You remember only the moth, carrying you through the cosmos.
And now you are dead. A newly formed spirit, carrying your grief into the unknown.
But the end has no end, and your story continues.
After a meeting with Death (they're really not used to talking to people, be gentle with them) and the Raven, a sardonic talking bird with secrets older than stars, you sign a contract: manage the bar on the Abyss for one year, in exchange for a single limitless wish from the gods themselves.
The Abyss is a nexus connecting every realm in existence. A haven where gods, devils, angels, and lost souls converge to drink and revel.
And you're not alone. You have your staff, and your patrons: a mortal witch, a sly devil, and Death, who keeps finding reasons to visit. Grief isn't the only thing that survives death. Love and friendship make the crossing too.
But something is hiding in the fine print. A voice in your dreams, a loneliness that has swallowed every proprietor who came before you.
How do you fight loneliness?
Manage your bar, unravel the cosmic mystery of the Abyss, go shopping in Hell, witness the universe's creation in a public bathroom, unlock the forbidden secrets of magic, and learn the truth about your real employers.
The Abyss beckons you.
✬ A narrative-driven interactive fiction experience, where every choice builds the story and the person you're becoming in death.
✬ Play as any gender, any sexuality. The afterlife doesn't card you at the door.
✬ Customize your death: did you go by fire, or illness? Did someone else make the choice, or did you? The circumstances of your death are yours to define.
✬ Pick your grief path: the way you felt in your final moments will shape the story, how certain characters respond to you, and how you see the world. Did you rage against the dying of the light, or welcome the reaper with a handshake? Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance: choose the lens of your afterlife.
✬ Customize your spirit-self: choose your appearance, pick from 36+ career backgrounds that unlock choices throughout the game, and your death scars — because you died, and you probably have the marks to prove it.
✬ Choose your pension: a single, limitless wish from the gods themselves. What do you want more than anything?
✬ Build your psyche: a 30-trait personality system quietly maps every decision into a portrait of the spirit you're becoming.
✬ Pick your Spirit Gift: a mythical artifact left by the bar as a welcome gift. Stop time, read the secret thoughts of gods, analyze any entity, hear the opinions of inanimate objects, wear anyone's face, or carry a sword forged to kill gods. Each gift opens unique scenes, solutions, and ways to experience the story.
✬ Be the proprietor of your own afterlife bar: name it, choose its theme, and run it your way.
✬ Romance and befriend a cast of mortals and immortals: the awkward Grim Reaper, a mortal witch and their familiar, a sly devil, a warlord who became your security guard, a spectral diva, and a formless shadow. Be poly, monogamous, asexual, purely physical — they'll respond in kind.
✬ Random patron encounters on your night shifts: who walks through the door changes every playthrough.
✬ Explore the afterlife, travel to distant realms, and uncover the dark secrets hiding beneath your bar… and your contract.
M\F\NB (Poly or Monogamous paths)
Death reveals a surprising warmth beneath their eternal duty.
Is there room for love within their everlasting embrace?
Read more >>>
M\F (Poly or Monogamous paths)
This devilish being, a powerful magnet of desire, seeks more than power in the bar’s shadows.
Who dares to pursue the heart behind the flame?
Read more >>>
M\F (Poly or Monogamous paths)
The Witch, with their feline companion, seeks a lost soul, their magic stirring trouble and passion alike.
Can a mortal love thrive in the spirit realm?
Read more >>>
M (Monogamous path)
A mercenary turned security guard, Hastur carries an immortal burden, guilt born of past battles and sacrifices.
Will your love heal his wounds?
Read more >>>
NB (Monogamous path)
The spectral diva enchants with their voice, their performance a dance of beauty tinged with the sorrow of eternal life.
Can your love find a new song for them?
Read more >>>
M\F\NB (Monogamous path)
A shade keeps the bar’s order, and his silence holds the weight of cosmic secrets.
Will your heart fall for the being behind the shadow?
Read more >>>
With feathers dark and wit sharp, The Raven’s history is as rich as the bar itself. He offers piercing insight beneath a layer of humor.
Read more >>>
The stern soothsayer-turned-accountant Yaga guards the bar’s fortune while wrestling with her own spectral regrets and wisdom.
Read more >>>
Shelly, the bar’s assistant, brings life-affirming warmth but seeks a new family to fill the void of her lost one.
Read more >>>
Welcome to the cosmos: a weave of ever-changing realms. Each domain is a thread in the grand design.
Read more >>>
I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Big or small, everything matters: your input is invaluable. I'll be answering and taking each into consideration. You are very welcome to post your reviews here!
