The 2024 Spring Thing Festival of Interactive Fiction!

* or Autumnal Jumble, for our Southern Hemisphere Friends

E-mail the organizer

Connect with Spring Thing on Twitter at @SpringThingFest

We think games are for everyone.

Playing the Entries

The 2024 Festival of Interactive Fiction features thirty-two new interactive stories submitted by authors working across the spectrum of text games. Participants chose to place their stories in either the Main Festival, where they are eligible for a Best In Show ribbon and prizes, or the Back Garden, with looser entry requirements allowing for more experimental or work-in-progress titles.

This year, we also are offering a New Game Plus category as part of the Back Garden, showcasing games that previously have been released but have been either ported to a susbtantially different system or have been significantly expanded.

Main Festival

TitleSystemLength
Alltarach, by Katie Canning and Josef OlssonTwinefull
The Case of the Solitary Resident, by thesleuthacademyTwineshort
Do Good Deeds..., by SissyTwineshort
Doctor Jeangille's Letters, by manonamoraTwinefull
Dragon of Steelthorne, by Vance ChanceChoiceScriptfull
Loose Ends, by Daniel Stelzer and Anais SommerfeldInkfull
Octopus's Garden, by Michael D. HilbornInform/Glulxshort
Pass A Bill, by Leo WeinrebTwine
Potato Peace, by ronynnInkshort
PROSPER.0, by groggydogTwineshort
Rescue at Quickenheath, by Mo FarrTwineshort
A Simple Happening, by Leon LinInform/Glulxshort
Social Democracy: An Alternate History, by Autumn ChenBest In Show recipientDendryNexusfull
Studio, by Charm CochranInform/Glulxshort
Thanks, but I don’t remember asking., by Mea MurukutlaTwine
To Beseech Old Sins, by Nic JuneTwineshort
The Trials of Rosalinda, by Agnieszka TrzaskaBest In Show recipientTwinefull
The Truth About PRIDE!, by Jemon GolfinBitsyshort
Voyage of the Marigold, by Andrew StephensInkshort
You Can Only Turn Left, Written by: Emiland Kray, Programmed by: Ember Chan, Music by: Mary KrayTwinemicro
Zomburbia, by Charles Moore, Jr.Dialog/Zfull

Back Garden

TitleSystemLength
Bydlo; or the Ox-Cart, by P.B. ParjeterBitsymicro
Deep Dark Wood, by Senica ThingTwineshort
A Dream of Silence, by Abigail CorfmanTwineshort
Escape From the Tomb of the Celestial Knights, by MegonaQuestshort
Ink and Intrigue, by Leia TalonChoiceScriptshort
Luna Gardens, by BruhstinInform/Glulxshort
Nonverbal Communication, by Allyson GrayInform/Glulxshort
The Portrait, by dott. PiergiorgioTADS 3short
Provizora Parko, by Dawn SueokaTwineshort

New Game Plus

TitleSystemLength
The Kuolema, by Ben JacksonTwinefull
One King to Loot them All, by Onno BrouwerTwineshort
The Time Machine, by Bill MayaInform/Glulxshort

Archive of all 2024 entries (189 MB zip): Download from itch.io

Festival Readme and Changelog of updated games

Anyone is welcome to submit to . The organizer reserves the right to not show a submission they feel is inappropriate for the festival, but entries are not otherwise vetted, and their contents and opinions reflect the views of the original author, not the as a whole.

How to Play Parser IF

S features all kinds of text games, but two of the major divisions are between what are sometimes called choiced-based games (where you interact by clicking links) and parser-based games (where you interact by typing commands).

To those unfamiliar with the parser, it can seem confusing or intimidating. Here are some resources for getting started:

To play some parser IF offline, the downloaded story file needs to be opened with a program called an interpreter, much like a .doc file needs Microsoft Word to open. Clicking on the story format (next to the download link) will take you to instructions for finding the right interpreter to play a particular game.

