For End Master's Manifest Destiny Contest.

"Welcome to the experiment. A man is dead, and you have to find his killer. There will be a list of rules in your room once this briefing is over, but all you really need to know is this: There are five of you, but only one can solve the mystery. You will be given five days. Each night, one of you will die - no more, no less.

Ready? Even if you're not, it doesn't matter. You're in my world now."
 

This is also a War on Intfiction contribution.

Note: Aside from a few references to Dreamtruder characters/ events, this storygame is a standalone.

It is my first time writing a mystery storygame on this site, so I would appreciate if you could leave feedback on whether this mystery was too easy/ difficult to solve. If you find yourself stuck, don't hesitate to message me directly. That being said, do not feel discouraged if you are bewildered at first; as you progress further in the game, the clues and secrets would make everything clearer. Eventually, the secrets you find would allow you to make sense of most clues except a few, and these would point to the killer.

Make use of the notebook, which would keep track of the information you gained from the interviews and the secrets you may find out. Also, check the item descriptions of all the objects since some of these would have to be 'used' in order to access some clues.

Once you've solved the mystery, there are 3 possible endings you could get. Only one of these actually results in returning back to the 'real world'. If you're looking for this 'true ending', it requires you to play through the last of the five days rather than just skipping to the end and guessing the answer.

Good luck surviving the Halloween experiment!

Beneath the seas, hidden from the Ones Above, our society goes about our normal, routinely lives. I cannot help but feel bored with all that is going on, until I find the letter. A letter that sends me on a journey to deliver a magical item to the group of people that have been villainized over the years, the letter that challenges everything I thought I knew. But which side is on the side of good? How can I break out of the only world I have ever known? Should I join the heroic villains or the villainous hero? I have finally gotten the adventure I always needed, but not exactly the one I wanted.

(Edit - note from the author: I'll be going through the process of fixing any bugs/ problems in this storygame soon, like the inescapable loops, so apologies for those who encounter these or any other issues caused by the upcoming changes).

Note: This game was created for Camelon's break contest. During the part where a specialist is assigned to the breakers, there are three different paths (Lawbreaker, Breaker of People and Breaker and Enterer). Due to time constraints, for those who would like to know, Breaker of People is the longest path, followed by Lawbreaker and Breaker and Enterer, but aside from the epilogues, it all leads to the same chapter 5. As before, feel free to comment or message me if you encounter any issues or problems that I should fix.

"The delicate balance between the dream world and the real world is disrupted. You intruded and messed up the dream of an innocent. By talking about this with an Unknowing, the possibility of the dreamstage being unveiled is now greater than ever. The Jury has made a decision - we have no choice but to send you to The Jungle..."

Life was hard, balancing work and relaxation. Then the nightmares came, and all I ever wanted was to be free of them. Yet, I never accounted for this - finding out the truth about the dream world, exploring the vast plane of the imagination...only to be whisked away to the longest nightmare ever. 

Think a jungle's bad? Try a fictional jungle, where literally anything can happen, and the most creative minds have conspired to give you a hard time.

Note: This game was created for Mizal's 'Welcome to the Jungle' contest. There are several epilogues, and while the main one is the normal Dreamtruder path, others include Dream director, Dreamcaster, Dreamediator, and Dreamhero. Fancy a challenge? Try completing the Jungle challenge without picking up any dreampowers - it's possible, but requires a bit of thinking and planning ahead. Also, for some items, click the 'use' button as a link would not be provided (if this is the case, it would be specified in the object description)

Since this would be my first published storygame, I am still relatively new to this. Feel free to message me or spam the comments if you encounter any issues, have any suggestions for improvement, or just have something you want to say.

Enjoy!

A quest doomed from the start. A man with an unwavering yet unusual moral compass. A daughter in the darkest depths of the night sky.

It isn't truly over until all hope is lost.

'Good and evil, heroes and villains… they are all fantasies created by the world. There are only two types of people: the people you care about, and the people you don’t.'

Arnold Cyzila's best life may have been long since over, but he would do anything to save his daughter from the clutches of her confinement. Even stealing an airplane, killing the innocent, and entering a dangerous world where death is almost guaranteed. 

[Warning: There are some mentions of murder, deaths and several dark themes, so if those things make you uncomfortable, perhaps it is better not to read this story.]

