While I do like dragons I find myself drawn to the second idea more. The plot sounds interesting and I feel like it’s been a while since a scifi story has popped up. Plus playing as someone where one of the main parts of their identity is enforcing the will of their leaders and maybe having to reevaluate what they think is right when they meet others that were like them on Earth.
2 Likes
Hmm, can you tell us more about the political thriller?
Hi!
It’s something I’ll look into talking about perhaps in the future! It looks like an overwhelming amount of people wanted Character and Fitness, so I am full steam ahead.
…why is the university in a small town and not a big city?
Fair enough! I’m simply personally used to universities being in the biggest cities, so it felt odd to me.
Yeah, I’m vaguely aware it may very well depend on a country.
whereas the big city setting would be a less restricted environment with more diverse opportunities for storytelling, if that makes sense.)
More opportunities for storytelling means more opportunities for my MC to come into her own and get to know her ROs. Love it! 
Would you consider reading a short game (like 30k-ish short) where you play as the mermaid/man in a retelling of the faerie tale of the little mermaid (not the Disney version) if it got published to HG? (Both the character and RO are gender flippable).
I was writing a game for IFComp but am not convinced I’m going to get that one done in time (it’s so close! but IFComp closes in 4 days and I have to work so…) so then I’m left with a game I haven’t quite decided what to do with. I guess I could release it as a solo short game (like choice of dragon style), release with another short game or two for more content per app (I’m trying not to add to my WIP list but I do potentially have some other games on itch I could expand out.) Otherwise I could hang onto it until next year’s comp, I guess.
Anyway, just curious about the interest factor as I know short games aren’t ideal for HG. If it were to get published there, would you download it?
-
- Yes I would.
- I’d prefer if it was released with a group of other short, related games.
- No, it’s not a genre I’m interested in.
- No, it’s too short.
0 voters
3 Likes
Well y’all, after having been a part of this community for 8 years, I’ve finally started the outlining process for a game that’s been sitting in the back of my mind for months now, and I wanted to gauge interest.
The working title is And the Earth Trembled. It’s a sort of slice-of-life/adventure game with some horror elements.
Essentially, you play as a college senior and one of your professors has gone missing right before finals week. This means that you’re need to take a different instructor’s final, since your prof isn’t around. There’s just one problem: You haven’t learned jack shit in this class, since your professor is the type to just hand out As rather than teach, so you’re screwed. Unless… you and your friends all head out to find your prof, rescue him from whatever misfortune has befallen him, and drag him back to school in time for you all to take your final and graduate.
And the Earth Trembled is a game that explores themes of changing friendships, obligation to loved ones, and finding a sense of purpose/direction in life. The MC’s choices will shape not only their future, but also in part the futures of their friends (who may become something more over the course of the story!).
Is this something you guys would be interested in?
- Yes.
- No, the horror elements don’t interest me.
- No, themes don’t interest me.
- No for another reason. (Feel free to PM and let me know, all feedback is good feedback!)
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voters
The concept sounds pretty sick but my question is how much horror is going to be implemented? Personally I love horror but if it’s not a big part then I’d still be interested in reading!
1 Like
Good question, I’d say the first half of the game is going to have minor horror elements, as the PC and their friends try to piece things together. After that, the horror aspects are going to be more prominent, as things will escalate pretty quickly. Thanks for your interest!
1 Like
Thanks everyone for voting on the poll, glad to see there’s some interest despite the shortness of the game. Can I ask a follow up question? Would anyone like to comment on why you’d prefer standalone short games rather than a collection?
My alternative idea I had been kicking around had been to put together some games with a common theme (like a group of games with potentially dangerous aquatic mythological creatures like mermaids, waterhorses, sirens, krakens etc) to make it “more worth it” to download as there’s more to play through in a single app.
Is there a reason why standalones are considered better than groups of games? I’ll put a few thoughts I had as to maybe why, but feel free to add your own in the comments. If you voted for the games to be in a collection I’d also love to hear the reasons. Just curious for anyone who would like to humour me 
- I think its easier to see what the games are if they’re standalones
- I’m really particular about what games I play and want to download one by one
- I’d rather have games come out more quickly, even if they’re single short game downloads
- No, I voted I’d prefer short games in a collection
- Go Fish
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voters
Hey everyone! I’ve been a reader of IF for a few years and decided to try writing one. I wanted to check interest before getting too far into the process.
My story idea:
You play as a worker in a big city and on a normal delivery, the recipient attacks you having discovered that you have magic despite your protests. Your magic explodes to protect you. In denial and hoping to hide it, your magic gets more and more unstable and dangerous. In a tragic accident, your magic kills the mother figure in your life. When a voice calls to you in a dream telling you to run, you leave and hide from the Guards and the Throne, hoping to find a way to remove your magic.
The journey takes you all over the world, and even to other Realms. Along the way, the voice in your dreams guides you. The people you meet along the way help you uncover pieces to an untold mystery of the truth behind the Throne. Once you have all the pieces, you discover that dragons created this world and, through their bloodlines, were trapped in another Realm. Your goal of getting rid of your magic becomes intertwined with the need to free the dragons.
