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Hosted Games has a new game for you to play!

The corpos are after you. The cops are, too. Even your ex has crawled out of the grave to try and get you back. Meanwhile, the fate of the galaxy itself rests on a knife’s edge, and only you can bar the doors of hell.

Whiskey-Four is 30% off until November 14th!

Whiskey-Four is a standalone 396,000-word interactive novel by John Louis, author of I, the Forgotten One. It’s entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

You are a retired contract killer from the Anomalous Interference Unit. Injured on the line of duty, you were forced into an early retirement–only to be reactivated on a distant frontier world to address a horrific, unknowable threat.

A great sense of malaise permeates the void. Something big is stirring, something that jeopardizes the entire galaxy.

You’re the only person in position to stop it before it’s all too late.

Too bad everyone else wants you dead.

• Play as a man or woman; gay, straight, or bisexual.
• Engage in a variety of flings during your chaotic journey.
• Re-ignite an old love or snuff it out for good.
• Manage your limited supplies to keep yourself alive.
• Fight your way through corporate kill agents, SWAT teams, and your own obsessive ex-lover.
• Choose from three separate body types that influence the narrative.

Try to save the galaxy–and yourself, while you’re at it.

John 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!

Join forces with a rogue smuggler to uncover the truth of a mysterious cult and foil their plans—but who can you trust in a time of uncertainty and darkness?

Between Two Worlds is free to win, and paying to turn off ads is 33% off until November 14th!

Between Two Worlds is a 40,000-word interactive novel by Liam Parker, author of The Formorian War. Set in the fictional kingdom of Acai, it’s entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

You have always felt different. The time to discover the truth arrives when the civil war reaches you and your family. Teaming up with a young woman with one eye, you will embark on a grand and tough journey. Sure, it sounds dangerous—and it is—but what choice do you have?

Meanwhile, a dangerous cult works in the background to unravel not just your home but possibly the world. They need to be stopped, yet you soon discover that they pale in comparison to the true evil of the realm.

• Play as male or female, human or elf.
• Learn about your past and shape your future.
• Meet otherworldly beings like a ghost and tiny creatures.
• Uncover the truth about your enemies and stop them before it’s too late.
• Travel the country and abroad on a mission (or several) to further your knowledge and understanding of your enemies and their intentions.
• Will you be the hero or the villain of the realm?

In these dark and uncertain times, every day is a struggle. Join forces with your enemies and deal with other hostiles to save the kingdom.

Liam 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.

Protect an exclusive boarding school and rebuild your life after scandal as a military bodyguard for the children of the rich and famous! Return to the world of Crème de la Crème, this time as a military officer in the Republic of Teran.

Honor Bound is an interactive novel by Harris Powell-Smith where your choices control the story. It’s entirely text-based, 550,000 words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

I sat down with Harris to discuss this latest game. You can play the first three chapters of Honor Bound today; the rest of the game will release on December 5th! Be sure to wishlist it on Steam—it really helps. 

We return to the world of Crème de la Crème in Honor Bound, but this time players will be experiencing it in a much different way. Tell me about the PC and the setting.

The Republic of Teran has been mentioned here and there in earlier games in the Crème de la Crème series, and the Royal Affairs PC went there for a whirlwind vacation, but this is our first long trip there. It’s a sprawling archipelago with one large island plus many smaller ones to the south, one of which notably seceded from the mainland a few decades ago. Landscapes range from mountainous areas to rainforest to wide open plains.

Teran considers itself more modern and advanced than some of the other countries such as Westerlin, where Crème de la Crème is set, although just as in other places, people with wealth and influence behave badly – and the meritocracy is not always as straightforward as people would like to think. Three hundred years ago the monarchy was overturned in a military coup, and it’s now ruled by a President and Parliament. Military service is embedded into the wider social culture. Almost everyone does two years of service aged eighteen, although not everyone sticks with it as a career.

