choiceofgames

[choiceofgames]

Got stuck in the subway system for over an hour due to a track fire and decided to use that time to make a fan mix for the Werewolf: The Apocalypse - The Book of Hungry Names demo. Heavy on punk, hardcore, and riot grrrl.

[choiceofgames]

The fact that Pon Para 2 is on the Underrated of 2023 list baffles me cos that entire series is probably my absolute fave out of everything on the formal CoG app.

Honestly tho, Kyle Marquis is probably my fave CoG author. I eat up everything that person writes and go absolutely feral for their work.

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Does anyone remember Of Monsters and Mainframes? The novel manuscript I wrote in 2022 about a spaceship trying to kill Dracula?

Well.

I have news.

I have very good news.

Please click the link. Jaysen is more charismatic than me.

But if links are scary (and I know they are) then all you need to know is that Of Monsters and Mainframes is going to be a book in about a year.

I am absurdly excited (and also a little terrified, but in a good way).

If you have TikTok, please follow Jaysen. He's much better at this social media stuff than I am and is the one that decided to take a chance with me and my silly wee story about a sentient spaceship.

Here's a cute graphic screenshot my agent made from Publishers Marketplace:

[choiceofgames]

Yay, Harris!

btw the H in hpowellsmith stands for Harris these days! My pronouns are still they/them as usual.

...and it's starting to get updated in some places which I'm very excited about. If you see my old name in official-looking places please let me know once we're past 6th May (timing because it takes time for various storefronts/apps/websites to fully update).

It feels good to finally take the plunge and share this more widely!

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New game! “Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names” — Unleash Rage and wield spirit to heal the land and rebuild your fallen pack

Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names is now available on Steam, iOS, and Android!

It’s 25% off until May 2nd! Furthermore, 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 away 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.

You and your shattered werewolf pack must save the living Earth with Rage and spirit! In this interactive novel with hundreds of choices, can you defeat a Wyrm Spirit who manifests as a lie that you want to believe?

Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names is an interactive novel by Kyle Marquis set in the World of Darkness. It's entirely text-based—1.8 million words, without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Shapeshifter. Mystic. Hero. Monster. You are a werewolf, and you are all these things. Werewolves are the living earth's last guardians, created by Gaia, given the gift of shifting between human and wolf forms, and called to stop humanity from destroying the world.

But you have failed.

Three years ago, packs of werewolves worked together as a Sept in Broad Brook, Massachusetts, battling the Wyrm, the enemy of Gaia. While other Septs fell to the Wyrm or tore themselves apart with fratricidal Rage, Broad Brook thrived. Some said they would be the ones to stop the Apocalypse.

But in one night, a Wyrm Spirit called "the Answering Tiger" destroyed the Broad Brook Sept and defiled its caern. In fact, Broad Brook had never been thriving at all. The Tiger had deceived their senses, disordered their thoughts, and turned them against one another. Where the different tribes saw trust, in truth there was resentment and growing Rage. Where the different packs saw safety, there were security flaws that could be exploited. Where they saw the Wyrm, there were innocents that they massacred, before reporting to other Septs about another glorious victory.

Their cruel pride allowed the Wyrm Spirit to deceive them, and they mostly destroyed themselves. The Answering Tiger had servants, too, monstrous Banes and fomori, and even werewolves sworn to the Wyrm. But they were only there to pick off whoever was left.

Now, the Stormcat, once the Patron Spirit of the Broad Brook Sept, has called upon you to rebuild a pack from the survivors and fight back against the Answering Tiger. In the savage woods and decaying towns of New England, you will forge your own legend.

Build Your Pack. Human and werewolf survivors haunt the woods and hide in the cities: find them to learn what happened and to rebuild the werewolf nation. But not all werewolves can be trusted: shun those wolves consumed by Rage, and pity those who have lost the Wolf and become empty shells.