Main Festival

Play
Alltarach by Katie Canning and Josef Olsson
Alltarach By Katie Canning and Josef Olsson Twine full-length fantasy semi-historical has graphics puzzleless long game myth folklore Ireland supernatural lgbtqcontent warnings in settings An illustrated interactive novel about family, folklore, and grief, set in a semi-historical version of 6th century Ireland. Author's Comment: “This game is part character study, part playful take on Irish mythology, part love letter to my home country. I’m really proud of what our little team has managed to accomplish with enough hacking of Harlowe. Bainigí sult as — enjoy!”
Alltarach received an Audience Award for Best Art.'
BEST
ART
 Alltarach received an Audience Award for Best Story.'
BEST
STORY
 Alltarach received an Audience Award for Best Twine Game.'
BEST
TWINE GAME
Play OnlineCover ArtPlay on itch.io
Play
The Case of the Solitary Resident by thesleuthacademy
The Case of the Solitary Resident By thesleuthacademy Twine short mystery detective educational Twine Uncover the truth behind a mysterious death in an apartment.
The Case of the Solitary Resident received an Audience Award for Sleuthiest Mystery.'
SLEUTHIEST
MYSTERY
Play Online
Play
Do Good Deeds... by Sissy
Do Good Deeds... By Sissy Twine short kid-friendly children's game Modis the elf faces mockery from the forest inhabitants due to his unusual appearance. However, many of the animals struggle to complete their preparations for winter, and it depends on Modis whether they will ultimately succeed. Play OnlineCover Art
Play
Doctor Jeangilles Letters by manonamora
Doctor Jeangille's Letters By manonamora Twine full romance mystery epistolary multiple endings violence death (incl child) full list in game Forced to settle in the small and quiet village of Meaux, the life of Doctor Jeangille falls into turmoils. In the epistolary exchanges with Olympia, the lover, this recluse person comes to life, entangled in peculiar and mysterious events… Author's Comment: “This entry is the translation of 'Les lettres du Docteur Jeangille', which had been submitted to the Concours de Fiction Interactive Francophone. It is my first time using the epistolary format to tell a story. I hope the translation does its French original counterpart justice.”
Doctor Jeangille's Letters received an Audience Award for Best Penmanship.'
BEST
PENMANSHIP
 Doctor Jeangille's Letters received an Audience Award for Most Moody and Dramatic Protagonist.'
MOST MOODY/DRAMATIC
PROTAGONIST
 Doctor Jeangille's Letters received an Audience Award for Most Immersive Storyline.'
MOST IMMERSIVE
STORYLINE
Play OnlineMultilingual Version on Itch.io
Play
Dragon of Steelthorne by Vance Chance
Dragon of Steelthorne By Vance Chance ChoiceScript full-length Choicescript choice-based strategy action steampunk fantasy Rule a mighty city, fight battles and discover a powerful secret as the Ardent or Ardessa of Lake Steelthorne. Author's Comment: “Cover art was generated using art assets under the CC0 license and pixabay content license. Both provide a perpetual license to use, modify or adapt art assets for commercial or non-commercial use without providing attribution.”
Dragon of Steelthorne received an Audience Award for Coolest Minigame.'
COOLEST
MINIGAME
 Dragon of Steelthorne received an Audience Award for Steamiest Fantasy.'
STEAMIEST
FANTASY
 Dragon of Steelthorne received an Audience Award for Tensest Buildup.'
TENSEST
BUILDUP
Play OnlineCover ArtDiscussion thread
Play
Loose Ends by Daniel Stelzer and Anais Sommerfeld
Loose Ends By Daniel Stelzer and Anais Sommerfeld Ink full-length choice-based mystery intrigue world of darkness vampires As a fledgling vampire, you’ve been ordered by your elders to investigate a murder and clean up any loose ends. A simple enough task — until you discover that you might be a loose end yourself. Author's Comment: “The winner of IntroComp 2023, now expanded out into a full game!”
Loose Ends received an Audience Award for Best Political Shenanigans.
BEST POLITICAL
SHENANIGANS
 Loose Ends received an Audience Award for Best Drama.
BEST
DRAMA
 Loose Ends received an Audience Award for Most Tangled Web.
MOST TANGLED
WEB
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Octopuss Garden by Michael D. Hilborn
Octopus's Garden By Michael D. Hilborn Inform/Glulx short parser comedy octopus You have no complaints about your aquarium... except for its view. You’ve been staring out the same window for months on end. It’s time for this octopus to make a change. Author's Comment: “This author’s attempt at an interactive cephalopod escapade. Originally conceived and written during the second week of the first (and, possibly, only?) Interactive Fiction Writing Month, this game sat dormant on a hard drive for over a decade until recently dusted off and polished (a bit). Enjoy!”
Octopus's Garden received an Audience Award for Best Use of Space.'
BEST USE
OF SPACE
 Octopus’s Garden received an Audience Award for Most Unusual McGuffin.'
MOST UNUSUAL
MCGUFFIN
 Octopus's Garden received an Audience Award for Best Mental Image.'
BEST
MENTAL IMAGE
Play OnlineCover Art
Play
Pass A Bill by Leo Weinreb
Pass A Bill By Leo Weinreb Twine action adventure dark humor dystopian puzzle satire simulation thriller blood violence illustrated flashing GIFs politics Corruption and greed run rampant across the nation and people are losing hope. That's why it's tough for a newly-elected politician like yourself; there's a lot of pressure on you to get things done. But in your jaded heart of hearts you only have one goal in mind, one that sets the bar so low it's impossible to fail – you want to pass a single bill into law. Author's Comment: “A tongue-in-cheek simulation puzzle game on navigating political bureaucracy.

