Chop Shop is 18+ for language, themes, and explicit content.
🔗 - Game Intro | Bug Report | Ko-Fi
Episode Five is now available! (+ 71,000) - PLAY ON ITCH OR NEOCITIES
Time to decompress.
Inez has a question.
Vote on a problem.
And more!
This update comes with a patch (Version 1.3.4) but you will not need to start a new save file. I've updated the neocities page so it's now actually has a game page and is not just the game file itself. Patch notes + author notes are under the cut. If preferred, you can access them in game at the start menu!
STORY
EPISODE 001:
Edited/rewrote the post-bar scenes. Felt like it needed some refreshing.
Edited/rewrote the 'end game' branch. Also needed a refresh.
Edited the look/ make of Jonno's car. This should now be consistent.
Other general edits and fixes.
EPISODE 002:
Edited the Dilani conversation at the end of the episode.
OTHER EPISODES:
General edits and fixes.
UI + TECHNICAL
DASHBOARD:
Updated background colours and padding for the Glossary list.
General edits and fixes.
CREATE A SAVE
Updated to include choices for Episode .005 selection.
AN: hi friends! been a while!!
i feel like i don't have much to say about episode 05 other than i am extremely proud and exhausted. i did not plan on writing this much and to take this long but hey-ho, we are finally here!
i think this is the heaviest chapter so far when it comes to crew interaction which i am excited about. there are many chances to gain friendship points as well as them actually counting towards variations and scenes towards the end. but, of course there's always the option to not get along with the crew too...
very excited for how that's going to play out in the future. we're getting there, slowly but surely, let the mc downfall begin.
a massive thank you to my wonderful betas that have put in an incredible effort to help me with this episode! it was a dense one to start with and i can't thank them enough for the help.
please direct any problems, bugs and/or errors the freshly updated bug report form.
finally -- happy update day!! thank you so much for the support and patience. i have had nothing but love during that long writing period and it really helped me keep going. i hope you enjoy reading - much love, becky :-) <3
episode .005 is currently in beta and more hands on deck would be great to get it over the finish line. this is a much quicker turnaround for application submissions than last time and you will be expected to start beta reading straight away as i am aiming for a May release date.
You will also need to be over 18 and have a discord account. More details can be found on the form. Applications will close midnight 24th of April 2026 GMT.
If this is something you are interested in please apply here!
no doubt many of you have seen what's happening over on itch.io with nsfw and adult games.
chop shop has not been delisted but is only searchable from a logged in account with the nsfw viewing settings on. this doesn't trouble me too bad as i only want over 18's reading the game anyway, but given the uncertainty re what's going to happen on itch moving forward i think it's best to have chop shop somewhere else to play as well!
my vision for chop shop has always involved adult themes and explicit content. all i wanna do is write a sexy car crime game damn it!!! so, to keep it short and sweet i've uploaded it to neocities as well.
This used to be done privately but as the projects grows, so does the workload and I am always in need of more eyes on the project to help me out. Ideally I'd like to put a group together before the next update, so we can familiarise ourselves with what my upcoming plans are for the project.
You will also need to be over 18 and have a discord account. More details can be found on the form. Applications will close midnight 13th of June '25 GMT.
If this is something you are interested in please apply here!
Thanks all! I will have an update on episode 05 soon!!!❤️
This used to be done privately but as the projects grows, so does the workload and I am always in need of more eyes on the project to help me out. Ideally I'd like to put a group together before the next update, so we can familiarise ourselves with what my upcoming plans are for the project.
You will also need to be over 18 and have a discord account. More details can be found on the form. Applications will close midnight 13th of June '25 GMT.
If this is something you are interested in please apply here!
Thanks all! I will have an update on episode 05 soon!!!❤️
Our fourth edition of the Black History Month Author Spotlight series, features Becky (@losergames)!
(I’ve been in awe of Becky’s multi-talents (art, writing, coding, excuse me??) for a long time now, and am super excited to get to interview her and introduce her awesome game, Chop Shop! The portion on morality and finding a middle-ground between harmful stereotypes of “bad” POC characters and angelic, one-dimensional ones who can do no wrong was a really interesting and insightful take.)
Author: Becky
Hello hello!!! I’m Becky! I am a black bisexual woman from the UK, lover of games, TV and food. I have a Bachelor's degree in Animation & Visual Effects and currently work as a technician at a college 😁
Games: Chop Shop (crime, action, LGBTQ+, meaningful choices)
Short blurb:
A crime action interactive fiction game.