Survive the Wilds. A desperate exile, shunned by those of your old pack who have abandoned their oaths to Gaia, you'll have to survive by your wits. A winter night can kill as surely as any monster: find shelter, seek allies among spirits and humans, and learn how far you'll go to survive.

Unleash Your Rage. You are one of Gaia's monsters, a living weapon, herald of horror and death. Now the Apocalypse is here: wield your Rage with savage cunning and keen discretion, or it will swallow you whole.

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; befriend or romance werewolves and humans of all genders.

• Shapeshift among five forms to slaughter your enemies, or outwit them to take what you need.

• Choose your auspice (moon-sign) and your werewolf tribe: Bone Gnawer, Child of Gaia, Glass Walker, Shadow Lord, or Silver Fang

• Claim your territory and heal the spirits there to unlock Gifts that let you summon animals, see into the past, or enter the spirit world.

Buy it now!

#choiceofgames #choice of games #interactive fiction

[choiceofgames]

New game! On the Run: Rogue Heroes, by Alyssa N. Vaughn.

We’re proud to announce that On the Run: Rogue Heroes, 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.

On the Run: Rogue Heroes is 33% off until March 28th! 

Awaken your powers and save your friends! Uncover the secrets that the military has been hiding about Activated people, about your family, and about you.

On the Run: Rogue Heroes is an interactive teenage-superpower novel by Alyssa N. Vaughn. It’s entirely text-based, 200,000 words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

For decades, everyone with special powers like super-strength or flight has been forced into lifelong conscription in W.I.N.G.S.: the Weaponized Individual National Guardian Services. Most of this military branch’s activities are secret—except for the daring exploits of heroes like Ms. Midnight, Phantom Phaeton, and Sergeant Smash.

You and your older sister grew up living with your grandmother, who cared for you, provided for you, and sheltered you from the truth. She knows what they do at W.I.N.G.S., she knows what happened to your parents, and she knows about the deadly genetic disease that you and your sister both carry.

Now, you and your sister have finally Activated your powers, W.I.N.G.S has arrested and conscripted your sister, and you've fled with your grandmother, on the run from psionic government agents with abilities just as powerful as yours.

But you’re not alone! There are people out there trying to fight back against W.I.N.G.S., people who could be your friend—or more than friends. There's Micah, a long-lost friend with shoulder-length locs and a big secret to protect. Alex, a pickpocket/con-artist has illusion powers and a lot of eye makeup. Then there's Knockout, a vigilante with a red-brown ponytail and homemade costume, including a mask and cape.

While your scrappy little group races against time to save your sister and yourselves, your own powers are growing stronger every day. Outrun cars on the highway with super-speed, pull down telephone poles with your super-strength, let out supersonic cries that can shatter glass—or just turn invisible and sneak away from it all. You’ll need every bit of your power and your smarts as you uncover secrets that could change the lives of every Activated person on earth.

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, bi, or asexual. • Choose your portfolio of powers: super-strength, super-speed, heightened senses, supersonic shouts, or invisibility! • Befriend or romance a childhood sweetheart, a scrappy con-artist runaway, or a powered vigilante with big golden-retriever energy. • Discover the truth about your family and rebuild your relationship with your long-lost mother—or leave it all behind and seek support only with your friends. • Fight back against the government’s control of Activated people, join their secret organization and become even more powerful yourself, or make peace between opposing factions.

Who will you trust? Who are your parents? Who will you date?

#choiceofgames #choice of games #interactive fiction

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"Werewolf: The Apocalypse — The Book of Hungry Names" Demo Available Now!

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.

#choiceofgames #choice of games #vamily #interactive fiction #worldofdarkness #werewolf #werewolftheapocalypse #wouldyoustilllovemeifiwasaworm #howlatthemoon

[choiceofgames]

Lettow cries out as your fangs find his wrist.

You don't have much time,

and you both know it.

Nothing tonight will be as tender as you might want it.

