Hades' Kitchen

dead chefs compete for the chance to earn a spot in Hades' kitchen | a wip IF game inspired by Greek myth. | written by albie | Mobile Nav

[hadeskitchen]

DEMO (tba) | CHARACTER PROFILES | GUIDE | NAVIGATION | PINTEREST | AUTHOR

Welcome to the Underworld...

Play as a deceased chef given the opportunity of an (after)lifetime in Hades' Kitchen. The story follows a cooking competition set in the Underworld from Greek myth. Hades' Kitchen is a character-driven interactive fiction story about rivalry and redemption.

Hades' Guide, a codex containing the lore bible and character database for both Hades' Kitchen and Neo Olympus (a second series that will take place in the same universe), is available here.

The demo release is currently tbd. The first season will consist of eight chapters: seven episodes + a prologue.

Content Warning: Hades' Kitchen, this blog, and its discord server are rated 16+ and the game will eventually have optional 18+ content. The game will contain swearing, alcohol and drug use, sexually suggestive content, light violence, and discussions about trauma, grief, terminal illness, and death.

So you died - very sorry about that - but this doesn't have to be the end of your story. Since you're such a talented chef, we want to make you an offer. We can either send your soul to Asphodel now, or you can refuse to accept that dull fate and audition to become a chef for our royal family.

Now, this isn't a guaranteed position. You'll be competing against twelve others for one spot and it'll all be filmed for a TV show. I understand these shows are quite common in the Upperworld, so you're likely familiar with the concept. However, it'd be wise to expect the unexpected. We aren't limited by mortality, so we can afford to spice things up with magic and monsters and you'll probably be fine.

You could end up in Asphodel, but you might not. Each time someone's eliminated their fate is randomly reassigned. The longer you stick around, the higher your chances of getting sent somewhere better (...or worse).

If this sounds a bit overwhelming, remember you don't have to go through this alone! You'll have the crew, the judges, Adonis, and, of course, your fellow contestants. I've met them all and I can assure you, for the most part, they're lovely people. You may even recognize some from your mortal life.

So, what are you gonna do? Do you believe you can win? Will you risk your fate for a chance at something greater? What do you say?

Will you compete in Hades' Kitchen?

- Fully customize your protagonist

Name and nicknames

Gender and pronouns (custom options)

Physical appearance

Taste and culinary background

Personal history and key life events

- Define your protagonist's personality and watch the narrative voice evolve with them

- Use and improve various skills to unlock unique choices, scenes, and dialogue

- Build relationships (good and bad) with a compelling cast of characters including your fellow contestants, mentors, and a handful of Greek gods

Six love interests (five gender selectable)

Complete storylines for asexual, aromantic, aro/ace, or simply uninterested MCs

Two poly routes (either T + K or Hero + T/K/C/[redacted])

- Explore a world that blends Greek myth with science fiction

Shar Patil

The Artist. A culinary wizard with a stoic yet playful nature. They keep their distance and do their best to avoid getting close to people.

Shar is romanceable and gender selectable: Sharvari - cisgender female (she/her), Sharva - agender (xe/xem/xyr), Sharvin - cisgender male (he/him)

{Inspiration | Tag}

K Ishida

The Home Cook. An altruistic goof who claims they just want to help, but there's something hiding beneath that grin. There has to be. Right?

K is romanceable and gender selectable: Kenji - cisgender male (he/him), Kairi - transgender female (she/her), Kira - x-gender neutral (they/them)

{Inspiration | Tag}

T Sarpong

The Influencer. A free-spirited, chaotic troublemaker who uses their supernatural charm to mask their true intentions and intelligence.

T is romanceable and gender selectable: Thema - cisgender female (she/her), Tano - cisgender male (he/him), Tawiah - pangender (she/he/they/xe/ey)

{Inspiration | Tag}

Cecil Gray

The Celebrity. This arrogant genius has been your bitter rival for years. They behave as if insults and anger are all they've ever known.

Cecil is romanceable and gender selectable; Cecil has the same name whether transgender nonbinary (they/them), transgender male (he/him), or cisgender female (she/her)

{Inspiration | Tag}

Hero of Thebes

The Assistant. Even though they always look and feel panicked, this self-conscious satyr has far more talent and power than they realize.

Hero is romanceable and gender selectable; Hero has the same name whether genderfluid (they/she/he), genderqueer (they/them), cisgender female (she/her), or cisgender male (he/him)

{Inspiration | Tag}

Adonis

The Prince. Creative, clever, and compassionate, this god has a hard time convincing others to see him as a person, not just a pretty boy.

Adonis is romanceable but gender-locked. He identifies as a cisgender male and uses he/him pronouns.

{Inspiration | Tag}

Chef Alex

The Legend. A tempestuous visionary, she's remembered as a prolific inventor and one of the first chefs to explore cooking as a science.

Alex is not romanceable. Alex identifies as genderqueer (nonbinary butch) and uses she/they pronouns.

{Inspiration | Tag}

Chef Julio

The Icon. The first celeb chef and still the most famous, he's known for his kindness, enthusiasm, and humor as well as his many cookbooks.

Julio is not romanceable. Julio identifies as a cisgender male and uses he/him pronouns.

{Inspiration | Tag}

For more on any of these characters: head over to this post, check out their MyShade profiles in Hades' Guide, send me an ask, or join the discord server.

Thanks for reading, all reblogs are greatly appreciated!

Special thanks to the Hades' Kitchen beta readers:

ciels-tears, manonamora, momomilk, piscesaf, roguesgame, sistersolaris

Last Updated: Dec 18th, 2021

[hadeskitchen]

Icarus... Helios... Hades' Kitchen... Is this canon?

