CONTENT WARNINGS FOR: Gore & Depictions of Violence, Murder, Mentions & Depictions of the Dead, Mentions of Cannibalism, Mental Health Crises & Suicidal Ideation, Optional Sexual Content (NOT YET WRITTEN)
Tucked tightly against the coast, Agnus can hardly be called a city. While it may lack the stunning skylines of larger cities, it had beautiful forests and a picturesque scene of the distant mountains. Agnus was a quiet place that many called home, perhaps you can to…
Though as you settle in and start your new job, an old shadow from your home town returns. It all starts with a missing person, and a letter.
AGNUS is an active work-in-progress, things may change in the future and saves will break.
This story is a product of fiction and any similarity between real life people and events are coincidental. This is not an accurate portrayal of police work.
This work contains no generative AI, using this work to feed generative AI is prohibited.
FEATURES:
this list is currently a work in progress
A fully customizable protagonist, play as trans, cis or nb & select your own pronouns.
Develop 3 skills (The Mind, Eye, Tongue) to help you solve crime
Explore the City of Agnus, help out the residents & get adopted by a stray cat
Befriend & Romance two companions; A Fellow Detective or a Ghost from the Past... Or you can antagonize them
Remember to keep yourself sane
Currently there are only two Romance Options available in AGNUS. Romance for either RO is completely optional. At the moment a poly route with both ROs in not available.
The Detective:
Age: 27 yrs old
DOB: Feb 14th
You joined the force at a young age and worked hard to become eligible for the position at 25. This entire job is your passion, your livelihood. You’ve only been detective for 2 years until your life at home is uprooted and your forced to move to a city faraway.
Many were interested behind your motivation to become a detective, and your answer to that is simple. You’ve always wanted to be one… Was that always the case?
Path A: True Crime
You’ve always had a fascination for crime, towards the investigators and the criminals. You loved reading about how killers were caught, how their minds worked. Whether or not you found joy in the gory details is up to you.
There never was an exact moment when you realized that becoming detective was a dream, it was always there. But there were a couple of local cases that grabbed your attention...
Like the Terror of Easthallow.
Path B: Personal
You never had an interest in true crime growing up. You had a hobby the grown-ups constantly praised and you thought that this hobby was going to be your job. That all changed when you were 13.
The Terror of Easthallow, the man that killed your parent. You were a witness to that murder, you were the first one to discover the body...
And the last one to hear he got away.
The Stray:
A stray cat who wormed its way into your life. The cat is fully customizable and you can take a guess at its gender.
A. Sinclair (M/F) [RO]
Ambrose/Amariah || CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)
Age: 30 yrs old
DOB: May 3rd
R. Larken (M/F) [RO]
Rade/Rivia || CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)
Age: 27 yrs old
DOB: Nov 27th
Mrs. Popović (She/Her)
Age: 49 yrs old
DOB: Dec 1st
Julija Popović, who insists you call her Mrs. Popović, is your landlord and the mother of Teo Popović. Your currently renting a room in the recently furnished upstairs of her house. She’s seen as a kind, sometimes melancholic woman. Her past remains a mystery to you but the photos lining the walls tells a story.
Teo Popović (They/Them)
Age: 15 yrs old
DOB: June 10th
Teo Popović is the child of your landlord, Mrs Popović. Despite sharing the upstairs of Mrs Popović house, Teo refuses to acknowledge or respect you. However, respect can be gained and attachment can be found in the darkest of places.
Appearance: Teo is awkwardly tall for their age, standing at a rough 5’11 ().
The Abyss beckons you once more.
You're dead. But don't worry, the end has no end. Welcome to the ethereal realms of the afterlife. Sign your contract, manage this lonely bar on the Abyss for a year, and claim your limitless wish from the gods themselves.
Well, if you manage to finish that year.
༻ THE BAR ON THE ABYSS 3.0 IS FINALLY HERE
Play WIP at: Itch.io | CoGDemos
(Current demo: 410k words!!!)
What started as a 2.5 update two and a half years ago grew into something I could no longer call anything but a new version entirely.
