What are everyone's love languages? :3

A: quality time + gift giving (+ physical touch)

Blane: quality time

N: words of affirmation

K: acts of service + quality time

D E M O - Play Here!

Updated: July 21, 2024

Rated: 18+

Romance-Focused Sports IF

You're a formula racing driver.

You're a professional.

But besides your recent success, you are far from the finish line.

Now you're busy searching and finding sponsors and signing deals left and right. You're trying to make the right decisions. After all, you do have to maintain a certain image. On top of all of that, your ex is back and climbing the ranks after falling off the grid for five years.

Can you deal with it all?

Or will you crash and burn?

Riley Veluz (m/f): The Mechanic. 27. Southeast Asian. (m) brown eyes and thick, messy black hair that is sometimes slicked back. (f) brown eyes, and layered black hair that falls to waist.

Lane Kingston (m/f): The Ex. 25. Spanish and black. (m) brown eyes, short curly hair on top with shaved sides. (f) brown eyes, shoulder length curly afro.

Ryder Benedetti (m/f): The Competition. 25. Italian, British, and Spanish. (m) blue-green-hazel eyes, with brown, wavy, tousled hair. (f) blue-green-hazel eyes, wavy brown hair to waist.

Phoenix Justt (m/f): The New Engineer. 27. Irish. (m) red hair kept in a short quiff hairstyle, green eyes, cheeks and shoulders splattered in freckles. (f) red hair that falls to waist, green eyes, cheeks and shoulders splattered in freckles.

. D E M O .

See the F.A.Qs.

will update this every few weeks/months. alternatively, here are all my tagged Writing Worksheets & Templates

Chapter Outline ⚜ Character- or Plot-Driven Story

Death & Sacrifice ⚜ Magic & Rituals ⚜ Plot-Planning

Editing: Sentence Check ⚜ Writing Your Novel: 20 Questions

Tension ⚜ Thought Distortions ⚜ What's at Stake

Character Development

50 Questions ⚜ Backstory ⚜ Character Creation

Antagonist; Villain; Fighting ⚜ Protagonist & Antagonist

Character: Change; Adding Action; Conflict

Character: Creator; Name; Quirks; Flaws; Motivation

Character Profile (by Rick Riordan) ⚜ Character Sheet Template

Character Sketch & Bible ⚜ Interview your Character

Story-Worthy Hero ⚜ "Well-Rounded" Character Worksheet

Worldbuilding

20 Questions ⚜ Decisions & Categories ⚜ Worksheet

Setting ⚜ Dystopian World ⚜ Magic System (AALC Method)

Templates: Geography; World History; City; Fictional Plant

References: Worldbuilding ⚜ Plot ⚜ Character ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

March 2025

I made an update on Feb 22nd which was pretty recent so there's not much new to be said but since it's a new month I just wanted to give a general update to set the tone for march!

First, thanks everyone for their patience and understanding. My hand is kinda meh still lol but it's not too bad. The only problem is that I write much slower but that's okay. I am tempted to just push myself and say fuck my hand but I know that'd only do more harm than good. So I'm trying to be more conscious of that.

MARCH is hopefully a big month. I'm ready to just send chapter 4 off and be done with it. I keep getting made fun of in my inbox for completely abandoning the beta testers (so sorry) but I didn't! It was bad timing, I think I posted it before I knew I was 100% ready. After chapter 4 I'll be ready. Promise. And I'll get on that.

Chapter 4 makes me anxious only because chapter 5 is a pretty big chapter (assuming my outline doesn't change.)(It wont). I thought I've gotten used to posting stuff and not worrying too much about it but I think there will always be nerves. So oddly enough my nerves for chapter 4 are pre-emptive nerves for chapter 5 lmao

I want Chapter 5 to release pretty soon after 4 which is why I was working on it at the same time. Lets hope I do it. I'm very excited for that chapter....

As usual, Patreon always get the update first! Speaking of, I've been prioritizing length > frequency on patreon. I'm not sure whether people prefer that? Longer, more meaningful pieces (6k+ words) over shorter ones (1k+). I feel like it's less pressure on me to write that way anyway but yeah! Theres some chapter 3 POVs I gotta get to once I finish these specials.

Sorry that I'm not as active as usual (though I try to answer at least a question or two daily). In other words, after my last update I've been getting a lot of Challenge predictions and someone got super close and was half-right 😒 thought i'd have one release without someone getting me /j of course I won't say hehe

genres: romance, historical fiction, low fantasy, dark

A story about love and revenge set in Ancient Rome.

