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Take to the skies! You fell to Earth as the last remnant of a dying world – can you rise as the planet’s greatest hero and triumph as a beacon of justice? Shrug off bullets, smash buildings with your bare hands, and soar through the air as you battle against vicious villains! 

The Last Scion is an interactive superhero novel by D. G. P. Rector. It’s entirely text-based, 200,000 words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination. I sat down with the author to talk about his background as a writing and his experiences writing for Choice of Games. The Last Scion releases this Thursday, June 19th. You can play the first three chapters today, for free.

Tell me about your background in writing.

I’ve always enjoyed telling stories, something I think I got from my father. He’s an incredible story teller, always sharing ghost stories, anecdotes from his life, and sometimes creations entirely of his own with me when I was a child. Both my parents encouraged my creative pursuits when I was growing up, which is something I’m extremely grateful for.

As far as professional writing goes, I had always wanted to make my way in the world as an author. A dear friend and coworker of mine on the late shift made me swear a pact with her to pursue writing more seriously; to actually buckle down and finish projects. Then, in January of 2020, I quit my day job to pursue writing professionally. My intention had been to take six months off, finish my first novel, and submit some short stories. As fate would have it, there was a massive global pandemic, and I wound up out of work for significantly longer than six months. Still, it gave me time to refine my craft. I wound up getting some short stories published, including some science fiction work in Analog and Mysterion, as well as other places. I was searching for places to submit my fiction to when I stumbled across COG, and here we are!

What inspired you to write this game?

I’ve always wanted to write a super hero story! Like many people, I’ve enjoyed the genre since I was a kid, and I thought the ability to engage with the fantasy more directly as a work of interactive fiction would be thrilling. I went for a “flying brick” type of character as the protagonist (think Superman, Captain Marvel, Shazam, the Mighty Thor, etc) in part because they’re so archetypal, but also because the IF medium fits that kind of character particularly well. After all, in a more traditional computer game it would be quite tricky to make encounters fun and challenging for a character who’s bullet proof and can lift a truck over their head, but in an interactive novel, the challenges the character faces are often as much personal decisions as they are questions of skill. Sure, there’s no doubt you’ll win a fight with some bank robbers, but do you prioritize bringing them to justice or protecting the people they’ve taken hostage? That tension seemed very exciting to me.

What did you find most challenging about writing interactive fiction in the COG style?

Well, I have exactly ZERO skill in coding, so I was pretty much a baby when it came to that. Fortunately my editor Jason and everyone at COG was extremely helpful, and I discovered a lot of great guides online. It’s very challenging to think of a work of fiction not just as a series of events in a story, but also as balanced game encounters. After all, when I’m writing prose I usually have one or two ways a particular moment can play out, and I try to select the one that works best for the story. In an IF, every decision point has to have multiple outcomes, so any given scene might play out many different ways. Sometimes these choices are more about flavor, moments where the player gets to frame an encounter in a particular way. Other times these decisions lead to radically different outcomes: falling in love, letting someone die, destroying half the city, and so on!

What are your favorite comics?

Too many to name! Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons’ “Watchmen” of course redefined and elevated the genre. I’m a big fan of Moon Knight, and Charlie Huston’s grim-n-gritty arc called “The Bottom” really made me fall in love with that character. Cable & Deadpool by Fabian Nicieza was a funny, genuinely sweet story about two very troubled people coming to accept each other and learn how to trust. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the late, great Steve Ditko. Spider-Man is of course a giant, but I really enjoyed his work on “The Question”, and his bizarre, intense “MR. A” stories. Ditko was a man of ferocious personal beliefs that he put on display in his work, and while I can’t say I entirely agree with his world view or didactic-ism, I really admire what a direct and unvarnished insight he gave into his mind through the medium of these fantasy-action characters.

(This is of course leaving aside the non-super hero stuff and the whole amazing world of non-
anglophone comics.)

Was there an NPC you enjoyed writing most?

There’s of course a little of myself in all of my characters, but I think Hawkshaw and the Poppet were the most fun to write. I got a lot of really great editorial feedback that really helped me refine and refocus those two. They’re kind of opposites, with Hawkshaw being stoic, direct, and grim, while the Poppet is whimsical and sarcastic, but the two of them also come from this very deep place of pain and alienation. I’m also very fond of Six-Gun Slim, who adds a lot of levity to the scenes she’s in. She doesn’t take any of the heroing stuff too seriously, which provides a fun contrast to the other characters. And I really enjoyed writing her relationship with Sky Pilot, who’s kind of a flustered surrogate-uncle to her.

