I Think Variables Are Beginning To Make Sense, Just A Lil Bit. Which Is Good, Happy About That.

TO THE BONE IS A 16+ THRILLER/SUPERNATURAL/ROMANCE IF WIP. IT IS THE FIRST BOOK IN THE "HUNTING SEASON" DUOLOGY INSPIRED BY AND BASED ON THE SHOW "YELLOWJACKETS".

When a chartered plane taking you and your classmates along with your teachers to your senior year trip crashes deep in the Canadian wilderness, you and the other survivors find yourselves isolated and without any means of communication with the outside world. As the initial shock subsides, the group of students with vastly diverse personalities, some of which have never even talked with each other before, must band together to find food, water, and shelter while hoping they'll be rescued. Sooner rather than later.

But days turn into nights, and the boundaries between reality and nightmare blur. The isolation plays on all of your fears, desires, and insecurities. The strange symbols you find all around the woods and the weird noises you hear at night are making you all question if the woods are as abandoned as you thought. The passing weeks with no sign of rescue laced with constant dread and uncertainty make you wonder if any of you will even survive this ordeal. Or if there’s something else out there trying very hard to keep you in the woods.

Stranded in a remote and unforgiving landscape, the teens must confront not only the challenges of their surroundings but also the darker aspects of human nature that emerge as they struggle for survival. Unexplainable events start unfolding, and you quickly realize that your relationships and personal conflicts could be just as deadly as the ominous wilderness itself as winter leaves you cold and tired.

And hungry. So, so terribly hungry.

Play as a disturbed teenager who finds themself stranded in the middle of nowhere with their classmates and two teachers.

Fully customize your character including: pronouns, gender, physical appearance, personality, sexuality, and more.

Romance 1 out of 3 classmates turned love interests (1 female, 1 male and 1 genderfluid). Or not.

Will you try your best to co-operate with the rest of the group, or is only your survival the top priority for you?

Learn more about your forgotten past through flashbacks and blurry memories.

There is something in the woods. And it doesn’t want you to leave.

Gaslight. Gatekeep. Girlboss.

I̴͓͓̖͕͖̗̾̓̎̐̾̉̕T̶̢̞͚̼̎̀̃͂̈́̎̍̽̕ͅ ̴̛̳͚̰̪̆̉͊̐̐͊͊̓̌͜W̷̭̐̏̆̅͠Ở̸̰̹̝̜̰͉̇̏̒̔͛͂́̿͜Ǹ̷̢̧̙̫̦̠̣̔̀̏'̵̧̳̹̦̓̏̓͐͌Ţ̶͖̜͚͙̻̣̥͙͆͗͆̍̕͠͝ ̵̛͙͈͊̈́́L̸̢̺̪͉̠̍̉̇͗͒Ĕ̶͈̬͍̺̺͈̹̖̃̏̊̕T̸̨͔͚̗͚̐̅̕ ̵͍̼̝̜̗̳̅̄̂̐̊̿̅̔Ý̶̡͇̜͈̯̠̩̤̫̫̃́͑̌̈̃͒̿O̴̘̻͇̩̫͎̦͕͎͑̀̈̐ͅƯ̸̢̧̢̡̙̦̥̠̜̘̅̈͘͝ ̶̲̲͎̟͖͔̖͈͑̂̈͗̀̅̕͠͠ͅG̷̗̹̺̯̖̰͖̜̀͌̌̓̀̆̾̈́͝ͅÖ̵̫̳́̓̍

The Best Friend - Sage Romero has been by your side ever since freshmen year, taking you under their wing even though they were just starting highschool themselves. They're eccentric and artsy, running around the hallways in the most colourful and unconventional clothes you've ever seen, all sewn and patched up together. Their brown hair has dyed green tips, and if you didn't know any better you'd think they're splashes of paint like the ones their hands are constantly covered in. Sage has always had your back no matter what, even if they might not completely agree with you. That's what best friends do, right? Even when they get stuck isolated in the wilderness together. (RO, they/them)

The Mean Girl - Aurora Corrigan is popular for having straight A’s in all her subjects (including the AP ones) and for her typical mean girl attitude. She makes it obvious how much she dislikes you every time you pass by, her bossy attitude and scrunched up nose a constant whenever you're around. She's always focused on her academics, trying hard to make her parents proud while strutting around the school with her posse and donning perfectly-styled blonde hair falling perfectly on her back, covered from head to toe in perfectly fitting clothes. Everything about her screams “preppy” and “old Money”, and she'll do anything to make sure no one stains that reputation. (RO, she/her)