Play the alpha version of the game here

Please note that the game is intended for mature audience only (18+). Please also note that this is a work in progress, which means that things are to be edited later and I'm looking for any constructive feedback you might have.

The public demo is about 240k words long, excluding the code. The closed alpha demo on Patreon is around 180k words long (the closed alpha is a direct continuation of the game, it starts where the public demo ended).

Last updated on February 27th 2025 (Patreon demo).

You are one of the last surviving members of your tribe destroyed by the Romans. As the last remaining druid of your religion, it is your duty to make things right. In a desperate search for vengeance you enlist into the Legion under a fake name and a made up past. You were supposed to be dead, but now you are an Auxiliary of Rome - a foreigner fighting for the might of the Empire. You’re alone, surrounded by enemies. Also, there's a foreign voice in your head, urging you to kill. Is it your deity, or something else entirely?

Will you find love in the last place you thought possible?

Customize your own (optionally) angry Pict: choose your sex, gender, and sexuality.

There are 5 romanceable characters: an arrogant Centurion who killed your father, a rude noblewoman, a protective Tribune, and a gentle merchant. And, of course, your childhood friend (who seems somewhat... changed?)

dhtb, defiled hearts, defiled hearts: the barbarian

Forum

Pinterest (visual reference board for the ROs, architecture, arts, aesthetics etc.)

Patreon

Cover art made by the talented sietio_art.

Thank you, I hope you enjoy!

The Shepherds of Haven Twine alpha build is live on Patreon!

What's New:

UI! A new UI for the game awaits you, including a range of visual themes to switch between light and dark mode, each with its own ‘minimalist’ version for those who favor strict readability! Stat screens, achievements, notifications, codex entries, newspaper articles, journal entries, storefronts, the day off hub, relationships, the character guide, the inventory, your room, trading cards, gambling, and so much more have been redesigned from the ground-up!

Miss the old look? Switch the font to Georgia and use the "Scholar" theme in your settings. You can even toggle "prioritize stat bars" if you want to change everything back to just stat bars!

A vast range of settings to customize your game! Includes several fonts and ways to read the text, including OpenDyslexic font, as well as toggles to disable or enable visual effects, music, and character art. 

Robust save system! Now, you can not only use 10 different save slots on your browser (including autosaves), you can also download saves directly to your device, arrange and rename them as you like, and even use them to play the game between different devices and browsers!

Interactive maps! Explore and learn about the world of Blest like never before!

Music! A gorgeous custom soundtrack for the game was designed and composed by Ivan Duch and will play at key moments in the story.

Art! New character art, character cards, collectible trading cards, background art, codex documents, bestiary notes, and so much more have now been integrated into the game. Don’t miss the absolutely gorgeous cover designed by Angela Wang!

Fully mobile compatible! Though desktop is strongly recommended for the best gameplay experience, Shepherds is mobile-compatible and feature-rich regardless of what device you play it on.

Other gameplay improvements:

Trouble and Briony are now romanceable by players of all genders.

All players can change their pronouns at any times. Pronouns do not affect romances.

Gambling is now unlocked earlier.

Two day offs is now unlocked earlier.

You can now allocate different points in magic and weaponry training to different skills, not just one at a time.

For now, the new alpha build is only available on Patreon, primarily because this is all new to me and I was working under a severe crunch after the abrupt closure of Dashingdon. Once all the bugs have been ironed out, I feel less nervy, and the dust has settled down some--and I get some semblance of a functional daily life back again--I'll get to work making a public demo available to everyone. It shouldn't be too long of a wait!

In the meantime, please consider signing up for the Shepherds of Haven newsletter: you'll be notified of only the most important announcements--including the release of the public demo, beta-testing opportunities, DLC announcements, and more. Plus, you'll get a free exclusive digital wallpaper based on Shepherds of Haven! :)

Other new links:

manifold-studios.com - official website for my games

@manifoldstudios - this (shepherds-of-haven) is still my main account, but you can follow this one for a cleaner way to receive just announcements as well!

linktree

newsletter

And, of course, if you want to give the new Twine build a try, you'll want to...

Play here!

I sincerely hope you enjoy! ✨

PLAY THE DEMO | PATREON

"Feed on life as it feeds on you."

Answering a house sitting advertisement for a wealthy family friend, you make the journey to Southern Florida to fulfill a contract of seven weeks in exchange for enough money to float you comfortably through your final year of university. With keys to a mansion just a few hours from the beach and the promise of solitude under the Florida sun, you’re set for the summer of a lifetime – until you show up to the house and find out your employer is dead. 

