We recently had the pleasure of interviewing @thelonelyshore-if, creator of the top-voted IF in the bonus category, The Lonely Shore. See the full list of winners in this category here.
We thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the inspiration and creative process behind the game, and hope you'll enjoy reading it. Just like the IF itself, there's a line in the interview from Theo that truly stuck with me:
There is beauty to be found in surviving–and, more than that, in living. Even when it feels impossible.
It makes perfect sense that Creatures Such as We is one of Theo's favorite games, as The Lonely Shore possesses that same rare quality of lingering in your mind.
About the author
Howdy! I’m Theo. I’m a horror nerd and vampire fan by night; library employee by day. I live with my fiance and my cat. I draw as well as write–I was an artist before I was a writer–and I’ve been known to play a video game or two, when I have the time. Oh! And I play a truly incredible amount of dnd.
About the game
The Lonely Shore is a horror game about getting trapped in a small midwestern town that does not exist.
Tell me a bit about your journey into interactive fiction and what you’re working on right now
Way back in the early days of tumblr I saw a viral post about Choice of the Dragon. I played it and was delighted by the format; I think I played PsyHigh and Creatures Such As We (still an all-time favorite!!) all in a rush, but was broke and in high school so the obsession ended there. During quarantine in 2020 I discovered Fallen Hero (also via tumblr) and fell in love. It’s been over for me ever since.
My active project is The Lonely Shore, which was born from my love for horror and my experiences growing up in a small town. I also have a secondary IF project, Neverland, about vampires that I’ve recently been dipping my toes into.
What was the inspiration for this game, and why did you want to write a story in this genre?
I grew up in a small town in Minnesota, much like the fictional town of Easthaven in my IF. Growing up queer, trans, and neurodivergent led to me always feeling like an outsider; like I didn’t quite understand the world around me. Bundle that up with the inherent smothering feeling of being trapped that comes from small towns…well, the whole experience lends itself well to horror.
The Lonely Shore’s MC is also an outsider who can’t escape. A lot of the emotions I remember feeling are built into the story, even if Easthaven has way more monsters than I encountered.
Are there any themes or messages you hope players take away from your work?
The Lonely Shore includes what I would describe as mundane horror. Terrible things happen, people go missing, monsters are real–but for the people of Easthaven, that’s everyday life. Those aware of the horrors still wake up in the morning in spite of it. They have friends and families; they find strength in their community; and they always manage to find joy in spite of it all.
There is beauty to be found in surviving–and, more than that, in living. Even when it feels impossible.
What’s the one thing you’re really proud of that you’ve written so far? Do you have a favorite character or scene that you’ve written?
I think my favorite scene I’ve written is the chapter 3 Doe scene–it has some fun branching differences, and a lot of writing I love.
I’m probably most proud of the chapter 4 bonfire scene due to the sheer branching involved. It was an absolute beast to write, but now that I’m on the other end I’m really happy with it.
And my favorite characters are probably the teens! I’m very excited now that they’re properly introduced–let the Scooby Doo shenanigans begin ;)
For folks who enjoyed your IF, what other book/music/movie should they check out with the same ‘vibe'?
Lord Huron is like…THE soundtrack to The Lonely Shore for me. Sooo much of their music fits perfectly.
Watch Midnight Mass if you want more of something terrible happening in an isolated small town; watch Haunting of Hill House if you want an excellent story about grief and siblings.
Play Scarlet Hollow for some genuinely awesome small town horror. And also because it is absolutely excellent.
What’re you excited to tackle/implement/work on next?
I’ll be working on Neverland off and on alongside Lonely Shore, and right now I’m very excited to be digging into it. It’s a pretty big vibe shift–messy toxic vampires rather than slow, creeping horror–but the writing I’ve done so far is a lot of fun!
It’s already been pretty refreshing to be able to switch between two very different projects; so I’m excited to continue!
Update Wordcount: 142,690 words
Chapter Four Wordcount: 230,389 words
Total Wordcount: 565,671 words
I never thought I'd see the day, but here we are!! Chapter Four, part 2. This update took a lot out of me; but I'm extremely pleased with where it's ended up. Chapter Four spirals into two separate branches. If there's any update I recommend trying both routes out for, it's this one!
