Hey everyone! Chapter 4-2 is officially released on COG demos for the public. This update is mostly focused on chapter 4-2, but also includes a lot of minor typo/grammer things from previous chapters. THIS MEANS THAT ALL SAVES WILL BE BROKEN as every scene file has been modified. There is still the option to skip ahaead to begining chapter 4 which should hopefully make this less frustrating.
I won't be answering any asks about the update until at least Monday (but probably longer given the backlogue of 100+ asks still in my inbox), but I can't wait to see your guys' reactions to the chapter! Hope you all enjoy the update!
⚠️This story is 18+. And will contain NSFW content. Reader discretion is advised ⚠️
The Veil is an urban fantasy tale of identity, destiny, and the blurred lines between two overlapping worlds. You finally made it to the city you have been dreaming of escaping to. The one you swore would fix everything if you could just get there. New key, new apartment, new life. On your first night, you stand in the middle of your too quiet living room, surrounded by boxes and the hum of the air conditioner, and realise you have never been this alone in your life.
Back home, everybody knew you. Here, you have no one. No neighbour who remembers your birthday, no barista who knows your order, no friend who can show up with takeaway and a bad movie. Just you, a strange new skyline and a growing sense that something is off in a way that has nothing to do with missing your old corner store.
Then the city starts looking back.
A stranger watches your window like they have been waiting for you. Your drink spills and refuses to behave like liquid. A voice from an unknown number speaks to you like you are the middle of a story you do not remember joining. The apartment feels wrong in your bones. The building tilts in ways your eyes cannot see. Reality itself seems to breathe when you are not looking.
You find out there is a barrier between this world and another, a thin, fraying skin that keeps the ordinary and the impossible apart. It has a name. The Veil. It is weakening, and for reasons no one wants to explain properly, you are standing right where it is thinnest.
You came to this city empty handed and empty armed, convinced you would have to build everything from scratch. Friends, routines, a life that felt like it belonged to you. Instead, the moment you arrive, people begin to circle. The boy you grew up with who disappeared without warning and now acts like keeping you breathing is his full time job. The beautiful stranger who looks at you like you broke his heart in a life you do not remember. The elegant warden who would rather lock you away than risk losing you. The immortal who laughs her way through eternity so she does not have to scream. The careful optimist who jokes through disaster and always has a plan. The sharp eyed fighter who treats caring like a liability and still steps between you and danger.
You spent years feeling invisible. Now every room you walk into holds at least one person who seems to know more about you than you do. They are all a little cracked around the edges from living too close to the Veil for too long. They all have opinions about what you are and what you should do. None of them agree. You wanted a fresh start. You got a front row seat to a very old war with your name scribbled in the margins.
You have to decide who to trust in a city where even the shadows feel opinionated. You have to decide whether to cling to the ordinary life you thought you wanted or step fully into the strangeness that has been waiting for you. Every choice pulls you closer to someone and further from the person you thought you were when you packed those boxes.
TLDR you finally escaped to the city you always wanted only to find the walls watching you the Veil is falling apart and a collection of dangerously devoted strangers who suddenly act like you are the one person they cannot afford to lose.
FEATURES
❥ Play as male, female, trans or nonbinary with customisable appearance and any sexuality
❥ Discover your true nature as a being caught between worlds
❥ Strengthen the Veil to protect humanity, or tear it down to free what’s trapped behind it
❥ Harness your unique abilities that become stronger as the Veil weakens
❥ Ally with the Network’s mission to maintain separation or join the Harmony Seekers’ vision of convergence
❥ Navigate relationships with beings from both sides of the Veil, each with their own agenda
❥ Choose between using your growing power for protection, understanding, or dominance
❥ Uncover memories from past cycles and break the pattern… or fulfill your destined role
DEMO
It’s currently the prologue and started chapter one with unfinished choice paths. Roughly ~20k words. And about 15k per playthrough.
ROMANCE OPTIONS
Male — [Profile]
“You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong. I can see it — same look you get right before you shut everyone out. Guess I just hoped this time wouldn’t include me.”
Male — [Profile]
“It’s strange, feeling everything so sharply after being numb for so long. You make the world hum again.”
Gender Selectable — [Profile]
“You carry noise in your heart. That’s not a bad thing. Let it echo.”
Female — [Profile]
“There you are. I was about two seconds from causing trouble without you.”
Male — [Profile]
“Yeah, I'm dead. But at least I have an excuse for not texting back.”
Female — [Profile]
“Some endings burn brighter than beginnings. Guess that’s the price of starting over.”
Hello! This is my first game and I’m still learning but I’ve been studying creative writing at university and have almost completed my degree.
It’s my first time coding and using .txt files for a story, so any feedback would be appreciated—from initial impressions to any found mistakes or coding errors.
If you read it, thank you for your time.
Lots of love,
Feather x
LINKS
If you’d like to support my work, feel free to buy me a virtual coffee!
Ko-Fi
Patreon (Coming soon. When I have more to share)
The Abyss beckons you once more.
You're dead. But don't worry, the end has no end. Welcome to the ethereal realms of the afterlife. Sign your contract, manage this lonely bar on the Abyss for a year, and claim your limitless wish from the gods themselves.
Well, if you manage to finish that year.
༻ THE BAR ON THE ABYSS 3.0 IS FINALLY HERE
Play WIP at: Itch.io | CoGDemos
(Current demo: 410k words!!!)
What started as a 2.5 update two and a half years ago grew into something I could no longer call anything but a new version entirely.
✬ Almost 200,000 words of overhauled and brand-new content for the current 5 chapters of the game.
✬ Brand new, restructured main plot arc.
✬ New mechanics that will carry the whole game forward.
✬ Characters who are more alive (well, you know) and more complicated than they've ever been.
I won't pretend this one was easy to ship, but I'm so glad it's finally in your hands.