“Images may be cut off on phone or tablet, computer recommended.”
Pass A Bill received an Audience Award for 'Best Satire.'
BEST
SATIRE
 Pass A Bill received an Audience Award for 'Most Surprising.'
MOST
SURPRISING
 Pass A Bill received an Audience Award for 'Brightest Cynicism.'
BRIGHTEST
CYNICISM
Play OnlineCover Art
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Potato Peace by ronynn
Potato Peace By ronynn Ink short graphical mystery comedy puns potatoes choice based political diplomatic puzzleless failing parent's expectations Set in a world where humans and sentient potatoes coexist, you try (but fail) to uncover a plot that threatens to disrupt the fragile harmony of this society, while trying to keep your father proud. Author's Comment: “I wanted to make a funny potato themed game that also tackles the aspect of how people often fail to fulfill others’ expectations of them, and never try to seek their own dreams. Puns are still the central aspect of the game.”
Potato Peace received an Audience Award for Best Art, Potato or otherwise.'
BEST ART, POTATO
OR OTHERWISE
 Potato Peace received an Audience Award for Best Visual Novel.'
BEST
VISUAL NOVEL
 Potato Peace received an Audience Award for Potatoest Potato.'
POTATOEST
POTATO
Play OnlineCover Art
Play
PROSPER.0 by groggydog
PROSPER.0 By groggydog Twine short Poetry You are a corporate drone tasked with purging poetry from CORPOTECH’s Database of Subsumed Cultures. But when a mysterious interloper hacks into your console, you’re faced with an escalating series of requests which put you in direct opposition to your corporate overlords and on a collision course with the sublime.

