You have reached the required conditions for acquiring your first familiar.
HOWEVER... There is a slight issue...
You gots no money. You know what that means, right?
You gotta go to the discount familiar store. Beggars can't be choosers, so it's basically up to chance which one you'll end up with...
Whichever familiar happens to be on the CLEARANCE_RACK at the time is what you'll end up with.
Once you've selected your familiar, you must now pick a stylish getup for them! Actually, a whole outfit would be expensive, let's just choose one singular accessory instead:
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The Abyss beckons you once more.Â
You're dead. But don't worry, the end has no end. Welcome to the ethereal realms of the afterlife. Sign your contract, manage this lonely bar on the Abyss for a year, and claim your limitless wish from the gods themselves.Â
Well, if you manage to finish that year.
ŕźť THE BAR ON THE ABYSS 3.0 IS FINALLY HERE
Play WIP at: Itch.io | CoGDemos
(Current demo: 410k words!!!)
What started as a 2.5 update two and a half years ago grew into something I could no longer call anything but a new version entirely.Â
⏠Almost 200,000 words of overhauled and brand-new content for the current 5 chapters of the game.Â
⏠Brand new, restructured main plot arc.Â
⏠New mechanics that will carry the whole game forward.Â
⏠Characters who are more alive (well, you know) and more complicated than they've ever been.
I won't pretend this one was easy to ship, but I'm so glad it's finally in your hands.
(And if you're willing to help this little game grow, here's how! đ¤)
⏠Leave a comment on the COG game thread!
⏠Reblog this post before you start!
⏠Talk about it on r/hostedgames!
⏠Add it to your collection on itch.io!
⏠And most importantly, please send me your thoughts via ask here, or on COG, during or after your playthrough. I genuinely want to read every single one!
It would mean the world and beyond. Truly.
And now, here's everything that's new. Grab a drink! We earned it:
ŕźť A WHOLE NEW MAIN PLOT
The story of your afterlife journey has changed.
From the moment you sign your new contract, presented to you by none other than the Grim Reaper, the main arc of TBOTA changes from the ground up.Â
Pick your limitless wish, learn about your new employer: the Council of Nine, and discover what truly lies beneath this contract: a binding to something⌠else.
And this time, you have far greater agency to act on your own behalf and for your staff.Â
Should you choose to share what you've learned with them, of course.
If you've played before, you'll recognise the bones. But the story has grown around them into something ready to carry the full weight of what TBOTA is building toward.
ŕźť YOUR SPIRIT GIFT
The Spirit Gift system has been completely reworked. Not as a shortcut or as a glorified stat check, but as a new lens through which you experience the entire story. Each gift opens unique scenes, unique ways to act, gather information, or stumble into something just effing strange. Think of them less as abilities and more as a personality trait that the bar decided you really needed.
Ring of Chronos: stolen from Itot, the glass-spider god of time. Click your fingers, stop the world, and what you do with those stolen seconds is yours to decide: help your staff, or punch a nightlife critic in the face.Â
Lens of Daezur: contraband from a mage who wanted to know too much. Point it at anything, and get your own secret encyclopedia. Learn how old the Raven is, who made the gates to Limbo, and what the bathroom fog is really made of.Â
Mask of Shapeless Visage: previously worn by the actors-assassins of Teatru Mischak. Wear the face of everyone around you. But will you remember how to be yourself?
The Necklace of Murmurs: hear the thoughts of inanimate objects around you, and more so, their opinions. Your bedroom table, the jukebox downstairs, a letter from Pyriphlegethon, or even your own cash register.Â
Voidcutter: a sword forged to kill gods, carrying the memories of the civilization destroyed for making it. Fight like a spirit-warrior when the opportunity presents itself. And who knows⌠maybe one day, youâll kill a god too.Â
Navia's Earring: the mad prophet heard what the gods meant to keep hidden. Now you do too! Just remember: some things, once heard, are very hard to unknow.
