N01R: Book 1 - Quintessence
New Spire City. A shining metropolis built on an isthmus between two continents. The last great symbol of hope. Where the dregs of the world coalesce into one great, big floating heap of s---. Whatever you call it, NSC is impossible to ignore.
...Even more so after the mayor's murder.
YOU are a PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR, struggling to make a living within a city that's almost at war with itself. When the assistant of the recently-slain mayor of your district walks into your office, one day, your life will change forever...
⇒ Customize your private investigator! Be gay, straight, or bisexual; aromantic or asexual.
⇒ Work to solve the gruesome murder of Mayor Adam Bergman in this thrilling noir mystery! Will you work to see justice served...or are you just in it for the money?
⇒ Interact with the corrupt cyperpunk landscape of New Spire City as a human, an android, a cyborg, or an artificial intelligence!
⇒ Romance the mayor's shy former assistant, a tenacious reporter, or a sultry lounge singer!
⇒ Use your investigator's skills and traits to solve problems and find unique solutions to obstacles...but be careful not to let your stress overwhelm you!
As you dig deeper into the dark secrets of New Spire City, you will meet many people from all walks of life. And some of them might be willing to make a deeper connection...
CALLISTA/CALVIN CLARKE | F/M | ROMANCEABLE: The slain mayor's timid assistant. Cal truly believed in Mr. Bergman, and was always there to support him from the sidelines. But the mayor might not have been the flawless paragon of morality that Cal thought...
Human. Timid, amber eyes. Light brown skin with short, dark, wavy hair. Small, button nose that supports a pair of high-prescription tortoiseshell glasses.
SHY | RESPONSIBLE | SINCERE
═══════════════════════
NEL BARD | NB | ROMANCEABLE: The main reporter, photographer, and editor-in-chief for a newspaper that no one has ever heard of. Nel is willing to do anything to get the truth...including many things that get them in trouble.
Cyborg. Icy blue eyes with built-in camera. Bronze skin. Well-muscled. Boxy jaw. Notably strange hairstyle: their dark curls are done up in a fauxhawk.
ENERGETIC | WITTY | TRUTH-SEEKING
═══════════════════════
VAL(ENTINA/ENTINO/ENTINE) | F/M/NB | ROMANCEABLE: This singer at the Fox Den jazz club is rumored to be the murdered mayor's lover. Val undeniably has a voice of gold, but they won't sing for just anybody.
Android. Tall and slender. Green eyes. Dark red hair.
JADED | INDEPENDENT | RELUCTANT TO GET CLOSE
═══════════════════════
...And more!
FAQ
Mr. Specter, how long will this game be? It will be as long as it needs to be, but I would anticipate somewhere around 450,000 words.
I see that this is called "Book 1." Will this be part of a series? Yes! They might not be released back-to-back, but I plan on writing more adventures with the private investigator you will create in this game.
Wait... This title looks kind of familiar... If you truly thought this, then I would like to say "hello" to the one person that actually read the previous version of this project. I wrote something for the application Tales, which I believe has since shut down, with a similar premise. This one's for you, that one person who e-mailed me begging for a continuation!
What genre is this? Cyberpunk neo-noir? If that exists, then that's what it is.
I notice that you've uploaded it to itch.io in addition to CoGDemos. Why is that? I've seen that some people have an audience on there outside of the Choice of Games forum and I thought I would try expanding my horizons a bit.
═══════════════════════
LINKS/INFO
Most recent update: May 26th, 2026
Current word count: ~65,000
CoGDEMOS LINK.
itch.io LINK.
Link to Choice of Games forum post.
Consider becoming a member of my Patreon for early access to updates, weekly development blogs, art, side stories, and more!
══════════
@interact-if