Unbeknownst to you, something hidden in the mansion calls for your claim – something many are willing to kill to possess, regardless of if you are caught in the crossfire. Attempt to leave and live ignorantly, blissfully under a veil of paradise, or capture what riches live hidden in secret. 

Banyan Gulf by V. Lovisa @vlovisa

Customize yourself, the Main Character. Choose your name, appearance, gender, pronouns, and a variety of other factors throughout the story. 

Interact with and influence your relationship with a cast of five main romanceable characters and other side characters. 

Form alliances, or work on your own to uncover the secrets that await you. 

Decorate the room you stay in at your employer’s mansion. Choose wall color, bedding, decor, and special personalized elements to help you feel at home during your stay. 

Choose your attire for formal events and other select scenes. 

Determine your motivations – does money, fame, love, or something deeper drive you to find what lies hidden in the mansion? 

Luisa Morales (she/her) – Ambitious as she is brutally honest and determined, Luisa is an entrepreneur at heart. She aims to someday open her own tattoo shop, she’s been practicing tattooing since she turned 18. Her best friend Drew has become her practice canvas, since she’s run out of room for more work on her left arm and can’t tattoo left-handed. Luisa intends to make it big on her dreams, no matter the cost, and desires to create a sturdy and steady life for herself doing what she loves. She is 24 years old and 5’2. Luisa is Mexican, with brown eyes and long wavy hair that she has dyed dark cherry red.

Drew Robins (he/him OR she/her) – When they are not working at their family’s restaurant or deliberately annoying their best friend Luisa, Drew is a recreational hobby addict. From drawing to sports to drink mixing to mountain climbing, Drew has tried just about everything. They aspire to create a life where money isn’t a concern and they can pursue every one of their passions freely. Drew is 23 years old and 6’1. Male Drew has relatively short curly blond hair, and female Drew has long curly blonde hair that reaches the middle of her back. Drew has pale blue eyes and is white.

Lorelei Wildes (she/her) – Once the most popular person in Banyan Gulf due to the extent of her family’s riches but now socially disgraced due to a family scandal, Lorelei is burnt out of the city. Her one aspiration now is to escape, buy herself a house so grand it’s a step short of a vacation resort close to the beach, and live in the most luxurious way possible. Lorelei is drawn to everything beautiful, everything restful, everything perfect. She is 24 years old and 5’8. Lorelei is white, with green eyes and light brown hair that almost reaches her waist.

Oscar Carter (he/him) – An aspiring screenwriter and film director, Oscar has his sights set on becoming the most renowned filmmaker in the world. It’s a sizable ambition, one many have told him is impossible, but through it all Oscar has remained a dreamer, an artist, and is making progress on his aspirations through directing music videos and short films. Oscar is 23 years old and 5’11. He is black, with dark eyes and black locs that reach just below his collarbones.

Ronan/Ruby Hall (he/him OR she/her)– With their eccentric sense of humor and work as a chef and part-time graphic designer, Hall is known for their individuality and drive to live in their own way. In the back of their mind they hold the goal of being a full-time artist someday when they have the time and focus to give to creating. For now, they’re content to live in their own chaos. Hall is 25 years old and 5’9. They are mixed Thai and white, with light brown eyes and black hair (an overgrown mid fade for Ronan, and hair that reaches just below her collarbones for Ruby). 

POLY ROUTES:

Lorelei & Oscar – The love they once shared has faded, but is not yet lost. Only you might ignite what lies dormant between them, if you so wish. 

Luisa & Ruby/Ronan Hall – Their relationship could never feel complete without the warmth you bring to unite them.

Banyan Gulf is an interactive fiction game that is intended for mature audiences. The game includes many potentially upsetting themes, such as foul language, smoking, drinking and recreational drugs, general violence, weapons (knives, guns, etc), death, murder, suicide and suicidal ideation, cannibalism, gore, and optional romantic and/or sexual content. Please be mindful of these warnings when considering if Banyan Gulf is right for you. 

DEMO — BUY ME A COFFEE WHILE I WRITE — PATREON

DEMO | EXTRAS | DISCORD | KO-FI Wordcount ~280k (Prologue -> Chapter 2) Last updated: 2/16/2025

Your past is in the past. And your future is with your lover.

