We All Know MC Isn't The Most Unbiased Narrator, So What Was Really Going On In Golden Scorpion's Mind

You can now add The Passenger to your wishlist on Steam :D

Do you like monsters? Do you think they are the best part of their respective movies, books, and shows? Then you have to play The Passenger.

The Passenger is a 380,000-word interactive cosmic horror novel by Jime Rolón. It’s entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

When your eldritch existence is threatened by another unthinkable creature, you find yourself jumping dimensions to escape your ghastly fate. Safe for now, your moment of respite is short-lived as you realize you’re stuck on Earth, trapped inside a dumb human larva, and with no clue of how much energy you’ll need to leave this horrible place behind.

Twenty-six years later you’re still stranded on an absurd planet, you have a mom and a sister, and a job delivering baked goods. Not only that, but the creature that almost ate you all those years ago never really stopped looking for you. However, there’s no way it will pinpoint your actual location… right?

You can play the first three chapters of the game for free here. The rest of the game will be available on Thu, Dec 29.

Play as male, female, or nonbinary

You can be trans, cis, gay, straight, bi, ace, partnering aro, or choose to stay single.

Pursue romance with a headstrong waitress, a moody store clerk, a mystifying newcomer, or an unconventional cult leader.

Four monogamous routes, and one polyamorous route.

Will you break free from your prison of flesh?

Add The Passenger to your wishlist here.

Hi there! I absolutely ADORED your demo omg you cannot believe. Khari is the love of my life just saying...fdjsklaf anyway what are some of your favourite IF's? Completed or otherwise, anything from paid released games, itch.io games, stuff from choicescript etc. :D

hello! <3

first of all -- THANK YOU for the kind words, and welcome to the Khari fan club, we have cookies and carrots <3

as for my favorite IFs; okay this will be a long list so brace yourself! (and I do apologise to all authors for the spam)

Most of those are demos or in development, but nevertheless they are all amazing and I replay them way too often;

Sinners (demo) by @olivewrites-if / @sinners-if - you get to romance a villain, I feel like this is enough to get most people hooked (demo)

Honor Among Thieves (demo) by @leoneliterary - fantasy with some romance and intrigue, and as I am a fan of anything that has guilds (Skyrim w/ thieves guild, Assassin's Creed and the sort) I just love this one

Superstition S1 & S2 (finished) by @13leaguestories - supernatural, found family, powers, romance, angels, demons, hunting; what more to want?

Throne of Ashes (demo) by @13leaguestories - fantasy (but with pretty mature themes), romance; there are houses (MC is from House of Phoenix) and each character is just chefs kiss imo

Unwilling Souls (demo) by @unwilling-souls-if - angels!!!! but they are not your typical "angels"!!!! and there's lots of angst, and it's just awesome

Defiled Hearts: The Barbarian (demo) by @defiledheartsblog - dark historical fiction, romance, some fantasy elements; personally I replayed it 3 times in a row and was never bored once and that says something since my attention span is like 5 minutes at best

Supernatural in New York (demo) by @llamagirl28 - lighthearted urban fantasy with romance; think Supernatural if it was actually good and diverse, it scratches my adhd brain in just the right way, and the characters are amazing

The Bastard of Camelot (demo) by @llamagirl28 - I replayed it 8 times, no joke, and I still love it and it's my comfort IF I'd say; I love the story, the characters, customisation, and the idea behind it all.

The King's Hound (demo) by @kal-down / @the-kingshound - I am a sucker for Arthurian Legends, and I'm a sucker for fantasy and historical fiction in general, and it's written so well I want to cry every time I replay it

The Abyssal (demo) by @theabyssal - you get to play as Death what more can someone want??? and it gives me god of war / mythologies vibes, so I of course replayed it over 10 times.

Water to Blood (demo) by @veirsewrites - vampire MC who owns a nightclub, I'm sorry but this is all I needed to be obsessed. it reminds me of the show Lucifer, but it's also so unique that I happily replay it all the time.

Blood Moon (demo) by @barbwritesstuff - werewolves. that's all. that's the tweet.

Absentia (demo) by @absentia-if - I'm a sucker for crime stories, and this had me hooked from the start, and I love how complex each character is.

Exile (demo) by @exilethegame - dark fantasy with pretty mature and violent themes; replayed it so many times I'm ashamed to admit the actual number.

A Mage Reborn (demo) by @mage-parivir - I've been replaying it religiously since November of 2021 so yeah, I'm obsessed, and not even sorry. Fantasy games are my jam.

Speaker (demo) by @speakergame - one of the first IFs I played I think, and I still adore it to bits; it's written so well, and I adore the detective-supernatural vibes.

Ballad of the Judgement of Night (demo) by @nikkefort-dev - it was one of first 5 IFs I ever played, and I can safely say it's one of my absolute favorites; I adore the themes of angels/demons and 'fallen ones'.

