Ariyo Games

Creator of interactive fiction + narrative games

[ariyogames]

MUTANTS OF MAYPRICE UPDATE - 2022-12-07

I am so sorry that I haven't posted an update in the last few months. A lot happened in my personal life, but the main reason I haven't posted any update is because I'm currently going through executive dysfunction (I'm autistic). It is a lot and it has affected the development of the game (I have only written about 1500 words since the last update in 27th September). Also, learning Unity and C# by myself is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. I wanted to use a professional game engine because I wanted to improve my programming skills.

I hope to continue back into development this month as I should have less distractions in my life. I'm definitely going to start looking at tools that should lessen my executive dysfunction and make me more productive.

[konoko]

[ariyogames]

MUTANTS OF MAYPRICE UPDATE - 2022-09-27

I know it's been a while since I have posted an update for my game but a lot of changes in my life has happened since then. One of them is that the contract for my previous web designer job is up and I no longer have a source of income so that means I am going to spending a lot more time on this than I did before.

This is the first time posting about this but I want to mention that I am currently making two versions of the game: the Ink JavaScript/web version (for mobile users) and the Unity version (for desktop users and the executable which I hope to upload to Steam). Before my job contract was up, I was working only on the web version but I have started working on the Unity version by importing the Ink files to Unity and combining it with this asset (which was used to make Disco Elysium) for the UI as I am going to be using different user interfaces for different parts of the game.

Using Ink with Unity is more streamlined than using the web version as it involves less steps: with the Unity version, you just save the Ink story and it will automatically update in Unity while with the web version, you have to export it as a story.js file every time you make a change so I am going to shift my priority to the Unity version of the game as that is the premium/main version of the game.

As a result, the game's demo/first chapter will not be releasing in October and the release date of the demo is to be determined as I am nowhere near completing the first chapter, let alone releasing it to the public.

More updates will follow soon.

[ariyogames]

How to write user input variables in Ink for Web/inkjs

This is the first tutorial post that I hope to do every month. These tutorial posts will be focused on using narrative tools/interactive fiction tools to create games.

I know that because Ink is a middleware tool (meaning it was made to be used with game engines) instead of being a standalone browser narrative tool like Choicescript and Twine, a lot of interactive fiction authors believe that it cannot be used to create a Choice of Games style game/interactive gamebook, but I want to show that those type of games can be created with Ink. This tutorial is about how to write user input text and store it as a variable in inkjs/Ink for the Web such as names and customisable pronouns.

Step 1

List the variables that you are going to use at the very top of the ink file. Note that all ink variables start with VAR no matter the data type and must have a set value even if it is empty.

Step 2

To create the user input text field in Ink, you write the HTML text input code in your ink file. Note that this will not be shown in the inky editor as inky does not support showing this HTML element so it will only be shown when you export as web. The HTML element id and the variable name must be different from each other.

HTML first name input element shown in Inky editor:

HTML last name input element shown in Inky editor:

HTML input first and last name elements shown in web export:

Step 3

Open the main.js file of your Ink web export with the text editor of your choice (I use VS Code) and add the following if statementS which will be used as a tag in your Ink file. This is where the user input first name and last name is turned into a variable.

Step 4

Make sure you add the tags to the Ink file right after the player confirms their name.

#PICK_FIRST_NAME tag used in Ink file:

#PICK_LAST_NAME tag used in Ink file:

Step 5

Use the name variables you created at the top of your Ink file (fname and lname) in your story.

Name variables used in Inky editor:

Name variables used in web export:

That is how you write user input variables for an inkjs/Ink for the Web story. Here is the code for the main Ink story and the main.js file along with the code blocks of the above images.

[ariyogames]

Patreon has laid off their security team

I know this isn't an update on my interactive fiction game but I just wanted interactive fiction creators and other people who have Patreons to be aware about this issue.

Whitney Merrill on Twitter: "Whoa @Patreon laid off their ENTIRE security team. Wouldn’t trust my data there. Also there’s some amazing talent to scoop up." / Twitter

For creators with a Patreon, I would recommend using a password manager to generate a randomly generated password so that when Patreon has (another) security breach, your password will be unique.

For creators that are uncomfortable with using Patreon and do not want to lose their Patreon content, you can import your Patreon content to a WordPress website with a WordPress plugin that can be used with a WordPress membership plugin like Paid Memberships Pro that lets patrons subscribe to your content like on Patreon. However, please keep in mind that WordPress plugins are also very vulnerable to attack so it is very important that you update the plugins frequently if you choose to go this route.

