Lamp Post Projects

Nell (they/she). Game designer, author, composer, & artist. My games include: Fantasy Opera, The Secrets of Sylvan Gardens, and The Path of Totality.

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"The Gnomish Treasury" Voted 1st Place!

The Gnomish Treasury has received 1st Place by public vote in the Text Adventure Literacy Jam! I'm so delighted that players enjoyed their time with the game.

This event is a competition for new parser-based games, aka text adventures, designed to serve as an introduction for players who are new to text adventures and their conventions.

The game is free to play on itch.io:

The Gnomish Treasury (TALP) by Lamp Post Projects

Repair treasures and uncover their history in the castle of a gnome kingdom.

Here's a selection from a review of the game by Daniel Stelzer on Intfiction.org:

"Most media about archaeology focuses on the fieldwork...But there’s also a lot of archaeology that happens after that point!"

"That’s what The Gnomish Treasury is about, so (if it wasn’t obvious) I’m delighted from the start. It’s set in a 'standard D&D fantasy' world, where the evil warlord Skarnfang has just been defeated and his treasure vaults broken open. The gnomish kingdom, led by His Highness Thistlebloom IX of the House of Meadows, has tasked you—the most illustrious student of the great Professor Berrybramble at Mossford University—with examining and cataloguing the gnomish artifacts recovered from Skarnfang’s fortress. Fantastic premise, and played completely straight.

While the gameplay loop is fairly straightforward—examine various damaged artifacts, figure out what pieces go together, and repair them—the descriptions never get repetitive. Each puzzle solved gives you new tidbits about the world...Which makes it feel like actual archaeology, not just medium-sized-dry-goods manipulation."

"I had a wonderful time playing it, and will recommend it to some gnome fans I know."

—Daniel Stelzer

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Final week of voting for the Text Adventure Literacy Jam!

Voting is open for the Text Adventure Literacy Jam through this Sunday, May 31, 2026. The event includes nine new games, all free to play, created with the intention of introducing players to the genre of text adventures, aka parser-based interactive fiction.

My game The Gnomish Treasury has received some lovely comments and reviews. Here are a couple of quotes:

"I'm astounded that this puzzle, which is essentially fitting broken fragments together jigsaw-style, works without any images. It's pulled off with quality writing, carefully considered design, and an engaging environment that feels complex and vibrant without being overwhelming. I'm clapping my tiny, nimble hands at this one, I think it's quite an achievement."

—baezil on itch.io (longer review on intfiction.org)

"The puzzles are not overly difficult and generally very on-the-nose, but there were a couple of nice twists and the overall interaction mechanism used the core parser game cycle of X-TAKE-DROP/USE very well...

Story-wise, the lore felt consistent and relevant to the game and was parceled out in manageable chunks. The kingdoms and characters felt realistic, and I could identify with the protagonist through suspension of disbelief."

—Mathbrush, 5-star review on IFDB

The Gnomish Treasury is free to play on itch.io!

[lamppostprojects]

I'm delighted to announce the release of The Gnomish Treasury, my new parser-based interactive fiction game!

Crates of stolen treasures have been returned to the gnome kingdom. As custodian of the royal treasury, it's your job to restore these priceless artifacts and curate an exhibition fit for the king.

Find the broken pieces of rare and unusual items, and uncover their historical significance, in this cozy, crafting-driven puzzle game for anyone who loves museums or beautiful objects.

The Gnomish Treasury was written for release as part of the 2026 Text Adventure Literacy Jam: a competition for games suitable for newcomers to the genre of parser games, aka text adventures.

This project was my first time authoring a parser game (apart from a few unreleased experiments). Coding in the programming language Inform 7 has been a fascinating creative challenge, and I'm excited to share what I've come up with!

Voting in the Text Adventure Literacy Jam is open to the public. Check out all the games and submit your ratings from May 1 through May 31.