Enter the Honor Bound PC. They did remain in the military – the details of which can be decided by the player – and have been working there for a variable number of years, as they’re either in their late twenties, in their thirties, or in their early forties. They’ve built up a good reputation over the years, but a recent incident left them badly injured and reassigned. There are a lot of options as to why this happened, ranging from having disobeyed orders to rescue civilians, to being wrongly blamed for an accident, to abandoning their exploration team in a cave-in, and more!

So now at the start of Honor Bound they’re in a position where they need to prove that they’re worthy of staying. Or figure out whether they want something else from their life…

At first blush I might have guessed that playing a mature adult in a school setting might be a little less captivating than the youthful PCs of Royal Affairs and Crème de la Crème. But you’ve—as ever!—taken a really fresh approach to that gameplay experience.

Thank you so much! I’ve really enjoyed taking the opportunity to embrace a fresh way of telling stories in this setting, and taking advantage of setting it in a different country to explore that. The adult Honor Bound PC has more responsibilities to consider and juggle than a younger PC, but also a lot more freedom and agency. They have the chance to stand up for themselves and for their principles against other adults in a way the Crème de la Crème and Royal Affairs can’t always do.

And it’s been fun to write an adult with more physical capabilities: you can help in emergencies and thwart – or enact – various shenanigans because of having more influence available to you.

It was also lots of fun to write teenagers from an adult perspective. At fourteen, Catarina and her friends are younger than most of the Crème de la Crème and Royal Affairs characters, but I could imagine them having a whole other game to themselves. There’s a lot going on with the kids beneath the surface and I really enjoyed giving the Honor Bound PC glimpses of their world, and the ability to interact or interfere if they want to. If they bond with Catarina over the course of the game, they can influence her in a number of directions and make a genuine connection; it’s very different to writing teenagers interacting with other teenagers, and it was fun showing this different view.

Plus it was refreshing to write friendships and romantic relationships between adults: the communication styles are different and so are the associated emotions. Some of the romantic interests have had serious relationships before; some are wary about workplace romance; some are expecting something casual and may be surprised by their depth of feeling. One knew the PC when they were younger and therefore has a different perspective. Even the younger romanceable characters have gone through some major life changes, though not all of them feel comfortable sharing about them at first, and it was lovely to explore that through the growing relationships – romantic and otherwise.

As you’ve grown and refined your writing and coding style for COG, I wonder what you’ve been able to iterate and innovate on game by game.

I’ve developed more clarity about what my goals are with the games. When writing Honor Bound, I did have moments where I needed to course-correct and figure out what exactly was going to be in the chapter I was about to write. I think that always happens! But in general I found that easier to do this time around than with some of my earlier games because I had a stronger sense of what I wanted from each part of the game.

With each game I’ve developed better responsivity for when the PC is trying to romance lots of different incompatible characters at once! In my earlier games, the characters sometimes have conversations about it but in Honor Bound it’s all a lot clearer and the romance interests feel to me more real and human in the way they talk to each other and to the PC about what’s going on.

And in general I’ve developed how skills and personality stats work together, and clarity about what stats are being tested. In Honor Bound, I’ve included an option to show what’s happening to the stats, but even without that I think the stats mesh together in an improved way. I also made the descriptive text, the PC’s dialogue, and the PC’s “inner voice” very responsive to the personality choices the player has made. There are so many different self-expressive choices as well as background options, and I really wanted the PC to feel like the player’s own. So it was really exciting when playtesters said things like “I really loved that my very callous PC had that pragmatic thought about this event, when my very Humane PC was more sympathetic”.

Do you have more stories to tell in this world? Noblesse Oblige was a great glimpse into some interesting standalone story possibilities.

For the moment, I’m taking a break from the Crème de la Crème world – I’ve been writing in it near-constantly for six years now, which blows my mind – but I have a lot of ideas! My current favourite is one about an archaeological expedition. But who knows, I’ll probably come up with many more over time…

What else are you working on for COG or otherwise?