ŕźť RANDOM PATRONS ENCOUNTERS
No two playthroughs of the game will be the same! Each run gives you two out of five possible patron encounters, one in Chapter 1, one in Chapter 4.Â
In the future, these encounters will be chosen from a pool of 20 patrons. So, who walks through your door tonight?
Meet Zilas, God of Revelry, and he is very good at his job.
Meet Perpetiel, an Ophanim Angel, drinking a mimosa from a straw. Be not afraid.
Meet Laura, an astronaut who died during a research mission into a black hole, with one terrifying tale.Â
Meet Xochitl, Trade Ambassador of Clan Roh'els of the Undead City of Necropolis. A vampiress in your humble abode, coming with an interesting offer for you.
Tomas, a mortal painter. Quiet, unassuming. Thatâs all.
ŕźť LOVE AFTER DEATH
Romance has been overhauled from scratch. Be flirtatious or be a complete disaster about it. Choose monogamy, polyamory, or an ace playthrough. Build something slow and tender, or burn bright and chaotic.
And if you want things a little spicier with a certain devilish friend of yours... well. The content is there. You'll find it, Iâm sure.Â
And random patrons are fair game, too! if you're the type to shoot your shot with someone who walked through your door an hour ago, and might be a vampire or an angel.Â
No judgment here.
ŕźť WHO ARE YOU IN THIS AFTERLIFE?
Introducing a 30-trait personality system. Every choice you make, every option you pick, every response you give quietly builds a psychological profile of your MC.Â
Not to gate content or to judge you! Just to reflect who you are becoming in your ethereal form, one decision at a time.
New grief path content is also woven throughout the game. Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance, each path surfaces in new places, in new ways.
You'll also find tons of new career options throughout the game. Some of them can even replace certain skill checks!
The Abyss is watching, and it finds you fascinating.
ŕźť CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION AND DEATH SCARS
Choose from a vastly expanded range of career backgrounds, add an honorific, and find a few other surprises waiting in the menu.
Your career also has a greater presence throughout the game now: more moments where who you were in life shapes who you're becoming in death.
And by popular demand, choose a death scar. After all, you died, and you probably have the marks to prove it.
During character customization, you can now choose your death scars, currently cosmic in nature. Full in-game integration is coming in future updates, but they're yours to wear now.
ŕźť EVERYTHING ELSE
Almost every scene in the existing game has been touched (gently, consensually): Prose, character voices, pacing, and choices.Â
If something felt off before, there's a good chance it doesn't anymore! (HOPING) And also, made an absolute thorough bugs & typos sweep. Some of them were present from day one! But I FINALLY SQUISHED THEM!
That's it, for now. I think! Might be others I forgot about, lol. After all, itâs been two and a half years of work just for this update. More love and labour than I can ever put into a release post, but alas.
Thank you for waiting. Thank you for asking after this game during the long silences.Â
Thank you for still being here.
Now go run your bar. The Abyss is FINALLY open đ¤Â
I like the second person narration in HtN because it makes the book feel like a fucked up Choose Your Own Adventure novel except You Have No Choice. It really drives home Harrow's lack of agency in the story until she regains her memories.
In the Empire of Qerus, Emperor Alekos rules with an iron fist. He is a tyrant, an abomination who cares only for dining on the terror of his people and sating his own bloodlust. He rules the realm with an iron fist, and all those within it tremble in his presence. He is a monster through and through.
But all monsters must fall eventually.
You are a member of the Guild of the Kiss, an elite organization of assassins that will snuff out the lives of anyone and everyone -- so long as the price is right. By now, the blood on your hands is endless. But when you are called to infiltrate Alekos' harem and assassinate him, even you pause. Is this truly something you can get away with?
You must navigate the dangers of harem politics, intrigue, and the displeasure of the most powerful people in the empire as you navigate this new terrain.
The fate of the empire is in your hands, assassin. Make your choices wisely.