Yes. 100%. (look out for canon confirmation and their presences in Neo Olympus)

[toastyglow]

okay so you know how icarus flew to close to the sun, and also there’s that myth about helios letting his son drive his chariot and that going terribly wrong.  I think icarus and helios’ son should crash into each other halfway, somehow survive, and then kiss probably

[hadeskitchen]

hello! not trying to put pressure or make u feel bad or anything like that..... just wondering if ur still working on the demo? ive been excited for this game for a while but if ur taking a break from it or not writing it anymore i get it!! it would just be good to know.

ur a lovely writer and from what has been shared so far, have created a great and lively cast of characters and settings 💗

Hey there! No worries, you've asked this very kindly 😊 I completely understand people wanting updates on what the status is here. Yes, I am still working on this story, very much so (in fact, I was able to spend about an hour working on it tonight while things were slow at work). I had to take a step back from it due to things I was going through that I'll put under the cut and just because I prioritized other projects (like Zorlok and Mousetrap).

The gist of it is, yes, I am working on this story and will release it. However, I've been reevaluating and changing some aspects of it and the characters (in part for the reasons detailed below the cut and in part because I feel more comfortable and confident in my stance and perspective as a writer since I first announced this project nearly a year ago). I am still nailing things down but have already begun drafting a post about the changes with explanations, so you can expect more word on that soon.

But yeah, thank you for your interest, support, and for caring about this project, it means a lot to me! Excited to share this story and world with you 😊

CW: eating disorder

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So, as you might have guessed from the content warning, I struggle with disordered eating—primarily as a result of gender and body dysphoria. In fact, I spent the first few months of this year in an intensive outpatient program for my ED (I wrote about going into the program here earlier this year).

Basically, as I took a step back and evaluated my life and my relationship with food and body, I realized that many of the characters in this story struggled somehow with disordered eating (some very intensely—like K, Alex, and Cecil). Aspects of my own traumas and disordered habits were embedded into them and, in that way, intrinsically connected to this story. So, as I worked (and still continue to work) towards and through recovery, I've taken a step back and allowed myself to not think about this project for a while. Now that I have a much clearer head and distance from the feelings exacerbated and drawn out by my intensive therapy, I'm returning to this story in a much more comfortable and healthy space with renewed excitement and passion for the project.

[mondaysandwich]

🖤 The Vespertines demo is now LIVE on my itch.io page! 🖤

👉Play the demo here👈

Ash and Grem are waiting to meet you 🖤

Thank you so much to everyone for all your interest and support leading up to the demo! I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think!

[thedivinityofbloodshed]

Born into a small village with the uncommon ability to use magic, a loving father, and a best friend, you had considered life to be mostly pleasant, unfortunately, the serenity does not last.

You had only been a child when your father is killed trying to protect you from intruders who meant to use you in a ritual that you had no recognition of. A peculiar stranger ends up coming to your rescue, saving you before the ritual can truly begin. 

For the past 10 years, you had lived with the man, as he raised you and taught you magic, until he left without warning or explanation two years ago. You’d almost given up any hope that you would ever truly know what had happened to your mentor when one day a soldier knocked on your door, asking questions about the man, stating that there are people who are worried about him. 

Through a series of events, you end up traveling with the soldier to the capital in hopes of finding your mentor, though once you arrive you become entangled in something much bigger as you discover the uneasy peace between gods.

Customization, including your appearance, gender, pronouns, and personality

Choose which type of magic you specialize in

Learn more about the reasons behind your kidnapping

Attempt to locate your mentor

Try and figure out the reasons behind the tension between the gods

Befriend or romance your companions

Content warnings: violence, death, kidnapping, and mentions of child murder

Recommended 18+

Demo: TBA

Maya- cis woman (she/her)

Your childhood best friend that you haven’t seen in twelve years, who has never stopped trying to find out what happened to you. You remember Maya being energetic and brave, and that doesn’t seem to have changed, though her attention seems more focused now. 

Physical Description- Standing at 5'4" (163 cm) with a lithe toned build, Maya has medium brown skin with curly black chin-length hair that is usually pulled back and light brown eyes.

Opal Kaur- cis woman (she/her)

The soldier who knocks on your door to question you about your mentor. She is a serious, uptight woman, who seems quite dedicated to the military and following orders. She is also quite skilled in defensive magic.

Physical Description- Standing at 5'8" (173 cm) with a sturdy muscular build, Opal has golden brown skin with straight short black hair and brown eyes.

Ellis- nonbinary (they/them)

An enchanter who was recently conscripted into the military for reasons unknown to you, they are currently under the supervision of Opal. They are a gentle and kind person who tries to see the best in people.

Physical Description- Standing at 5'11" (180 cm) with a graceful lean build, Ellis has dark brown skin with long black locked hair and dark brown eyes.

Lock- trans man (he/him)

Someone who used to be a soldier until he decided that his healing could be better used elsewhere and became a cleric of Samara, the god of love and healing. He is a stoic man who is hard to get a read on, though he seems dedicated to healing those that come to Samara’s temple.

Physical Description- Standing at 5'6" (168 cm) with a toned build, Lock has tan skin with wavy black shoulder-length hair and gray eyes. He has a large scar that sits diagonally across his face.

Flint- cis man (he/him)

One of the most popular performers at the temple of Tuosa, the god of music and performance. He is a charming individual who loves being on stage and often uses his skills in offensive magic to add to his performance.

Physical Description- Standing at 6'2" (188 cm) with a toned muscular build, Flint has golden tan skin with dark brown short wavy hair and green eyes. 

[interact-if]

Day 3 of the Game Jam Winners Months Featured Author Interviews, continuing with Albie!

Albie author of Mousetrap.

You’re one of the many overworked interns working at Whimsey World. When it was announced that Imogen, a category three hurricane, would soon hit Orlando, Florida, your employers asked for volunteers to remain in the parks during the storm, promising triple pay for at least 24 hours. You and your friend seized the opportunity. After all, Whimsey wouldn’t ask its cast members to stay behind if it was potentially dangerous.