The Skater Boy - Laid-back and rebellious, River Rockwell is well known around the school for being joined at the hip with his skateboard and skipping classes as often as he can. The self-proclaimed ‘misunderstood loner’ was the only one bummed about the class trip, thinking he won't be able to sneak in all the booze and weed he wanted to bring. But he seemed to change his mind really quick after finding out you'd be going. Weird, right? But you're sure it's nothing to worry about even as you catch his brown eyes following you wherever you go, fists clenched and jaw tight. Yeah, absolutely nothing to worry about at all. (RO, he/him)

The Goth - In the midst of the chaos and uncertainty that envelops the group of survivors, Sabrina Dyer stands out as a figure of quiet strength and unyielding resolve. With her striking gothic appearance—dark makeup and clothing, and an air of mystery—Sabrina and her intense gaze might initially deter people, but those who get to know her discover a steadfast ally and a protector. Her friendship is unwavering, and she often demonstrates her affection through actions rather than words. But what lengths will she go to in order to ensure the safety of her newfound friends? (she/they)

The Jock - Finneas O'Connell, known affectionately as Finn, is a ray of sunshine even in the darkest of times. With his infectious smile and easygoing nature, he's the kind of person who can make friends with anyone he meets. Standing at a solid 6’3, Finn's build speaks of his athletic prowess; his strong shoulders and muscular build are a testament to his dedication to football. He's always the first to encourage others, whether it's on the football field or within the group’s makeshift camp in the Canadian wilderness. But one has to wonder when his boundless optimism and helpfulness encroach on the territory of naivety. There is a fine line between them after all. (he/him)

spotify || axel — @whatlovelybones-if , @thesecrimsonstrings-if , @songofvalhalla-if || venus — @acourtofserpents

:0 ... :|

I feel like I should share world lore, that feels like something that should happen.

Gnomeo and Juliet AU where they’re humans living in 14th century Italy

After spending a childhood in isolation, Mikhail has finally been able to find freedom in academia. Pursuing the passion of their only solace; the forever gentle sound of song. Though, Mikhail has lived a life of naivety. A life shielded by the harsh faith of their church and family. Now Mikhail will discover the dark underbelly of the city of Vilyuchka — and what it means to be a composer in a city where crime and music are one in the same.

DEMO: TBA

The Garden Sanctuary is an 18+ horror, romance, and erotica interactive fiction. It takes place in a world built in Gaslamp Fantasy, with Art-Deco and 1920s influences. As of current, it is planned to be semi-illustrated.

KEEP IN MIND: The Garden Sanctuary is currently in a deeply unfinished state, a lot of things are undecided and the cast isn't ready to be revealed yet. This post is very informal, and I'll make a more in depth introduction post later on~! I just wanted to get a post out there to hopefully find some more similar IF devs to connect with :-)

As it stands right now, TGS follows a locked MC and has several different romance options. RO customization is currently being debated!

CONTENT WARNING: Gore, body horror, violence, and other generally dark themes, CSA and incest (portrayed critically), body dysmphoria, gender dysphoria, internalized and externalized ableism. This may expand later on in the future.

Follow the story of Mikhail Ilyushin, a budding and prodigal composer attending the Academy of Saint Yelena. Once sheltered by the church they were raised in, Mikhail has yet to learn that music is not as pure and innocent as the clergy once taught them. Learn about the city of Vilyuchka and the culture of crime that has completely engulfed the art of music. Navigate the unseen world that lies in plain sight in Vilyuchka. Discover the existence of things much stranger than human. Choose who to put your faith in; your family and the church you have always known, or the life of blaspheme that has granted you your freedom.

Well of The Divine - a work in progress Interactive Fiction Story

Well of The Divine is a 18+ fantasy text-based game built using ChoiceScript. Rated 18+ for explicit language and optional sexual content.

This is my first time writing anything in ChoiceScript (first time coding in general) so please bare with me as I learn and thank you for your patience 💛

The Well of The Divine has been compromised. Once the source of the Gods strength, it is now closed off to them leaving them truly vulnerable for the first time in their long existence. They are scared.

What does this have to do with you?

Found as a new-born, abandoned by those that brought you into this world, you never knew your birth parents. Only those who took you in. The problems of the Gods had never involved you until now. Divine blood flows in your veins. An encounter with your Godly parent brings death to your village. Those who hunt the Gods have come for you too.

Now, who are you?

Features:

Play as male, female, non-binary or trans, straight, gay, bisexual or asexual

Customise your character's appearance and personality

Learn who your Godly parent is from one of five options

Gather allies, both divine and mortal to travel with you

Forge relationships with your companions, friendships, rivalries and more

Choose from five romance options to pursue, creating a deep romantic or platonic bond

Improve your skills including your control over your demigod powers

Discover who is hunting you and decide the fate of the Gods

DEMO: TBA

thinking about how much work i could get done if i would do it

Technically I have one more week and should be workin on my last essay but I am excited. Anyways I’ve begun writin the prologue~ 

I still dunno how to code thought :), but that’s whatevs until later.

