IF writing blog

Hi! I'm Zoe | Interactive Fiction writer |

[darklingif]

WIP PROJECTS:

I’m the co-author of Split and the creator of Mark and Prue/Rue and their romance routes.

STATUS:

PUBLIC DEMO 364K (08.07.2026)

WIP MAIN BLOG

EXTRAS:

The Aftermath of First Meeting with MC - Prue/Rue’s POV (SPLIT - CH2)

First Meeting with Mark - Ernest's POV (SPLIT - Pre-Game Events)

This is my solo side project.

STATUS:

PUBLIC DEMO 18K (29.03.2026)

ABOUT THE PROJECT

CURRENTLY WORKING ON:

Prue/Rue’s Morning-After POV for Patreon extras

PATREON

[wraithbound-if]

Demo update: July 21, 2026

Wow, it's been a minute -- much longer than I meant it to be -- but I'm not dead! This one adds the next half of chapter 4, adding just under 40k more words too the story. We're getting into the thick of it now :-)

[Play it here]

Features:

All the RO's in one room. This couldn't go wrong at any point, right?

Take the first steps of investigating the missing people of San Arima.

Or if you were in jail, break out of it!

Make sure you stay yourself :-)

Other things:

Bug fixes!!!

Added non-consensual body modification to warnings list... Don't worry about that, okay?

Added achievements! So far there are only 3, but I do plan on adding more in the future.

[darklingif]

This may ruin me, but at least I’m finally alive...

[dormantstar-if]

DORMANT STAR is an interactive fiction story set in a superhero filled world in the year 2030. You play as an investigative TV news reporter balancing a career with the responsibilities of raising your teenage child.

DEMO (10k) ✧ CHARACTERS ✧ FAQ ✧ CW ✧ SPOTIFY

SAN JUSTO, CA has cultivated a reputation for being a magnet for the anomalous.

Magic, extraterrestrials, failed experiments, and infernal incursions found its way to the the city. Fortunately, the city is not without its defenders: sanctioned golden heroes, and of course, on occasion, a handful of canny brooding vigilantes (funnily enough are character models for those spicy young adult novels).

You built your career in pursuit of reporting on the extraordinary. Meticulous to a fault and relentlessly annoyingly persistent, you made a profession from doubt and the unknown, you deliver stories and facts live on TV; everyone’s watching you… even your neighbor’s cat.

Four years ago, you lost your spouse, leaving the responsibility of raising your teenage child alone. The two of you became a team, learning (although imperfectly) to rotate the way the Earth turns through the darkness and light, building stability despite the loss.

But this is San Justo. and what would you expect in an unordinary city.

Lately, your attention has been consumed by the city’s newest rookie superhero who appeared out of nowhere, known as Pulsar. The public is enamored with this young (really young) hero, but you can’t help but find them somewhat… familiar. Weird.

At the same time, a more immediate concern has begun to take shape in your own home. Your child has changed. Unusually absent-minded and muzzy, gaps in their schedule that don't line up with anything they tell you, and coming home in odd hours— behaviors that are wholly out of their character.

You attempt to rationalize it. After all, Adolescence is inherently unstable with the rising hormones taking place (you should know since you’ve been through that song and dance before).

Yet, you can’t help but feel that something is off.

You have spent your life discerning when stories fail to be consistent. That instinct, honed through years of work is now turning inward, now directed at your own life. You are too close to the subject to remain objective.

Whatever has been lying dormant is beginning to ignite.

FEATURES

✦ play as a telegenic investigative news reporter as you raise a teenager with secrets

✦ customize your news reporter: name, appearance, and gender. & customize your kid: name, and gender.

✦ find love with one of the two strange but single romantic options or stay as a hot loyal widow/er carrying a torch to your really dead 6 ft under spouse (your spouse won’t come back to life,I’m a writer— not a miracle worker ;3).

✦ get an interview with the newest super of the city who seems very familiar.

✦ investigate strange incidents across the city that might put you at risk (but who cares you are a risk taker!)

✦ Judge your kid’s life choices and embarrass them in front of their crush(?) or are they just friends??

✦ go on a blind date and maybe adopt a really weird but cute dog.

✦ Maybe get in a potential brawl with that evil and entitled HOA president!

@interact-if

(credits): divider from @/pixopix picrew from 도트 인포 메이커

[darklingif]

vacation ramblings

My love for writing fucked-up scenarios, mysteries, and thrilling moments is really clashing with my energy levels...

Maybe I should write something simple for a change. Something that doesn’t require constant mental gymnastics or hours of googling things like how high you’d have to fall from scaffolding to break your spine.

So what could that be? A flower shop slice of life? Or maybe a week in the life of a pool lifeguard? Though something tells me I’d be way too tempted to turn that into a thriller too. Probably an erotic one 😭

Idk... I’m on vacation.

[the-split-if]

Soulmate Route – Public Update (08.07.26)

Hi!

The public update for the soulmate route is now up (29K words)

To access it, you need to use SKIP, because it's a bit further down the narrative than your last mafia job in Chapter 4. But you don't need any extra context to play it, besides what already happened in the soulmate branch.