I’ve got a couple of CoG projects in the pipeline – neither of which are from the Crème de la Crème setting – but they’re under wraps for now. Both involve magic, though, and I’m very much looking forward to writing some creepy supernatural stuff with CoG for the first time since Blood Money came out!

Wield ancient technology to overthrow your mage oppressors! Can your secret order of mage hunters save the kingdom, or will internal strife tear you apart?

Magehunter: Phoenix Flame is an interactive fantasy novel by Nic Vasudeva-Barkdull, set in the same world as Battlemage: Magic By Mail. It’s entirely text-based, 300,000 words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Choice of Games editor Mary Duffy sat down to talk with Nic about the world of Magehunter and Battlemage.

Magehunter: Phoenix Flame will be available on Wednesday, November 27th. You can wishlist it on Steam in advance of its release—it really helps!

We’re so thrilled to have another game from the author of Battlemage: Magic by Mail. Tell our readers about Magehunter and how its setting and characters relate to Battlemage.

Although it’s a standalone story, Magehunter takes place a few generations after Battlemage, but in the same kingdom. Knights and squires are a thing of the past, and the Kingdom of Jubai is undergoing a technological revolution due to the discovery of slipflame, a powerful new energy source. The most important difference is the oppressive rule of the mage class. The monarchy of Jubai is long gone, and Archmage Nylund and his mage council have ruled for decades. All these changes can be traced back to a war with battlemages—the events of which make up the plot of Battlemage. Of course, Battlemage has multiple endings, so the details of that war and its aftermath are unclear to the characters of Magehunter. The history has faded into legend, and it’s up to the player to uncover those legends if they so choose. As far as characters, I won’t give any spoilers but I will say there are Easter eggs to be found if you’re willing to look!

What did you find easier about the writing process this time around?

I think I understood what structure needed to be established to make a better story this time around. In these games, it’s not easy to fit all the character development, romances, and secrets alongside the main plot—which itself needs to include all the most crucial information regardless of which path the player chooses. Planning good stat systems is helpful because it’s the best way to track the nuances of a player’s choices and provide payoffs, but some details still need to be put into place by hand. Planning where exactly I would fit all those details from the start made things much easier this time around. That being said, I think I’ll do even more planning for any future games I make because those tiny but important details still tend to fall by the wayside if you’re not careful. At the same time, those are the details that are the most worth it for me. I love finding out when readers have uncovered my favorite branch or ending, and there are plenty to explore in Magehunter.

I’m especially excited about indirect sequels like this one, that let the player steep themselves in a familiar but new world. What inspired the shift to the future in Magehunter?

I honestly just wanted to write a world with alternate technology, but something unique from, say, steampunk. I was also inspired by the really interesting magic system in Foundryside, a trilogy in which a thiefy main character can change the properties of objects around her by arguing with the rules of the physical world. It’s a fascinating mix of hacking and magic, and there’s a bit of that in the “magic” system of my world in the form of Brutal Flame. I also love the classic Thief games, and I think The Metal Age is an amazing example of narrative design with its fantasy technology in the form of robots and surveillance cameras set in a medieval world. The inspiration of Thief on the dark fantasy setting of Magehunter is obvious from the start. Finally, in Battlemage, I wanted to bend the rules of the fantasy genre because I was always bothered by the hegemonic Britishness of the genre rules. With Magehunter, I wanted to continue that trend and lean toward my comfort genre of science fiction while maintaining the court politics of Jubai. Going to the future also gave me even more distance from the “thees” and “thous” of high fantasy language. I think more contemporary language helps with the fun, adventurous tone I’m looking for. All of these elements just clicked together while I was working on the ending of Battlemage, where the player’s actions literally become legend. I thought, why not build on that legend with another adventure?

Was there an NPC you particularly liked writing?

