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You have spent your life on the border between land and sea, with a water dragon as your closest companion. Your sea nymph mother died, leaving you with a mysterious legacy; your human father disappeared before you were born. Now you are finally eligible to learn magic at the Academy of Atlantis, alongside sea nymphs, selkies, sirens, and other denizens of the deep. Can you and your friends master the ocean’s magic and save your school?

Atlantis Academy is a 250,000-word interactive underwater fantasy novel by Dorothea Sparrow. We sat down with Dorothea to talk about her work. Atlantis Academy releases this Thursday, November 9th. You can play the first three chapters for free today. 

This game combines two very distinctive genres: undersea mythology and magical school. How did you approach blending them together?  Which elements of each genre enhanced the other, and where did you find the intersection challenging?

You know, when I started writing, I didn’t realize how complementary the two would be. But the deeper I got into the story, the more I realized how well they were fitting together. There’s already magic inherent in sea creatures like selkies, sirens, and mermaids; there’s much less world-building you need to do to explain them. Instead, you can play with the mythology and the tropes, and find where the delight emerges from between them.

There is a strong theme of environmentalism running through the story. Can you talk some more about how you incorporated this real-world issue into the game?

If you take Proteus as a metaphor for the climate catastrophe—an implacable destruction of our own making—the whole thing is about climate change. And while there are ways to violently defeat Proteus, the two ways that don’t involve trying to kill him are definitely my favorite. Violence isn’t going to solve our current predicament.

Which character was your favorite to write, and why?

I have to say Mehrab. The idea of “die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain” is a powerful trope, and one that Mehrab epitomizes. He wants so much to protect his people, but every step forward is another step on the way to hell.

I don’t even know if he really believes that he’s doing the right thing anymore, or if he’s just following his own story through to the end—as though a catastrophic failure will retrospectively justify everything that he did to get there.

Without giving away too many spoilers, what Easter egg do you most hope the readers will find?

There’s a moment that’s inspired by Don’t Look Up. I think almost every playthrough hits that particular moment, but I don’t know if many people would make the connection. 

I admit, I had to resist the urge to include the line “We’re for the jobs that Proteus’s rampage will provide,” but I’d like to think the sentiment is there.

Can you tell me something about these illustrations? They’re weird and spooky.

You know, deep underwater is a little weird and spooky. As I was writing the game, I kept thinking about some mermaid art that an old friend of mine was posting to her Instagram. It had the right kind of surreal, carnivalesque, almost Giger-esque quality that I was trying to evoke in my writing. Eventually, I asked Choice of Games about having her do some internal art, and they said yes. 

Unfortunately, the artist got sick midway through the project, so the pieces are coming in late. Some will be in the initial release, but the rest will be patched in over the next few weeks.

Steam’s annual Halloween sale is here, and some of our favorite horror-themed games are now on sale:

• Choice of the Vampire
• Choice of the Vampire: The Fall of Memphis
• Choice of the Vampire: St. Louis, Unreal City
• Vampire: The Masquerade — Night Road
• Vampire: The Masquerade — Night Road — Secrets and Shadows
• Vampire: The Masquerade — Out for Blood
• Vampire: The Masquerade — Parliament of Knives
• Vampire: The Masquerade — Parliament of Knives — What Stares Back
• Vampire: The Masquerade — Sins of the Sires
• Wraiths of SENTINEL

Get them on Steam before the sale ends on November 2nd!

We’re proud to announce that Vampire’s Kiss, the latest in our “Heart’s Choice” line of multiple-choice interactive romance novels, is now available for iOS and Android in the “Heart’s Choice” app. You can also download it on Steam or enjoy it on our website.

It’s 33% off until October 26th!

Unleash your lust and your thirst in a battle for the soul of London! Will passion lead you back to humanity, or will you embrace the night as a vampire?

Vampire’s Kiss is a 170,000-word interactive erotic vampire novel by Dash Casey. It’s entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fuelled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

In life, you were the guardian of a priceless artifact, the Cross of Aguirre. Now you have been murdered and made a vampire; the artifact has been stolen, and you are at the center of a web of bloody conspiracies. 