Here’s what I’m especially looking for:
Thoughts on the plot, characters, and overall narrative experience. What’s working, and what could use more polish?
Notes on any typos, grammar issues, or awkward phrasing that might distract from the story.
Any continuity errors you spot: It's a big project, so making sure the narrative makes sense in the long run is really important.
The game explores themes of Death in various forms, including suicide.
Alcohol indulgence and its various side effects (hangovers, vomiting, etc.)
New fan here!! I love it soso much.. I had no idea who I would romance but Death just.. keeps being their cute self... I haven't scroll through all your posts here yet but just wondering if you do voice claims for the entire cast? ^^ I'm very curious of how you think the characters will sound like!
Omg thank you! I do have a few 1:1 voice claims (had to google that, boomer moment)
For example, Yaga sounds EXACTLY like old Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle, Shelly sounds like Kimiko Glenn, Hastur sounds like Keith David...
But don't really have defined ones for the rest. In general, I have a hard time matching a voice to a name lol, can imagine and describe each voice pretty well, but the actual actor / character's name is always just on the tip of my tongue!
So... what do you guys think? Got any voice claims for the characters?
What is a demo? If it’s a demo, does that mean that it will remain unfinished or you have to pay for the full game?
Indeed! I’m going to update the demo until the final 2 Chapters, and the rest (hopefully!) will be available via the Hosted Games app. But you will also be able to sign as a beta tester and play the game for free!
Omg, I absolutely adore this!! I especially like getting major lore dumps🤭 the universe has a lot of depth to it and I can tell a lot of thought has been put into it! It’s crazy that you ca keep track of everything honestly😭
not sure if this has been asked, but will the full game be free, or will it be on hosted games?
Thank you so much!!! I have 50+ Google Docs and a 100+ pages lore bible doc, that's how 😭
It's actually so sad because the game hints at maybe 50% of the current lore, and the rest is only for my eyes.
It's NOT FAIR. I WANT TO SHARE IT ALL AND RUIN EVERYTHING FOR EVERYONE!!!!
The game will be free until I submit it to HG; then (hopefully!) it will be distributed by COG.
But when the game is ready, I'll need beta testers... So when we get there, there will be an option to get the beta version of the game for free (and appear in the thank yous!)
But that's for the future, the demo will be open until we reach Chapter 9 :)
Hii! I just discovered this if this morning and I cannot obsess over it enough, it is SO good, especially how each character is fleshed out?? mwah mwah chef's kiss
(I did not expect liking all of the cast so much, especially Yaga...she reminds me so much of my older relatives 😭😭💕)
And I have to ask...for fanart reasons, do you have any headcanons on the main cast's heights?
Thank you so much!!! ❤️❤️❤️
And made this a while ago, still accurate though:
💬 0 🔁 3 ❤️ 52 · Bar's Crew · Do you have canon heights for the characters or is it left to interpretation? I know that Hastur is 7ft tall
Hi dear propirtiors! Just checking in to say sorry for going away for a bit, had the flu and some busy time at work, delving back into the game soon ❤️
So 3.0 is finally, fully OUT. Now it's time to move to Chapter 5: Conspiracy.
Instead of dropping a whole chapter at once, Chapter 5 will be released one encounter per update.
Which means the game is about to update a LOT in the coming months!
Here's everything that's coming 👀
✬ Chapter 5, Part 1: The Quiet Days
The bar is settling, the Abyss is still, and your Proprietor can go on small quests and encounters with the cast. Enjoy the peace while it lasts…
✬ UPDATE 1: Meet Death in Limbo: It's time to confront the Grim Reaper. Maybe on a date, maybe with Morgan/a tagging along. But how will you get answers from a god who forgot them?
✬ UPDATE 2: A date with a Devil: If romanced, you can finally get some one-on-one time with Lilith/Damian. Re-visit Château Hinnom, and maybe spend the night there as well. And this time, properly meet the one who raised your Devilish lover: Anaat, the matriarch of the house. But don't worry: if you're not romancing Lilith/Damian, prepare for a surprise visit from Anaat at the bar!
✬ UPDATE 3: Small conversation hub: Talk to Yaga about what happened in Hell, hear about Peisinoe's latest project, and talk with the Raven about your little interrogation. If you're poly-romancing Death, Morgan/a and Lilith/Damian, meet all three at the bar for a special night together.
✬ UPDATE 4: Join Hastur, Cassy, Shelly, and He Without Name for a trip to a celestial zoo: Cassy needs a bit of a change of scenery, and this is a perfect time to help Hastur bond with his demigod daughter. Of course, for the interested proprietors, it's also the time to get closer with Hastur.
