🇰🇷 Interactive Survival RPG Trainee ➔ Idol ➔ Legend/Tragedy?
Current Progress: Idoll (Chapter 3) ▓░░░░░░░░░ 10%
💄 Customize your Face Card 🔪Fight your Rivals ❤️ Romance your Sunbaes Links: 🔗 https://cogdemos.ink/go/7180
📝chat with the crew, jk just with fellow addicts: https://mfein-games.itch.io/i-doll/community
💌 Ask Box: Open
Support me on Ko-fi :https://ko-fi.com/mfein☕
Sorry for the radio silence. Life has a way of getting loud, especially when you're balancing reality with the neon-lit chaos of Project: Supernova. But even when I'm away from the keyboard, the characters are still whispering in my ear.
I wanted to share a little warmth today: a look at a quiet moment from the upcoming update. In this scene, you and Jun finally get a second to breathe in the Master Suite of the villa . You get to choose one "treasure" you managed to sneak in.
It’s a small choice, but it defines who your MC is when the cameras aren't watching.
I sit on the edge of the bed and pull my ${treasure} out of the bag..."
📱 The Digital Escape: *if (treasure = "Smartphone") "The blue light is the only thing in the room. Jun crawls over, dragging a duvet. 'Scooch over,' ${j_he} whispers. We sit shoulder to shoulder, our faces lit by the glow. We don't talk about the show. We just watch stupid videos and laugh until my eyes burn."
👵 The Heart: *if (treasure = "Grandma's Locket") "I rub the cold silver with my thumb. I think about my Halmae and the way she looks at me. I need to survive this. I need to make sure she sees me win. I tuck it under my shirt, right against my skin."
📸 The Ghost of Expectations: *if (treasure = "Family Photo") "I trace the faces of my parents. I remember the long silences at dinner. My dad didn't want this. I can still feel the weight of his disapproval every time I look at this photo. I have to make it worth it now."
Jun yawns and pulls the blanket up to ${j_his} chin.
"I am glad it is us in here," ${j_he} says.
"Go to sleep Jun ah," I tell ${j_him}.
"Goodnight Star," ${j_he} mutters.
I lie back and look at the dark. Tomorrow is going to be a mess but at least I have my ${treasure} and this idiot roommate.
I'm so excited to get this chapter into your hands. Thank you for waiting, for the messages, and for sticking by i-doll. More updates (and maybe more Jun content) coming very soon. 🤍
OMG this story is amazing!! I don't come across a lot of kpop, kdrama or cdrama IFs so it's always refreshing whenever I do and I couldn't have found this at a better time with me pumping Arirang almost all last week 😍 so I hope my MC can get to like 50% of that... your writing is amaxing and I can't wait to see more of your work
This is so sweet, thank you! It’s so rewarding to hear from people who appreciate the niche. Sending love to you and your future superstar MC, I have a feeling they’ll get to that 50% (and more) in no time ✨
I was getting ready to celebrate 100 followers, but you guys blew right past that while I was busy polishing Chapter 2.
Seriously, thank you for being here. Seeing so many people vibing with the trainees, the drama at Titan, and the overall chaos of i-doll is the best motivation I could ask for.
Something a little different to celebrate...
I want to hear from YOU. I’m officially opening the SUBMISSIONS tab! 💌
I would love to see the world of I-DOLL through your eyes. Feel free to submit:
Fanart & Moodboards: Honestly, I would probably melt if I saw any art, sketches, or aesthetics you’ve made for the characters! 🎨
Playlists: What songs do you think the ROs listen to? Or what’s the "vibe" of your MC?
Your MC Headcanons: How is your trainee handling the stress? What’s their "off-camera" personality?
World-Building Theories: Who in Titan is already being marked as their "Golden Goose" and why Sang-ho was drafted from Hollywood all the way to South Korea?
I’ll be sharing my favorites on the blog!
In the meantime, I’m back to work on Chapter 3 things are about to get very interesting...
Thank you again for joining this journey. Hwaiting!
Real Life is Calling (and it’s actually pretty cool)
Hey everyone, mfein here.
I know things have been a little quiet on the i-doll front this week, but let’s be real.. sometimes life decides to throw everything at you at once. Between the day job and a massive new project I’m working on, my ChoiceScript variables had to take a tiny backseat.