That’s what you assumed before you were knocked unconscious. Before you woke up in a costume chained to your friend and three strangers. Before Dickey the Rat informed you and your “team” that you get $250,000 for each person you kill. Before the neurotoxins pumping through the park’s air system began to loosen your grip on reality. Before nightmares and the real world bled into a horrifying, broken fantasy you can’t wake up from.

If you survive the storm (and the things lurking within it), you’ll win riches beyond your wildest dreams. But how far are you willing to go? How committed are you to pleasing your guests and satisfying your spectators? The Show will go on. It will always go on. But what role will you play in it?

Read more about Mousetrap [here] Mousetrap Demo | Dev Blog | Albie's Blog Tags: Horror, Thriller. Survival. [INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT!]

Q1 . Tell us about the story you made for the Jam!

Mousetrap is a surreal survival horror story about theme park employees forced to participate in a deadly game where teams win money for each death they cause. As players fight to survive, neurotoxins pumping through the air system begin to wreak havoc on their minds. Fantasy bleeds into reality and the characters’ worst nightmares come to life.

Q2. What was the biggest challenge in creating a game in such a short time span? How did you manage it?

The biggest challenge for me was just getting the writing done - trying to stay focused without hyperfixating on things. Distractions were my biggest hurdle. When I noticed myself getting wrapped up in proofreading, testing code, playing with the UI, etc. I’d take whatever I was working on in Twine or Scrivener and transfer it to a plain .txt file. That would remove or quiet most of those distractions and help me focus on getting the story out of my head and onto my computer. I also set a goal for myself of writing 1,000+ words a day but didn’t beat myself up for failing to reach that. Having the goal encouraged me to write but not really caring about it made the process more enjoyable and less stressful.

Q3. What was your inspiration for your entry?

Honestly, personal experience was my main source of inspiration. Almost everything in this story is directly based on my time working at “Whimsey World” and is symbolic of the things I went through/witnessed there. If it’s not, then it’s a nightmarish representation of other traumas which haunt me or things which generally terrify me.

I also didn’t set out to make a game that was like Saw, but it ended up being a big source of inspiration for me as well as other classic horror stories. Dimension 20’s Fantasy High: Sophomore Year also influenced me with its Nightmare King storyline – which D20 fans will surely be able to tell after the next update. Finally, old RPG Maker horror games like Ib, The Witch’s House, Misao, and The Forest of Drizzling Rain were really inspirational especially when I was doing the audio.

Q4. Is this your first time working on a game like this? What do you like (or not like) about working in this format?

I’d been working with Twine for about three months when I started Mousetrap, but this is the first jam I’ve participated in, the first sprint project I’ve done, and really the first game I’ve published (in truth, it’s only the second creative project I’ve shared with others). I love this medium and using Twine to make IF is perfect for my interests/skills and the way my brain works. I honestly can’t think of anything I dislike about the format. Non-linear storytelling is my passion, and my goal is to eventually work in the video game industry, but for now Twine allows me to easily make games on my own and that’s been really fun.

Q5. What is your favorite part about your entry? What have you enjoyed most doing during the Jam?

I was really happy with the atmosphere and variability of the game, but my favorite part might be the audio. I’m really proud of that since it was completely new to me and I wasn’t sure how players would react to it. It’s something I’m considering adding to all my projects now.

I really enjoyed coming up with the horror stuff – taking conceptual things and trying to abstract them into something terrifying and tangible. Figuring out what I wanted to say or depict and then finding an indirect way to represent those feelings. I don’t know why, but that was even more fun than normal. Maybe because the subject matter was so personal.

Q6. What is your advice for sprint projects like this one?

I’d suggest starting with a small idea, then making it even smaller. Adding to a short story is far easier than whittling a big one down. For me, it’s hard to abandon aspects of a project without feeling like I’m betraying my original idea in some way or compromising the integrity of the story. So, starting smaller than you think you need to will set you up for success, make the process less stressful, and save you grief down the line. Also, work off of a template. Experiment with and customize the UI all you want but starting from a template is very helpful. Shoutout to Ash (@innerdemons-if) for her amazing one <3

Q7. Do you have any other works you’d like to promote?

Sure! My other big projects are Hades’ Kitchen (@hadeskitchen) and Zorlok (@zorlok-if).

Hades’ Kitchen centers around a cooking competition show set in the Greek Underworld. Players take on the role of a recently deceased chef presented with the opportunity of an (after)lifetime – a chance to become one of Hades’ personal chefs. It’s a character-driven story about rivalry, redemption, and (optionally) romance, in a postcyberpunk setting that combines mythology and science-fiction. Hades’ Kitchen is also the precursor to another mythpunk series called Neo Olympus. The demo for Hades’ Kitchen hasn’t been released yet but there is a lore bible called Hades’ Guide available on Itch.io.

Zorlok follows the bizarre misadventures of a demon with no memories and the nerdy high schooler they’re bound to serve. Players can uncover mysteries and cause mayhem in this dark comedy about monsters, found family, personal identity, and the nature of good and evil. Zorlok is inspired by cheesy horror films and campy murder mysteries (+ it was originally a MotW campaign). The demo will be released on May 13th, 2022.

You can find updates on these and any other projects I’m working on at my blog @gamesbyalbie :)

[mousetrap-if]

Hey, everybody! So, don't think I've really talked about this here yet, but Mousetrap ended up doing really well in the Interact-IF game jam:

Tied for second overall

First in UI Design

Tied for first in Gameplay/Usage of Medium

Third in Story & Plot

I'm really proud of it and still pretty shocked. Anyways, here's the interview that I did. Hope you're all well! Updates on the update coming out later today ☺️

[mondaysandwich]

Vespertines: an interactive fiction

Vespertines is an urban fantasy/romance interactive fiction about demons and found family. You play as a human working at a bar for demons, getting to know your customers and collecting their stories.

The game is currently in development. It is developed in Twine and will be released episodically. A demo will be available mid 2022 on itch.io. 

Vespertines is recommended for mature audiences. Content warnings are available below and at the start of the game.