Honestly, it changed throughout the project. At first, I didn’t really like Gael or Embla, two fellow hunters, but I was determined to write characters outside my personal preferences to give players a variety of friends and romance options. By the end, I really fell in love with them and their respective arcs, and as a result, they are now probably the most fleshed-out characters in the game. Gael is hard to get along with in the beginning, but befriending him can lead the player on an entirely different, slightly nerdy adventure. And Embla is just a sweetheart. She can be a bit cheesy and saccharine at first, but hers quickly becomes one of the more valid viewpoints for the struggles of a divided world (in my opinion, anyway). On the other hand, I liked writing the mage apprentice Frey because his motivations are uncomplicated, but he’s deeper than most of the characters give him credit for. I also liked Rio, the self-declared people’s hero, for being an outlet of gender expression (for me and hopefully for the player too) in a world that’s much freer than our own society. Oddly, Xiaoxi, another fellow hunter, started out as my no-brainer favorite but by the end that was no longer the case—although she definitely redeems herself if you make the right choices.

Players will have a really enjoyable power mechanic in this game. Tell us a little about slipflame.

Slipflame comes in three forms, and it can do anything from manipulating the physical properties of objects (Brutal Flame), to siphoning essence from a living being (Living Flame), to sneakier things like tricking the mind (Silent Flame). The uses of slipflame are really only limited by the player’s slipflame supply. I try to add a unique mechanic to every game I make—it was the combat system in Battlemage, and in this game it’s the slipflame reservoir, which is a pool of slipflame that depletes with each use. But players shouldn’t try to hoard slipflame either, since it recharges over time due to the conduits throughout the city. Slipflame is a public good, and it’s used for everything from lighting up the city to powering small gadgets that citizens use. As useful as it is, mages won’t touch it because its network is maintained by the hunters—a sort of resistance movement/organized crime syndicate that is in a constant power struggle with the mage regime. Since the player is a hunter themselves, they get to enjoy the full power of slipflame, and its different forms allow for play styles that are big and explosive, supportive and peaceful, or cunning and stealthy.

What are you working on next?

I’m making a game called AAA Simulator, a satire of game industry follies. It’s a tycoon game and a roguelike, and I’ve kept that last part secret until just now. It’s also going to be driven by narrative choices similar to the Reigns series, with events inspired by actual game industry blunders (of which there are many). I’ve been dipping my toes into the world of video editing by making devlogs about it on a channel also called AAA Simulator over on YouTube. So far it’s been a ton of fun!

We’re proud to announce that Heavens’ Revolution: A Lion Among the Cypress, 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 31st!

In a Persian steampunk empire, will you use your arcane alchemy to repair a spaceship, or pilot a mech? Ignite a revolution, snuff it out, or play both sides against each other?

Heavens’ Revolution: A Lion Among the Cypress is an interactive retrofuturistic fantasy novel by Peter Adrian Behravesh, inspired by eighteenth-century Iran, where your choices control the story. It’s entirely text-based—275,000 words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Your training in alchemy puts you at the cutting edge of magic and technology, learning the science that governs the material world and the heavens alike. You can already create gunpowder, design intricate machines, brew potions that can ease the most terrible diseases, and distill fragrant perfumes. Much knowledge of astralchemy has been lost, but you could even learn to repair a khalicraft spaceship to escape to another world, or a giant mech that you can pilot into battle.

Seyj is an ancient city on the brink of revolution. Half a century ago, the She’ri Empire invaded, overthrowing the old ruler and occupying your planet. You are descended from both She’ri colonists and ancient Seyj families, and your loyalties are torn.

Like all citizens, you must serve in the Royalists’ army and defend the satrap governor—and yet you can see the Revolutionists’ protests escalating every day, agitating to overthrow the satrap and restore the old regime.

When the Revolutionists try to recruit you to their cause, will you share their view that they fight for justice? Or will you remain loyal to the satrap, upholding your duty as a soldier? Or will you play a game more dangerous than your fiercest alchemical flame, feeding information from one faction to another as a spy?

