SPLIT: the Mortal Wound (WIP) - CHAPTER 1 - [53 K words]

Hosted Games Works In Progress
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Hello!

I’m excited to share a demo of Split: the Mortal Wound, an interactive fiction I’m co-writing with Anna Nazabi.

Currently, there’s the first chapter available.

We’d be delighted if you found the time to give it a try and tell us what you think, what works or doesn’t work, and what could be improved. We would also appreciate any feedback about the plot, grammar, or bugs.

To play the demo, go here: DEMO

This is the first part of a multi-genre series where crime themes clash with romance and mystery. The story is set in a thriving modern city with an active underbelly and hints at a fantastical shift to come.

This interactive fiction is intended for a mature audience (18+)

PLOT

You play as a son or daughter of a wealthy businessman, who runs a growing criminal empire under the guise of legitimate ventures. But despite your remarkable abilities, you’re far from the top of the mafia food chain.

You never fall ill and heal remarkably fast, yet there’s a catch—you share your body with another fully independent personality. To the outside world, you pretend to be twins, but each of you is bound to one parent and instantly triggered by the mere sound of their voices.

As a result, when you were a child, those closest to you set up a rigid system: alternating weeks with full control of the body. Back then, you didn’t question their methods, or wonder why they didn’t treat you like others with similar disorders. But now, after more than two decades of this arrangement, doubts are starting to creep in.

You’ve never had it easy under your father’s control, unlike your counterpart, who benefits from your mother’s affection. You’re stuck handling shady deals and collecting overdue debts, while they run a thriving, independent business, untouched by your father’s dirty money

Your relationship has never been smooth, but you’re growing restless with this setup and so is your counterpart.

ROs

Mark (he)

Age: 45

status: the boss’s right hand

You’ve worked with him for several years, ever since your father started to seriously involving you in the business. He’s the one giving you orders and mentoring you with a strong believe that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

character: stern/no bullshit attitude/dark sense of humor

Sieun (he/she)

Age: 30

status: surgeon

The’re a brilliant mind working for the mafia since fourteen years old, but you don’t know the specifics of their agreement with your father. It doesn’t seem like a voluntary cooperation.

Due to your super healing abilities you haven’t needed their services, and don’t know them well.

character: serious/ambitious/withdrawn

Sebastian (he)

Age: 28

status: car mechanic/your best friend

You’ve known each other since your teenage years, and he’s the only person close to you who knows about the split. Unfortunately, he also works for your father, which makes you worry about his well-being and his growing addiction to alcohol and drugs.

character: social butterfly/poet/loyal

Rupert/Prudence (he/she)

Age: 22

status: medium

The grandchild of a fortune teller famous in the occult underworld, having clairsentience skills of their own. They’re forced to help in running the family business, but their true passion is to develop their metal band.

character: metalhead/goofy/confident

CONTENT WARNINGS

This interactive fiction contains:

graphic violence, substance use, profanity and optional sexual content (including extreme dubious consent), mentions of mental illness, depictions or references to child abuse and neglect, as well as dialogue and opinions expressed by fictional characters that may be perceived as offensive or insensitive. These views are solely those of the characters and do not reflect the beliefs of the authors. They are included to serve the narrative and portray the story’s setting authentically.

Player discretion is advised.

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X No — This project does not contain the output of Generative AI
Yes — This project contains the output of Generative AI

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The plot is very interesting and the writings nice, btw is MC the only one with abilities like this?? Also Ernest when I get my hands on you!

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Thank you! :slight_smile:

As for MC’s regeneration, it’s partly inherited, but saying anything more would spoil future updates.

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Interesting plot and I can’t wait to read more of this, good luck author :grin:

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Thank you! :slightly_smiling_face:

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Can’t wait to play more of this that cliffhanger left me wanting more :slight_smile:

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Thank you for giving it a try :slightly_smiling_face:

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I hate (but also love) when I find stories still in the early stages just like this because they’re always so good and just leaves you wanting more. Can’t wait to see what happens between Paula and Kate due to certain choices​:smiling_face_with_horns::smiling_face_with_horns:.

Also just wanted to say this is great and I can’t wit for future updates.:grin::+1:

6 Likes
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This is now my favourite cogdemos wip <33

The writing is legit funny and I adored the characters and the way they interacted. I love being the troublemaker personality and doing everything in my power to fuck the other over, just for fun.

Cant wait for more also I hope we get to adopt the kids from the beginning. Would my mc be an awful dad? yeah. But that’s just what he needs to soft his cold heat… :pensive_face:

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Thank you! :slightly_smiling_face:

Yeah, the development of that choice will be interesting :thinking:

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Same, I love the found-family trope and the Leon movie so I’m really hoping mc gets to keep the kids

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Thank you very much! :slightly_smiling_face:

Yes, MC is the definition of a troublemaker, even when they don’t mean to. But we’ll let them cause even more trouble in the future :smirking_face:

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Ugh, why does the mc have to have a shitty apartment and worst of all no style in fashion at all when he’s a friggin mobster?! :disappointed_face: :face_vomiting: Please tell me we can at least change the mc’s shitty wardrobe in the future? Not wanting to be the poster-boy for preppy like his twin brother shouldn’t have to mean having no style at all. There’s enough decent styles that are gangster or adjacent to it that are neither preppy nor old school mob, instead of ugly, formless sweatsuits and torn clothes. Besides, mc and twin are seemingly very good looking, so why can’t mc work it more?