Quote from the interview
There are a few main themes I keep in mind about when writing Chop Shop but the big one I think everyone understands is morality. What is right and wrong, and the various shades of grey in between, has been written about a thousand times in a thousand ways but it is continuously interesting to me in a changing world. What does it mean to be a bad person doing good things and a good person doing bad things? Is there a chance for redemption? What are the consequences?
Race and class are also massive factors, made all the more complicated when we’re looking at sets of characters on either side of the PC’s life. I want to write black and other characters of colour make bad, questionable, and unredeemable decisions whilst also remaining aware of stereotypes and archetypes. I want them to be loud, messy, and rude, attributes that are always attached to minorities, but I also want them to be smart, calculating, and deceptive. I think a lot of people are scared to do so and we end up with plain, can-do-no-wrongers that lack any depth.
Read on for the full interview!
Can you tell me a bit about what you’re working on right now and your journey into interactive fiction? What inspired the game/story you’re currently writing?
I am currently working on the crime action interactive fiction Chop Shop. There are a mix of inspirations that went into Chop Shop but above all else I’d say the kicker was my circumstances at the time.
During covid I walked away from the WORST job I’ve ever had and moved back home, which I realised a while after was an extremely huge blessing. I had a major burnout and was processing what my ex-managers had put me and my colleagues through. So, in my freetime I was playing a lot of cyoa/ romance games (shoutout Love Island the game) and found a whole fandom that also enjoyed them.
I made some friends, did art commissions, and wrote some fanfic here and there, yadda yadda. A close friend recommended I try out a very popular COG game at the time (🧛) and it all spiraled from there. I fell in love with the format, endless creativity, and community and never looked back.
I loved the Need For Speed games as a kid, the og Most Wanted, Carbon, and Underground 2 are, in my eyes, amongst the masterpieces of games from the 2000s. It got to the point I was going over to friends houses just to play on their PS2 lmao. I am also a Fast and Furious fiend (shock) and I will defend that god awful series till I die. Fast forward to being a teenager/ young adult I’ve become a massive fan of fictional crime shows. Breaking Bad will always be my first love, but I also love The Sopranos, Fargo, The Wire and more.
How has your identity, heritage/background, upbringing, or personal experiences influenced your storytelling or writing process? OR How does your work feature aspects of your identity / experience?
The real catalyst for Chop Shop was my previous job. A lot of the PC’s experiences are based off my own. A few examples I love sharing are how I had to make breakfast for my boss every morning and had to keep the office freezer stocked with a specific supermarket ice lolly because he ‘needed’ one every day at 3pm. I truly wish I was making this up because people think I’m crazy when I tell them. But I really was catering to a man-child because I was desperately trying to get my foot into a creative industry. Woof!!!
That said, the industry I wanted to work in was and still is extremely competitive. I came out of uni with a tonne of friends, but also a tonne of competition. It stung very badly to see my peers excel and surpass me when it came to careers but that’s just a part of becoming an adult. That life really was not for me and I’m glad I’m out of it now.
My mother is an extremely influential person in my life. Bits and pieces of her stick with me, not just in my writing but my every day. She’s worked in corporate all her life, from the early 80s and still to this day. She laughs about it now but she tells stories about the times she was laughed out of meetings or undermined by subordinates because she was a black woman in positions that were not occupied by minorities. It hurts to think about but I can only dream of having the type of strength she does.
Now that I think about it, Chop Shop is a massive fuck you to the past.
Are there any specific themes or messages you hope players take away from your work?
There are a few main themes I keep in mind about when writing Chop Shop but the big one I think everyone understands is morality. What is right and wrong, and the various shades of grey in between, has been written about a thousand times in a thousand ways but it is continuously interesting to me in a changing world. What does it mean to be a bad person doing good things and a good person doing bad things? Is there a chance for redemption? What are the consequences?
Race and class are also massive factors, made all the more complicated when we’re looking at sets of characters on either side of the PC’s life. I want to write black and other characters of colour make bad, questionable, and unredeemable decisions whilst also remaining aware of stereotypes and archetypes. I want them to be loud, messy, and rude, attributes that are always attached to minorities, but I also want them to be smart, calculating, and deceptive. I think a lot of people are scared to do so and we end up with plain, can-do-no-wrongers that lack any depth.
What does your writing process look like? Any rituals or habits? Any tips, tricks, philosophies or approaches that have worked very well for you?
I write way better outside of my bedroom. I know writing is supposed to be fun and a hobby but sometimes it’s… not. If I get stressed out in my room, it’s all a mess. The brain needs to be away from where I sleep to get work done. Last summer, when all the teachers were on holiday time, I was the only one in my department for weeks and it was the best writing stint I ever had haha.