Note: I initially did not plan on joining this contest, yet I'm glad I did since it has motivated me to publish a new storygame. It is related to Dreamtruder in a way… well, you’ll see. While this story may not be as long as my previous two, it was interesting to write a shorter project. 

Just like all my other storygames, commenting and rating this story are both highly welcomed and appreciated. Also, as I have used quite a lot of variables in several fight scenes, let me know if you ever encounter a page where there are no visible links. 

Lastly, there are a few different epilogues but the 'main' one would be an epilogue which mirrors the start of the story (you'll know it when you see it). There are three possible ways to reach that. Even though I may consider it to be the true ending, it is not a typical happy ending.

For EndMaster's Prompt Contest

Prompt: A story involving an old Oriental style setting
 

A simple quest for revenge turns into a deadly competition.

The Shi Empires, governed by the Ten Emperors, appear to be undefeatable. But Liu Longyi's desire to avenge Mother tranports her to four deadly battles, marked by the sudden appearance of a chaos deity.

As she battles competitors for the throne, Liu Longyi learns the truth about the mighty Shi Empires, along with the most closely guarded secret of Yue Palace. 

Author's Notes:

1. This story makes use of delayed consequences, so replaying would grant different outcomes, even if they aren't always visible at first.
2. There are some instances of violent and slightly mature content, so reader's discretion is advised.
3. If you prefer to read the storygame in the same browser, you could click the title page instead of the 'play' button.

Hope you enjoy the storygame!

For EndMaster's Prompt Contest 2

Prompt: A story involving fairies in some way


 

"Save your breath. We both know how this story ends."

As a spellsinger from an illustrious family, Aubrynne Spelwinter has always sought greatness. Yet, in an attempt to shatter a notorious curse, she becomes one of its casters.

In seven days, the curse will take effect. However, Aubrynne's mission leads to an unlikely alliance with the Cursed King, with whom she races against the clock to save her kingdom from conquests and faceless enemies.

Author's notes: 

1. There are 5 epilogues and it'll be obvious which the 'main' one is. 
2. This is a retelling of a classic fairytale, Sleeping Beauty, although aside from a few plot points, it features unique characters, settings, and narratives.
3. If you prefer to read the storygame in the same browser, you could click the title page instead of the 'play' button.

Hope you enjoy the storygame!

Link to video trailer: https://imgur.com/9T3UWTW

For End Master's Prompt Contest 4

Prompt: A story about being a collector of very rare exotic things and/or unique things

Link to a video trailer

Bly’therra of the Illusions

Genie of the Lamp • Collector of Souls • The Sly Shapeshifter 

Ever since she was shackled to her lamp, Bly'therra wants nothing more than to reclaim her freedom. This leads her to strike an ambitious bargain: in three days, she must grant three wishes to the Sultan's future heir and collect his soul.


Zasper Aldaricus

Son of the Sultan • Master of Disguise • The Traitorous Thief

As the fourth son of the Sultan, Zasper desires to prove himself worthy by winning his father's title. To do this, he has to compete against his brothers to form an unbreakable alliance with a neighboring kingdom. 


Author's Notes:

1. This storygame features two points of views. The choices you make in one point of view can—and will—affect the other story. 
2. Although this is a retelling of Aladdin, the plot, characters, and overall narratives deviate from the original tale. 
3. If you prefer to read the storygame in the same browser, you could click the title page instead of the 'play' button.

Hope you enjoy the storygame! 

If you don't like letters, extremely short stories or cliched moral lessons, don't read this. I found it when I was browsing through the old storygames I had created a long time ago. If I'm not mistaken, this was made for Mizal's Tiny 'Topias jam although I never really thought it was good enough to add to the thread. I don't think I'll publish this, but it's completed if anyone happens to browse my profile and wants to read it.

On a dark and chilly night, you visit the Skeleton to ask for hints in order to solve the mystery of 'A Hunted and Haunted Halloween'.

If you find yourself stuck while trying to complete A Hunted and Haunted Halloween, this is the guide for you! Since it is a walkthrough, there are bound to be spoilers, so I recommend reading the storygame before referring to this.

Do let me know if you find any inconsistencies between the storygame and this walkthrough. As this would remain unpublished, I should be able to fix errors rather quickly.

That's all from me. Enjoy!