You had best hope that you don’t end up on the wrong side of a shamshir’s blade.

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, bi, or asexual.
• Master arcane astralchemy to craft powerful weapons, open your own workshop, or secure a professorship at the University
• Rise within the ranks of the military and command an army to defend the satrap
• Or, join the revolution, overthrow the usurper, and restore the old ruler to her throne
• Find love with a fellow soldier, a blacksmith-turned-rebel, or a princess

Is gaining the world worth losing your soul?

We hope you enjoy playing Heavens’ Revolution: A Lion Among the Cypress. 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.

In a Persian steampunk empire, will you use your arcane alchemy to repair a spaceship, or pilot a mech? Ignite a revolution, snuff it out, or play both sides against each other?

Heavens’ Revolution: A Lion Among the Cypress is an interactive retrofuturistic fantasy novel by Peter Adrian Behravesh, inspired by eighteenth-century Iran, where your choices control the story. It’s entirely text-based—270,000 words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

We’re excited to announce that Heavens’ Revolution: A Lion Among the Cypress is releasing this Thursday, October 24th!

You can play the first four chapters for free today!

And don’t forget to wishlist it on Steam!

Check in to your hotel, and check out the ghosts! Sexy specters await you – but can you fix up the hotel in style so that the living guests will find luxury, too?

Haunted Hearts Hotel is an interactive erotic paranormal romance novel by Elle Grace. It’s entirely text-based, 140,000 words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination. Choice of Games editor Mary Duffy sat down with Elle to talk about her upcoming game and spooky season!

Haunted Hearts Hotel will be available on Thursday, November 14th. You can wishlist it on Steam in advance of its release—it really helps!

I believe you come to writing for us from a more academic background but with some experience writing erotica too. Tell me a little about yourself.

I’ve made academic writing my career, that’s true. I’ve always enjoyed writing fiction, especially of the spicy variety. A couple of years back, a professor friend of mine asked if I wanted to co-write a chooseable path textbook for her marketing class to help boost student engagement. Brilliant! I had a blast working on that project, and it got me thinking, I wonder if anyone is writing choosable path erotica. That’s what led me to Heart’s Choice.

What inspired Haunted Hearts Hotel? I definitely see shades of places like Berkeley Springs, West Virginia in this game.

While I haven’t heard of Berkeley Springs, I suppose every little haunted spa town likely has a few things in common. Hot Springs and Eureka Springs, both in Arkansas (my neck of the woods), were particularly inspirational. I’ve always been fascinated by hotels like the Arlington in Hot Springs–built in 1875, and the Crescent in Eureka Springs, which was built in 1886. Hot Springs was a hangout for infamous gangsters, among them Lucky Luciano and Al Capone. You can still see bullet holes in the walls and ceiling on a bathhouse tour. The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs has been called one of the most haunted hotels in America. The tv series Ghost Hunters even did an episode on the hotel back in 2014. Among its haunted histories, “Dr.” Norman Baker–he claimed to be a licensed physician but was not– performed experimental cancer treatments on unsuspecting patients. The hotel’s spa is located in what was once “Dr.” Baker’s morgue. The ghost stories and histories of these places were definitely an inspiration.

The characters and romance options in this game are very exciting. Can you give our readers an overview (minor spoilers are ok!) of who they’ll be encountering?

First, we meet Manfri Booney who basically runs the hotel and loves it dearly. Manfri might have been my favorite character to write. In a nutshell, they’re joyful, spiritual, and fashionable. Then there’s Remington Peabody, the investor with ulterior motives. She’s wily and sophisticated, used to getting what she wants. The romance scenes with Remington were fun to write because here’s this person who likes to be in the driver’s seat most of the time, which means she just might like to take a more submissive role in the bedroom. Next we meet Sunny Thompson, a tv star with a bubbly personality and winning smile. Sunny is interested in the paranormal, and he loves the spotlight. My favorite part about writing Sunny was how uncomplicated he is, how he’s game for anything. Both Remington and Sunny can be male, female, or non-binary. Last but most certainly not least, we have Della, our blast from the past. She’s lovely, self-possessed, and doesn’t mind telling you what she thinks. What can I say, she loves a party. I loved getting to know Della, but one of the best parts of writing her was researching 1920s fashion.

