Thread Title: [WIP] Blue Dominion - A Dystopian/Thriller [420k]
Written by Max Ferran
Official Alpha Demo [Version 1.12.4]: CoGDemos [70k]
In New Haven, time isn’t merely counted—it’s commanded. The clock embedded in your wrist isn’t just a tool; it is your master, dictating every breath, every step. When the digits reach zero, you are meant to crumple, lifeless, like a puppet whose strings have been cut clean. A peaceful end, the Dominion promises. A gentle release.
But in the smog-choked shadows of the Grit, the city’s underbelly, whispers tell a different story. They speak of those who defy the clock, whose timers expire while their hearts, impossibly, continue to beat. The Dominion calls it a myth. A delusion. But in a world where every second is currency and hope is the most dangerous gamble of all, you are about to discover the truth for yourself.
Blue Dominion is a 425,000-word dystopian interactive novel set over a century after the Dominion, a parasitic, cellular organism from a distant realm, first arrived on Earth. It infected the planet, overtook its hosts, and molded a new form of life in place of humanity. As you fight for every precious minute, you will be forced to uncover the dark secrets behind the Dominion’s control, the nature of your timer, and the fate of those who run out of time. The question is this: Will you claw your way to the top of the system, or will you burn it all down for a chance at something more than just borrowed time?
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Play as a character of your own design, customizing your name, appearance, and the clothes you wear to navigate the different strata of society.
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Forge your own path by choosing to work with or against the primary factions: the corporate and calculating Merchant’s Guild, the ruthless Under-Market thieves, the enigmatic Whisper Market, or the deadly assassins of the Veiled Hand.
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Master a deep and varied skill system. Will you be a powerhouse of Strength, a nimble ghost of Agility, a brilliant tactician of Intelligence, or a silver-tongued manipulator of Charisma?
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Uncover the dark truths behind the Dominion’s control, the nature of your timer, and the fate of those who run out of time.
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Engage in high-stakes back-alley brawls, strategic cage fights, or tense negotiations where a wrong word can be more fatal than a blade.
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Build relationships with a cast of complex characters —from a desperate orphan girl to a cynical fight coach—where your actions determine if they become your most trusted allies or your bitterest enemies.
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Forge your own identity, literally, by acquiring false documents, creating new aliases, or even attempting to erase your file from the system entirely.
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Decide your own morality in a world that has none. Will you be a beacon of honor in the darkness, or will you embrace the cruelty of the Grit to ensure your own survival?
Author’s Note: Max Ferran is an emerging author whose talent and determination have earned him recognition through the NYSACAC Writer’s Fund—a selective scholarship awarded to young writers who have overcome significant obstacles to pursue their creative goals. He is also a recipient of the Presidential Ignite Fellowship, a prestigious academic award that supports his continued education while he advances his work as an independent writer.
Content Warnings: The game contains depictions of violence, corporate and criminal cruelty, and themes of existential dread and body horror.
Tags: sci-fi, dystopian, thriller, mature, low fantasy, time, young adult,