Electronic Literature Collection
New Media Writing Prize (open "archive" to see all works)
Itch.io (home page)
Itch.io (Twine Games)
Itch.io (The Bitsy Essay Jam)
National Film Board of Canada Interactive
The New River Journal (open "archive" to see past works)
The interactive fiction competition

Your task is help build our list of works, including hyperlinks, brief summaries, stars, and tags. As our list grows, we can begin to organize the material differently.

Here's an example:

A Vast and Lonely Desert by Gavin G. See
In this Bitsy game, we travel through vast, empty spaces with a friend making our way through the desert toward a campfire and star gazing. The work is about friendship, grief, and poetry with a western vibe. It's sparse and powerfully moving precisely because of its sparseness.
Info:  made in 2020; serious game; authoring tool: Bitsy; on the Electronic Literature Collection, vol 4 and itch.io
tags: spatiality, navigation, orientation, friendship, loss, LGBTQ
[entry posted by k.kelly]
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Six Cats Under by Miles Äijälä, Robin Swift, Tomas Beržinskas, and Alex Martin
    In this Itch game, you play as the poltergeist of an old lady with several cats in her apartment. You must puzzle and problem-solve a way for the door to open using objects and the cats within the apartment. This is a cute and relatively short work.
    Info: made in 2020; released on HTML5, Windows, macOS, Linux, itch.io
    Tags: 2D, Cats, Cute, Ghosts, Narrative, Pixel Art, Short
    [entry posted by k.elo]
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Boat Prom by Brendan Patrick Hennessy
    In this Itch game, you play as Elizabeth who was just dumped by her date at prom and now are stuck watching him and the girl you liked make
    out because your prom is on a boat. Through interactive text you must navigate the rest of your night and interact with your friends, and the
    person who set up your prom date with the girl you like. The game is short and cute.
    Info: made in 2020, released on HTML5, itch.io
    Tags: Coming of Age, Female Protagonist, LGBT, Prom, Romance, Text Based
    [entry posted by k.milcsik]
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Orunge by Jennifer Reuter and Jessica Moore
    In this Itch game, you follow a young girl tasked with getting oranges from a farmers market and juicing them. Similar to a choose-your-own-adventure story, you have a few options to choose from in the story that relate to the girl’s actions. This is a short and pretty work with colorful pastel artwork.
    Info: made in 2019; released on HTML5, itch.io
    Tags: Child, Cute, girl, Narrative, Singleplayer, Slice Of Life, Storyboard, Twine
    [entry posted by k.elo]
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Who Stole My Bone  by Kryptic Kitty
In this game you talk to a dog named Spudz and look around the house to look for his missing bone. It is a cute and funny game with drwaings that show you different rooms and characters.
Made in 2019; released on HTML5; itch.io
Tags: art, bad-art, cute, dogs, funny, short, text based, twine
[entry posted by r.monge]
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My Dream for the Future by Freckledfemme 
In this Bitsy essay game, we follow a witch in a magical world but the storyline contrastingly tells a personal story of the author in the real world. Freckledfemme opens about the struggles with her queer identity and her new teaching career. This game is unique in that the script was written about the author when she was creating this game, a source of comfort in times of hardship. 
Info: Started in spring 2019 and finished on Fall of 2020; serious game; authoring tool: combination of Bitsy 5.3, Borksy hacks, Asepirte and BitsyMuse; under the collection of the Bitsy Essay Jam (Itch.io) 
Tags: witch, cozy, LGBTQ, coming of age
[entry posted by i.choi]