A creative exercise in destructive poetry.
PROSPER.0 received an Audience Award for Best Freeform Poetry.'
BEST FREEFORM
POETRY
 PROSPER.0 received an Audience Award for Coolest Mechanic.'
COOLEST
MECHANIC
 PROSPER.0 received an Audience Award for Most Creative.'
MOST
CREATIVE
Play Online
Play
Rescue at Quickenheath by Mo Farr
Rescue at Quickenheath By Mo Farr Twine short fantasy total absence of historical accuracy lighthearted LGBT choice-based romance shenanigans a couple of puzzles Being the Most Recent Exploit of the Notorious Highway Robbers Aubrey & Valentine, featuring Grim Imprisonment, Fairy Intrigue, Romance, Adventure, Feathered Hats, etc.
Rescue at Quickenheath received an Audience Award for Most Delightful.
MOST
DELIGHTFUL
 Rescue at Quickenheath received an Audience Award for Best Romance.
BEST
ROMANCE
 Rescue at Quickenheath received an Audience Award for Most Buckled Swash.
MOST BUCKLED
SWASH
Play Online
Play
A Simple Happening by Leon Lin
A Simple Happening By Leon Lin Inform/Glulx short parser historical feudal japan samurai adventure combat violence cw: suicide As a samurai, you have been condemned to die by your own hand. Can you escape your fate?
A Simple Happening received an Audience Award for Best Action Set-Pieces.'
BEST ACTION
SET-PIECES
 A Simple Happening received an Audience Award for Most Unexpected Laughs.'
MOST UNEXPECTED
LAUGHS
 A Simple Happening received an Audience Award for Smooth Implementation Award.'
SMOOTH IMPLEMENTATION
AWARD
Play OnlineCover Art
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Social Democracy: An Alternate History by Autumn Chen
Social Democracy: An Alternate History By Autumn Chen Social Democracy: An Alternate History is a winner of the 2024 Spring Thing Best In Show ribbon. full-length historical graphics music Play as the Social Democratic Party of Germany in 1928, and try to stop the NSDAP from taking power. Guide the party through elections and parliamentary politics, and deal with the Great Depression and the spiraling political violence that characterized the late “Weimar Republic”. Author's Comment: “This is an alternate-history political simulation game with some card-based elements. It was written as the first substantial game in DendryNexus, a game engine inspired by StoryNexus.”
Social Democracy-An Alternate History received an Audience Award for 'Best Historical Game.'
BEST HISTORICAL
GAME
 Social Democracy-An Alternate History received an Audience Award for 'Best use of Otto Braun.'
BEST USE OF
OTTO BRAUN
 Social Democracy-An Alternate History received an Audience Award for 'Most Educational.'
MOST
EDUCATIONAL
Play OnlineCover Art
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Studio by Charm Cochran
Studio By Charm Cochran Inform/Glulx short horror cw: graphic violence cw: death multiple endings It’s been a whirlwind few days, but you’re finally just about settled in. New place, new city, no one here yet for you to lean on. You’ve spent all day getting things set up, running errands, and stressing out. Now it’s time to finish up, secure the premises, and get some much-needed sleep. Author's Comment: “Studio uses the Bisquixe interpreter and includes significant CSS styling — it should be run in a browser for the intended experience.”
Studio received an Audience Award for Best Horror.'
BEST
HORROR
 Studio received an Audience Award for Best Story.'
BEST
STORY
 Studio received an Audience Award for Pluckiest Protagonist.'
PLUCKIEST
PROTAGONIST
Play OnlineCover ArtHand-Drawn Map
Play
Thanks, but I don’t remember asking. by Mea Murukutla
Thanks, but I don’t remember asking. By Mea Murukutla Twine has some violence Making decisions for others has consequences. Be sure you’re prepared for them before you proceed. Author's Comment: “This all began as a dream on a random Tuesday night nearly a year ago. I brought it up in four different sessions before my therapist had enough and suggested that I write it down. A year of procrastination later — here we are. Happy now, Mia?”
Thanks, but I don't remember asking received an Audience Award for Best Butterfly Effect.'
BEST
BUTTERFLY EFFECT
 Thanks, but I don't remember asking received an Audience Award for Twistiest Story.'
TWISTIEST
STORY
 Thanks, but I don't remember asking received an Audience Award for Worst Memory.'
WORST
MEMORY
Play OnlineCover Art
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To Beseech Old Sins by Nic June
To Beseech Old Sins By Nic June Twine short sci-fi queer yuri military hypertext Hoping to avoid further loss of life, an admiral asks the sins of the past to deliver her a swift victory. Things do not go how anyone expects. Author's Comment: “This story grew out of a challenge to myself to finally make a story for my recurring core cast that was light and let them have some actual fun without the looming threat of body horror or being crushed under an oppressive system.”
To Beseech Old Sins received an Audience Award for Cuddliest Space Marines.'
CUDDLIEST
SPACE MARINES
 To Beseech Old Sins received an Audience Award for Most Amorous Astronauts.'
MOST AMOROUS
ASTRONAUTS
 To Beseech Old Sins received an Audience Award for Most Unexpected Plot Twist.'
MOST UNEXPECTED
PLOT TWIST
Play OnlineCover ArtOther stories in the anthologyItch
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The Trials of Rosalinda by Agnieszka Trzaska
The Trials of Rosalinda By Agnieszka Trzaska The Trials of Rosalinda is a winner of the 2024 Spring Thing Best In Show ribbon. Twine full-length fantasy puzzles magic multiple playable characters The necromancer may have been defeated, but Rosalinda’s troubles are far from over. On the run and lost in a cursed forest, it will take all of her wits – and more than a little help from her friends – to make it out UNdead. Author's Comment: “A sequel to “The Bones of Rosalinda”.”
The Trials of Rosalinda received an Audience Award for Best Puzzles.'
BEST
PUZZLES
 The Trials of Rosalinda received an Audience Award for Best Sidekick.'
BEST
SIDEKICK
 The Trials of Rosalinda received an Audience Award for Best Sequel.'
BEST
SEQUEL
Play OnlinePlay on itch.ioHints
Play
The Truth About PRIDE! by Jemon Golfin
The Truth About PRIDE! By Jemon Golfin short Bitsy LGBTQ+ Family-Friendly Has Puzzles Text Adventure Multiple Endings The Truth About PRIDE! is an interactive narrative game where the goal is to undergo self-discovery to reveal the true meaning of the word and concept of ‘PRIDE!’ Author's Comment: “This game was originally a class assignment that I expanded upon to represent a more personal meeting of finding one’s internal PRIDE. I hope that it helps strengthen the self-confidence of anyone who plays it. And as an aspire video game developer, I hope this game can be the start of more greatness to come.”
The Truth About Pride received an Audience Award for 'Most Introspective.'
MOST
INTROSPECTIVE
 The Truth About PRIDE! received an Audience Award for 'Best Bitsy.'
BEST
BITSY
 The Truth About PRIDE! received an Audience Award for 'Biggest Heart.'
BIGGEST
HEART
Play OnlinePlay on Itch.io
Play
Voyage of the Marigold by Andrew Stephens
Voyage of the Marigold By Andrew Stephens Ink short scifi exploration replayable combat Join the Federation Starship Marigold as its captain in a desperate mission through unexplored sectors. A new game awaits each time you play. Author's Comment: “Voyage of the Marigold was conceived as a short “lunchtime” game with an emphasis on replayability and exploration. Heavily influenced by the Fighting Fantasy series of books from the 80s, the yellowing pages of old SciFi paperbacks, and cliches from a certain popular TV franchise.