Life has been kind to you these past few years. After everything you've been through, after building yourself stronger both mentally and physically, after crawling out of what seemed to be a dead end, this peace is… nice. Very nice. A lover who adores you, a best friend who has your back, a cozy house to call home, hell, even a cat you didn't ask for.

No more stress. No more tears, rage, helplessness, or feeling powerless. Everything is going smoothly.

But isn't it going a bit too smoothly?

Content warning: Please note that "Love After Death" is rated 18+ due to sexually suggestive scenes, optional sexual content, themes of child abuse, violence, death (duh), and more. If you find yourself uncomfortable at any point while playing, please prioritize your well-being and stop playing.

This game is a slice-of-life with heavy romance elements. If romance isn't your cup of tea, this might definitely not be the game for you (sorry!)

DEMO (56K) SOUNDTRACK PINTEREST Prologue Release Date: 15th Dec 2024

All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey.

18+ This interactive story includes graphic violence, sexual content, alcohol and drug use, profanity and more.

Disclaimer Gender and race-locked IF due to discussions of gender and racial politics throughout.

Take centre stage as a former-rockstar turned actress navigating your new career and the chilling grip of fan-obsession. Your once-famous band may be nothing short of a ghost of the past to you, but the rest of the world cannot seem to let go. The split in 1968 was scandalous, abrupt and mysterious. And although you’ve thrown yourself into acting and secured your first major role with a big time Hollywood director, whispers of blame have been on your tail ever since.

While most of Hollywood sees these rumours for what they are--empty gossip--a darker current takes precedence and poses a much more sinister threat to your life and the lives of those around you.

2. Spin the wheel again. That's who's trying to protect you.

MC: I knew I should have kept your romance points at 15 🫤

Chase: what

All on itch

All in Choicescript

Working saves (as far as I have seen)

Mobile friendly

Free

💖

As many of you know, When Twilight Strikes is coming up on its anniversary. I like to celebrate the event on the day I posted my intro post, rather than the day the first demo came out, purely because it feels like that was the day the concept of WTS was birthed into the world. Which means on February 24th, this project will officially turn 4 years old!! Crazy.

To celebrate, I toyed with the idea of releasing extra stories as I've done before, but I didn't want to be put off track of Chapter 12 again, so, instead, I'll be hosting an artist event where you can post your creations to be entered to win some prizes!!

RULES

Limit two entries per user. Winners will be decided in a draw.

The entry must fall under one of the prompts listed.

The entry must be tagged under #WTS4Year.

All forms of art count, including (but not limited to) drawings, paintings, comic strips, fanfics, music creations and more. Feel free to message me for clarification!

PROMPTS

CHAPTER: Give your version or interpretation of an existing scene. For example, portray meeting Mirai from Chapter 7 in a visual form or from another character's POV.

FRIENDSHIP: Display the friendship between your hunter and one or more ROs, canon or non-canonical. It could be a comedic approach or something more heartwarming.

ROMANCE: Depict a romance between your hunter and an RO. You could show a domestic scene further into the relationship or your interpretation of how they'll get together.

FREEFORM: If none of the prompts speak to you, feel free to come up with something else <3

PRIZES

1st Place (1 Winner): A personalized drabble with an RO of your choice + a 1-month subscription to the highest tier on my Patreon*

2nd Place (2 Winners): A 1-month subscription to the highest tier on my Patreon*

3rd Place (2 Winners): A 1-month subscription to the second highest tier on my Patreon*

*If the winner is already subscribed, an alternative prize can be discussed.

Hi everybody, the recent news about Dashingdon shutting down feels like it's a bittersweet turning point for many in the ChoiceScript community. Before Don stepped up and took things into his own hands, volunteering his own money, manpower, and time to create and maintain the site, there was no good way for people to host ChoiceScript demos and games in one place: I think the previous solution had been different Dropbox links (which was eventually nuked by security changes in how they hosted files) and possibly separate Neocities sites? Without the Dashingdon site, none of us would have had such an incredible space to gather, share and explore and experience games together, or--for some--even feel motivated to write a ChoiceScript game in the first place, not without an easy and intuitive way of sharing it with others in a playable format. The Dashingdon site significantly lowered the barrier of entry for anyone wanting to make or play or share games; more than that, it was a place of memories, creativity, and connection, and I fully believe that it served as a vital backbone of the ChoiceScript community for many years. A lot of that community relies on the efforts of volunteers--including the creator of CSIDE and the moderators on the forums--and, as with them, I can only thank Don wholeheartedly for his generosity and his 10 years of tireless, selfless, and often thankless work. The fact that a lot of people didn't even know he was a volunteer shows his altruism!