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Cat Petting Simulator 2014

neongrey by neongrey

    In this Itch game, you get to pet the cat through a text form. First, you name the cat and get to choose which part of the cat you want to pet first. It’s a cute relaxing game perfect for cat lovers especially those who miss their cats.
    Info: made in 2014; released on HTML5, itch.io
    Tags: artgame, Atmospheric, Twine
    [entry posted by k.balamurugan]
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Horse Master: The Game of Horse Mastery by Tom McHenry
In this Itch game, we go to a horse salesman and buy a horse we want for the Horse Master Competition that occurs in 20 days. Until the competition day, the days until the competition day are broken down into sets of action days. As the day approaches, our mental health starts deteriorating as well as our life. We question if we’re a real horse master and if our father would have even been proud. The day of the competition comes and although we face challenges along the way, the path brightens up and we become a real horse master.
Info: made in july 1, 2023; released on HTML5; Itch.io
Tags: mental health, text based, Twine, competition, Horses
[entry posted by m.sanchez]
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Meeting the Parents by manonamora
This Twine game takes players through the process of meeting a girl, Kelsie Sparks, and the flourishing relationship that blooms from your meeting. Players are prompted to click through the story and scenarios that take players through a rollercoaster of emotions that come with uncovering a new relationship. The main challenge of the game is meeting the parents and the choices that come with the interaction. The players choose what to do and have to face the consequences of their actions. There are multiple endings to the game. 
Info: released on HTML5; released June 10, 2021; itch.io; Twine; interactive fiction; made with Adobe photoshop; english; color-blind friendly
Tags: comedy, dating sim, flower, meaningful choices, minimalist, multiple endings, romance
[entry posted by s.wu]
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Ignited Entry by JordiBoi

The bitsy game is a first-person horror game about an ex firefighter that is tormented by the memories of a family that he couldn't save. The game starts with the protagonist exploring a dark and abandoned building. The player is guided by cryptic hints to uncover disturbing secrets about the protagonist's past.
Info:  made in 2024; released on Windows; made with Blender, Adobe Photoshop, FL Studio, Adobe After Effects, Audacity, Unreal Engine; itch.io
tags: Atmospheric, Horror, Low-poly, PSX (PlayStation), Psychological Horror, Singleplayer, Story Rich, Unreal Engine, Voice Acting[entry posted by d.mcfarlane]___________________________________________
Goodbye, doggy by Pircogram
In this Itch.io game the player controls the recently-buried dog of a family and works to make them feel a bit better after the loss. The game deals with the loss of a pet and takes a lighthearted approach to dealing with the grief that can come from such a loss. The graphically simple game delivers its message and can help console those who have lost pets by imagining the perspective of the pet.
Info:  made in 2019 for Global Game Jam; loss; exploration: HTML5; on the itch.io
tags: Dogs, Ghosts, Puzzle
[entry posted by f.delgado]
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my father's long, long legs by ztul
This twine game has players follow an unnamed main character through a psychological horror story about their fathers growing obsession with digging a hole in their basement. Its unsettling gameplay and eerie sound design create a suspenseful atmosphere for players to navigate. The work deals with dark and twisted aspects of how addiction can destroy a person, but also their family. 
Info: Made in 2013, released on HTML5, authoring tool: Twine
Tags: Creepy, Horror, Psychological Horror, Twine
[entry posted by k.mccann]

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The Ice Cream Culprit by Konayachi
In this itch.io game, we play as a character whose girlfriend recently bought Limited Edition ice cream, yet can't find it. As she looks for the ice cream, we come to realize why it disappeared in a series of different endings. The homey design of the game and the playful dialogue engage players to have lighthearted fun playing the game. Although the game captures an insignificant moment in the character's lives, the game brings it to the forefront in a way that makes players treasure similarly small interactions
Info: Made in 2024, released on HTML5, Windows, Linux, and MacO. Visual novel. itchi.io
Tags: 2D, Anime, Cute, First-Person, Meaningful Choices, Multiple Endings
[entry posted by u.barrah]

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I Dreamt of Something Lost by Florence Walker
In this Unity game, you play as Jules, who, while sitting at their desktop computer, unexpectedly receives a new message from their ex-girlfriend—who passed away exactly one year ago. The game is set up as if the player is looking at a desktop console screen, which includes a functional fake desktop interface with instant messaging, a music player, a notepad app, and navigable folders. Overall, "I Dreamt of Something Lost"  is a brief interactive story exploring themes of data, grief, and memory.
Info: Made in 2023; serious game; interactive fiction; HTML5; made with Unity
Tags: 2D, Atmospheric, Casual, LGBT, Short, Singleplayer, Story Rich, Unity
[entry posted by e.spear]

