New Demo of a Fantasy/Horror Text RPG

Hello everybody! I’m new here - a writer and developer working on a fantasy/horror text RPG called The Salt Keep. I apologize if it’s not appropriate to post this here, as it’s not actually a ChoiceScript game, but these games were a big part of the inspiration for me and it’s structurally very similar, so I thought people here might be interested:

The Salt Keep on itch.io (Browser/Mac/PC)

I’d love to hear what COG players think about this kind of structure and whether the story is something they could get into on a larger scale. The demo is somewhere around 50k words, but I’m expecting the full version (still in progress) to come out around 220k words, so I expect it to be a substantial novel-length adventure. Any and all feedback is welcome, but I’d particularly love to get a general sense of whether people enjoy the demo and would want to keep going.

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Pretty good demo, I’m sensing some lovecraftian mystery at work here. Also I love the inventory system and how items were used.

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Very lovecraftian indeed ! The UI looks really smooth and easy to use, the pacing and style of the story is gripping and exciting. Though I would’ve loved to see some explanation on the skill tests and how they work as well as on how time passes, meaning when you have time to try it all and when you don’t.
Also, what sets this apart from a lot of cog-games is the set character. It makes a lot of sense for the kind of story you’re trying to tell and I’m excited to hear more about the guy, but just in case for those wondering, there are no costumization options for the mc. Or at least I haven’t seen any.
Overall I really love it and am excited for more !

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Thank you! I love a game that rewards exploration, so I’m aiming for a relatively rich inventory system to help accomplish that. Gotta have a little loot.

Thanks so much! I hoped that the skill tests you can come back to vs. those you can’t would be clear from context, but I think you’re right here, especially with the ones that happen mid-conversation. I’m thinking maybe a dynamic where “now or never” type tests are always put together in sets (like the ones toward the end of the prologue) might solve it, plus prevent any kind of metagame frustration about the possibility of leaving experience on the table.

I’m really glad you enjoyed it! It’s more finished than not at this point, so while it’s still gonna be a while, more is definitely coming.

Text RPGs have always been a great medium for horror but I don’t see much potential for action. Hopefully this one changes my mind because there is one on mobile that I liked. It has action but it’s not luck based. The reader just need to have enough stats to make options open.

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What was the one on mobile that you liked?

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