There are no new content warnings beyond what's already listed, but the update includes non-skippable explicit sexual content. (I'll work on fade-to-black scenes at some point, but it's not that easy in this particular case...)

Please report any bugs and let me know how it goes!

I hope you'll have a great fucking time with your [insert Prue/Rue's pet name here] 😋

Enjoy!

Z

@interact-if 

[darklingif]

Soulmate Route – Upcoming Update (Public)

Hi!

The update should go public this Wednesday, July 8.

No final word count yet because I keep poking at it...

[darklingif]

Z I'm only going to say that I love Prue and want to know what she thinks if Paula gets a lover how the schedule would work

So glad you love Prue!

The schedule would stay merciless as always. So if Paula had a lover, that person would have to adjust like everyone else.

But it would mess with Prue. Even if we consider her going on tour, she'd still want to stay in touch: texting, video calls, late-night calls...

She would resent herself a bit for how much she hates it, because for Prue, Paula absolutely deserves happiness. But... why does it have to rob her of her time with MC?

So yeah, she would use what she always uses to survive: music.

So I believe MC could definitely count on a very affectionate welcome every time she gets back, and a lot of new songs waiting for her.

And probably half of those songs would be really fucking brutal in every possible way.

[the-split-if]

Hello,

Sorry for the slight delay. Part 2 of Chapter 4 is now available, featuring 20K words and updated content warnings.

Please note that you’ll need to restart Chapter 4 to access the new content.

As always, let us know if you run into any issues.

Enjoy!

LINK TO DEMO

@interact-if 

[when-life-gives-you-lemons-if]

TL;DR:

The Wedding is my first Visual Novel. You can now buy it! Demo | Steam |Itch.io

And thank you all for the support. 💕

Steam finally decided to behave, so I can post my emotional rambling, and you’ll just have to endure it. 😄

Is it crazy to say that I’m more proud of The Wedding than When Life Gives You Lemons? Don’t get me wrong, I love both, and Lemons is probably the game that got me where I am since so many people resonated with it.

But as far back as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to make a Visual Novel, and now, four years later, with so much support from this community and a crash course in learning how to code in Ren’Py, it’s finally done. I finally published my first VN.

The graphics, the story, the characters... I love them all.

Micah holds a special place in my heart because I never thought I could create a character that sassy and still have readers fall in love with them. Cassidy was a last-minute addition and somehow became one of my favorite romances (sorry, I’m biased). Tara/Tariq is incredibly sweet, and their artwork with the bonnet is still one of my favorites.

And then there’s Danny and Taylor. All of them are so different, yet somehow they all came alive as I write every little scene and every little dialogue.

Yes, the launch was delayed on Steam because Steam needed to approve the page, and yes, I was kind of bummed out and was waiting before I made an official announcement.

But, Hey! It's finally available on Steam. 💕

This was a passion project; the game is nowhere near perfect, but I love it, flaws and all, and I’m incredibly proud of it.

Thank you all for the support. Thank you to all my Kickstarter backers. I’m so grateful to have an audience willing to read my silly little stories.

Here’s to more stories coming your way, however cringy they may be. 💕

Also adding some of my other finished games.

The Midnight Saga-Demo | Steam | Google | Apple

Insert-Rich-Family-Name-Demo | Google Play |Apple Store| Steam

It Takes Three to Tango Demo

When Life Gives You Lemons-Demo | Steam

Also... Big thank you to Dori for this beautiful Banner. 🥰

[darklingif]

congrats!

[hpowellsmith]

My games are on sale for Pride!

You can grab my Choice of Games titles on sale as part of their Pride Month celebrations. The links below are to Steam, but you can also get them on sale on whatever device you play CoG games on. Enjoy!

Also, there's an interview up in which I talk about my thought processes writing queer characters, how my approach has evolved over time, and lots more. I'm wordy when talking about writing queer characters and queerness in settings (and, well, talking about anything to do with writing), so if you have any thoughts or questions about this, or about my approaches in general, I'd love to hear them!

Here's the interview!

And finally, here's where you can play the first three chapters of my dark fantasy WIP, The Earth Has Teeth!

-

Crème de la Crème (40% off): Climb to the very top of the class at your exclusive private school for socialites! Will you study hard, find a perfect match, or embrace scandal? A 440,000 word interactive novel.

Noblesse Oblige (40% off): Spark romance amid secrets in a crumbling mansion! What will you sacrifice for love? Can you trust your own heart? A 180,000 interactive gothic novella.

Royal Affairs (40% off): At your exclusive boarding school, will you rule the roost or be a royal disaster? Court publicity, sway the fate of nations, and find love! A 440,000 word interactive novel.

Honor Bound (40% off):Protect an exclusive boarding school and rebuild your life after scandal as a military bodyguard! How far will you go for ambition, duty, and your country? A 595,000 word interactive novel.

Blood Money (30% off): By the power of your blood, you and your ghosts will take over your crime family! A 290,000 word standalone dark fantasy interactive novel.