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Cyberliterature by Pedro Barbosa (1977-1993)
This work is a collection of six computer-generated poems originally programmed by Pedro Barbosa in 1976, using Fortran and Basic, and later developed into C++ and Java versions. It represents one of the early examples of generative literature, blending algorithmic text generation with art. Barbosa's project promotes the notion of "semiotic machines." meaning computers that produce multiple, variable, and repetitive readings.
Info: Web-based Game, available in Portuguese and English
Tags: generative poetry, Java, Fortran, combinatorial literature, computer-generated
Link: Cyberliterature (eliterature.org)
[Entry posted by G.Malania]

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Are You Ok? by Jonathan Levstein
In this Twine game, players take on the role of a caregiver supporting a loved one through an emotional crisis while managing their struggles with burnout. The narrative-driven gameplay contains themes of compassion, emotional labor, and self-care. Players make choices that affect the caregiver's mental health and the well-being of the person they are helping. The branching storylines and internal monologue mechanics create an immersive experience that reflects the challenges of caregiving.
Info: Made in 2017; Twine; HTML5; itch.io
Tags: Compassion, emotional, Indie, Mental Health, Short, Text-based, Toronto, Twine 
[Entry Posted by G.Malania]
Link: Are You Ok? by jlevstein
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C ya laterrrr by Danhett
This game is a twine hypertext game based on the real experience of a guy whose brother was one of the 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack. The game expresses some of the experiences and what-if choices that guy could have made but didn't. There are many choices to make in the game and one of the many possible choices reflects their experience. This game is one of many games that explore work dealing with their personal experience during and in the aftermath of the attack. 
Info: Made in 2017, Twine game, Platform HTML5, Hypertext game, Trigger warning graphic content 
Tags: artgame, dan-hett, hypertext, serious, text-based, twine   
[Entry posted by S. Nava]

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Who Stole My Bone? By Kriptic Kitty
This twine hypertext game is based on a dog (Spudz) who uses you as the investigator to figure out where his missing bone went. You go through the crime scene and talk to witnesses. You drop to the conclusion of it being forever gone but realize someone lied to you. They lied because they despise Spudz. After all, he gets all the attention from the player in the text-based game. Spudz decides to be kind so Pum Pum, the lier, doesn't feel lonely but your kindness costs your life.

Info: Made in 2019, Twine Game, Web-based Game, Hypertext Game
Tags: Single-player, Dogs, Cats, Betrayal, Interactive Fiction 
[Entry posted by m.sanchez]
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The Walk by Darkus
This is a short horror game where the player navigates a strange and unsettling town. The protagonist is stranded after his car breaks down in a place called Nominal Town. As he walks through the town, he's warned that there's "nothing" at the end of the road by a blind man. The protagonist doesn't listen and continues to walk through the town and meets a lot of creepy characters. There are a few jump scares throughout the game.
Info: made in 2024; released on Windows; made with Unity and Blender; itch.io
Tags: 3D, Creepy, First-Person, Horror, Indie, PSX, [PlayStation], Retro, Singleplayer, Story Rich
[Entry posted by d.mcfarlane]

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Who Stole My Bone? By Kryptic Kitty
In this Twine game, you play as a person named Phil who takes on the role of a detective with Spudz, a dog, in order to find out who took his favorite bone. This is a text-based game that takes us throughout a home to investigate the scene and interrogate other characters. This is a funny and relatively short work. 
Info: made in 2019, released on HTML5, itch.io, funny game
Tags: Art, bad-art, cute, dogs, funny, short, text-based, Twine
[Entry posted by L.Vallejo ]

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The Orchid and the Bee  by Frances Adair Mckenzie. 