✬ Almost 200,000 words of overhauled and brand-new content for the current 5 chapters of the game.
✬ Brand new, restructured main plot arc.
✬ New mechanics that will carry the whole game forward.
✬ Characters who are more alive (well, you know) and more complicated than they've ever been.
I won't pretend this one was easy to ship, but I'm so glad it's finally in your hands.
(And if you're willing to help this little game grow, here's how! 🖤)
✬ Leave a comment on the COG game thread!
✬ Reblog this post before you start!
✬ Talk about it on r/hostedgames!
✬ Add it to your collection on itch.io!
✬ And most importantly, please send me your thoughts via ask here, or on COG, during or after your playthrough. I genuinely want to read every single one!
It would mean the world and beyond. Truly.
And now, here's everything that's new. Grab a drink! We earned it:
༻ A WHOLE NEW MAIN PLOT
The story of your afterlife journey has changed.
From the moment you sign your new contract, presented to you by none other than the Grim Reaper, the main arc of TBOTA changes from the ground up.
Pick your limitless wish, learn about your new employer: the Council of Nine, and discover what truly lies beneath this contract: a binding to something… else.
And this time, you have far greater agency to act on your own behalf and for your staff.
Should you choose to share what you've learned with them, of course.
If you've played before, you'll recognise the bones. But the story has grown around them into something ready to carry the full weight of what TBOTA is building toward.
༻ YOUR SPIRIT GIFT
The Spirit Gift system has been completely reworked. Not as a shortcut or as a glorified stat check, but as a new lens through which you experience the entire story. Each gift opens unique scenes, unique ways to act, gather information, or stumble into something just effing strange. Think of them less as abilities and more as a personality trait that the bar decided you really needed.
Ring of Chronos: stolen from Itot, the glass-spider god of time. Click your fingers, stop the world, and what you do with those stolen seconds is yours to decide: help your staff, or punch a nightlife critic in the face.
Lens of Daezur: contraband from a mage who wanted to know too much. Point it at anything, and get your own secret encyclopedia. Learn how old the Raven is, who made the gates to Limbo, and what the bathroom fog is really made of.
Mask of Shapeless Visage: previously worn by the actors-assassins of Teatru Mischak. Wear the face of everyone around you. But will you remember how to be yourself?
The Necklace of Murmurs: hear the thoughts of inanimate objects around you, and more so, their opinions. Your bedroom table, the jukebox downstairs, a letter from Pyriphlegethon, or even your own cash register.
Voidcutter: a sword forged to kill gods, carrying the memories of the civilization destroyed for making it. Fight like a spirit-warrior when the opportunity presents itself. And who knows… maybe one day, you’ll kill a god too.
Navia's Earring: the mad prophet heard what the gods meant to keep hidden. Now you do too! Just remember: some things, once heard, are very hard to unknow.
༻ RANDOM PATRONS ENCOUNTERS
No two playthroughs of the game will be the same! Each run gives you two out of five possible patron encounters, one in Chapter 1, one in Chapter 4.
In the future, these encounters will be chosen from a pool of 20 patrons. So, who walks through your door tonight?
Meet Zilas, God of Revelry, and he is very good at his job.
Meet Perpetiel, an Ophanim Angel, drinking a mimosa from a straw. Be not afraid.
Meet Laura, an astronaut who died during a research mission into a black hole, with one terrifying tale.
Meet Xochitl, Trade Ambassador of Clan Roh'els of the Undead City of Necropolis. A vampiress in your humble abode, coming with an interesting offer for you.
Tomas, a mortal painter. Quiet, unassuming. That’s all.
༻ LOVE AFTER DEATH
Romance has been overhauled from scratch. Be flirtatious or be a complete disaster about it. Choose monogamy, polyamory, or an ace playthrough. Build something slow and tender, or burn bright and chaotic.
And if you want things a little spicier with a certain devilish friend of yours... well. The content is there. You'll find it, I’m sure.
And random patrons are fair game, too! if you're the type to shoot your shot with someone who walked through your door an hour ago, and might be a vampire or an angel.
No judgment here.