Oh and I keep a huge spreadsheet. All the episode breakdowns, outlines, character details etc. It looks insane to anyone else but it is my prized baby.
Do you have favourite interactive fiction games, characters, scenes or authors that you’d like to recommend?
My goto game rec is always 180 Files: The Aegis Project. So quick and punchy, more narrative/plot than romance focused. The action sequences are fun and the interactions are so delicious, ugh. I love it. I’ve played it at least 20 times to get the different endings and it’s never not satisfying, just… chefs kiss. I’m also really enjoying Thicker Than right now AAHHH I NEED TO CATCH UP!!!
Any books, music, movies etc. you’re obsessed with at the moment, or which changed your life (or perspectives on something)?
Not anything specific but I do have some books I’d like to recommend to my fellow black readers:
The Psychosis of Whiteness: Surviving the Insanity of a Racist World by Nicola Rollock
Black Skin, White Masks by Franz Fanon
The Strangers: Five Extraordinary Black Men and the Worlds That Made Them by Ekow Eshun
Black England: A Forgotten Georgian History by Gretchen Gerzina
The Hard Road To Renewal by Stuart Hall
Honestly I’d recommend anything by Stuart Hall lmao. RIP king, you would be shocked at the media literacy today.
This-or-that segment: (bold = Becky's pick)
Coffee or tea?
Early mornings or late nights?
City or countryside?
Angsty or Cozy romances? (Or enemies-to-lovers or best-friends-to-lovers?)
Steady progress or frenzied binge-writing followed by periods of calm?
Summer or Winter?
First drafts or editing?
Introvert or extrovert?
Plotter or pantser?
Characters or plot first?
Becky’s custom “either-or” pairing: Driver or passenger?
while we're at it, please check out dashingdon's ko-fi page -- he's been running those servers on his own for almost a decade, so please show him some love, donate if you can, and say thanks!
Chop Shop is strictly 18+ for language, themes, and potential explicit content.
🔗 - Game Intro | Bug Report | Ko-Fi
Episode Four is now available! (+ 59,000) - PLAY HERE
Debrief after your meeting with Inez.
Steal... or don't!
Yvonne has a secret.
2 more achievements.
And more!
This update comes with a patch (Version 1.2.3) For this update you will need to start a NEW SAVE. An updated inventory macro has been implemented and is not compatible with old saves. I really wish you didn't have to but it's what's best for the game and its longevity!
Patch notes + author notes are under the cut. If preferred, you can access them in game in the start menu.
STORY
PROLOGUE:
General edits and fixes.
More vague, as to not elicit any emotional connection to the crew for continuity.
EPISODE 01:
Added a new set of personality building choices when meeting KJ, Jonno, Natasha and Aiden at the bar.
EPISODE 02:
Tweaked the conversation with Dilani in the closing scene to reflect more on the situation. Added some more fearful dialogue and flavour text.
Other general edits and fixes.
EPISODE 03:
Fixed gaps and spacing issues.
Minor phrasing and sentence structure changes.
Grammar and typo fixes.
UI + TECHNICAL
SETTINGS:
Changing the font size now only applies to the game text in the passages.
Added descriptions to the toggleable settings.
UI:
The background now changes colour dependent on what theme you are using, instead of the default black.
INVENTORY:
The inventory macro has been updated! Previously V2, now V3 of the ChapelR Simple Inventory Macro.
CREATE A SAVE
Modified the randomise PC choice, setting pronouns in 'sets' instead of randomising each pronoun separately.
GAMEPLAY MODE
Players can now choose a gameplay mode when starting a new save: Regular or Challenge.
Challenge mode disables the back button, disallowing players to return to the previous passage. Players cannot redo dice rolls or try out different choices for desired outcomes.
Challenge mode is not available in Create A Save. All CAS made saves default to regular mode.