✬ UPDATE 5: Join Shelly and Cahira on a double date to Arcadia. You can pick a your plus one from the cast (or the Raven, if you’re not romancing anyone) and help the knight and the barmaid fall in love. But just a warning: this realm has teeth.
✬ Chapter 5, Part 2: The Delegation (Update 6)
The Council of Nine has chosen the bar as neutral ground for a peace summit between Hell, Heaven, and the Malakim: Heaven's renegade angels, waging eternal war.
Meet with Seraph Alpha, the Emissary of The Malkut, and Asmodeus, the 7th Prince of Hell, accompanied by your scheming friend, Lilith/Damian, and plan a party where all factions can negotiate a ceasefire.
The dress code: Heavenly Virtue. Asmodeus proposed it.
But remember: if violence breaks, if one single angel or devil gets hurt under the flag of truce, Heaven might join the Malakim's side in total cosmic war.
And you're hosting it.
No pressure.
✬ Chapter 5, Part 3: The Masquerade (Update 7)
The Seven Princes of Hell. The Malkut, the rulers of Heaven. And the Malakim delegation, led by Archangel Michael himself.
All meet at your bar, which, for the night, transformed into a mock-celestial ballroom.
Talk to all guests and the cast in a night full of confrontations.
Tomorrow I'll upload another update containing major bugs and typos sweep. Of course, if your save is affected, use IT-WAS to quickly jump back to the game!
After the update, I'll finally start moving forward to Chapter 5!!!! So exciteddddddd. Prepare for your first 1-on-1 dates (or 3-on-1...) with all romantic candidates!
In the meantime, as always, if you enjoyed or are currently enjoying the game, I'd appreciate it immensely if you:
✬ Leave a comment on the CoG game thread!
✬ Reblog the main post!
✬ 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. Theories, reviews, writing prompts, or questions you have, I love to read them all!
Thank you for being here, and a special thank you to everyone who reported bugs and typos (@chaoticgoodthief, you are the best!!) 🖤
Who were your favorite random patrons you encountered?
My favorite is the astronaut. I liked her story, her goal (to find her comrades) and how we can give her advice and moral support. This is probably one of memorable moments in the game for me. It was nice after she told her story to see her go to her friends and relax for a moment.
What did you think about them?
I also met an "angel" and a god. I liked the communication with God enough, it was fun. But I didn't really like the angel, it's just not my type of character (?). Emotionally cold and empty. And that's cool, they're all different and diverse just like in real life.
What kind of patrons would you like to meet down the road?
It would be great to see characters who would help MC cope with their trauma (anger, depression, desire to go back). Everything related to how the MC died, murder, suicide, etc. For example, MC meets a soul that has been killed, and they are obsessed with revenge, just like MC, pure rage. And MC communicates , listens, learns more about them, and decides "I don't want to become like this and lose myself" or "I'll get revenge even if I go mad." Or MC meets someone who longed to return back to their loved ones and then accepted that they can't. A soul that also wants to just disappear and rest, and so on and so forth.
(I apologize if this is written crookedly, English is not my first language)
First of all your English is perfect, please don't apologize 🥺
I'm so happy you enjoyed Laura! (And in Perpetiel's case... tolerated, lol. Listen, a cynical Ophanim angel is not everyone's cup of mimosa!)
Now. About the patrons you'd like to meet! Patron encounters are mostly self-contained (although SOME will have an impact on the story!), but your MC is definitely going to tackle these feelings during the course of the day.
I wanted to ask, maybe I didn't read it carefully, but what influences the fact that some people (gods, etc.) after death become moths in the garden of Death, and others go to drink in a bar and walk around the world’s, or go to hell?
Good question! All souls begin their afterlife journey as wisps in Limbo, and only after they transform into spirits they move to an afterlife realm. So the transition for mortals is always Limbo -> Afterlife!
There’s actually a place called “Purgatory Station,” a realm where souls that just “blossomed” from Limbo gather after awakening, then move to an afterlife realm. If they are bound to Hell, they are… escorted by not-very-nice demons.
Your MC also visited the station after Limbo, but most souls don’t remember their first time there. Short-term memory is a bit foggy for new spirits.
But the station will be introduced in the game at some point 👀
I’ve only encountered this patron in one of my play throughs but it’s definitely the one that stuck with me the most: Captain Laura!
The story itself reminded me of the doctor who episode “The Impossible Planet”, but hearing the story from the Captains perspective was so heart wrenching. I was sobbing at the end of it honestly. And the fact that her crew didn’t even remember omfg she’s dealing with it all ALONE!!