Finally, I of course enjoyed writing the Conqueror. We’ve all got a few good “Villain Monologues” in us, and having the excuse to write such a grandiose character was a lot of fun. I also tried to include as many opportunities for the player character to mock him as I could, without undermining the genuine danger he represents.

What else are you working on/what’s next for you?

Oof! Who knows? The life of an artist is an uncertain one. I’ve got my debut science fiction novel “The Exile” coming out very soon with Blue Forge Press. It’s a Space Opera Epic about a wanderer with a dark past, caught on the frontier between two interstellar empires on the eve of war. I actually first wrote it about five years back, so it’s exciting to me that it’s finally going to see print. I’ve also done a lot of work in the Battletech fictional universe with Shrapnel Magazine, and I’m hoping to work more in that world.

And of course, I have one two ideas for a sequel/spinoff to the Last Scion!

Hosted Games has a new game for you to play!

Reunite with familiar faces, forge new bonds, and continue growing into the legend you are meant to become. The Soul Stone War 3 is the thrilling 260,000-word sequel to the interactive fantasy novel The Soul Stone War 2 by Morgan Vane. 

The Soul Stone War 3 is 30% off until June 19th! And you can get The Soul Stone War and The Soul Stone War 2 for 40% off as well!

You stand triumphant. After successfully infiltrating Cnamh Briste, you have freed your captured companion and dealt a blow the Lord of All won’t soon forget.

The power of the Soul Stones is growing. Now free from Manerkol’s influence, you align yourself with an unexpected force: The Resistance. Together, you will uncover long-buried secrets, unravel Manerkol’s true ambitions, unite a fractured land—and decide the fate of Dragonkind itself.

The war for the fate of the Soul Stones now rages in full swing. The time to retreat back into obscurity lies far behind you. Every action you now take will impact the fate of all. Rise or fall, Soul Stone Wielder,  your name will be written in legend.

• Play as female, male, or nonbinary—with options to be straight, gay, bisexual, or aromantic.
• Continue your romance or try to find love in two new, unexpected places.
• Forge your relationship with the Dragon God inhabiting your thoughts.
• Discover one of the best-kept secrets of the Dragons.
• Figure out the purpose behind Manerkol’s machinations.
• Nurture the bonds of kinship among your group and grow into a power to rival the Lord of All.
• Find new and epic ways to tackle problems, utilizing the new powers granted to you by the Soul Stones.
• Immerse yourself in a rich world full of magic, sacrifice, and love where every choice has unexpected consequences for everyone.

Will you rise to the challenge and shape the course of history, or will you be swept away by the tides of fate? 

Morgan developed this game using ChoiceScript, a simple programming language for writing multiple-choice interactive novels like these. Writing games with ChoiceScript is easy and fun, even for authors with no programming experience. Write your own game and Hosted Games will publish it for you, giving you a share of the revenue your game produces.

Hosted Games has a new game for you to play!

Play as a Norse god living in Asgard. Will you hold your home together with a silver tongue—or walk away and leave the other gods to their quarrels? 

In the Halls of Asgard is 30% off until June 19th!

In the Halls of Asgard is a 300,000-word interactive novel by Eleanor Cooke. It’s entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination. 

As a god of Asgard, you’ve dealt with your fair share of difficulties, from Loki’s mischief to Odin’s machinations. Still, Ragnarök looms. Will you work with the other gods to prevent it or form your own team and try to win it instead? Either way, you’ll need allies. And power.

Find both as you navigate Asgard’s political waters and deal with its enemies, from the World Serpent, Jormungandr, to the giants in Jotunheim. Send them off with clever words and charm or ride to war with magical weapons.

• Play as a god; gender and sexuality are unspecified.
• Choose from five godly domains.
• Befriend Fenris Wolf—or betray him.
• Wield Thor’s hammer.
• Fight against the giants—or join them.

Ragnarök is coming, and Asgard is starting to fracture. Can you keep it together, or will you fall on the final battlefield?

Eleanor developed this game using ChoiceScript, a simple programming language for writing multiple-choice interactive novels like these. Writing games with ChoiceScript is easy and fun, even for authors with no programming experience. Write your own game and Hosted Games will publish it for you, giving you a share of the revenue your game produces.

Pride isn’t just for a month! All year, we work to bring you games that offer a diverse and expansive view of love, family, and identity. But we’ll take any excuse to celebrate, and so we’re putting fifteen games on sale this week that showcase and explore that diversity.

You can get ten Choice of Games titles and five titles from our Heart’s Choice romance imprint for up to 40% off until June 12th! Or get them all in the Choice of Games Pride Bundle and the Heart’s Choice Pride Bundle, both on sale now on Steam!