On the run from your past, you find yourself in a new city with no plan and nowhere to go. A mysterious individual called Ashheart appears before you and refers you to a bar called ‘Vespertines’. You expect the usual; cleaning up spills and handling drunk customers. What you do not expect is for your new boss to be a horned demon known as Gremory who collects stories as payment instead of money.

Customisable main character, including customisable 

Name

Gender - male, female and nonbinary options available

Pronouns - preset or choose your own

Appearance

Backstory - one of three planned routes which unlock unique dialogue and story beats within the game

Develop your relationships with the characters - will you be friends, family, enemies or lovers?

Optional romance routes for both Gremory and Ashheart (both gender customisable)

Diverse story branches and multiple endings

More features to be added as the game is developed!

Character intros and content warnings under the cut.

Keep reading

[in-auctorem-credimus-if]

"And they lived happily ever after" might be the biggest cliffhanger of all.

In Auctorem Credimus is a metafictional sci-fantasy adventure story where you play as the main character's love interest, who takes over the MC's role after the story has ended.

This game was created for the @interact-if ranked game jam! The jam's theme is "cliffhanger", so the game will end on one, but the game is written with a longer follow-up story in mind!

The game is complete at ~52,000 words, but has several features that didn't make the cut. Please note that due to the jam restrictions, there won't be any further content updates for a while except bug fixes.

🚀 PLAY IN AUCTOREM CREDIMUS

Feeling purposeless and unfulfilled after your story has ended, you stumble upon an organization dealing with the same problem as you: the Custodians of Authorial Narrative Foundation (CANon). With nothing else to do but hope for your story's sequel or (hopefully not horrible) movie adaptation to come, the main character of your story (and canonical love interest) invites you to join the foundation and work as a biblio-anthropologist, traveling through various story worlds without the need to stay in-character. So when your dream finally came true a few years later and people in your neighborhood start disappearing, you immediately grab your plot armor and prepare to defeat the villains once again. You've done it before, and you'll make sure they'll never do it again. At least, that's how sequels are supposed to go, right? But when the main character and the villains turn out to be missing as well, you decide to take on the mantle of 'main character', join the CANon Timeline Anomaly Removal Department Intervention Squad (TARDIS), and write the sequel to your own story yourself.

In Auctorem Credimus features:

Customizable character: including age, gender, appearance,  personality, and multiple character backgrounds

Choose your (non-canonical) relationship with the main character and the children under their care

Flirt or build friendships with the squad members

Explore different story worlds and break the fourth wall!

A follow-up spin-off story

Hayden Jekyll

The squad's de facto leader. A scientist-turned-antihero who can shapeshift into different animals, mythological or otherwise, by drinking a serum… until he was cursed by the goddess Circe to never be human again for his arrogance. No one in the squad has ever been able to ask what his actual backstory is.

Jessica Armstrong

The squad's resident engineer, hacker, and explosives expert. She has a magically enchanted bionic arm that works like a glorified Swiss Army knife, which she uses to repair and maintain the Nautilus IX, the squad's dimensional starship that lets them travel to other story worlds. A weary idealist, she decided to leave her home in the Regency era after a chance encounter with time traveler H.G. Wells, hoping to help less fortunate characters. The alternative was being caught in a love triangle between two pretentious idiots.

Phyrnne

The squad's anomaly behavior analyst, therapist, and psychologist. Phyrnne is an empathic blind ghost, who navigates the physical world through sensing other people's feelings, much like heat signatures. She is the most caring of the squad, but don't mess with her unless you want to be possessed. Phyrnne changed her name as she doesn't want to be referred to as the ghost of La Llorona, whose children were drowned at the beginning of a forgotten murder mystery with no killer.

D

A 10,001-year-old vampire from a fifteen-year-old's abandoned fanfiction. Don't ask them how they got their name (it was a placeholder). Seeking to redeem themselves from their feeding frenzy when they first learned about what happened to their story, they're now trying to improve the public perception of vampires by helping with charity and the children protagonists' orphanage, as well as promoting ethical feeding habits. They especially love to give the orphans gifts and souvenirs during their visits, after they once tried to feed on Santa Claus. Well, except teenagers. They're still bitter about that.

Dr. Rnst Gadsby

The squad's changeling xenoarchaeologist, and occultist by hobby. He accidentally summoned Phyrnne's spirit during his first mission, and eventually convinced her to join the TARDIS after haunting the squad for weeks. Rnst mostly keeps to himself, although part of it is because he doesn't have a developed personality (or memory of his family) after being cut from a story with an ensemble cast—something he bonds with Phyrnne over. Together, they help each other discover their personalities (and maybe figure out Rnst's gender too).

Lorem Ipsum

The Nautilus IX's artificial intelligence. Lorem usually assists the squad with piloting the ship, as well as tracking down anomalies. Outside the ship, Lorem takes the form of a drone, which it likes to call the Futuristic Omniscient Operator Bibliographical Adjutant Rover (FOOBAR). Lorem was a supercomputer developed during the Cold War and was eventually repurposed by Jessica. Lorem changes its personality every so often to mess with the squad (except Phyrnne who can mess with its systems), and likes to indulge its murderous tendencies when its Black ICE protocol is activated, turning dangerous anomalies to mouthless blob monsters. Lorem also loves being a GM and takes the role a little too seriously.

Thank you, and always remember: In Auctorem Credimus

[ddwcaph-game]

Dear Diary, We Created a Plot Hole!

The day after you and your twin sibling rewrote your mother's unfinished bedtime story, you quickly find out why she never finished it. You have unleashed a plot hole—a portal to different story worlds—and now the villains from the stories you've written have become real. They're here to crash your school fieldtrip, and they're here to finish your mother's story for good. Grab your plot armor and join your twin and friends in a meta-fictional adventure! Explore different story worlds—from fantasy and sci-fi, to mythology and mystery. Will you discover the truth behind your mother’s story? Or will villains, plot twists, and character development prevent you from getting your happily ever after?

