You're going to be a superstar, no matter what it takes.
You and your friends have been in a band since high school, when all you were was a lead singer to a band that played out of someone's garage and did occasional birthday party gigs for the neighborhood kids. after years of grinding, your band has yet to make it big, but has managed a small and dedicated cult following. All you and your bandmates want is to see your names in glittery lights, traveling the world to perform for millions of fans.
Your chance comes in Misfit Alley's Battle of the Bands. After auditioning every year with no success, your band has finally gotten the opportunity to tour across the United States and open for the biggest band in the world, performing against other bands in the hopes that you win and get signed.
As you perform, your fame rises and you can see the dream coming to fruition. But with fame comes problems of its own, some that might just ruin you and the band you swore to take to the top.
Infamous is rated 18+ for explicit language, explicit sexual themes, drug and alcohol use, violence, morally questionable behavior, and more.
✮ FEATURES ✮ CHARACTER INTROS ✮
Customize your MC (the lead singer of your band)'s appearance and personality, as well as their public image and persona. Are they loved or hated by the public? Controversial or appeasing? Humble or arrogant? Fame and money-hungry or simply there for the music?
Following that, work on your band's public image and whether they're mainstream or underground, depending on the choice of music you release and what kind of promo you do. Is your band hated by parents due to its explicit content or is your band squeaky clean, perfect for a mainstream label?
Engage in fiery romance with an array of wild characters, including some that may just get you into hot water with the rumor mill.
Create your own lyrics and decide whether you want to be a genuine artist or the face of a brand.
Get rich and famous ! Isn't that what you're here for?
✮THE BAND + ROs✮
The Band Manager: Orion/Oriana Quinn ✮ he/him or she/her, 35 ✮ [RO] -- strict and reserved, O is the antithesis of what a rockstar is. Some call their cold and uptight demeanor having 'a stick up their ass' but they call it being business focused. O is all about bringing the band to the top, which includes being professional at all times.
Special romance route: you can choose to have been chasing O for years, to no success (until now?)
The New Addition: August Pierce ✮ they/them, 26 ✮ [RO] -- With the exit of your bandmate, August has taken her place as the band's drummer. Usually shy and reserved, that all goes out the window once they start playing. You wonder if their isolation is less a personality trait and more the fact that they're in a band with longtime friends. Doesn't matter--seems like it'll take a while for you to get close to them regardless.
The Idol: Griffin/Gina 'Gigi' Reign ✮ he/him or she/her, 28 ✮ [RO] -- the spunky, charming and controversial lead singer of Misfit Alley and now your mentor, G Reign is currently the most famous person on Earth. Everyone either hates them, wants to be them, or wants to fuck them. Of course, this means a slew of trouble if one gets close to them...that is if they even allow it.
Special romance route: engage in an affair / engage in a strictly physical relationship (that can lead to a romantic one) // poly route with Victoria Valentine
The Rival: Seven Lawless ✮ he/him or she/her, 27 ✮ [RO] -- once your best friend or ex, they are now your rival and the lead singer of Soft Violence, another band competing for Battle of the Bands. They hate you. Still, the line between love and hate is a whole lot of passion.
Special romance route: can either be an ex or a former best friend, enemies to lovers.
The Girl Dad: Sebastian Holland ✮ he/him, 33 ✮ [RO] -- a normal and friendly data analyst, Sebastian isn't about the music scene....but his daughter is and she's a superfan of your band. Sebastian is your typical 'nice guy' almost too nice, sometimes, and has been dragged along by his daughter to follow the Battle of the Bands for her birthday. He's just a normal civilian. The last thing you should do is get to know him, right?
The Eye Candy: Victoria Valentine ✮ she/her, 27 ✮ [RO] -- G Reign's wife, she's an upcoming actress and model. Victoria has been G's eye candy since they came up on the scene, but you can almost sense the tension between them. And the way Victoria seeks shelter in someone else...that could be you.
Special romance route: engage in an affair // poly route with G Reign
Hi Amy, one of the bigger bugs of chapter 5 is in the public release too. It treats it as though everyone has a romance score even when you haven't been pursuing them at all. It's because of temp variables set at the beginning of chapter 5, specifically these lines:
omg I put that there for testing and forgot to take it out thank u!! Replying to let everyone know ive been made aware, I’ll let make a post once im at a computer and it’s fixed !
It was an incredible pleasure to interview @infamous-if, author of the overall winner in the modern/slice-of-life category for Infamous. The IF is packed with emotional depth, unforgettable characters, and a remarkable talent for transforming a familiar modern setting into something utterly engrossing. Whenever I pick up the IF, I end up staying up way past my bedtime.
Amy is an absolute force in the IF community—someone whose writing ability, dedication, and sheer consistency are genuinely awe-inspiring, and who is also one of the sweetest people around.
See the full list of winners in this category here.
About the author
Heyy! For new readers who may not know me, my name is Amy and Infamous is my one and only IF. It may be my first IF but what readers may not know is that it’s not my first foray into publishing fiction. I’ve indie published a few novels before getting into interactive fiction!
About the game
A story about finding your way through the best and worst parts of Hollywood live on television.
Tell me more about your journey into interactive fiction or what you're working on now
I’m working on a few things. Infamous always takes priority, so I’ve really been focusing on at least hitting the halfway mark and with chapter five out I can practically see it now. I have been dabbling in a future Infamous spinoff and two new stories in entirely new settings. I’m mildly superstitious, so I’m pretty private about everything that isn’t Infamous related, but it’s all really exciting to do something different.
Discovering interactive fiction started with visual novels when I was ten. I used to play those admittedly cringy dating games from the app store all the time! I just loved reading and I was looking for any medium to scratch that itch. Creatures Such as We was the first Choicescript project I ever read. That’s when it clicked in my mind that interactive fiction was an actual thing. I went through what was available in their catalogue in a month. Since then it’s remained one of my favorites.