Features include starship combat, an automatic mapping system, terrible dialog, and crisp 1-bit graphics.”
Voyage of the Marigold received an Audience Award for Best Adventure.'
BEST
ADVENTURE
 Voyage of the Marigold received an Audience Award for Best Artwork.'
BEST
ARTWORK
 Voyage of the Marigold received an Audience Award for Best Sci-Fi.'
BEST
SCI-FI
Play OnlineCover Art
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You Can Only Turn Left Written by: Emiland Kray, Programmed by: Ember Chan, Music by: Mary Kray
You Can Only Turn Left Written by: Emiland Kray, Programmed by: Ember Chan, Music by: Mary Kray Twine micro nightmare dream memory violence fear strange nonlinear insomnia You Can Only Turn Left is a playful exploration of the hypnagogic state between sleeping and wakefulness. Within this liminal space, memories morph into dreams and dreams feather into reality. You, the player have to navigate these hallucinations by choosing how the character creates their sleeping patterns. Inspired by game books and guided sleep meditations, this story invites you to imagine both the mundane and the fantastic to practice the mental flexibility of an avid dreamer. Author's Comment: “This game is the accumulation of dream journals dating back to 2017, the collaboration and patience of many mentors, and an incredible amount of energy drinks.”
You Can Only Turn Left received an Audience Award for Friendliest Hyenas.'
FRIENDLIEST
HYENAS
 You Can Only Turn Left received an Audience Award for Best Multimedia.'
BEST
MULTIMEDIA
 You Can Only Turn Left received an Audience Award for Most Surreal.'
MOST
SURREAL
Play OnlineCover Artitch
Download
Zomburbia by Charles Moore, Jr.
Zomburbia By Charles Moore, Jr. full-length parser puzzles cartoon violence zombies You’ve inherited the family manor from your great uncle but the deed is lost and the mansion and its environs are haunted. Find the deed and avoid the local mad scientist who’s turning people into voodoo zombies.
Zomburbia received an Audience Award for Smartest Dumbwaiter.'
SMARTEST
DUMBWAITER
 Zomburbia received an Audience Award for Best Undead NPCs.'
BEST
UNDEAD NPCS
Cover Art

