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 minimalist Bitsy game, we travel through vast, empty spaces of the desert 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]
____________________________________

RECIPE FOR LOVE by Shelly Alon
In this Twine Game, you play as a human who has been hired by a robot, attempting to help it understand what love is. This game is about exploring multiple factors that make up the "human" concept of love. Through a futuristic lens where robots are the overarching species,  helping two robots have a passionate romance, and in the end, successfully completing your task, this game is a simple but cute play. 
Info: A short twine game on itch.io, released in January for a challenge
Tags: discovery, romance, futuristic, humor, crafting 
[entry posted by Mazlin McGrath] 

Rainy Day by Thaisa 
A twine game that focuses on the day of a person who struggles with anxiety, showing the difficulties that arise with the mental challenge. The work walks the player through how simple tasks can become monstrous, tasks such as getting out of bed, choosing an outfit, to taking a shower. The game has a mellow vibe with soothing rain sounds that accompany the gameplay. 
Info: A twine game on itch.io created to bring awareness about anxiety disorders and their severity. There are 3 possible endings. 
Tags: anxiety, self-talk, overthinking, criticism, listlessness, educate, reality 
[entry by Mazlin McGrath] 

Papers, Please by Lucas Pope
In this dystopian puzzle game, the player takes on the role of an immigration officer at a border checkpoint in the dystopian state of Arstotzka. The player must decide who to let in and who to turn away, balancing obeying the regulations of the state and making moral choices. The player affects the world through their choices, highlighting both the dehumanizing nature of totalitarian regimes and the struggle between “just following orders” and upholding one’s morals
Info: made in 2013; serious game; authoring tool: HaxeFlixel; on Steam, iOS and Android app stores
Tags: bureaucracy, ethics, surveillance, totalitarianism, morals, immigration
[entry posted by Nathan Camporeale]
 

The Stanley Parable by Davey Wreden and William Pugh
In this meta-narrative exploration game, the player controls Stanley, an office worker who discovers his coworkers have mysteriously disappeared. Guided by an omnipresent narrator, the player can choose to follow or disobey instructions, leading to branching paths in the story. The game plays with the idea of player agency, breaking the fourth wall and toying with the illusion of choice in video games. Through dry humor and absurdity, the game deconstructs the concept of "game" to explore the theme of tension between player freedom and authorial intent.
Info: made in 2013, un-serious game; authoring tool: Source Engine; available on Steam and consoles
Tags: narration, choice, free will, absurdism, meta, philosophy, agency
[entry posted by Nathan Camporeale]
 

We Become What We Behold by Nicky Case

In this game made by the renowned Nicky Case, the player acts as a cameraman for a news station which displays its photos through a TV shown to a crowd of people. The work focuses on the idea of media violence and propaganda. Its short yet graphic narrative sends an impactful narrative to not so easily be swayed by what the media says. 

Info: made in 2016; serious game; itch.io

Tags: exploration; violence; propaganda; popular media

[entry posted by Seungbeom]



It Paints Me by ENDYSIS

This mysterious, horror game has you play in the perspective of a painter who is using his art and uses the different choices we make for a means of catharsis and come to terms with a traumatic experience. The game focuses on explaining the tragedy that the main character dealt with and how he is trying to come to term with it through its ominous, dark horror tone and means of relaying the information of specific moments from the past.

Info: made in 2023; serious, dark game; Itch.io
Tags: Atmospheric, Dark, Gothic, Horror, Male protagonist, Multiple Endings, Psychological Horror, Romance, Story Rich
[entry posted by Ishan Datla]

Beneath Floes by Kevin Snow

This dark, text-based game has you in a second-person perspective and is set on Baffin Island in 1962. The game uses its unique scenery and audio to immerse the player into the Inuit folklore and specifically with the legend of the qualupalik, which was a sea monster that stole children. The narrative unfolds as the player makes more choices and explores an ominous story of cultural memory and dread.

Info: made in 2016; Translated into Inukitut; Twine game; Itch.io
Tags: Dark, Atmospheric, Monsters, Child Protagonist, Horror, Folk Tale, Story Rich, Second Person
[entry posted by Ishan Datla]


A Shower Story by Atjscreams

In this short Twine horror game, the player experiences an intimate and unsettling encounter moment alone in the shower as the ordinary act of bathing turns into a scene of body horror. The experience centers on confronting the body as both familiar and alien when exploring the themes of menstruation and shame. Through minimal text and visceral imagery, the work evokes feelings of discomfort, transformation, and vulnerability. The game’s simplicity amplifies its tension, creating a deeply personal and physical sense of dread. 