(And if you're willing to help this little game grow, here's how! 🖤)
✬ Leave a comment on the COG game thread!
✬ Reblog this post before you start!
✬ Talk about it on r/hostedgames!
✬ Add it to your collection on itch.io!
✬ And most importantly, please send me your thoughts via ask here, or on COG, during or after your playthrough. I genuinely want to read every single one!
It would mean the world and beyond. Truly.
And now, here's everything that's new. Grab a drink! We earned it:
༻ A WHOLE NEW MAIN PLOT
The story of your afterlife journey has changed.
From the moment you sign your new contract, presented to you by none other than the Grim Reaper, the main arc of TBOTA changes from the ground up.
Pick your limitless wish, learn about your new employer: the Council of Nine, and discover what truly lies beneath this contract: a binding to something… else.
And this time, you have far greater agency to act on your own behalf and for your staff.
Should you choose to share what you've learned with them, of course.
If you've played before, you'll recognise the bones. But the story has grown around them into something ready to carry the full weight of what TBOTA is building toward.
༻ YOUR SPIRIT GIFT
The Spirit Gift system has been completely reworked. Not as a shortcut or as a glorified stat check, but as a new lens through which you experience the entire story. Each gift opens unique scenes, unique ways to act, gather information, or stumble into something just effing strange. Think of them less as abilities and more as a personality trait that the bar decided you really needed.
Ring of Chronos: stolen from Itot, the glass-spider god of time. Click your fingers, stop the world, and what you do with those stolen seconds is yours to decide: help your staff, or punch a nightlife critic in the face.
Lens of Daezur: contraband from a mage who wanted to know too much. Point it at anything, and get your own secret encyclopedia. Learn how old the Raven is, who made the gates to Limbo, and what the bathroom fog is really made of.
Mask of Shapeless Visage: previously worn by the actors-assassins of Teatru Mischak. Wear the face of everyone around you. But will you remember how to be yourself?
The Necklace of Murmurs: hear the thoughts of inanimate objects around you, and more so, their opinions. Your bedroom table, the jukebox downstairs, a letter from Pyriphlegethon, or even your own cash register.
Voidcutter: a sword forged to kill gods, carrying the memories of the civilization destroyed for making it. Fight like a spirit-warrior when the opportunity presents itself. And who knows… maybe one day, you’ll kill a god too.
Navia's Earring: the mad prophet heard what the gods meant to keep hidden. Now you do too! Just remember: some things, once heard, are very hard to unknow.
༻ RANDOM PATRONS ENCOUNTERS
No two playthroughs of the game will be the same! Each run gives you two out of five possible patron encounters, one in Chapter 1, one in Chapter 4.
In the future, these encounters will be chosen from a pool of 20 patrons. So, who walks through your door tonight?
Meet Zilas, God of Revelry, and he is very good at his job.
Meet Perpetiel, an Ophanim Angel, drinking a mimosa from a straw. Be not afraid.
Meet Laura, an astronaut who died during a research mission into a black hole, with one terrifying tale.
Meet Xochitl, Trade Ambassador of Clan Roh'els of the Undead City of Necropolis. A vampiress in your humble abode, coming with an interesting offer for you.
Tomas, a mortal painter. Quiet, unassuming. That’s all.
༻ LOVE AFTER DEATH
Romance has been overhauled from scratch. Be flirtatious or be a complete disaster about it. Choose monogamy, polyamory, or an ace playthrough. Build something slow and tender, or burn bright and chaotic.
And if you want things a little spicier with a certain devilish friend of yours... well. The content is there. You'll find it, I’m sure.
And random patrons are fair game, too! if you're the type to shoot your shot with someone who walked through your door an hour ago, and might be a vampire or an angel.
No judgment here.
༻ WHO ARE YOU IN THIS AFTERLIFE?
Introducing a 30-trait personality system. Every choice you make, every option you pick, every response you give quietly builds a psychological profile of your MC.
Not to gate content or to judge you! Just to reflect who you are becoming in your ethereal form, one decision at a time.
New grief path content is also woven throughout the game. Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance, each path surfaces in new places, in new ways.
You'll also find tons of new career options throughout the game. Some of them can even replace certain skill checks!
The Abyss is watching, and it finds you fascinating.
༻ CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION AND DEATH SCARS
Choose from a vastly expanded range of career backgrounds, add an honorific, and find a few other surprises waiting in the menu.
Your career also has a greater presence throughout the game now: more moments where who you were in life shapes who you're becoming in death.
And by popular demand, choose a death scar. After all, you died, and you probably have the marks to prove it.
During character customization, you can now choose your death scars, currently cosmic in nature. Full in-game integration is coming in future updates, but they're yours to wear now.
༻ EVERYTHING ELSE
Almost every scene in the existing game has been touched (gently, consensually): Prose, character voices, pacing, and choices.
If something felt off before, there's a good chance it doesn't anymore! (HOPING) And also, made an absolute thorough bugs & typos sweep. Some of them were present from day one! But I FINALLY SQUISHED THEM!
That's it, for now. I think! Might be others I forgot about, lol. After all, it’s been two and a half years of work just for this update. More love and labour than I can ever put into a release post, but alas.
Thank you for waiting. Thank you for asking after this game during the long silences.
There is a world hidden within your world.
A world of magic that exists only for the blessed ones.
You do not rank amongst them. You never will.
Serve, and their ways will be revealed to you.
Keep the secret of the Pact.
Obey our will in all things.
Serve, and a new life will be allotted to you.
Then you shall walk beside the chosen in their halls of learning.
Not as their equal, but as their better.
INTRODUCTION
Pactbinder is a WiP dark fantasy interactive fiction university novel set in an alt-history England, where you play as a once-ordinary person who has struck a bargain with an eldritch force in order to gain the gift of magic and walk in the hidden world of mages.