Citadel (demo) by @bouncyballcitadel - medical drama; didn't know I liked medical dramas but now I do, and I'm in love with this IF in its entirety. also made me realise I'm gayer than I thought.

Villain's Promise (demo) by @villains-promise - fantasy with romance and betrayal, that's all I need for my soul. also in the first 5 IFs I ever played, and still love it.

Wolfwater (demo) by @carrs-universe-if - first IF I ever played, got me into IFs, and I love it to bits. Psychological thriller/body horror with some supernatural themes.

The Ballad of Devil's Creek (demo) by @devilscreekballad - western with romance and angst, and unlike all westerns it's actually diverse and inclusive so of course I love it.

Larkin (demo) by @larkin-if - vampires, hunters, and general Midnight Mass vibes; I'm here for it.

These Crimson Strings (demo) by @thesecrimsonstrings-if - MC is an ancient vampire who meets their long lost (dead) soulmate reborn as someone 'new'; the angst is amazing.

A Tale of Crowns (demo) by @ataleofcrowns - no joke replayed it over 10 times, loved it every single one of them. Fantasy with some court intrigue and amazing companions.

I have more but the list is already so long, I don't want this to be dismissed/blocked as a bot message or something kjfhfd

ready? because the entirety of chapter nine is finally up. it's been a hot minute, i know, but with the aftermath of crimson and a new enemy looming in the distance, you can now find out what happens next with the gang, caine and sebastian.

IN THIS CHAPTER.

explore new depths to Blane

understand A a little better and N even more

contextualize K and Rylan's relationship and see a side to them that you don't rarely experience

see things from sebastian's point of view

fight. just don't die.

STATS.

chapter nine total. 65.1k

word count (from part one). 420,550 (+53.2k)

LINKS.

game !!!

ko-fi

patreon

as some of you already noticed, the laidback/intimidating and independent/collaborative stats have been overhauled from the game. don't be alarmed; it was a decision on my part. i've decided to get rid of them because i didn't feel like they added much to the story in terms of flavour text and also, doing this gives me space to focus on enhancing the other stats.

as always, i truly truly hope you enjoy. a smaller update will be coming in the following weeks with tweaks to the relationships stats (and any other bugs found in this chapter). if you find any, feel free to report them in my ask box or email them to me at evertides@gmail.com. all my love <;33

The Golden Rose: Book One is OUT NOW!!!

“As the artist mourns his fortune

So the Dynasty falls to crumble,

And the two branches snatch asunder”

You are a recent member of The White Company, a mercenary guild on the far side of the law. Your job consists of hunting artifacts and roaming ruins that the Church has forbidden to mention. One of your expeditions, however, leads you down a path that is much deeper than you ever anticipated.

“The Golden Rose: Book One” is a thrilling 1.2-million-word interactive fantasy novel by Ana Ventura, where 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.

Juggle friendships, new alliances, and flames of romance in this epic adventure that will take you to an Europe where History took a different turn.

Play as male or female; straight, gay, or bisexual.

Find romance, friendship, or rivalry with a cast of colorful characters.

Hunt down the thief that stole your forbidden maps!

Fight against bandits and city guards while trying to stray away from the all-seeing Eyes of the Church.

Explore ancient ruins and the cobble-stoned streets of the medieval city of Tarragona. Step into a grand cathedral, a sprawling market, a multicolored harbor, the dark gates of the city, or an aqueduct that no one dares to come close to.

Bond with a stubborn old horse.

Choose to ally with a street urchin or the feral captain of the Guard.

Uncover what is true in a world where denial reigns supreme.

Start to unravel your own mysterious past.

Immerse yourself in a world rich with characters, story, and lore.

Do you believe in Destiny?

- - - 

The Golden Rose: Book One is out for you to play!

You can find it at the links below:

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1892950/The_Golden_Rose_Book_One/

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.hostedgames.goldenrose1&hl=pt_PT&gl=US

App Store Omnibus: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hosted-games/id1302297731

Choice of Games: https://www.choiceofgames.com/user-contributed/golden-rose-book-one/

- - - 

I hope you enjoy it! 🌹

The public-access demo has been updated to include Chapter Four!

Play the game HERE. Please RESTART the game as old saves will not work.

New to this update:

Edited version of Part One - around 20K words of extra content in Part One;

Chapter Four;

Dealing with the aftermath of Virion's arrival;

Making plans to secure your safety;

Saying goodbye to your family;

Boarding a ship;

Dealing with conflict;

More conflict?;

Spending time with your chosen RO or friend;

Lock in your romance with Prince Irus;

Smooch your chosen RO;

Discover the Nomad Tribe;

Escape a sinking ship;

Reunite with your old friends.

Chapter Four Word Count: 46 909 words. Total Word Count: 246 442 words.