Back Garden

Play
Bydlo; or the Ox-Cart by P.B. Parjeter
Bydlo; or the Ox-Cart By P.B. Parjeter micro has graphics has music A short Bitsy game based on the 4th movement from Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition”
Bydlo; or the Ox-Cart received an Audience Award for Best Moosic.'
BEST
MOOSIC
 Bydlo; or the Ox-Cart received an Audience Award for Most Pondering.'
MOST
PONDERING
Play OnlineCover Art
Deep Dark Wood by Senica Thing
Deep Dark Wood By Senica Thing Twine short 7 student micro games Author's Comment: “You´re now at the Main Crossroads. There are seven paths leading from here into the Deep Dark Wood. Each path is a separate micro game written by a student from Senica, Slovakia as an answer to an open call for entries with common starting point - in the middle of a forest.” Organizer's Note: This is a special entry, with seven games presented as one. These games come from a classroom in Slovakia that encouraged students to enter a 'mini competition' called the Senica Thing. These students are looking to learn and grow, and would benefit from constructive feedback.
Deep Dark Wood received an Audience Award for Best Humor.'
BEST
HUMOR
 Deep Dark Wood received an Audience Award for Most Creative.'
MOST
CREATIVE
Back to The CityDark DreamHalloweenIXI in the Forest Little FrogieSurvive or DieThe Dark One
Play
A Dream of Silence by Abigail Corfman
A Dream of Silence By Abigail Corfman Twine short Solitary Confinement Nightmares Feelings of Helplessness Starvation Challenging Some Graphics A monster has its teeth in your companions. It builds nightmares out of their worst memories and drinks their pain. One of your companions has a particularly bad worst memory. But you can interfere. You are a single thread of contact in a dream where to despair is to be devoured. A game about solitary confinement and hope.