Note: Silk and Death is genderlocked with a female MC
The game has five romance options. They go as follows:
Alekos (M)
The monstrous emperor whom you have been charged with assassinating. Alekos is cruel beyond words, fickle, and eccentric -- a dangerous combination. Will he lose his life to you, or will you lose your heart to him? And what will he do if he discovers your plot?
Alekos is tall and slender. He has pale skin, curly black hair, and pale, nearly colorless gray eyes. His features are deceptively delicate and feminine.
Andromeda (F)
Alekos' mother. She is sly, cunning, and charming in spades. Don't let that fool you, though -- she's her son's spymaster and helps to run his secret police. She is a large part of the reason why he's still on the throne, and she will do absolutely anything to keep him there.
Andromeda is short and slender with pale skin, curly black hair with some gray beginning to streak through it, and pale, almost colorless gray eyes. Her features are delicate. Alekos derives nearly all of his looks from her.
Marios (M)
Alekos' cousin and the heir to the throne. Marios is stern and no-nonsense, having been run ragged trying to preserve the empire in the face of Alekos' antics. Should you be successful in your quest to kill Alekos, he will ascend to the throne.
Marios is tall and muscular. He has sun-kissed skin, wavy golden hair, and eyes the color of the azure sky. His features are strong and bold.
Theophano (F)
A woman in Alekos' harem. Theophano is cunning, proud, and determined to rise in the ranks of the imperial court no matter what. Amidst the constant backstabbing of the emperor's harem, she reigns supreme.
Theophano stands at an average height and is slender. She has light brown skin, tightly curled black hair she keeps in braids, and hazel eyes. Her features are fragile.
Eleni (F)
The handmaiden who has been assigned to you as a member of Alekos' harem. Eleni is sweet, gentle, and kind-hearted. Many would take this for weakness, but there is a strength in her. Anyone who underestimates her would be a fool.
Eleni is short with soft, ample curves. She has pale, freckled skin, fiery red hair, and light brown eyes. Her features are soft and heart-shaped.
Customize your MC's appearance and personality to truly define who she is
Navigate harem politics and court politics more broadly
Choose between five unique romance options
Become a mother! Or don't
Hold the fate of an empire in your hands
Note: This is a secondary project to my main game, @brighteststars-if. While I of course plan on devoting time and attention to this IF, it is not my first priority as a result. This intro post is also a reupload after some drama the first go around. Fingers crossed this time things will be better.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Quality
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In the kingdom of Taras, everyone lives with a prophecy. The fortunate call it a gift, the unfortunate a burden. You are the youngest child of House Rauz, a powerful noble family only a tier beneath the king. Shortly after your thirteenth birthday, you travel to the capital with your family with a distressing, newly minted prophecy scrawled out across your skin.
Soon enough, you find that you have other, equally pressing concerns; a key purpose of your visit is to place you at the side of Lux, the younger, more favored child of King Caius. When Lux gets a prophecy, it seems even more damning than yours.
Can you save Lux before it's too late, or will you both go down the wrong road together? And can you solve your own prophecy? Only the years ahead will tell.
Note: After originally deleting The Brightest Stars due to severe mental health issues and losing my entire outline, which devastated me, I'm back to writing it.
Note: The Brightest Stars is a single RO game, with a mandatory romance path. This is necessary for the plot.
Lux ziâil Aurym (M/F)
Lux is the favorite child of the king, though they're a legitimized bastard. They're charming, passionate, and proud to a fault. There's a darkness lurking in them, a corruption that could rot and fester, but there's kindness, too, ripe for fostering. Maybe, with your help, one side can win out?
Lux is tall and lean, with light brown skin and curly black hair. They have bright green eyes, with a mole under their left eye, and a delicate, slender face. Both Male and Female Lux grow to be exceedingly beautiful in adulthood. Female Lux is the same height as Male Lux.