However, all of that work could have only fallen on the shoulders of one person for so long. It's a sad loss to see, though, and I'm very sorry to everyone mourning the loss of the community space, old or inactive WIPs, and save files that will be lost when Dashingdon goes dark at the end of the month. I do wish that there could be an official, stable, company-supported place for authors to host their games in one place, but at least there are alternatives for people to migrate to! (Thank you too to @hpowellsmith and everyone in the community who's taken it upon themselves to spread the news and try to make this transition as smooth as possible for everyone surprised by this announcement. And thank you to the volunteer who's taken up the banner at cogdemos.ink!) I don't know if cogdemos.ink has a page set up to help defray costs, but Dashingdon himself has a ko-fi if you want to leave a tip or thanks for his years of service to the community!

To that end, I want to reassure you all that Shepherds of Haven is safe and isn't going anywhere, and that this change won't affect the game's future. The news has, however, sped up my announcement of something I've been working on for a long time: transitioning away from ChoiceScript and moving Shepherds of Haven to Twine.

Granted, this wasn't how I originally planned on sharing this news. Patrons have known about this move since I decided on it, but I'm a dogged perfectionist, possibly to a fault. I wanted everything to be absolutely polished before unveiling the Twine build, but this unexpected news has been the nudge I needed to take the leap sooner. It's always been my habit to polish my work to an extreme degree: I will rewrite entire novels five, seven, however many times it takes before I send it to my agent or editor... or even before I show it to my own fiance! I still haven't let him read Shepherds, or the novel that I've been talking to him about since 2019, because it "isn't ready" yet, not in my own mind. A common refrain I've always heard from career associates is that my work is "unusually impeccable" by the time it hits their desk. When I do share something, it's usually done. But if I'm learning anything as I grow as a writer, it's that progress matters over perfection. The sudden closure of Dashingdon has made me realize that no one moment will ever feel perfect--and that’s okay. I have to accept that things will never be as perfect as I want to make them before I let them out into the world. Instead of holding myself to an impossible standard, I’m embracing this opportunity to push forward and bring you something I'm truly proud of. (However nerve-wracking that may be!) So, instead of reuploading the ChoiceScript demo somewhere else, only to take it down again later, my efforts are going to shift entirely to getting the Twine version ready for release. It’s a huge task, but it ensures I’ll have complete control over Shepherds of Haven and its future. If I drop everything and focus entirely on this for the next several weeks, my best estimate is that it will take 3-5 weeks of full-time work to make that final push and finally get everything caught up and ready.

Why Twine? There were a lot of reasons behind my decision to move. The biggest of all was that, as the game's wordcount grew, so too did my creative vision for it, and I found myself longing for a version of ShoH that could be just as visually rich and mechanically engaging as I was imagining. Codex entries, interactive maps, infinite saves that can be downloaded directly to your device! Moving to Twine removes the limitations of ChoiceScript's simpler engine, and allows me to honor the game's creative potential and deliver on it in a way that feels true to the journey we've shared so far. It's also a platform that offers greater flexibility and independence for both me and the game: I've put so much work into this project that I'd prefer for its success to rest more in my hands, even if that means taking on the monumental task of publishing it myself, rather than anyone else's.

So. Both the public demo and the alpha build will be released in Twine as soon as I can make that happen. The majority of the work's already done--I just need to get the alpha build caught up with some lingering day off interludes and Chapters 8.5 and 9, and I need to address a queue of lingering quality-of-life questions and tweaks. I want to also note that, while there are very exciting additions to unveil, everything foundational to ShoH remains exactly the same. The story, text, and original functions have been ported in their entirety to Twine, outside of basic edits and refinements that would have happened in the normal course of revision, anyway. I have even taken pains to implement a visual "classic" setting that will replicate the font, colors, and general simplified look of the original version, if players want to use that instead. :) But otherwise, this thing is stuffed to the gills with awesome new features. Custom music soundtrack! Clickable maps! Actual trading card collectibles! Stunning new art! Revamped codex and store and inventory systems! Helpful tutorials and autosave points! Important quality of life improvements, like being able to select pronouns separately from gender and change them any time! This doesn't even touch the surface of it, but needless to say, I think we're going to have a lot of fun. Thank you all for your patience, encouragement, and support so far, and please give me some time to get my ducks in a row. A new version of Shepherds of Haven will be ready for you to play soon!