• Drag Star! — Slay the catwalk on TV’s hottest drag competition!
• The Eagle’s Heir — Defend the heir of Napoleon’s steampunk France!
• Heart of the House — Chase ghosts from the heart of a haunted manor!
• Heroes Rise: The Prodigy — Become the ultimate celebrity Powered hero!
• Hollywood Visionary — Make the movie of your dreams in 1950s Hollywood!
• Honor Bound — Guard students and secrets at an elite school!
• The Luminous Underground — Blast spirits out of a haunted subway system!
• An Odyssey: Echoes of War — Fight Poseidon’s wrath to reclaim the throne!
• The Sea Eternal — What will you sacrifice for immortality?
• SLAMMED! — Turn scripted wrestling matches into real fights!

• All-World Pro Wrestling — Gay pro wrestling has never been this sexy!
• Freshman Magic: Spellbooks and Tangled Sheets — A magical mystery brimming with gay sex!
• If It Please the Court — Seduce and surveil as a sexy royal spy!
• A Player’s Heart — Romance and politics at the all-woman Opera!
• These Thieving Hearts — What’s hotter: the goods or the guys?

Today, we’re announcing a major update to Unsupervised, making the game 20% bigger and adding satisfying endings where the original game ended on cliffhangers.

Today’s update is available at no additional charge, and we’re putting the entire game on sale, 40% off until June 5!

Former friends make the worst enemies. They know your secrets, your scars, your soft spots—but you know theirs, too. Will you seek reconciliation… or deliver retribution?

Enemies gather within and without. The odds are against you. It’s time for the ultimate cosmic gamble.
Nothing will ever be the same.

• Face hundreds of foes at once. Will you be a sword-wielding maelstrom of death, the most efficient mass murderer the world has ever seen, or the voice of reason cutting through the carnage?
• Become the climate change you want to see in the world. Will you abandon the warmth of the living flesh and be reborn in heat death or join a transcendental triumvirate that threatens to ignite the very atmosphere?
• Every crisis hides an opportunity. Will you seize it to quietly eliminate those you despise—or do everything in your power to save them?

Choice of Games is participating in this year’s Spy Video Game Rendezvous, hosted on Steam by Sunny Demeanor Games! Four of our most suspenseful thrillers are on sale as part of the festival!

Get them on Steam for up to 40% off until May 30th!

• Undercover Agent: Think fast. Lie faster. And don’t blow your cover.
• 180 Files: The Aegis Project: Uncover a web of evil as an elite superspy!
• Wraiths of SENTINEL: Dying made you the perfect spy!
• The ORPHEUS Ruse: Leap from mind to mind to find your missing body!

We’re proud to announce that Spellbound: Malachite Coven, the latest in our “Heart’s Choice” line of multiple-choice interactive romance novels, is now available for iOS and Android in the “Heart’s Choice” app. You can also download it on Steam, or enjoy it on our website. It’s 40% off until May 15th!

Your magic awakes in your new college town—and so does your heart! Can you discover who is trying to steal your power before it’s too late?

Spellbound: Malachite Coven is an interactive romance novel by Erin Rowlands. It’s entirely text-based, 147,000 words and hundreds of choices, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

As you arrive at Jasper Falls College, you feel a strange magical power stirring within you. Soon, you’re invited to join the Malachite Coven, a secret group of mages who share your abilities. Your mother was part of the coven years ago—and now, so are you.

Choose your magical specialty: earth, air, fire, lightning, or water. Perform midnight rituals and pore over ancient grimoires full of powerful spells. Delve even deeper to uncover the past that your mother has concealed from you all your life.

But when someone steals the magic of a member of your coven, and it becomes clear that darker forces are at work in Jasper Falls. Can you help restore your friend’s power and find the culprit before your magic gets taken away too?

(And don’t forget to keep up with your classes—you might not be a mage for long!)

The pull of magic is strong, but the pull of your heart is stronger—especially when you’re growing closer to the other members of the coven every day. Which one of them will capture your heart?

There’s Jamie Arnoult, flirtatious and wealthy, child of Jasper Falls’s mayor. With devastatingly sharp fashion sense, perfectly-styled brown hair, high cheekbones, and sparkling emerald eyes, Jamie has a reputation as a heartbreaker—but there’s more to Jamie than meets the eye.

Or there’s Blake Evander, competitive and driven in the classroom and sports field alike—nobody else could possibly be the leader of the Malachite Coven. Blonde and athletic with a lean toned frame, startlingly deep blue eyes, and a baseball cap for every occasion—but cleans up very nicely when it’s time for the college gala.

Or there’s gentle artist Kit Reynolds, who has broad shoulders, a warm brown complexion, and an even warmer smile; generous and friendly, with a quirky fashion sense and the kind of tender heart that hates to even step on a snail on a woodland hike.

