You Are Odysseus

So

I’m a teacher of Classical Civilisation that has taught the Odyssey for over a decade and studied pretty much every myth and story with Odysseus in it.. I think

and I’m writing an Interactive Fiction (choose your own path) version of the Odyssey, inspired by the Homeric phrase “he turned his great heart this way and that”, where you are Odysseus, allowing you to follow his decisions or make your own

and it already has 400 sections to it - written to emulate modern translations of the Odyssey, including the literary features of simile, formula, epithet, and the rest - and 21 different ways to die, and quite a lot of period and theme-appropriate alternatives

(and if I get time, the option to be Telemachus or Penelope, although that might have to wait because it’s already a monster)

and I’ve tested what I’ve made so far on my pupils, other Classics teachers, and some of the leading (and best-read) Greek Mythology podcasters and YouTubers, all of whom have universally loved it (yay!)

(EDIT: Oops and I presented on it at the Classical Association conference last year)

I’m trying to finish it this summer, but need a bit of encouragement to do so

EDIT: and I forgot to say that ideally I’m planning on it being a beautiful BOOK with an old-fashioned cover and lots of ribbons to mark your place ❤️ (ex-bookseller ofc)

so, please let me know if you’d like to know more!

(EDIT: or sign up here go get notified directly when it’s ready: https://ljenkinsonbrown.wordpress.com/you-are-odysseus-signup/ )

fucking FINALLY

Creating Goncharov by albie [IFDB]

What color are you? Take our fun personality quiz to find out!

?????????????

New challenge: beat the corporate Uquiz final boss. I got blue btw 💅

Absolutely fascinated by the utilization of uquiz as an art medium, this is really cool

A New Interactive Novel

A Tale of Crowns is a high fantasy romance with Middle Eastern roots, free to play from start till finish, both on pc as well as mobile! It’s entirely text-based, with choices throughout to shape both your main character’s personality and skills as well as influence their relationships with others. There are four love interests for you to choose from, both female as well as male, each with their own stories and secrets for you to uncover!

❂ THE SETTING

The story takes place in Arsur, a fictional empire within a fantasy universe that draws inspiration from historical settings in the Middle East. Much of it is based on Kurdish culture, drawing from my own experience as a Kurdish woman.

Your character was born and raised in Arsur, where magic is considered a skill no different from reading or writing. Gender, sexual orientation and race have no bearing on social position or class; it is instead only based on wealth and level of education.

The Arsurian Empire itself is overseen by a single ruler known as the Crown. Unlike traditional monarchies, however, the title is not inherited through blood. Whenever the Crown dies, their famed golden eyes pass on to the one chosen by the spirits of this world to be the new Crown: this appears to happen at random, as Crowns in the past have ranged from the poorest farmer to the wealthiest noble.

❂ THE STORY

Their parents murdered and the previous Crown of Arsur assassinated, your character finds themselves on the run as they’ve been bestowed with the golden eyes that mark them as the new Crown.

Unseen enemies at their heels, will they succeed as the Crown, or will they lead to the downfall of the Empire?

❂ CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION

At the beginning of the story, you’ll have the opportunity to customize your Crown’s name, pronouns, sexual orientation and their skill in magic. You can also customize many parts of your Crown’s appearance: hair color, hair texture, hair style, skin color and height are all up to you and will be reflected in the story as well. Their backstory and ethnicity are the only things that are locked in. The Crown is also locked in as a person of color, as is in line with the setting - their specific race is up to the player to imagine.

As for your Crown’s personality, there are twelve different character traits in total that will be decided based on the choices you make in game. This will subsequently change your Crown’s behavior during story scenes.

The character traits are: Charming/Blunt, Kind/Calculated, Intelligent/Intuitive, Cautious/Adventurous, Flirtatious/Reserved and Assertive/Passive. Some of these will mix and interact with each other in different ways as well!

