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]
Go fuck yourself if you hate financially disadvantaged writers. AI is better than nothing.
You're cute.
I have crippling financial debt and my drawings aren't great, and I still don't need AI to make "pretty" pictures for me.
You know what I do? I use my WORDS to describe my characters. I make MOODBOARDS for my characters. I have awesome friends who make art for me for free and give me tips for my own art.
ASK GAME! Dearest Writer, it's time to do some introspection!
I got tagged by the wonderful Theo @thelonelyshore-if ! Thank you for thinking of me!
---
1. What was your first favorite book?
I mean, technically it was a children's book called Stellaluna. As for novels, the first I vividly remember loving was We Have Always Lived in the Castle (Jackson). And tons of her other works. Honorable mentions: The Haunting of Hill House and Hangsaman.
2. What is your current favorite book?
I can't choose just one!
Chain-Gang All-Stars (Adjei-Brenyah)
The Children of Time series Tchaikovsky)
Great Cities series (Jemisin)
Sworn Soldier series (Kingfisher).
3. What Genre is your favorite, reading or writing!
Speculative fiction (sci-fi and horror especially) for both reading and writing 💕
4. Favorite trope?
Botanical horror, body horror, body snatcher/parasitic invader, space opera, dystopian future, cyberpunk, unreliable narrator, uncanny characters, toxic ride-or-die, the house isn't haunted but you are
5. If you could, what world-building or story would you love to have written yourself?
Basically anything Adrian Tchaikovsky has written. His worldbuilding never ceases to amaze me.
6. Your favorite line (or three) that you've written?
Broskis(gn), I've written since I was 12. I have no clue, nor could I even begin to choose.
EDIT: I am unreasonably in love with a fanfic I wrote ages ago, so I'll toss a snippet here because why not?
Hawke convinces her knees to bend, her legs to rock forward, thighs easing beneath her. She drapes her upper body against them for a moment, gasping and gagging, hands helplessly fumbling, looking for her daggers. Her hands find blown apart glass and shards of wood, slices of steel, and they all cut her.
7. Favorite medium to experience a story? (Book, IF, video game, movie, etc)
Books, though I guess I should specify audiobooks since I don't have the vision for the real-deal anymore :(
8. Favorite character versus your favorite character to write: Who would win?
My favorite character (among my characters) is probably Dozier. My favorite character to write is Jordan. In any kind of fight (physical, emotional, verbal), Jordan would win. They have the upper hand of not giving a single fuck about being a dick, and in having a crazy exercise regimen.
9. What story keeps inspiring you to keep writing?
Hmmmmmmmm. I don't think any of my own works inspire me to keep writing, but there are so many IF authors who inspire me. @wings-of-ink in particular is such a beast(affectionate) when it comes to quality writing. It's always fresh and always delectable
10. Random fun fact about you, your writing, your interests!
I am such a boring person, I have no idea what to say. I write exclusively on my cell phone. I recently cut off 18" of hair and am obsessed with my pixie/undercut combo (long hair is for the birds y'all). I listen to audiobooks all the time. I love naps.
---
TAG ANYONE ELSE YOU WANT TO PESTER WITH THIS!
I'll bother @wings-of-ink , @if-mirrormine , @parasitical-if , but also anyone else who wants to do it because I have no idea who's been tagged already 😭 have fun! 💕
Working on the next nsfw Patreon story and having a blast
"What are you doing here?" you ask Tove, stepping into the living room. "And why are you in my robe?"
"I needed a shower, but my new water heater won't be in until tomorrow." She pats Freckles, saying, "Alright, you monster. Up."
Freckles blinks drowsily up at her, then you, before yawning. He doesn't seem bothered as he pushes to his massive paws and then flops off the couch. He headbutts your calf as he passes, tail fluttering in greeting, before going to see Coda.
"And you're wearing my robe because...?"
"Well..." She gets to her feet with her usual liquid grace, fingers teasing the loosely tied belt. "I needed a shower, and your robe was on the back of the door." She pretends to adjust the fabric to either side of her breastbone, but it only widens the gap. A long strip of golden skin becomes a wedge, the inner swell of her breasts visible. "Why? ...Should I take it off?"
I am so sorry for this, but I was looking up pose references for detectives and saw this image. My first thought: Ezra trying to figure out what the fuck is going on day 1 when MC shows up not knowing who the fuck he is.
First of all, I just wanna say as someone who likes writing as a hobby I am so enamoured with your ability to balance the line of keeping the story a constant "What the hell is going on?!" while not making the narrative itself in any way confusing. It's so good.
Second of all, wow. Ezra. I was so enamoured by him immediately, and then the first day with Graves being all 'no. there's no way we're friends. what the fuck' immediately had me go "HEhhe"—And now I'm on chapter three and Ezra immediately opens up with a 'you've forgotten me' and not one but TWO 'missed my birthday' jokes? The joy I feel at this guys existence is immeasurable.
And so is the plot, I am so curious as to what is going on. Which I bet I'll find out more when I keep reading, but I just, I had to come tell you right away. Had to get that authentic weirdness in there to truly let you feel how I'm vibrating with excitement about this project.
I hope you have a lovely June and summer and thank you for sharing this project with us<3
Hello hello! I'm going to answer your second ask below my response to this one, fyi! So I can make sure it's all in one place for your ease 💕
I am so happy you're enjoying things, first of all! It's such a fun story to write - existential but lighthearted. Idyllic, but with an unpinning of wrongness. Ugh - so fun.
Yay, Ezra love!! He's weirdly the hardest of the ROs for me to write - there are a lot of depths in that seemingly oblivious lad. Love him to death, but he's required more rewriting than anyone else lol
Second ask:
I AM SO HAPPY THAT CAME ACROSS. My goal with Ezra's chapter 3 hangout was to make you accept that, while your world has gone wonky, so has Ezra's. There's the philosophical question of 'which is worse - being the one who can't remember, or the one who can?'
Yeah, that shift from dinner-and-a-movie to the Bathroom Scene... It's so good. I usually don't like to hype my own shit, but the duality of Ezra's path is one of my favorite things.
No one else is talking about the Tove intermission and it makes me sad! Where's the love for our queen? Hahaha, thank you for all the love, I really appreciate it 💕
I was curious about the inspo for concurrent? are there any specific books/other media that made you want to write it?
love the story so far btw!! I'm sooo confused between ezra and coda haha
(actually I'm not sure if you have answered a similar question before, I couldn't find it on the blog :') so my bad if you received a similar ques earlier)
Hi hi! I haven't answered that here, but I have two longer writeups on the Patreon regarding inspirations! I'll do a quick summary here :)
In short, two of the first ideas that brought Concurrent into being were
a reference to an old Dr Seuss book (Wacky Wednesday) in which the protagonist wakes up to find a shoe on the wall and more bizarre occurrences in their formerly normal world
an episode of Black Mirror (Hang the DJ). While it doesn't have anything to do with the modern plot of Concurrent, the game's original 'dating sim' idea was inspired by the episode.
Not written about on Patreon (yet) are the songs that helped shape the characters. I'll drop one here without any further explanation and y'all can make guesses as to who it's about if ya want (you won't be correct, but that's alright :p)
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