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Reviews for "Fantasy Opera: The Theater of Memory"

Fantasy Opera: The Theater of Memory, the latest installment in my series of opera-themed mystery games has been out for a couple of weeks now — and it has already received several thoughtful, positive reviews from the community at IntFiction.org as part of the 2026 Spring Thing Festival!

Here are a few quotes from reviews that have been posted so far!

"Theater of Memory boasts the same strengths as the author’s earlier work...once again there’s a wide cast of appealing characters, design that feels responsive to your chargen choices without evoking FOMO, and lush art illustrating proceedings. But there are some differences too...there’s a new dream-analysis system that enlivens the game’s central metapuzzle."

"...solving the puzzle isn’t that hard, but made me feel very satisfied: the groundwork for the eventual revelation is well established, and even once you get the overall gist, working through the exact mechanics of how to end the haunting is a very fun process, and again, one that isn’t overly reliant on what skills you picked or how poorly you’ve been rolling."

"All told, this second installment in the Fantasy Opera series makes a good case for this as a sturdy framework for a procedural, and for the author as no one-hit – or three-hit – wonder. Keeping the brand identifiable while bringing fresh mechanics and storytelling approaches to each game is an impressive feat, and whether Lamp Post [Projects] goes with another sequel, or something brand new in the house style, sign me up for whatever’s next."

-Mike Russo (Read full review)

"[I] was very hyped when I saw the return of the fantastical Italian opera setting for the 2026 Spring Thing...If you’re in the mood for a light and friendly mystery, I would push this game forward. Try putting on a performance of, say, La flora (or another period-appropriate opera) in the background to go with it!"

-HereticMole (Read full review)

"...this was a highly polished game with many thoughtful quality of life features...The character customization has some thoughtful and subtle effects...The central puzzle was elegant and I found it really interesting to actually be performing analysis in-game on the information that I had gathered during the day."

"My favorite part of the game was the “final exam” where you have to prove that you understand the puzzle by severing the curse correctly on five of the musicians. I thought it was really satisfying to look at the list of options and know exactly what I was picking and why, and knowing that it would be correct because the game had demonstrated the puzzle mechanics so thoroughly to me."

-DemonApologist (Read full review)

"The mystery itself is very satisfyingly constructed: interrogations, suspects, red herrings, connecting anecdotes and evidence to draw unexpected conclusions...[it] has a theatricality to it, its clues and evidence as anchored in dramatic crescendos as any Renaissance Opera. It was all so tightly integrated, every moving part echoing one or more element of the overall tale."

"The presentation was endearing as well - generous character and setting illustrations in watercolor, providing a unifying visual palette that further emphasized the warm, bespoke vibe of the thing."

-JJMcC (Read full review)

The Theater of Memory is available now to play for free!

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New Release!

I'm delighted to announce the release of Fantasy Opera: The Theater of Memory, my latest choice-based interactive fiction game!

The musicians of a new opera house are plagued by strange dreams. When you are asked to investigate their cause, you find that the answers may be hidden within the walls of the theater itself.

Resume your role as private investigator to the performing arts in this second, standalone installment in the Fantasy Opera series: interactive fiction RPGs set in a fantastical reimagining of 17th century Baroque Italy.

Solve a mystery of magic, music, and architecture.

Play with stats, die rolls, and skill checks.

Choose a preset player character or fully customize your own.

Illustrated with original watercolor paintings.

Play the game for free today! It's available to play online or to download.

​This game is participating in the Spring Thing Festival of Interactive Fiction, an annual event that has been a mainstay of the interactive fiction community since 2002. Check out all the entries and submit your ribbon nominations between April 6 and May 9, 2026.

Special thanks to John Resig for developing Lamp Post Ink Player, and to all the playtesters for this game: John Ayliff, Allyson Gray, Michael Newton, John R., rh, and Deborah Sherwood.

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The Art of 'Fantasy Opera' (Part 2)

This is my second post showcasing the character portraits that appear in my upcoming game Fantasy Opera: The Theater of Memory, which is planned for release next month.

