Today, the team at Choice of Games is excited to announce a cash prize contest for interactive fiction over 100,000 words.
The Choice of Games Contest for Interactive Novels offers $10,000 in prizes. The First Place winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize, the Second Place winner will receive $3,000, and the Third Place winner will receive $2,000. In addition, all three winners will receive a publication contract with Choice of Games, including 25% royalties on the sales of the published game.
Entries must be written in English and developed in ChoiceScript, the interactive-fiction programming language from Choice of Games. Writing games with ChoiceScript is easy and fun, even for authors with no programming experience.
All entries must be at least 100,000 words long, including both prose and code, and must follow Choice of Games’ inclusivity guidelines, including allowing players to choose their own character’s gender. The submission deadline is January 31, 2018, more than a year from now.
For more information, and to enter the contest, visit our contest page!
We’re proud to announce that Congresswolf, the latest in our popular “Choice of Games” line of multiple-choice interactive-fiction games, is now available for Steam, iOS, and Android. It’s 25% off until Nov 1!
Is the next member of Congress a werewolf? Can you survive a lycanthrope’s bite? There’s no silver bullet for winning an election!
Congresswolf is an interactive novel by Ellen Cooper, where your choices control the story. It’s entirely text-based–140,000 words, without graphics or sound effects–and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.
“Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.” — James Bovard
When a werewolf murders your boss, you must step up to run a Congressional campaign all on your own. While werewolves, protestors, and worse–the media–lurk around every corner, you’ll use everything you can to get your candidate elected.
Email servers? Tax returns? Who cares. Election-season secrets and October surprises are nothing compared to the possibility that your candidate might be a werewolf…or that you might become one yourself.
Play as any gender, play as gay or straight
Set the right tone with your TV ads
Prep your candidate for debates
Impress big donors
Get out the vote
Find out who killed your predecessor
Decide where your candidate will stand on werewolf rights
We hope you enjoy playing Congresswolf. We encourage you to tell your friends about it, and recommend the game on StumbleUpon, Facebook, Twitter, 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.
Zombies rise again at the dawn of Apocalypse! In this companion to the smash-hit Zombie Exodus, can you survive the first few days of the zombie outbreak as the dead rise, society collapses, and the living struggle to survive?
Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven is the first part of a series of thrilling interactive survival-horror novel by Jim Dattilo, where your choices control the story. It’s entirely text-based–without animation or sound effects–and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.
Customize a character using a variety of professions, backgrounds, special challenges, and skills to survive in a brutal and chaotic city as the Zeta virus spreads. Will you be an honorable soldier, searching through neighborhoods to aid survivors? Or will you be a ruthless bandit who loots and robs others for needed supplies? How about a paranoid hacker, psychopathic con artist, pragmatic scientist, or idealistic teenager? Dozens of options allow you to play the character of your choice.
Set in the Zombie Exodus world, the first part of Safe Haven focuses on the first few days of a viral outbreak which changes the infected into mindless zombies. Explore the changes to society at the start of the pandemic. Board your house, gather supplies, meet over a dozen other characters, and survive encounters with the living dead and even other survivors. Scavenge numerous locations, craft items, and use a variety of skills to survive the many challenges of the apocalypse.
The Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven series will continue with future stories in new locations in the coming years.
Play as male or female, gay, straight, bi, or asexual.
Over 500,000 words long. You’ll read 50,000 words each time you play. Given the number of paths from beginning to end, you’ll want to play numerous times.
Nineteen backgrounds/professions including Soldier, Teenager, Professional Wrestler, Bank Robber, and Doctor. Or create your own custom class.
Choose your skill levels in eighteen different apocalyptic skills such as Stealth, Ranged Weapons, Scavenging, and Survival. Level up your skills after each chapter and choose from hobbies to round out your character.
Select optional challenges for your survivor. Take care of a dependent child or a pet, or deal with a phobia, compulsion, addiction, or affliction.
Meet other survivors each with their own personalities, motivations, desires, and flaws. Even form romantic relationships with those you meet.
Jim 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.
Tap into pure, unconditional love, be engulfed in a journey of oneness, and bring peace to a place that knows none.
Twin Flames is an interactive novel by Ivailo Daskalov, where your choices control the story. It’s entirely text-based—without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.
