A wall that was never in your apartment and yet suddenly is.
And then there's the cat that neither you nor your roommate have ever seen. Never mind that you both have dozens of photos of said cat in your phone galleries.
And then an unfamiliar pair of shoes in the hallway, your size but definitely not your style. Morning glories bombarding your building's exterior, not roses. An entire coffee shop that wasn't there yesterday.
...And that's just in the first hour you've been awake.
The worst thing is that no one else realizes it's happening. Not the superintendent of your building (who claims that wall has always been there).
Not the veterinarian (who claims you bring in Freckles the Cat for annual checkups and vaccinations).
Not your parents (who never seem to call you by your name anymore).
Not your boss (who is suddenly single and seems to think you're best friends).
And certainly not the twins fighting one another for the city's mayoral seat.
Concurrent Assistance Hub
✷Play as a man, woman, or person who shares an apartment with their best friend and a surprisingly sweet (and shockingly ugly) cat named Freckles.
✷Make friends (with or without benefits...), enemies, and maybe even find love.
✷...Oh, and shape the future of the world you live in.
WARNINGS:
This game is 18+ for optional explicit sexual content.
Concurrent is a sci-fi slice-of-life on the surface. Deeper things are at play, however, such as death, suicide, drug abuse, political violence, militarized police forces, late-stage capitalism in full decay, and fascism. Please be mindful of your triggers and whether this game suits you.
Concurrent is entirely written, coded, and uploaded by Daisychain Fiction. We do not use -or support the use of- generative AI. Nor do we consent to our works being used to train language models.
Romantic Options
✷Coda Maeson - the best friend [they/them]
✷Tove Bacolod - the hot neighbor [she/her]
✷Rory Alonso - the small business owner [she/they]
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!
It was wonderful to interview @vapolis for Remember, You Will Die -- a nail-biting sci-fi that will keep you wanting more! If you want to play a mercenary about to lose their head because of one mistake and one very pissed off boss, this is the IF for you!
We hope you enjoy reading this interview as much as we did!
You can find the list of sci-fi winners here.
About the author
I’m currently at the end of my degree so making time for writing has been a nice reprieve. Writing has always been an outlet for me and I’ve actually (like many I assume) started writing fanfic in my native language before switching completely to English. At some point during the pandemic I was craving something different and started with some original work before finally landing on RYWD.
The game in one sentence
Everything that can go wrong, usually goes wrong.
Tell us about your current focus in IF and more about your journey into interactive fiction.
I’m working on the third chapter to my secondary WIP right now but outside of that I’ve begun plotting chapter 008 of RYWD. The plot is picking up speed right now and I’m really excited to continue with the stakes as high as they are.
I’ve been in the IF community for over a decade by now! Most of that time I’ve spent being an avid reader of IFs and during the pandemic I took the plunge and started to write my first IF and a little over two years ago, I started a second one going into an entirely different direction which has been exciting to explore.
What was the inspiration for RYWD and what made you want to write a story in the sci-fi genre?
I cite altered carbon and games like cyberpunk2077 or nobody wants to die as inspiration when asked. I’ve always been interested in the cyberpunk aesthetic and more gritty works where you can explore darker themes and a city as vibrant as Vapolis turned out to be. Funnily enough, sci-fi has never been a genre I gravitated towards when reading books except for a couple outliers but when I first got the idea for this IF it only made sense to me to go a sci-fi track with it due to it playing in future times and the tech aspect being a major theme.
What does your writing process look like?
I have a classic case of one vague scene, a setting and vibe whenever I start a new work and then I agonize about how to reach that specific scene and build an entire outline around it. Probably not the best process but characters come quickly to me then and a new routine that has allowed me to write a lot very quickly lately is to write in 20 minute sprints! I’ve been doing it for about a month and write more in a day now than I did some weeks. I’d really recommend the app Ellipsus for that since you can enable a focus mode that eliminates distractions in the interface and it has helped me massively.
What's one thing you're really proud of that you have written so far? Do you have a favourite character or scene you've written?
My favorite character to write is the MC of RYWD. I am personally a big fan of mc’s with semi-set or set backstories because i feel like you can dive deeper into the psyche of them that way and mc is a trauma riddled individual that has always been one move away from snapping entirely and I always enjoy any scene where mc is in total focus. In my most recent chapter that is the case and it has really allowed me to go into their fears and thoughts and to double down on things I only mentioned in passing before.