❂ THE LOVE INTERESTS

Depending on what your Crown’s sexual orientation is, the gender of the love interests will change accordingly to match that. There are four of them in total, and regardless of their gender their titles are as follows: the Sorcerer, the Hero, the Protector and the General. Each love interest will have their own route which you will get to choose from at the end of the common route.

So far, the common route of the story has been completed, and I have started publishing the routes for the love interests! The story overall has 7 chapters so far, with a word count of ~230k, including scene variations. I will release each chapter as I finish it, so the game will be a continuous work in progress. Would you like to know more about the story, the setting, or the love interests? Check out the game blog!

NOTE: This game is not suited for those under 16 years of age! Please keep the age rating in mind.

❂ PLAY THE GAME ❂ DESIGNING YOUR MC ❂ STORY & SETTING ❂ THE LOVE INTERESTS ❂ PINTEREST REFS ❂ FAQ ❂ DISCORD ❂ KO-FI ❂

Last updated: 29 jan, 2022

Art by @artbygaia

eye of the moon love interests

✨ tala, goddess of the stars and navigation

⛰ dumakulem, god of the mountains and hunting

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Eye of the Moon is an adventure and romance story inspired by Filipino mythology. Check out the game blog for extra content and join the Discord server. Demo coming October 1, 2021! art by @borgdraws

Eye of the Moon

—an interactive fiction game by ate maarte

Eye of the Moon is an adventure and romance story inspired by Filipino mythology. Written by a Filipina woman, this interactive fiction game is a labor of love about protecting your home, complicated families, and relying on each other.  Update status: prologue and ch. 1 released Word count: 14.3k Features:

Rating: M (please note that the game blog is also 18+)

Play the game, join the Discord server (21+), and support me on Ko-fi here!

Eye of the Moon is set in Kaluwalhatian, the realm of the deities in Filipino mythology. As the deity of lost things you will travel all over the heavens, exploring the Philippines’ most majestic landscapes and visiting the mortals on earth when your adventures require. The story is immersed in pre-colonial Filipino culture and history; it purposefully sheds Western concepts around gender, sexuality, and religion.

Within the game, you’ll set your pronouns and choose your love interest(s) but gender and sexuality are completely up to your headcanon! You’ll also be able to customize your Moonfinder’s appearance and personality. There are three main personality archetypes in Eye of the Moon; these affect the Moonfinder’s overall demeanor. Blue: charitable and sympathetic Purple: playful and mischievous Red: aloof and exacting There are also two other variable traits. These have more to do with how the Moonfinder handles social situations and conflict resolution. Proactive/reactive Diplomat/fighter The proactive/reactive trait also affects how the Moonfinder approaches romance. Please note, the Moonfinder is not a blank slate MC!

Eye of the Moon features two love interests: Tala, goddess of the stars and navigation and Dumakulem, god of the mountains and hunting. You can pursue them individually or simultaneously through the poly route! Tala pierces stars through the night sky, turning them into brilliant jewels that guide mortals through the dark. It is said that every time a new deity is born, Tala creates a new constellation in the ocean above to welcome them to Kaluwalhatian. Mortals worship her because without the stars as their map they would be lost in the seas. Duma resides in the mountains on earth, teaching and protecting the mortals within his domain. He is one of the most revered amongst the pantheon because of his reputation as a provider: of sustenance, of guidance, of endurance. Whether hunters are still learning to notch their bows or are tracking down the most elusive of prey, Duma is the recipient of their prayers.

Find all the important links here!

The Exile

The Exile is a wip interactive fiction story following the ex-commander of the Kingdom of Plaithus, a once legendary figure turned into nothing more than a bedtime story parents tell their naughty children at night. No one knows what really happened the day everything went to shit, not even you. All you can remember is how warm the blood felt on your hands and the horrified faces of your friends as you came back to your senses.

An exile from the capital you once vowed to protect, you’ve found another sense of purpose by serving as a guard for a rather odd sorcerer. Problem is, trouble just won’t seem to leave you alone…or the entire world, for that matter.