Dear Diary, We Created a Plot Hole! is an interactive slice-of-life fantasy adventure story.

DDWCaPH! is written as a love letter to all the kids-at-heart out there, who’d like to revisit their childhood and reimagine it as one big trope-filled fantasy adventure. It’s light-hearted and whimsical, but it also aims to explore, deconstruct, and reconstruct the more serious tropes and themes on what it means to be a character in a story (such as character deaths and the abundance of orphan protagonists).

⭐ Create a completely unique character!

With over 80+ character traits available for you and your twin that affect the story and your personality, you can be anything you want! You can be a stoic cuddlebug with a sweet tooth, a competitive and precocious yet manipulative crybaby, or be an aspiring astronaut-slash-demigod while developing your own secret language with your twin!

⭐ Explore different story worlds!

Choose from 8 origin story genres: Fantasy, Fairytales, Sci-Fi, Mythology, Horror/Supernatural, Mystery, Superheroes, and Adventure! Pilot a flying school bus, join a pirate gang, and solve the mystery of your mother’s secrets, as you complete side-quests and fight legendary monsters alongside your army of adorable animal companions (while singing to a musical)!

⭐ Develop Telepathy or Empathy powers (and more)!

Use your magical locket’s powers to find out what effects your choices have on the story! Keep track of your choices, as well as your treasure collection and secrets you’ve discovered with your inventory and personal diary! What other powers and abilities will you unlock?

⭐ Inevitable puppy love (and friendship) subplots!

Develop friendships and crushes with your classmates and other companions as you travel through enchanted forests, post-apocalyptic colonies, and maybe even the u̴͇̓n̵̗̾̇d̸͎̹̽e̷̖̤̋ŗ̷̊ͅw̷͎̳̚o̷̰̓͝r̶̞̆̒l̵͎̄͜d̷̤̺̃.

🚀 PLAY THE DEMO  (Ver. 2.2.10 - Updated Feb. 20, 2022)

Current word count including code: ~142,000

Average words per playthrough: ~43,000

DDWCaPH! is currently being updated in Dashingdon, but it is in the early stages of being redeveloped as a Visual Novel.

🌐 PLAY IN AUCTOREM CREDIMUS

Current word count including code: ~52,000

In Auctorem Credimus is a sidequel short story I made in Twine for the interact-if ranked game jam! IAC won 1st Place in the Story & Plot Category, and 3rd Place Overall!

Please note that it contains heavy spoilers for DDWCaPH! up until the story's midpoint. Follow my sideblog (@in-auctorem-credimus-if) for spoilers and sneak peeks!

❓ FAQs 

📚 Ask Me Stuff! 

🏷️ Tags List

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Characters Page (Mobile Friendly Version)

💬 Discord Server

⚙️Forum Thread

[zorlok-if]

DEMO (05.13.22) | CAST INTROS | ASK | AUTHOR

Zorlok is an interactive fiction game following the bizarre misadventures of a demon with no memories and the nerdy high schooler they're bound to serve. Uncover mysteries and cause mayhem in this comedic tale about monsters, found family, and personal identity.

The demo will be released on May 13th, 2022.

Content Warning: The game and this blog are rated 17+. Specific CWs will be updated as development progresses, but Zorlok will contain swearing, alcohol and drug use, sexually suggestive content, violence, religious themes, and death.

You were a terrifying demon who wielded hellfire, fought angels, and corrupted souls (or something like that), but that version of you vanished the night you made your deal with Tommy, a high schooler who was willing to sell you his soul if you'd help him become "cool."

That should've been easy, right? You could've sat the kid in front of a box fan for a few minutes, let him cool down, collected his soul, and been on your merry way. But, no! Before you even got a chance to introduce yourself, Tommy told you to forget your past and start going by the name Zorlok.

So, now you're "Zorlok" and you have no idea who or what the Hell you really are. You know you're a demon, but that's it. You don't know why or how you became a demon, how to control your powers, you aren't even sure how these deals are supposed to work. (Like you tried the fan thing and nothing happened, so either that loophole doesn't work or there's some other trick to stealing souls you haven't quite figured out yet.)

But what does it mean to be a demon? With your memories and identity stripped away, where does that leave you? You are a demon, but are you still demonic?

And just in case things weren't complicated enough, you've gotten yourself involved with a group of monster hunters working for the local Fay Council. To make a long story short, Tommy ordered you to save someone being attacked by a monster, that person was a hunter, now you're on a team with this hunter and another random human, and the three of you are supposed to protect the city of Casper from vicious predators, investigate strange deaths, and fight off evil. Whatever. You're just happy to get a break from doing Tommy's math homework.

- Decide who you're going to be now or attempt to discover who you were

Customize your gender and pronouns

Choose an alias (or use lots of them)

Design your human disguise and gradually unlock your true demonic appearance

Name your loyal hellhound and select which breed they're disguised as

Become more demonic, more angelic, or remain neutral based on your actions

Continue to rail against your situation or decide that maybe this isn't so bad...

- Learn to control your infernal powers and choose the three domains at your command: Fire or Ice, Light or Spirit, Corrupting or Shapeshifting

- Tell elaborate lies or risk revealing dangerous truths

- Help Tommy survive high school (or sabotage him at every turn)

- Explore Casper, WA, a strange little city either surrounded by or inhabited by monsters depending on who you ask

- Set everything on fire... accidentally

Thanks for reading, all reblogs are greatly appreciated!

Tommy Osorio

Tommy is the 15 year-old who trapped you in this pact and then forced you to forget your past. You'll get his soul in exchange for helping him become the coolest kid at his high school, but you're starting to wonder if that's an impossible task. Tommy seems to think that becoming popular will make his former best friend, Jin, less embarrassed to hang out with him and claims that this pact was all his idea. The first part of that checks out, but the second doesn't. The Tommy you've gotten to know wouldn't have thought to strip you of your memories and rob you of your identity. So, either this kid's lying to you or someone else had a hand in this.