Enjoy the beauty of the self-discovery that occurs when one soul finds its other half, and they start a mission that will change the lives of many. Help the twin flames uncover the mystery of who they were in previous lives and find their way home.
Enjoy a 50,000-word tale of love, redemption, and ascension.
Surrender to the power of true love.
Switch back and forth between both the male and female twin flames.
Decide on their specializations and relations with current romantic partners.
Delve in an universe of light, witchcraft, ETs, dragons and reptilians.
Ivailo 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.
We’re proud to announce that Sorcery Is for Saps, the latest in our popular “Choice of Games” line of multiple-choice interactive-fiction games, is now available for Steam, iOS, and Android. It’s 25% off until October 21st!
As an apprentice sorcerer, you should never steal your master’s identity. But what if that’s the only way to save the kingdom?
Sorcery Is for Saps is a 200,000-word interactive fantasy novel by Hilari Bell and Anna-Maria Crum, where your choices control the story. It’s entirely text-based—without graphics or sound effects—and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.
Will your powers save the cursed king–or will you turn traitor and seize the throne yourself? You can probably break a simple kindness curse, but there are dark forces at work and you may be in over your head before you can say “Abracadabra.”
Throw in your lot with scheming councilors, the attractive heir, or even go to work for the invaders. But whether you choose to save the king or your own neck, one thing is clear—this is your big chance!
Magic, power, or true love—which will you choose? In Sorcery Is for Saps, you’ll find it’s easier than waving a wand.
Be a hero or turn traitor, seduced by a sexy spy.
Play as male or female, gay, straight, or bi.
Steal a rival wizard’s inventions.
Fight the maniacal, mechanical, magical monkey.
Power up for politics, succeed at sorcery, or just get really, really rich.
Trade barbs with your snarky familiar. Or will you kow-tow to a sarcastic ferret?
End up as a sorcerer, a royal councilor, a villain, or a mouse. (Literally. You can be turned into a mouse.)
We hope you enjoy playing Sorcery Is for Saps. We encourage you to tell your friends about it, and recommend the game on StumbleUpon, Facebook, Twitter, 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.
You are a world famous archaeologist at the entrance to the long lost tomb of Genghis Khan. Can you defeat the Lovecraftian horrors within, or will you descend into madness?
Tomb of the Khan is a thrilling interactive horror novel by Todd Maternowski, where your choices control the story. The game is entirely text-based–without graphics or sound effects–and powered by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.
Enjoy a 52,000 word tale of friendship, magic, and interdimensional horror
Develop an archaeological style: cautious and scientific, or a screaming bat out of hell?
Become the greatest archaeologist in history, or assume the mantle of the Khan and go for world domination!
Over 25 unique and gruesome deaths!
Elemental Saga: The Awakening by Mandar Deshmukh
Become an Elemental and harness your powers over Water, Earth, Electricity, or the Enchanting Light itself! Can you save the world and still make it in time for classes!?
Elemental Saga: The Awakening is a 100,000-word interactive fantasy novel by Mandar Deshmukh, where your choices control the story. It’s entirely text-based–without graphics or sound effects–and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.
Master any one of four different elements.
Build your character, your relationships and guide them in the coming war.
Choose your stance – Fight or Retreat.
Rise up as a revered icon or lay down as a scapegoat.
Todd and Mandar developed their games 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.
Samurai of Hyuga Book 2 is the blood-pumping sequel to the interactive tale you already know. Return to the land of silk and steel, where fantasy and reality clash and tough choices await you at every turn.
Good thing you’re still the toughest ronin around.
Become a bodyguard, a savior, or just a killer with a good excuse. Try to keep your mind intact as you travel down the path of madness, with twisted romances and drama at every turn. Love and lust, spirits and demons. What happens when you can’t tell the difference anymore?
That and so much more await you in the second book of this epic series!
Reclaim your role as a badass ronin, a master manslayer, and reluctant bodyguard for hire!
Find romance or let it find you, tainted and twisted as it may be!
Poetry and board games, dates and kabuki—try not to forget yourself in this unforgettable adventure!
Over 215,000 words of interactive fiction!
Devon 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.
To celebrate the launch of Samurai of Hyuga Book 2, we’re also announcing that Devon’s earlier games in our Hosted Games program, Samurai of Hyuga Book 1 and Fatehaven are out now on Steam! They’re 25% off this week only so buy them today!
