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We are thrilled to announce that The Bread Must Rise, by Stewart C Baker & James Beamon, is a finalist for the Nebula Game Writing Award, and it’s on sale for 40% off until March 22!

The Bread Must Rise is a 450,000-word interactive comedy/fantasy/baking/eldritch horror novel by James Beamon and Stewart C Baker. 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!

To celebrate, we are also putting every previous Nebula Finalist game on sale:

Vampire: The Masquerade—Sins of the Sires
The Luminous Underground
The Road to Canterbury
The Magician’s Workshop
Rent-A-Vice
The Martian Job

Check out our Nebula Finalists bundle on Steam for an even bigger discount!

This is the sixth year that there has been a Nebula award for game writing—and the fifth year that Choice of Games authors have been finalists. Past Choice of Games Nebula finalists are: Natalia Theodoridou for Vampire: The Masquerade — Sins of the Sires and Rent-A-Vice, Phoebe Barton for The Luminous Underground, Kate Heartfield for The Road to Canterbury and The Magician’s Workshop, and M. Darusha Wehm for The Martian Job.

We also want to congratulate one of our Hosted Games authors, Baudelaire Welch, who is nominated in the same category for their work on Baldur’s Gate 3. Their Hosted Game, Don’t Wake Me Up, is also on sale this week!

Since 1965, the Nebula Awards have been given annually to the best works of science fiction and fantasy published that year, as voted on by the members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). The 59th Annual Nebula Awards ceremony will be streamed live during the 2024 Nebula Conference, June 6-9, 2024. Stay tuned for more!

We’re super excited for the release of “Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names” on April 25th!

As a special offer, if you purchase “Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names” by 11:59pm PDT on April 26th, we’ll give you the “Wardens and Furies” DLC, featuring the options to play as a member of the Black Fury tribe or the Hart Warden tribe, for free.

Experience “Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names” as one of the ruthless slayers of the Black Furies or the howling celebrants of the Hart Wardens. Hunt the wilds of New England with Gifts of divine archery, beast-speech, and the dark blessings of long-dead werewolves.

Don’t forget to wishlist it on Steam or preregister on Google Play now! You can also pre-purchase the app on iOS.

Also: All our games are on sale on Steam this week as part of the Steam Spring Sale!

We’re super excited for the release of “Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names” on April 25th!

Today, for the first time, you can try the free demo!

Don’t forget to wishlist it on Steam or preregister on Google Play now! You can also pre-purchase the app on iOS.

Hosted Games has a new game for you to play!

Fulfill your epic destiny in mythic ancient China! Lead armies, wield magic, and put an emperor on the throne—or become the emperor yourself!

Tale of Two Cranes is a 750,000-word interactive epic historical fantasy novel by Michelle Balaban and Stephanie Balaban, winner of 2nd prize in the 2018 Choice of Games Contest for Interactive Novels.  It’s entirely text based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

The mighty Qin dynasty has fallen. As the land breaks into warring states, everyone must choose their side in the growing civil war. 

Within this epic turmoil, you have been chosen to fulfill a grand but mysterious destiny. You are a Yǒngshì warrior, bonded with a heavenly spirit that grants you magical powers, and trained since childhood in the arts of battle. Your spirit is greater than any Yǒngshì has ever been: you are the mortal link to the Red-Crowned Crane, a mystical patron unique among all of the heavens…or so you thought. As war rises around you, you discover that there is a rival: Chan Ming, bonded to the Other Crane, is the only person who could ever match your power—or he might even exceed it.

Your mystical power can sway the course of the war and determine who will be the next emperor. Whose faction will you choose: Liu Bang, a charismatic lord beloved by the people; or Xiang Yu, a veteran of war respected by the military? Can you navigate the politics of the Imperial court, or will you gather your power in seclusion at your country estate? When China’s enemies encroach from the northern steppes, can you negotiate with them to call a truce – or even win them over as allies? Will you prove your loyalty to the new Emperor, or will you betray your allies at every turn? Uncover conspiracies of spies, trace the source of rebellions and mutinies, blackmail an Empress, marry into the Imperial family to become the power behind the throne—or even become the Emperor yourself!

And through it all, cross paths and swords with your rival, the Other Crane. Will you defeat him in an epic battle for the ages, or will you join him and create the most powerful mystical partnership the realm has ever known? 

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, bi, or asexual.
• Find romance amongst your six closest allies or opt for an arranged marriage.
• Choose from four magical classes: mystic, militant, sage or strategist.
• Unravel the mystery of your mystical link to the Crane and discover the truth behind your unique connection to a fellow warrior.
• Fight epic battles across a landscape inspired by the Warring States period of ancient China.
• Build your personal power, customizing your estate to create a place specializing in military training, agriculture, spiritual enlightenment, scholarship, commerce, and more!
• Master the Imperial court to propel yourself into the administration, nobility, or even to become ruler of all China! 

Your destiny calls, and a new dynasty awaits!

Tale of Two Cranes is 33% off until March 14th!

Michelle and Stephanie 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!

As a Minor Deity, you have a large Domain of sapient beings to rule over as you see fit. Can you gather enough faith to ascend to a higher level of divinity?