Word count is currently ~292k, which covers the game's prologue and first three chapters.
My inspirations are too numerous to do them all real justice, but Donna Tartt’s The Secret History and R.F Kuang’s Babel often find themselves on my mind as I write, as do many of the stories about students attending magical schools that I read growing up.
Outside of literature, I hope that anybody who has enjoyed DMing for or roleplaying a Warlock in a darker Dungeons & Dragons campaign will find something to enjoy in Pactbinder.
Please see below for a more detailed synopsis, a list of features planned to be in the final game and details on the main cast.
SYNOPSIS
Aspiring mages flock to the halls of Hightower to pursue the best arcane education in England, perhaps the world. For those blessed with the Gift of magic, there is no nobler dream than to study beneath the university’s elegant arches and develop skills and connections that will serve one for a lifetime.
However, the Gift is a rare privilege that is almost solely the birthright of the nobly born. This is the way things have been for as long as anybody at Hightower can remember. This year will be different, for rumours abound of a new student born Gifted but raised ignorant of the existence of magic; an oddity anywhere in this world, but particularly scandalous at elitist Hightower.
You are not that student. You’re just the person who stole their life.
As the Pactbinder, a once-ordinary person whose path to Hightower was paved by a bargain struck with an enigmatic entity of unspeakable power, you must fight and scheme to carve out a new life for yourself during your first year at Hightower whilst working to master your stolen magic, serve your patron and discover the university’s secrets without compromising your own.
Ultimately, it will fall on you to answer one question: What price would you pay for the life of your dreams?
CORE CAST
Note that with the exception of the Pactbinder (the MC) and the Entity (their eldritch patron), the core cast are the game’s primary ROs. RO genders are fixed, though all of them can be romanced by male, female and non-binary characters.
The Pactbinder (MC).
Gender: M/F/NB
Appearance: Player determined.
Description: A mysterious individual who stole the gift of magic from an unwary victim who was set to be the first mage born outside of magical society to attend Hightower in decades. Now impersonating that victim to take their place as a student, the Pactbinder must master their stolen magic whilst serving their Patron. How they feel about all this and what they plan to do about it is up to you, as is everything that they do next.
The Entity
Gender: N/A
Appearance: An empty space in misty skies, its outline barely suggestive of a humanoid form. Though its appearance is ever-shifting, it is always crowned by a halo of six red stars.
Mastery: Wields unknowable power over reality far in excess of the works of mortal mages, if indeed it can be compared to them at all.
Description: An enigmatic being who struck a bargain with the Pactbinder in their dreams, granting them power and access to the hidden world of magic in exchange for a lifetime of service. Its nature, true goals and desires are as yet wholly unknowable to the Pactbinder.
Alice Mortimer / Adelais De Mortemer: The Witch
Gender: F
Appearance: Tall, slender and very pale, with aristocratic features, silver-grey eyes and long white hair.
Description: One of the Pactbinder’s collegemates. An inscrutable first-year student with a troubled background and a fearsome reputation, Alice’s customary apathy isn’t quite enough to mask her fiercely intelligent mind, nor the quiet intensity that lurks beneath her listless demeanour. Seemingly the only first year to have already awakened her Gift before joining the university, something considered dangerous and foolhardy by most mages.
Eleanor Whitworth: The Scholar
Gender: F
Appearance: Very short, with braided dirty-blonde hair, a heart-shaped face and warm brown eyes behind round spectacles.
Description: One of the Pactbinder’s collegemates. An academic young woman from a well-respected family of mages recently struck by misfortune, Eleanor seems fixated on restarting the long-banned Hightower Expedition Society, a group dedicated to exploring the ruins beneath the university town. A hard worker and fierce friend who can nevertheless come across a little bossy at times.
Finlay Stuart: The Prince
Gender: M
Appearance: Very tall and thin, almost gangly. Freckled, with short reddish-brown hair and green eyes.
Description: One of the Pactbinder’s collegemates. The second son of the Queen of Scotland, a country which seems to be an entirely independent power in magical society. Finlay himself seems like an affable young man, if a little homesick and uncomfortable with the attention his presence inevitably attracts. However, the circumstances surrounding his arrival to Hightower, which is in England remain shrouded in mystery, particularly given the apparent longstanding enmity between the two countries.
Layla Farouk: The Traveler
Gender: F
Appearance: Average height, lean and fit. Olive skin, hazel eyes and long brown hair that’s often in a ponytail. Constantly on the move.
Description: One of the Pactbinder’s collegemates. The only international student in Hightower’s first-year class, Layla is indelibly marked as an outsider from her very first day. The enthusiastic young woman seems determined to meet this challenge with fierce pride and make her mark on Hightower all the same, whether the university likes it or not.
Marcus Elmgrove: The Rebel
Gender: M
Appearance: Tall, dark-skinned and broad-shouldered. Striking features marked by a scar on his lip. Dark hair and eyes.
Description: One of the Pactbinder’s collegemates. Brooding and cynical, Marcus is the mixed-race son of an influential noble father and a foreign-born mother. As such, he walks the uneasy line between barely-tolerated outsider and accepted member of high society. Though a fierce friend, Marcus struggles to manage the conflict between his resentment of magical society and his desire to fly under the radar.
FEATURES
Master your stolen power as you learn to call spirits, shape the elements, nurture life and / or meddle with minds.
Romance a secretive witch, a homesick prince, a timid would-be explorer, an excitable traveller, or a brooding rebel - or nobody at all - whilst navigating an increasingly complex social life burdened by a secret that you quite literally cannot share.
Embrace or rage against the university’s colonial legacy or work to turn it to your own ends.
Make a name for yourself in one of the university’s Societies, where you can demonstrate your prowess in activities including duelling, exploration and sky-sailing, or dedicate your free time to more secretive goals.