We’re proud to announce that A Midsummer Night’s Choice, the latest in our popular “Choice of Games” line of multiple-choice interactive-fiction games, is now available for Steam, iOS, and Android. It’s 25% off until September 1st!
In this Shakespearean comedy adventure, can forbidden love conquer adorable fairy outlaws?
A Midsummer Night’s Choice is a 190,000-word interactive fantasy novel by Kreg Segall, where your choices control the story. It’s entirely text-based–without graphics or sound effects–and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind”
When your father, the Duke, tries to force you to marry, you’ll leave civilization behind as you flee in disguise, cross-dressed, into the enchanted forest. Mistaken identities, inexplicable bears, and tiny but fearsome fairies await! (Seriously, they wear little walnut shells for helmets, and ride armored baby bunnies into battle.)
Will you fall into the mysterious Faerie Queene’s clutches? Will you (or your identical doppelganger) find true love? Or will your father’s spies find you first?
Hold on to your heart! The course of true love never did run smooth.
Play as male or female, gay, straight, or bi.
Inspire the world with your noble deeds, or play everything for laughs.
Star in a play within a play. (Er, within a game…that you are playing.)
Become a jester, a diplomat, a knight, a poet, a shepherd–or leave the world behind and join the fairy court.
Why is there a bear?!
If you pre-ordered
iOS/Android: A Midsummer Night’s Choice is available as a free app. Anyone can play the first part of the game for free on iOS and Android (or on our website). Once you reach the end of the free trial, the app will ask you to either purchase the game or “restore” your purchase.
If you’ve purchased the game on our website, you can restore your purchase on iOS/Android at no additional charge, unlocking the rest of the game.
Windows/Mac/Linux: Visit our web page for A Midsummer Night’s Choice and click the link at the bottom of the page to “download it directly from us.” (The game is also now available to purchase on Steam, if that’s what you’d prefer.)
We hope you enjoy playing A Midsummer Night’s Choice. We encourage you to tell your friends about it, and recommend the game on StumbleUpon, Facebook, Twitter, 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.
Choice of Games’ latest release will be A Midsummer Night’s Choice, a Shakespearean romp (but much easier to read) through an enchanted forest, complete with fairies that do battle on harnessed rabbit-steeds. I sat down with the author, Kreg Segall, who is an Associate Professor of English in the Department of Humanities at Regis College to learn more about how Midsummer came about, and some of the challenges and pleasures of Shakespeare-style storytelling.
How did you stumble onto writing interactive fiction?
It feels less like a stumble than a natural progression. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing interactive stories for people to play with. I wrote stapled-together choose-your-own-adventure books for my friends in elementary school, played and ran all of the popular role-playing games around in the ’80s, and got involved in the live role-playing scene in Boston in college and grad school.
So when I discovered Choice of Games, it felt like an extension of what I had already been doing. I played the Heroes Rise series, and thought, “Oh, this is fun! I know how to do that.”
Your day job is being an English professor, so it’s no surprise that Midsummer is an homage to the Bard. Tell me about how you came up with the idea for the game and why this was a trope that worked for you.
The best part about being an English professor is that I get to talk to my students about my favorite stories all day. In a way, A Midsummer Night’s Choice is like a “best of” version of those stories—all of my favorite moments and characters lovingly parodied and morphed into something new.
I can hardly take credit for the idea for the game: it’s as old as comedy. The parent with their own idea about the child’s love life, and the child taking matters into his or her own hands by duping or otherwise ignoring the parent—that’s just a structure that sets us up for laughter. (Although strangely this structure seems less and less funny to me now that I have my own children.)
Once I realized that this game was going to incorporate all of my favorite moments from the comedies, it was easy to draw up a list of necessary elements—I had to have a fool, an unwelcome suitor, a domineering father, a courtier, a play-within-a-play, fairies, a bear, and so on. I think Shakespeare would have approved of my using his plays to create my own work—he did it all the time!
What specific plays informed this? I see snippets of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but also As You Like It, and even The Taming of the Shrew.
The three plays that my game owes the most to are A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, and The Winter’s Tale, although I tried really hard to get at least one joke or reference to every comedy in there, and most of the other plays too! But there’s also a significant amount of Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, the anonymous Mucedorus, The Knight of the Burning Pestle and really dozens of other plays. Shakespeare’s sonnets, too, make an appearance in my game as well.
