The demo is finally here~ :> It was a labor of love and I'm so glad I can share it now. This episode is the final September episode and marks the end of the "setup" portion of the story. I hope everyone enjoys it :>
TOTAL WORDS: 375,864
Andi has returned and things are settling in MC's life. We're finally introduced to G and things only get more complicated for our beloved MC!
The episode is 73,000 words. I shaved a couple of thousand words so it can flow better.
I've changed a few minor details. Sam remains G's sibling no matter how hold they are. I just don't believe G would have kids right now so it felt off to me to make G a single parent at this point in their life and career.
I realized the stats for the jobs work much better if they're given their own status (ex. strict vs lenient for teachers, camera shy or not for news anchor, stuff like that!) The only problem is that I have yet to figure them out for all of them. The blanket job stats simply don't apply well to every job so I still need to work on that. For now they've remained the same until I can figure out how I'd like those to be measured across the jobs.
I did my best to fix the errors but this demo is huge! I am sure I'm going to need beta testers because there's so many variables and changes that I have to keep track of especially between job routes that it's not possible for me to not miss anything. I will figure that out soon :>
Thank you to people and other writers who messaged me and gave me tips, tricks and coding advice to make it easier for me. It helped a bunch :>
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.
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Sanguine Sky: Chapter 3 Pt. 2 is OUT! [Public Update]
Hello! I'm happy to announce that Chapter 3 Pt. 2 is OUT! The update contains 161k words [excl. code].
Here's the link: [Public DEMO].
Total word count: 369k words [excl. code] | 408k words [incl. code].
The update took me a while mainly because of my health issues [you can read more here], and I'm incredibly grateful for everyone's patience and support. I hope you'll enjoy it!
What awaits you in the update:
The return from the crime scene to the department [main story evening scene].
Evening scenes for all the ROs.
Two sex scenes + a small bonus scene with the secondary rival [depending on your choices].
ROs' POVs [including a few hidden ones].
The updated demo also includes polished Chapters 1 and Chapters 2, with some content slightly rewritten [more customization options, a less silent MC, more opportunities to push back against R, etc.].
More information about the exact changes was listed in the devlogs.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANON! (I mean, it's probably not May 1st yet for you—I hope it is tho—but it's the thought that counts, right?)
I won't be free on my birthday, so I thought I could release the update today at midnight—that way I can tackle any bugs/errors/typos when I wake up. And that way I can also sleep on it and ignore the stress.
First, thanks a lot to the beta testers, but also to the two patrons who helped me catch several typos/bugs/errors! Thanks for the support from everyone too, you've all been there to hype me when I needed the boost.
Special thanks to the warrior I have in my corner who went through several routes just to find bugs!! I really appreciate and am grateful for the help.
Now,
In this chapter, you'll be able to...
Get your car with your chosen RO (unless you don't romance anyone)
Spend time with your chosen RO
Talk about Christmas approaching
Have some juicy revelations
Have dinner with your little family and your RO
Give your presents and open yours
Have a little moment with your brother
Have a little moment with your grumpy cat
Discover something
And experience some other things I definitely forgot about.
Your saves are definitely broken, simply because I changed the file and uploaded a new one, and because there's a few new variables. BUT! There's a feature for you to start from chapter 4 if you'd rather skip the rewrite. A bit clunky, but functional so far.
Chapter 4 is around +200k words—for some, it'll definitely feel shorter due to the many variables I put in it. It brings us to a total of roughly 840k words for LAD, and I'm already working on chap 5 :))
I really hope you enjoy this chapter. Hopefully, the next chap won't take as long as the rewrite + chap 4 took me. Thank you y'all for sticking with me despite having nothing much for a whole ass year<3
This chapter adds another 45k words of content, bringing the grand total to 230k words.
I can’t express how excited I am to be releasing this chapter! Not only does it feel like the culmination of my original concept, but also a brand new beginning. ❤️
As previously mentioned, there’s going to be a longer period between this and chapter 7. The next two months will be a struggle for me, and I’m happy to be able to share this chapter with you now. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
I can finally release all the asks I’ve been holding onto, lol. I won’t discuss big spoilers for a few days, but some of the asks may give hints. Be sure to mute the tag #chapter 6 spoilers if you want absolutely no hints.
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.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Chapter One is currently released for free! You can play it right now on the link above, totally available for the public!
In these chapters you will...
Lose your temper.
Talk about your dreams.
Become a delivery person.
Do your laundry.
Talk to pretty people.
Find a cat.
Get shot.
If you run into any issues or errors please send me an ask about it.
Content warnings can be found at the start of the demo. God Syndicate is a romance interactive fiction novel meant for mature audiences.
I just want to thank everyone for letting me take my time with this, I think these two chapters really work super well together. Chapter 2 will be released to the public in a couple of months, so if you want to wait then feel free. But I do think the content is worth it.
I'll be taking a short break from writing! But I'll be back in a week or two.
Here is finally a new public update. This one adds over 20k words to the existing word count. I've edited the first two chapters (things are more polished, and there's new content), and I also added some third chapter things (eg. there's more content in Camilla's sentry scene and you can meet Marcus's sister Gaia).
There will be some typos and grammar errors still, but hopefully a lot less of those now (at least in the first two chapters! The third chapter is next in line). Also, I will make another grammar/typo sweep when the game is complete.
Also also, for your information, the story has continued to move forward on my Patreon for over 350k words (in addition to the existing public 260k words). We're already entering the final chapter, so please check that out if you're interested. There's also, uh, smut. So much smut. Over 140k words of smut (it's been piling up).
Anyway, thank you so much for giving this update a read!
The Abyss beckons you once more.
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.
Well, if you manage to finish that year.
༻ 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.
✬ Almost 200,000 words of overhauled and brand-new content for the current 5 chapters of the game.
✬ Brand new, restructured main plot arc.
✬ New mechanics that will carry the whole game forward.
✬ 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! 🖤)
✬ 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:
༻ 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.
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.
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.
༻ 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.
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.
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.
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, you’ll kill a god too.
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.
༻ 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.
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.
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. That’s all.
༻ 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, I’m sure.
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.
No judgment here.
༻ 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.
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.
༻ 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.
༻ EVERYTHING ELSE
Almost every scene in the existing game has been touched (gently, consensually): Prose, character voices, pacing, and choices.
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, it’s 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.