Begin your delve into the endless dungeons beneath the university in search of fortune, power and the answers to the mysteries that haunt you.
Fight, charm, scheme, steal and even kill as you strive to balance your obligations to your Patron with the demands of student life. Pray that the two never come into conflict.
because I'm going to be a bit busier with some irl stuff, I've decided to release the first half of chapter 1 for public release. This portion ends just before the start of the first race. I expect there to be spelling errors and the like, I do not currently need those pointed out at all.
saves WILL be broken
notes:
this includes a massive portion of words, and includes big chunks of the beginning having been rewritten, along with a call with the sponsor having been broken up a bit more and no longer is a mandatory thing to do.
the car choice has been updated with a whole new car, and car color has been made it's own choice so it's no longer locked to the model.
a couple new hair styles have been added.
THE DOWNSIDE: there's a scene missing currently. it's far from being up to snuff and it's only half finished with being rewritten. For the first test drive Axel's portion is currently hidden, but you can still hang back with Tye.
Chapter One is currently released for free! You can play it right now on the link above.
Where as Chapter Two will remain on the DIVINE TIER of my Patreon for a month, at which point it will be available for both the Divine and Mortal Tiers.
In these chapters you will...
Lose your temper.
Talk about your dreams.
Become a delivery person.
Do your laundry.
Talk to pretty people.
Find a cat.
Get shot.
If you run into any issues or errors please send me an ask about it.
Content warnings can be found at the start of the demo. God Syndicate is a romance interactive fiction novel meant for mature audiences.
I just want to thank everyone for letting me take my time with this, I think these two chapters really work super well together. Chapter 2 will be released to the public in a couple of months, so if you want to wait then feel free. But I do think the content is worth it.
I'll be taking a short break from writing! But I'll be back in a week or two.
Here is finally a new public update. This one adds over 20k words to the existing word count. I've edited the first two chapters (things are more polished, and there's new content), and I also added some third chapter things (eg. there's more content in Camilla's sentry scene and you can meet Marcus's sister Gaia).
There will be some typos and grammar errors still, but hopefully a lot less of those now (at least in the first two chapters! The third chapter is next in line). Also, I will make another grammar/typo sweep when the game is complete.
Also also, for your information, the story has continued to move forward on my Patreon for over 350k words (in addition to the existing public 260k words). We're already entering the final chapter, so please check that out if you're interested. There's also, uh, smut. So much smut. Over 140k words of smut (it's been piling up).
Anyway, thank you so much for giving this update a read!
Tired of dating show games where you feel like you don't actually get to know your fellow contestants? Sick of wlw routes being treated as an afterthought? Done with interchangable characters that share ultimately the same storyline? Do you think it's ridiculous that your choices don't get acknowledged? Do you cringe at motherf*cking adults behaving like 12-year-olds?
Then this self-indulgent game may be just what you were looking for!
Welcome to Soul Sister, the IF game where you'll participate in the first ever exclusively sapphic dating show!
DEMO: 31st of August 2025
You can't say you've ever been all that lucky in love but after your best friend's insistence that you give this a try maybe the time has come for that to change. Whether your intention is to just be a good wingwoman for her or get yourself a new partner you'll have to make the most of it.
Day after day and week after week, you'll spend your time with other women actively trying to find a partner while facing the surprises the show will throw your way. First seasons always keep contestants on their toes!
This light-hearted but romance heavy story focuses on the relationships you can stablish with your fellow contestants. Have fun trying the different choices that allow you to shape your own journey through the ups and downs of human interaction.
Features:
•Customize your MC, including name, appearance, interests and age.
•Bond with your potential matches over shared interests or experience the joy of learning new things.
•Enjoy the different approaches to dating. Commit to one person or keep your options open.
•Deal with all the curveballs, courtesy of the showrunners. What did you expect? This is show biz!
♥ Abbie ♥
Monolid blue eyes. Long straight black hair, the top strands often clipped back while she leaves it hang freely on the sides. Square jaw. Pale skin with a few moles scattered here and there. As tall as you.
She's in love with you but you don't know that (you moron). She's been your best friend for years. She's known you for such a long time that she can read you like an open book. Bookstore owner.
Not particularly athletic, she enjoys reading. Novels, essays, comic books, poems. You name it. She's goofy and has a blast bantering with you, though she always keeps an eye out as not to overwhelm you and promptly backtracks when she thinks she's making you uncomfortable. She's (not really) subtly touchy with you, always resting a hand on your back or patting your leg. The other contestants see through her from the start.
*What she wants in a partner: familiarity, trust, everyday romance.
*Goods you get: feels like home, understanding, warm-hearted, protective.
*Bads you get: a bit possessive, scared of change.
Route: friends to lovers, everyone can see it but you.
Says:
"I've wanted a relationship for a long time. This might be the only way to push myself out there."
But means:
"I already love someone who doesn't seem to love me back so I'd rather push both of us to date other people so that I can move on."
♥ Irene ♥
Round green eyes. Shoulder-length, wavy blonde hair left as is, pointy ears peeking through the strands. Tallest of the bunch. Wears more than a few rings, and fiddles with them a lot. Fair, rosy skin that gets easily sunburnt. Smells of sunscreen more often than not when she's outside.
Sweet and shy, her tall and strong frame doesn't look like it suits her. She seems to be eager to make conversation, but ignores how to keep it going. Very into sports and nature. Botanist.
She gets crushes easily, and just as easily she forgets one to focus on the next if her attention isn't instantly reciprocated. Can be stiff in a conversation with someone she's not familiar with, and is often much more relaxed when she can move while she talks, which is why dinner like first dates are certainly not for her.
*What she wants in a partner: kindness, support, life companion.
*Goods you get: gentleness, non-judgemental, good listener.
*Bads you get: clingy, needs reassurance, naive.
Route: puppy love to actual love.
