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Jul 03

2015

New Hosted Game! “Double/Cross” by Toni Owen-Blue

Posted by: Dan Fabulich | Comments (1)

There’s a new game in our Hosted Games program ready for you to play!

Double/Cross

In Double/Cross, by Toni Owen-Blue, you are the head bodyguard assigned to protect the richest, most powerful man in England. Enter a house filled with secrets and intrigue, and see if you can uncover the truth about the colourful cast that inhabits it. Choose between a host of romanceable characters, both male and female, but don’t forget to protect your own interests too. Will you abide by your contract or will you discard your morals for something more inviting?

  • 85,000 word romantic drama.
  • Make friends and business partners and decide who keeps your loyalty and who you’ll double cross as you protect the richest man in England, or just look out for yourself.
  • Schmooze, sneak, backstab, fight or work your way to the top.
  • Piece together the truth about the colorful cast that surround you, uncover the secret of the kidnapper and covet favors to play a pivotal role in this sordid affair.
  • Play male or female, gay or straight.

Toni 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 we’ll publish it for you, giving you a share of the revenue your game produces.

Jun 27

2015

It’s Killing Time: Travel the world, meet new people, assassinate them

Posted by: Dan Fabulich | Comments (2)

It's Killing Time

We’re proud to announce that It’s Killing Time, the latest in our popular “Choice of Games” line of multiple-choice interactive-fiction games, is now available for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, and, and, via the Chrome Web Store, Windows, Mac, and Linux. It’s 25% off until July 4th.

Travel the world, meet interesting new people, and assassinate them for money!

“It’s Killing Time” is an ultra-violent 140,000-word interactive novel by Eric Bonholtzer, 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.

Earn respect, reputation, and wealth as a hired assassin. You’ll be dressed to kill, driving an exotic car with outlandish weapons in the trunk.

But in the glamorous, fast-paced world of murder-for-hire, you can never know who to trust and who’s gunning to take you out. Who will betray you? Whom will you betray?

Will you be a spiritual hitman or hitwoman, a ruthless assassin, a total psychopath, or a righteous killer? The choice is yours.

We hope you enjoy playing It’s Killing Time. 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.

Jun 11

2015

Steam Summer Sale: All our games are 40% off! (Except Tin Star is 80% off, today only!)

Posted by: Dan Fabulich | Comments (1)

The Steam Summer Sale has begun and tons of games are on sale. All of our Steam games are 40% off.

All of our games except one.

You see, (I feel a bit embarrassed about this,) I configured Tin Star to be 40% off during its launch week and 40% off during the Steam Summer Sale… and, I guess I didn’t think it through properly, but since Tin Star launched six days ago, Tin Star is 80% off, today only.

Anyway, my mistake is your gain. If you’ve even thought about buying Tin Star, literally the biggest interactive novel ever made, you should buy it today. This is the lowest price at which we’ve ever offered the game, and, frankly, it’s probably the lowest price we ever will offer it.

While you’re there, please follow us on Steam! Even if you don’t use Steam that much, it will be a big help if you sign up to follow us there, because the more followers we get, the better visibility we get on Steam’s curator list. (Our goal is to hit 3,000 followers for our Steam curation page; we’re about 45% of the way there as I write this!)

When you follow us, you’ll see our games and our recommended games right on your Steam home page. It’s free, and it’s a big help to us, so follow us today!

Jun 05

2015

Tin Star out on Steam, 40% off during launch week

Posted by: Dan Fabulich | Comments (0)

Tin Star

We’re happy to announce that one of our bestselling Hosted Games, Tin Star, is now available on Steam for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Buy it today for 40% off the regular price!

Tin Star is an interactive western mystery novel by Allen Gies (author of Marine Raider, Apex Patrol, and Shadow Horror). It’s over 1.3 million words long, making it the biggest interactive novel ever made. A single playthrough from beginning to epilogue can run over 80,000 words.

We’ve published a number of popular games on Steam under our “Choice of Games” label, but this is the first time we’re publishing a game from our Hosted Games label on Steam, and it’s the first time we’ve entered and completed the Steam Greenlight process. Tin Star was the obvious first choice, because you rated it the best Hosted Game of 2014.

We need your support to continue delivering our games on Steam. Our goal is to release our entire catalog of interactive novels on Steam. We’ll need to continue to deliver outstanding results to prove that interactive fiction can be successful on Steam.