AN: hello hello! it has been a while -- episode 04 is finally here!
this ep was a long one to get through but we finally made it out of the fog. i found that i wrote a bunch of stuff that just... didn't fit? but is hopefully going to be used later down the line, so it's cool i've got shells of scenes for later.
i can't find any game breaking bugs myself and my amazing beta testers have scanned through as many possible variants as they can! of course, if there is anything funky, broken, or maybe not triggering correctly, please submit a bug report!
again i will say that you will need to start a NEW SAVE for this update. unfortunately the updated inventory macro is not compatible with previous saves. i really didn't want this to be a thing when updating chop shop but it is unfortunately just the way for this update - apologies!! i know it's super annoying when games do this but chop shop is still a wip so there will always be some teething problems along the way.
as i look through my notes, we have now completed act 1 of my outline (AAAAHH) so soooo exciting. finally pc can stop wringing their hands about being bad and actually //start// being bad.
if you've made it this far -- hello and thank you! i'm so happy we're at the point where PC is making some real decisions, taking another step into their life of crime.
happy update day and happy reading!! thank you so much for the continued support and patience!!! i hope you enjoy the new episode! - becky :-) <3
Chop Shop is strictly 18+ for language, themes, and potential explicit content.
🔗 - Game Intro | Bug Report | Ko-Fi
Episode Four is now available! (+ 59,000) - PLAY HERE
Debrief after your meeting with Inez.
Steal... or don't!
Yvonne has a secret.
2 more achievements.
And more!
This update comes with a patch (Version 1.2.3) For this update you will need to start a NEW SAVE. An updated inventory macro has been implemented and is not compatible with old saves. I really wish you didn't have to but it's what's best for the game and its longevity!
Patch notes + author notes are under the cut. If preferred, you can access them in game in the start menu.
STORY
PROLOGUE:
General edits and fixes.
More vague, as to not elicit any emotional connection to the crew for continuity.
EPISODE 01:
Added a new set of personality building choices when meeting KJ, Jonno, Natasha and Aiden at the bar.
EPISODE 02:
Tweaked the conversation with Dilani in the closing scene to reflect more on the situation. Added some more fearful dialogue and flavour text.
Other general edits and fixes.
EPISODE 03:
Fixed gaps and spacing issues.
Minor phrasing and sentence structure changes.
Grammar and typo fixes.
UI + TECHNICAL
SETTINGS:
Changing the font size now only applies to the game text in the passages.
Added descriptions to the toggleable settings.
UI:
The background now changes colour dependent on what theme you are using, instead of the default black.
INVENTORY:
The inventory macro has been updated! Previously V2, now V3 of the ChapelR Simple Inventory Macro.
CREATE A SAVE
Modified the randomise PC choice, setting pronouns in 'sets' instead of randomising each pronoun separately.
GAMEPLAY MODE
Players can now choose a gameplay mode when starting a new save: Regular or Challenge.
Challenge mode disables the back button, disallowing players to return to the previous passage. Players cannot redo dice rolls or try out different choices for desired outcomes.
Challenge mode is not available in Create A Save. All CAS made saves default to regular mode.
AN: hello hello! it has been a while -- episode 04 is finally here!
this ep was a long one to get through but we finally made it out of the fog. i found that i wrote a bunch of stuff that just... didn't fit? but is hopefully going to be used later down the line, so it's cool i've got shells of scenes for later.
i can't find any game breaking bugs myself and my amazing beta testers have scanned through as many possible variants as they can! of course, if there is anything funky, broken, or maybe not triggering correctly, please submit a bug report!
again i will say that you will need to start a NEW SAVE for this update. unfortunately the updated inventory macro is not compatible with previous saves. i really didn't want this to be a thing when updating chop shop but it is unfortunately just the way for this update - apologies!! i know it's super annoying when games do this but chop shop is still a wip so there will always be some teething problems along the way.
as i look through my notes, we have now completed act 1 of my outline (AAAAHH) so soooo exciting. finally pc can stop wringing their hands about being bad and actually //start// being bad.
if you've made it this far -- hello and thank you! i'm so happy we're at the point where PC is making some real decisions, taking another step into their life of crime.
happy update day and happy reading!! thank you so much for the continued support and patience!!! i hope you enjoy the new episode! - becky :-) <3
a quick update from me as i haven't done one of these in a long long time -- episode 4 is now done! woohoo! the wordcount comes to about 58k. i have just handed it off to my lovely beta readers and will be continuing to edit as the comments and feedback rolls in.
normally i like to give the betas 1-2 weeks for feedback and another week after for myself for editing. but, since the holidays are very very close, i'm not sure the usual timeline will be in effect. so, i don't have a solid release date yet, either some time late december or early january, but it is close!
also very excited for this update as i've implemented a 'challenge' mode that disables the back button - so if you want to play cog style you can! shakes up the gameplay and gives people choice!
that's all from me right now, i will keep you guys posted when editing is completed and when the update will drop! cheers pals and much love <3
The brain worms have succeeded, Mason, my doll, my beloved, my sweetheart, apple of my eye, the bitch who wouldn't stop glaring at me for most of book 1–I love them so much