Lennon Kobayashi is tall and brooding, always dressed in black with heavy metal playing on headphones—and yet deeply thoughtful about social issues, and infinitely gentle as a partner.

But what if you choose River Ortiz, the sweet and studious librarian with lovely wavy black hair who loves soft comfortable flannels? River doesn’t even know that magic exists—but has a shelf full of books about crystals and ley lines. Could you possibly share your secret?

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, or bi.
• Romance the athletic coven leader, the flirtatious heartbreaker, the friendly artist, the brooding rebel, or the sweet librarian.
• Grow closer to your mother and seek help from the older generation of mages, or strike out on your own.
• Dress to the nines to attend a lavish gala!
• Balance your coven and your classes—and don’t fall behind in either!

Sparks fly when you mix magic and romance!

We hope you enjoy playing Spellbound: Malachite Coven. 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.

Coming Thursday is our latest Heart’s Choice game, Spellbound: Malachite Coven! You can try the first three chapters for free today, check out the author interview, and don’t forget to wishlist it on Steam!

Hosted Games is happy to announce that Scarlet Sails, by Felicity Banks, is now available on Steam for the first time ever!

To celebrate, you can buy Scarlet Sails for 25% off on all platforms until May 8th.

Hoist the Jolly Roger and set sail to find the legendary Titan’s Treasure! Do you fight with a cutlass or with magic? Are you biding your time until you can shoot your captain in the back, or are you the reason the rum is gone?

Scarlet Sails is an 80,000-word interactive novel by Felicity Banks, author of Attack of the Clockwork Army and Bali B & B. Your choices control the story. It’s entirely text-based–without graphics or sound effects–and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

• Enjoy an adventure on the high seas.
• Choose your personality, fighting style, and magical skill.
• Play as male or female or nonbinary; gay, straight, or asexual.
• Choose who to love, including options for singlehood or polyamory.
• Face the horrors of your past—and of the deep.
• Find treasure, treachery, and maybe even true love.

Felicity developed this game using ChoiceScript, a simple programming language for writing multiple-choice interactive novels like these. Writing games with ChoiceScript is easy and fun, even for authors with no programming experience. Write your own game and Hosted Games will publish it for you, giving you a share of the revenue your game produces.

Your magic awakes in your new college town—and so does your heart! Can you discover who is trying to steal your power before it’s too late?

Spellbound: Malachite Coven is a 147,000 word interactive romance novel by Erin Rowlands. I sat down with Erin to talk about her upcoming game and the process of writing an interactive romance. Spellbound: Malachite Coven releases next Thursday, May 8th. You can wishlist it on Steam now!

This is your first time publishing interactive fiction, but certainly not your first time writing romance or longer fiction. Tell me about your background.

For many years, I wrote short stories for literary magazines and then over the pandemic, I was craving something more upbeat and I got really into romance novels. Reading and writing rom-coms has been my obsession ever since!

What inspired this extremely cozy supernatural game and its setting?

I grew up in a quaint university town and I always loved walking around the campus in the fall so it was fun and nostalgic for me to write about that kind of place. For the supernatural element, I’m a fan of shows like Charmed and The Vampire Diaries…I like when TV shows feature both magical shenanigans and smooching. I tried to bring that type of energy to this game.

What surprised you most about working with ChoiceScript?

I don’t have a coding background so it was a pretty sharp learning curve for me but once I got the hang of it, I really enjoyed it! I bought a bunch of highlighters and I have a notebook where I tracked all of the branches and I also had Post-it notes with various bits of code stuck all over the walls. For a while my office was giving a misunderstood conspiracy theorist vibe. In terms of the process, my editor Abby was so patient and awesome and the beta feedback I received was so insightful and helpful. I’m used to writing being a solitary endeavour so it was really lovely to get advice and input from more experienced folks.

Did you play any Heart’s Choice games to prepare for writing one?

I played and really enjoyed Brimstone Manor by Frances Pauli, Changeling Charade by Ruth Vincent and Their Majesties’ Pleasure by Leia Talon. The first game I ever played was Crème de la Crème by Harris Powell-Smith which is not a Heart’s Choice game but I loved the relationships in it.

Which of your NPCs would you want to go on a date with?

I love them all equally (I say diplomatically, as though they might hear me and get offended). But today it is raining in my city so I’d like to get tea and wander around a bookstore with River.

What are you working on next?

I’m writing a romantic comedy novel that incorporates two of my favourite things…the fake dating trope and board games. I also had an idea about necromancers and psychics that I always thought would be a novel but now I’m like, hmm, could this be a game?