༻ WHO ARE YOU IN THIS AFTERLIFE?
Introducing a 30-trait personality system. Every choice you make, every option you pick, every response you give quietly builds a psychological profile of your MC.
Not to gate content or to judge you! Just to reflect who you are becoming in your ethereal form, one decision at a time.
New grief path content is also woven throughout the game. Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance, each path surfaces in new places, in new ways.
You'll also find tons of new career options throughout the game. Some of them can even replace certain skill checks!
The Abyss is watching, and it finds you fascinating.
༻ CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION AND DEATH SCARS
Choose from a vastly expanded range of career backgrounds, add an honorific, and find a few other surprises waiting in the menu.
Your career also has a greater presence throughout the game now: more moments where who you were in life shapes who you're becoming in death.
And by popular demand, choose a death scar. After all, you died, and you probably have the marks to prove it.
During character customization, you can now choose your death scars, currently cosmic in nature. Full in-game integration is coming in future updates, but they're yours to wear now.
༻ EVERYTHING ELSE
Almost every scene in the existing game has been touched (gently, consensually): Prose, character voices, pacing, and choices.
If something felt off before, there's a good chance it doesn't anymore! (HOPING) And also, made an absolute thorough bugs & typos sweep. Some of them were present from day one! But I FINALLY SQUISHED THEM!
That's it, for now. I think! Might be others I forgot about, lol. After all, it’s been two and a half years of work just for this update. More love and labour than I can ever put into a release post, but alas.
Thank you for waiting. Thank you for asking after this game during the long silences.
It's Thursday again! Due to some technical issues, I have not been able to prepare a demo update for Patreon for today, but I still have one prepped for the public demo. My apologies on the delay, I should be able to fix everything for next Thursday 🙏
For the public CoG Demo I have:
Reworked conversations with Evangeline and Willem
Added an opportunity to determine the fate of Raedin's special substance
Added a treasury stat...you will soon have to think about how your actions affect the kingdom's coffers
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 that were used as 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. Stability is at best, just temporary.
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
Your saves might be broken. There will be no need to report this as an error. Updates made to the game file will cause this. There is a skip feature that lets you fast-track to the beginning of Chapter 6. I'm trying my hardest to keep things from breaking, but it is part of the development process.
The warnings list has been updated in the game, please review before reading.
There are some huge reveals in this chapter. Feel free to send in asks if you want to comment or if you have questions. Note that I cannot answer everything and will take measures to keep the reveals secret so other people can enjoy the surprises when they read.
Link
As always, if you find anything game-breaking, please let me know asap (DM, ask, etc.). I'll be watching my feeds as closely as I can today to address any major issues that might interrupt your reading.
Typos/grammar/spelling issues should go to the error report form linked in the game and on my pinned post. Other bugs can either go to the error report or my inbox. I am slowly working on a full-game spelling and grammar review, but... There are a lot of words here, so it's taking a while, lol.
Chapter Eight has officially arrived. It has… a number of significant plot developments, which I hope you’ll enjoy. There are around 132,000 new words, spread across six routes with some common elements, as always.
Also as always, if anything seems to not work, or you have some feedback you’d like to give, please let me know! Otherwise, I’ll just keep on plodding forward, as I do.
The game is in the usual place, now with a chapter skip feature by popular demand.
[Interactive Fiction | Alternate Joseon History | Dark Romance | Political Intrigue]
“They say the King owns the land, but the Prince owns the ghosts. And you, with your mother’s silver butterfly and your father’s heavy debts, are the most haunted thing in Hanyang.”
The Year is 1404. The Joseon Dynasty is a newborn beast, built on the bones of the Goryeo kings. You are a Cheonmin—a slave, a piece of property, a ghost. But you carry a face of "jade," a delicate, feminine grace that feels like a floral scent in a room full of iron.
While you scrub the palace floors, you hide two crimes: the ability to read the King’s private scrolls, and a silver lineage that proves you are the last of a fallen noble house.
When the brilliant, obsessive Crown Prince catches your reflection , your invisible life ends. He doesn't want a servant; he wants a masterpiece to keep in a gilded cage of scrolls and silk.
