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Hosted Games has a new game for you to play!

Called stupid brutes, orcs are hated and looked down upon by all! If only an orc could unify the clans and turn the hordes against their enemies. Harness your might, and the power of gods and demons, to remake the world in the visage of an orc!

An Unexpectedly Green Journey is 33% off until October 10th!

An Unexpectedly Green Journey is a 1.5 million-word interactive novel by James Isaac. It’s entirely text-based—without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Born in the baked, dusty plains, you emerge into a world of stagnation and decline. Orcs simmer in this backwater, a hopeless people dismissed as culturally stunted and irrelevant barbarians. Once, an age ago, orcs had the briefest glint of a place in the sun and held the continent of Behatland by the throat, only to fall before the united forces of the world. What hope have you to make something of your life beyond scrabbling for meagre survival?

But the fates have conspired and presented you with an opportunity. The elves are in perpetual retreat to match their ever-diminishing forests. The time of dwarven glory has long passed. The great human empire totters on the edge of decadence and the unravelling of the traditions of their ancestors. Demons tempt those of wayward faith. Worse, there are whispers and sightings of something far more sinister stirring in the Ashland to the west…

The world slumbers fitfully before the tantalizing tendrils of an encroaching nightmare. Someone needs to kick this world awake, wring its neck, roar in its face and hack at it with an axe before eating it! IT IS TIME FOR THE ORCS TO RISE AGAIN!

From the moment you first open your eyes to the instance of your last croaking breath, you will take the role of a mighty orc. Become anything from a bone idle glutton, fit only to be forgotten, to the ruler of the greatest empire the world has ever seen. Wield your influence and connections to build great armies or a holy city. Usher in an age of peace or demonic devastation. Make a mess and eat a load of halfling offal!

• Explore an open world full of danger, opportunity and adventure.
• Grow your orc through every stage of their life, from the moment of birth, through childhood to adolescence, from youth to maturity and, finally, into old age.
• With the knowledge of Krog-blessed resurrection, explore and die to your heart’s content using the new checkpoint system.
• Rise to become the chief of your tribe, the king of all orcs or the emperor of an entire continent. Then face off against a final threat powerful enough to challenge even an emperor.
• Command vast armies, with a diversity of units, and crush dwarves, elves, humans and halflings too!
• Raid rival warbands riding atop your ferocious boar.
• Master the arts of a shaman. Wield the will and magic of the orc god to build and manage a Holy City and breach the realm of divinity.
• Succumb to temptation and devote your soul to the Powers Beyond and Below. Weave demonic taint across the world and burn it to a cinder as you become the Dark Lord itself.
• Devote your life to gluttony and join the fabled Big Bellies in epic feats of gut-busting consumption.
• Fight in arenas across the land to earn wealth and glory. Perhaps, one day, you will claim the title of Grand Champion.
• Join an adventuring guild and go questing with a party of brave heroes across the land.
• Or live a life of simple mediocrity and leave all the fighting to the stupid gits who want to die young.

20% Grub. 30% Glory. 50% Slaughter. 100% Orc.

James 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.

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, author of Their Majesties’ Pleasure. We sat down with Leia to discuss her upcoming game. Ink and Intrigue will be out on October 17th, 2024; you can wishlist it on Steam in advance of release—it really helps!

We’re so excited to have another game from you! Tell me all about this follow up to Their Majesties’ Pleasure. What can players expect in Ink and Intrigue?

Ink and Intrigue is set in the same world as Their Majesties’ Pleasure, but on a lush island far to the west where magic flows through dragon ink and portals connect the multiverse.

There are lots of fun new elements in Ink and Intrigue! You can bond with a dragon, griffin, or phoenix, and will explore a series of initiations to become a warrior-mage as you infiltrate the island as a spy. The world building is extensive and there are countless gems to discover, from a hidden library to otherworldly realms. You can engage in blackmail or worse, decide the fate of a treasonous mage, leave a trail of destruction in your wake on a mission to another world, dance around a bonfire as the ocean crashes on the shore, and go surfing with friends who treat you like family.

Though there are many similarities, the tone in this story is quite different. Their Majesties’ Pleasure was a romp and a riot, while Ink and Intrigue is more intimate and soulful, and perhaps more intense, depending on your choices.

What changed in the way you approach crafting an interactive romance from your first and second game?