I illustrated these portraits in watercolor and pen (with a touch of gouache) to provide the player with a colorful sense of atmosphere as they interact with this cast of fantasy characters in the game's 17th century-inspired setting.

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Fresh Remasters of Past Releases!

I'm pleased to share newly remastered versions of three games I released in 2025: The Secrets of Sylvan Gardens, Fantasy Opera: Mischief at the Masquerade, and The Path of Totality.

The major update is that I've ported each game to Lamp Post Ink Player: an open source, browser-based interface for publishing games authored in ink, developed by John Resig and based on my prototype. Huge thanks to John for his incredible work on this!

This interface has allowed me to make a number of big improvements that weren't possible with the old system, including the following:

Games no longer require a live server to run, so they may be downloaded and played offline! Downloadable versions of each game are posted to itch.io as a .zip file.

Reorganization of the navigation menu has allowed for the addition of unique supplementary screens (such as Journal, Notes, Rules, Map, etc) on a game-by-game basis.

Games can now include the option to toggle between dark mode and light mode.

Saved games can be downloaded to your hard drive as an alternative to the browser's local storage, which provides a stable option for saving with non-Chrome browsers while playing on itch.io. Achievements and user preferences are all included with saves.

The "Achievements" screen now includes spoiler covers that may be revealed.

Improvements specific to each game include:

The Secrets of Sylvan Gardens

A new, dynamic "Hints" screen replaces the need for a walkthrough. This screen is fully responsive to the player's progress through the story, showing which essential steps have been completed and which have not — including blurred hints to avoid unwanted spoilers.

The player character's journal entries can be reviewed at any time on the new "Journal" screen.

A dedicated "Map" screen has also been added.

Automated dark/light mode theme changes are now opt-in, with options offered to play the game in light mode or dark mode only.

Fantasy Opera: Mischief at the Masquerade

The player character's notes have been moved from in-game menus to a dedicated "Notepad" screen, which may be accessed at any time during play.

The addition of a "How to Play" screen, visual highlighting of in-game tutorial tips, and labeling of checks and options with icons, should all improve quality-of-life and further clarify the game mechanics.

Dark mode has been added.

The Path of Totality

Automated dark/light mode theme changes are now opt-in, with options to play the game in light mode or dark mode only.

A handful of small revisions have been made to narrative text and dialogue choices.

This update does mean that old saves will be broken... Crossing my fingers that no one was in the middle of a playthrough!

I've tested everything, but there's always a possibility that new bugs will have cropped up in the process of moving everything over to the new system. If you run into any problems, or if you have any other questions or comments, please DM me here or email me at [email protected].

And if you're feeling nostalgic, the archived 2025 releases may still be played at the following links: The Secrets of Sylvan Gardens (Archived) Fantasy Opera: Mischief at the Masquerade (Archived) The Path of Totality (Archived)

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The Art of 'Fantasy Opera' (Part 1)

Over the course of two posts, I'll be showcasing each of the nine character portraits that appear in my upcoming game Fantasy Opera: The Theater of Memory, which is planned for release in April 2026.

I illustrated these portraits in watercolor and pen (with a touch of gouache) to provide the player with a colorful sense of atmosphere as they interact with this cast of fantasy characters in the game's 17th century-inspired setting.

To begin with, meet the singers and musicians that populate the Teatro di Stile Antico: the opera theater at the center of the story!

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Best Puzzle-Focused Game & WIPs (11 paintings, 32k words)

Here's a summary of my activities in January 2026 as an interactive fiction author. Going to try and keep a routine of making these posts on a monthly basis!

Short Games Showcase

It Was Fate was voted 1st Place, Best Puzzle-Focused Game and 5th Place (tie) overall in the Short Games Showcase 2025.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Illustrations for Fantasy Opera

Last month I completed eleven watercolor illustrations for my upcoming release Fantasy Opera: The Theater of Memory. It’s an illustrated choice-based mystery/puzzle game coded in ink (and the sequel to Mischief at the Masquerade), which I aim to polish and submit to Spring Thing. This project is just about ready for beta testing!