Navigate a perilous web of secrets as you discover the hidden world of London after dark, staging daring heists and bloody battles across the city’s iconic landscape. As a plot centuries in the making unfolds, choose sides in the battle for control of London’s vampires, and embrace the night that has been thrust upon you…or, chase rumors of a way to restore true life to the undead, and hold out hope that you might see the sun once more. 

Your heart no longer beats, but your passion still burns. Will you share a slow dance with Marky, the rogueish vampire with dozens of piercings and a poorly hidden heart of gold? Hold each other tenderly, or fall into bed and discover all of the tricks that Marky has learned in more than a century of unlife.

Will you stalk the night alongside Kurt, a stoic vampire hunter, all muscles and chiseled face, who holds the secrets to ancient lore? He’s as dominant in the bedroom as he is on the battlefield: choose your own safeword and submit to his powerful strength; or explore his gentler side.

Does the lure of London’s mortal aristocracy draw you towards Alex? This fabulously-dressed and surprisingly courageous socialite is thirsty to learn what sex with a vampire is like – bring all of your powers of telepathy and shapeshifting to heighten your pleasure.

Or will you be dominated by the vampire queen Saffron, with her glorious red hair and brilliantly devious schemes? She’s ready for anything, from the kinkiest night of whips and fangs to the vulnerability of using no vampiric powers at all in bed.

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, or bi; or asexual.
• Seduce a passionate socialite; the scheming vampire queen; a cheeky vampire rogue; or a stoic hunter.
• Opt in or out of scenes involving graphic violence and blood.
• Embrace your vampiric destiny, or dream of the sunrise in a quest to transform yourself back to humanity—and bring your lover along with you.
• Solve your own murder, and take vengeance on your killer.
• Delve into your vampiric powers; transform yourself into a vicious monster, cast shapeshifting illusions as a creature of shadow, or unlock the hypnotic mysteries of the mind.
• Keep your secrets and preserve the illusion that you have died, or shock the world by revealing the existence of vampires.

In this endless night, how will you quench your thirst?

We hope you enjoy playing Vampire’s Kiss. We encourage you to tell your friends about it and recommend the game on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and other sites. Don’t forget: our initial download rate determines our ranking on the App Store. The more times you download in the first week, the better our games will rank.

Unleash your lust and your thirst in a battle for the soul of London! Will passion lead you back to humanity, or will you embrace the night as a vampire?

Vampire’s Kiss is a 170,000-word interactive erotic vampire novel by Dash Casey. It’s entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fuelled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Vampire’s Kiss releases this Thursday, October 19th. You can play the first three chapters for free today.

In life, you were the guardian of a priceless artifact, the Cross of Aguirre. Now you have been murdered and made a vampire; the artifact has been stolen, and you are at the center of a web of bloody conspiracies. 

Navigate a perilous web of secrets as you discover the hidden world of London after dark, staging daring heists and bloody battles across the city’s iconic landscape. As a plot centuries in the making unfolds, choose sides in the battle for control of London’s vampires, and embrace the night that has been thrust upon you…or, chase rumors of a way to restore true life to the undead, and hold out hope that you might see the sun once more. 

We’re proud to announce that Escape from Death, the latest in our popular “Choice of Games” line of multiple-choice interactive-fiction games, is now available for Steam, Android, and on iOS in the “Choice of Games” app.

It’s 30% off until October 19th!

Steal Death’s power and break free of his corrupt realm! Hide your heartbeat from the dead as you harness soul magic, navigate political intrigue, determine the fate of the Afterlife—and perhaps even claim its throne yourself.

Escape from Death is a 256,000-word interactive horror adventure novel by Tova Näslund. It’s entirely text-based—without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

In the material realm, your body hovers between life and death, your heart still beating—but your spirit has somehow been transported to the nightmarish Afterlife. Oppression and injustice pervade this dark realm under Death’s absolute control. At the bottom of the social hierarchy are the Penitents: unfortunate souls indebted to Death, twisted by his magic into uncanny animal-human hybrids. Above them are the Elect: those in Death’s favor, who enjoy an existence of freedom, entitlement, and luxury.