Says:
"I just want to find someone who loves me."
But means:
"I'm insecure and finding someone who wants to be with me may change the way I see myself."
♥ Joanna ♥
Upturned brown eyes. Curly apparent shoulder-length brown hair that's actually much longer when wet. Golden brown skin with more than a few tan lines. High cheekbones. Average height, wide hips and small waist, epitome of classic femininity.
Energetic, language lover. Flirty and confident, it takes a while to know whether she has a genuine romantic interest on someone or is just being her coquettish self. Translator.
Most well-travelled of the bunch, Joanna is in love with language and shows love through it. She can smooth-talk you and flirt with you relentlessly, and she's the one out of all the contestants who will want to try it out with all of the others. When she feels like things are getting serious for her, though, she'll won't keep it to herself.
*What she wants in a partner: open-minded, curious, willing to learn.
*Goods you get: fun facts galore, passionate, straightforward.
*Bads you get: dismissive, a little self-centred, commitment issues.
Route: no strings attached (…but she'll get jealous).
Says:
"I'm looking for love, not a shackle."
But means:
"I like the feeling and closeness of a romantic relationship but I'm terrified of how vulnerable that leaves me."
♥ Vega ♥
Hooded black eyes. Short, black hair, long enough at the top so that she can style it a little with wax. Could easily become an afro if given time. Dark skin, tats on her arms highlighted in white ink. Average height, a little on the slim side, but has a toned build.
Laidback and calm. Really enjoys movies and series, has a thing for animation and dubbing. Very good at drawing and impersonations. Voice actress / Music producer
Always humming or whistling, she's content to spend her time looking for shapes in the clouds. She's more sentimental than she cares to admit and often struggles with her feelings when she knows that they don't respond to a logical behaviour, which often leads her to close off and avoid important conversations.
*What she wants in a partner: chill, no over-the-top romance, no pretence.
*Goods you get: honest, creative, independent, loyal.
*Bads you get: trust issues, reluctant to talk, ignores problems.
Route: let's wing it.
Says:
"No need to dress up or hold back a guffaw. I want to truly see you for who you are from the start."
But means:
"I think every little change in other's behaviour conceals a lie or intent to cheat me. Please don't lie to me."
♥ Margot ♥
Almond-shaped hazel eyes. Long, strawberry blond hair always up in a tight French twist, or a low ponytail if she's going to bed. It's uncommon to see her with her hair down. Tan, freckled skin and hazel eyes. Curvy, doesn't look that short, but reality hits when she allows herself to climb down her high heels.
Gruffiness born out of social anxiety. Surprisingly family oriented. High salary at an important firm. Stiff but compassionate, she's a bitter realist. Lawyer.
A little rough and forceful, she'll make you feel as if you're applying for a girlfriend position instead of organically getting to know her. She's so concentrated in discovering if she's compatible with the other contestants that she overlooks the fact that she has to open up and allow them to get to know her, too.
*What she wants in a partner: family oriented, mature, understanding.
*Goods you get: family oriented, devoted, nurturing, tough love.
*Bads you get: impatient, approaches dating as an interview, not willing to compromise. …Tough love.
Route: romance bureaucrat turned softie
Says:
"I want a wife but the girlfriend stage is such a hassle"
But means:
"I don't want to waste my time in shallow relationships when all I want is someone to share my whole self and life with."
♥Dawn♥
Deep set brown eyes, dyed blond hair in a wavy pixie cut, but it's naturally a soft chestnut brown in colour. Sharp features, thin nose and lips. Dimpled cheeks.
Confident, master of the innuendo. Loves good (and bad) wordplays and puns. She'd be the intersection in a Venn diagram between Witticism and Self Awareness. Her ability to both fill silences and end discussions in an entertaining manner make her an invaluable asset for any TV show.
Her bold nature lead many to mistake her openness for invitations to go further, which can end badly if anyone dares put a hand on her without her explicit permission.
Openly queer, Dawn is a big fish in the little pond of reality dating shows. Her newcomer label didn't stop her from making a splash from her very first episode. Now a coveted host in the reality world, she turned now the chance to renew her contract with the show that saw her become famous in favour of the upcoming Soul Sister.
*What she wants in a partner: respect, communication, commitment.
*Goods you get: intelligent, dependable, romantic, sensible.
*Bads you get: paranoid, obdurate, overly perfectionist. …Married.
Route: trying to stay in love while falling for someone else
Says:
"People would be better off if they listened to their brain more often than their hearts. Or loins."
But means:
"I consider my actions so thoroughly that them proving to be a mistake makes me feel like a worthless idiot."
A Shriek of Ash and Fire -Update 21- Wicked Games (approx +90k, 1.91 Million words total)
LINK
@interact-if
The world was on fire, and no one could save me but you
It’s strange what desire will make foolish people do
I never dreamed that I’d meet somebody like you
And I never dreamed that I’d lose somebody like you
No, I don’t wanna fall in love (this world is only gonna break your heart)
No, I don’t wanna fall in love (this world is only gonna break your heart)
With you, with you
(This world is only gonna break your heart)
What a wicked game to play to make me feel this way
What a wicked thing to do to let me dream of you
What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way
What a wicked thing to do to make me dream of you
Highly advisable to start a new playthrough. Old saves will encounter errors.
Hi, saints, firebrands and reapers!
This is it, our final play to claim the Grey Torment. Not going to lie, the strike was child’s play compared to what’s coming.
We are gifted a semi-customisable companion. Pickles is given a body by Malachar to appease our MC.
We will discover the story behind Malacher and Signy.
Yet, the plot thickens. Whether to free the living folk from the clutches of the liches or to grab power for yourself, we begin to make our plans.
Depending on our path and who we have befriended, we travel through the crawler to build a force capable of storming the upper sanctums. Those who are enshrined will also be able to supplement their ranks with the undead.