After Their Majesties’ Pleasure I told myself I was never writing another game. It was so much work! My brain protested all the different paths and seemingly-endless details. And then it was finished, and people played it, and lo and behold players seemed to actually like it, and before I knew what was happening I was coming up with concepts for another game.

The process was easier in general this time, though it was still a challenge toward the end. At least I knew how to work with ChoiceScript and had practice wrestling with the necessary complexity of an interactive novel. I also tapped into the community on the Choice of Games forum, which was helpful for camaraderie and to pick up coding tips. The longer I write this style of interactive fiction the more respect I gain for other authors out there doing the same. It’s a major endeavor, but having the experience of another game under my belt did wonders to help me write Ink and Intrigue faster.

One major difference is that Their Majesties’ Pleasure had several polyamorous routes while all the romances in Ink and Intrigue are monogamous. I had planned for a poly option, but the characters told me they didn’t want to share and the farther along my writing progressed the more I realized that was the right call for this particular game. The one-on-one relationships deepen the intimate feel of the story.

You can develop rich relationships with all of the romance characters in Ink and Intrigue, and I’m hoping players will find satisfaction in the depth of those friendships and the closeness of a chosen lover. There is also the dragon/griffin/phoenix storyline so there’s another key relationship in play.

What were you most surprised by in the writing of this one and from player feedback during the beta process?

The characters surprised me, but they always do. My favorite part of writing is the discovery as things unfold. Even with a detailed outline my characters take control and come up with much better ideas than I did at the start.

I realize that might sound a bit ridiculous. I’m the writer, after all. Aren’t I supposed to be in charge of things? But, no. My process is very much about getting out of the way of my characters and letting them do their thing. If I trust them, the words flow. That’s just how it works for me.

I want to extend a special thank you to everyone who provided feedback for Ink and Intrigue! Also, thanks to everyone who played the demo and commented on the forum or shared it with a friend! Your thoughts and encouragement are most appreciated.

I ended up writing an entire extra chapter during the beta process so players can accompany Kai and Teo on a mission to Kai’s world. It adds lots of action and emotion to the game. I’m really happy with that last-minute addition and I hope you like it, too!

Was there a character you enjoyed writing most for Ink and Intrigue?

I love them all! I adore Teo’s soft-spoken strength and the brotherhood between him and Kai. Rae is super fun, all sass and tenacity, and Thea is mysterious, revealing her playful side once she’s had a bit of moonshine. Artanian the hermit librarian wasn’t planned but he turned out to be a lovely character, and La’rast the alchemist prince became a bigger influence than I’d anticipated.

It’s hard to choose a favorite, but Kai has a special place in my heart. This story started as a manuscript I’d shelved. The game is quite different, but Kai was one of the original main characters and he helped me translate various ideas from the manuscript to the interactive novel.

Kai is utterly determined to make things right in the world he’s from, which involves vengeance, violence, and blowing things up. He’s fierce and masterfully skilled and pretty much unstoppable as a warrior and mage, but he also has this sweet, patient, tender side to him that I absolutely love.

What else are you working on/what’s next for you?

I have several other concepts for games set in the same world as Their Majesties’ Pleasure and Ink and Intrigue, including one fully outlined. I couldn’t stop the ideas as I was writing this game. They all wanted to be written at once!

That said, time is precious and my kids are growing fast! I pushed hard to write Ink and Intrigue in less than a year and am needing to slow way down now to focus on self-care and family. While I do hope to write the other games I have planned, I’m going to take a break for a bit and explore other creative outlets like sewing and making music. When I return to writing I’ll be seeking a work-life balance that’s more sustainable.

If I could wave a magic wand I’d have three more games set in this world ready to go! Alas, they take an incredible amount of work to bring to completion. However, when they’re finally ready you’ll be able to return to Ink and Intrigue and discover all kinds of Easter eggs scattered throughout that tie into the future games. Maybe you’ll pick up on some of them in subtle foreshadowing as you play. If you do, please pop into the forum and share your guesses with me!

My sincere gratitude goes out to everyone who has played Their Majesties’ Pleasure and expressed interest in Ink and Intrigue! I hope you enjoy it!

We’re proud to announce that Bootlegger: Moonshine Empire, 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 33% off until October 3rd!

Quench the thirst of 1920s Prohibition New York! Build a criminal organization to distill and peddle whiskey, and you could end up rich, famous, or dead.

Bootlegger: Moonshine Empire is an interactive historical novel by Drew Morrison. It’s entirely text-based, 210,000 words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

The year is 1920. Prohibition has begun, and alcohol has become illegal overnight. As public bars, distilleries, and distributors have shut down, thirsty patrons now turn to the black market, as organized crime rises to meet insatiable demand.

You started running whiskey in rural Pennsylvania with a few friends in a barn, trying to make a better life for you and your sister, brewing bathtub gin and white lightning. Now, you’re building an illegal operation to distill and distribute liquor.

Your target: New York City. The teetotalers call it “Satan’s Seat.” The city is full of rich folks who want to drink booze while they dance the Charleston till dawn—and you’re going to sell it to them.

Use your business acumen and instincts to outwit your rivals; or ally with them to build your own empire even higher! Bargain with union leaders and mob bosses to get your booze to Manhattan’s ever-growing network of speakeasies—or ruthlessly eliminate every one of your rivals in bloodthirsty shootouts. Life back home in Pennsylvania is almost as dangerous, with the preacher who wants to keep your hometown dry, and the Feds moving in closer every day.

As you gather your power, there’s no telling how high you could climb. Will you become the mayor of your hometown? You won’t have to worry about the cops if they’re on your payroll. Will you just get rich, living in your palatial Manhattan penthouse? Or will you become a Broadway star with your name in lights?

But you know what they say: the higher they rise, the harder they fall. If you get on the wrong side of the wrong people, you could end up in prison, or worse.

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, or bi.
• Manage the workers in your operation; will you be a generous leader, or a merciless profiteer?
• Drive on wild car chases to get your moonshine to the big city before your rivals can catch you!
• Launder your illegal earnings through a Broadway play—and maybe even become the star!
• Navigate the politics in your hometown: Communists, union organizers, temperance preachers, and more—or become the mayor and put them all at your command.
• Climb the ranks of New York City’s mob to inherit an empire—or get caught by the Feds, and see it all come crashing down.

Why be a cog in someone else’s machine, when you can have your own moonshine empire?

We hope you enjoy playing Bootlegger: Moonshine Empire. 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.

 

Quench the thirst of 1920s Prohibition New York! Build a criminal organization to distill and peddle whiskey, and you could end up rich, famous, or dead.

Bootlegger: Moonshine Empire is an interactive historical novel by Drew Morrison. It’s entirely text-based, 210,000 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 Bootlegger: Moonshine Empire is releasing this Thursday, September 26th!

You can play the first three chapters for free today!

And don’t forget to wishlist it on Steam!

We are proud to announce that all our games with magical school settings are on sale this week for up to 33% off! Save the world with pattern magic in Professor of Magical Studies, navigate an underwater world of selkies and nymphs in Atlantis Academy, plot world domination in Grand Academy for Future Villains and then finish the job in Grand Academy II: Attack of the Sequel, close the hellmouth below Cavalcade Academy in Paranormal Preparatory School, become a magical Sky Sailor at Blackstone Academy for the Magical Arts, rush a secret society at Witchcraft U, or use your psychic powers to stop your principal from taking over the world in Psy High!

Hosted Games has a new game for you to play!

Descend to the Underworld and live among myths as the deity of spring!

Fields of Asphodel is 33% off until September 12th!

Fields of Asphodel is a 1.3 million-word interactive novel by JJ Laurier. It’s entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Forced into an arranged marriage with the God of the Dead, only you can decide what to make of your new life. Befriend misfit deities, repel giant attacks, find the culprit behind the river goddess’s mysterious illness, and use your powers to nudge Fate in your favor! Decide what kind of deity you want to be—whether you’ll answer prayers, how you’ll develop your powers, and what role you’ll take in governance. 

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, bi, asexual, or poly.
• Play as neurodivergent or neurotypical.
• Take on the powers of spring and life.
• Find love and friendship among the gods of the ancient Greek Underworld.
• Develop your abilities and hobbies, and choose the kind of life you want to live.
• Grow a garden in the Underworld.
• Defend the realm, advise the King, and solve a mystery.
• Make a new home, or seize the opportunity to return to your old one.

Can you bring light to the darkest of realms?

JJ 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.

Dragon of Steelthorne by Vance Chance has been updated with two new chapters—30,000 words of new content. This update is free for all customers who have already purchased the game. For those who haven’t:

You can get Dragon of Steelthorne for 40% off until September 12th!

Rule a mighty city, fight battles, and embark on quests in a steampunk-fantasy land. As the Ardent or Ardessa of Lake Steelthorne, find love, power and a secret which could change the world.

Dragon of Steelthorne is a 170,000-word interactive novel by Vance Chance, weaving together story, city management and combat in a unique take on choice-based Interactive Fiction. Customize the level of challenge with four difficulty settings. It’s entirely text-based—without animation or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Now with two new chapters! Join your companions on more misadventures at the Great Carnival. Enjoy a night of dancing with them at the Windrose Ball.

• Play as male or female, straight or gay.
• Explore a story set in a world with steampunk and fantasy elements.
• Find romance from one of five possible love interests. Enjoy a romantic night with them at the Eternal Festival.
• Choose from one of five classes, with different effects on story, city management and combat.
• Manage a city and train soldiers to fight for you on missions.
• Enjoy a three-slot save system which provides the flexibility to try different options without losing progress or having to start over.

Decide the future of your mighty city as its leader and ruler.

We are proud to announce that all our games with management mechanics are on sale this week! Produce your own Broadway show, run a congressional campaign, run a company, handle the affairs of your own village as chief, and more! Get Metahuman Inc, Stronghold: A Hero’s Fate, Gilded Rails, Lies Under Ice, Choice of Rebels: Uprising, Broadway: 1849, and Congresswolf on sale up to 40% off! 

These discounts are available on all platforms and on choiceofgames.com until August 29th. We hope you enjoy playing our management games, andwe encourage you to tell your friends about it and to recommend Choice of Games on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and other sites.

We’re proud to announce that The Ghost and the Golem, 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.

Can your magic amulet save your Jewish village from destruction? Uncover the truth and forge alliances with soldiers, peasants, bandits, anarchists, and demons!

It’s 40% off until August 15th!

The Ghost and the Golem is an interactive historical fantasy novel by Benjamin Rosenbaum. It’s entirely text-based, 450,000 words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

The year is 1881. Life in your village on the border of Poland and Ukraine is sweet as raisin pastries and bitter as horseradish. Matchmakers arrange marriages and klezmer musicians play at the weddings; friends reconcile after feuds and gossip about their neighbors; people pray in the little synagogue and study holy texts. But it is a tense time in the Russian empire, with antisemitic riots spreading across the land.

And inside your pocket is a magic amulet, revealing visions of the future, omens of your village in flames. When you hold it, you can see the blood and the bodies, smell the gunshots, and hear the marching songs. (Is that Russian? Or Ukrainian? You hear shouting in Polish.)

How could this future come to pass, and how will you stop it?

You’ll need allies. Can you sway the local Christian peasants or the Czarist garrison to protect your village from harm? What about the bandits and anarchists lurking in the wild forest? When a demonic sheyd offers you a bargain, what will you do to save the ones you love?

Or, there may be another answer. One of your closest friends has built a golem, a hulking clay creature stronger than a dozen soldiers, waiting to be animated with a forbidden power, a secret name. Will you breathe life into the golem? If you do, will it help to defend your village, or help to destroy it?

Or perhaps the amulet’s previous owner can help you. He was exiled from the academy for studying forbidden texts—for delving into mysteries he was far too young and unstable to understand, and now he’s missing. Can you find him? Can you harness the powers he unleashed? Does he know a secret name?

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; cis or trans; intersex or not; gay, straight, bi, or asexual.
• Accept an arranged marriage and make your Mamma happy—and maybe yourself, too! Or find love on your own terms with a childhood friend or an anarchist musician.
• Delve into the secrets of the Unseen World to tangle with ghosts, dybbuks, prophetic visions, and a golem—or even ascend to a mystical plane to discover the greatest secrets of the universe!
• Hold fast to the traditions of your people’s past, or chase modern new ideas.
• Pursue your love of music and get a standing ovation onstage—or be pelted with potatoes as you fail miserably.
• Stand up to antisemitic agitators, angry peasants, Czarist soldiers, and hostile bandits to defend your village—or face defeat and flee in the wake of violence.
• Succumb to demonic influence, fend it off with faith or Enlightenment skepticism, or help those spirits find their path to the gates of repentance.

Can you find peace for your people—and your heart?

We’re excited to announce that The Ghost and the Golem is releasing this Thursday, August 8th!
You can play the first three chapters for free today!

And don’t forget to wishlist it on Steam!