Clawing at the walls of my enclosure. The enclosure is the 2 week end of the semester period. It cannot end soon enough

Innovative Relationship Stats in Interactive Fiction

This is the write up I've been most excited to do--this is one of my favorite things in interactive game design--doing cool stuff with stats. I really, *really* wish someone had told me this stuff when I was starting out.

The most ordinary way to handle a relationship stat is to track it with a number that goes up and down according to choices and tests in some predictable fashion.  So, for example, if I do something that Gilberto likes, according to some reasonable option, like “support Gilberto in the argument,” I get:

*set rep_gilberto %+10

And this makes sense to everyone.  I gave Gilberto a gift, I get reputation points with him.  I showed that I’m good at swordfighting, this impresses him, and I get a higher number.

Similarly, if I insult him, if I’m nice to his enemy, if I do something stupid in front of him, I get

*set rep_gilberto %-10

For my first game, this is the only kind of relationship stat I used.  It was the only one I knew!

So the relationships were very simple to track and very simple to test.  If, by the end of the game, Prenzie likes me 72 much, and that’s over the romance tester of >= 65, congratulations, Prenzie and you can have a happy ending together.

You can write a totally fun game never using anything weirder than that.  But I thought it would be fun to share with you some other interesting ways to conceive of relationship stats.

A character who only goes to 0 or 100. That's it. Her relationship stat with you is essentially a boolean true/false. You can do everything for her, but the second you do something she doesn't like, it's down to 0. She loves you or she hates you. This is very character defining. The number tells you everything you need to know about the character.

That same character, who only goes to 0 or 100--except that you can do something over the course of the game to change them, to allow them to have a broader range of relationship numbers. Suddenly there can be shades of relationship. You did something to help them mature, to understand people better.

A hidden relationship number. If you look at the stat screen, whatever you do, nothing will change their number. They neither like you nor dislike you. They are professional, perhaps, and nothing more. However, you can do something to break down their shield or facade, and then, you can see the number moving; or perhaps the number doesn't move at all until that shield is broken.

The above, but in reverse. Something happens to chill someone's heart, and then nothing you do can affect the number. Or perhaps it can only go down, and then you are in a constant battle of attrition where you can only lose affection from someone.

When you reach a certain level of love and trust from someone, the bottom of the scale raises permanently. No matter how much I annoy my true love, the number just bottoms out at 40.

A relationship number that can be tapped as a resource. The bartender at the Noble Gases Club likes me reasonably well. Let's say she likes me 60 out of 100 much. When I need something in an emergency, she can do astonishing things. If I have over 35 relationship with her, she'll help me. Each time I use her, it depletes her by some amount depending on how big a favor it is. So this one is interesting, because now I have to balance whether I want to keep her liking me because I want to pursue this relationship, or whether I just really need her help right now.

A relationship number that can be a catch-all variable for a test. If you have a high relationship with Toppers, the club millionaire, I can throw that in as a variable in a test to see if you can impress someone by talking about high finance on the grounds that you may have had a conversation with Toppers about her money in the past. (*if intellect + toppers >= 50) Then, if you pass the test *because* the Toppers variable made you cross the threshold, you can add flavor text talking about that conversation with her. This is very, very good, because it tells the player that the game has taken into account your having done things to get close to Toppers (and there's a reward for it--you passed the test, sure, but...here's more content, too!)

A degrading relationship stat is incredibly powerful and characterful. This stat declines, scene by scene unless you do something to raise it. This is a "what have you done for me lately" person, and even though it take a little setting up, code-wise, it's really powerful, and your player will feel smart for figuring out that's what's going on. Also, it's stressful. If you want to create that stress, this a great way.

You can, of course, do the opposite--this is how you code your biggest fan. I like you, and I just keep liking you more and more and more and more!...until you do something to halt that, at which point, the growth shuts down, which is a gut punch. The numbers tell such a story here.

Finally, numbers that seem to tell a different story than the narrative. Players are going to look at numbers; they are going to look at the stats. Not everyone, but a lot. And so they are part of the story, they just are. So you can make them part of the push-pull of romance, for example, or rivalry. What does it mean that as my relationship number with Haze goes up, they are more and more standoffish? Does their scale mean something different from other people's, and if I figure out out, will I understand them in some sense? Perhaps there's a tremendous amount of pushback in the 60-75 range, but once you get through that minefield, something changes?

More musings on game design and other Jolly Good stuff here (I just wrote up a thing on "hidden relationship stats and their use")--I'm on a relationship stats kick today, I suppose:

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The Noble Gases, est. DCIVMCD