Lead the attack on the upper sanctums, directing who will lead the ambush, who will storm in to hold the line, and who will rescue Zuan.
Finally confront Malachar… and be greeted with a somewhat unexpected last gasp.
Included are a huge number of typo fixes for earlier scenes and several bug fixes, a few major ones too.
Added a new section to the lore page on the stats screen: Find out about each of the known ash crawlers- and a few of the failures.
Now in the far reaches of Zthullu, Malachar is uneasy. The Cold Pact deplores his actions, whether he agreed to free the slaves or destroyed some of the phylacteries for a sudden boost in power, turning even some of the liches against him. He feels control slipping and needs to root out all discontent, using any leverage he can.
Perhaps, if he can destroy the Despair’s Demise, he can regain his high standing with the Council of Yonderfolde. But, to do so, the Grey Torment must be reliable; the denizens aboard, whether living or undead, must bow to his authority.
Alas, Malachar, there’s a young lad or lass from Grandardgard who has other ideas…
As always, let me know if you have any comments or find any bugs and typos.
Join the discussion on the Hosted Games Forum:
NEW LINK- One of the foundations of testing HG and CoG WIPS, Dashingdon, is sadly closing down. Play the demo from this new link, and please
Continue the story as a Krog-Tier Patreon, gaining access to lore, polls, and the latest build. Krog Tier patrons can play through to the very start of the concluding events, including the climactic scenes for our chosen RO, if we have one.
Chapter 1 is now playable on itch.io! 30k words without code. In this chapter, you try to return home from a warding mission gone south, and end up making a deal with a dead god instead to kill the Luminary. Everything gets worse from there. There is something ancient and nameless slumbering in the darkness.
The chapter as a whole is quite introductory, and has the most significant variation based on the occupation (mage/priest/guard) you choose. The characters you meet in this chapter are the God of the Moon, Vel and Kallias. Any bugs please let me know and I will fix them as soon as I can! Also feel free to send any questions/thoughts/things you liked and hated.
Costa Sul isn't a place you find on a "Top 10 Hidden Gems" travel magazine, and the locals would very much like to keep it that way. Born and raised here, you knew every shortcut, the spots with the best waves, and every hidden temple ruin that made your coastal town even more dreamy. You also couldn't go anywhere without someone recognizing you, which you had made peace with sometime around age nine. You were essentially part of the town's historic site at this point.
Then came college and you told everyone you'd be back every other weekend, which was a bold statement for someone who had not yet checked train prices. Five hours away seemed perfectly fine, on paper, until you met your first Friday deadline and found out the ticket cost (forty euros!). Suddenly, "I'll be home for the weekend" turned into a series of apologetic FaceTime calls to your mom.
Two years later a storm hits the town, and you suddenly find yourself back in Costa Sul, more specifically, in the middle of the kitchen, awkwardly staring at your former group of friends. It seemed like no time had passed, except that no one is making eye contact after two years of ghosting each other and the big ass crater on the roof of the beach house.
Surprisingly, the storm was the least of the town’s problems. Word has reached the docks that a journalist is on the way to write a post-mortem on Costa Sul's newly wrecked image. The town needs someone to show The Vulture around and make it look like paradise. Someone local. Someone who is currently unable to leave because they spent their emergency fund on a last-minute train ticket. Ring any bells?
TL;DR: You have a house to fix, a mother's stress-cooking to stop, awkward friendship tensions to deal with, and a journalist to babysit. All without accidentally drilling a hole through your own foot. Welcome home, guppy.
COSTA SUL is an 18+ slice-of-life interactive fiction, for explicit language, explicit sexual themes, alcohol use, discussions of grief and more.
Customise your MC: gender, pronouns, appearance, clothing style and personality.
Romance one of five official love interests, keep it casual, make it messy, or stay happily single!
Choose your companion: your loyal childhood dog, the town's feline mayor, or a tiny feathered friend.
Babysit a notorious hit-piece journalist. Bribe, flatter, or threaten (whatever works) and show them the beauty of Costa Sul so they don't nuke the place with an ill-worded blog post.
Channel your inner Bob the Builder and completely transform Ida’s beach house, the place where you and your friends were raised.
Face (or not) the awkwardness of two years of distance with your old friend group.
Soak up the sun, ride some waves, and make every single second count. It's time to have the best summer of your life!
Matthew 'Matt' Deveraux / Madeleine 'Maddie' Deveraux (M/F) – If you’re looking for someone to help you hide a body, M is the only call worth making. They’d show up at your door without raising a single question, though they’d refuse to start the car until you had your seatbelt fastened. Safety first, felony second. While everyone else was out there competing for scraps of M's attention, M was buying two of your favorite snacks because they knew you'd want more later, and there's nothing sadder than running out.
M was the person you called when nothing happened. Not bad news, not good news, just ‘I'm driving home, and I wanted to talk’. And they always picked up. You didn't know how rare that was until the first time you checked your phone and realized you had no one else to call. Now, their name is a taboo topic, and people regret bringing it up the moment you give them the look.
You had your finest cold shoulder locked in for M’s inevitable return. Or so you thought. One look into those tired, gorgeous eyes and your tear ducts are working like rent is due. Your dignity would like a word, please.
You can play as M’s former platonic soulmate or the ex they can’t stop thinking about. Either way, M is happy you’re in their life again, even if begrudgingly so.
Daniel 'Dani' Reyes / Daniela 'Dani' Reyes (M/F) – D is a certified music nerd who will spin you until you’re dizzy, catching you with a grin that screams they know exactly how good they look in that moment. Just don’t suggest slow dancing unless you want them to break into a cold sweat; after all, they’ve spent their entire life treating commitment like a pop-up ad: something to be closed as quickly as humanly possible. In fact, your friendship's second anniversary officially marks the longest relationship D has ever honored.