Info: made in 2021; horror game; authoring tool: Twine (later adapted in Ren’Py); available on itch.io
Tags: body horror, menstruation, transformation, discomfort, identity, gender, short narrative
[entry posted by Eric Chen]




THE MOSTLY BE AN FAT by Sporegrooby

In this Twine story game, the player follows a narrative centered on weight gain and bodily transformation. The work explores how food, consumption, and physical change interplay with identity, attraction, and compulsion. Through branching storylines, the player participates in incremental shifts in the body whilst stuck in a conflict between the lines of desire and discomfort. The narrative leans into fantasies of stuffing and binging with psychological dynamics of body dysmorphia and surrendering.

Info: released in 2025; interactive fiction; authoring tool: Twine; available on itch.io
Tags: eating, fat, foods, weight gaining, stuffing, body transformation 
[entry posted by Eric Chen]

How to Rob a Bank by Alan Bigelow
In this game, players get to interact in a 5-part digital interface that goes through a bank robber’s (Ted) and his accomplice’s (Elizabeth) journey of robbing banks, similar to Bonnie and Clyde. This work is presented through a phone-like interface, allowing players to clearly see the integration of social technology and gameplay, and how this enhances the character’s bank-robbing experience and romantic relationship. Through sarcastic, yet relatable game features (Instagram, mobile games, WikiHow), players can understand and see the effects of technology and how that can change one’s moral views.

Info: made in 2016; satirical game; authoring tool : webyarns; on the Electronic Literature Collection, vol 4.
Tags: phone; sarcastic; social technology; moral.
[Entry posted by: Pooja Jadeja]

Untime by Kulu 
In this graphic story-driven game that puts you into the perspective of a murderer who escapes the responsibility of her actions by time-travelling with a watch. She takes advantage of this power to murder people that has supposedly done wrong to her before travelling back in time to avoid these consequences. However, when the watch breaks, the character is forced to face her actions and all the people she has murdered, as well as her past self that she abandoned by time travel. This shows players how everything has consequences even if you escape from it initially.

Info: Released in 2025; Itch.io; Unity; Interactive
Tags: Watch, Time Travel, Consequences, Emotional Wellbeing
[Entry posted by: Ariel Hadiyanto]


Avenue S by Jody Zellen
This artistically exhilarating and beyond creative work uses mostly images with a few words to tell the story of what happened as a result of Covid-19 and how there were very few people around. The artwork is very interpretive and thought-provoking which brings an entertaining experience for the player in trying to piece together the overall message of the game. All of the art is delicate and precise, but not for the people which gets at the fact that we were all in the same situation in the ghostliness caused by the pandemic.

Info: Released in 2022; Narrative, hypertext genre; HTML, css, adobe photoshop, adobe flash; On Electronic Literature Collection vol. 4
Tags: Pandemic, Isolation, Urban Walks, Fragmentation
[Entry posted by: Cooper Loubier]
 

Takeover  by CinemaLeo

In this twine game, you play as a representative of congress who must make decisions quickly while considering the status of your favor, safety of your family, and friends, all while democracy starts to crumble around you. Through an effective use of narrative, visuals, time restrictions and sound design, each choice is given weight as the player feels the compounding pressure to decide between maintaining democracy or falling to the new status quo.

Info: Released in 2025 on itch io, Twine, Serious Game
Tags: narrative, historical, violence, choice-based, time-critical, 
[entry posted by Sana Sameer]


Forgotten Nights by Peter Hebden

In this interactive poem, the player listens to stories that vary from night to night as the arrangement of the stars change. All of the skies have different arrangements, but there is the option to reveal the hidden stars which brings the sameness to all the nights through an all seeing lens. The different patterns correlate to different pieces of the poem and allow the player to discover what is going on in the overall picture as they take themselves to different nights and different layouts.

Info: Released in 2019 on sidestep.me, uses javascript, html, css, jQuery
Tags: Memory, Sky, Night, Voice, Poetry
[entry posted by Cooper Loubier]

Sin by Adam Doolittle

In this piece of electronic literature you play in the perspective of an adult reflecting on his past and pain of growing up between two conflicting faiths. Through choices, the story becomes a way for him to face his trauma and better understand himself. The focus is on explaining the tragedy the protagonist faced (pressure from growing up) and how that shaped them into trying to find reconciliation through reflection.