Divine Ascension is a thrilling 41,000-word interactive fantasy novel by Teemu Salminen, where your choices control the story. It’s entirely text-based—without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

• Play as an all-powerful deity with total control over your Domain.
• Interact with six other Minor Deities, each with their own realm.
• Gather faith, divinity and power to protect or use those who have faith in you.
• Use your divine powers to bless or destroy your targets.
• Experience several possible endings – based on the choices you made during the story.

Your choices will decide the fate of your world!

Divine Ascension is 40% off until March 14th!

Teemu 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.

The 2024 Hosted Games Hidden Gems Sale is here!

You’ve cast your votes and chosen five underrated games that haven’t (yet) gotten the attention they deserve! These “Hidden Gems,” selected by a highly scientific poll conducted on our forums, are on sale this week! Pick them up for discounts up to 40% off until February 29th on the platform of your choice–Android, Android Omnibus app, iOS and iOS Omnibus app, the website, and on the Amazon Android Marketplace! Relics II: The Crusader’s Tomb is also available on Steam.

Relics II: The Crusader’s Tomb
The Gray Painter
Donor: A Vampire Victim’s Tale
The Day After Ever After
Tudor Intrigue

The 2024 Choice of Games Hidden Gems Sale is here!

Shhhhh! It’s our super secret special sale! 

Thanks to a very scientific poll conducted on our forums, we’re proud to announce that our “most underrated” games, aka the Hidden Gems, are on sale all week! Pick them up for discounts up to 40% off until February 22nd on the platform of your choice–Android, Android Omnibus app, iOS and iOS Omnibus app, Steam, the website, and on the Amazon Android Marketplace!

And check out our newly updated Hidden Gems Steam bundle! 

Pon Para and the Unconquerable Scorpion
Nikola Tesla: War of the Currents
Sixth Grade Detective
Cliffhanger: Challenger of Tomorrow
The Superlatives: Shattered Worlds

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we’ve added a whole bouquet of new options to our iPhone/iPad app and to our Android app, to help you find stories with exactly the features you’re looking for. 

• An expanded chili-pepper scale gives more detail about every game’s spice level, starting with a mild and sweet 1-pepper and going all the way up to extra-hot 5-pepper erotica.
• New search features let you filter by spice level, player-character gender, and romance-option gender.
• “Similar to” suggestions help you find more games just like the ones you already love!

It’s easier than ever to find your Happily Ever After in Heart’s Choice!

Hosted Games has a new game for you to play!

You’re trapped in a malfunctioning virtual reality with no memories. No memories, except of every video game you’ve ever played. Jack into a wild night in a virtual world you’ll never remember.

Don’t Wake Me Up is a 400,000-word interactive novel about love in video games, where your choices control the story. Entirely text-based, and driven by your imagination. It is written by Baudelaire Welch, a professional game screenwriter currently working as a companion character designer for RPGs.

Armed with puns, pop culture, and a sharp dose of sarcasm, can you muddle your way through levels of satirical video game pastiches, back to reality?

Adventure through virtual worlds alongside a delusional gamer, an actual emo vampire (who really wishes he wasn’t an emo vampire), a poet from outer space, and a dashing princess in shining armor, among others! And perhaps, just perhaps, learn a bit too much about the kind of person you are when the real world isn’t watching.

A satire of the trapped-in-a-video-game genre, and a tragicomedy on the theme of dating sims.

• Play as nonbinary, male, female, straight or queer.
• Travel through 6 worlds inspired by different video game genres
• Wield a weaponised top hat
• Rack your brains in a spaceship escape level inspired by old-school adventure games
• Compete in a classical music-themed monster truck rally
• Lose yourself in a cyberpunk casino
• Date the Ultimate Video Game Fanservice Vampire
• Or, date the Ultimate Video Game ‘Best Girl’ Waifu
• A period piece honed in early 2010s internet cringe
• Bifurcates entirely halfway through the game based on your love interest.

Sometimes true love is a wrong dialogue choice.

Don’t Wake Me Up is 40% off until February 8th!

Baudelaire 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

Hosted Games has a new game for you to play!

Amitabhilia, the world of infinite light. The kingdom of Lebenswasserheim is recovering from an insurrection instigated by the now-defunct Weiliwubisky clan, and the restoration of peace and order means people are now free to achieve their own dreams once again. Falrika Marmont is just one of these people, and she has her own simple dream: To become an alchemist. Through a series of events expected and unexpected, and with the help of people who will guide her along the way, her journey will be one that is out of the ordinary.

Falrika the Alchemist is a feel-good 173,000-word interactive novel by Benedict Villariaza. It’s entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

• A light-hearted, slice-of-life, narrative-driven adventure where you play as a cute female alchemist owning her own atelier.
• An episodic story format, where each chapter is mostly self-contained.
• You can pat cats and dogs! (There will even be an achievement for petting all of them!)
• Four romantic options (2 female, 1 male, 1 nonbinary), all with their own endings.
• A comprehensive codex that tells everything you need to know about the world of Amitabhilia.

Will you screw up alchemy or not?

Falrika the Alchemist is 33% off until February 8th!

Benedict 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