I loved the end of the encounter where I could kiss her, it just made me cry more. I love her so much 😭
I loveeee that episode oh DW!!! Definitely an inspiration, among other similar stories like “Event Horizon”, “Sunshine” and of course “Alien” :)
Honestly Laura was the toughest story to write! I was stuck for like, half a year with only a note that said “Astronaut from Civitas”. Had to think backwards to how she died, her backstory, the. Wrote the encounter. Happy you loved her! ❤️
I like writing in a tavern keeper who was a former assassin during their life.
In a world where assassin was a selectable former profession in game, how might that affect interactions with the staff & ROs who learn about their past?
What a freaking cool idea for an MC!!! Assassin isn't a selectable career (yet? 👀), but this is too fun not to run with. Let's see...
Death would be half mortified, half judgmental, and doing a TERRIBLE job hiding both. You'd get the world's most transparent attempt to redeem your image in their mind.
"So it was... I mean, you were... forced to, right? Like, a situation thing?And only like, really bad people. Right?"
Obviously delighted, and they'd start consulting you with some... ventures they have. Lilith/Damian would slide a dossier across the bar and casually ask, "Darling, would you mind reviewing a few performances? This new hire has been sloppy."
Morgan/a would be interested in the HOW. Not the ethics, the methodology. "What was your weapon of choice? Did you ever get caught?" and would be extremely impressed that you did it all without magic.
Pepper would judge. Not a surprise though right?
Hastur knows what killing does to the soul. He'd feel sorry for you even if you don't feel sorry for yourself.
He wouldn't lecture. Maybe just say, one day: "It stays with you."
Peisinoe would want every single story. "Have you ever slept with a target?" Maybe they even write a song about it. You would have zero say in the lyrics, though.
He Without Name doesn't care what you were. But, you both know how to clean a scene, which is useful.
Yaga will 100% judge you and see the literal blood money that has passed through your hand. "There's enough misery in the world. Why add to it?" But then, three days later, she'd corner you behind the bar and mutter, "There's a patron at table six who's been bothering me for two weeks. Shame you can't kill the dead."
Shelly would actually be fascinated! She had an old soldier in her family tavern and loved to hear war stories, but would flinch if you went into detail. "You're not doing that anymore, though. Right? Because now you make drinks! That's WAY better."
Every night, as the bar opens, you'll hear the following speech from the Raven to the incoming patrons:
"Ladies and gentlemen, spirits and specters, welcome to the Bar on the Abyss! Where your drinks are mixed by a REAL former assassin! So remember to tip well!"
One time I saw an artwork where a mother carried a sleeping child and it read:
"i hope death is like being carried to your bedroom when you were a child & fell asleep on the couch during a family party. i hope you can hear the laughter from the next room."
And that was a really nice thing to think about death. I also hope that death will be like falling asleep
It actually immediately reminded me of the eulogy I wrote for my father, eight years ago, after he passed away. Kind of crazy how much so.
His death, in large part, inspired this game. Just found it in my Google drive and read it again. I guess that in order to explain why it reminded me of what you wrote, I have to share it. Why not :)
I will always remember those nighttime car rides to the city.
They are etched in my mind, like a map of the stars. I think that even if I close my eyes, I'd still know the way.
I remember the stillness. Dad driving, Mom asleep beside him. I'm in the back seat, leaning against the window, and the few stars in the evening sky are swallowed by the headlights of passing cars. We're coming back from Friday dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's. The taste of the fried potatoes makes my mouth dry, while I wait for a thing that only you and I know is about to happen.
Your eyes look at me through the mirror, and I'm busy marking the landmarks in my head between the city and my bed. The McDonald's we always ate at. The crooked tree on the side of the road that always looked like it was about to fall. The gas station where my school bus got into an accident one morning.
They'll always be there, I'm sure of it. Even if the world burns, I'll know that old tree still hasn't fallen.
And in the end, there was the thing. The thing that sealed every night, the thing I waited for the whole drive. We are pulling into the parking lot, and Mom drags herself tiredly to bed.
But not you. The ritual isn't complete yet. I rest my head against the window, and my eyes are closed. But I'm not asleep. I just know that if I fall asleep, you'll carry me to bed. You gather me carefully in your hands, so I won't wake from my non-sleep, god forbid—and carry me to bed.
And I'm just trying not to smile, not to laugh, so you'll keep going. Even though we both know I'm pretending.
So yeah, I do hope death feels like that. Or like a moth, carrying you to the cosmos, asleep or not.