•Customise your MC: Choose your name , gender which will determine your path as a "Flower Man" or a "Forbidden Pearl" , appearance ,personality and much more .
•Fates' Marks: Select unique characteristics such as lush silken lashes or the "Frost-Bloom" birthmark, which carry different allure and societal meaning depending on your gender.
•Choose Your Companion: a stray sapsali dog, a sleek calico cat ,or a crow with feathers as dark as Obsidian Shadows
•Navigate the Social Hierarchy: Live the life of a Cheonmin—the base-born caste viewed as property—and decide if you will Ascend the Hierarchy ,Fall to the Shadows or break the cage .your fate is in your hands.
•Romance & Intrigue : Form a deep bond with one of three official love interests or a secret one from the past.Use your ethereal beauty to seduce and manipulate those in power, hooks up without the strings of romance, or opt out of the games of the heart entirely to remain a solitary shadow.will you seek love , or use desire as a ladder to your own ends? But do tread carefully; no one is truly innocent, and even a lover's touch may carry a hidden price.
•Hidden Heritage: Protect the Silver Butterfly Norigae, a tarnished heirloom with a forbidden crest that serves as proof of who you were truly meant to be.What will you do with this secret against your skin? Will you use it to reclaim your stolen nobility and rise to the top of the Inner Court, let it be crushed into the dirt as you hit rock bottom, or let its wings guide you to escape the palace ghosts all at once?
•A Sacred Vow: Stand as a shield for your sister, Sun-hwa, against a world of gilded cages and silk-wrapped traps.
🪷THE CROWN PRINCE: YI HYUN (이현)
[The Scholar-King | The Obsessive Watcher | The Architect of the Gilded Cage]
THE PROFILE :
* Status: The brilliant, favored son of King Taejong. The future of Joseon.
* Personality: Calm, calculated, and terrifyingly patient. He doesn't raise his voice; he simply removes the obstacles in his way.
*aesthetic: The smell of aged mulberry paper and expensive sandalwood ink. The sharp click of a jade ring against a porcelain tea cup. Deep red silk robes embroidered with golden dragons that look like they’re strangling the wearer. A gaze that doesn't just look at you—it studies you
🦅 THE REBEL LEADER: KANG-HEE (강희)
[The Mountain Hawk | The Runaway | The Knife in the Night]
* Status: A runaway slave who survived the Gyeonggi mines to build a bandit kingdom in the Bukhansan peaks.
* Personality: Bold, loud, and fiercely protective of her "found family." She has no patience for palace etiquette and she believes power isn't given by a crown—it’s taken by the hilt.
*aesthetic : The scent of pine needles and wet earth. The cold metallic tang of a chipped blade. Faded indigo linens and worn leather armor. A grin that is more like a dare. Eyes that look at the horizon, never at the floor.
🛡️ THE STOIC GUARD: JI-WOON (지운)
[The Jurchen Wolf | The Silent Shield | The Watcher at the Gate]
* Status: A Jurchen hostage-warrior from the Northern border, forced to serve the Joseon King to keep his tribe safe.
* Personality: A man of zero words but infinite actions. He understands duty and safety. He sees your face and doesn't see a slave or a ghost—he sees a person who is hurting.
*aesthetic :The smell of horsehair and old leather. The steady, rhythmic sound of heavy boots on stone. Heavy iron pauldrons and a scarred hand resting eternally on a sword hilt. A presence so quiet you forget he's there
???THE SECRET RO????
🌸 THE PALACE MAID: KKOT-BI (꽃비)
[The Flower-Rain | The Silent Witness ]
Status: A Gung-nyeo (Palace Maid) in training. A laundry slave.
Personality: Quiet, observant, and heartbreakingly obedient. She is a mute who has learned to navigate the Palace without a single word.
Aesthetic: The sharp scent of lye and damp hemp. The sight of "scarred hands" hidden beneath clean sleeves.