The cover artwork (above) features Gentile (they/them), hobgoblin theatrical designer; and Pietro (he/him), dragonborn opera conductor. 🎻

Bestiary has begun!

The bulk of my focus last month went into starting my new ChoiceScript WIP (working title Bestiary). I drafted 32k words (code included), which adds up to about one and a half chapters, in January!

The project has involved a LOT of time spent thinking about dragons, gryphons, and unicorns... which I am all too happy to do. 🐉 🦄

Experiments with Inform 7

I've also been noodling around a bit in Inform 7. No concrete progress to share, but I'm working through a few very exploratory ideas for a new parser game...

If you're not familiar with Inform, it's a programming language for interactive fiction that uses natural language syntax. And it results in some pretty strange-sounding code!

An altar is a kind of supporter. An altar is always fixed in place. An altar can be translated or untranslated. An altar is usually untranslated. Understand "inscription" or "writing" as an altar.

Patreon launch

I've just launched a new Patreon page for my interactive fiction projects! Hoping to use this platform as a way to stay connected with folks who'd like to follow my WIPs.

Consider following me there (for free) to receive:

Announcements of releases, updates, and other major news.

Monthly updates and previews of my WIPs, including artwork, screenshots, and excerpts.

Calls for beta testers.

Eventually, I'd love to start running polls to help shape the focus of my future projects.

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Here are a few updates on my recent and current activities developing interactive fiction games, along with some of my goals for 2026!

Game jams & competitions

I'm currently participating in The Short Games Showcase. Voting is open to the public for another 18 days. I highly recommend checking it out if you're interested in creative text-based games that take under 30 minutes to play! My submission, It Was Fate, is a choice-based puzzle game that I originally wrote for inkJam last fall.

ECTOCOMP 2025 was a pleasure to participate in this past October, and I was delighted that my entry Beneath the Weeping Willow was awarded 7th place out of 32 entries in the category "La Petite Mort" for games written in under 4 hours. I've just uploaded some post-comp updates to the game.

New release: The Christmas Dragon's Quest

Last month, I released The Christmas Dragon's Quest: a light-hearted holiday fantasy adventure with a local multiplayer experience for up to three players! 'Tis no longer the season, I'm afraid... but if you feel like a little Christmas spirit in January, check it out 🎅🏽

Goals for 2026

My interactive fiction projects planned for 2026 (so far!) are:

Finishing the second installment in my Fantasy Opera series for submission to Spring Thing. I finished writing the beta last fall; my next tasks are to paint illustrations, playtest, and revise!

Starting my first ChoiceScript game (working title Bestiary), which I currently intend to publish chapter-by-chapter as a WIP. I have no particular timeline in mind right now; but if I see it through, the concept I’m exploring will be my largest IF project to date.

I hope to get around to making post-comp remasters of my three IFComp 2025 games with the new-and-improved ink interface my collaborator/partner has developed for me.

There are also a couple of looser goals I’d like to explore this year:

I have some thematic ingredients for a new ink game, which would revolve around hiking and making art. I’m excited about this one but my ideas have yet to cohere into a solid plan. Going to just let that continue marinating in the back of mind. This might be for next IFComp, if the timeline works out.

I’d like to publish my first (short) parser game this year. Maybe for the Text Adventure Literacy Jam. I started dabbling in Inform 7 last November and wrote my first game as a learning exercise (and a gift); now I’m interested in tackling a more substantial project meant for public consumption.

That's it for now... Will try to update here more frequently as all these various projects take shape!

[lamppostprojects]

NEW RELEASE! 👻

It's Halloween and your time is running out. Guide two friends to uncover the tragic secret hiding in a historic farmhouse before the night ends.

All coding, writing, and testing for this game was completed within four hours for EctoComp 2025's La Petite Mort.

Check out this second installment in my interactive fiction series Lightbulb Moments: short, experimental games in a variety of genres and styles.