Not only that, but the Afterlife is beginning to fall into an even greater and more mysterious corruption. Performers have gone missing from the luxurious entertainment center; a sanctuary for both Penitents and the Elect is under attack; and a mysterious sickness has started spreading throughout the land.

This presents you with an even more perilous threat—but also an opportunity. At the heart of the Afterlife is the Clockwork Hall: home to Death’s Court and the repository of souls. If you can find your way there amid the chaos, you can launch an attack that will allow you to put an end to Death’s tyrannical rule, make your way back to the world of the living, or even take the throne of the Afterlife for your own!

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, or bi.
• Romance your melancholy Penitent guide; a revolutionary bird-woman; a warrior trying to escape Death’s employ, or an idealistic healer.
• Master the magic of Death’s realm: get a glimpse through the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead; see the dreams and desires of the souls around you, and capture the memories of the living.
• Take your place in an epic conflict: side with the impoverished Penitent or the entitled Elect; or strive to become accepted by both.
• Keep to the shadows and evade Death’s vengeful gaze, plant spies in Death’s court, make political allies to extend your influence, or enact bold conflict to become renowned through the Afterlife
• Choose the next ruler of the Afterlife: will you uphold Death’s regime, put a new ruler in his place, or seize the throne yourself?

Can you find your way out of Death’s darkness?

We hope you enjoy playing Escape from Death. We encourage you to tell your friends about it, and recommend the game on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and other sites. Don’t forget: our initial download rate determines our ranking on the App Store. The more times you download in the first week, the better our games will rank.

Steal Death’s power and break free of his corrupt realm! Hide your heartbeat from the dead as you harness soul magic, navigate political intrigue, determine the fate of the Afterlife—and perhaps even claim its throne yourself.

Escape from Death is a 256,000-word interactive horror adventure novel by Tova Näslund. I sat down with Tova to talk about her work. Escape from Death releases this Thursday, October 12th. You can play the first three chapters for free, today. 

This game has such an interesting premise. Tell me about your inspiration.

I came up with the setting of this game when I was in my teens. At the time, I had just discovered Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys, and Holly Black’s Modern Faerie Tales. It was my first foray into urban fantasy, and these two in particular really sparked a lot of creativity in me. The world remains pretty much the same to this day, as well as some of the major characters, such as Aaron, Gavin, and Desi.

You’ve done a fair amount of work in narrative design and gaming, but this is your first solo interactive fiction, right? Tell me about your other work.

That’s right! I’ve been interested in Interactive Fiction ever since I discovered the genre at Uni. I’ve been designing table-top roleplaying games and larps as part of the indie scene in London, and the collaborative storytelling elements of roleplaying translate very well into interactive narratives. My most notable ttrpg work is a scenario called “Acceptable Losses”, which can be found in the anthology of story games “Seven Wonders”, published by Pelgrane Press. Other than that, I’m working on some really cool projects at Toadman Interactive!

What did you find most challenging about working in ChoiceScript?

It took me some time before I managed to handle the technical aspects of ChoiceScript. Once I realized the full potential of the engine, I had a lot more fun designing choices and giving the player more room to explore the world.

What do you think players will enjoy most about Escape from Death?

I hope that players will enjoy immersing themselves in the world of the Afterlife! The setting is very near and dear to me, as well as the characters that inhabit the world, having been on my mind for so long. I had a lot of fun making them come to “life”, for a lack of a better world!

What are you working on next?

I’m planning on writing a sci-fi novel! It’s still in very early stages, but it’s an idea that I’m very excited about.

Hosted Games has a new game for you to play!

Mold an orphan’s path into elemental mastery, unveiling magic’s secrets. Race against approaching foes to conquer the arcane summit. Make friends, cast a great variety of spells, and navigate the hidden truths in this world of magic and might.