🐅 THE STABLE-HAND: BEOM-I (범이)
[The Little Tiger | The Alleyway Fixer ]
THE PROFILE :
Status: A rough-handed stable-hand in the Sa-bok-si (Royal Stables).
Personality: Physically imposing and loud. Radiantly cheerful and remarkably kind, he is a rare burst of warmth within the cold stone of the Palace. Despite his status, he remains touchingly naive.
Aesthetic: He has a bright, open face that always seems a second away from a wide, dimpled grin. His skin is a warm, golden-honey tone from long days spent working in the courtyard, and his eyes—the color of "Golden Embers"—crinkle with genuine joy whenever he sees you. He wears his hair in a messy Kka-ch'i-meori (Magpie Style) that smells of fresh clover and sweet hay, often with a stray bit of straw tucked behind his ear.
‼️DISCLAIMER
The Jade Phantom is a work of Historical Interactive Fiction. While it is set during the early Joseon Dynasty (1404–1424), it is an alternate history narrative. Certain historical events, figures, and social structures, and many more have been fictionalized or altered for the purpose of the story.
This game contains Dark Romance and Mature Themes. The romantic paths, particularly that of the Crown Prince, explore themes of obsession, possession. These dynamics are intended to be part of the narrative's tension and do not reflect healthy real-world relationships.
As a story set in a rigid class-based society, players will encounter period-typical classism, and domestic cruelty... These elements are included to reflect the high stakes and the protagonist’s struggle for agency within a systemic "Gilded Cage."
[This work is intended for readers 18+ only. Contains mature/distressing themes. Reader discretion advised]
Hello all!
Chapter 5.1 Update
The chapter 5.1 update is now out after a bit of wrangling with my schedule.
1. The Wright and Garcia paths are complete, meaning all four RO paths are now ready to read.
2. I've also corrected several writing errors and coding glitches.
Hope you enjoy and can't wait to show you what's in store for chapter 6!
The Boardroom & The Fatal Filth - A Complicated Love Story
(BFF - A Complicated Love Story)
DEMO
As the CEO (he/she) of a large heavy-industry company, you could live anywhere. Yet you still reside in a shabby old tenement where you own the entire top floor — surrounded by neighbors who are unsettlingly strange. You go on living, trying to forget that day when everything changed.
You are one of seven friends haunted by a traumatic event from your past — the day Amy fell into a coma.
Over ten years later, her family is planning to disconnect her life support.
BFF – A Complicated Love Story is a slice-of-life romance laced with dark humor and moral ambiguity. Not everything is as it seems.
ROMANCE OPTIONS
Youth is a speedboat slashing through storm-tossed waves – raw power, reckless thrill.
Old age? A water lily drifting, bathed in sunlight, shaded by swaying reeds and whispering birches.
Somewhere in between lies the vast sea, where restless waters draw sailboats and stately ships into their embrace, rocking them gently to the wind’s quiet melody — until even the grandest vessel becomes a drifting water lily.
Before that day comes, sail through the ocean of life.
Choose your course and find your peace.
Let the water guide you.
Content Warning
18+
This work includes explicit sexual content (including scenes with extremely dubious consent), themes of suicide, aggressive language, insults, and morally questionable behavior. The game touches on themes of terminal illness and decisions about disconnecting life-support. Contains graphic violence (including optional scenes of torture, murder, coerced harm to others) substance use, profanity, mentions of mental illness, depictions or references to child abuse and neglect, and dialogue or opinions expressed by fictional characters that may be perceived as offensive or insensitive.
These views are solely those of the characters and do not reflect the beliefs of the authors. They are included to serve the narrative and portray the story’s setting authentically.
Vertex Fall is a dark interactive thriller heavy with romance and psychological horror about piecing together the shattered fragments of your past and tasting the dread of exposing the meaning behind your scars.
"Something horrible has happened to you, something your wretched mind has ripped out of its conscious state."
Confront the trauma, the forced proximity with strangers and people you've forgotten, and dig into the blank spot in your past, seeking answers even if they terrify you.
Will it ultimately lead you to recovery or perdition?
It's your past. Shape it.
Play as a male or female amnesiac with many, many secrets.