We’re asking all of our fans to follow us on Steam. Even if you don’t use Steam that much, it will be a big help if you sign up to follow us there, because the more followers we get, the better visibility we get on Steam’s curator list. (Our goal is to hit 3,000 followers for our Steam curation page; we’re about 45% of the way there as I write this!)

When you follow us, you’ll see our games and our recommended games right on your Steam home page. It’s free, and it’s a big help to us, so follow us today!

May 29

2015

Mabelin and the Demon Trials, by Samuel Harrison Young

Posted by: Jason Stevan Hill | Comments (0)

We wanted to inform you that Samuel Harrison Young, author of the Hosted Games titles “Trial of the Demon Hunter” and the upcoming “Captive of Fortune”, has released a narrative version of his game entitled Mabelin and the Demon Trials It is now available in its entirety for $1.99! Not only that, but you can read the first 30% for FREE.

Mabelin is a demon huntress, a fighter of evil and a natural enemy of demons. In a twisted display of irony, a demon appears and destroys her village. Determined to avenge her shattered home, the huntress embarks on a perilous journey alongside her boggart apprentice, Beckham.

Along the way, she faces many enemies, including a vampire, a goblin, witches, bandits, a necromancer, an ogre, and a troll. During her journey, she finds herself in the city of Lorden, where she is able to regain her strength, forge new alliances, and even consider the prospect of romance. However, her Netherworldian foe is always looming.

The story is available through over a dozen retailers on smart phones, computers, and tablets. You can get your copy on Smashwords.

Alternatively, you can search it up on your preferred online platform and download it from there. These platforms include Apple, Baker & Taylor Blio, Baker-Taylor Axis360, Barnes & Noble, Diesel, Flipkart, Kobo, Library Direct, OverDrive, Oyster, Page Foundry, Scribd, Sony, and txtr. Once the book has sold 2,000 copies overall, it will also be available on Amazon.

As always, shares and good reviews are greatly appreciated!

May 27

2015

Editorial Assistant position

Posted by: Jason Stevan Hill | Comments (0)

EDIT: This position has been filled.

Employer: Choice of Games LLC
Location: Telecommute (US resident)

Choice of Games LLC was founded in 2009 to produce high-quality, multiple-choice text adventures. Choice of Games has a strong commitment to diversity of authors and representation within its publications. Its games are feminist and inclusive, and have been featured positively in press for the vision-impaired community and the lgbt community. Choice of Games is a small, fast-growing company, with over thirty titles published on storefronts such as the iTunes App Store, Steam, Amazon, and Google Play. This is an excellent opportunity for someone interested in becoming a professional editor or game designer.

The Editorial Assistant will provide support to the Choice of Games editorial team, as well as having a variety of Customer Service and Community Management responsibilities.

Main Responsibilities:

  • Proofread gamebooks at various stages of development.
  • Review writing samples from potential authors.
  • Learn ChoiceScript, the programming language in which Choice of Games titles are composed.
  • Monitor the support@choiceofgames inbox and respond to basic Customer Service requests.
  • Playtest gamebooks to find bugs.
  • Take an active role on the Choice of Games forums.
  • Assist with social media.

This is a telecommute position. The first four to six months will involve substantial virtual supervision and training, with the candidate growing in autonomy during that period. A successful candidate will advance to be an Assistant Editor over twelve to eighteen months, eventually taking a role in editorial review and managing their own projects; such a promotion is generally accompanied by a commensurate raise.

Required Qualifications: A four-year degree or equivalent experience; exceptional writing, proofreading, and communication skills. The candidate must be organized, a self-starter, and capable of managing their own time. The candidate will also be a player of games, whether in the form of boardgames, card games, computer/console games, table-top role-playing games, or LARPs.

The Ideal candidate will have a basic competency with at least one programming language. They would also have a strong familiarity with major style guides.

Compensation:

  • Base salary of $28,000.
  • Competitive benefits package.

This is a full-time, non-exempt position. We would prefer an immediate start, but the start date is negotiable for the right candidate. Choice of Games LLC is an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to diversity. Choice of Games encourages people with disabilities and people of all genders, sexualities, ages, family and marital statuses, races, ethnicities, national origins, and religions to apply.