So, what’s up? I’m currently in the selection process for a program where I’ll be lecturing in schools on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community. 🏳️🌈 It’s intense, it’s meaningful, and it’s something I’m incredibly passionate about.
I’ve always believed that real world experiences make for better storytelling. Being out there in the community gives me a lot of perspective, and honestly, it just fuels my drive to make i-doll the best it can be. Even though I didn't hit my word count goals this week, being busy in a good sense makes me more hyped to code 💯
Thanks for sticking with me while I juggle being a human and a game dev. Chapter 3 progress is resuming as we speak, I’m diving back into the code starting this weekend with a lot of inspiration. 💻
There's something I'm curious about that made me wonder while I was playing, is there a particular reason Jun was chosen as an anchor and not a RO? Because Jun was the first one that picked my interest when I first playing the game. And I was initially confused why they didn't have certain choices like some of the characters, till I scrolled down and found a link to the forum where I realized that Jun isn't actually a RO. The same revelation happened with Rio and Kang.
Hi again 👋🏼 to be straightforward, there's a reason they are anchors and not ROs. A big part of the world of i-doll is realizing that 1.your time is limited and 2.finding a safe place (or person) in the chaos. I really wanted to explore those found family dynamics, those friends who are your absolute rock. There might be some chemistry there, but not every deep connection has to turn into a full-blown romance.
If I made every single character an RO, the game would shift into being just a dating sim because there will be more romance less kpop content, and the MC would end up with a bunch of people who want to date, instead of actual friends. Thats just not the vibe or the vision I have for the story right now.
So yeah, no plans to turn Rio, Kang and Jun into ROs, but I hope you still enjoy the deep, platonic bonds you can build with them 💓🙏🏼
Thank you for your response, now I need to figure out how I made my character pass the evaluation in my first playthrough (I have no idea what I did in the first place to achieve that) and then check out chapter 3. Otherwise, I might be stuck replaying chapter 2 over and over again😅
I'm working on the
Max stats
update as we speak , and cant wait for you to get to the zen mode so you can chill and relax :) its in chapter 3 btw... You've definitely earned it after surviving that evaluation XP
Related to the previous ask, I remember that in my last playthrough my character’s name didn’t get called (Rio got in instead), my character gathered their stuff from the locker then I then got a scene with a a character calling mine over from a car and offering them to pass on tv to discuss the contest or something, and then chapter 3 started and somehow my character made it to Noa’s island with the other contestants? I didn’t really get the logic of that part, would you mind telling me what happened?
hi anon! first of all, rip to your mc. but honestly don't feel too bad about failing the chapter 2 evaluation. director park's culling phase is brutal , even I get a fail there during testing sometimes xs
but no, you didn't break the game and that wasn't just some random dude ...
let me break down the lore logic for you. director park only cares about perfect obedient little robots. but the guy in the black van? that is Sang-ho the main producer of the survival show itself. and what do reality tv producers care about? ratings. drama. pure chaos.
sorry if the time jump threw you off! when the pd told you to get in the van, he wasn't taking you to some side interview to cry about your feelings. he literally scooped you out of the alleyway and personally chauffeured you straight to the villa.
He saw you get eliminated, looked at your angry rejected face, and thought "wow, putting them in a house full of perfect idols is going to make incredible television." he hijacked your elimination to give you a wildcard comeback just to stir the pot and stress everyone out.
so yeah. you failed the corporate test, but you got recruited to be the show's official menace. have fun making the show a success or a trainwreck lol ;)
It's me again, I got confused and wanted to clarify what makes MC chosen after the evaluation in chapter 2? During my first playthrough of the 2 chapters my character passed it, but in my second playthrough (I wanted to make my MC more rebellious to pass the rebellious check) they didn't. Also is there a way to make the MC an ace or all rounder?
Hi desfiery! I absolutely love that you are digging so deep into the mechanics!
Titan is a cruel company, and surviving the final evaluation isn't just about stepping on stage. Here is a little peek behind the curtain on how Director Park judges you:
The Performance (The Stage):
To actually pass the stage itself, you need at least one Killing Part = meaning one of your main skills (Dance, Vocals, Charisma, or Visuals) needs to be high enough to impress him. If you're just "okay" at everything but not great at anything, he'll mark you as average and fail you. (There are also some… darker ways to pass if your Stress is sky-high or you have an injury and rely on your Mask, but I'll let you discover those! 😈)
The Culling (The Trap):
Here is where a lot of players get caught! Even if you gave a good performance, Titan will still drop the axe during the final lineup if they see a liability. If any of your core skills (vocals, dance or charisma ) are abysmally low, Park will eliminate you on the spot for being unbalanced. Also, if your relationship with the Manager is in the gutter… well, talent won't save you from a bad attitude cut!