Ko-fi is also a good alternative that I know a lot of interactive fiction creators use for their work. SubscribeStar is a good option for NSFW artists.

Hopefully there won't be any serious security breaches with Patreon but who knows what will happen...

UPDATE (10th September 2022 - 11:30AM BST):

Patreon has confirmed to reporters that they are hiring an external security team to handle Patreon's security.

Kevin Collier on Twitter: "Wild. Patreon confirms the layoffs in emailed statement to me, says it's ok, they're using third-party security. https://t.co/zV9zw9yOlh" / Twitter

What this means is that Patreon has decided to go for the cheaper option by outsourcing their security to a team abroad instead of spending more money and resources on an in-house security team. This is what is known to infosec/cyber security experts as MSSP/MSP.

However, a lot of cyber security professionals have criticised this decision by Patreon because historically, organisations that have outsourced their security to a team abroad have usually had a lot of security issues/security breaches later on down the line because they do not check/scan the security of the company as frequently as an in-house security team would.

This also conflicts with what a laid-off security employee has said about the situation where they disputed Patreon's claims of this decision not impacting their security by alleging that Patreon has cut down of its use of external security vendors in the past four months.

So what does this mean for Patreon's future and how am I affected?

What this means is that there are things going on behind the scenes at Patreon that we do not know about yet, all we know is that the leadership over there is making incredibly unwise business decisions by firing their entire internal security team and what this usually means is there will either be a huge security breach down the line or an announcement of a merger or acquisition.

Another potential risk is supporter deanonymisation, where attackers with malicious intent could blackmail subscribers that pledge to NSFW artists and kink content creators and threaten to reveal their Patreon pledges to an employer.

Your payment information (credit/debit card information) should be safe because Patreon do not process payment information themselves, they outsource it to Stripe and PayPal.

This blogpost by a cyber security professional is worth reading to know more on what to do about this situation.

Should I delete my Patreon account?

If you have no other option, then I would not delete my Patreon account especially if it is your only active source of income. What I would do is what I have listed above: by turning on two factor authentication through an app like Google Authenticator or Authy and changing your password to a randomly generated password so that you are not too much at risk when a security breach inevitably happens.

If you do have other options and are not as financially dependent on Patreon alone, then I would think about switching to other crowdfunding services like Ko-fi, SubscribeStar (I hear SubscribeStar is a good option for NSFW artists) and Comradery

I was originally going to create a Patreon for my interactive fiction/narrative game studio after I release the demo/first chapter of the interactive fiction game I'm currently working on (Mutants of Mayprice) but Patreon's lack of communication about this situation and their unwise decision of firing their entire internal security team (which wasn't many people to begin with, five people) does not leave me with a lot of confidence about the future of the platform.

[ariyogames]

Updated this post with more information about the situation. Please do not reblog the old version I wrote half asleep horribly (used the word 'migrate' instead of 'import' when talking about the WordPress plugin and didn't mention how vulnerable WordPress plugins are to attacks) 2 nights ago. Please only reblog the updated version as it has more accurate information.

[ariyogames]

Updated Patreon post

Updated my previous Patreon post with more information (them hiring external security teams) and what the best course of action is. Also corrected information about the Patreon WordPress plugin because I used the word 'migrate' instead of 'import' and added information about WordPress security vulnerabilities.

I was extremely tired when making that post so I used some wrong wording like with the WordPress plugin which I have now corrected. I just wanted people who use Patreon to be aware about this issue which is why I blazed it because I know this is a new account and I know I don't have a lot of followers to make the post be far spread. I am never making a blazed post before bed again.

[ariyogames]

Patreon has laid off their security team

I know this isn't an update on my interactive fiction game but I just wanted interactive fiction creators and other people who have Patreons to be aware about this issue.

Whitney Merrill on Twitter: "Whoa @Patreon laid off their ENTIRE security team. Wouldn’t trust my data there. Also there’s some amazing talent to scoop up." / Twitter

For creators with a Patreon, I would recommend using a password manager to generate a randomly generated password so that when Patreon has (another) security breach, your password will be unique.

For creators that are uncomfortable with using Patreon and do not want to lose their Patreon content, you can import your Patreon content to a WordPress website with a WordPress plugin that can be used with a WordPress membership plugin like Paid Memberships Pro that lets patrons subscribe to your content like on Patreon. However, please keep in mind that WordPress plugins are also very vulnerable to attack so it is very important that you update the plugins frequently if you choose to go this route.

Ko-fi is also a good alternative that I know a lot of interactive fiction creators use for their work. SubscribeStar is a good option for NSFW artists.

Hopefully there won't be any serious security breaches with Patreon but who knows what will happen...

UPDATE (10th September 2022 - 11:30AM BST):

Patreon has confirmed to reporters that they are hiring an external security team to handle Patreon's security.

Kevin Collier on Twitter: "Wild. Patreon confirms the layoffs in emailed statement to me, says it's ok, they're using third-party security. https://t.co/zV9zw9yOlh" / Twitter

What this means is that Patreon has decided to go for the cheaper option by outsourcing their security to a team abroad instead of spending more money and resources on an in-house security team. This is what is known to infosec/cyber security experts as MSSP/MSP.

However, a lot of cyber security professionals have criticised this decision by Patreon because historically, organisations that have outsourced their security to a team abroad have usually had a lot of security issues/security breaches later on down the line because they do not check/scan the security of the company as frequently as an in-house security team would.

This also conflicts with what a laid-off security employee has said about the situation where they disputed Patreon's claims of this decision not impacting their security by alleging that Patreon has cut down of its use of external security vendors in the past four months.

So what does this mean for Patreon's future and how am I affected?

What this means is that there are things going on behind the scenes at Patreon that we do not know about yet, all we know is that the leadership over there is making incredibly unwise business decisions by firing their entire internal security team and what this usually means is there will either be a huge security breach down the line or an announcement of a merger or acquisition.

Another potential risk is supporter deanonymisation, where attackers with malicious intent could blackmail subscribers that pledge to NSFW artists and kink content creators and threaten to reveal their Patreon pledges to an employer.

Your payment information (credit/debit card information) should be safe because Patreon do not process payment information themselves, they outsource it to Stripe and PayPal.

This blogpost by a cyber security professional is worth reading to know more on what to do about this situation.

Should I delete my Patreon account?

If you have no other option, then I would not delete my Patreon account especially if it is your only active source of income. What I would do is what I have listed above: by turning on two factor authentication through an app like Google Authenticator or Authy and changing your password to a randomly generated password so that you are not too much at risk when a security breach inevitably happens.

If you do have other options and are not as financially dependent on Patreon alone, then I would think about switching to other crowdfunding services like Ko-fi, SubscribeStar (I hear SubscribeStar is a good option for NSFW artists) and Comradery

I was originally going to create a Patreon for my interactive fiction/narrative game studio after I release the demo/first chapter of the interactive fiction game I'm currently working on (Mutants of Mayprice) but Patreon's lack of communication about this situation and their unwise decision of firing their entire internal security team (which wasn't many people to begin with, five people) does not leave me with a lot of confidence about the future of the platform.

[ariyogames]

Mutants of Mayprice Progress Update - 2022-08-22

So sorry I did not make a progress update last Monday or anytime last week as things at my current job have been hectic and anxiety inducing.

However, I did manage to write one variation of the volleyball scene at Chapter 1, t(he variation where Steve Shaw is the MC's bully) and I hope to write more variations this week.

[ariyogames]

Mutants of Mayprice Devlog - 2022-08-08

Unfortunately because I was so busy with work and other life events last week, I couldn't do any updates to Mutants of Mayprice but my schedule should be more free this week and I can implement what I wanted to do last week like updating the character creator and writing all variations of the volleyball scene.

[ariyogames]

Mutants of Mayprice Weekly Devlog - 2022-08-01

What I have done last week is:

Started the character customization (name, gender, pronouns, skin colour and height).

Started writing Chapter One and implemented 7 choices.

Total word count so far (excluding code): 1154 words

What I intend to do this week:

Implement hair and weight options for character customization.

Write all variations of the volleyball scene at the beginning of Chapter 1.

Begin to write variations of scene where nameable MC discovers their telekinesis.

I will post another update like this next Monday.

[idrellegames]

Wayfarer [Version 1.1.2.]