Other things of note:

New, fancy chapter header font and accompanying adornments;

Removed the passive/aggressive stat;

The game will be extended to twelve chapters - instead of three parts, there will now be four parts of three chapters each;

There is an apk version of the game available for android users;

Chapter Four is very bare bones at the moment. I will be going back to add extra content when I start edits.

Thank you for being so patient and I hope you enjoy the game!

Remember to report bugs to me via the bug form in the game or you can report them to me here on Tumblr.

Libraries with a sense of humour.

Friend: Wanna hang out tomorrow?

Me: I actually performed an Activity yesterday. Please wait the three day recovery period to submit another inquiry

h o w t o s u r v i v e c o l l e g e

Sleep

Okay listen - I know what you’re thinking. College students don’t sleep, though! And guess what? That’s absolutely true. I’ve had two cups of coffee today already and it’s only noon, but you need to learn how to sleep enough. Your body has limits and you need to learn what those are. I have had multiple friends who have fainted from not sleeping enough and guess what? They don’t perform better on tests that way. Figure out how many hours of sleep you need to get to function well. For me it’s about 5-7 hours per night during the week and about 7-8 hours per night on weekends (and I don’t have Friday class so Thursday nights count as weekends for me). This is probably the limit for keeping yourself healthy enough to function and I subsist off of coffee. If you don’t sleep you are going to get sick and your papers are going to be incoherent and you are going to gain weight from over eating. So just put down that paper, get your 6 hours and start up again in the morning. For majors that are reading based (i.e. English, History, Philosophy, Classics, etc) it is so important to get enough sleep so that you can actually comprehend your readings!

Plan

Your planner does not have to be beautiful, covered with script handwriting and cute small artist stickers to be worth putting time into (more power to you if yours is though — that’s a whole mood). I used Hobinichi Cousin planner to plan my day—chores, homework, and meals—but I also use iCal and an app called Things. My freshman year I thought that just having a paper planner would be fine but it did NOT work out for me. I was always late/forgetting meetings and running around like a chicken with her head cut off. Once I downloaded Things (for my assignments) and inputted work, social events, and when I’m really busy sleep/meals into iCal, I started getting better grades. Take 2 hours to plan. Seriously even if you have 372 things to get done by tomorrow, if you plan and make a linear list of the things you need to get done they will get done better and faster.

Things is a paid app. $10 for phone, $50 for Mac. It’s a bit of an investment for both but I have used it every single day for the past 2 years.

Socialize

Just me here with your local reminder that socialize does not mean you have to party. Let me tell you something, I haven’t gone to a party this entire year (it’s second semester) and I feel completely content about it. I am not saying that going to parties is bad. A lot of people have a ton of fun doing that, but let me tell you something—your social life cannot subsist off of parties alone. Invite people to brunch, make friends with the people in your classes by literally just talking to them (!!!), go on coffee dates with your friends as much as you can, take midnight ice cream runs, 1 am fried chicken runs, 9 pm boba study breaks, invite people over to make cookies, go to the cinema. Deep conversations and long talks will sometimes distract you from your work and guess what? That’s okay. That’s an important part of college too. Don’t shut yourself up in your room all day studying every day of the week. You are going to burn out. You need your friends and they need you!

Work smarter and harder

I cannot say this enough—utilize your resources! Go to office hours. It will literally save you to have a relationship with your professor. Not only are you going to get letters of recommendation, extensions when you really need them, and helpful tips—you can have amazing conversation and insight about grad school, research, and jobs. Go to the library. Not only are there a million books for your research project all grouped in the same section, but there are librarians who can help you find more resources with less effort. Use your databases, but also your own school’s archives. There is a reason we save so many books and newspapers. Also libraries are the absolute best place to study. This year I have tended to go to the most social floor because it keeps me awake and it reminds me that I have other people around me working late as well. Use apps. I’m saying this right now—DOWNLOAD ZOTERO. It will save you. It is an app and a google chrome extension which saves your sources in a database and then generates perfect citations/footnotes for your papers. It is the best thing of my life. Use google drive and keep your documents in organized folders. Organized virtual work is AS important as physical work. Also put some time into your LinkedIn ASAP—the sooner you do it, the easier it will be to keep it up to date.

Take care of yourself

Just be smart about your time and your mental health. Both of those I struggle with every day, but take solace in the fact that other people are going through it too. College is an amazing opportunity and even when it feels completely overwhelming it is still an extremely privileged position to be in. Do why you can to make yourself better, be there for the people who need you, grind on your papers and projects and research. At the end of the day your projects/papers are only going to be as good as your individual capacity allows them to be. Sometimes sleeping an extra hour is as beneficial as an extra hour of studying. Figure out what you need by making mistakes and forgive yourself! We are all just trying to make our way though.

Larkin has been updated with chapter three routes a+b! There is new content all across the game, including new ui by @nyehilismwriting and art by bree gilliam, plus around 50k words worth of new content.

This update has been a long labor of love and I'm excited for finally others to look at it.

You can play the update here! I hope you enjoy <3