On Starlit Wings (working title) explores found family, self acceptance, and stepping into your power. A working list of TW include: familial death, depression/self hatred, and bigotry. And yes, romance will be an option (still working on that).
Is this an interesting idea?
- Love the idea.
- Cool idea but not into fantasy.
- Don’t like the idea/themes/TW.
- I have feedback (please message me).
- DRAGONS!
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voters
3 Likes
I like everything, but the remove the magic part. I liked that you tied in dragons, however.
It sounds really interesting, but the “remove my magic” part seems a bit railroady. I’d suggest coming up with a reason why we NEED to get rid of our magic (so we think), and then give the choice to hate our magic (which brings in the themes you mentioned) or we love our magic in theory, so we’re incredibly disappointed that we can’t keep them.
I’d suggest making it so our magic is haywire throughout the game. Instead of just the two instances, our uncontrollable magic becomes a daily struggle.
2 Likes
That’s pretty much the idea. After that first instance of magic, it does becomes uncontrollable, something MC has to fight against every day. Then as the city Guard is closing in for the death of the delivery recipient, MC’s magic kills the mother figure in their life in a terrible accident. They already blamed themself for the death of their birth mother in childbirth (it was really the magic – lore for the story is the last born of the bloodline receives the magic), MC runs, not just from the Guard but because of the guilt and shame and they’re desperate to keep their family and friends safe. This is the reason they want to remove their magic. All they know about having magic is chaos and death.
During the journey to find someone or something to remove their magic, they learn to control it and harness it for protection. By the end of the story, and with the help of the dragons, MC learns to accept their magic along with all the good and bad it has done.
Alright, playing with a few ideas and would like to bring it to the community for feedback or at least to get an a look at people outside of myself.
Anemoia: The Arbiter
You deal in secrets and lies — the type of things people get buried six feet under for, but it’s what you’re good at. Finding information, making use of it, you’ve built your survival on the fallen kingdoms of others. I mean when you’re everyone, isn’t it yours in the first place?
A shapeshifter, a Scion as they call you. One of the last true shapeshifters still alive in these times. While most of your kind were meeting the business end of a hunter’s blade; you got offered a job.
The usual stuff; keep up appearances for the busy diplomat, keep the public in line when they ask too many questions, and sometimes execute your fellow creatures when they get too big for their britches.
- Master your shapeshifter abilities: Bestial | Mimicry | Eldritch
- Use your authority: Help, Control or Tear Down your fellow creatures.
Inspired by: Shadowrun, the Wolf Among Us, and Dishonored.
Bloodbound:
You weren’t the first, and you’ll doubtless be the last. Even in the hallowed halls of your Order’s sanctum; they beckon to you. Haunted by memories not your own, questioning the reality
In which you walk.
Urges which you once held in contempt in another, are now your own. Hunters are a superstitious lot, grouped together fueled by personal vendettas, curiosity or an excuse to kill.
You’ve been given a last mission: Find and kill your Sire. Your former partner has been given permission to pull the trigger.
All that matters now if your the hunter you always wanted or the monster ready to be free.
Inspired by: Vampyr, Castlevania and Hellsing
- Anemoia: The Arbiter
- Bloodbound
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voters
4 Likes
A CoG partnership with the Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise & setting (through Avatar Studios) would be absolutely amazing.
Or something like the avatar the last airbender would make for a great IF story
1 Like
I’m currently in the process of making a D&D style One Piece IF, but instead of making every class available I’m going to lock spefic classes to certain character presets that you will be able to choose from. The classes will be tailored to represent the One Piece framework like a Swordsman for example, or a Cyborg, Six Powers user, etc. And the presets will be Pirate, Marine, Revolutionary, or Bounty Hunter.
I haven’t yet decided which class will be attached to each preset but don’t worry you’ll still be able to customize your characters personality traits, physical appearance, etc. Everything except for their race. I want to clarify that the preset you choose decides the course of your story and each preset will have a different one that’s tailored to them.
I’m at the stage where I’m just about done with creating all the behind the scenes mechanics and such, and I’m currently getting prepared to start writing the actual narrative for the project. What I what to know is which story would you guys like to play first so I can start working on it and put a demo out for you guys to try and also the race you would want to play as with that preset.
- Pirate
- Marine
- Revolutionary
- Bounty Hunter
0
voters
- Human
- Fishman
- Mink
- Skypiean
- Human/Mixed (Hybrid)
0
voters
If the hybrid is the most voted choice the second most voted will be the race that they’ll be mixed with.
4 Likes
Hello, so after watching a documentary that I borrowed from a friend. So that gave me an idea about a particular setting for a story but before I do get myself to work on it I want to ask if anything related to this is fit to be hosted game and what changes can be done in order to make it suitable.
So what I was thinking for a setting is, a venue that is based on an old movie theater, which consists on a pro wrestling promotion inspired on GLOW. The matches that are done there are as a matter of fact scripted unlike what games or movies or series try to portray as real. Instead, what I am thinking on working on what happens behind scenes, the drama, the business and generally speaking what the performers go through before and after the shows. Something like that can work for a game that can be hosted?
7 Likes