Links 

✦ Play the Game ✦ FAQ ✦ Navigation ✦ Patreon ✦ Ko-fi ✦ Discord ✦ Bug Report ✦ Dev Logs ✦ Character Art ✦ Character References ✦ Romances ✦ Ask Guidelines   

The Game

Wayfarer is a dark fantasy interactive fiction game. You play as a Wayfarer, a member of an order of warriors born with magical immunity in a world dominated by magic. It is currently in development. The full game will include three acts and a total of 14 chapters.

The Story

When your mercenary work backs you into a corner, you take the only option available and accept a contract: to travel to the city of Velantis and steal an ancient artifact said to be blessed by the gods. Simple, right?

But Velantis holds more than you bargained for. Gathering a ragtag party of malcontents and renegades from across the city, you must navigate enemy factions, meddling guilds, and escalating political tensions. Your choices will ultimately determine the city’s fate – and the fate of every person who lives there.  

Key Features

✦ Create a customizable player character, selecting:

Gender [male, female, and nonbinary options]

Pronouns [choose a preset or set your own]

Name [including nicknames and aliases]

Ancestry [choose from 5 fantasy species that unlock unique attributes]

Origin [choose from 6 different backgrounds that unlock unique story moments]

Appearance [including regular choices such as hair and complexion, as well as tattoos and scars that unlock unique story content] 

✦ Upgrade 4 skills which will determine your successes and failures. Skill level is mixed with a dice roll on skill checks, adding an element of risk vs reward to your choices ✦ Unlock traits that reflect your character’s choices, providing bonuses and hindrances ✦ Recruit companions, build your relationships, and perhaps find romance

Relationships include friendships and rivalries

Romances are optional and include straight, gay, bisexual and asexual characters, alongside monogamous and polyamorous options

✦ Build rapport with 6 factions and choose whether to support or betray them ✦ Encounter timed choices on key decisions, with alternative results if time runs out or you choose to abstain ✦ Build a codex as you explore the world and encounter people, places, history, lore, magic and monsters ✦ Navigate thousands of branching choices for a unique, re-playable experience and story

The Main Cast

A childhood friend and a fellow Wayfarer. What does he know about the Order’s past and what lengths will he go to keep it hidden?

A Guild mage on the run who keeps her secrets closely guarded. What plot is she involved in and how deep does it run?

A disinherited scion to a mercantile empire. She’s hunting for her sister’s murderer, but what conspiracies will she uncover instead?

A former assassin who abruptly quit the league and turned himself over to the authorities. How far will he go to kill his past?

The extravagant leader of a theatre company and a brilliant con artist scamming the social elite. Behind the flashy exterior, what dark history is he hiding?

An ambassador from a secretive city in the mountains that recently opened its borders. Why is she here and what higher purpose does she serve? 

A gifted alchemist searching for the truth behind the source of magic. What devastating answers will he uncover?

The Public Build

Playable Content: Prologue, Episode 1, Episode 2

Average Playtime: approx. 8.5 hours of gameplay

Average Word Count Per Playthrough: approx. 156k words

Total Word Count: approx. 927k words

Last Updated: July 1, 2022

Last Patch: July 1, 2022

[Play Here] 

The Alpha Build

Playable Content: The same as the public build 

Next Update: August 2022

Only available to Patrons and Playtesters

[Play Here]

Content Warning

The story is rated MA-17 for fantasy and medieval violence, depictions of blood and gore, death, explicit language, sexually suggestive themes, and drug and alcohol use. Player discretion is advised. 

Discord Community

Wayfarer has an official Discord server! You can join it here. Please note that the server is 17+ only.

Support

Wayfarer is a passion project and creating it is a full-time job. If you enjoyed the game, please consider supporting its development on Patreon. Patrons receive access to the alpha build, bonus content, and tutorials in writing and game design, among other perks.

I also have a Ko-fi.   

If you aren’t in a position to support financially, reblogs, shares, and spreading the word about the game are much appreciated and do a lot to help me out. 💕

Credits

Cover art and companion portraits by Rory Yaya (@sunshinemage​). Wayfarer sigil and logo design by Jessica Roy. All other image assets as credited in-game.

POST UPDATED: 07.01.2022

[ariyogames]

Just played chapter 2 and loved it!! One of my favourite interactive fiction games I've ever played.

[ariyogames]

Hello Interactive Fiction Tumblr!

I am a game designer and narrative designer who is currently developing a supernatural horror/thriller interactive fiction called Mutants of Mayprice.