What surprised you about the writing process?

I knew nothing about coding. Like, zero. It was interesting to see how game mechanics influence narrative. This process was quite different from my usual writing process, and I’m not sure I ever quite got into the flow, but it was fun to try!

It’s spooky season! What are some of your favorite Halloween/spooky traditions? Do you have a favorite novel or film you enjoy this time of year?

Oh my goodness! This is my absolute favorite time of year. I adore autumn, and I’m drawn to all things spooky. I would be hard pressed to name a favorite, so let’s try this–an all-time favorite novel / movie for the spooky season has to be The Shining. Plus, the Stanley is an exquisitely haunted hotel. A new favorite might be Late Night with the Devil. It’s set in 1977, so perhaps a theme emerges.

What are you working on next?

I have several ideas swirling around, so we’ll see what finds legs. I have a tiny bud of an idea around using astrology to make your way through some kind of historical catastrophe. Otherwise, I’m always working on my short form erotica.

It’s the ultimate battle between werewolves and human supremacists, and your werewolf pack is caught in the middle of a four-way fight!

Werewolves 3: Evolution’s End is the third installment of Jeffrey Dean’s acclaimed “Claw, Shadow, and Sage” series, where your choices control the story. It’s entirely text-based, 550,000 words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination. Choice of Games editor Mary Duffy dat down to talk with Jeffrey about the world of Werewolves.

Werewolves 3: Evolution’s End will be available on Thursday, November 14th. You can wishlist it on Steam in advance of its release—it really helps!

It’s been four years since we had Werewolves 2: Pack Mentality and I know we couldn’t be more excited for Evolution’s End, the third installment of the “Claw, Shadow, and Sage” series. Tell me all about what we can expect in this game.

It’s been quite a trip! In the immortal words of the venerable master, Hideo Kojima: “Kept you waiting, huh?”

Now that that’s out of my system, Evolution’s End continues the events of Werewolves 2: Pack Mentality right where they left off, exploring characters and mysteries previously left unanswered. We’ll experience the endgame of the mysterious scientist Maker, and what could very well be a final battle between the main character and the former Colonel, Elan Williams. Depending on the player’s choices, there are many possible deaths to brace yourself for by the end.

I’ve also written enough romance content to fill an actual novel. Each of the five romanceable characters has several unique scenes associated with them and hundreds of lines of dialogue. Warning: It gets spicy!

Some characters who were missed in Werewolves 2 make their return here as well, and I’ll enjoy seeing readers’ reactions to it!

What was the biggest challenge in writing this third part?

The biggest challenge was definitely a little gremlin of mine called ‘scope creep,’ which is easy to get caught up in when you have pre-established characters who all have their own desires and goals.

I wanted to put everything into this installment and I got more than a little carried away over time. The word count for this monster is almost twice that of Werewolves 2–comparable to my other game, Vampire the Masquerade: Parliament of Knives. I wanted to explore every aspect of the story that I could, and that resulted in a longer development period. Gods bless the patience of my editor, Jason!

So, I had to balance the responsibility of reeling in my ambitions to make sure I get the game out to the readers who have been waiting (patiently!) to continue their story from book 2. My partner suggested that I’d either have to invent a time machine or clone myself in order to write down all the ideas I’ve discussed for this game over the last two years of development. I’m still working on the cloning thing. Any day now… (I should have started with the time machine…)

Has it been hard to hold all the pieces of two other games in your head (and your code!) coming into this final stretch?