Please submit a CV and cover letter to: jobs@choiceofgames.com

May 22

2015

Name your own character in our charity auctions

Posted by: Dan Fabulich | Comments (0)

My Friend's PlaceChoice of Games is proud to announce that we’re auctioning off cameos in four of our most anticipated games; proceeds will go to My Friend’s Place, an organization that assists and inspires homeless youth to build self-sufficient lives.

The auctions close on Tuesday, June 2nd.

Name a Powered Hero in “The Hero Project: Redemption Season,” the sequel to “Heroes Rise: The Hero Project

“The Hero Project” is back for a second season, and you can make a cameo as a Powered Hero in the competition! Be the envy of your friends when they see you in their game!

“The Hero Project” is a new series of multiple-choice interactive novels by Zachary Sergi and Choice of Games. “The Hero Project: Redemption Season” falls after the events of Sergi’s smash-hit series, “Heroes Rise,” telling the story of a brand new crew of Powered heroes and villains on the nation’s top reality TV show.

Winner should submit:

  • Hero’s Real Name
  • Hero’s Code Name
  • Hero’s gender and sexual orientation
  • Hero’s physical description

Name a rival adventurer in “The Cryptkeepers of Hallowford,” the sequel to “The Hero of Kendrickstone

The adventures of the hero of Kendrickstone continue in “The Cryptkeepers of Hallowford,” and now you have the chance to design a supporting character!

“The Cryptkeepers” is a multiple-choice text adventure by Paul Wang and Choice of Games. In addition to “Hero,” Paul previously authored “Mecha Ace” and “Sabres of Infinity.”

Winner should submit:

  • Character’s Name
  • Character’s gender and sexual orientation
  • Character’s physical description
  • A magical item in the character’s possession or a great deed of heroism in their past.

Suffer a gruesome death in “Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven”

The winner of this auction will be able to develop a character and the manner in which that character dies. The winner will collaborate with the author to devise the scenario in which the character’s death occurs and how the player may impact that event.

“Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven” is a spin-off of the “Zombie Exodus” multiple-choice text adventure by Jim Dattilo and Hosted Games. Jim is also author of the upcoming title “A Wise Use of Time.”

Winner should submit:

  • Character’s Name
  • Character’s gender and sexual orientation
  • Character’s physical description
  • Preferred method of demise!

Create the leader of a rival adventuring party in “Lost Heir: Forging a Kingdom,” the sequel to “Lost Heir: The Fall of Daria

The story of the heir of Daria continues in “Forging a Kingdom,” the sequel to 2015’s “Fall of Daria.” Of course, the heir’s journey is not a simple one…a rival adventurer will challenge the heir at every turn. And now’s your opportunity to design that rival!

The “Lost Heir” trilogy is a multiple-choice text adventure by Mike Walter and Hosted Games. Mike is also author of the best selling “Life of a Wizard” and “Life of a Mobster,” also published by Hosted Games.

Winner should submit:

  • Character’s name
  • Character’s gender and sexual orientation
  • Character’s physical description
  • Character’s class (Fighter, wizard, thief or cleric)
  • Character’s race (Human, elf, dwarf, halfling, half-orc or gnome)

We’d like to thank CharityBuzz for hosting these auctions. CharityBuzz normally charges a 20% fee, but Choice of Games is happy to donate 20% of your bid amount directly to My Friend’s Place, so you can rest assured that they’ll receive 100% of your bid amount.

Please tell your friends about these auctions! The more people bid, the more we’ll be able to raise for charity.

May 01

2015

Hollywood Visionary: Make the movie of your dreams in 1950s Hollywood!

Posted by: Dan Fabulich | Comments (1)

Hollywood Visionary

We’re proud to announce that Hollywood Visionary, the latest in our popular “Choice of Games” line of multiple-choice interactive-fiction games, is now available for Steam, iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire. It’s 40% off during launch week.

Make the movie of your dreams amid the glamor and romance of 1950s Hollywood!

“Hollywood Visionary” is a 150,000-word interactive novel by Aaron A. Reed, 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.

As head of your own movie studio, you call the shots: hire Hitchcock, seduce Garbo, build your studio into an Oscar-winning powerhouse or star in a B-movie train wreck. Control everything about your production, from genre to casting to building up buzz.

Do you have what it takes to become a Hollywood visionary?