In this eerie interactive film, you get to get a 360 degree view of the environment. You are in a void of a galaxy and as time progresses new celestial cubes form each holding different life forms like insects, animals, flowers, and even humans. You are accompanied by many different life forms contrasting void in the beginning of the film. The mysterious music creates an uncanny environment for the player. This is a very visually pleasing and otherworldly game. 
Info: made in 2020, released on Vimeno and OCULUS
Tags: 360, uncanny, artistic, virtual reality, creation, nature
[entry posted by i.choi]

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Pigeon Ascent by Escada Games
The goal of this itch.io game is to level up your pigeon by defeating other pigeons. After you defeat other pigeons, you can raise your pigeon's stats, watch them evolve, and level them up. Additionally, there are several food items you can eat to bolster your stats or replenish your health before battle. The game culminates in you defeating "Pigod," the ultimate pigeon boss. This game is familiar for those that have played Pokémon before, as it puts a satirical spin on the turn-based gameplay style the franchise is known for. Instead of Pokémon moves being carefully selected and Pokémon teams being mindfully assembled, the player is left to simply watch their pigeon go forth and fight. This game is a relaxing pass time because, instead of having to methodize about each turn, the player is encouraged to merely have faith in their pigeon's fighting capabilities and watch them flourish or perish in the heat of battle.
Info: Made in 2021, released on HTML5, Windows, Linux. Role Playing, Adventure. itchi.io
Tags: 2D, Fantasy, Funny, Godot, Pixel Art, Singleplayer
[entry posted by u.barrah]

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Everything is going to be OK by Nathalie Lawhead
In this itch.io game the player downloads and runs the program and are taken into an interactive simulated desktop. The work deals with depression, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm in a handful of mini-games that on the surface seem bright and friendly but hide a deeper message underneath. Navigating the games will lead the player through a “interactive zine” of is, vides, graphics, and visuals that encourage a deeper understanding into the topic’s meanings.
Info:  2018; Dark Humor; authoring tool: itch.io, on the Electronic Literature Collection, vol 4
tags: digital spaces, zine, cartoon, satire, identity, retro
[entry posted by f.delgado]

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It's a Beautiful Day by yllogique
In this Twine game the player has to perform various self-care tasks before they are able to leave the room. The goal of the game is to leave the room but the player has to first do some self-care and when the character feels ready a door appears that allows them to leave. This game deals with self-care and the importance of doing it first thing in the morning before getting ready for the day.
Info: Made in 2016, released on HTML5, Itch.io, Twine game
Tags: self-care, 2D, minimalist, cute, hand drawn, life simulation, contemplative
[entry posted by k.milcsik]

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Just Cosplay by Deadnettle Games
This Twine game prompts players to read the story of a trans teenager in the second person point of view. Through a series of scenarios and words that the player clicks, the story of the main character is revealed. It follows the story of the teenager figuring out their want to be a transmasc teenager through their desire to cosplay Dale Spider (webcomic character). This game deals with heavy topics including transphobia and dysphoria.  
Info: released on HTML5; released April 13, 2022; itch.io; Twine; interactive fiction; english; color-blind friendly 
Tags: coming Of age, gender, LGBTQIA, mental health, queer, short, story rich, text based, transgender
[entry posted by s.wu]
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Magic Money Tree  by Ruin 
This explores themes tied to greed and societal reflecrions. This is a navigation game that allows players to see pixel art and read through a text-based story. 
Info: released on HTML5; released November 23, 2020; itch.io; Bitsy
Tags: Bitsy, capitalism, essay, politics, socialism 
[entry posted by L.Vallejo]
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https://sumaleth.itch.io/thesolivagants by Rowan Crawford
This Bitsy game has the player follow a tour through different contexts found in games, such as mechanics, experiential, and emotional. The player can then explore further beyond the contexts put on display in an attempt to find more than what is put on display. The game speaks on the neglected aspects of gaming, specifically the "Character context"

Info: Published in 2020, HTML5, itch.io, Bitsy