The Arcanist’s Journey is a 138,000-word interactive fantasy novel by Colin Daumen. It’s entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

In this captivating interactive novel, you will step into the shoes of an orphan who, burdened by a challenging past, embarks on a daring journey to forge a better future. Forced to flee from home in search of a brighter destiny, you will delve into the realm of magic, determined to master its arcane mysteries. Your choices will shape not only the protagonist’s path to mastery but also the unfolding narrative, as you navigate the trials and tribulations of a world brimming with enchantment and danger. Will you rise above adversity and become the master of your own destiny? The power to weave this compelling tale lies within your hands.

• Play as male or female
• Shape your protagonist’s destiny through intricate choices
• Choose whether to join the Fae Academy or the Draken Academy, each granting you greater expertise in different fields of magic.
• Unveil the mysteries of elemental magic in a richly detailed world.
• Study from five different schools of magic; Pyromancy, Hydrosophy, Summoning, Theurgy and Illusion.
• Navigate treacherous decisions as enemies draw near
• Engage with a captivating narrative, woven with suspense and intrigue
• Overcome challenges using intellect, wit, or sheer determination
• Be a part of the Alchemical Society, Mage’s Guild or Adventurer’s Guild

Dive into The Arcanist’s Journey, where your decisions carve the way to mastery and survival. Will you rise to the pinnacle of arcane power or succumb to the encroaching darkness? Your adventure awaits!

The Arcanist’s Journey is 40% off until October 12th!

Colin developed this game using ChoiceScript, a simple programming language for writing multiple-choice interactive novels like these. Writing games with ChoiceScript is easy and fun, even for authors with no programming experience. Write your own game and Hosted Games will publish it for you, giving you a share of the revenue your game produces.

Hosted Games has a new game for you to play!

You’ve never known what would happen after death. And now that you have woken up in a dusty attic, it is time to figure out what happened to you and meet the family living in your home.

Ghost Simulator is a 300,000-word interactive horror novel by Morton Newberry where you haunt a family in the American countryside.

Customize your powers and be the ghost you never thought you would become. You are the apparition who stands in the darkest corners of the manor and the poltergeist who plays with the furniture. Invade dreams and turn them into nightmares, and possess people to control their actions. Shape the destiny of those living in the place you once called home.

Speaking of them, you will not only meet the Brooks family but delve into the intimate details of their everyday lives. Samantha is a writer who moved in with her family in search of inspiration for her next novel—and she might not like what she finds. Samantha is married to Michael, a nurse anesthetist haunted—among other things—by his past. Ollie and Amber, the teenage siblings, try to find their place in the world while living with a dead person. Together, this family will become the key to understanding your past life—and humanity itself. 

Scare the Brooks family, shatter their hearts, and annihilate their dreams. Or protect them, help them find love, and encourage their ambitions. In uncovering the circumstances of your death, you may find that this family’s story is more entwined with your own than you had realized.

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary. Death embraces everyone, after all.
• Attend a family dinner as an uninvited—and dead—guest.
• Recall the person you once loved. Are they still alive?
• Disrupt the lives of the Brooks family—or become the new family member.
• Turn skeptics into believers—or use your powers without drawing attention.
• Help a horror writer to pen a best-selling novel—or destroy her work completely.
• Choose your ghostly powers, such as possessing the living and invading their dreams.
• Protect a haunted man from himself—or let him descend into a spiral of self-destruction.
• Help a teenager impress his highschool sweetheart—or destroy their relationship.
• Go to the first Halloween party since your death. People might even play with Ouija boards!

This is the story of a haunted house. A house haunted by you.

Ghost Simulator is 30% off until October 12th!

Morton developed this game using ChoiceScript, a simple programming language for writing multiple-choice interactive novels like these. Writing games with ChoiceScript is easy and fun, even for authors with no programming experience. Write your own game and Hosted Games will publish it for you, giving you a share of the revenue your game produces.

For a limited time, when you buy a “Choice of Games” game on our website at Choiceofgames.com, we’ll send you a webstore coupon code for 15% off your next purchase!