For folks who enjoyed your IF, what other book/music/movie should they check out with the same 'vibe'?
Definitely altered carbon! It’s a book series and incredibly exciting. For people that don’t have the patience to dive deep with the books, there’s also a netflix adaptation and I really enjoy that as well for the action and the vibe of the city depicted in season 1.
What're you excited to work on next?
A romance route soft lock. I’ve always been a big fan of more established dynamics in relationships, especially romances, and this will allow me to go a lot deeper and focus more on the dynamic between mc and their chosen RO.
Fun with the sci-fi genre
Personal fave sci-fi profession/race: Mercenary!
Personal fave sci-fi setting: Cities isolated from the rest of the world.
If you were transported into the setting above, as the profession/race you selected, what would your life look like: I don’t think I’d last long as a merc in a ruthless city but I think it would be incredibly exciting to take on so many different jobs and navigate the underbelly of a city.
It was a great joy to interview @wings-of-ink, author of one of the winning games in the fantasy category - God Cursed! An IF with gripping action, and twangs of emotion that are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat! We hope you enjoy reading this interview as much as we enjoyed making it!
See the full list of winners in this category here.
About the author
I’m not great at knowing what to share about myself.
I'm a certified cat-lady.
My blood type is coffee.
I can predict rain based on which of my joints hurt.
About the game
You're marked, god-cursed, fated to die unless you can reshape your destiny in a world where your divine curse makes you hunted, feared, and entangled by relationships that may prove as damning as the curse itself.
Tell us about your current focus in IF and more about your journey into interactive fiction.
Right now, I’m working on Chapter 8 of God-Cursed and am building a foundation for my next project, a sci-fi IF called Lab Rat.
My journey into the IF world started with my very best friend (of 26 years) showing me the door into this niche. I was already familiar with VNs, but didn’t know the full scope of interactive fiction until she guided me here. IFs resonated deeply with me in a way other literature and games didn’t, so I read everything I could find. I think every IF I have touched has added fuel to my desire to write and create as well.
What was the inspiration for this game, and why did you want to write a story in the fantasy genre?
God-Cursed had no single source of inspiration, but it was carried forth by a long history of my love and experience with the fantasy genre. All my life, I have resonated with the fantastical in literature and games. Once upon a time, it was all that I would read/play/watch —nothing else kept my interest as much as fantasy. It wasn’t really a shock, given my history, that the idea for God-Cursed was the one that stuck with me, kept coming back to mind, and filled my notebook with ideas.
Are there any specific themes or messages you hope players take away from your work?
There are probably several themes, if I really think about it, but I can sum most of them up into one very broad thing—humanity. What I hope comes across is how beautiful people really are, how everyone has struggled or is struggling with something, how cruel people can be, but also how wonderful. I want readers to feel an authentic connection with this, and maybe even discover something about themselves or others. We are all works of art, bruises and bumps and all.
What does your writing process look like?
My writing process is a combination of lawlessness and hyperfocus. I’ve refined it further from what it once was after learning my organizational weaknesses for such a massive project. Generally, I start with the crux of the plot around the MC—the spark or inciting problem/incident and work out from there in a sort of spiral. This helps me keep the MC at the center of the story and place characters around them who make sense (I never want to place a character for no reason; they need a purpose). I shape the world as I go, making sure the setting flows with the problems they will all encounter and shows the reader why things are the way they are. Sometimes the setting helps create the plot as well, so at least for me, I try to develop everything together in small pieces. This also caters to my attention span, as I struggle to stay on just one thing for long stretches without getting bored and frustrated.
I don’t have any rituals or habits, but I would recommend that if you want to get into writing interactive fiction, you put thought into how you work best. This could be a time of the day or even a specific room. Do you need background noise or silence? Set yourself up for success intentionally because your brain might work against you. Sometimes I need background noise—a fan or strictly instrumental music (even lyrics distract me). I also often need to be in a separate room away from distractions like my spouse playing a game or watching a show. You’d be surprised what just going to another room can do for your focus and creativity.
Do you have favourite interactive fiction games, characters, scenes or authors that you'd like to recommend?
Yes, probably too many! I could just keep listing, but I'll stop at 6 recommendations that stick with me day in and day out (some of them for years).
