Out now! "Specters of the Deep"—Die for the realm, rise to save the world!

Originally published at: Out now! “Specters of the Deep”—Die for the realm, rise to save the world! - Choice of Games LLC

Specters of the DeepWe’re proud to announce that Specters of the Deep, the latest in our popular “Choice of Games” line of multiple-choice interactive-fiction games, is now available for Steam, Android, and on iOS in the “Choice of Games” app.

It’s 33% off until October 2nd!

We’re also pleased to announce that both of Abigail Trevor’s other games, Stars Arisen and Heroes of Myth, are on sale this week and that checkpoint saves have been added to both games in a recent update!

In life, you were a legendary hero. Now, you’ll rise from the grave as a ghost to defend your country in its hour of greatest need! Defy dragons, duel the dead, and face the nightmare at the bottom of the sea!

Specters of the Deep is an interactive epic fantasy novel by Abigail C. Trevor, author of Heroes of Myth and Stars Arisen. It’s entirely text-based, 1 million words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects, fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Centuries ago, you were the finest warrior that the island nation of Galdrin had ever known. The realm was strong and prosperous, upheld by the might of the Eye of the Serpent, a magical artifact bonded to the monarch—and by your might, too. You protected the people and defended the crown; when the dragons emerged from their seclusion, you won the honor of being the king’s emissary to them and forged a powerful alliance.

Then, you fell in battle at the hands of your greatest rival, dead before your time.

But now you awake, called forth from your tomb to save the realm from even greater peril. With your new spectral form come new powers: the ability to pass through solid walls and float high above the earth, command over other ghosts, and the potential to strike fear into the hearts of the living. You will need every bit of that power in this new age of crisis. The royal family is shattered and divided, with the young king clinging to scraps of his former power while his connection to the Eye of the Serpent hangs in the balance. Anti-monarchist rebels shout in the streets and political rivals seek to extend their power across the sea. Galdrin’s neighboring nation lies beneath the waves, sunk by cataclysmic earthquakes. Worst of all, the mighty dragons are withdrawing from the alliance you built centuries ago, and you may be the only one who can win them back.

What’s more, you aren’t the only specter on Galdrin’s shores. There’s an army of ghosts crawling out of the water, tearing at the foundations of the castle. Sometimes, you can hear the voice that commands them. Something is waiting at the bottom of the ocean—and it wants you back.

If Galdrin is to survive, you must rise as its hero once more, and join an epic battle for the Eye of the Serpent, power over the ocean, and the realm itself.

  • Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, bisexual, monogamous, polyamorous, asexual, and/or aromantic
  • Battle enemies old and new as a ghost, commanding spectral armies and passing invisibly through walls, and inspiring dread in the hearts of your foes.
  • Romance a troubled king, a rebellious prince, a clever wizard, a daring dragon, or a strangely familiar ghost.
  • Restore the ancient arcane power of Galdrin’s monarchy, or embrace modernity and forge a new path forward for the realm.
  • Search for lost treasure and buried secrets in a sunken kingdom as you plunge to the depths of the ocean – and seek out the source of the monstrous voice you hear in your mind.
  • Build a new body and reclaim a place among the living, or embrace your spectral form to endure as a ghost.
  • Avenge your own death and find a way to set old enmities aside – or even rekindle old flames of love.

What nightmare lies in the deep?

We hope you enjoy playing Specters of the Deep. We encourage you to tell your friends about it, and recommend the game on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, 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.

23 Likes

Congratulations @abbytrevor! I really enjoy how your games explore themes of the past causing problems for the present and how to handle it all. I played the first chapter or two what feels like ages ago and I’m very excited to see where it all goes now that it’s finished!

7 Likes

This game was so much fun to write, and I’m excited for people to give it a try!

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I’m on chapter 5, and having a blast!

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This is so awesome to hear! Really needed this. Buying now. :smiley:

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A new game by Abigail Trevor is always something to savor. Somehow, only two and a half years after Stars Arisen, she has given us another million-word masterpiece. Specters of the Deep is brilliantly original. Somehow Abby writes as if she’d read every work of fantasy ever written, and at the same time as if she were inventing the genre: abundantly aware of what’s possible, but entirely unfettered by how it’s usually done. This game would be worth playing for the exciting plot alone, or for the nuanced and compelling characters, or for the sharp and witty dialogue, or for the masterfully vibrant settings, or for the intricate worldbuilding, or for the thought-provoking and fiendish choices, or for the romance routes with their moments of surprising vulnerability and tenderness, or simply as a study in the themes that have always spurred Abby’s creativity: how the past informs (or misinforms) the present and the relationships between our selves, our bodies, and our power. That this game could succeed - brilliantly - at everything it sets out to do scarcely seems possible. And the way it’s put together is pure mastery. Million-word ChoiceScript games aren’t super rare these days, but few are this efficiently constructed or offer such a seamless experience.

I’m going to stop waxing eloquent about this game now so you can go buy it already. :slight_smile:

4 Likes

Loving the sound of the setup, though very sad that both royal romances are male. I do love courting power.

5 Likes

Fair, although I will say that there are certain kinds of power that can come along with some of the other romances, just not necessarily the royal kind. One of the royal romances isn’t actually going to get you much political power either, for that matter, at least not officially.

6 Likes

I’m at chapter 3 atm, and it’s been a fun read so far. Although I did encounter a bug about Senna, her pronouns often switch from “She” to “They”, that or it could just be because I’m hallucinating. Overall, bugs are to be expected during launch, and that doesn’t downgrade the quality of the game at all. The story is very intriguing, it made me read the entire pages without getting distracted. I loved the fact that you can summon ghosts to help you. I had a blast using it repeatedly.

Senna is nonbinary. If Senna was ever referred to as “she,” that was the error. But I don’t remember ever seeing Senna misgendered when I was beta testing.

3 Likes

Which romances are poly?

I’m pretty sure the only poly pairing is Frey and Vesper.

3 Likes

The achievements list seems to imply otherwise, or at least that’s what I thought when I looked

If you’re referring to “I Can’t Decide Whether You Should Live or Die” and “Lock the Doors and Close the Blinds,” both refer to a mongamous romance with Cecilia. She is the “old friend” referred to in both Achievement descriptions, and she is also the “new comrade in arms” or “ongoing enemy,” depending on whether you and she are allies or enemies in the present day.

3 Likes

Loving the game so far. I am at chapter 4.

The Senna character sure likes to be “busy” wherever they go

Also is Aina included as romance option?

1 Like

I would answer your spoilered question differently after you’ve finished chapter 4.

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Finally finished. Really liked the portrayal of Leviathan, came off as kind of sort of somewhat sympathetic to me while still keeping in mind it had to be stopped. The ending was suitably somber, or at least the one I got was. Maybe there’s a way to trigger it and I didn’t see it, but I kind of would’ve liked an option to finally move on And go back to rest.

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Specific endgame spoilers: There are a couple of options a bit like that, but they come at points when things are already going Very Badly (as in, Leviathan is about to destroy you regardless).

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Yeah, after a first run through, that’s the only real criticism I have. Time and life reasons means it’ll be a while before I come back and replay, but I’m definitely going to do that when I get the chance.

1 Like

As we head into the weekend, I do want to share this rousing endorsement from one of the many spam partnership proposals our support email receives, which I’m sure is in no way a template automatically filled in with excerpts from the game description:

Your game’s unique mechanics, such as commanding spectral armies and traversing walls, align seamlessly with our audience’s interests.

I believe, with your help, we can make this the #1 Traversing Walls game of 2025.

8 Likes