Navigate the tension of sharing an apartment with a rekindled friend and strangers who might not want you there.
Romance your devoted friend, the guy who initially dislikes you, or someone far harder to define.
Uncover the truth about your scars.
Shape your past through fully interactive flashbacks and ultimately face the consequences of your actions.
STATUS: 12K - prologue and Chapter 1 - part 1
KARLA (F) - 22
The best friend you don’t remember. She’s determined to help you recover, but the person you've become might be worlds apart from the one she used to cherish.
CAMERON (M) - 24
The roommate. He only knows you through Karla’s idealized stories, which explains much of his initial dislike. But what truly gets to him are the circumstances of your sudden return. You have no idea just how much you’ve disrupted his life.
??? (F/M)
This story contains graphic violence, body horror and medical trauma, amnesia and psychological horror, non-consensual medical procedures, implied past abuse, substance use, profanity and optional explicit sexual content.
Obviously, I wasn't able to finish everything I set out to do. There's no word count for this month, because with all the material being added and removed, it obviously wouldn't make sense to tally it up. I hope, however, that the detailed devlog gives you an idea of the work that went into it (I probably forgot something, oh well). I hope to have everything finished by the next update. Fingers crossed!
DEVLOG
Overhauled the endurance system and added related checks.
Overhauled the weapons system, with changes reflected across all combat scenes (stats and, to a lesser extent, text).
Reworked combat logic determining whether the enemy gets hit and the resulting effects.
Standardized variable behavior across similar scenes; fixed variable types, weights, and related checks throughout the game.
Cleaned up code from the prologue through the end of Chapter 2 (end of Day 4).
Fixed the autosave system, which wasn’t always triggering correctly, and reworded save points.
Improved overall stat handling: fixed multiple errors in stat checks, relationship calculations, and cases where stress and other stats weren’t displaying correctly.
Reworked choices, stat changes, and outcomes for Day 4 guard duty (including a few tweaks to the related dialogue).
Updated choices and consequences in the combat scenes up to the end of the second chapter.
Modified the conversation about Abby that MC has in the shed with Michael; it now includes stat checks and different outcomes.
Adjusted stat changes tied to Divya and Max’s encounter and updated their intro text (now includes Max’s age).
Tweaked the Day 4 “entering the house” scene (stats and text).
Improved Michael and (to a less extent) Kay's romantic autonomy: if enabled, they’re now more likely to develop feelings for the MC based on values and choices alone, even without player input, and (in Michael's case) even if the MC isn’t attracted to men.
Fixed a game-breaking bug when attempting to kiss Divya; her romance path now works correctly.
Potentially fixed an issue with overlapping crushes on Kay and Michael when committing to Michael (further testing needed, though).
Fixed a bug where MC could avoid lying despite selecting the "lie" option when Michael asks MC about their food supplies.
MC can now arm themselves independently before facing the raiders on Day 4.
Fixed a bug where weapon durability wasn’t resetting correctly.
Fixed a bug where a nearly full backpack wasn’t properly recognized when taking water bottles from Abby’s shed.
Fixed a bug where going back and choosing a different malus would retain the stats changes.
Added food consumption to all mandatory shared meal scenes (previously missing in some cases).
If MC eats their group members' food during mandatory shared meal scenes, now group relationships decrease slightly.
MC can now reflect on their religion (or lack thereof) during the first night out l; later dialogue now reflects those beliefs. The diner scene now acts as a confirmation instead.
MC now specifies the number of trading cards when listing the first ones found.
Michael can now react negatively to MC's attentions.
Added the option to choose a custom term for the infected/zombies.
Added more notifications for players with warnings enabled, including alerts during time management scenes (i.e. at the start of the day) with stat checks and critical hunger/thirst warnings.
Added image descriptions for screen readers.
Added more reactions related to MC's full name when talking to Abigail.
Split overly long scenes into multiple pages.
Reworded various scenes for clarity and flow.
Fixed spacing and line break issues.
Fixed an issue at the start of Day 4 where a malus-related text string didn’t display correctly.