Not particularly. The hard part wasn’t so much the number of pieces, but shifting gears from Vampire: the Masquerade back to Werewolves. The language used is different and I wanted to make sure there wasn’t an accidental tonal shift in the writing from book 2 to book 3 in the Werewolves series. Dialogue in particular is very different in Werewolves than it is in Vampire: The Masquerade, so I spent some time just writing out conversations between main characters, noting how they talk, etc… Even the main character’s observations are written differently than the MC in Parliament of Knives.

There are a lot of other elements to consider than tone as well, like making sure that I write “humans” instead of “mortals,” that kind of thing. That may sound silly, but when you’ve spent two years writing one way for a franchise, it gets ingrained in your style and it requires a manual shift in one’s brain space.

It took me around two months to fully immerse myself into this world again, and I had to re-read my own Werewolf games multiple times to get myself in the heads of the characters. What helped in this process was writing an extensive interactive recap for returning players. Putting together all the important plotlines and permutations for returning players got most of it sorted in my head right off that bat. Once I was there, it flowed fairly easily.

What do you think will surprise fans of this series the most about Evolution’s End?

There are several surprises in store! I think the biggest one is the return to a setting that most readers probably expected they’d seen the last of and it probably isn’t the first one that comes to mind. Both Maker and Williams have some interesting tricks up their sleeves for the pack, and it will be up to the player to overcome them or even possibly benefit from them if they can put their morals aside.

Oh, and there’s also some significant hints regarding the origins of the modern incarnation of the werewolf race and how they’ve been harnessed and manipulated by secretive government projects over the last century. If you like diving into the lore, there are some real treats in store!

Do you have thoughts about additional stories set in this world?

Absolutely! I had a few people ask me this a while back on the official CoG Reddit. Originally, Evolution’s End was intended to be the final book in the series, and while it largely wraps up several major plot lines in what I feel is a satisfying way, there are still areas to explore that are very relevant to the main character’s life.

Long story short, I have every intention to bring a fourth installment of the series to readers if the demand is there.

In the meantime, I’m actually writing a series of short stories set in the “Claw, Shadow, and Sage” world, and it’s been fun to explore the story from various perspectives outside the main character’s head.

What are you working on outside of interactive fiction?

I’ve put all other projects on hold while I was scrabbling to finish Evolution’s End, but earlier in the year I spent time writing the short stories I mentioned, including the story of Colonel Williams, what happened to Haken between Werewolves 1 and 3, and a series of shorts from the perspectives of Dena and Jolon’s parents. I plan to work on more of these in the future, and possibly start a Patreon to fund their creation if readers are interested in that sort of thing!

I’ve also been working on an (unofficial) prequel novel to Parliament of Knives that follows Sheriff Qui’s arrival in Ottawa during the 1970s. Qui meets and falls in love with his ghoul, Sam, and forges an alliance with Arundel before he was Prince. That’s been an absolute blast to write. Once it’s finished, I intend to make it available for free.

Last but not least, I’ve been outlining some interesting ideas I have for a novel in the LitRPG genre, since I’ve been devouring that type of book lately and would love to take a stab at making one of my own. It’s a bit out of my wheelhouse (No vampires? No werewolves? What?!?) but sometimes it’s exciting to take on something new every so often. Speaking of projects, I’d better get back to work on that time machine or I’ll never get all this writing done! Can’t wait to see what everyone thinks of Evolution’s End this November!

We’re proud to announce that Ink and Intrigue, 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 30% off until October 25th!

Heed magic’s call! Find love on a lush tropical island among immortal warrior-mages as you explore ancient mysteries, craft dragon-rune tattoos, and discover your true loyalties. What passions shape your path?

Ink and Intrigue is an interactive erotic fantasy novel by Leia Talon, where your choices control the story. It’s entirely text-based—300,000 words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

As a seasoned spy from the kingdom of Minare, you have been sent as an emissary to the Kitherin warrior-mages of Ra’zai, whose tattoos give them supernatural abilities and whose magical rites bond them to powerful creatures from another world.