All of this makes their latest stunt even more baffling. In a moment of pure panic (or perhaps just a poorly timed joke), D stood before the circle of their incredibly nosy tias in the eye and announced that the two of you were a couple.
Suddenly, D sees themselves with a one-way ticket to Hand-Holding Hell. And all because they wanted five minutes of peace at the family brunch. And, naturally, they’ve dragged you along. At least their tias are delighted.
You can play D as either your incorrigible best friend or the "fake" partner you can't get enough of. Either way, you’re going to need a lot more coffee.
Julian 'Jules' Park / Julia 'Jules' Park (M/F) – Your moms are soul sister, which, in a fairytale world, would have made you inseparable. Instead, before either of you had learnt how to talk, it was established that anything between you could, and would, be turned into a competition.
Two years of distance should have detoxed you from J. You did yoga, read mindfulness books, did the whole shabang. You thought you’d outgrown the nonsense, leaving that childish rivalry in the past.
Now you cross paths again, and there they are: quiet, intense, and wearing that oh-so-punchable face, dragging you right back to high school. They don't even have to say a word; the second they notice your jaw clenching in frustration, a slow, mocking smile spreads across their face. It’s the exact same look they gave you when you finally got your braces off a week after they did. And just like that, every second of mindfulness practice was just useless silence.
J is your frenemy. You two are physically incapable of being anything else. At least you can decide if you're putting up with them for the plot, or because you like being close enough to count their eyelashes while you argue.
Teodoro 'Theo' Lima / Talita 'Talia' Lima (M/F) – T has been a professional hopeless romantic since first grade. While other kids were busy trading Pokémon cards or eating dirt, T was planning a playground wedding with a stranger they’d met by the swings two hours prior.
Since that first "I do," T has existed exclusively as half of a package deal, complete with matching pairs of underwear and a level of saccharine cringe you assumed would last a lifetime. Now, you’re sitting on your bathroom floor for the third time today, patting T’s back through their latest post-breakup existential crisis.
But beneath all the snot and the melodrama, you’re secretly proud; for the first time ever, T is finally becoming their own person. That is, until that one wet, beautiful laugh escapes them. If your heart suddenly develops a violent arrhythmia, just keep praying they didn't notice your breath catching... or go to the ER, I guess.
You can either guide T towards a fresh start or be the leading interest in a rebound plot. May the odds be in your favor, soldier.
Percival 'Percy' Mendes / Priscila 'Percy' Mendes (M/F) – You’ve always had a soft spot for the youngest member of your group, P. Despite being only six months older, you acted as if you’d personally witnessed the founding days of Costa Sul, and P happily indulged you. Everyone teased them about their not-so-subtle crush on you, but you kept things platonic, mostly by ruffling their hair in a way that said 'treasured friend' instead of 'future spouse.'
However, the person you reunite with after two years of distance has clearly decided none of that ever happened. P greets you with the kind of politeness one offers to a distant cousin’s new spouse, the one whose name you can never quite remember.
Their coldness would make you question if you hallucinated the entire previous decade, if it weren’t for the quick, "screw you in particular" irritation that flashes across their face every time you open your mouth.
You can play P as either the friend who finally got over you, or the friend who is just faking it really well. Will you try to break their unbothered act, or will you play along?
Momㆍshe/her – Without her, Costa Sul would just be a pretty coastal town with nice weather and a decent fish market. With her, it's home. You give your mom a free pass to interfere in your life because you’re a total pushover for her. Plus, she’s usually right.
Adelaida ‘Ida’ de la Cruzㆍshe/her – Your nanny, who became a grandmother figure. Her door was always open, her kitchen always smelled amazing, and she certainly didn't take advantage of a minor storm to trap your old friend group under one roof to force you to fix your issues. Don't be ludicrous.
V – There's a rumor going around town, but you've been gone two years, so you'd be the last one to know.
R – A blog post is loading, and your internet is doing its best... Which isn't great.
18+ slice-of-life Interactive Fiction about modern romance sets in Melbourne, Australia.
DEMO (20k+ as of 7 March 2026)
You’re 28, mixing drinks at a cozy gastropub in Melbourne, Australia, teaching creative classes on the side, and trying to figure out what "adulting" actually means. Your pregnant best friend insists you need to start dating seriously. You weren’t planning on it.
Then in one chaotic Thursday night shift, three people ask for your number.
A cozy slice-of-life romance about bartending, belonging, and figuring out what you actually want.
Features:
Play as any gender (he/she/they)
Choose from six immigrant backgrounds, two personalities (extrovert vs introvert) and two communication styles (playful vs genuine)
Romance four romance routes with distinct storylines
Navigate the quirks and hiccups of modern romance
CW: avoidable sexual content
ROMANCE OPTIONS:
Koji (he/him) – An second generation immigrant chef planning on opening a brunch restaurant. Ambitious and charming, he values your expertise as much as he desires your company.
Jasmine (she/her) – a marketing coordinator navigating the complexity of corporate life. Responsible and warm, she sees you as someone who lives your life authentically.
Miro (he/they) – an Aboriginal musician with a voice that sneaks into your soul, shy offstage but magnetic under the lights. He finds your creative works interesting and inspiring.
And that every soul ends up exactly where it belongs.
They will not tell you about are the mistakes. About the miracles that went wrong and the lives caught in the space between divine judgment and human sin.
You were never meant to exist.
And yet… here you are. A soul that should not be possible.
A variable in the system never accounted for.
Angels and Demons are watching you closely and something ancient is more than aware.
Who's side are you on? What will you become?
Are you here for salvation—
—or damnation?
Features:
Play as male, female, or nonbinary — straight, gay, bisexual or no romance at all!
Choose your name and your pronouns and how the world of Concord addresses you.
Three gender selectable romance options and four set genders.