Info: 2023; itch.io
Tags: dark, gothic, male protagonist, multiple endings
[entry posted by Aidan Brock]

Chase The Sun by Frankie Kavakich

This game follows the narrative of a driver driving during the end of the world. You choose whether to chase the sun, radio the outside world, or reflect on the people you left. This game explores how one can face fear and the loss and uncertainty attached with it. The game invites the player to come to terms with what is coming and how you might spend your last bit of time.

Info: 2022; texturewriter.com
Tags: dark, multiple endings, emotional, choice-based
[entry posted by Aidan Brock]

The Universe Is A Lonely Place by Andreas Henriksen
The game consists of different passages about loneliness, and how its form and impacts are different for everyone. The game is set in outer space within the solar system, with each planet being a different passage, and you control a character that walks on the text, with certain phrases emphasized by being highlighted, and more negatively toned text steps downwards, while positive and uplifting text goes upwards. 

Info: 2022, Itch.com, Keyboard Platformer
Tags: Atmospheric, Experimental, Narrative, Short, Singleplayer
[Entry posted by Andrew Shen]

Drone City by racarter
In this game, you play as an automated delivery drone in the future, going around a city to deliver packages. You can interact with other drones, which all seem to have some issue preventing them from also flying and the messages they spit out reveal small fragments of information. You are initially bound to specific paths for movement, but once you deliver all the packages you have free rein and can move where you want. This game is meant to question the future of drones, and how they might be used for both benefit and harm.

Info: 2015, Itch.io, Bitsy
Tags: 2D, artgame, Bitsy, drone, Narrative, Pixel Art, Text based, Walking simulator
[Entry posted by Andrew Shen]

The Freak Circus by Neko Bueno
In this visual novel, you play as the main character who is living in a town that has recently had a circus set up shop. In this circus there are a bunch of creepy clowns that have become obsessed with you. As the player you navigate through relationships with these different clowns, trying to survive. Unfortunately it is not yet finished, but so far it is a mix of creepypasta, romance, and amazing art.
Info: still in demo, itch.io
Tags: horror, multiple endings, romance, dark
[entry posted by Alex Renteria]

Orunge by Jennifer Reuter & Jessica Moore
This is a short story about a little girl who runs to get oranges. She woke up late and needed to run in order to fulfill her task. In the game, there are multiple endings of her fulfilling her task of turning them into orange juice. Throughout the game, there are multiple places to run, potentially making her miss the market. The art is the main highlight in the game as well as the theming.
Info: 2019, itch.io
Tags: slice of life, cute, storyboard, twine, narrative
[Entry posted by Charlotte Ma]

Irori by pomepomelo, Jewell, zmcn, itsNemo
This is an interactive game where you are on a train, making skewers and cooking food. The beauty of this game is the art style, animation, physics, and ambiance. The player will encounter many passengers and their stories as they make more food, showing how even in unknown places, one thing people can connect through is food. Food is medicine, and food can connect people.
info: unity, interactive fiction 
Tags: Atmospheric, Cute, Fantasy, Slice Of Life
[Entry posted by Charlotte Ma]
 

Everything is going to be OK - Nathalie Lawhead
This is an absolutely bonkers game where the player can choose between these bright, colorful, floating files that each feature strange, cartoonish characters who express feelings of pain, anxiety, and existential despair. Despite the absurd and somewhat uncomfortable tone, this game uses that as commentary about coping, mental health, and resilience. 
Info: An interactive zine game made on itch.io, released in 2017, available for download on Windows and Mac
Tags: Experimental, surreal, trauma, mental health, dark
[Entry posted by Matthew Ahn]

The Temple of No by Crows Crows Crows
In this Twine game, you play through the story of an adventurer who must go on a journey through a forest and discover a temple containing an important map. The game often breaks the fourth wall, and serves as a humorous way to poke fun at other twine games, and how they are often not “fun” in comparison to other games. The game presents many narrative turns and interacts directly with the player in order to create a game that is the self-proclaimed “Best Twine ever made”.
Info: Made in Twine; Playable in browser; Self-Aware
Tags: Adventure, Action-Adventure, Frogs, Interactive Fiction, Mystery
[Entry posted by Emma Hernandez]

Secret Agent Cinder by Emily Ryan

In this Twine game, you play as Cinder, a secret agent in 18th century Versailles who is tasked with stealing secret military plans to support the revolution against the aristocrats and the wealthy. The uses the clicking mechanics of Twine to create a game where you physically navigate the space as Cinder with a clickable joystick, making the game very visually appealing and creating a mental map of the palace Cinder infiltrates.
Info: Made in Twine, playable on mobile, Winner 2015 Best Use of Multimedia
Tags: 2D, comic-style, spy-game, Twine, Adventure, Interactive Fiction
[Entry posted by Emma Hernandez]