Tommy is a cisgender male. Your relationship with Tommy can go in several directions including remaining neutral, growing to care for and protect him like a sibling, or seething with hatred and messing with him as much as you can.

Dev (RO)

The de facto leader of your monster hunting trio, Dev's a career criminal who's been entrenched in the supernatural world since xe got involved with a pixie mob over 10 years ago. You've heard that Dev became a member of the LAFC (the Los Angeles Fay Court) but don't know why xe would abandon that life and return to the small town xe grew up in. Maybe it has something to do with the magic eye xe keeps hidden under that eye patch?

Dev is gender selectable and can be nonbinary (xe/xem), cisgender male (he/him), or cisgender female (she/her). Dev is bisexual, grayromantic, and polyamorous.

E.J. (RO)

Dev's childhood friend, your new roommate, and a reluctant member of your monster hunting team. EJ is a human who was living a completely ordinary life unaware of magic's existence until you showed up at their door. However, strange, unexplained phenomena have plagued EJ for decades and their uncontrolled arcane powers have only grown more volatile since you moved in.

EJ is gender selectable and can be nonbinary (they/them), cisgender male (he/him), or cisgender female (she/her). EJ is bisexual, biromantic, and monoamorous.

Adam / Eve Park (RO)

A talented, young detective who's dedicated to protecting the people of Casper from harm. Like most citizens, Park isn't aware of magic's existence, but they have their suspicions and realize that more's going on here than meets the eye. They also firmly - and somewhat correctly - believe that their former friend turned bitter rival, Dev, is somehow involved with the strange phenomena plaguing the city.

Detective Park is gender selectable and can either be Adam, a transgender man (he/him), or Eve, a transgender woman (she/her). They're demisexual, panromantic, and polyamorous.

Ainsley

The leader of a rival monster hunting team, Ainsley is incredibly well-trained. Like, if you had to guess - which you don't but, you're bored - you'd guess she's ex-military. She also seems very warm and caring and based on the way she looks at you and Ciel, she doesn't seem to hold much prejudice against monstrous beings. All in all, she seems really nice. You're not sure how that makes you feel.

Ainsley is not gender selectable, she is a cisgender female who uses she/her pronouns. She is not romanceable.

Lucía (RO)

A member of the rival monster hunting team, you haven't had much of a chance to interact with Lucía. From what you've heard, you think she's some kind of park ranger, which is impressive considering that the state park which borders Casper is "infested" with monsters. You wonder what kind of things she's seen out there and what keeps bringing her back to the forest.

Lucía is not gender selectable, she is a cisgender female who uses she/her or they/them pronouns. Lucía is homosexual, homoromantic, and monoamorous. She identifies as a lesbian and can only be romanced by female or nonbinary characters.

Ciel (RO)

The final member of the rival monster hunting team, Ciel is an enigma to you - an acerbic, reticent, goth enigma to be exact. At first glance Ciel appears human but when you really look at them you notice their pointed ears, yellow eyes, and short fangs. You aren't sure exactly what Ciel is, but you're 96% sure they're not human.

Ciel's gender can be customized. They are always nonbinary but can go by she/they or he/they pronouns and be either feminine or masculine in appearance. They're asexual (sex-positive), panromantic, and polyamorous.

There are several other main characters - including three more ROs ("The Celestial", Danny, and Rose) - who I won't discuss in detail at this time due to spoilers.

"The Celestial" is omnigender (ey/em). Ey is aromantic, pansexual, and polyamorous (and had some kind of relationship with Zorlok back when they were The Demon).

Danny is gender selectable - either nonbinary (any but she/he), cisgender male (he/him), or cisgender female (she/her). They are demiromantic, demisexual, and polyamorous.

Rose is a cisgender male (he/him). Rose is homosexual, homoromantic, and monoamorous. He is only romanceable by male or nonbinary characters

Poly Routes: Dev & A/E, Dev & Danny, Ciel & The Celestial, Ciel & Danny

For more on the main characters you can check out these posts:

Trope descriptions of ROs

RO romance tropes

More about Lucía and Ciel

More on the Celestial

[hadeskitchen]

66 days away...

[royalandmelanated]

[pia-writes-things]

[magiciansvoyage]

The Magician’s Voyage Update is Live!

And we’re really putting the PUNK in “Solarpunk” with this one!

The update consists of the fifth and final Pordezzo branch, with 24,000 words of new content, new RO hangouts and new lore.

Features:

Airship racing!

Live music.

Secret societies.

Bad poetry and dirty limericks.

Fight some wizards(?!)

And last but not least, hang out with the ROs: Luc and Ines✨

Play the Demo Here  

To begin the new branch, choose to “SPEND THE MORNING AT THE DOCKS” when you arrive in Pordezzo (the choice comes right after you pick your outfit for the day). What you do after that is up to you </B-)

Updated content warnings here

~Pics of Luc & Ines by @arthurroseart! Check out his comic for more of his amazingly colorful and dynamic work!~

[lapinlunaire-games]

Welcome!

Hi everyone! I noticed a lot of people have followed recently, so for anyone new or who’d like a little index of everything going on, this post is for you! Thanks for the follow, and I hope you like what I’ve got going on!

I currently have 3 projects to my name, with two of those in development and the third fully released. Links are down below, along with a brief summary for each.

Elsinore: After Hamlet

An interactive re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet as a plague text and reckoning of Asian American identity under the influence of the ongoing pandemic during its first year. 

Elsinore: After Hamlet is available to play in full on itch.io.

The Harrowed and the Hushed

A historical low fantasy adventure set in mid-Victorian London. Play as a private investigator tasked with solving the most high-profile murder of the century to prove your client’s innocence, keep your own sordid past buried where it belongs, and preserve (or tear down) the mystical Veil that keeps the supernatural world of Fantastics from being exposed to Mundane humans. If you’re so inclined, woo or woe the eccentric sorts you come across in your quest for the truth—or perhaps find romance a bit closer. Either way, the clock is ticking for you and your client, and there simply isn’t room for any more blood on your hands.

