Soulmates Inc. (WIP) [119k | updated on 05/27/2024]

Hello, I’m Len, a long-time IF enjoyer and previously just a lurker! And now I’m working on a light-hearted game about soulmates, chances and choices.

Without further ado–

Here at Soulmates Inc. we specialize in chance meetings!

As a soul-link, your job is to guide two people entrusted in your care to one another in a fateful meeting, for they are each other’s soulmates. Aided by the soul-link powers, you will craft a story that will be told over and over to others, changed and misremembered or kept as faithful as humanly possible. Without your help, they would not find one another.

P.S.: a regular reminder to refrain from referring to yourself or your coworkers as Cupid.

Link to PLAY || Link to tumblr

Current word count: 119k
Most recent update on: 05/27/2024

Update log
  • Uploaded on 05/27/2024, +40k
    Investigation into case number two, a company event, and chasing the plot as it unravels.
  • Uploaded on 01/11/2024, +17k
    This update to the first case introduces new ways to complete the goals for your chosen meeting setting and employs the character’s stats for that. There are new and rewritten scenes for the art exhibition branch and a whole new path for the game event one, expanding the role of the soul-link powers and enabling no-powers solutions.
  • Uploaded on 12/21/2023, 62k
    Initial upload. Fully playable soulmate matching case and the aftermath.
Summary

Love happens.

It takes by the storm. It is lucky, it is cruel, it makes no sense, it elevates. It is beautiful, it rears its ugly head, then it is beautiful once again. Now that, humans can manage on their own.

Soulmate-grade connection is an entirely different brand. Enter you. That’s your brand. It requires dedicated labor. Whimsical meetings. Nuance.

As a soul-link, you arrange for those destined matches to happen using the powers of glamor at your disposal. An ancient practice, really, though, as with everything, it has evolved and happily marched with the times. You work out of an office, have a phone plan, a lease, and a favorite restaurant. Your boss is not a half-naked man with a bow and arrows but a fashionably dressed man who goes to a gym and drives an electrical Mustang.

It is nice. Modern.

Just one rule. The only rule, in fact. A scripture, if you will: never interact with a soul directly.

Which is precisely why your most recent half-match staring at your confused face is so damn bad. Worse yet, they can see right through your glamor for some reason.

Now what?..

Features
  • customize the protagonist: their name, pronouns, appearance and reactions
  • love is all around you but it does not have to be for you: play as aro, ace, bi, gay or straight. Your romantic prospects are three, but each has a story to tell
  • explore who you are: a firm and enthusiastic believer, a burned-out office worker, or a skeptical soul-link questioning their purpose
  • use and evolve your soul-link powers: Empathy and Shroud
  • keep up with your job duties and bring people together while trying to protect your employer from a greater looming threat
  • someone is throwing around heavy words like ‘destiny’, but dealing with existential questions is entirely optional!
Romance options

all ROs are available to all MCs regardless of gender

Amber | Andrew Wyatt
Once a high-performer soul-link, they flew too close to the sun and snooped around where one does not snoop around. Having fallen from grace at a company that believes in chances, Wyatt is back on probation, though under your supervision. The light is snuffed out of their eyes, and instead of being a firm believer, Wyatt now drips disillusioned pearls of what they think is wisdom.

Samuel | Samantha C. Powell
Sam has a steady job, does weekly family visits and always parks the bike properly. How do you learn that? Sam is also your sparkling new charge, a common everyperson, a salt of the earth—nope, not that simple at all! You cannot seem to find their soulmate (never happens) and they can see through your glamor (never happens either). To be fair, Sam is freaked out by it, too.

Martin | Mia Romero
A hectic ball of energy that is a human person, they are passionate about their distaste for your employer’s business and are happy to go in length about it. Romero is messy, yet strangely put together in their belief: a hurricane that may sweep you off your feet if you are not careful enough. They know things, things no human should. You should probably report that to your boss…

247 Likes

I’ve seen it on dashingdon, and this was so fun to play. Very sad when it ended :sob:

8 Likes

Oh nice! Just finished playing it and was wondering if you would post it on the forum too. It’s a really unique concept

1 Like

Hey ! I just finished reading, and to my surprise I find that you made a thread for it.

I liked how the case went with Wyatt, they weren’t what I expected at all, when first introduced I thought they would end up being one of those hard to get along with ROs who want nothing to do with MC, i kind of waited for some kind of a riposte when MC made to remove their glasses, but they were actually chill, their personality is quite a breath of fresh air, they are willing to work with MC and fight for their position, their laid back character is quite enjoyable.

I loved playing as a believer!MC and all the interactions we had with Wyatt thus far, from being able to add a heart emoji to helping with the wig. I can’t wait to see how Sam’s route is going to be handled considering they are our charge.

Edit : Ah yes, I forgot to mention that at first i thought it was gender locked to female!MC, considering we get to choose our name first ( only female names were suggested, if i remember correctly ) and the gender a little further in the story.

10 Likes

Intrigued by this. Very Intrigued. Its like the matchmaker’s version of the show Severance. Can’t wait for more.

4 Likes

If it’s any consolation, I’m very eager to pick up writing from where we left off after a small break!

Thank you, it’s so cool to see how they are perceived by the players! Wyatt can be insufferable under certain conditions, but in the case of working with MC they absolutely wouldn’t be. I’d say it was an ingenious idea on Eugene’s (the Manager) part!

Can’t wait to explore that dynamic, so many ways it can go :slight_smile:

Hmm, this is not the first time I get this feedback, actually, so I might just toss more names into that mix to solve it for good. Thank you!

I had to look it up and omg, this is so funny to me :smiley: I totally get where you’re coming from with this comparison, haha

6 Likes

Severance is worth your time. I strongly recommend. Best show of 2022 by far for me, personally.

1 Like

Ha ha, I thought the same, but now i’m pursuing him and was sad we didn’t get called to the chamber together again for the next case lol.

6 Likes

This is something great, huge potential to be one of my favorite IF’s. Loved the overall story and characters (especially Wyatt) so far and can’t wait for more. Can’t wait to see where you go with this!

1 Like

You still might need a driver/moral support for the shenanigans in the upcoming part :wink:

Will check it out, thank you!

@Biggie_Notorious thank you! Cannot wait to jump back into it and continue working on the next part!

3 Likes

Dropping in to say that the name situation is hopefully sorted out with the addition of the new options :pleading_face:. Can’t post images yet, but there are six to pick from now.

4 Likes

First of all, founding this IF is a dream come true for me. It’s just like stumbling upon a pile of gold! For that I thank you and wholeheartedly hope you the best on this creation of yours.

Having a story center around matchmaker or something akin to cupid is just something I want to see more and hoping people explore about albeit the idea itself is somewhat very obscure and I didn’t found much luck in actually founding many stories with said premises. That is why I must thank you for it!

So far Soulmate Inc. is a breath of fresh air in term of romance element for me. Seeing a character pursuing love has been a common occurrence however seeing a character directly or indirectly help another character pursuing their romance and become the focus of it is certainly one of the unique way to tackle the idea of love. I am intrigued with the Soulmates Inc. system of work. They certainly are company through and through and I cannot state that I expected that honestly. In my opinion, I thought that aspect of otherworldly will be more in touch with the story as in the way they might be angel or such in charge or working for it. But it is a welcome surprise nonetheless. Since it’s still early in the development not everything is being address in the story so I will wait until then but may I ask what is the significance of a soul link not being able to directly interact with their assigned soul. Also, why can’t soul link refer themselves or other Co worker as cupid if you know… They are literally doing something that a cupid will do.

3 Likes

:sob: It’s so sweet and inspiring!

I found it a curious concept to explore: take something so ethereal and poetic as love and mix it with an element so grounded and mundane like a corporate system.

Oh, there is an otherworldly aspect to it :slight_smile: The soul-link powers and the source of the soulmate information are not powered by stock plans, I tell you that…

There are many actually. For one, the meeting between the soulmates should look like a fortunate circumstance, stars aligning magically (by the unseen hand of a soul-link) and should not come back to a face of a person working at Soulmates Inc. For another, it has to do with the memory alteration aspect of it. This part will be explored in length in the next update.

That’s more of a running gag :sweat_smile: The site manager dislikes it, so the internal mail often circulates the reminder about not using the word which many people ignore. It’s more about… branding, I’d say. But of course they’re doing exactly that, being lil cupids.

Thank you for such a thoughtful response! Hope I can keep delivering!

8 Likes

Sounds interesting

1 Like

Hey everyone! Just uploaded an update to the game, adding 17k to the wordcount.

This update to the first case introduces new ways to complete the goals for your chosen meeting setting and employs your character’s stats for that. With this, the game will now react properly to the power choices you have made for your MC, potentially locking options that were available in the previous build and unlocking new ones. There are new and rewritten scenes for the art exhibition branch and a whole new path for the game event one, expanding the role of your soul-link powers and enabling no-powers solutions.

All-new options:

  • pick a fake job
  • commandeer a digital fleet
  • get Wyatt banned
23 Likes

I love it :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:, my mc got addicted with the game :rofl:.

1 Like

I think i have a problem? The game ends just after that sam vision or something?( i chose the 2 powers and the art path)

Not a problem - that’s the end of the demo so far, I believe.

1 Like

@azerty is right, that’s just where the currently available content ends. I’m working on the continuation already!

4 Likes

I’m already absolutely confuzzled LMAO

I may have to re-read this a few times to get a lock on the full premise. Like at first, I saw that this “Rachel” was introduced, and I thought I was someone else, but then supposedly I’m also Rachel.

Like am I like sort of…“gamemaster” type in this one? This is going to take some time for me to put everything together lol, feels like I’m watching tenet, but in a good way

1 Like