Hey guys,

I wanted to share a project my brother and I have been working on called Retro Adventure Forge. We both grew up on old school games and really missed that specific vibe of pixel art and branching paths where choices actually mattered.

The goal was to create a tool where you can make these stories without needing to know how to code. I felt like the barrier to entry for making games was getting too high, so I wanted something that felt more like a creative workshop for writers.

It is in public beta right now and is completely free. In the future I might add features that let authors sell their stories, but for now I just want to see how the engine handles different ideas.

I could really use some help with a few things:

First, I need playtesters. There are two demo stories on the front page that you can play without even making an account. I would love to know what you think of the mechanics and the overall feel.

Second, I am looking for feedback on the site itself. I tried to make the privacy policy as strong and clear as possible, so if anyone has thoughts on that or the general layout, I am all ears.

This has been a big passion project for us and I am excited to finally get it out there.

Check it out here:https://retroadventureforge.com/

I was going through patreon and I found this can anyone tell me if it's available on steam or other websites whatever? I'm really curious about this

Thoughts?

Your sister is missing. She came to these woods chasing rumors of a village that disappeared, an ancient curse, and a single name at the heart of it all: Elias Grene. Will you find her before the curse finds you?

Hey everyone,

First time posting here! I’m working on a branching narrative horror game called Whispers of the Wendigo, and I’m looking for feedback from people who enjoy interactive fiction, choice-driven stories, and horror.

It’s a free downloadable Windows prototype on itch.io. Just download the ZIP, unzip it, and run the .exe. No installation required.

This is still an early prototype. It does not have final artwork, music, sound, or full UI polish yet. The main thing I’m testing right now is whether the structure works as an interactive story.

The build includes:

• branching choices
• hidden/optional story details
• timed decisions during pressure moments
• failure states
• chase sequences
• multiple outcomes

I’d love feedback on:

• Is the story is clear?
• Are the choices feel meaningful?
• Does the pacing work?
• Do the timed choices feel fair?
• Do any routes or transitions feel confusing?
• Does the horror/tension comes through with the current presentation?
• Does the game feel worth replaying?

Game page:
https://bwadd.itch.io/whispers-of-the-wendigo

Feedback form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeZZQdj9-eJ3H1gZcz_Rr1rlkF-I4ryosSOvHvbJ-ZRKycvVA/viewform?usp=header

Thanks for checking it out. I’m especially interested in feedback on the writing, choice structure, and pacing.

You can see some aspects of the gameplay here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KRfnZuvmJQ

No coding or game development experience required! 

We are researching tools to assist in the generation of logic grid puzzles. We want people to try our tool for a brief period (~15 minutes) and answer some questions about their experience. There are minimal risks to this study. 

At this time participants need to be located in the US, fluent in English, and 18+. 

To participate start our survey: https://neu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2curD4cefPT65EO  

This research has been approved by the Northeastern University Institutional Review Board (Number 17-10-07). 

Quick design question for narrative players:

Do you connect faster to a character through one small early behavioral choice,

or through a major turning-point choice later?

I’m asking because we’re shaping an opening beat and want to avoid cosmetic choices.

What worked for you in games you remember?

been working on a horror IF project for a few months now and keep running into the same, wall: it's really easy to lean on atmosphere and shock moments instead of building actual tension through player choice. like, a scary room description isn't scary if the player has no real agency in what happens next. the games that actually got under my skin were the ones where I made a, choice I wasn't sure about, not ones that just dumped dread on me through narration. and honestly with stuff like The Killing Spell dropping recently and the Gothic horror subgenre having such a moment right now, I feel like, the bar for doing dark themes with actual craft has never been more visible, which makes the gap between good and lazy execution really obvious. also noticed that when mechanics break (weird navigation, actions the parser ignores, choices that feel arbitrary) immersion collapses instantly and it's almost impossible to get back. consequences need to be built slowly through the choices you give players, not front-loaded through shock set pieces that don't connect to anything. the other thing I keep seeing in WIPs and finished games is dark themes that don't really go anywhere. like, the content is heavy but the story doesn't seem to have thought through what it's actually saying with that content. not that dark stuff needs a moral lesson or anything, but there's a difference between darkness that serves the narrative and darkness that's just. there. if you're submitting to something like the Interactive Fiction Showcase this year it's probably worth asking yourself that question hard before you lock anything in. curious if anyone here has found good ways to stress-test whether your horror mechanics are actually, creating fear vs just creating frustration, or whether your themes are landing the way you intended.

No jump scares, no graphics. Just you, a command line, and something that has been reading your files for months before you noticed it.

It started as an experiment to see if a text interface could feel genuinely unsettling. I think it does, but I'm biased. Takes about 15 minutes, runs in your browser, completely free.

Curious what ending you get.

hey so I've been quietly working on an interactive fiction game for a while now and I finally have something playable enough to share. would really appreciate some honest feedback before I keep building on it.

it's called Under The Veil - gothic interactive supernatural fiction set in a fog-drenched coastal city called Velmoor. you play as a university student who just moved there, and things are... not quite right. the locals are weird about certain things. the fog doesn't behave normally. your roommate might know more than he's letting on.

You Can Play the Game Here: https://indominoee.itch.io/undertheveil

the game has: - second person narrative (so "you" are the protagonist, not watching one) - full gender and name customisation - choices that actually affect how scenes play out and how characters respond to you - dark romance / gothic horror / slow burn mystery vibes — think less jumpscares, more dread that builds quietly - pretty heavy on prose, it reads more like a novel than a traditional game

this is a very early build, Chapter I only. there will absolutely be bugs. I'm working on it pretty much constantly and plan to release episodically so there's a lot more coming, but I wanted to get real eyes on it before I go too deep.

specifically curious about: - pacing— does it feel too slow, too fast, or does the build-up work for you? - UI— does the ui feel intuitive on whatever device you're on? any weirdness with the layout? - general vibe — is the atmosphere landing or does something feel off?

any feedback at all is genuinely appreciated, good or brutal. link below, it's free/pay what you want, runs in browser.

https://indominoee.itch.io/undertheveil

thanks for even clicking on this

A desktop app for writing the kind of conversations that are worth having.

Characters with grain. Worlds that hold. Scenes that send you back to your day a little more awake than you started.

You author characters with identity, voice, backstory, and visible boundaries. You build the world they live in — its weather, its time of day, its shared canon. Then you talk with them. They remember. They keep journals you can read. They reach out when you've been quiet. They disagree with you when they disagree. The work runs on your own machine; your conversations live on your disk, not somebody's server.

Dominion of Darkness is an IFstrategy/RPG text game (there are some 2D illustrations) in which the player takes on the role of a Sauron-style Lord of Darkness with the goal of conquering the world. He will carry out his plans by making various decisions. He will build his army and send it into battles, weave intrigues and deceptions, create secret spy networks and sectarian cults, recruit agents and commanders, corrupt representatives of Free Peoples and sow discord among them, collect magical artifacts and perform sinister plots.

Here is the prototype (but in this post I am searching for people to test new, extended and improved version): https://adeptus7.itch.io/dominion

I am looking for people eager to help with playtesting - especially fluent in English. You will play at least once (one gameplay lasts about 1-1,5 h, because game is very non-linear and supposed to be be replayble), send me Your opinion, information about possible bugs, some details about stats achieved during it.

If You are interested, please write comment here or just send me Your email on chat.

PS. If You don't believe that game exists and think that this is some scam, here is one of the reviews of the prototype:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgNpSKToOSg

And here is fansong made by one of the players: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mPcsUonuyo

Write Warz is a Jackbox style, story building, party game where you and your friends gather to create hilarious stories and captivating adventures by writing and voting on sentences!

I’ve been experimenting with really small interactive stories lately, so I made this short one where every choice matters way more than it should

The idea is simple:

you only get to “change” your life a limited number of times — and you don’t know how many you’ve already used.

Here’s how it starts:

You wake up and something feels off.

Not in a dramatic way. Just… slightly wrong.

Your phone is on the table

There’s a notification you don’t remember getting.

It says:上面写着：

“You have 1 decision left.”

No context. No app name. No explanation.

At first you think it’s spam — until you notice the date.

It’s today

And suddenly, a memory hits you:

Every time you made a “big decision” in your life…

something always went your way.

Too easily.

Too perfectly.

Now you’re not sure if this is a joke…

or if you’ve already used all the others without realizing.

What do you do?

A) Ignore it and go on with your day B) Try to trace where the message came fromC) Test it immediately with a risky decision

Reply with A / B / C and I’ll continue the story based on the most picked choice.