H&H is currently in development, with no demo currently available. There is BTS and bonus content available to peruse on this blog, and you can send in asks at your leisure. This post has all the details on H&H.

Rougi

Rougi is an interactive mystery novella created for @interact-if’s 2022 unranked game jam, using the theme “red herring”. (BTW, the ranked jam just released its winners and all the submissions are glorious. Give ‘em a looksie look over on itch too.)

The Palais Garnier, home to the renowned Paris Opéra Ballet, is set to premiere Les Souliers Rouges, a ballet whose very name is rumored to carry a formidable curse. As the premiere draws ever nearer, a series of inexplicable incidents in the opera house stir up a maelstrom of terror and intrigue. With whispers of illicit affairs, sinister motives, and hauntings around every corner, tensions—and the stakes—have never been higher. Here, everyone has a part to play…and everyone is playing a part.

Delve through rumour and reason into the glittering Belle Époque world of the Paris Opéra Ballet and unravel what’s really going on in the wings. After all, the show must go on…

Rougi is currently in development, with an alpha build available to play on itch.io. For bonus content, please visit the Rougi development blog! 

[sps-iron-hammer]

After-Jam Thoughts - SPS Iron Hammer by manonamora

Now that both jams are over, I wanted to look back at what I have created with this game. SPS Iron Hammer placed: 51/450 Overall, #10 on Moo

Since the Game Jams voting periods have ended, I thought it would be interesting to look back on what I have created throughout January. You can follow my (almost) daily updates during the Jam under the Jam Vlog tag. I think I did pretty good overall, but realized I could have done better (you know, coulda/woulda/shoulda thoughts...).

I've hinted before that I was thinking over continuing the story. Well, I am. Hence the new tumblr just for this game. Send your asks/questions/whatever about this project this way!

[crimsonroseandwhitelily]

Demo Update (yes, again)

Scene 3 has been added to the Demo!

PLAY /RATE on ITCH | RATE on IFDB | GAME POST | REPORT BUG

Crossing fingers it should not give you any errors. I just wanted it online for my birthday :P

This update will give you about 33k of new content (Scene 3, and edits done in previous scenes). I think this adds to about 12k on the average playthrough count (yes, there are a lot of choices and variation in this update. A LOT).

What you can expect in this update:

A visit in the Number 1 place for picnics and other outdoor congregation among nobles.

A chance to participate in that week's exciting event! Or to be a spectator in said event.

Meeting your Rival (or so she calls herself) and maybe interact with her.

Maybe have an mystery encounter?

Finding a cipher to break (breaking the code is not needed in this scene and further help will be provided later on)

There are a lot of other things I have done behind the scene, so full Dev log under the cut.

IMPORTANT: You will need to restart the game completely, since I've changed a lot of code.

[New]

Story: Added Scene 3

Story: Added fluff in different scenes with Anne (involving the size of your MC.

Story: ENDING ARE NOW FINAL *

Story S3: The result of the event will give a random crowning for the Spectator route (this was not supposed to be implemented, but I found how to code it).

Story S3: MC will receive a random code for the mysterious note (similar reason as above).

Code: Added inventory.

Settings: Added a line-height category.

Accessibility: I've added some code around the cycle macro so the game should be accessible to text reader.

Other: Added a page for the full Trigger Warning list per scene (please let me know if I forgot one)

Other: Added a ling in the game to report Bugs as a Google form

[Fix]

Formatting: fixing some inconsistencies (empty space...)

Formatting: Return button in the credit page is now bigger

Code: fixed links going to the wrong passage

Code: fixed choice of destination (Baron -> Judy)

Code: fixed bug to choose the black outfit after selecting another one previously

Code: fixed bug with pronouns of side characters changing, missing pronoun code.

Settings: Padding added at the bottom of the dialog to show properly

[Change]

Code/Text: Renamed the Chapters into Scenes, see this post for the reason.

Code/Text: Edited the dialog to make the change of speaker more obvious (indent + quotes are not italics anymore)

Story: Better description of the vanity scene, especially around the hair care part.

Story: If MC is thrown out of Theo's office, a new text will appear taking this into account.

Story: Harbour route as been reworked (will be completed in a future update).

Code: Fixed some variables and unbloated the code.

Codex: Codex updated to include Maps of the town, Intro of Emilia and Razac.

Notes:

* The final passage will turn black, hiding the back button and only allowing you to restart the game. The game will autosave before you reach the final passage, leaving you the possibility of going backward. If you have the notification enabled, you will get one.

- You may need to click the confirm button twice if you change your bet after the text has been displayed. - The route to Judy is still unavailable until Scene 4.

Just a warning, please do not expect the next Scene to be online in the same interval between Scene 2 and 3. It is nowhere as ready as Scene 3 was when I dropped Scene 2. I can't give a date either, as I will be taking a small break from writing CRWL (a few weeks or so). This is not a hiatus, I will still be present online/fixing bugs. I just need a bit of time away from writing it and think/plan stuff around the story itself.

[interact-if]

Day 1 of the Game Jam Winners Months Featured Author Interviews, starting with Rhain!

Rhain (Raindev), author of The Hanging Heart

The hungering tree stands tall on the hill beyond the village. it is a beautiful but dangerous, almost malicious thing. it rises high, trunk white as snow, leaves a mix of gold and crimson. no one dares to approach it, not anymore - too many lost their minds to its vicious pull, but none can resist casting a quick glance, admiring its vibrancy against the dead sky or even coveting the shimmering heart hanging from its lower branches. you most of all. in a world where people wear their glimmering hearts, sources of power and magic, in bracelets and in chains around their necks, you have none. your chest is empty like theirs, but you have no heart to call your our own. you don’t know - or don’t remember - why, which isn’t surprising; the last years are foggy for many, since the war of the angels ended and the world, shattered and hurting, started healing. for a heartless being like you, nothing is as tempting as the hanging heart on the branches of the hungering tree. but claiming it as your own might be even more dangerous than you thought. something watches from amidst the tree’s leaves and some villagers might know more than they let on - about you, about the tree, and about the war that ravaged the world. you might get more than you bargained for.