But, as soon as you enter Ra’zai, you hear the call of the Kitherin. The magic has chosen you, and now, your fingertips tingle and your heart pounds. An unnamed need grows within, like a thirst that can’t be quenched. Magic infuses your very breath.

As your magic expands, so does your heart. Which of your new Kitherin companions calls to you? Are you attracted to Teo, the soft-spoken tattoo artist whose muscular body is covered in tattoos and whose eyes blaze with amber fire? When he paints dragon runes onto your skin, do you feel the power of his heart as well as his magic? Or to Kai, whose dark hair contrasts with brilliant blue eyes: his mastery as a warrior is unmatched, but his quest to overturn a corrupt regime has earned him the opposition of the Kitherin Council. Perhaps you prefer Rae, a feisty fellow initiate, with her dark skin and wicked smile. Rae’s determination is legendary—she has failed the trials before, but never stops trying—and her boisterous spirit is unbreakable. Or maybe Thea is the one for you, with her sea-green eyes and copper hair. Elegant and serene, dedicated guardian of the temple—but if you earn her trust, she will show you her playful side, and sing the songs of her Fae ancestors.

But what does this call mean for your duty to the crown? Will you confess the clandestine role you’ve played for your king, or keep your secrets and leave your past behind? What information will you send back? Will you use your position to build alliances with the Kitherin Council and other nations, or will you use your spy skills of blackmail and poison to get what you want?

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, bi, and/or asexual.
• Romance a passionate artist, a serene sage, a feisty initiate, or a determined warrior.
• Choose high-heat or sweet options, or avoid sex scenes entirely.
• Form a psychic bond with a magical creature: choose a dragon, a griffin, or a phoenix.
• Learn how to craft dragon-rune tattoos, and infuse your art with powerful magic.
• Explore a lush island paradise crowned with ancient temples, peaceful healing gardens, a hidden library, and sun-swept beaches with the perfect waves for surfing.
• Indulge in magic elixirs and delectable food as you revel under the full moon.
• Dive through portals to strengthen your ties with your bonded creature, and explore other worlds!

When magic calls, where will your heart find its home?

We hope you enjoy playing Ink and Intrigue. 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.

We’re super excited for the release of Hunter: The Reckoning — The Beast of Glenkildove on December 19th!

Today, for the first time, you can try the free demo on Steam! (Don’t forget to add us to your Steam wishlist! The more wishlists we get, the better the game will do on Steam on release day.)

Full moon. Cold night. Dark shadow. Warm gun. The Beast of Glenkildove has stalked Ireland for centuries. Now, you must hunt it.

Hunter: The Reckoning — The Beast of Glenkildove is an interactive novel by William Brown, set in the World of Darkness. It’s entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Eight years ago, when you were eighteen, the Beast of Glenkildove killed one of your closest friends. You’ve never returned to Ireland since that day.

It’s difficult to remember what happened. As you’ll soon learn, the human mind blots out the traumatic memories of facing a werewolf.

Now, you must stalk that werewolf across the shadowed glens and fogbound mountains of Ireland, hunting a shapeshifting killing machine with your friends, your wits, and a shotgun.

But you and your friends are not alone. You have entered a world of Hunters, humans who dare to challenge the dominion of the monsters who rule over them. Can you trust the fanatics of the Society of Leopold, the scholars and savants of the Arcanum, the ruthless Duffy crime family, or the enigmatic biotech company Fada?

Can you even trust your oldest friends?

Redemption for some. Retribution for others. A reckoning for all.

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; befriend or romance humans and supernaturals of any gender
• Kill, study, capture, document or negotiate with the creatures you hunt
• Craft your own traps, gear, and weapons to take the Hunt to the enemy
• Find camaraderie and romance with the only people in the world that you can trust to fight alongside you
• Adopt and train your own wolfhound to assist you in the Hunt
• Build and maintain your own safehouse at the Wolf’s Head Inn in the Wicklow Mountains

Become the thing that even nightmares fear.