In this update, you can:
Stick around for a bonfire. OR
Get interviewed for a radio show.
In contrast to last update, this one has a lot of updated content warnings. Please check them out here. Parts of this update are pretty intense. I attempted to update the character builder for part 2; but, as always, a full playthrough of at least the chapter will get you the most genuine results <3
As always, any bugs can be sent as asks here; or to the TLS forum thread. I'm expecting more than usual, because one of the routes is...a lot. Even after my own testing lol. Thank you as always to my delightful betas for testing. Thank you all all so much for playing, and I hope you enjoy c:
I told you Chapter 4 wouldn’t be done till late October. I said this was because the chapter was a biggie and I had several trips planned.
This was all true.
What I didn’t tell you was that I was working on a secret project.
Did you know that today is the 1 year anniversary of Viatica’s publication on itch?
Did you also know that I’ve written a new, spicy, second epilogue in honor of said anniversary?!
And did you further know that I’ve completely rebuilt Viatica in Sugarcube for this re-release?!?!
NO YOU DIDN’T! BECAUSE IT WAS A SECRET! AHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Lord, it’s taken me all my willpower not to talk about this! 🤣
I have completely rebuilt Viatica in Sugarcube! Which means… drumroll… SAVES!! 🙌🏻
Click HERE to play!
To further celebrate the anniversary, there is a spicy second epilogue for each route! 🌶️ 🍆 You still have the options of fade to black or snuggles only, but this is mainly smut. 🤭 There is no new platonic content.
I also sprinkled Cantata Easter eggs throughout. Let me know if you find them!
Happy Viatica Anniversary, everyone! 🥳 Thank you for following me on this journey!
This is far from something new, or rare, yet every time it happens it takes a piece of the creative spirit, whether you were the one affected or not. So if you would like to show an author some love today, here are some ways you can do it:
💌 If you read something you like, tell the author. It's more motivating than you think.
🖋️ Leave a kind comment where it's hosted. These help the algorithm!
🌟 Rate their game. This also helps the algorithm.
🔁 Reblog IF posts! This helps connect authors and readers! Likes are great but they don't help as much as a reblog!
☕️ Send them a tip, or support their Ko-Fi or Patreon.
🛠 Kindly send in typos or bugs. It can be hard to find them all with all the branching paths and variables.
🖼 Create fan content (if the author is ok with it.) Art, fanfic, moodboards, playlists, memes, headcanons...
And if you are an author, please feel free to promote your work here!
As many of you are already aware, creating interactive fiction is not easy. Every branching choice, every line of dialogue, every lovingly coded passage, the editing, the testing, the graphics, the promoting, the hope that you will reach someone with your work--is a labor with no promise of reward. Many if authors even choose to release their works for free, when they could easily, and understandably, have put a price on the days, weeks, months, and years they spent creating it. And theft of is one of the worst things you can do to a creator.
Somewhere, right now, someone is agonizing over the perfect response to a player’s choice; writing the 17th version of a single sentence because it still doesn't quite convey what they mean; staring at 200 words they wrote over three hours and wondering why it's not good enough; trying to fix a frustrating bug that has broken the story for the fourth time in a row; writing alone, wondering if anyone will ever read this story they've poured their heart into; wondering if it's even worth all the work involved to execute this idea they had.
So today, show a little love if you can. Show these authors that you care. Fill your dash with their stories 💜
With the public release of this new chapter we’re getting into the meat of what it's like to be the Crown on a daily basis, with some very important decisions to make, as well as consequences from previous chapters coming into play:
Additional scenes for those of you who chose to meet with Eshkar directly in CH12
Different choices and options on how to deal with Keeper Bazo depending on whether you forgave him, condemned him, or did not judge him back in CH7
Having to make several decisions about public petitions submitted to you from the citizens as well as other officials
Additional scenes during the court meeting for A and R romancers, as well as a minor variation for D romancers depending on if you successfully defended them from the court in CH11: these are new for those of you who played the early access, so I would recommend replaying the chapter from scratch!