What was the inspiration for this game, and why did you want to write a story in this genre?
Infamous was inspired by my love of music and reality TV. I was a big pop culture nerd when I was younger and was even an admin of a fanbase for an artist (that I won’t mention!). I met a few of my best friends through artists’ fandoms and learned a lot about the fan culture of pop stars and artists that way. As for the reality part, I grew up on trashy reality television. Admittedly, I was definitely too young for half the stuff I watched, but thankfully it worked out! My first IF being a contemporary band drama story felt right. Everything I write in Infamous comes from the knowledge I’ve picked up over the years consuming pop culture.
How has your identity, heritage/background, or personal experience influenced your storytelling?
A lot of the dynamics in Infamous are picked up from my real life. My social circle is so different in both identity and life experience that it only made sense the band in Infamous would look the same. My friends are always there to lend their experience and/or perspectives which has made the band in Infamous feel more ‘real’ to me.
What’s the one thing you’re really proud of that you’ve written so far? Do you have a favorite character or scene that you’ve written?
A lot of MC’s story is about the uncertainty of the future. There’s a constant theme of ‘making this work because there’s no backup.’ MC is taking (celebrity) life as it comes and that’s something I definitely relate to. Working a creative job, being unlabeled, dropping out of college with no backup plan…that kind of theme resonates with me! I’ve always been a “go-with-the-flow” kind of person. Not too worried about putting a label on myself or planning what’s next for my life. Of course, MC has a lot more at stake!
While I’ve said August is my favorite character, I am really proud to have created Seven. They’re still really hard to pin down sometimes, even years later, which I feel like is a good thing. I’ve never written a character that people are so attached to and invested in, both positively and negatively. It amazes me the things people latch to, even things about them that I didn’t even think about until readers point it out to me. I’ve been jokingly told Seven is probably my peak when it comes to character writing, and honestly, I wouldn’t mind it if that’s the case.
I also really like G Reign. They’re another character whose complexity really puts my writing abilities to the test. I can write an entire separate story about them alone.
For folks who enjoyed your IF, what other book/music/movie should they check out with the same ‘vibe’, (whatever that means to you)?
Coyote Ugly, Scott Pilgrim vs The World, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Daisy Jones & The Six (both the book and show—the book is better). I binged all of this in one weekend and that’s how I came up with the idea for Infamous. I’ve said this a million times but Infamous seriously wouldn’t exist without this list!
What're you excited to implement or work on next?
The romance in Infamous! Ironically enough for a romance there hasn’t been much of it but we’re finally getting there and I’m super excited. I’m also super excited to work on another IF when this one is all said and done. It’s a long way out but the prospect of playing in a new sandbox is great motivation!
Fun with the modern/slice-of-life genre
Personal fave profession: Artist! (Surprise.)
Personal fave modern setting: A small town.
If you were transported into the setting above, as the profession you selected, what would be the main current plot ‘struggle’ be: Trying to find a job and live a normal life after my world-shattering scandal in Hollywood, because clearly something big must’ve happened that had me returning home with my tail between my legs!
Had so much fun answering! Thank you everyone for your support on the story and for voting. And thank you @interact-if for all the hard work you guys do! Truly makes the community such a brighter place! <3
oh Amy the tone sounds angry 😭 you're tired of us aren't you
Not at alllllllll sorry I actually made sure to finish before I left the house on an important trip so I published it and left. I didn't want to have people waiting another three days. haha I'd usually have written something longer.
The cast of BotB season four has touched down in a new state: Ohio! That's right—they're infiltrated G's backyard (and maybe someone else's?) Unfortunately, the rockstar isn't happy about this development considering the people who have decided to show their faces here. Meanwhile certain rumors are tainting the BOTB brand while the home lives of the ROs are starting to creep up on them. Will there even be a tour? Who knows?
As usual, MC remains in the center of it all. Their plans for their future comes into question when they're forced with new faces and possibilities. That is…if they even have a career by the end of this. For some MCs they should probably keep in mind to think with their head and not their…you know!
Hi! It's been a long time coming but I'm excited to share the Chapter 5 alpha demo! Thank you for your patience and enthusiasm :) Please read until the end. Without fail I get questions that are answered in this post almost immediately after publishing it aha
I'm calling it an alpha demo because, and not to get all sad and lame, after the death of my family member I did not feel like adding more to my plate (aka beta testers). Writing took up much of my time already and it just hasn't been the right time to include other people into the process. Of course, that must change, and I will be getting beta testers soon now that the alpha is out. As always, the chapters are subject to change and improve as time goes on.
So with that said if there are errors im all ears! I will try to be as timely as possible.
Every chapter you write consistently gets better it’s actually mind blowing. I do have one question though but if you can’t answer I understand. For those who choose for MC to be an alcoholic and or drug user. Will that play a significant role and have consequences in future chapters or is that purely cosmetic?
Thank you! And there already is some consequences (vague spoilers for ch5)
If your MC has been using drinking to cope/ease their anxiety then there's a scene in chapter 5 that doesn't give you the option to reject alcohol. Since MC has created a pattern of drinking to cope, they automatically say yes to the alcohol to ease their nerves since it's a naturally tense situation. And of course drinking during that scene takes some of MC's agency and yeah it will have consequences down the line
ive been getting questions about that actually just remember in infamous if you establish some kind of pattern through your choices be aware that i will exploit it lol
every time i try to playtest infamous as sincerely as possible and choose options id choose if i were a player i always end up with low relationship stats and it makes me laugh cuz whoa stick to the script im ur creator