The All-Rounder Hack (The Ace Path):
You asked if there's a way to be an Ace? YES! It's a real, hidden mechanical achievement.
Here’s the hack: Director Park actually checks for this first. If your Total Skill (Vocals + Dance + Visual + Charisma combined) is 150 or higher, you pass automatically as an All-Rounder.
In this path, you don't even need to be a monster in any single stat. He'll officially label you a Machine because you sacrificed everything (social life, sleep, sanity) to have zero holes in your armor . It is one of the hardest titles to get in the game!
Good luck on your next playthrough! I can't wait to see if you manage to unlock the All-Rounder status! 😉
Hello, I just found your game and decided to try it out. While playing I noticed something I'm curious about at the moment, the skin colour of my MC is stated as dark, when I only remember choosing the hair colour out of the three available options. Does that mean I can't choose the skin tone myself? Does the hair colour affect the skin tone? Also can you please clarify the non-korean/mixed part, does that mean foreigner and/or half-Korean, if I'm understanding it correctly? And if so, will there be an option to clarify or imply if MC is half-Korean or foreigner? Like for example, the MC is half Norwegian and etc.? Another thing that I noticed in some games, not exactly the same genre of course, is the presence of easy mode/cheat mode/God mode or narrative/storytelling option mode for those who don't want to stress about failing the stat checks, which always made me curious and surprised if I ever found such an option in the games. I wonder, if there's gonna be something similar to ease the stat management, especially the stress stat, as someone who doesn't like failing the state checks at the critical point of the story after I thought I was prepared enough. I'm just curious about these particular things at moment.
hi desfiery thank you so much for the thoughtful questions and for diving deep into the world of i-doll 😁
Skin Tone & Hair Color:
Currently, the skin tone is tied to the "origin" you select (Mixed/Global/Local) to reflect the narrative. Your choice of hair color is aesthetic and does NOT affect your skin tone. I might separate skin tone into its own customization menu in a future update to give players even more freedom!
2. The Mixed Background:
In the game's lore, your grandmother is the one who is 100% Korean. This means your mother could be mixed herself, and your father is non-Korean. This allows the MC to have a wide variety of looks (including darker skin tones) while still having a strong, authentic connection to Korean culture and language through their family heritage.
3. God Mode :
I totally hear you... honestly, I’ve used a Cheat Engine once or twice myself when playing RPGs! 😂 For now, I’ve decided against a full God Mode because the pressure, "taking the heat" and the risk of failure are core parts of the K-pop trainee experience I want to portray.
However, I am considering adding an option at the start of the game for a "Max Stats" mode. In this mode, your professional stats would be maxed out, but you would still need to manage your Stress levels = so there’s still a small element of challenge while letting you focus more on the story.
Thank you for the feedback! It really helps me shape the game as I develop Chapter 3.
Since Chapter 3 Part 1 is officially live, I wanted to share a closer look at how I’ve always imagined the Villa in my head.
This isn't just where the trainees live, it’s an architectural statement. Cold industrial steel meets the warmth of polished mahogany. A sanctuary designed for those at the top, but with enough glass walls to make you feel like you’re always being watched.
Design Highlights:
The Living Terrarium: A slice of the tropics trapped in the Korean climate.
The Infinity Deck: Mahogany wood and soft blue LEDs-where most of the "unofficial" drama happens.
The Atmosphere: Dark, luxe, and undeniably massive.
How did YOU imagine the Villa while playing Chapter 3? Does this match the vibe you had in mind?
Hi! Love the story. Any time I pick the top option in chapter 3 I get an error!
hi! tysm words and for reporting this! ❤️
I’ve tried to reproduce the error on my end, but the top option in chapter 3 seems to be working fine for me. To help me fix this, could you please tell me:
What does the error message say? (A screenshot would be amazing!)