The Exile is rated 18+ due to heavy topics, gore, and violence.

Features:

  |  Demo  |  Forums  |  ROs  | Discord | Patreon

Last Update: August 12th, 2021

The demo is currently 311k words in total with each route being about 50k to 70k words! This is an ALPHA DEMO so it’s a little rough around the edges…hopefully I can polish it up as I continue to update! :)

AHHH I FINALLY PLAYED FALLEN HERO: REBIRTH and I can't wait for the next one!

I am so late to this train but I am obsessed and 1000% in love with Ortega and I want her to save my stupid idiot villain from her life if being a dumbass

Anyone have any recommendations for similar games? Not necessarily similar in genre but the style of FH and things like The Wayhaven Chronicles. I've been going through and trying out a bunch but the writing in a lot of the others is leaving quite a bit to be desired. 😩 Bonus points if it is in app form!

*rolls up sleeves* MY TIME HAS COME. i don’t go in for romance in general, so most of these have a focus on plot, not relationships.

my favorite choice games (all available in the choice of games or hosted games apps!) are, in order:

1. Choice by Gaslight - A Study in Steampunk. Steampunk retelling of classic Sherlock Holmes stories where you play as the Watson. FANTASTIC writing, a long story, compelling mysteries and world building. Three romance options, and one of them is your Sherlock (named Finch). Even if you don’t go the romance route, Finch always cares for your MC and the two are close friends (none of this BBC bs!). Themes of fighting for the working class, dealing with discrimination against a religious minority, and honestly just trying to do your best in the murky morals of a Victorian setting. Your character and Finch actually deal with trauma! It’s definitely not romance-first but I love it so so much. MC is gender-locked to male tho due to the setting.

2. Psy High. This is a YA/J story where you play as a psychic high schooler detective. Other classmates at your school also have superpowers but not very many of you, so you all keep it secret from the rest of society. You spend the book unraveling a conspiracy at your school while also trying to get into college and maintain a relationship with... I think there are 3 romance options. I enjoyed it a lot more when I was in high school myself lol but it’s still good. It also has a sequel set at summer camp!

3. Choice of Robots. This is a sci-fi story where you play as the inventor of the robots that change the world. There are multiple MAJOR different endings; as in the world is completely different in each of those endings. Digs into the ethics of robotics. There are romances in this but I honestly don’t remember them at all lol, it’s much more about the robots.

4. Showdown at Willow Creek. Ok this is comparatively short and has like no character development lol. But it IS a fast-paced fun Western. Unravel a conspiracy in a small frontier town, support the local Native American tribe, usher in the new railroad... it’s very tropey and very fun.

5. Choice of Alexandria. Play as the head librarian at the Library of Alexandria and the tutor of Ptolemy V (the future king). Play politics or focus on your inventions, support the Egyptians or the Greeks. Based on actual historical people and events, which are described at the end of the game.

6. Choice of Broadsides. This is the first Choice Of game I played! It’s definitely short compared to the other ones, but it’s FREE. Play as a ship’s captain in the Royal Navy of totally-not-England as you go to war against totally-not-France.

If you like romance and politics, you might also check out Choice of the Vampire. I didn’t get into it but my friend adored it.

unlike TWC, all of these games do depend on you to have good enough stats to pass checks for various decisions, and while you can’t *die* because of it, you can definitely fail and get a bad ending.

in my experience, most of the games in the Choice Of Games app (not the Hosted Games app) have good quality writing. tbf though i played most of these in 2015 (way before the books were all collected into a single app!) so i’m not sure what’s been added since then. anyway! happy reading!

The Wayhaven Chronicles: Book Two OUT NOW!!

Two months have passed since the bloody showdown with Murphy. Wayhaven has returned to its peaceful routine, and you’ve returned to your less-than-thrilling job as detective. But with your new role as human liaison to The Agency—an organization that governs the supernatural—things should be far from dull.