Play now for free!

[lamppostprojects]

IFComp Results! 🎉

The Secrets of Sylvan Gardens - 6th Place Fantasy Opera: Mischief at the Masquerade - 7th Place The Path of Totality - 11th Place

The results of 2025 Interactive Fiction Competition have been announced – and all three of my games landed in the top 20, with two snagging spots in the top 10!

This makes me the first author in the 31-year history of IFComp to have three games place in the top 20 in the same year; and only the second author to have two games in the top 10.

I also set a couple new records for games authored in ink, with the highest-ranking ink game in IFComp history (The Secrets of Sylvan Gardens) and the two highest-scoring ink games ever (Sylvan Gardens & Fantasy Opera: Mischief at the Masquerade).

I am stunned, thrilled, and honored by the response to my work from IFComp judges. This was an especially surprising result for me given the crowded field of 85 entries (the second-largest competition ever), which represented a ton of incredible work and many worthy contenders for top spots.

Thanks once again to the playtesters who helped me improve these games prior to public release: @unaarista, @rpgchoices, @max-tothe-imum, @crypt-glitch, @oryndoll, John Ayliff, Burt, Deborah, Peter M.J. Gross, Amanda Offord, and John R.!

For anyone who has played my games and wants to learn more about them, my competition postmortem on intfiction.org details many of the ideas that led me to create these games, my creative process, some fun player analytics, and what I've learned from participating in IFComp.

And if you haven't played my games already, I'd love for you to check them out. Please leave ratings or comments on their itch.io pages and/or IFDB!

The Secrets of Sylvan Gardens - When you find yourself sleepwalking in the lush ornamental gardens of the Sylvan Villa, you must discover how to break the thrall of a mysterious trance. Fantasy, mystery, romance. / ~2-4 hours to play.

Play on itch.io or LampPostProjects.com Rate on IFDB and itch.io

Fantasy Opera: Mischief at the Masquerade - You're a private investigator who has been hired to ensure the show goes off without a hitch. Will you uncover the devious plot that threatens opening night? Fantasy, mystery, RPG, romance. / ~1 hour to play.

Play on itch.io or LampPostProjects.com Rate on IFDB and itch.io

The Path of Totality - Journey through forest glen and over windswept moor to an ancient stone circle, where a goddess will grant blessings during the total solar eclipse. Fantasy, romance, adventure. / ~1-2 hours to play.

Play on itch.io or LampPostProjects.com Rate on IFDB and itch.io

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"this game is set in a fantasy world where you are journeying to see an eclipse and be blessed by a goddess...it was just about perfect for me!"

"...this is the only game [I've] played that let me choose they/she as my characters pronouns...it's nice to be able to match my real life preferences for once."

— Jaded Pangolin, IFDB.org review for "The Path of Totality"

"...the writing is solid, the art and interface is nice, and the game has a beautiful and charming vibe. There is another interesting cast of characters, along with romances. I picked (spoiler) for this one, and she was a pretty interesting character with an intriguing backstory and powers."

— ChanceOfFire, IFDB.org review for "The Path of Totality"

"...the canoodling scenes are kept brief, but there’s a pleasing sensuality to how they’re written...The description of Jazz’s musk and the sensation of their tusks engages the senses and the body in a way that feels authentic." "...gameplay set-pieces that took me by surprise...they sell the central storyline as a dangerous pilgrimage."

— Rabbit, intfiction.org review for "The Path of Totality"

"I felt I had agency...and it has replay value."

— MathBrush (aka Brian Rushton, Spring Thing Organizer), IFDB.org review for "The Path of Totality"

Reviews have been coming in for my debut interactive fiction games, all three of which are participating in the 31st Annual IFComp!

Here's some praise for The Path of Totality. Play it for free in your browser on itch.io or LampPostProjects.com.