  • Conquer the movie biz as a writer, director, producer, actor, or editor
  • Banter with Hollywood royalty like Orson Welles and Greta Garbo
  • Choose from dozens of genres and modifiers to make your film unique
  • Five possible endings to discover
  • Find love or throw yourself into your art: extensive but optional romance plots
  • Win an Oscar, create a cult classic, or languish in film obscurity
  • Will you name names for the blacklist, or risk everything to uphold your artistic ideals?
  • 150,000 words of content
  • Flexible gender presentation: independently control your pronouns, appearance, titles, and romance options

About the Author: Aaron A. Reed is an award-winning author of interactive narratives. His games have been featured at Slamdance, IndieCade, IndieCade East, the Independent Games Festival at GDC, and in exhibitions of “electronic literature” around the world. His textbook “Creating Interactive Fiction with Inform 7” is the leading reference on the popular language for digital storytelling. His interactive novel “Blue Lacuna” was named one of the Top 10 Interactive Fictions of all time in a recent poll. Aaron lives in Santa Cruz, California.

We need your support to continue delivering our games on Steam. Our goal is to release our entire catalog of interactive novels on Steam. Based on the extraordinary performance of Choice of Robots and The Hero of Kendrickstone, both which made it onto Steam’s front page this year, Valve has allowed us to ship a handful of additional games. We’ll need to continue to deliver outstanding results to prove that interactive fiction can be successful on Steam.

We’re asking all of our fans to follow us on Steam. Even if you don’t use Steam that much, it will be a big help if you sign up to follow us there, because the more followers we get, the better visibility we get on Steam’s curator list. (Our goal is to hit 3,000 followers for our Steam curation page; we’re about 45% of the way there as I write this!)

When you follow us, you’ll see our games and our recommended games right on your Steam home page. It’s free, and it’s a big help to us, so follow us today!

We hope you enjoy playing Hollywood Visionary. 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 store ranking. The more times you download in the first week, the better our games will rank.

May 01

2015

Vote for “Tin Star” on Steam Greenlight (GREENLIT!)

Posted by: Dan Fabulich | Comments (2)

Tin Star

EDIT: We did it! Tin Star is out now on Steam.

We’ve posted Tin Star on Steam Greenlight, where the community votes for games to be released on Steam.

We’re asking all of our fans to go to that page and click “Yes.” It’s completely free and it just takes a second.

Tin Star is an interactive western mystery novel by Allen Gies (author of Marine Raider, Apex Patrol, and Shadow Horror). It’s over 1.3 million words long, making it the biggest interactive novel ever made. A single playthrough from beginning to epilogue can run over 80,000 words.

We’ve published a number of popular games on Steam under our “Choice of Games” label, but this is the first time we’re trying to publish a game from our Hosted Games label on Steam. Tin Star was the obvious first choice, because you rated it the best Hosted Game of 2014.

We’re counting on you! Please vote for Tin Star on Steam Greenlight and invite your friends to do the same. (Just don’t be annoying about it.)

Apr 17

2015

New Hosted Game! “No Proper Thief” by Russell J. Dorn

Posted by: Dan Fabulich | Comments (0)

There’s a new game in our Hosted Games program ready for you to play!

No Proper Thief

Attempt to survive your first bank heist! Befriend or betray your team of bank robbers, make difficult choices, survive, go insane, fall in love, and get rich if you can in No Proper Thief, where every choice you make has a consequence.

You never wanted a life of crime, but it’s all you know. That doesn’t mean transitioning from a life as a cocky con artist to a greenhorn bank robber, on your first bank heist, doesn’t scare you.

In No Proper Thief you are Clyde Lamm, the Rooster, and you have a choice to make. In fact, you have dozens of choices to make throughout your upcoming adventure. Everything has consequences, too. You and your team, consisting of the leader Zebra, the muscle Stag, and the heart Marlin, have many obstacles to overcome. For one, you have to convince them, as the new team member, that you’re trustworthy and that you’ll watch their backs, for if one of you goes down the rest of you will too. Still, in the midst of all the dark chaos of the initial robbery, there is a flame of positivity: an attractive young bank manager. Sure you stole her gold heirloom ring a while back, but it’s a fair trade because she’s stealing your heart.

Warning: contains scenes of violence.

Russell 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 we’ll publish it for you, giving you a share of the revenue your game produces.

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