Paved in Ashes by Sai
Everything written by C.C. Hill
The Second Sight by SpoiledSweet
Wolf Set Free
Viatica and Cantata by fir-fireweed
Concurrent by Daisy
If you were to say one thing to your readers, other authors, and/or the interactive fiction community: what would it be?
Thank you. Thank you, and I’m so very glad you’re all here. This little corner of the world genuinely helped me recover a part of my soul that I thought I had lost, a fire I thought was out for good. It’s difficult to do this at times, but I have never stopped loving it. Everyone here, be they writer or reader, adds something special and irreplaceable to this space.
Fun section for the fantasy genre
Personal fave fantasy race: I'm fond of gnomes and fae creatures.
Personal fave fantasy setting: Second-world or high fantasy–magic and mayhem.
If you were transported into the setting above, as the race you selected, what job would you have and what would your life look like: I think I'd live pretty quietly on the hunt for little curios to restore and sell.
i know I'm late that's not the damn point here. That last update was.... yes....
How dare u!!!
Firstly. And not the point at all. That whole friends with Benefits scene was.
I scream and put my phone under my pillow and then read it after 5 seconds. Can't deal. It was hot omg. I justified it because that's my spouse anyway so fuck that other guy Genji or benji stupid face! I hate his guts. Getting my damn ex back 😒
Sorry.. that isn't what i wanted to shout about. Again... YOU!!!!!!
That date/visit with Ezra. Was supposed to be wholesome 😭😭😭😭 why are you like this???! Why do you hate us??? What did we do 😭😭😭
Also damn jumpscare with that whole cracky scene. Mind u. I could not believe it.
But also, i wanted to share my save name for Ezra's route it is "Ezra is the best RO in the history of ROs, ahhhhh," but it's all caps.
😂😂😂 oh my god, I swear I can never TRY to make something wholesome or it will turn depressing somehow. I wasn't planning on doing that this chapter, but the horror gremlin inside me cannot be controlled sometimes
Coda is my sweet perfect angel and I love them so much (but damn, they can get it)
Love the save file name - Ezra would be 'aww shucks'-ing over it
I just did a reread and Coda is so goddamn lucky that the world we knew is collapsing. Because if they had interrupted Tove goddamn Bacolod doing that to us for anything less than the sky falling down? Bad friend jail, for a month, at least. I'm still tempted to put them in it now.
Coda would have been fine serving some jail time if it meant giving Tove metaphorical blue balls 😂 Fair trade-off in their mind
i’ll go off anon (i’m the anna tove ask) but i was rereading concurrent yesterday and i read “good girl”, “you got nice hands”, the innuendos, and tove’s physical description i felt like i had an epiphany that i MUST share with you
(i may have also watched the interview more than once 😮💨)
Yes, THANK YOU, I was delighted by it 😄 I may have watched it a few times, myself...
Just played through and I have to say this is such an interesting game! Tove has me in a stranglehold and she's not letting me go and even if she does i'm hanging onto her like a koala. I think it'd be fun if, when asked what our favorite color was, there'd be dialog for if it matched her dyed hair color. also, also suggesting her to bleach it? something was up with that, right? it was.......off? 👀 I'm not 100% on what the "Others" are when scrolling through the blog, but I'm excited to find out, and I suspect they're why that option was off
Hahaha Tove would love a koala to tease! And you're so right about the favorite color - I'll have to add some flavor text in on the next update!
You're spot on with the bleach conversation - I'm glad someone picked that option and noticed the weird moment! There are a few Others teasers in random options, but not many... yet. They're about to ramp up :)
Need a list of activities your MC might participate in (especially while anxious). Activities already tied to your vices are not included here (ie, smoking, gambling, video games, masturbation, etc)
Comment if you have other suggestions for me to think about
( Or Patreon Launch might be more accurate, but I didn't want to make two banners. )
Howdy, everyone! I've decided to give this Patreon thing a try. Our first piece of bonus content is Willow's journal pages for the first week or so after MC nearly drowns.
As we go I may end up adjusting things, but for the moment our two tiers are:
New in Town - ($3/month) Includes monthly bonus content (side stories/povs/etc), a monthly devlog, and 2 week early access to new chapters.
Resident of Easthaven - ($6/month) Includes the bonus content & devlog, as well as a monthly Q&A, the ability to vote on next month's content, and 1 month early access to new chapters.
Thank you to anyone who decides to support me!! I'm nervous to take this step, but I'm very excited to get to share even more TLS with your all c:
