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You’ve spent years undercover, disguised as a human, infiltrating the city’s magical law-enforcement organization. They stole your magic from you. Can you steal it back? An Imp and an Impostor is an interactive historical urban fantasy novel by Athar Fikry, author of The Dragon and the Djinn. I sat down with them to discuss their Egyptian background and how it informs their work.

An Imp and an Impostor releases Wednesday, November 26th; you can wishlist it on Steam today—it really helps, even if you don’t intend to purchase it on that platform.

We published your first game The Dragon and the Djinn in 2022 and now we are thrilled to have a second game from you coming out next month. Tell me all about the setting of An Imp and an Impostor.
Thank you so much! I’m likewise thrilled to be back. An Imp and an Impostor is set in the coastal city of Raqout – which is one of many Raqouts! Our PC is actually from an alternate dimension version of it and they aren’t the only one, as this dimension’s Raqout wound up being a nexus for all sorts of creatures and beings and was half-drowned by a big old (benevolent?) eldritch entity not too long ago as a result.

Understandably, the city’s gotten a bit magic-shy, and so ended up with a branch of magical law enforcement called Arkan, just to handle that whole mess. Arkan is, of course, very competent and not at all corrupt, which is why our titular imp PC manages to infiltrate it so easily.

Raqout is also loosely based on my hometown of Alexandria as it was in the early 1900s, and contains a lot of my strongest visual impressions of it, especially the view of the crashing Mediterranean and the busy markets and gorgeous old buildings and villas. I haven’t been there in over a decade now, and much of the PC’s yearning for a home that’s just to the left of the one they’re in is very much mine, because I know that if and when I go back, it’ll be very different than the place I grew up in. There are references aplenty for those who know it, because I couldn’t help myself, and for those who don’t, I hope you enjoy your drives across the Corniche! Alexandria in the winter is really something.

Naturally, we have an Egyptian theme from our favorite Egyptian author.
Haha, yes! I couldn’t resist. I’m pretty sure all of my pitches this time were Egypt-centric, so thank you, CoG, for letting me write one! It’s not the Egypt most readers will be expecting, I imagine, even aside from this being a fantasy analogue. There are absolutely zero pharaohs involved, for one, beyond passing mention in the backdrop. No shade on pharaohs, it’s just that (and maybe this is a function of having had to study them for so many years at school) I find that period of Egyptian history one of the least interesting to me, personally. I much prefer the time period I’ve played around with in this game, where Egypt was stuck in between overlapping occupations, in the odd limbo between modernisation and tradition in a world rapidly changing around and within it, and grappling with what modernisation would look like given it so often came with foreign influence, simultaneously the land of “exotic” legend and opulence and also just…you know, a regular place where people lived.

So, yeah, no pharaohs, no ancient curses. Just a rainy seaside city with regular people (including imps and necromancers, yes, shush) suffering under corruption and forces too strong to fathom and sort of muddling through their day-to-day.

Oh, and also, SO many descriptions of food. Just so many.

What inspirations did you take from for the sort of magic in this game?
I’m sure it will come as no surprise to anyone who’s seen or read Fullmetal Alchemist that I count it as one of my foundational media. Fullmetal Alchemist has that effect on people. I will freely admit that the image of the talsam, the chalking of precise geometric shapes in a magic system that’s more scientific in feel, owes its origin to Fullmetal Alchemist’s transmutation circles. This combines with my absolute adoration for Arabic calligraphy and the way it can be used to create shapes and images, and how real life protective talismans here (or, well, you know, depends on how much you believe in that sort of thing, but for those who do) will often consist of specific words folded into pieces of paper and kept on one’s person, and here we are! That’s where talsama came from.

The imp’s own form of magic is inspired by weaving imagery, the idea of plucking at the threads of fate, and the fact I cannot visualise very well and so often like to reach for other senses to ground a scene—the concept of magic corresponding to taste and scent was just a very fun one, so I ran with it.

I feel like I also need to shout out Max Gladstone’s Craft Sequence for its particular flavour of bureaucratic magic, as well as the show Torchwood for inspiring the organisation of Arkan and…other things, but those would be spoilers.

What was your favorite part about returning to writing ChoiceScript?
In the small sense: The fact it’s SO EASY to code in such small variations into the text and be responsive to many small decisions. I played with Twine a bit in between games and oof, I really missed that ease and simplicity.

In the larger sense: having a game get away from me (again) (can you believe this was supposed to be a short one?) and yet still have all its disparate parts come together in the end, often in ways I didn’t expect going in. It always feels a little bit like having pulled off a magic trick, although I need to be clear in that it wouldn’t at all have been possible without the guidance and hard work of my editor, Rebecca, who is herself magic, I’m pretty sure.

How has your other work been going? I know you’ve been a contributor to a TTRPG.
I have, yes! Aside from the Emerald Templars TTRPG I mentioned last time, I’ve also made my own little things over on itch.io, including a solo-journaling game called SPITE about eating your stats to, well, spite your reflection. I really enjoy making bite-sized horror things and hope to make more. Everything on my itch is free to play, so please do check it out.

I also have a TTRPG setting book that had to be put on hold while I finished Imp and an Impostor, so if anyone here has been waiting for news on Marrowbreak, know that I’ll be going back to that soon!

As for non-TTRPG work, I have a few prose projects on the backburner that I look forward to returning to. I’m also an associate editor for Baffling Magazine and although I can’t talk about it yet, there’s some exciting stuff I’ll get to do with Baffling in the coming months!

We’re proud to announce that Witch’s Brew: Love and Lattes, the latest in our “Heart’s Choice” line of multiple-choice interactive romance novels, is now available for iOS and Android in the “Heart’s Choice” app. You can also download it on Steam, or enjoy it on our website.

It’s 38% off until Oct 30th!

Will you spill the tea about the secret, cozy magical cafe on the college campus? Brew potions and romance on coffee dates with your new friends!

Witch’s Brew: Love and Lattes is an interactive cozy romance novel by Cay Macres. It’s entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, 426,000 words, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

After years of hiding your magical powers, you’ve been accepted into Peridot Pines University—as well as its secret society of magicians! Better still, you’ve got a sweet job as a barista at Witch’s Brew, the cafe where Hecate Society meetings take place. The catch? Witch’s Brew is struggling: even on a college campus, it’s hard to keep a coffee shop open. They need all the help they can get to keep it open—especially yours. The other catch? Magic is supposed to be secret—and the new university chancellor suspects that something is up.

Can you make the grade in both your mundane and magical classes, while still putting your best effort towards making your customers happy at the coffee shop? What will you do when specters start appearing all over campus? Or when spells go awry and the chancellor gets suspicious, how will you cover it up: with quick-talking persuasion, more magic, or with the combined effort of all of your friends?

Or, maybe you’re starting to fall for one of those friends? Pierced, punk, red-headed Rowan has hard-to-control magic that crackles with electricity—but when that same magic leaves a trail of daisies behind, it shows that Rowan has a softer side, too. Alchemist Mel’s mother runs the coffee shop, so Mel always has an energy potion on hand for those late-night study sessions, and creative ideas for how to boost the shop’s sales—not to mention, the softest brown curly hair and dreamy brown eyes. Then there’s whimsical Tomi, who has a sweet sense of humor, sparkling hazel eyes, and an endless collection of academic-looking sweatervests. Every time you run into this journalism major, it feels like something out of a romcom. But Tomi is a non-magical mundane! Can you keep your biggest secret from someone who’s becoming so important to you?

Or…maybe you don’t want to keep the secret anymore? Maybe the world—or at least Peridot Pines University—is ready to hear about magic.

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, or bi.
• Romance a barista who spikes their coffee with potions, a hot-headed elemental magician, or a non-magical journalism student who asks a lot of questions.
• Choose a type of magic to concentrate in—alchemy, divination, transmutation, or elemental magic—and learn arcane secrets from your knowledgeable professors.
• Bond with your childhood best friend, or build new relationships with your college classmates.
• Figure out a way to keep your struggling cafe from being closed. Potions to match the customers’ moods? Gimmicky sales? Appealing to the university community? Or just excellent service?
• Explore mysterious ruins, have a relaxing day at the beach, and cheer for your favorite team in an intramural game of Divination Dodge!
• Adopt the world’s snarkiest cat as your familiar. Or maybe you’re the cat’s familiar? The cat certainly thinks so.

Order’s up! Cappuccino, with a dash of magic.

We hope you enjoy playing Witch’s Brew: Love and Lattes . 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.

Coming Thursday is our latest Heart’s Choice game, Witch’s Brew: Love and Lattes! You can try the first three chapters for free today, check out the author interview, and don’t forget to wishlist it on Steam!

Will you spill the tea about the secret, cozy magical cafe on the college campus? Brew potions and romance on coffee dates with your new friends!

Witch’s Brew: Love and Lattes is a 426,000-thousand word interactive cozy romance novel by Cay Macres. I sat down with Cay to talk about their writing and upcoming game! Witch’s Brew: Love and Lattes releases next Thursday, October 23rd. You can wishlist it on Steam today, it really helps, even if you don’t plan to purchase on Steam.

This is definitely not your first time writing in the game-space. Tell our readers about your background.
My first step into games was working on game jams with friends, doing dialogue and narrative design. After that, I was a contract writer for StoryLoom, an interactive novel site by Pixelberry Studios. I had always been drawn to sci fi but, with StoryLoom, I discovered how much fun fantasy is!

How did you get interested in interactive fiction?
A lot of my favorite games are cozy RPGs with strong narratives. I also love reading fantasy and sci fi! I really appreciate that interactive fiction feels like the middle point between RPGs and traditional novels.

You’ve also got some novels under your belt?
I haven’t yet published any non-interactive novels. I have a couple in the works that I’m still editing. As a writer, it’s difficult to ever feel truly done with a project.

What was your favorite part of writing this game?
I’m a writer who loves describing things, so I had fun creating the cozy, coastal, autumnal vibes of Peridot Pines! I also enjoyed figuring out all the lore around magic. And, of course, I loved writing the cat’s snarky dialogue. I tried my best to channel my own two tabbies.

If you were the PC, who would you be romancing?
I think I would romance Mel. The type of romances I enjoy are usually the shy, will-they-won’t-they, slow-burns.

What are you working on next?
Next, I hope to wrap up editing and finally start querying agents to get my non-interactive novels published! I also want to write more flash fiction. I find that it’s a helpful warm-up that reminds me how much a single word can alter a story.

We’re super excited for the announcement of two upcoming games, Hunter: The Reckoning — A Time of Monsters and Hunter: The Reckoning — Day for Night. What’s more, A Time of Monsters will be coming out in just one month, on November 13th!

Today, for the first time, you can try the free demo for A Time of Monsters on Steam! (Don’t forget to add both games to your Steam wishlist! The more wishlists we get, the better the game will do on Steam on release day.) Additionally, tune in to the World of Darkness Twitch at 11am Eastern to watch Huddy stream the demo.

Topple the vampires from the streets below! Will you unite the homeless, the gangs, and the secret hunter societies to defy vampiric rule?

Hunter: The Reckoning — A Time of Monsters is an interactive novel by Paul Wang, set in the World of Darkness. It’s entirely text-based, one million words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

These monsters aren’t just in the movies! Will you hunt the vampires, werewolves and others stalking Hollywood, or will you become a monster instead?

Hunter: The Reckoning – Day for Night is an interactive novel by Josh Labelle set in the World of Darkness. It’s entirely text-based, 900,000 words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Wishlist it on Steam today!

Hosted Games has a new game for you to play!

Five years after graduating high school, you and your old friends are drawn back together by a mysterious letter. Through it, you inherit a Gothic manor and a fortune beyond belief. There is only one condition: you must live in the manor together.

Eldritch Tales: Inheritance is 33% off until October 9th!

Eldritch Tales: Inheritance is a 210,000-word interactive novel by Dariel Ivalyen that blends psychological, supernatural, and cosmic horror with drama, investigation, and romance. It’s entirely text-based—without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

When you arrive at Blackthorn Manor, strange events begin to unfold. Shadows move on their own, nights grow unnaturally dark, and every corner hides a secret. And the more you uncover, the less you understand. As the atmosphere thickens, you will have to decide whether to trust your companions—or even yourself.

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary.
• Customize your appearance, personality, and sexuality.
• Choose from six distinct backgrounds—Astronomer, Songwriter, Egyptologist, Gardener, Detective, or Librarian—each with a unique story path and an exclusive ending.
• Forge friendships or romances with a wealthy playboy, a no-nonsense scientist, a protective ex-soldier, or a free-spirited artist.
• Balance your sanity, health, and relationships—or suffer the consequences.
• Explore hidden rooms, secret passages, and places beyond human imagination, and learn—or risk learning—the truth behind your inheritance.
• Experience randomized events and discover multiple endings, ensuring no two playthroughs are alike.

What darkness lies within Blackthorn Manor? Will you turn away in time—or will you uncover
truths that consume you forever?

Dariel 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.

Congratulations to author Vance Chance, whose Hosted Game Dragon of Steelthorne has won third place in this year’s IntroComp.

To celebrate, we’re putting it on sale this week: it’s 40% off on all our platforms until 10/09!

Rule a mighty city, fight battles, and go on adventures as the Ardent or Ardessa of the city of Lake Steelthorne. Find love, power, and a secret that could change the world.

Vance 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 Steam Autumn Sale is On!

Now through October 6th, you can get Choice of Games’ titles for up to 40% off on Steam as part of the Steam Autumn Sale. Hosted Games and Heart’s Choice titles are also participating in the Autumn Sale, so enjoy generous discounts on all three with this once a season sale!

Last chance to get Specters of the Deep on sale!

Our latest release, Specters of the Deep is still on sale, 33% off until tomorrow! Tonight’s your last chance for an epic 1 million-word game on sale on all platforms for $7.99!

In life, you were a legendary hero. Now, you’ll rise from the grave as a ghost to defend your country in its hour of greatest need! Defy dragons, duel the dead, and face the nightmare at the bottom of the sea!

Specters of the Deep is an interactive epic fantasy novel by Abigail C. Trevor, author of Heroes of Myth and Stars Arisen. It’s entirely text-based, 1 million words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects, fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Centuries ago, you were the finest warrior that the island nation of Galdrin had ever known. The realm was strong and prosperous, upheld by the might of the Eye of the Serpent, a magical artifact bonded to the monarch—and by your might, too. You protected the people and defended the crown; when the dragons emerged from their seclusion, you won the honor of being the king’s emissary to them and forged a powerful alliance.

Then, you fell in battle at the hands of your greatest rival, dead before your time.

But now you awake, called forth from your tomb to save the realm from even greater peril. With your new spectral form come new powers: the ability to pass through solid walls and float high above the earth, command over other ghosts, and the potential to strike fear into the hearts of the living. You will need every bit of that power in this new age of crisis. The royal family is shattered and divided, with the young king clinging to scraps of his former power while his connection to the Eye of the Serpent hangs in the balance. Anti-monarchist rebels shout in the streets and political rivals seek to extend their power across the sea. Galdrin’s neighboring nation lies beneath the waves, sunk by cataclysmic earthquakes. Worst of all, the mighty dragons are withdrawing from the alliance you built centuries ago, and you may be the only one who can win them back.

What’s more, you aren’t the only specter on Galdrin’s shores. There’s an army of ghosts crawling out of the water, tearing at the foundations of the castle. Sometimes, you can hear the voice that commands them. Something is waiting at the bottom of the ocean—and it wants you back.

If Galdrin is to survive, you must rise as its hero once more, and join an epic battle for the Eye of the Serpent, power over the ocean, and the realm itself.

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, bisexual, monogamous, polyamorous, asexual, and/or aromantic
• Battle enemies old and new as a ghost, commanding spectral armies and passing invisibly through walls, and inspiring dread in the hearts of your foes.
• Romance a troubled king, a rebellious prince, a clever wizard, a daring dragon, or a strangely familiar ghost.
• Restore the ancient arcane power of Galdrin’s monarchy, or embrace modernity and forge a new path forward for the realm.
• Search for lost treasure and buried secrets in a sunken kingdom as you plunge to the depths of the ocean – and seek out the source of the monstrous voice you hear in your mind.
• Build a new body and reclaim a place among the living, or embrace your spectral form to endure as a ghost.
• Avenge your own death and find a way to set old enmities aside – or even rekindle old flames of love.

What nightmare lies in the deep?

We’re proud to announce that Specters of the Deep, 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 2nd!

We’re also pleased to announce that both of Abigail Trevor’s other games, Stars Arisen and Heroes of Myth, are on sale this week and that checkpoint saves have been added to both games in a recent update!

In life, you were a legendary hero. Now, you’ll rise from the grave as a ghost to defend your country in its hour of greatest need! Defy dragons, duel the dead, and face the nightmare at the bottom of the sea!

Specters of the Deep is an interactive epic fantasy novel by Abigail C. Trevor, author of Heroes of Myth and Stars Arisen. It’s entirely text-based, 1 million words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects, fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Centuries ago, you were the finest warrior that the island nation of Galdrin had ever known. The realm was strong and prosperous, upheld by the might of the Eye of the Serpent, a magical artifact bonded to the monarch—and by your might, too. You protected the people and defended the crown; when the dragons emerged from their seclusion, you won the honor of being the king’s emissary to them and forged a powerful alliance.

Then, you fell in battle at the hands of your greatest rival, dead before your time.

But now you awake, called forth from your tomb to save the realm from even greater peril. With your new spectral form come new powers: the ability to pass through solid walls and float high above the earth, command over other ghosts, and the potential to strike fear into the hearts of the living. You will need every bit of that power in this new age of crisis. The royal family is shattered and divided, with the young king clinging to scraps of his former power while his connection to the Eye of the Serpent hangs in the balance. Anti-monarchist rebels shout in the streets and political rivals seek to extend their power across the sea. Galdrin’s neighboring nation lies beneath the waves, sunk by cataclysmic earthquakes. Worst of all, the mighty dragons are withdrawing from the alliance you built centuries ago, and you may be the only one who can win them back.

What’s more, you aren’t the only specter on Galdrin’s shores. There’s an army of ghosts crawling out of the water, tearing at the foundations of the castle. Sometimes, you can hear the voice that commands them. Something is waiting at the bottom of the ocean—and it wants you back.

If Galdrin is to survive, you must rise as its hero once more, and join an epic battle for the Eye of the Serpent, power over the ocean, and the realm itself.

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, bisexual, monogamous, polyamorous, asexual, and/or aromantic
• Battle enemies old and new as a ghost, commanding spectral armies and passing invisibly through walls, and inspiring dread in the hearts of your foes.
• Romance a troubled king, a rebellious prince, a clever wizard, a daring dragon, or a strangely familiar ghost.
• Restore the ancient arcane power of Galdrin’s monarchy, or embrace modernity and forge a new path forward for the realm.
• Search for lost treasure and buried secrets in a sunken kingdom as you plunge to the depths of the ocean – and seek out the source of the monstrous voice you hear in your mind.
• Build a new body and reclaim a place among the living, or embrace your spectral form to endure as a ghost.
• Avenge your own death and find a way to set old enmities aside – or even rekindle old flames of love.

What nightmare lies in the deep?

We hope you enjoy playing Specters of the Deep. 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!

We’re excited to announce that Specters of the Deep is releasing this Thursday, September 25th!

You can play the first three chapters for free today, and check out the author interview as well!

And don’t forget to wishlist it on Steam! The more wishlists we get, the better the game will do on Steam on release day. Additionally, we’re happy to share that Abigail Trevor’s other games, Stars Arisen and Heroes of Myth will also be on sale on all platforms during the Specters of the Deep release week. Plus, both Stars Arisen and Heroes of Myth have just been updated to included checkpoint saves!

In life, you were a legendary hero. Now, you’ll rise from the grave as a ghost to defend your country in its hour of greatest need! Defy dragons, duel the dead, and face the nightmare at the bottom of the sea!

Specters of the Deep is an interactive epic fantasy novel by Abigail C. Trevor, author of Heroes of Myth and Stars Arisen. It’s entirely text-based, 1 million words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects, fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Centuries ago, you were the finest warrior that the island nation of Galdrin had ever known. The realm was strong and prosperous, upheld by the might of the Eye of the Serpent, a magical artifact bonded to the monarch—and by your might, too. You protected the people and defended the crown; when the dragons emerged from their seclusion, you won the honor of being the king’s emissary to them and forged a powerful alliance.

Then, you fell in battle at the hands of your greatest rival, dead before your time.

But now you awake, called forth from your tomb to save the realm from even greater peril. With your new spectral form come new powers: the ability to pass through solid walls and float high above the earth, command over other ghosts, and the potential to strike fear into the hearts of the living. You will need every bit of that power in this new age of crisis. The royal family is shattered and divided, with the young king clinging to scraps of his former power while his connection to the Eye of the Serpent hangs in the balance. Anti-monarchist rebels shout in the streets and political rivals seek to extend their power across the sea. Galdrin’s neighboring nation lies beneath the waves, sunk by cataclysmic earthquakes. Worst of all, the mighty dragons are withdrawing from the alliance you built centuries ago, and you may be the only one who can win them back.

What’s more, you aren’t the only specter on Galdrin’s shores. There’s an army of ghosts crawling out of the water, tearing at the foundations of the castle. Sometimes, you can hear the voice that commands them. Something is waiting at the bottom of the ocean—and it wants you back.

If Galdrin is to survive, you must rise as its hero once more, and join an epic battle for the Eye of the Serpent, power over the ocean, and the realm itself.

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, bisexual, monogamous, polyamorous, asexual, and/or aromantic
• Battle enemies old and new as a ghost, commanding spectral armies and passing invisibly through walls, and inspiring dread in the hearts of your foes.
• Romance a troubled king, a rebellious prince, a clever wizard, a daring dragon, or a strangely familiar ghost.
• Restore the ancient arcane power of Galdrin’s monarchy, or embrace modernity and forge a new path forward for the realm.
• Search for lost treasure and buried secrets in a sunken kingdom as you plunge to the depths of the ocean – and seek out the source of the monstrous voice you hear in your mind.
• Build a new body and reclaim a place among the living, or embrace your spectral form to endure as a ghost.
• Avenge your own death and find a way to set old enmities aside – or even rekindle old flames of love.

What nightmare lies in the deep?