[the-split-if]

hii I just started the if but as I'm playing I realized that for pruce it says im not interested but I've been romancing homegirl all game and its showing im only interested in the doctor 😭

Statistics can be misleading. I prefer percentage-based stats, while Zoe uses different format. So one of us will probably have to compromise. As for Sieun, the stats are always visible, but that doesn't mean MC is romantically involved with them. It depends on the percentage.

A

[darklingif]

Compromising doesn’t suit me… /jk

I thought it would be fancy to use text instead of a percentage bar, but my execution of that idea has mostly caused frustration. So in the next update, the game will acknowledge whether you’re interested, interested but fucked it up, or you haven’t let that bond become what it could be.

This goes for Mark too.

[1966-if]

1966, an interactive fiction WIP

1966 is a WIP interactive, text-based cosmic horror game where YOU play as the eldritch cosmic entity. 344k words (last update: 20/6/26 +100k words). Rating: 18+ | Genres: Cosmic Horror, Lovecraftian, Supernatural, Mystery, Dark Romance In 1966, the world is ending. And you are not who—or what—you seem. PLAY THE DEMO HERE In 1966, the world is ending. And in 1966, you find yourself inexplicably inhabiting an unknown to you human body, stuck in a gloomy little town on a mist-shrouded island in the middle of nowhere. You are something ancient, something vast, a cosmic entity wearing human flesh. But why here? And why now?

FEATURES

Create and customize your character: choose their physical appearance, clothing, gender, and sexuality.

Make choices that influence your personality, morality, and relationships.

Wield otherworldly abilities or rely on the limited strengths of your human host.

Define your personality through the choices you make and the actions you take.

Use your eldritch powers or the skills inherited from your human host.

Find love, forge friendships, or make enemies with four gender-selectable characters.

Embrace your true nature as a cosmic being, or learn what it means to be human.

Will you end the world, save it, or reshape it in your own image?

Make decisions that shape your personality and influence those around you.

Join a cult, destroy a cult, lead a cult, or become the god they worship.

A story-, choice-, and character-driven narrative experience.

ROs' intros

Forum

Update 1: 1/09/25 +84k words

Update 2: 20/06/26 +100k words (total 344k words)

[darklingif]

Congrats on the update! I'll get to this ASP, just need to figure out my time management. But those ROs...

[sofia-d-asb]

Arcadie II: Cold Lands is now available on Steam!

No one can rule alone. Those who supported you as you claimed the throne remain by your side; those who stood against you may yet still live. Who you choose to love, how you decide to treat them, and whether your values are aligned will have far-reaching consequences. Strengthen your rule, forge new alliances, or risk losing what matters most. The choice, and the kingdom, are yours.

Create and customize your character: male or female; gay, straight, or bisexual.

Customize the world state using decisions from Arcadie: Second-Born.

Continue your romance begun in Arcadie: Second-Born. Rejoin Cyril, your betrothed; return to Will, your most loyal commander; or get in bed with your enemy—literally.

Sign treaties or deal in poison. Rekindle friendships or double-cross your allies. Unearth long-forgotten secrets best left well alone.

Save and load your progress at any time. You can rewind and change your choices. Reach different endings by making decisions that will shape the future of your kingdom.

—

Today’s the day. The full version of Arcadie II: Cold Lands is finally ready for you to play!

The game is 20% off for launch week. You can also grab the bundle with Arcadie: Second-Born for an additional discount.

I truly hope you'll enjoy playing Arcadie II: Cold Lands as much as I enjoyed making it.

- Sofia

[darklingif]

In regards to The Split, are we going to be able to be a little freak alongside Mark? Will he react accordingly?

I can’t predict where I’ll end up with Mark’s content once I fully immerse myself in it. Right now I was just focusing on Prue/Rue, so the transition will be quite jarring.

But yeah, just let me shift gears and we’ll see.

[the-split-if]

Soulmate Route – EA Update

Hi! 

With a slight delay the demo is available on my Patreon for early access.

The demo is finished except for the fling route (I’ll add it in the next few days as I want to give it proper time and attention).

So for MCs who might feel tempted, only the fling scene and the meeting between MC and Prue/Rue are available, but there’s no ending for it yet. My bad 😑 I set myself  too tight a deadline (and still ended up late anyway).

Also, the intimate scenes in this demo are not skippable. In the full game there will likely be fade-to-black versions, and maybe even a non-sex option, but in this demo the sex is included, and it is explicit. Just a heads-up!

Z

[the-split-if]

Soulmate Route – Upcoming Update

Hello!

Quick announcement: the next Soulmate update (~20K words) will be released as early access on my Patreon on June 11–12.

In the meantime, you can check some sneak peeks on my page or on Anna’s.

What you can expect (light spoilers):

You’re getting invited to the party in a rather… specific way

Test your loyalty

Confront Prue/Rue about their insecurities

Get intimate with them🔥💞

And who knows what else might happen? 👀

Z

[darklingif]

Nope… I'm lying. There's no shooting, fishing, or preserving corpses this time.