And, of course, more romance at the end: D and X romancers make a consequential decision that will check their romance for the high/low status again. A and R romancers are safe, this time...
A few additional changes made to the game overall:
Added a summary of the main choices your Crown has made so far when transitioning from CH12 to CH13
Added a small snippet of text in the Relationships screen clarifying what it means to get a 'high' romance or a 'low' romance status
Thank you for all your patience and support, I hope you enjoy the new chapter with the start of the summer 💖
For those that are unfamiliar with the game
A Tale of Crowns is a high fantasy romance story, told in the form of a text-based interactive novel with choice mechanics. The setting is inspired by Kurdish culture as well as other historical settings in the Middle East such as Ancient Persia, but it also draws heavily from other cultures and countries in the region.
Your character is native to Arsur, a vast empire overseen by a single ruler known as the Crown. Unlike traditional monarchies, however, the title is not inherited through blood. Whenever the Crown dies, their famed golden eyes pass on to the one chosen by the Spirits of this world to be the new Crown. In this story, your MC takes on that role.
There are four different love interests to choose from, whose genders will be customized to suit the preferences of your Crown. You can find more info about them on the blog page!
Also note that this current version of the game is safe for those 16 years and older.
Like the premise so far? Play it and give it a try! The entire game is free!
If you enjoyed the game, please reblog! Share it with your friends! Recognition and reader interaction is just about the only thing I get in return for creating it ❤️
Intro Post for my new WIP, “Cantata.” If you haven’t yet read my completed IF, “Viatica,” you can find it here on itch.
Ko-Fi Link Here
A low fantasy IF loosely based on the Italian Renaissance period, with a steampunk edge.
DEMO on Itch
SYNOPSIS
The story is set in Saleste, an empire with a long history of expansionism and colonization. It is a vast, wealthy empire, very much set in notions of classism and noble privilege. And its warmongering has only grown more brazen under the current regis (monarch). Saleste is currently at a stalemate with Tinebaille, a neighboring island nation the empire has repeatedly tried, and failed, to conquer.
Within the empire, technically citizens but not, are the Iredicci. The Iredicci are as much a religion as they are a race—less like priests and more like monks or shamans. The Iredicci can hear and feel the cordis, the harmonic pulse that connects all living things, and they connect to it through song. Iredicci have excellent hearing, but their defining feature is their voice—they have an echo to their voice, a resonance of two pitches at once. The regis asked the Iredicci elders to use their unique gift to help him conquer Tinebaille, but as a peaceful people, they refused.
A simple, nomadic people, the Iredicci were traditionally welcome in all corners of the Saleste Empire. But as steam technology progressed and the push for new resources grew, a prejudice developed against them. The regis spread propaganda against the Iredicci, painting them as an inferior, uncivilized people who leeched off the empire rather than aided it. Over the years they stopped being welcome. Eventually, their travel was restricted, and the Iredicci were forced to live in settlement camps.
You are one of the Iredicci, born into such a camp. The elders sing songs of past travels and wonders you have never seen. Ever the optimists, the elders tell you to take heart. To be thankful you are among friends and family. That things can’t possibly get any worse.
Until they do.
Historians and politicians would call it The Proelium, a righteous battle against the traitorous Iredicci. What it really was, was the systematic genocide of your people. In one night, soldiers attacked every settlement camp across the empire. No one was spared—not the elders, not the children, not your mother.
It was mere whim that you snuck out of camp that evening, a mischievous escapade with a friend that ironically saved your life. You are taken in by your friend’s family and kept safe. But with survivors being hunted and killed, you must conceal your identity. So, you pretend to be deaf and mute.
Journey through the empire of Saleste and beyond. Grow from a child into an adult. Make friends, lovers, allies, and enemies. How will they react when your secret comes to light? Will you abandon your song in favor of machine? Join the rebel forces against the tyrant regis? Will you heal the wounds of the realm and restore balance? Or plunge it further into chaos?
