring Thing too!]

ONGOING (SUBMITTING)

The Dialogue Jam by the @neointeractives group is open for submission until Tuesday 30th! Only Dialogue is allowed!

On Tuesday 30th, the window to submit for the Text Adventure Literacy Jam 2024 will end. The goal is to make a parser for beginner players.

Also ending at the end of the month is the Amare Games Festival 2024, which is all about love!

On the Choice of Game Forum, the Diversity Jam is running. They accept any CScript game… as long at is not in ENGLISH!

THE BITSY JAM IS BACK!!! NO DIALOGUE - 8 DAYS (sorry, we almost missed it, we're really excited for it, but space was limited)

OTHER

The Interactive Fiction Showcase is still running, with new submissions, since last week! It is happening on itch!

GAMES

NEW RELEASE

We're Women, After All (RenP’y) is a new short entry to the Art Without Blood's universe. (@catskets)

Loser (HTML) is a new short game by the DOMINO CLUB collective.

Leechcraft (Twine) is a dark-fantasy medieval game where you play a vampire healer. (@addersmire)

Mysteries of the Star Odyssey (Twine) is a sci-fi first project looking for feedback.

A Tavern at Night (RenP’y) is a cosy fantasy D&D- inspired visual novel involving campfires and tarot cards. (@qkayoostudio)

Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names (COG) is out!

NEW RELEASE (WIP)

Geo-Terra (Twine) is a fantasy project where you will be able to play multiple races.

The Heir of Alvion Kingdom (Twine) is a fantasy game where you suddenly become the sole heir of a kingdom. Website:

Mending Yesterday (Twine) is a dark slice-of-life project with maybe a hint of horror. (@moonlightpeddler) Website:

GAMES UPDATES

Obsolete Stars (CScript) completed its 8th chapter, now available in the demo. (@obsolete-stars-if)

Alpha, Beta, Omega (Twine) has included new scenes in the demo. (@dam-peace)

An Unexpected Green Journey (CScript) is going through final general updates before submission! (@krogpile)

The Bar on the Abyss (Cscript) released Chapter 4 (@thebarontheabyss)

Daria: A Kingdom Simulator (CScript) is looking for beta readers for the last update.

Ripples of blood (CScript) now has a new route.

FFS, Another Northern Duke (RenP’Y) has released its final demo before commercial release.

Thicker Than (CScript) has made the last update public (@barbwritesstuff)

BREACH: Chicago War Zone (CScript) is now over 1 million words! (@breachverse)

Those Long Dead (Twine) has released the Twine port of the demo. (@aevumgames)

Midnight Market - Book 2 (Twine) has made Chapter 4 public (@night-market-if)

To be human (Twine) has released its demo! (@kinglyoverlord)

BLESS (B+F+S) (Twine) has released Chapter 7. (@mahadeoh-blog)

The Ink Stained Chessboard Test (Twine) has been moved to Twine. (@inkstainedchessboard-if)

“The In-Between” (CScript) has released a SFW version of the game.

The Ultimate Magic Student (CScript) now includes 31k more words.

We apologize if we missed an update or a release. We are but volunteers trying to find as much info as possible, but sometimes news pass through the cracks.

Please, let us know if something should have been added to the zine, and we will shout it out next week!

HIGHLIGHT ON...

A couple of games that we thought were cool.

Birdland by Brendan Patrick Hennessy (Twine) @brendanpatrickhennessy

The XYZZY Award-winning interactive game about summer camp mystery, surrealism, and finding who you are. An amazing lesbian YA dramatic teenage romance. recommended by [anonymous]

31st March, midnight by Prof. Lily (RenP’y)

An a phenomenal short visual novel about the game dev experience in an up-and-coming studio and the perception of Visual Novels in the gaming industry. recommended by Kastel

Ryan Veeder's Authentic Fly Fishing by Ryan Veeder (Inform)

“I can't believe I only found this game like… 3 days ago. I just freaking love fishes and this was the most frustrating ever because you can't only fish in there. But gosh darn isn't it amazing. Like I didn't expect to get tangled in all of this…”

submitted by Eli

Your favourite game here?

Do you have a favourite game that deserve some highlighting? Tell us about it! A old or recent game that wowed you so much you want to spam it to everyone? Tell us about it!

We'll add it to the page!

FINAL WORD

Before we end this issue, we would like to thank:

[anonymous], @elegantunknownphantom, Eli, [anonymous], Jill, Kastel, [anonymous], and (again xD) [anonymous].

Your messages left on our itch page, our Tumblr ask and submission inbox, our email (! even), and the Google Form, have been so so useful in making this issue (seriously, we wouldn't have found at least 10 games without your tips).

And we'd like to thank all of you, who liked and especially shared the issue with so many people! Thanks to you, we were able to reach new readers (who got to find new games!) and new authors (who we didn't know about before!).

Sharing is truly caring!!

See you again next week!

ERIKA, MARJORIE, AXEL, ZACH, AND NOI

WHAT'S NEW IN IF? 2024-ISSUE 1

[choiceofgames]

New game! “Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names” — Unleash Rage and wield spirit to heal the land and rebuild your fallen pack

Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names is now available on Steam, iOS, and Android!

It’s 25% off until May 2nd! Furthermore, as a special offer, if you purchase "Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names" by 11:59pm PDT on April 26th, we'll give away the "Wardens and Furies" DLC, featuring the options to play as a member of the Black Fury tribe or the Hart Warden tribe, for free.

You and your shattered werewolf pack must save the living Earth with Rage and spirit! In this interactive novel with hundreds of choices, can you defeat a Wyrm Spirit who manifests as a lie that you want to believe?

Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names is an interactive novel by Kyle Marquis set in the World of Darkness. It's entirely text-based—1.8 million words, without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Shapeshifter. Mystic. Hero. Monster. You are a werewolf, and you are all these things. Werewolves are the living earth's last guardians, created by Gaia, given the gift of shifting between human and wolf forms, and called to stop humanity from destroying the world.

But you have failed.

Three years ago, packs of werewolves worked together as a Sept in Broad Brook, Massachusetts, battling the Wyrm, the enemy of Gaia. While other Septs fell to the Wyrm or tore themselves apart with fratricidal Rage, Broad Brook thrived. Some said they would be the ones to stop the Apocalypse.

But in one night, a Wyrm Spirit called "the Answering Tiger" destroyed the Broad Brook Sept and defiled its caern. In fact, Broad Brook had never been thriving at all. The Tiger had deceived their senses, disordered their thoughts, and turned them against one another. Where the different tribes saw trust, in truth there was resentment and growing Rage. Where the different packs saw safety, there were security flaws that could be exploited. Where they saw the Wyrm, there were innocents that they massacred, before reporting to other Septs about another glorious victory.

Their cruel pride allowed the Wyrm Spirit to deceive them, and they mostly destroyed themselves. The Answering Tiger had servants, too, monstrous Banes and fomori, and even werewolves sworn to the Wyrm. But they were only there to pick off whoever was left.

Now, the Stormcat, once the Patron Spirit of the Broad Brook Sept, has called upon you to rebuild a pack from the survivors and fight back against the Answering Tiger. In the savage woods and decaying towns of New England, you will forge your own legend.

Build Your Pack. Human and werewolf survivors haunt the woods and hide in the cities: find them to learn what happened and to rebuild the werewolf nation. But not all werewolves can be trusted: shun those wolves consumed by Rage, and pity those who have lost the Wolf and become empty shells.

Survive the Wilds. A desperate exile, shunned by those of your old pack who have abandoned their oaths to Gaia, you'll have to survive by your wits. A winter night can kill as surely as any monster: find shelter, seek allies among spirits and humans, and learn how far you'll go to survive.

Unleash Your Rage. You are one of Gaia's monsters, a living weapon, herald of horror and death. Now the Apocalypse is here: wield your Rage with savage cunning and keen discretion, or it will swallow you whole.

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; befriend or romance werewolves and humans of all genders.

• Shapeshift among five forms to slaughter your enemies, or outwit them to take what you need.

• Choose your auspice (moon-sign) and your werewolf tribe: Bone Gnawer, Child of Gaia, Glass Walker, Shadow Lord, or Silver Fang

• Claim your territory and heal the spirits there to unlock Gifts that let you summon animals, see into the past, or enter the spirit world.

Buy it now!

[unsanctioned-if]

Update 26/04 - 2024

Hey everyone!

Here's the writing update for April. I've finished the first drafts of 2 backgrounds (aristocrat and nomad) and written a little less than half or so of the final background (scavenger).

This month hasn't been the best one writing-wise. My old laptop broke down and I lost a few hours worth of progress due to a saving-related issue. I've also struggled with writer's block and it was only around yesterday it started to ease up. It's frustrating to deal with, but something everyone who writes will likely encounter at some point or another. I try to remind myself of that when I feel like I'm not doing enough. Since writing has felt smoother yesterday and today, I'm hoping that I can finish up the first drafts completely by the end of April/beginning of May.

Things are slowly coming together and I'm just happy to be in a place where I'm in more of a flow again.

I plan to release 1 or 2 more character portraits in May and post another writing snippet along with more information about each background. I'm also working on answering some asks that I've left as drafts for now since they require more long and thought-out answers.

Thank you so much for the support and patience as always <3 see you in May!

[night-market-if]

So I reread Book One recently and I played Belladonnas route for the first time and honestly, I was really surprised. She seemed like your typical cold, aloof, “ice queen” but after reading it actually seems like she’s the first one to really fall in love with the MC.

Like sure, Hazel takes them in and cares for them, but at first it was just a favor for Milo. Belladonna has zero ties to MC when they first meet, and she basically plays their therapist the whole time lol. I think it helps because she’s really the only character without an internal conflict.

Every other RO has a lot of shit they’re dealing with internally; Hazels guilt over her brothers death, Milo’s… Milo lol, but Bella doesn’t really have that. Her big conflict is an external one, and once it’s taken care of she basically looks at MC and says “yeah, you’re mine now” lol!

It’s just an interesting contrast for the most cold hearted, ambitious, borderline evil romance option to also be the most… secure and drama free. Admittedly a lot of this could just be my perception of things but I just wanted to share my thoughts.

It is not just your perception. That is exactly how I wanted to write her. Which I got some shit for when it first started unveiling itself but I think that's because a lot of people assumed it would be the femme fatale, ice queen route. I have read plenty of reviews where they were made they didn't get to sleep with her more.

But yes, you are absolutely correct. I think Belladonna falls in love first but doesn't want to say anything because she doesn't know what is going to go down with Kavatti. I mean, Bella didn't know if she would even be alive after that to continue a romance with the MC. But, once it was all taken care of, she very much had that moment of "we are now together". And the feeling has not lessened.

[collegecraze]

Is that a blush, Mr. Ibrahim?? Wonder what he heard to make him look like that. 😳

[ordinorultor-if]

Demo Date Change

Hey everyone, I know it's poor form for a first demo (especially a first demo from a first time creator) to be pushed back, but me and my mom's house is getting appraised, and with all the work we're doing getting the place presentable I'm gonna need a few more days to work on the demo to get it in a state I'm comfortable releasing. New date is Friday, May 3rd, 2024. So sorry to everyone for inconvenience, and I hope you guys still enjoy.