1966 WIP 244k words (UPDATE 1/9/25 +84k words) [Mystery, Dark Romance, Cosmic Horror, Lovecraftian, Supernatural]

[an_inspired_guess]

WIP 244k words (UPDATE 1/9/25 +84k words)

Update 1: 1/09/25 +84k words

This update is more chill and mainly focuses on the characters (ROs), with less horror or mystery. There are also three paths, and depending on the player’s choices, the playthrough might be a bit short.

Please share all of your suggestions and advice, as well as any errors, mistakes, or typos you notice! If you can spot a mistake in the code and point it out, I shall be eternally grateful!

And please let me know if any text is repeated, if it mentions choices you haven’t made or made differently, or if it jumps in a way that doesn’t make sense!

Thank you!

Update 1 includes...

1. In the previous ‘chapter’, it is now possible to make a mask out of Roulet (and use it in the new ‘chapter’).
2. Go fishing (if Marsh is NOT dead/brain-dead).
3. Take over the Esoteric Order of Dagon (if Marsh is dead).
4. Begin establishing control over the Extra-Terrestrial Archaeological Society.
5. Get to know the members of ETAS.
6. Play chess with the Ghoul.
7. Start your own cult!
8. Paint a self-portrait (or something else).
9. Do drugs.
10. Learn what’s in Roulet’s valise (if you can/want).
11. Pose for Roulet’s painting.
12. Spend time with ROs, get to know them better, learn some secrets, give some kisses xoxo

To play the demo, go here: CoGDemos
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PREMISE

In 1966, the world is ending. And in 1966, you find yourself inexplicably inhabiting an unknown to you human body, stuck in a gloomy little town on a mist-shrouded island in the middle of nowhere. You awaken in an unfamiliar human body, trapped in a rotting town on a fog-drenched island. You are something ancient, something vast, a cosmic entity wearing human flesh. But why here? And why now?

FEATURES

1. Create and customize your character: choose their physical appearance, clothing, gender, and sexuality.

2. Make choices that influence your personality, morality, and relationships.

3. Wield otherworldly abilities or rely on the limited strengths of your human host.

4. Define your personality through the choices you make and the actions you take.

5. Use your eldritch powers or the skills inherited from your human host.

6. Find love, forge friendships, or make enemies with four gender-selectable characters.

7. Embrace your true nature as a cosmic being, or learn what it means to be human.

8. Will you end the world, save it, or reshape it in your own image?

9. Make decisions that shape your personality and influence those around you.

10. Join a cult, destroy a cult, lead a cult, or become the god they worship.

11. A story-, choice-, and character-driven narrative experience.

RO

There are four ROs, all gender-selectable: a young artist, an old ghoul, a Deep One hybrid from Innsmouth, and an eldritch cosmic entity beyond comprehension.

[WARNING] Please beware of spoilers!

RO spoilers

Paul/Marie Roulet | [M/F] | The Artist | 24
Physical Appearance
Paul: clean-shaven, pale, straight brown hair in a nice messy cut, side-swept in a laid-back and effortless manner.
Marie: big blue eyes, lined with blue eyeshadow and a thick black cat-eye, long brown hair in a laid-back and effortless hairstyle with thick bangs.

A young artist, an amateur ufologist, occult aficionado, conspiracy enthusiast, a communist, and simply a weirdo. Will you use this human as a tool? A loyal acolyte? An amusing pet? Or learn to be more human from them? Learn to build friendship, trust, love?

Hendrik/Hendrica Martense | [M/F] | The Ghoul | 214
Physical Appearance: tall, lean, hoof-like feet, canine face, pale grey rubbery skin, long claws and fangs, and big yellow round sunglasses over mismatched blue and brown eyes.

A ghoul you met in the past. Did you save them? Or did they help you find your way through the Dreamlands? Are they an old friend? Or a predator who hunts you? Is there understanding or only hunger between you? Two centuries ago, they used to be a human. Now, they eat human corpses to continue living.

Silas/Emily Marsh | [M/F] | The Deep One | 74
Physical Appearance
Silas: bald head with a few bright green fins that fan out behind his earholes, palpitating gills on his strong neck, scaly and shiny greyish-green skin, webbed and clawed hands, razor-sharp teeth that rest on the bottom lip, big glassy cloudy white eyes.
Emily: bald head covered in long bright green fins that fan out and tail down across her scaly scalp, palpitating gills on her long elegant neck, scaly and shiny greyish-green skin, webbed and clawed hands; razor-sharp teeth that rest on the bottom lip, big glassy cloudy white eyes.

An Innsmouth refugee who has escaped the raid on the town in 1928 and led other Deep One hybrids to New Ackerbury. Now, they guide their people spiritually as the mystagogue of the Esoteric Order of Dagon. Will you trust them? Use them? Get rid of them? Take over their cult? They are hiding much…

Nyarlathotep | [M/F] | The Messenger of the Other Gods | N/A
Physical Appearance: ever-changing with the ability to shapeshift and assume the form of a specific person.