I'm definitely interested in playing again! (But I'm equally happy to just be a spectator next time since there are others who have yet to experience the game). 

It's all in the spirit of the game haha. Now that you mention it, that's a smart move to ask about a card in your hand, I might have to use that technique in the future.

Thank you for running this Clues event, MHD! It was simply phenomenal, from the CYS-themed gameplay to the brilliant, detailed artwork on the cards, the rooms and the video. I really enjoyed this. 



Congrats to Ace for winning the game! Gryphon, you were so close to strategically eliminating him. It's funny how they took Ace from the room so that I could be eliminated (and thus incriminating themself because Gryphon obviously knew what they were doing and just isn't the sort of person to get someone killed if they were good, though my 3am brain didn't connect the dots instantly). But if you had killed him instead...

Anyway, this was a fun event and definitely worth ruining my sleep schedule for :)

So, did you hear about Stargirl's ascension and decide to return?

It's funny how both your choices have you liking men.

That's actually a good idea, it reminds me of a multi-stage scavenger hunt I planned a while back which would get players to read stories, articles, profiles, the history page and even comments for hints to progress. It was very elaborate so I'll probably save it for a special occasion if I ever decide to run it.

Just out of curiosity, what other bluffing games do you enjoy playing?

My bad, next time I'll create a third game for dead players and if you die again, you get moved to a fourth game, then a fifth, and you will never be able to stop playing CYS Mafia until the world ends!

(Or actually, I could use this to leverage productivity. The first player to write three featured reviews, challenge someone to a Thunderdome and win, and publish a commended storygame will be revived!)

Before I forget, here are a few strategies I've thought about which might be helpful in future games. Feel free to discuss your own ideas too! Some are very context-dependent and can involve a bit of double-bluff/ assumptions about the other team, though:

1. Shifting the target: the Investigator Mod could, upon discovering someone is good, get them to pose as their role and feed information to the group that way. Alternatively, this person could claim to be receiving investigative results from an anonymous detective to protect their identity - but of course, that might limit credibility, which leads me to my next potential play.
2. Using the Productive CYStian to clear members: when creating this role, I was inspired by a youtube series called 'Killer Game', and this method was used whenever more than one person claimed to be an investigator. Killing off an investigator could ruin the game if they are the real one. Essentially, the productive CYStian can instantly clear or kill one person in a way where information is revealed to all, which would reveal who can and cannot be trusted. And even if the actual investigator is killed by trolls the night that the Thunderdome match happens, that's what the revival function is for.
3. Faking protection: the goal of the trolls is to kill all the Mods or all the CYStians. The latter is much harder, hence if the trolls know---or at least, are led to think---that a person is protected/shamed, they would kill someone else instead. Thus, if a powerful role reveals themself out of necessity, they could publicly ask to be protected. But here's the thing: the trolls may not go after them because of this, and instead, kill someone else, so if the Contest Mod shames a different player (especially at a later stage in the game where there are fewer members), this could result in a night where no one is killed and that can be very powerful. 

Also, if you're a good person who is revealing their role, there has to be a valid reason to do so. For instance: when you're about to be eliminated or will take a specific action the next night. Then, the best play would be to give everyone all the information you have, eg who you protected each night and why, the results of your investigations, the room you plan to kill, etc. There's no point in putting a target on your own back without sharing any information with the team. Next, you want to seek protection from a coder or contest mod (or if you know that the other half, Mod or CYStian, is lower on numbers, ask specifically to not be protected since your role does not matter as much). This is one of the better ways to boost your credibility as a team player. 

Despite the apathetic CYStian being, well, apathetic, this makes them the perfect role for risky plays in the game. They could be a valuable asset when faking a role for someone else or even just proving themself to be good after getting voted out. This also means they can voice their suspicions more freely with less fear of getting killed. 

If anything, I saw the Cogite's role as beneficial towards the villagers: the first death would almost always be a non-troll and statistically, the person to die from the first round of voting will too. In fact, up until the second day of voting, it's highly unlikely a troll would be eliminated, hence the team that's much more likely to get an extra member would be the good team. But I'll replace it with a jester-adjacent role if I run this again (and also strengthen the good team with another ability, maybe a doppelganger or mayor). 

The revive function gave the good team an extra life too. As for the suicidal troll, you're probably right that it is a bit overpowered, but funnily enough wasn't used in either games.