Show mercy, hold the line, or embrace ruthless resolve.
Navigate celestial politics, hidden agendas, and fragile alliances.
Shape your power, reputation, and the fate of those around you.
Choose who you become by choice. Angel, Demon or something different?
A figure steps into your view, looming over you and staring down at you. Watching as your life leaves you.
You can’t make out many details, on account of your rapidly leaving life. Their skin is pale, practically paper white, and is framed by inky black waves of hair that spills down and over their shoulders. It looks a bit matted and damp, strands sticking to their forehead either from sweat or blood.
Standing out against their skin is the crimson smear across the bottom half of their face, staining their pale skin red and dripping down their neck and clothes. A grin sits amongst the red full of teeth stained in much the same way as it stretches across their face. What little bit of light there is, catches the glint of four long canines that stand out menacingly as if they crave to be used. It seems like they already have been.
You know this person. You know her. She is your end.
[Demo (174.9k words)] [CoG Forum] [Characters]
Wraithbound is an weird west interactive fiction game, where you play as a person who has lost most, if not all, of their memories after some kind accident that left you half dead.
After waking up in the middle of the woods, you're found by two people and taken to the town of San Arima to tend to your wounds. While you're there, you slowly begin to piece together who you were and what happened to you.
Will you take your revenge and let the building hate in your chest consume you? Or will you learn to let go and keep moving for a different reason.
Warning:
This game contains depictions of death, violence, gore, optional sexual content, swearing, and other mature themes. Please be aware of these things as you continue with the demo. If you have any recommendations for content that should be listed in the above list, please let me know!
Features
Customize your MC. Play as a man, woman, or nonbinary person. Customize your appearance with options for being trans and develop your personality.
Be better, or worse, than you were. Create your personality for who you were before you woke up in the woods, changing how some characters interact with you.
Impact the story with your choices.
Romance any of the five main cast members, with an opportunity for a poly route.
Potentially die. Don't fear death. While it's the end for most, it seems like the grim reaper just doesn't want you.
Characters
The Doctor
Edward/Edith Hayes (m/f) is one of the two that found you in the woods when you first awoke. E is optimistic, kind-hearted, and a bit timid. They strive to see the best in people and help who they can, even if it causes them to ignore the signs of danger around them.
The Witch
Sloan Ash (m/f/x) is the other of the two that found you in the woods when you first woke up. Sloan puts on an air of confidence, sarcasm, with a touch flirtation. A person who doesn't seem keen to stay in one place, yet seems to stay anyway.
The Deputy
Azael/Azura Herrera (m/f) is the deputy to the sheriff of San Arima, a man they were once proud to serve under. However the past couple years the sheriff has changed. Suspicious dealings and odd orders, something is going on that they are being kept out of and they will figure out what.
The Conman
Leonard/Lilith (m/f) is a relatively new addition to the town of San Arima. L is person who claims to be an "entrepreneur" who always ends up on the winning end of any endeavor they take, less so those they work with. They've said that this town is ripe with opportunity, for what isn't exactly clear.
The Widow
Morgan Faulkner (m/f/x) is a magus-hunter, a type of bounty hunter that specializes in dealings with the supernatural. Roughly 3 years ago, they lost their partner and spouse with no word or warning. Now Morgan has found their way to San Arima and they seem to want you dead, claiming you're just a monster wearing the face of the one they love.
In After Hours, you step into the shoes of a single parent trying to keep your life — and your livelihood — from collapsing. Between long nights, thin apartment walls, being a parent and the constant pressure to hold everything together, you’ve mastered survival.
But routine starts to crack when new connections form in the most unexpected places. As responsibilities grow heavier and emotions become harder to ignore, you’ll have to decide how much of yourself you’re willing to risk.
Will you protect the walls you’ve built — or break them down?
Key Features:
Play as male, female, or non-binary; customize your sexuality.
Shape your parenting style — protective, relaxed, strict, or emotionally open.
Balance personal relationships with the demands of running a business.
Navigate conflicts, late-night confrontations, school problems, your child growing up and community drama.
Build (or damage) trust with three love interests. (2 gender optional and 1 canon non-binary)
Ilya / Anastasia
Your neighbor is the kind of person who can be grumpy and blunt at first, often snapping or rolling their eyes without meaning to, but underneath that rough exterior is a teasing, playful side that comes out once you get to know them. Confident and independent, they speak their mind freely and carry a presence that’s hard to ignore, even when they’re being difficult. Loyal and protective of the people they care about, they have a magnetic charm that draws people in despite their initial rudeness.
Richard / Rachel
Your child's teacher is calm, patient, and quietly confident, with a presence that makes others instinctively trust them. They are intelligent and perceptive, noticing details most people would miss, and reliable in both thought and action. Warm and gentle, yet strong when the situation calls for it, they balance kindness with quiet authority, offering guidance and steadiness without ever being overbearing.
Dakota
The chef of the restaurant next to your work exudes elegance and quiet confidence, moving with a refined, attentive presence that feels intentional without being flashy. Soft-spoken but firm, they notice the little details others overlook and approach life — and their craft — with discipline and care. Artistic and graceful, they have a subtle charm that draws people in naturally, combining warmth, sophistication, and an appreciation for beauty in everything they do.
A text-based psychological horror about love, pain, family, angels, and demons.
It's been a little while! Working on Saintsridge Angels during free moments between work and life delayed this quite a bit, but I'm thrilled to announce that the first major update to the story is here!
The main pull of this update is, of course, a continuation of the story- Chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9 are now all available to play through!
On top of that, however, there have been a few quality-of-life improvements, namely a feature that allows you to hover over a line of dialogue to see who is speaking, in case of colorblindness, or if you just have trouble keeping track. An autosave feature and two more save slots have also been added.
I hope you enjoy, and I'd love to hear what you think about the new chapters!
@interact-if
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