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"I enjoyed so much about this. The worldbuilding of the fantasy style Venice is very well done, especially in the writing, but the character artwork also adds to it. The mystery is fun to investigate, with lots of lines to pursue. And I was gripped playing through to the very end, thoroughly invested in the investigation, and extremely happily working my way towards the solution." "I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would definitely recommend this game to any fans of IF, opera, Venice, or a good mystery."

— Viv Dunstan, intfiction.org review for Fantasy Opera: Mischief at the Masquerade.

"The art is nice, the interface is well-designed and professional looking, characters are interesting and you get a good mix of choices. There is a simple stat system which can be used to glean additional clues, but the use of RNG for some of these checks adds a bit of luck to the mix."

— ChanceOfFire, IFDB review for Fantasy Opera: Mischief at the Masquerade.

"...the mystery is engagingly designed...The clues are parceled out efficiently and fit together in a satisfying way, with your character’s choice of focus areas feeling like an impactful way of determining which bits of info you’re most likely to come across...And the attention to detail throughout is a lot of fun."

— Mike Russo, intfiction.org review for Fantasy Opera: Mischief at the Masquerade.

Reviews are continuing come in for my debut interactive fiction games, all three of which are participating in the 31st Annual IFComp!

Here's some more praise for Fantasy Opera: Mischief at the Masquerade. Play it for free in your browser on itch.io or LampPostProjects.com.

[lamppostprojects]

One day, two people, and an infinite number of chances. A short time-loop puzzle written for inkJam 2025.

Will you help Lou and Milton connect by untangling a knot of missed opportunities?

Check out the first installment in my interactive fiction series Lightbulb Moments: short, experimental games in a variety of genres and styles. I'm thinking of these projects as complement to the "signature" catalog of games from Lamp Post Projects.

I'll be making these games for various game jams/comps — I already have three planned just for October, if I don't burn out first! 😅 I'm excited to use these mini games as a space to experiment and deviate a bit from the format of my larger-scale projects.

Play now for free!

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"The game is professional quality in terms of its scale, writing, original visual graphics, and lovely classical music." ... "Thankfully this game allowed me to play aromantic, which not all romance simulators will. There is so much more driving this story than just the romance aspect." ... "I was rewarded with a lengthy epilogue describing the results of my decisions. I might come back later to try one of the alternate paths, but right now I feel I’ve completed an epic adventure and need some time away to process it."

— Doug Egan, intfiction.org review for "The Secrets of Sylvan Gardens"

Reviews are starting to come in for my debut interactive fiction games, all three of which are participating in the 31st Annual IFComp!

Here's some more praise for The Secrets of Sylvan Gardens. Play it for free in your browser on itch.io or LampPostProjects.com.

[lamppostprojects]

"...the game encourages you to try and fail and keep trying, just like a good GM...deduction is very hard to model but this system is one I'll mention...when others ask about mystery game advice in the future."

— MathBrush (Brian Rushton, Spring Thing Organizer), IFDB.org review for Fantasy Opera: Mischief at the Masquerade.

"Really nice mystery-solving design with some clever affordances to help the player succeed while still feeling like they're the ones solving the mystery...Engaging writing, a fun mystery, interesting characters, quick to play, easy to navigate, and no major frustrations."

— Lone Spelunker, itch.io review for Fantasy Opera: Mischief at the Masquerade.

"This was fun as both a mystery game and as a historically-inspired opera-focused work! The author has clearly done their research, and I loved being immersed in the details of instruments, musical keys, and opera politics; there’s enough to provide good flavor, but not so much as to be overwhelming."

—Tabitha, intfiction.org review for Fantasy Opera: Mischief at the Masquerade.

"...queer-positive fantasy with a customizable pc and a puzzle-y aspect that isn't too hard but feels satisfying."

—Jaded Pangolin, IFDB.org review for Fantasy Opera: Mischief at the Masquerade.

Reviews are starting to come in for my debut interactive fiction games, all three of which are participating in the 31st Annual IFComp!

Here's some praise for Fantasy Opera: Mischief at the Masquerade. Play it for free in your browser on itch.io or LampPostProjects.com.