Play as male or female
Customize your MC's looks and personality
Make choices that raise the MC's corruption and Lux's, and impact endings
Experience different dynamics with Lux depending on their gender and the MC's
Try to survive the backstabbing, politicking and intrigue of court, and maybe even conquer it
Play a game spanning years, from the MC's early teens to their mid-twenties
Here at Soulmates Inc we specialize in chance meetings!
As a soul-link, your job is to guide two people entrusted in your care to one another in a fateful meeting, for they are each other's soulmates. Aided by the soul-link powers, you will craft a story that will be told over and over to others, changed and misremembered or kept as faithful as humanly possible. Without your help, they would not find one another.
P.S.: a regular reminder to refrain from referring to yourself or your coworkers as Cupid.
|| LINK to the demo || [149k +24k]
In this update:
embark on a forbidden dinner
watch yet another social function sneak into your calendar
begin a new case (wait what happens to other one?..)
In the Duchy of Vespyr, House Talyn rules with an iron fist. Terror at their very name permeates throughout the land and heads duck at their mention. And they rightfully should. After all, Vespyrâs ruler and heirs are gods among men, creatures of eternal life who feast off of the blood of their lessers.
âVampires,â people whisper, their tones equal parts terror and awe.
You are a young villager from a settlement near Castle Vespyr. Every three years, your village selects two sacrifices to offer as servants to your lieges. When you and your little brother, Julian, are chosen as this periodâs sacrifices, you are condemned to certain death.
As you leave for the stronghold of your overlords, you are sure that your days will be short and miserable. You can only hope, at least, that your deaths will be quick. But then you catch the attention of the volatile vampires who rule you. And all of a sudden, both you and your brotherâs survival â or your agonizing deaths â might be in the cards.
Note: Survival of the Fittest is a dark romance. The love interests are cruel, self-interested, and brutal. They are truly bad people, and their treatment of the MC is far from the hallmark of a healthy relationship. Understand this going in.
The game has four romance options and five romance routes. They go as follows:
Marcus/Marcia
Vespyrâs ruler. M is careless and violent. Their temper is infamous to all the servants of the castle. Unfathomable amounts of blood stain their hands, and they thrill in that fact. Despite being the Duke/Duchess of Vespyr, they care not for ruling, often shrugging their responsibilities onto others.
M is tall and muscular, with bold, square features. They have light brown skin, bright hazel eyes, and curly black hair lined with some silver that falls to just below their ears.
Lucius/Lucia
The eldest adopted child of Vespyrâs ruler. L is cold and aloof, placing duty above all else. If a servant has to choose which of the siblings to serve, they would likely pick them. But beneath all of their ice-cold control, fire burns beneath their skin. On the rare occasions when their savagery is unleashed, it is devastating.
L is tall and statuesque, with cutting, aristocratic features that could have been carved out of marvel. They have pale skin, frigid blue eyes, and straight blond hair that reaches their shoulders.
Damianos/Damiana
The middle adopted child of Vespyrâs ruler. D is vain and frivolous, prioritizing their own desires over all else. To be caught by one of their whims is to be granted certain death. The servants of the castle keep their heads down in Dâs presence, lest they be pulled into one of their cruel games.
D is of average height and has a slim build, with slender, delicate features. They have black skin, dark brown eyes, and coiled black hair they keep in braids.
Antonius/Antonia
The youngest adopted child of Vespyrâs ruler. A is playful and whimsical, always quick to grant their favor with the servants. But as bright as their affection shines, it burns out just as quickly. A long line of dead former favorites trails after them. The servants fear them most out of their ruler's children.
A is short with a soft build. Their features are round and heart-shaped. They have warm bronze skin, stormy gray eyes, and curly brown hair that falls to their back.
Play as male or female
Customize your MCâs appearance and personality
Choose between one of five romance routes
Do your best to survive Castle Vespyr, or pay the price with your life
Try to resist the degeneracy of Castle Vespyr, or fall into it
Note: As of 5/31/26, Survival of the Fittest is on Hiatus because of new job opportunities.