A commission done by my dearest vamily @schwarznummer1 ,for my Gangrel MC Gisela and Lettow!

Best gift for Lunar New Year's Eve🤩

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I finished VTM:NR!

I just finished my second playthrough romanicng Julian and I found I love Lettow more<333（Sry Julian's cute by the way） Lettow is so charming and kind of, well, horny shy, and has extreme emotional stability（what I lack in my real life）Most importantly he never gonna hurt me neither mentally nor physically! I can trust him with my whole life🥺I feel so safe and warm when I have Lettow around...all right sometimes I almost want to cry the moment I think of him bcs the happiness in my heart is already overflowing.So he's just the perfect RO I'm always longing for in games.

Forgive my melancholy, just wanna share my Gangrel OC Gisela and her beloved

commissions by @ 佳耶 and @路歧

[choiceofgames]

Lettow and my Gangel MC Gisela

love the difference between their body sizes so much

[choiceofgames]

Creating an IF: Agency

Welcome to the first entry in my blog series about my journey as a novice Interactive Fiction (IF) writer. With a background in game design and experience as a tabletop RPG Dungeon Master, I've always been intrigued by the unique storytelling potential of IF, particularly the concept of agency.

The Novel vs. The Game vs. The IF

In traditional novels, a significant amount of time is devoted to fleshing out the protagonist's motivations, backstory, and personality. This groundwork is essential for readers to understand and empathize with the characters' actions. In contrast, video games focus extensively on creating immersive scenes, allowing players to visualize and interact with the story's setting and characters without relying on the player's imagination.

Interactive Fiction, however, operates on a different level. The medium doesn't necessarily require extensive character backstories or immersive graphical environments. Instead, IF thrives on the absence of these elements, offering unique storytelling opportunities through what is arguably the most powerful tool in gaming: Agency.

Using Agency as a Storytelling Tool

Interestingly, restricting agency can be an effective narrative technique. This approach works best when a certain level of agency has already been established. By gradually limiting choices or disabling options, you can effectively convey feelings of powerlessness or helplessness. This method creates tension and elicits emotional responses from the player.

For example, imagine wanting to portray a character grappling with depression or a lack of motivation. Present the player with multiple positive actions that the character knows they should undertake, but can't bring themselves to do. You might present options like:

Do the dishes

Go for a walk

Take a shower

Go back to bed

Except, some of these options are grayed out, unavailable. This subtle storytelling device powerfully conveys the character's emotional state without explicitly stating it. It allows players to project their own experiences and interpretations onto the character, creating a more personalized and immersive narrative.

Agency: Not Just a Novel with Choices

It's crucial to remember that IF is not simply a novel with added choices. Approaching it as such can lead to a narrative that feels like herding cats, trying to manage unwieldy choice permutations, or, worse, neglecting the essence of player agency. IF requires a unique balance, a careful orchestration of choices that both guide the narrative and allow for meaningful player interaction.

In summary, understanding and effectively utilizing agency can transform your IF into an engaging, emotionally resonant experience. It's about offering choices that matter, that shape the narrative and reflect the player's influence on the story world. So, embrace the power of agency and see where it can take your storytelling in the realm of Interactive Fiction.

[choiceofgames]

a commission for Sheriff Qui/my Toreador MC Winona by @ 星仔

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Royal Affairs Expanded Epilogue - coming January 25!

Return to royal life in this free 50,000 word extra epilogue for Royal Affairs, coming soon. One year after the ending, it's time to go on an exclusive whirlwind trip to a foreign country!

Hobnob with the President of Teran, have fun with your siblings, eat delicious food, and enjoy some extra-special moments with a friend or loved one along the way... and maybe wedding bells are on the horizon...?

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"vampire: the masquerade - night road" still has one of the most painfully accurate descriptions of what it is like to be stuck behind someone in traffic who just does not know where the fuck they are going

i love how much kyle marquis decided to take this choice of games vampire romance premise and cram as much specialized car knowledge into it as he could get away with.