FEATURES
Play as male, female or nonbinary—you’ll be able to choose your pronouns independent of your body type.
Customize your character’s appearance and personality.
Choose your attunement/proficiency with the cordis. This choice will heavily influence gameplay, affecting combat, weapon specialization, character interactions, and problem-solving situations. Choose wisely!
Create 2 character names: your birth name and an alias. The Iredicci have culturally unique names, so your birth name will be limited to a preset selection. But you will go by an alias of your own choosing for most of the story.
Develop your relationship with your adopted sister. Are you friends or rivals?
Romance! Or not. Romance 1 of 4 possible love interests, or choose the platonic route with the best of friends.
Save a wild animal from a hunter’s trap and gain a steadfast companion. Because fur baby.
THE MC
The game begins with you at age 7. When you are 12, your camp is slaughtered during The Proelium. With your voice and heightened hearing identifying you as Iredicci, you pretend to be deaf and mute in order to hide your heritage. The main game occurs 13 years after The Proelium, when you are 25.
ROMANCE OPTIONS
Calliope Cato (she/her)
The inventor/artificer, Calliope can build and fix any machine. She is 2 years younger than you, petite, with gold eyes, rich brown skin and black hair in multiple braids. Her hair and clothes are adorned in rings, belts, and pins which double as tools. She carries a man’s cane sword with her everywhere, which she wields in a fight along with a hand crossbow. She’s curious, optimistic, excitable, and easily distracted by her many projects, but much of that is to keep her mind occupied. In quiet moments when she thinks no one is looking, you glimpse a profound sadness on her features.
Corinne Xenakis (she/her)
The leader of the rebels, Corinne works to overthrow the monarchy and aid the surviving Iredicci where possible. She is 6 years older than you. She is tall, with long, sandy brown hair usually worn in a messy bun or loosely braided bun, hazel eyes, and beige skin tanned by the sun. Quiet, serious and aloof, she feels a tremendous responsibility for those under her command. Corinne is a contradiction—she has the grace and manners of a noblewoman, yet fights with military precision that is uncommon for females of noble lineage. She is deadly when double wielding her flintlocks or axes. While not cold, she is not overly familiar or friendly with anyone, and very tight-lipped about her past. What does she guard so fiercely behind her armor?
Vicente Aloi (he/they)
The bastard prince, Vicente is calculating, ruthless and driven. They are the same age as you, and they, too, lost their mother the night of The Proelium, though under different circumstances. But while you were adopted into a loving family, he is the unwanted son of the regis, trained to be a lethal tool. He has long, midnight blue-black hair, icy blue eyes, and high defined cheekbones. The edges of a tattoo are barely visible on his neck above the collar of his doublet… wings, perhaps? It’s beautiful. He’s beautiful, though you’d never tell him for fear he’d take his rapier to your neck simply for looking. Will your plans align with his, or are you merely another pawn in his schemes?
Bayram Durmaz (he/him)
The son of the Aydem, the matriarchal leader of Tinebaille. Bayram is 4 years older than you. He has golden-honey skin, light brown eyes, and dark brown, tightly-curled hair that he usually wears back in a ponytail or half ponytail. He is tall and broad, muscular but not toned, with a rounded edge to his stomach and chest. A sprawling, colorful tattoo, the mosaic artwork of his people, covers the entirety of his back. He is boisterous, bold, and a shameless flirt. With his young sister bearing the weight of succession, he’s been free to explore the islands to his heart’s content, and is familiar with every bay, inlet, and harbor. He is equally skilled at wielding a spear, sailing a ship, and charming hearts.
You have a case to solve, your memories reset each day, and two mysterious guides are vying for your attention– who will you decide to remember, and who will you decide to push aside…?
THE TRAILER FOR MY NEXT GAME IS FINALLY OUT...!!!! Please welcome Truth Scrapper ( @truthscrapper ), which you can WISHLIST right NOW!!!! 📚👒👭
People make fun of me for babying my cat but he literally means the world to me. He has his own bedroom in my home like I would pay for his college if he weren’t taking a gap year to figure himself out.