Fixed incorrect article display when choosing a weapon for Divya.
Fixed some rare name-related bugs during conversations with Divya.
Fixed a bug where a conversation with Max during guard duty on Night 4 wasn’t properly recognized.
Fixed several minor bugs in the burial scene.
Various bug fixes and polish across various scenes.
Patreon pledgers can find the post here. Enjoy! ☺♥
So you got your dream job!
As the newest journalist for The Weekly Chirp, the sole source of information in a booming boardwalk town, you expected a life of high-stakes stories and giving a voice to the voiceless. Instead, you’re drowning in fluff pieces and award ribbons.
Just when you think you've reached the limits of your yawn-inducing routine, you finally catch the scent of a story. From puff pieces to baptism by fire, you find yourself in the darker side of town filled with betrayal, death, and the unknown. Find out how far you're willing to go for the story, but ask yourself one thing, when the safety net of the mundane is gone, will you survive the fall?
Negative Exposure is a work in progress and is open to changing.
Play as male, female, or non-binary and customize your characters appearance, personality, hobby, and skillset.
Choose your path and decide exactly how far you’re willing to go to uncover the truth, and what you're willing to pay.
Romance, befriend or annoy four distinct characters and possibly even form an unlikely group of friends.
Pet a stray or two along the way! Maybe one will follow you home.
Felix Crane- Senior reporter and son to the boss, Felix is rarely spoken about without a side of gossip attached, and yet, he remains perpetually unfazed. What will it take to crack the stoic mask he's worn for years now?
Nora Garza- Friendly, welcoming, and your first ally in town, Nora is always ready to greet you with a smile. While she radiates warmth, it's not hard to spot just how secretive she can be about her own life.
Silas Thorne- Owner of one of the seediest bars in town, Silas is a man of infinite deals who is charming, vague, and dangerously well-informed. He's a beneficial man to know until you can no longer afford him.
Viv Thorne- Bartender at night, and debt collector when required, Viv is either feared or praised, depending on who you ask. While her brother is all charm and noise, she is reserved, focused, and dangerously efficient.
[pssst! pretend there's a fancy title card here that reads "LEGERDEMAIN" here. kthx. also i'm 30 fucking years old and waffled posting this for hours because people are somehow still terrifying]
DEMO: Not yet! — COG Forum: Also not yet!
Something is brewing in Eden City, Terra Nova.
You're not sure what, exactly.
Tensions between Barghest Security and SENTINEL are ever rising. That's bad news for you, considering you're a Barghest employee.
The odd and seemingly random cyberattacks on Velychko Industries are happening with increasing frequency. That shouldn't even be possible with your cybersecurity being among the best in the galaxy.
The Cardinals and the Eastside Justicars are gearing up for an all-out war. And they're not the only ones—word on the street says that Old Lady Kawada is planning something big.
Whispers about Hagiwara Meditech's newest top-secret project abound—whispers that seem to imply that they're working on a so-called "control shard".
Someone is sabotaging Likoki Motors vehicles to explode—and "coincidentally", Matsushita's stocks are going stratospheric. They are, of course, denying any and all involvement.
Some cypher going by Paradox is making a name for himself(?), ruining people's days with nothing but a cyberdeck and sarcasm. SpectraTech has him(?) as their main suspect for taking out one of their smaller offices.
And your siblings, well, they are acting rather strangely as of late.
⚠Legerdemain is intended for 18+ audiences and features (gun) violence, (optional) torture, body horror, potential suicide, murder, substance (ab)use, and (optionally explicitly) sexual content.
[psst! hey! pretend there's another fancy title card that reads, "features" here. thx]
Choose between first person or second person narration.
Semi-set MC. Customise their gender, sexuality, appearance, and first name. Choose whether they have a middle name, a patronym, or neither. Or play as the canon Velychko and bypass all of that.
Befriend, romance, or make enemies of five different characters: the company driver (M/F), a paramedic (F), an exotic dancer (F), a mechanic (M), or an employee of a rival company (M).
Asymmetric relationships. Just because you like someone, doesn't mean they'll return those feelings. They might even hate you.