Cover art by @milton-chamberlain

Author's Comment: “This is a fanwork based on the game Baldur’s Gate 3. If you have not played that game, I’ve included a synopsis of the relevant story that should be enough to bring you up to speed.”
A Dream of Silence received an Audience Award for 'Best Fangame.'
BEST
FANGAME
 A Dream of Silence received an Audience Award for 'Deepest-Cut Epigram.'
DEEPEST-CUT
EPIGRAM
 A Dream of Silence received an Audience Award for 'Saddest Vampire.'
SADDEST
VAMPIRE
Play OnlineCover Art
Play
Escape From the Tomb of the Celestial Knights by Megona
Escape From the Tomb of the Celestial Knights By Megona Quest short maze Find your way out of a mysterious crypt. Author's Comment: “My first text adventure game attempt.” Play Online
Play
Ink and Intrigue by Leia Talon
Ink and Intrigue By Leia Talon ChoiceScript short fantasy romance adventure nsfw dragons Sail to a lush island of warrior-mages where dragon runes grant immortality and love runs deep. When mystery tempts, how do you answer? Author's Comment: “Ink and Intrigue is an upcoming Heart’s Choice fantasy romance adventure set in the same world as Their Majesties’ Pleasure. This three-chapter demo is approximately 84,000 words. It contains optional explicit sex scenes and is 4/5 peppers on the HC spice scale.

- Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, bi; asexual; monogamous or polyamorous.
- Romance a passionate artist, a Fae-blooded sage, a sassy diva, or a master warrior.
- Apprentice as a tattoo artist and learn about dragon runes.
- Forge alliances as an emissary and gather intelligence as a spy.
- Dive through portals and explore the interconnected worlds.

Will you bond with a dragon, griffin, or phoenix as you become a warrior-mage?”
Ink and Intrigue received an Audience Award for Best Romance.'
BEST
ROMANCE
 Ink and Intrigue received an Audience Award for Best Worldbuilding.'
BEST
WORLDBUILDING
 Ink and Intrigue received an Audience Award for Hottest demo.'
HOTTEST
DEMO
Play OnlineCover ArtInk and Intrigue CoG Forum DiscussionTheir Majesties' Pleasure DEMO
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Luna Gardens by Bruhstin
Luna Gardens By Bruhstin Inform/Glulx short easy divination limited-verb parser magic fantasy collegiate It seems you’ve messed up the dates. You’re supposed to meet him here tomorrow. But that’s alright; you might as well do a quick divination exercise since you made the trip. Why not divine how you’re feeling right now? Three symbols should do the trick. Author's Comment: “Luna Gardens placed 3rd at IntroComp in 2023. This demo is a more refined proof of concept that doubles as a tutorial. The full version aims for a release date of August 2024!”
Luna Gardens received an Audience Award for Most Ambitious Mechanic.'
MOST AMBITIOUS
MECHANIC
 Lua Gardens received an Audience Award for Most Anticipating WIP.'
MOST
ANTICIPATED WIP
 Luna Gardens received an Audience Award for Most Unique Magic.'
MOST
UNIQUE MAGIC
Play OnlineCover Artitch
Play
Nonverbal Communication by Allyson Gray
Nonverbal Communication By Allyson Gray Inform/Glulx short experimental unconventional commands multiple endings fantasy setting communication Words fail you – in a literal sense – as you prepare to confront a monster from your past.
Nonverbal Communication received an Audience Award for Best Puzzles.'
BEST
PUZZLES
 Nonverbal Communication received an Audience Award for Most Unique Mechanic.'
MOST UNIQUE
MECHANIC
 Non-verbal communication received an Audience Award for Most Irresistible Challenge.'
MOST IRRESISTIBLE
CHALLENGE
Play Online
Download
“You now can taste a bit of Isekai, a detailed voyage of discovery, in a new, unexpected body a strange new world, with an ever stranger culture, a very different society... where is also Magic. Four rooms out of a hundred, you will bite this appetizer ?”
 The Portrait By dott. Piergiorgio TADS 3 short isekai magic intimistic excerpt an interactive tale of discovery and unique love Author's Comment: “Is an excerpt from the very beginning of Isekai, featuring the titular portrait hanging in the living room where the story begins; looking at the painting, I think the player will appreciate from said painting that the full story of Isekai require a good degree of open-mindness....”
The Portrait received an Audience Award for 'Biggest Corsetage.'
BIGGEST
CORSETAGE
 The Portrait received an Audience Award for 'Most Rubenesque.'
MOST
RUBENESQUE
 The Portrait received an Audience Award for 'Very Detailed.'
VERY
DETAILED
Play
Provizora Parko by Dawn Sueoka
Provizora Parko By Dawn Sueoka Twine short surreal puzzleless cw: comic violence cw: death cw: fire cw: two instances of implied animal cruelty within a magical realist context Purgatory as (semi) abandoned bird park. A surreal wandering game. Four endings. Option to play through all endings without replaying the entire game.
Provizora Parko received an Audience Award for Best Twine Effects.'
BEST
TWINE EFFECTS
 Provizora Parko received an Audience Award for Most Evocative.'
MOST
EVOCATIVE
 Provizora Parko received an Audience Award for Realest Birds.'
REALEST
BIRDS
Play OnlineMap