I have always enjoyed playing all types of interactive fiction from the extended character study games like Birdland to the Choice of Games style gamebook and while I have experience in creating a few short interactive fiction games with Twine, Ink and Fungus (Unity interactive fiction tool), these games are very short or unfinished. After discovering the niche but growing interactive fiction community on Tumblr thanks to @interact-if and playing all of the amazing games in their database, I have decided to create my own game studio where I will create complete and polished narrative heavy games and the first game I am creating is Mutants of Mayprice.

I also want to use this page to promote interactive fiction and narrative design resources that I think will benefit a lot of interactive fiction writers in this great community. For Mutants of Mayprice, I will try and post a devlog showing development of the game every Monday.

I am very new to Tumblr and its format so please let me know if I make any spelling or HTML errors in my posts. It's nice to be a part of this community!

[ariyogames]

MUTANTS OF MAYPRICE

STORY

Mutants of Mayprice is a supernatural horror interactive fiction game inspired by Stephen King's Carrie.

You play as two characters: a bullied high school student who discovers they have the power of telekinesis after gym class and a popular, (mean, depending on your choices) girl named Bisi, who discovers she has the power of precognition and has a vision of the bullied student destroying the town of Mayprice with their telekinetic abilities. Your choices as the nameable main character and as Bisi determines the fate of Mayprice.

The game is currently in development and will include three acts and a total of 15 chapters.

FEATURES

Create a customizable player character allowing you to choose:

Gender (male, female and non-binary options)

Pronouns (choose from a preset list or input your own)

Appearance (eye colour, facial hair, hair colour, length and texture, scars etc. that reveals unique story content).

2. Make friends, enemies and even find romance (romance is optional for the nameable main character as Bisi already has a boyfriend at the start of the game [although player can make Bisi break up with him and remain single/romance other characters]). Romance includes straight, gay, bisexual and asexual characters.

3. Experience timed choices on certain decisions that lead to different results if the timer runs out.

4. Read the codex that changes and expands as you explore the town of Mayprice and encounter certain characters and locations as the nameable character and Bisi.

5. Receive and answer text messages from characters as the nameable main character and Bisi that change the story content and your relationship with the characters.

6. Play fun minigames at certain sections of the game (you can choose to skip these if you just prefer to experience the story).

MAIN CAST OF CHARACTERS

Romantic Options for Nameable MC:

Bisi Akinyemi (she/her) - a popular 15 year old girl with a top-notch fashion sense who is on the school's volleyball team and is also your bully (if you choose to have a feminine appearance). After having a vision of you destroying Mayprice, she decides to befriend you as a way of preventing the foreseen massacre and to understand her new powers.

Steve Shaw (he/him) - Bisi's 15 year old boyfriend who is on the school's football team that bullies you (if you have a masculine appearance) until he needs your help in passing your favourite subject so they won't be benched. His behaviour towards you changes after this and he will become nicer and friendlier depending on your sincerity (you can choose to sabotage this and get him benched).

Rahim Iqbal (he/him) - a 16 year old guy that has just recently joined the school and befriends you. He has recently joined the school's basketball team and is already seen by students as the player that will lead their team to greatness.

Tyrel Johnson (he/him) - a 15 year old guy that meets you at the local martial arts dojo and takes an immediate liking to you. Romanceable for MCs with a masculine appearance.

Tia Carter (she/they) - a 16 year old that attends the same church as you and is your only close friend before the beginning of the story. They are a huge comic book and they are obsessed with anything dealing with superheroes.

Sophie Xhao (she/her) - a stoic 15 year old girl that meets you at the local martial arts dojo that treats you coldly when you two first meet but as you get to know more about her, you find out that she holds deep secrets that change the way you think about Mayprice and your new powers. Romanceable for MCs with a feminine appearance.

Romantic Options for Bisi:

Nameable MC (you) - see Bisi's section above.

Steve Shaw - Bisi's boyfriend of 2 months who Bisi can either choose to stay with or break up with, depending on the player's choice.

Alice Roberts (she/her) - the nameable MC's main bully (if they have a feminine appearance) and Bisi's best friend.

Diana Williams (they/them) - a 15 year old on the school rival's volleyball team who is the bane of Bisi's existence.

DEMO RELEASE

The game is currently in development but I would like to release the first chapter of the game on itch.io by October. If the plan changes, I will update this post.