[choiceofgames]

In the Desert View Motel

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.(2 Timothy 4:7)"

commission done by @ 星仔

Love the vibe!

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My Créme de la Créme MCs -- Ethan & Celeste Dalton

I played CLDC by @hpowellsmith and enjoyed it quite a bit, so I got a commission of my MCs from OyenPaws on IG <3

Spotify playlists:

More info under the cut!

Ethan Dalton and Celeste Dalton are siblings. However, they're total polar opposites. Celeste is bubbly, outgoing, flirty and dramatic. Meanwhile, Ethan is introverted, reclusive, quiet and stoic.

I added lots and lots of headcanons (sorry), so in my mind, their playthroughs happened parallel with each other.

Ethan is very academic and studious. He stays in his own lane, does his own thing, unbothered. Celeste is popular and is involved with everything and everyone. She's a flirt, for sure. Florin Kraemer, eat your heart out.

Ethan decided to pursue higher education at a prestigious university, while Celeste decided to have fun with an art gallery apprenticeship. Her end goal is to become a fashion designer and start her own haute couture house.

In both playthroughs, Gallatin won. None of them ended up married. Lady Renaldt got exposed, and the good Dalton family name was restored.

Ethan got thrown in the mines (yikes!) while Celeste was busy fooling around with her boytoys. You'd think that she'd notice her brother being gone, but it's kind of hard when there are so many guys fighting for your attention :/

I scoured the author's blog to find any clues about the fashion in CLDC. I didn't want to put them in their school uniforms (which would've just been easier honestly), and since the zeitgeist of the CLDC universe is actually... not THAT set in stone (I even looked at other people's MC to make sense of what the fashion should look like) I just ended up taking inspo from dark/light academia, old money and coquette aesthetics. Can you tell that Celeste is very Lana Del Rey coded? :)

Their parents accidentally supported a corrupt political candidate.

Celeste is incredibly arrogant, vain and bold. For better or for worse. Ethan also has a tendency to look down on people he deems to be less intellectual than him.

Celeste had a hate-love thing with Blaise. Ethan wondered why she needed two snarky dark-haired dudes in her life. He pretty much avoided everyone, and the closest thing he had to romance was with Prince Rosario of all people!? So much for trying to be low-profile.

Ethan has to constantly drag Celeste out of dumb situations of her own making. Celeste has to constantly remind Ethan that people, even him, need human interaction.

Honestly the only reason why they managed to save the family's reputation is because Ethan was working behind the scenes and cleaned up Celeste's love scandals.

They're part east/southeast asian, part middle eastern and part european.

Ethan loves birds, especially corvids. He spends more time with birds than he does with people. His earring is supposed to resemble a raven.

Celeste is part of the Prefect Committee. Ethan is a member of the Birchmeier Society.

Ethan is 5'11, Celeste is 5'5.

Their mom is another OC of mine, Darcy Angelis <3

Had to restart the playthrough because of this, but in Celeste's playthrough, she decided to dance with Auguste at the ball. After that chapter ended, it triggered multiple consecutive scenes, one after another, where literally ALL of the characters had the "what are we???" talk with her. Can't believe the harem found out.

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Notes on Lies Under Ice:

This was my favorite Choice of Game in a while. The story has a ton of Kim Stanley Robinson vibes, which I appreciate - the colony/society-building/politics reminded me a lot of Red Mars. It's not surprising that the author listed KSR and the Mars trilogy as an influence.

[spoilers]

My Europa colony was kind of shambolic for the first few chapters. I tried to balance a few competing demands (science, habitation, crops, etc), but ended up not really getting anywhere with any of them - maybe focusing on one aspect might have worked better?

I did succeed in making peace with the aliens which felt like a pretty cool accomplishment. Before that, I won the election against Antonella Li. And in the end my shambolic colony became independent and thriving after the war, where we remained neutral.