• You’ll get an additional webstore coupon each time you purchase. That means that you can use a coupon to get 15% off, which, in turn, will give you another coupon for 15% off. You can keep using those coupons to buy every game we make for 15% off!
• Each coupon expires in seven days. If you purchase Bread Must Rise today, you’ll need to use your coupon before October 5th to get the discount.
• This offer only applies to “Choice of Games” games. “Hosted Games” games and “Heart’s Choice” games won’t generate a coupon, and the coupon you get for buying a “Choice of Games” game won’t allow buy an HG or HC game. (If that changes, we’ll let you know!)
• This offer is only available on our website. When you buy games in our apps for iOS or Android, Apple and Google take 15% of our revenue. When you buy on Steam, Valve takes 30% of our revenue. On our website, we pay Stripe 2.9% + $0.30.
• Feel free to share your coupon with a friend! Anybody can use the coupon, not just you.

We’re proud to announce that The Bread Must Rise, the latest in our popular “Choice of Games” line of multiple-choice interactive-fiction games, is now available for Steam, Android, and on iOS in the “Choice of Games” app.

It’s 38% off until October 5th!

In this magical baking contest, you’ll team up with the Queen Undying to bake your rivals into an early grave—or out of the grave, with necromancy!

The Bread Must Rise is a 450,000-word interactive comedy/fantasy/baking/eldritch horror novel by James Beamon and Stewart C. Baker. It’s entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Also, by lots of terrible jokes.

You’ve been chosen as one of six contestants in the Great Godstone Bakeoff! Godstone, renowned throughout the twelve mostly civilized realms as the “city of a thousand bakeries,” is not what it once was. The Queen Undying, a necromancer rumored to have a taste for human blood, has filled its streets with terror, while the robe-shrouded members of the Carb Freeon cult threaten bakers with impunity. And something is off with the City Council, a group of shadowy figures who nobody ever remembers seeing.

You’re one of Godstone’s top bakers, with a scrappy little business, a mysterious confectionary legacy from your late parents, and a former best friend who stole your recipes to make his own fame and fortune. You’ve got a lot to prove in this competition, and you’ll stop at nothing to reach the top of the profiterole tower.

But everything changes when the Queen Undying herself appears at your bakery. The queen has forced you to become her newest thrall, helpless to resist her eldritch power. And, for mysterious reasons, she’s commanding you to make her your baking assistant!

Exercise your breadcraft magic to turn the saddest soggiest-bottomed bakes into stunning showstoppers; sweet-talk the judges into giving you the win; or just put in good old-fashioned hard work. If you’re not satisfied with just making bread rise, maybe you’ll start making the dead rise, too: necromancy is powerful, and the Queen Undying’s spells might be just what you need to complete that recipe…or to take down your rival once and for all.

Play up to the press, win the adoration of your fans, and navigate the influence of the Carb Freeon cult as you bake your way to fame! The farther you go in the tournament, the closer you get to learning the secrets of your own past, uncovering clues about your parents’ life and death. And the closer you come to learning the City Council’s shadowy plans for Godstone…

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, bi, pan, or asexual.
• Choose your ingredients: play in omnivore, vegetarian, or vegan mode.
• Manage your budget to fill your pantry with the finest magical and mundane ingredients.
• Find love with Godstone’s fanciest food critic, a dreaded necromancer, a former adventurer, the Bakeoff’s charismatic host, or even your best-friend-turned-worst-enemy!
• Quell the Carb Freeon cult or join its ranks.
• Sell out to the realm’s biggest bakery franchise or triumph as a plucky small business owner.
• Gaze upon the horrors of eldritch dimensions.

Will you take home the trophy or fade into bland obscurity? One thing’s for sure: you’ll never look at brownies the same way again.

We hope you enjoy playing The Bread Must Rise. We encourage you to tell your friends about it, and recommend the game on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and other sites. Don’t forget: our initial download rate determines our ranking on the App Store. The more times you download in the first week, the better our games will rank.