New Game Plus

This is a new Back Garden category for full games that have been remade in a significantly different engine or substantially remastered.
Play
The Kuolema by Ben Jackson
The Kuolema By Ben Jackson Twine full-length mystery thriller has graphics puzzles hints walkthrough remake An abandoned ship is found adrift in the South China Sea. Your mission is to secure the ship and find out what happened. You will need to locate codes and make difficult decisions in order to accomplish your mission. But you may discover that all is not as it seems, and time is not on your side… Author's Comment: “This is a completely revised and updated version of an original game created in Google Forms. Whilst this Twine remake endeavours to stay true to the original, there are also plenty of changes and additions that take better advantage of the new format.”
The Kuolema received an Audience Award for Best Graphics.
BEST
GRAPHICS
 The Kuolema received an Audience Award for Best UI.
BEST
UI
 The Kuolema received an Audience Award for Most Buckled Swash.
MOST TRAGIC
BACKSTORY
Cover ArtPlay Online
Play
One King to Loot them All by Onno Brouwer
One King to Loot them All By Onno Brouwer Twine short barbarian fantasy narrative singleplayer story-rich twine A Tale of High Adventure Author's Comment: “While testing my parser game of One King to Loot them All for IFComp, I received the following comment: “You know, with the limited verb set, this would translate to choice fairly well.” This is my attempt at creating a choice version of that game. It was a very interesting learning experience!”
One King to Loot them All received an Audience Award for Best use of Gimmicks.'
BEST USE
OF GIMMICKS
 One King to Loot them All received an Audience Award for Best Parser-to-Choice Conversion.'
BEST PARSER-TO-CHOICE
CONVERSION
 One King to Loot them All received an Audience Award for Mightiest Thews.'
MIGHTIEST
THEWS
Play OnlineItchCover Art
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The Time Machine v2.0 by Bill Maya
The Time Machine By Bill Maya Inform/Glulx short science fiction sequel has graphics Did your good friend Wells really time travel into the future to the year 802,701 A.D. to the age of Eloi and Morlocks? Only you can investigate his story and determine if he is telling the truth or if he is delusional. Author's Comment: “Version 2.0 of the game has seen significant improvements from v1.0, which was released for Parsercomp 2021. Graphics have been added for all rooms and characters, including the ten new locations and two new characters. Several of the puzzles now have alternative solutions. The user interface has been expanded, adding windows for Possessions, Characters, and Conversation Topics, as well as a status bar compass rose. Fire, burning, and object combination has been added to the in-world "physics" and endgame modifications have been added to introduce additional narrative paths.”
The Time Machine received an Audience Award for Most Improved.'
MOST
IMPROVED
 The Time Machine received an Audience Award for Best Novel Adaptation.'
BEST NOVEL
ADAPTATION
 The Time Machine received an Audience Award for Best Parser UI.'
BEST
PARSER UI
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