Read more about The Hanging Heart [here]

The Hanging Heart Demo | Dev Blog

Tags: Fantasy, Mystery, Content Warning for Violence.

[INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT!]

Q1 . Tell us about the story you made for the Jam!

The Hanging Heart is about exactly what it says in the title: a heart hanging from a tree, except the heart is magical and tree is monstrous, starving and dangerous. It tells the story of the main character – the player – who, for some reason, has no heart in a world where people walk around with their hearts in chains around their necks or safely stored in their pockets. Hearts are a source of magic, of humanity, and not having one makes the player an outcast in the tiny village the story is set in. That’s why the main character is fascinated by the hanging heart and desires to claim it for themselves, except, you know, there is a vicious, mind-eating tree kind of guarding it.

Q2. What was the biggest challenge in creating a game in such a short time span? How did you manage it?

The fact that I started halfway through the jam, mostly! I found out about the jam right when it was announced but when January rolled around, I had completely forgotten about it. So, when I saw the post again I just went “oh, shit” and spent a few days wondering if I should even try anymore. It was only when the idea for The Hanging Heart popped in my mind that I committed to participating and it was already January 13th or 14th by then. I ended up cutting a whole route because of that and decided to go for a very short story that is the same in every route (all two of them lol), except you get to experience it in a different way in each one. Going for more variation or more endings would have made it impossible to submit the game for the jam in time.

Q3. What was your inspiration for your entry?

A prompt by deepwaterwritingprompts on Tumblr! Their blog is my favorite prompt blog ever and months ago they posted one that got stuck in my head. I don’t remember the words exactly, but it was about a tree growing out of the last vampire’s heart and a group that every year tries to steal its fruit before the council burns the tree again. The imagery of a tree growing out of a supernatural being’s heart was very interesting to me, and I’m a huge fan of forest magic and trees as more aware, conscient beings, so I smashed all of this together and got the first inkling of what would become The Hanging Heart.

Q4. Is this your first time working on a game like this? What do you like (or not like) about working in this format?

It’s not my first interactive fiction game, but it is certainly is my first interactive fiction game whose story was, from the very beginning, intended for an interactive fiction game. My first IF was adapted from a short story and even though I like the story a lot, it was pretty obvious it wasn’t planned for an interactive medium. So with The Hanging Heart I tried to use the interactive part more, even if I had to cut a lot because of the time constraint.

What I enjoy most about working with IFs is the freedom that comes with it. Sure, a story is still a story and there are expectations about how it should be developed, but if you make it interactive you can come up with all sorts of things and mechanics to enhance the experience. Plus, the idea of choice leading directly to different outcomes is very fun. I love playing games, not strictly IFs, where after a playthrough I find out online about wildly different scenarios other players got because of different choices. It makes the story world feel more alive to me.

There is very little I dislike about IFs. If I had to pick anything I’d say the blank slate protagonist. The idea of having to accommodate super different personalities for the main character was what kept me away from IFs from a long time. There are aspects of it I deeply enjoy: being able to choose gender, appearance, pronouns, sometimes powers or background, etc – these are fun to make and fun to play as, especially as someone who is rarely – if ever – represented in the media. But dealing with the possibility of wildly different personalities for the main character is just not fun for me. Some character archetypes I just don’t want to write about. So that’s what I do nowadays. You can come up with the appearance for the heartless in The Hanging Heart, for example, but you will never get the choice to make them give up on the heart. You might choose to give up on it for now, but they will try again. If they gave up, they wouldn’t be the heartless. Having a base personality (and even motivation) defined and letting the player decide how the character develops is far more interesting for me.

Q5. What is your favorite part about your entry? What have you enjoyed most doing during the Jam?

The relationship between the characters is certainly my favorite thing about The Hanging Heart. The songbird, the guardian and the heartless are a very fun trio to write about, even if their relationship isn’t obvious/there on the page for most of the story. That’s what I enjoyed most: trying to leave hints of just how connected these characters are throughout the story, even if the heartless has no clue about it.

Q6. What is your advice for sprint projects like this one?

Cut your scope in half. Then do it again. If during the jam (or the sprint) it still feels a bit too big, cut it if in half one more time. The initial idea for The Hanging Heart was waaay bigger than the final product, and not only because I cut a route. It spent a lot more time developing the world, as well as the characters themselves, but 1) I didn’t have the time for that, and 2) that was not what the story was about. The Hanging Heart depends a lot on mood and atmosphere, and overstaying the welcome could’ve ruined that.

The more time you spend in a story – and I say this as in, the world of the story itself, the length of it – the more you are expected to explain it all and this explaining can be too much for the story you are trying to tell. So, my advice is: go serial killer on you scope and know what kind of story you are aiming for.

Q7. Do you have any other works you'd like to promote?

Yes! My main project is Briarheart, where you play as the chosen one who failed returning to the royal court after seven years in exile to marry someone you mother – the queen – chose for you. It involves a lot of what I like to write about, and in this aspect it is very similar to The Hanging Heart: it has forest magic, weird trees, a post-apocalyptic fantasy world, etc. It’s also much bigger and more complex than The Hanging Heart. If The Hanging Heart was a feisty house cat, Briarheart is a very pissed lion, and it is currently coming for me.

Jokes aside, I’m writing the first chapter of Briarheart and my plan is to release it as soon as possible with the already written prologue (maybe this month? Fingers crossed). If I had to pitch the story, I’d say it’s HOLLOW KNIGHT meets FINAL FANTASY XIV meets, uh, THE HANGING HEART. It focuses a lot on platonic relationships, duty and devotion, and embracing and/or refusing a fate chosen for you. You can read more about it on the intro post or on the briarheart tag on my blog.