Manage your stress, nerve, and general well-being.
The flesh is weak. Replace it with chrome.
Follow the company line, or turn your back on your family.
Oh, and: try not to get everyone you love killed.
[hey, guess what. imagine one saying, "cast" now]
Paradox
You've never seen his(?) face, but he's certainly become a thorn in your side. A young man(?) with a chip on his shoulder, you strongly suspect he's the one behind the attacks on the Velychko servers.
Oliver/Olivia Arden — RO
Your usual driver on assignments and someone Paradox might call a "certified yapper". A former professional racer, Arden left Earth with you two years ago and seems to have little interest in switching jobs for something that involves fewer bullets and rocket launchers.
Ángela Alvarado — RO
A paramedic working for the only public hospital in Eden City, though she doesn't seem to be of the empathetic sort. Indeed, she'd be more fitting in the social climber scene—if it wasn't because she doesn't quite have that je ne sais quoi that would make it a viable "career".
Stella Marsh — RO
An exotic dancer with money troubles—but her ability to twirl around a pole and take off her clothing isn't what you're paying her for. Rather, she's your eyes and ears inside the upscale Club Euphoria popular with the Eden City elite.
Though you do have to admit she knows how to command a stage.
Juno Moineau — RO
A hard worker with an easy smile, Juno is willing to do just about anything on your vehicle for cheap—even though you "have more money than God". You've never seen him angry or frustrated, but you suspect that's because he knows how to pick his battles. And picking on the orca when you're barely a minnow isn't a particularly smart move.
Song Yujin — RO
A bit of a mystery, that one. He's always been polite the few times you've met him—but the type of polite that hides a knife behind its back. But would you expect anything less from a Hagiwara employee?
"A god offering you the world in the square. A zealot shattering their faith to hide you in the sanctuary. A bleeding heir lying to you in your own bed. And the Church has just surrounded the house."
congratulations on your new position at between & beyond logistics. you work as a delivery driver, and your customers are—
okay, your customers are monsters. you deliver packages. they deliver something else entirely.
[play the demo here]
this is an explicit, campy IF about a very normal delivery driver on very abnormal routes. every chapter introduces a new monster. every monster has opinions about your arrival. things escalate. your boss is choosing not to investigate.
a note on the format: this isn't a game where every choice reshapes the story. you have some agency, but a significant portion of this is a fixed experience. the degeneracy is non-negotiable. you're here to witness it as much as direct it. if you're looking for a game that bends entirely to your will, this probably isn't it. if you're looking for a game that will do things to you regardless, welcome!
the current demo sits at around 6k words and covers the first monster encounter in full. it's a taste. a promise. an appetiser that is arguably already too much and also not enough ;)
play as a man or a woman, gay, straight, or bi
encounter 11 monsters, each with different exciting abilities
12 possible endings, including one that's a secret option that we're not discussing yet
a surprisingly emotional through-line underneath all the smut
gerald
content warning:
dubcon elements, entrapment, bloodplay, breathplay, predator/prey dynamics, degradation, loss of control, altered state due to narcotic substances, mild body horror, dubious logistics, and one (1) parliamentary goblin situation
this is a passion project born from my thirst for monsterfucking. i've wanted to play something like this for a long time and couldn't find exactly what i was looking for, so i'm making it myself. i hope it scratches the same itch for you that it's scratching for me :)
do you ever just try to be a genius game dev and move your entire game to a fancy react engine but the engine says no ❤️ so you crawl back to choicescript with your tail between your legs and then you somehow accidentally hit > publish on a massive 61000 word update on the EXACT same day as the fallen hero update?? because i do. I am literally the little kid of the forum right now opening a tiny lemonade stand in front of a soldout ty swift concert and just vibing with the chaos while everyone (rightfully) screams about superheroes. honestly at this point Im sustained purely by spite and iced coffee but hey if you want to experience 76k words of soul crushing kpop survival sim written by someone who is currently failing her own survival mission... the update is live (for those who played the beta there is no new content...) enjoy the trauma while i go sleep for the next three to five business years 🫠