Please Tell Me I Love You by AMoodyBun
This Twine game is about two characters sitting on a couch watching a Netflix show. However, one character doesn't want to watch the show, and instead both launch into a conversation about what they want from their relationship. This game is an example of a very healthy relationship, as both characters talk through their problems, and the artwork brings a calmer tone to an otherwise tense situation. 
Info: Made in Twine, visual novel, interactive fiction
Tags: 2D, artgame, Cute, Hand-drawn, narrative-game, Short, Text based, Twine
[Entry posted by Seungbeom Baek]

Kyle is Famous by Ducky Dev
This itch game is about a famous individual named Kyle and he is given 30 hours to prepare for an important interview at his show. The game provides many choices to do within the time limit given each choice taking about one hour. You could do the most random tasks such as dressing up in a knight suit or begging for samples from the tech store. It shows how life can be lived in the most random ways as long as one can put their mind into it.
Info: Made in Unity, Text based adventure, interactive fiction
Tags: Comedic, Animated, No Pictures
[Entry posted by Ariel Hadiyanto]

One Halloween Night by OllieNoseworthy

One Halloween Night is a short first-person horror game that captures the uneasy stillness of being home alone on Halloween. You play as a teenage boy who experiences a quiet night of handing out candy that turns into a tense and realistic home-invasion nightmare. Built in the Unity Engine, the game relies on atmospheric tension and subtle environmental storytelling rather than jump scares. The VHS filter and dimly lit rooms amplify a nostalgic yet chilling tone, making this a standout example of indie horror design that balances realism with psychological dread.

Info: Made in Unity, 3D Horror Simulation, Interactive Narrative
Tags: 3D, Horror, Realistic, VHS, Indie, Narrative, Short, Atmospheric, Unity
[Entry posted by Ethan Jacob]


COLD MEAT by GravityRaccoon

This game is a short, first-person survival horror game that traps the player inside a decaying butcher shop where something unseen lurks just beyond the cold walls. You play as Bob, an ordinary meat delivery driver whose routine job takes a dark turn the moment he steps inside. Created by a solo developer, it blends classic horror tropes with effective pacing and eerie sound design to build genuine dread within its brief runtime. Despite lasting only 5–10 minutes, COLD MEAT captures the claustrophobic terror of survival horror at its peak.

Info: Made in Unity, 3D Survival Horror, Solo Development Project
Tags: 3D, Horror, Atmospheric, Short, Survival, Indie, Unity, First-person, Tension-based, Story-driven
[Entry posted by Ethan Jacob]
 

D.I.M by FYRE Games

In this indie game you play as a prisoner who is used to help train an AI called D.I.M. Over your session with D.I.M, it asks you questions in order to understand what it is to gain sentience, and what it is to die. This horror game is an engaging critique of generative AI and the eerie empty setting reflects the dissonance between the cold machine and truly living.

Info: Released 2025 on itch io, Submission to Jamsepticeye
Tags: narrative, horror, violence, choice-based. 3D
[entry posted by Sana Sameer]

Tuna Rice by Konayachi
In this visual novel, you play as a cat who was abandoned on the road. A human picks you up and brings you to his house. He gives you tuna rice and takes you to the vet to get vaccinated. Later he comes home tired and dealing with a break up, but you are able to cheer him up. This sweet game tells a story of love and companionship between a cat and his owner.

Info: Made in 2023 using Ren'Py, itch.io
Tags: wholesome, short, cozy, heartwarming
[entry posted by Alex Renteria]

My Hands/Wishful Thinking by Mendi Lewis Obadike
In this interactive story, players learn about the shooting of Amadou Diallo, a 23-year-old Guinean immigrant in NYC, studying computer science, who was hit by 19 of the 41 rounds that were shot by the police mistook Diallo’s wallet for a gun. That is why this game’s interface shows several images of an empty hand, and a hand with a wallet. This game is mainly an audio recording of a news reporter repeatedly saying “shot 41 times” and an individual yelling in the background as a public outcry. Through this intense, and important creation, Obadike emphasizes police violence associated with race and how these incidents are still happening today, so people need to urgently take action. 
Info: made in 2000; serious game; authoring tool: Java; on the Electronic Literature Collection, vol 3.
Tags: police; violence; race; audio; gun
[Entry posted by: Pooja Jadeja]