It started with group email: "I think y'all would enjoy this," a link. I played Stay?. Then I played it again. I cried over it. I sent it to a bunch of my friends, I played it again and again and again, I clicked "Related games," and, well. Here we are.
I was as into Choose Your Own Adventure books as any other kid in the 90s, but most had a distinct lack of things I like(d): girl characters and kissing subplots1. Thank Bob for the storytellers of Nowadays, who gift unto us queer-friendly tales with all the girls, good writing, and kissing we could want.
Here’s a non-comprehensive list of some of my favorite IF games. Demos (in-progress games) are typically free; for finished games I’ve included cost information to the best of my knowledge, but prices may change. Please make sure to read any content warnings on the individual game pages!
Stay? - the one that started it all for me. Bittersweet, deceptively simple, and unforgettable. It has a lot of depth; there are still paths I still haven’t explored, or only scratched the surface of. | High Fantasy | Finished | Free |
A Mage Reborn – it has a fun magic system, offering the choice of different specialties and spells within them, but more to the point it broke my fucking heart. The first half (portion?) has the same quality as any good tragedy: a character racing towards an end they can’t change. Then, as the title might imply, they get another chance. Reader, I cried. I may still be crying. | High Fantasy | Demo |
Choice of Rebels: Uprising – as the title suggests, you lead an uprising. Or you try to, at any rate. I played this one for days before I even survived, much less got a satisfactory outcome. I chose not to micromanage my first winter (you can if you want!), but still had to juggle lots of factors: food, defense, ye olde PR, morale, and my character’s moral compass (and love life). The worldbuilding is magnificent and the story is engaging enough to carry me through dozens of playthroughs (so far). It’s hard, but it’s not impossible: if you pay attention, you’ll get there eventually. Probably. Enormously satisfying; I can’t wait for the sequel. | High Fantasy | Finished | $6.99 |
Wayfarer – I started this one yesterday after work, and didn’t put my tablet down until I’d got to the end of the demo. I love it. The artwork is beautiful and non-obtrusive, setting a mood without overwhelming your mental images. It goes deep into stats and abilities, giving you all kinds of different options for how to play your character, without sacrificing story or character content. | High Fantasy | In Progress | Not currently playable, but definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Speaker – your twin sister is a Seer. You’re a Speaker, interpreting her visions of disaster so the two of you can try to stop them from happening. Then things get worse. All the best things about urban fantasy: found family, inter-generational curses, road trips, tree spirits, hot witches. As a bonus, it has a poly romance path and a giant demon dog! I named mine Petunia. | Urban Fantasy | In Progress |
After the Storm – rebuilding a functioning society after the apocalypse. I’m a big fan of post-apoc worlds, though not necessarily a lot of media in the genre, so this was crazy fun for me. There’s a good mix of infrastructure work and interpersonal content. Ultimately it asks you to examine your commitment to compassion VS survival instincts as you try to build a new settlement in the wasteland. Hopeful and beautiful. | Post-Apoc | Finished | $4.99 |
Asteroid Run: No Questions Asked – another one I played a bunch of times trying to get to a satisfactory ending. You’re the captain of a small merchant ship traversing space with your crew and your mysterious cargo. Then things get worse. Balance time, supplies, morale, the good will of your fellow space-goers, and also maybe an intergalactic war? Tonally a bit like Firefly, without the slut-shaming and Orientalism. | Sci-Fi | Finished | $5.99 |
The Passenger – you’re an eldritch abomination who accidentally inhabits the body of a human baby. Then things get worse. The POV is delicious and refreshing, giving you the opportunity to be as alien or as human(ish) as you want. Following this one with great interest. | Sci-Fi/Horror | In Progress |
Seven Days in Purgatory - it’s creepy, the atmosphere of dread is superb, at no point did I have any idea what was going on, and I’m chomping at the bit for updates. | Psychological Horror | In Progress |
Bi Lines - a short, hard-hitting game about the aftermath of sexual assault, so strong warnings for this one. I played it once and will never forget it. | Paranormal? | Finished |
1 I have simple needs