2. Which browser are you playing on?
3. Does it happen regardless of your previous choices?
I really want you to be able to continue the story, so I'll jump on a fix as soon as I have more details! 🛠️
you can send the screenshot to my email or in a personal msg
Hey 🌝🌝, so I'm of course loving the game so far but before I even enjoy chap 3 I was trying out different choices for the VIRAL MOMENT in chap 2 and tried to get ALL ROUNDER for the final evaluation, but that IF statement doesn't load even though I have a total skill of 152 (voc 35, dan 30, vis 50, cha 37). I think since my Visual passes the GOOD ENERGY statement it skips over the ALL ROUNDER and proceeds to the announcement without confirming if I pass any other statements
Appreciate the ask :) First off: 152 stats? That’s top-tier. you're definitely in the running for the Center position with that kind of Monster Rookie energy. ✨
About the visual star title, it seems Director Park got so distracted by those visuals he didn't even bother finishing reviewing your file. My bad. 🤡
jk, it was a coding issue and it's fixed now, so go claim that All-Rounder title. You deserve it! 🎤💎
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 🫠
I finally spent some time last week working on the dialogue for Chapter 3 where the MC can actually voice being Asexual, Aromantic, or AroAce. I’ll be honest, this was long overdue. While I’ve always wanted i-doll to be an inclusive space, "implying" an identity isn't the same as giving it a clear, voiced place in the story.
I know some games prefer a big bang approach where you define your MC’s entire look, personality, and orientation in the first five minutes. But for i-doll, I’ve always felt that natural growth is better. I’d much rather you discover who your MC is through their actions and reactions as the story unfolds, rather than just ticking boxes in a menu at the start.
For me, the most rewarding part of writing this isn't just the romance... it’s the human interactions and the psychological difficulty of handling high-pressure environments. I want to see how these different personalities clash when the cameras are on, and off ohhh when they're off .
Allowing the MC to define themselves this way, in their own time, fits that vision perfectly. Plus, it leaves plenty of room for those fourth-wall breaks we all know and love. 😉
I’m still figuring this story out one step at a time, and I’m so grateful to have a community that’s patient enough to go on this journey with me. 💜💚
Hello. Are all ROs mono? I hope there are no poly routes in your game?
Hi there :)
Yes, all RO's in i-doll are strictly mono.
Noa, Minjae, and Coco are way too much of divas for that. They’ve spent their entire lives fighting for the spotlight and the center position. They aren’t exactly the "sharing" type when it comes to the stage, or you. They play for keeps.
Then there’s Hanuel… our precious Royal Teddy-bot. 🧸
Haneul is regal, precise, and incredibly, for the lack of better word , precious. Mixing that kind of unique energy into a complex poly dynamic just doesn't compute. They deserve your 100% focus. 👑
Remember this photo (and that pissed off look)? Most of you saw a star, a host, a "perfect doll" for Vanguard Worldwide.
But in i-doll , we aren’t just looking at the stage. We’re looking through the looking glass.
23:00. The Pool Deck.
When the cameras sleep, the "glittering armor" comes off. The gown is off, and the diamonds are locked in the safe. This is Noa when the world isn't watching ( just us >_>) wearing an oversized hoodie and bare feet, looking more like a runaway than an Empress.
"I'm concerned about the girl," I snap, the words slipping out before I can filter them. "She’s a teenager, Sang-ho. Not a prop. If you push them until they break, you don't have a show, you have a █████ █████."
The industry calls her the Empress. Her PD calls her a "legendary" energy consumer. But while the world sees a cold professional, she’s sipping cold chocolate milk from a crystal glass, trying to drown out the hum of the ghosts that have lived in her head for years.
"Soft is just another word for expired." -Sang-ho
In this psychological IF, your choices don't just change the plot, they change how the world's biggest star sees herself and you obvi...
Did you act like a hero during the [REDACTED]?
Did you freeze like the silence of a black car?
Or did you perform for the cameras, just like her mother did?
Noa is watching. She's dissecting every emotion before she can even feel it. She’s looking at the broken tiles in her own home, wanting to fix them before someone else gets cut.
i-doll is about the survival of the soul in a world that only buys your colors.
P.S. There is a secret hidden in the code of the next teaser. Only those who look past the brightness will see the girl underneath. 😉
follow mfein.dev on TikTok if you want to see the more behind the scenes angst. the teaser drops today at :