Decision time: your favorite comedy, tragedy, history, and “weird” Shakespeare plays.
My favorite “other” play (and my favorite Shakespeare play overall) is The Winter’s Tale. Something in me responds to the long pastoral Act IV, with the singing rogue Autolycus, the silly-but-touching shepherds, and the young lovers trying to figure out their next step.
My favorite comedy is probably Measure for Measure, favorite history is Henry IV, pt. 1, and favorite tragedy is Antony and Cleopatra.
You didn’t ask me what my least favorite Shakespeare play is. So I’ll add that as a bonus. It’s The Merry Wives of Windsor. I keep giving it a try, but it’s not for me. But my favorite opera is Verdi’s Falstaff, which is based on The Merry Wives of Windsor. So at least that.
What elements of writing in ChoiceScript did you find favored or did not favor telling your story in the form of interactive fiction? This game seems like it’d have a huge burden on you for doing continuity—it’s both complex and has a good amount of variety in the endings.
I was wondering whether the coding would be difficult, but it was really quite straight-forward. It never got in my way. I have nothing but good things to say about ChoiceScript.
You’re right to say that the continuity was tricky: I would frequently draw out the possible endings on paper in a crazy-looking flowchart with ovals and arrows everywhere that took up several sheets of paper. I did make more work for myself than I needed to by adding a romantic option on a whim in the fourth chapter that I hadn’t anticipated—I had no clue that that whim would take weeks of work to properly integrate!
I grew very close to some of the characters as I wrote, and the process of writing the couple of dozen endings was bizarre. I had to imagine a character in love with the main character, and then, in an alternate reality, furious at them, and a dozen variations in between.
Midsummer feels so close to a Shakespeare play, in that it takes all the best elements of his comedies and mixes them up for a new audience. What would you tell a potential reader who hated Shakespeare plays in high school English class?
It may not surprise you to learn that I talk to people who hated Shakespeare in high school all the time. I would tell that potential reader that the hardest thing about Shakespeare is his language and his allusions to mythology. The story is the easy part. Anyone can understand a story about love, rebellion, and escape. While A Midsummer Night’s Choice does use a few Shakespearean words, it’s so much easier than reading Renaissance literature, and maybe my story will be interesting enough to inspire them to go seek out Shakespeare himself and give him another try.
The funny thing is that I was that person who didn’t care for Shakespeare in high school. I was so bored by Julius Caesar, and I didn’t get why Romeo and Juliet was a big deal.
It wasn’t until I saw a production of The Two Gentleman of Verona that I started feeling something. I had never heard of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and it’s only an O.K. play, but the actors made it funny, and I had no expectations, and the magic of theater took over.
Finally, I can’t resist a little short answer Bernard Pivot/James Lipton action with some interactive fiction flavor thrown in:
What is your favorite word?
“Syzygy” is a cool one. Three vowels, all “y.”
What is your least favorite?
“Shindig” sounds really painful for something that’s supposed to be fun. “Sidekick” has the same problem.
What turns you off?
Where do I start? Off the top of my head: dust jackets; tiny shutters on houses that have no utilitarian function; “ex libris” book plates; the texture of popsicle sticks; highlighters; squishy bread;
What is your favorite IF novel other than your own?
I enjoyed Choice of the Deathless. I thought it was a really fun setting, and as a fan of the Buffy/Angel world, getting to play as part of an undead law firm intrigued me.
What strategies do you use to keep writing when you feel blocked?
This has never happened to me—not in my scholarly work, and not in my creative work. I just sit down and write, which I like to do in 3-5 hour stretches when I can. I find it meditative, getting to play with words on the page.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Sometimes I think I’d like to be a baker in some quiet town. Wake up really early and make all sorts of amazing crusty breads. I’d like to have the sort of bakery that people describe as “artisanal” and “bespoke” and “locally-sourced” and “sustainable.” I wouldn’t use those words, but other people would. I think I mostly have that thought when I have a lot of papers to grade.
What profession would you not like to do?
A mere glance outside my window suggests that I really, really don’t want to be a gardener. Maybe the state of my backyard was inspiration for the untamed forest in my game.
Favorite authorship candidate/conspiracy theory?
There’s way too much amazing, fascinating critical work being done for me to keep up with fake issues.
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