Along with the job comes Unit Bravo, the team you are learning to live with on a more permanent basis. And with one of them comes the continuation of feelings that were just beginning to be explored…

But an altogether different presence is rolling into Wayhaven, cloaked in striped tents, blazing lights, and clouds of cotton candy.

Immerse yourself in Wayhaven Chronicles: Book Two, a 788,000-word continuation of your supernatural story, where you can grow the romance you began, meet old and new characters, decide how to handle the new situations you’re thrown into, and experience the thrill of the outcomes of those decisions—as well as what they may bring in the future!

The Carnival has arrived. Prepare for the ride.

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The Wayhaven Chronicles: Book Two is out for you to play!

You can find it at the links below:

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1233950/Wayhaven_Chronicles_Book_Two/

Google Apps Omnibus: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.hostedgames.omnibus&referrer=utm_medium%3Dweb%26utm_source%3Dwayhaven2Games

App Store Omnibus: https://hostedgames.app.link/YkCwM6nRaM/?game=wayhaven2 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086VPH1MW/ref=mas_dl?ie=UTF8&tag=choofgam-20

Choice of Games: https://www.choiceofgames.com/user-contributed/wayhaven-chronicles-1/

(If these links don’t work, because Tumblr seems to hate my links, you can also find them through Choice of Games site: https://www.choiceofgames.com/category/user-made-games/)

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I truly, truly hope you enjoy it! <3

“I have all these OCs! But no story…”

bruh

make a fighting game

But what if half your ocs are softys and not made for fighting?

dating sim

this post changed the game

Hey btw if you don’t know how to program, you should check out [novelty], which is a free Visual Novel creation software. Absolutely no programming required, and it’s super easy to use, I played with it some when I was a teen but the only reason I didn’t do much with it is cuz I made my story complicated and had like 5000 different branching routes that kept spawning new routes and made myself confused LMAO

But yeah, it’s a WYSIWYG with a really straight-forward GUI, if I remember correctly.

It even comes with some free backgrounds and characters and stuff, and this is what it looks like:

Did I mention it’s super duper free? It hasn’t been updated since 2010, but it has basically all you’d need to make a simple visual novel.

Just make sure your DirectX runtime is updated, cuz it can act buggy if it’s outdated, but this program is so old that I doubt it’d even be an issue lol

holy shit

This is so cool? Can you imagine fanfic in this format?

YO

@becausedragonage @ashidoodle can I recommend Choice Script? It’s like a choose your own adventure coding program. The finished product looks like this, where every option sends you down a different path:

They are literally books you can play. You can even insert your own character’s name and pronouns and that would make writing reader inserts so much easier And as a writer who can not art, writing and making dating sims and games is more convenient.

The coding is also super simple and easy to learn and all it requires other than the program files is a text editor. And just like that you can start typing up like you would your own fanfics or stories. Plus it’s very versatile so you can make your game/book as simple or as complicated as you want, and even implement stats and inventory systems.

AND CHOICE SCRIPT IS ALSO SUPER DUPER FREE. THE COMPANY EVEN PUBLISHES YOUR FINISHED GAME FOR YOU AND GIVES YOU ROYALTIES IF YOU CHOOSE TO SELL IT. THE PROGRAM STILL GETS UPDATED AND  THE COMPANY PUBLISHES BOOKS EVERY MONTH INCLUDING THE FANMADE ONES. THERE’S ALSO A FORUM FOR PEOPLE TO POST WIPS AND TALK ABOUT CHOICE SCRIPT AND GET HELP.

And there’s Ren'py, also for visual novels!

@raimeyl @mexicanesecat 👀

Holy shit

Ooooof I’m gonna use thessee

For any burgeoning digital storytellers/narrative game devs out there! :)

i love games that encourages multiple playtroughs where u can make different decisions and i just make the same goody two shoes choices all over again excpet i romance a diffeent person. im so good at this

“i love exploring different branching narrative paths” i say, as i pick the same choices all over again