Your worst nightmare, an eldritch cosmic entity beyond even your comprehension, a force of the universe, something that betrayed you and left you to suffer for all eternity…

[TonyG]

Hey, great demo! I’m hooked. It’s really late here where I’m from so I haven’t finished the demo yet. I’ll most likely resume playing it tomorrow. I’ve found a few typos you may want to look at:

Near the beginning:

"… the young private investigator And her voice… "

During choosing hair color:

“black,”

During the scene with the imprisoned man:

“hummer”

During the scene with the young painter:

“… the Paul is waiting…”

In any case, I really think you should add a summary and features on your first post so others will know what this game’s about! I came in blind and was a bit confused at first, but eventually got a feel about what was maybe happening. Perhaps a bit of context before playing the game would be nice. I’m excited to check out more of this later.

[Dragomer]

Damn, 160K is a lot for a first release

[MorganTheGrandmaster]

The demo was great, but it would be a good idea to put more of a summary for this thread, so people can know the context of the story.

[Tempted_MCC]

Wow, it’s massive for a new WIP, and I don’t think bad English is a problem in this. Well done man, can’t wait to see more.

[Miguel_Angel_Salas]

Ok, i love it. Is all i am going to say.

[Zassuen]

Is the player meant not to be able to use any masks in the scene with the guard? That wasn’t very clear when I read the demo; it did give me a few references with certain inputs though before I gave up

[an_inspired_guess]

in the beginning? with Larry? yes, if the player has made at least one mask (and if this is with Larry then there are only two masks available), everytime there is an option to put one on, the player should be able to do so… in the stats screen, it should also be showing all the masks the player made and can use. hmmm i don’t know what’s wrong though…

masks with larry

*input_text mask_on
*if ((“${mask_on}” = “Chorus”) and (mask_chorus))
*goto chorus_mask_larry
*if ((“${mask_on}” = “Suffering”) and (mask_suffering))
*goto suffering_mask_larry

masks in the stats

The masks you have carved.

*if mask_chorus
You carved out a Chorus mask …
*if mask_suffering
You carved out a Suffering mask …

[Axe_Ward]

Do you need more than a higher mind stat to takeover someone’s mind.

[silvana_Valencia]

if our character turns against Marsh in the end you manage to corner her in her home and if you do this you can decide how to deal with her, one of the options is to “infect her mind” but no matter what I do I never manage to unlock that option, I have a level of 50 in what refers to the mental powers and still I can’t do it, from what I know you can also create a mask of the Ghoul’s mind but I never managed to do that either, could you tell me how to do these things please?

[an_inspired_guess]

oh thank you! i put this ‘mental powers’ skill check WAY too high i’m afraid. i lowered it to 50 for now (i looked through all the ‘%+’ for this skill and i think the highest you can get at this point is like 57, but i’m not sure. i’m still figuring out how to balance the skills progression…

with the ghoul's mask:

1. when you’re talking with suydam for the first time, choose #Read the ghoul’s mind, then #Make a mask.
2. after that, when talking with the ghoul, choose #“I want a piece of your mind.” and then #Infect or #Give a memory.

[Codename-01]

Loved the demo! Rare we get so many non-human characters at the same time. The MC’s power is pretty unique and creative. (I also went codediving and saw the easter egg masks)
Would be cool if the shapeshifter (I can’t spell the name) sometimes appear in different forms later or maybe even other characters.

I’m also wondering if the ghoul looks something like the werewolves in “The Quarry”. Look at your own risk they are creepy and more ghoul like than your usual werewolf.

[maymay]

wow i absolutely loved this demo!! i’m already completely hooked on the premise and on the characters (especially Paul, he’s just so cute!). i couldn’t tell at all that english isn’t your first language, your writing is really good! looking forward to the continuation of this story, it’s great so far:)

[LiliArch]

Speaking of Paul, I noticed his name was used in the narration before he introduced himself.

[ElliWoelfin]

This is extremely good and an incredible first release. Some funkiness with like minor punctuation (like not all quotation marks being there) and a few pronoun issues, but the meat is so good. Wasn’t expecting girl!Nyarlathotep. She fucking sucks, as she should.

We need more inhuman protagonist games/stories. Sick of worlds with all sorts of cool crazy shit and you’re just some basic ass random schmuck you could be in real life. So dull, why do that in a world of fantasy where you’re without limit? But I get the vast majority of players will, bafflingly, use a character creator to make Human Male Warrior no matter the breadth of interesting options, so I know I’m a vast minority even without my personal reasons for not wanting to be human.

[Haaron]

I doubt this is your first creation, given the high quality of your writing, and… Finally, something worthwhile!!! Or I’ll go mad from another round of The Passenger.

[an_inspired_guess]

Oh kind of like Orin from BG3 maybe? I love that idea! Thank you! I’ll try to think of a way to work it into the story

(that’s not quite how I picture the ghoul but honestly I think it kind of works!)

[an_inspired_guess]

Well it is my first IF work! I’ve only written fanfiction before this, so thank you so much!

[an_inspired_guess]

I feel like two of the biggest challenges perhaps for writers creating an otherworldly protagonist is figuring out how to: 1) maintain tension if the main character is too powerful, and 2) keep them relatable if they’re not human enough. I’m not entirely sure how to solve that myself really. But I do love a non-human protagonist! YES! In other games, I always gravitate toward playing as someone very different from myself. Why fear the cosmic horror if you can BE the cosmic horror?

[SDS597]

Hello, I didn’t expect to find such an interesting wip. I have a question, after my mc agreed to help with the nightmares and entered the Dreamland, there’s a line, something like “try to get some sleep”. Pressing it sends me on a loop. Is it intentional?