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Thanks for the feedback!

We envisioned the MC as someone slightly detached, caught in a repetitive pattern, and weary of it. However, their future is for you to shape, so we’ll definitely expand on those options.
This is still a WIP and subject to change. We’re open to all suggestions.

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Thanks, I suppose since mc starts out with basically no style at all changing it (and maybe the place where the mc lives), once we’re allowed to do so in the story, and I really hope we will, can at least net us some comments from the ro’s and our “twin“ I suppose. :thinking: Still the image of mc at both a fancy club and a party in some ratty old sweatsuits will take some bleaching to get out my brain now. Well I suppose at least there is no way to go but up for the mc is there? Hopefully, since mc’s current job is quite literally shit. :persevering_face:

That is really not the look I want for my mc, but I guess choices and all. Still the costuming department of Breaking Bad did manage to make a very cute actor look like an immature stoner and a bit of a loser, so in that sense it very much worked. Hopefully, unlike poor Jesse, mc needs not to be tortured anymore than they already are to grow out of it. And Jesse dresses much more normally in El Camino. Like I said before, preppy is not the only style there is and while I do not want my mc to dress like Paul nor as an old-school mobster either there are plenty more stylish options that are neither of those things.

As right now Paul seems to be the only one who gets to rock the shared body’s good looks for all they’re worth. So, yeah, I want my mc to be able to get in on that action while not copying his “brother“ but also not dressing like shit anymore. And I really hope we do get the option to change mc’s style later on but hopefully well before the finale. For those of us that want to that is, if you don’t want that for your mc then I assume there is gonna be an option to keep the crappy starting “style“ as well. I just really hope that will not be our only option.

For starters that the ones the mc apparently owns all seem to be old ratty salvation army castoffs and some are even full of holes. Mc may not have the kind of resources the other personality has but from some dialogues it seems they have at least some money and even if they didn’t they’re a criminal and resourceful enough to acquire what they want by less than legal means too.

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To quote the mc “ what’s wrong with sweatsuits?”

Maybe it’s the way I played, but I think their fashion style perfectly fits them and it contrasts with the other personality plus it enforces the whole “mc is the black sheep of the family”

Also I keep imagining my mc dresses like Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad, beanie included, and it really elevates the experience

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Oh, the gang will definitely notice if the MC switches up their style, that’s for sure! :smiley: And yeah, nothing’s worse than dealing with literal shit, or is it… :smiling_face_with_horns:

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K I see your point, but I’m pretty sure it’s said mc is good looking, despise their questionable fashion sense. I think maybe some expensive leather jackets and dress shoes would do them good while being diferente from Paul. Nacho from Better Call Saul is what im thinking

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For my mc leather jackets would be a good start but with the mc’s looks why not rock leather pants too? Given that the only possession mc seems to currently have that is not trash or shit is their top of the line expensive motorcycle, that we have sadly yet to experience ourselves. I think a fitting natural progression for my mc to branch out style-wise would be to start leaning into the whole “bad boy” biker aesthetic style-wise and incorporate some more stylish leather gear and boots and maybe even motorcycle suits . And this would, I think be my preference for my mc. The other natural progression from mc’s current trash sweatsuits would be to lean into the sporty athletic thing but go for much better quality and much better looking sportswear brands. :thinking: In any case I am already tired of having Paul be the only one who gets to have fun style and looks wise.

Now Male RO first impressions,

Mark, is not for my mc is all I can say, getting a very BDSM daddy type of vibe from the guy and with how shit the mc’s life already is I don’t think I am in the mood to have my mc become some sort of slaveboy in the relationship too. Still in spite of that I think he is the only one who right now would actually choose mc over Paul if he had to out of all of mc’s family and associates, excepting the childhood friend.

Si-eun could be interesting if only I could shake the first impression that, like most of the rest of the family, mom, dad, and associates, excepting possibly Mark, he’s really on Paul’s side to win the whole possession contest. We’ll see how that develops, for now he is a no-go for me.

Sebastian, the cute loyal childhood friend. His impulsiveness and drug addictions would be the red flags here, as currently he is the only character who makes mc look level-headed by comparison. Like Si-Eun a toss-up but unlike Si the one I am currently going for, pending future developments.

Rupert, the baby of the bunch and in reverse of Mark the only one who is significantly younger than the mc. Nothing further to add since we have not even formally met him in person yet.

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Hell yeah definitely motorcycle jackets. For the more athletic side, they could go for the classic mexican gangster stereotype of a white tank top. I totally see mc using a tank top just to flex their muscles. Throwing in some running shoes to run away from the police

1 Like