Added: +150k (including code + duplicate job scenes with text variations)
TOTAL: 303,452 WORDS
Here is episode 2. The demo is over 300,000 words and since the last update I've learned the trick of separating files so there will likely be errors and maybe some inconsistencies/continuity errors. Please give me a heads up if you do find any error or typo. I will be looking for beta testers in the future. This is my first IF so I'm still learning as I go.
After fixing everything, I remain uncertain about the stats. A large part of me doesn't want visible stats at all since there's so many I can use, limiting myself to a couple is making it difficult to balance them. If anyone has any suggestions from other IFs or from experience, I'm happy to hear them.
In this episode:
See the aftermath of episode 1's cliffhanger.
Get a taste of what work is going to look like now that you're starting...and learn news of a possible promotion opportunity. The seeds of a rivalry are planted.
Meet two new people that may or may not become regular faces in your life.
I made a discord server! Please join if you are an IF writer or a writer in general. I hope we can create a community that supports and welcomes each other.
A server for Interactive Fiction writers to gather together and share their passion for IFs. | 4 members
Update Wordcount: 107,512 words
Total Wordcount: 333,798 words
Hello, everyone! Chapter 3 part 1 is finally here c: Hoping to follow this one up with part 2 in the next few weeks. This was a long time coming and there's so much in here that I can't wait to share. Thank you everyone for your patience, and I hope you enjoy!
In this update you can:
Walk back into town!
Hang out at a gas station! Get to know the owner!
Find a new place to stay! (optional)
Meet Croft! (finally)
Learn about Easthaven from a new, totally unbiased source!
Look into local real estate!
HUGE thanks to my beta readers; they actually and for real saved my life. For this update I went in and made a character builder, so you can skip straight to the new content if you'd like c: Additionally, content warnings have been updated; those can be found here. And the code is now visible!
If you have any feedback, or notice any bugs, feel free to send it to my inbox or post on the game's forum thread.
The prologue has been re-released on itch.io and you can play it now! The first two scenes have been heavily revised while the last scene is entirely rewritten. There have been some quality of life fixes (though I'll also be adding a few more in the upcoming weeks) such as improved audio settings and a skip to final scene option.
Dark comedy about a demon and the nerdy teen they're bound to serve.
If you run into any bugs or errors, let me know. The best way to do so is through an ask here on Tumblr or in the Zorlok Discord server (screenshots are always helpful if possible).
You can find the updated content warnings for the Prologue under the cut. If there's anything you think should be added or reworded, just let me know.
I am so thrilled and happy to share this with you and even more excited to keep sharing this story with you. The next update will be part of episode 1 and I'm hoping to get that out within the next few months (though we'll see since I'm a librarian and summer reading is coming up).
Anyways, I hope you have an absolutely lovely day and that you enjoy the update!
-Albie
Huge thank you to my wonderful playtesters: Arc, Aspen, Aster, Beckdeck, Cassie, Crash Sjordal, Crouton, Equus, Ghost, Jinx, Kazoowhiz, LeafGoldKing, Mansym, Monday, Oddington, Sneky, and Snooga
PLAY ZORLOK | CAST | FAQ | NAV | PLAYLIST | DISCORD | AUTHOR
Updated Content Warnings for the Prologue:
Blood
Body Horror
Insect/Necrotic Imagery
Physical Restraint
Mental Invasion
Memory Loss
Self-Mutilation
Cursing
Bullying
Broken Bones (conditional)
Wretching (conditional)
I’m pleased to announce that Blood of the Living’s public demo has now been updated to include the entirety of Chapter Three, adding a rather large 157,000 words to the game, bringing its total current wordcount to 277,000-ish.
Some features of this new update:
See (or don’t) Demeter
Talk with (or don’t) Iasion, with or without Demeter
Spend some alone time with your RO/PO
This chapter is quite branched, depending on the route you chose in the last game, as many of them will be from here forward. I hope you enjoy potentially-awkward family dynamics and a bit of downtime with the characters.
