Interactive Fiction (IF) For Yuletide 2025

[karios]

Are you interested in text adventures, CYOA, Twine games, or other sorts of interactive fiction? Do you want to let your writer know you'd be happy to receive something along those lines? Are you looking for someone to write IF for? This post is for you.
 

 

(I copied and pasted this directly from last year which was also copy pasted from previous years. Let me know via comment or discord ping if any of the links broke or anything else needs editing.)
 

 

What is IF?

 

Interactive Fiction (IF) covers everything from text adventures through to visual novels, by way of all sorts of experimental works. It can be mostly a game, or mostly a story; it can be a way to immerse the reader, or to play around with the concepts of storyteller and audience; it can be an exploration of chance, or of fate; it can be a straightforward story, or something else entirely. From Healy's post:
 

 

[IF] is a term used for games which are made up primarily of text, like Adventure, Zork, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and other text adventures, or more experimental hypertext works like My Father's Long, Long Legs, or even visual novels. Interactive fiction these days is generally divided into two groups based on how you interact with the game: parser-based IF, and choice-based IF.
 

 

Parser-based IF, more commonly known as text adventures, are controlled by typed in commands, like "GET KEY", "OPEN DOOR", "GO NORTH", "LOOK UNDER BED", and stuff like that. Not every command you type in will work, though, so they're hard to get used to if you haven't tried them before. To make things easier, here's a card of most of the common commands. Some good parser-based IF to try first would be Ryan Veeder's So, You've Never Played a Text Adventure Before, Huh?, Admiral Jota's Lost Pig, Andrew Plotkin's The Dreamhold, and Adam Cadre's Photopia.
 

 

Choice-based IF is simpler; you just pick from a number of options. This can be done through hyperlinks and other clicky selections, though more rarely you may have to type a number from a list. Good examples of choice-based IF include Anna Anthropy's Star Court, Alan DeNiro's Solarium, the various games hosted by Choice of Games, and most every given visual novel.

 

 

Writing IF for Yuletide

 

IF is considered opt-in for Yuletide - please don't write it for people who don't want it. If you aren't sure whether it would be welcome or not, ask a mod to check with the intended recipient.

 

You are still required to follow the normal rules, such as focusing on requested characters (unless the recipient has said you needn't include them all).  

It can be hard to figure out what word count an IF story really is - what you've written is full of code that doesn't count, and what your recipient sees may vary in length depending on their choices. If you're posting to the main collection, try to overshoot the minimum requirement a bit, just to be on the safe side. Say a minimum of somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000 words. Or probably about 10 to 15 minutes play through.

 

If your post to the main AO3 collection is under 1,000 words (e.g. you're just linking to an online playable version elsewhere), please drop the mods a note so they know it isn't someone posting something under the minimum, and provide them with an estimated word-count.




If you're writing a treat, unless it includes over 1,000 words of text and you're also sure your recipient would be happy with it as a main gift, please post it to Madness

Your recipient does need to be able to access what you've created! Please link to a suitable IF interpreter if required, or if possible make a web-playable version.

 

Requesting IF for Yuletide

 

If you would be happy to receive IF this year, please leave a comment below, following this template:

 

<b>AO3 username:</b></div><div><b>Letter link:</b></div><div><b>Fandoms:</b></div><div><b>Anything else:</b> (optional - the sort of things you love about IF, specific IF prompts and preferences etc)

 

 

IF Canons Nominated for Yuletide

 

Plenty of IF canons get nominated for Yuletide! While it's still important to ask before writing IF for someone, someone who consumes IF already will probably be more interested in getting it. (Some of these canons were adapted into other mediums, so it's possible that someone who's interested in one of those isn't at all into the IF side of things. Thus why it's important to ask.) Consider requesting or offering one of these if you're interested in IF for Yuletide. For 2025 moontyger thoughtfully composed a list of IF canons in the tagset, available here: Interactive Fiction in the 2025 Tagset!
 

Some IF Tools

 

A * means they can make web-based games.

 

Parser-based

Inform*: One of the biggest development tools for making parser-based IF. Has an English-like code. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Quest*: Another big IF development tool. Has a click-and-point editor with the option to check out the code. For Windows and web.

TADS*: A long running engine for writing interactive fiction, though generally not as easy to use as Inform. The latest version can make web-based games, although they need to be hosted on a non-https address or on the IFDB.

 

Choice-based

Twine*: Very popular tool for making choice-based IF. Has a visual editor, with some code-y bits for variables and the like. Can be extended with some Javascript passages. Available for Mac and Windows, and Twine 2 is web-based. See this comment for more notes.

ChoiceScript*: Used by the fine folks over at Choice of Games. Uses simplified Javascript to make games. It's very stat heavy. Requires a text editor. See this comment for notes.

Ren'py: Engine for making visual novels. Uses a simple scripting language. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and can make games for all those platforms.

Inklewriter*: A completely web-based engine for making CYOA-style games.

 

Comments

[crantz]

AO3 username: Rosencrantz

Letter link:

https://crantz.dreamwidth.org/192401.html

Fandoms:

Hellboy (Comics), X-Men: The Animated Series (1992), Citizen Kane

Anything else: I am thinking Citizen Kane especially would be suited for IF.

[(Anonymous)]

AO3 username:

AirgiodSLV
Letter link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aleEk5wNqh7WAtS_sjF74TsB0LpBfH1qS3triF0FeRI/
Fandoms:

Space Shuttle No. 8 - เจฟ ซาเตอร์ | Jeff Satur (Music Videos) (any characters)
Anything else: Please feel free to get weird! Multimedia works, interactive fiction, games, puzzles, whatever strikes your fancy.

[petra]

AO3 username: Petra

Letter link:Link

Fandoms:Bloody Jack Adventures - L. A. Meyer, The Expanse - James S. A. Corey, Galavant, Rivers of London - Aaronovitch, Slow Horses (TV) )

Anything else: I've never asked for IF before, but the post came across my DW reading list and it intrigued me.

[falloutcoy]

AO3 username: Falloutcoy
Letter Link: https://falloutcoy.dreamwidth.org/420.html
Fandoms: Scarlet Hollow, The Goblin Emperor, Ancillary Trilogy, Midst, of the Devil
Anything else: Scarlet Hollow and of the Devil are visual novels and so especially suited for IF, but I would be happy to get a gift of IF in any of my requested fandoms. I think a few of my prompts would be well adapted to IF (such as post-canon Tomasaran's first case after).
In IF, I like very introspective narration with lots of the character's thoughts and sensory detail, especially on examining the environment/objects. I also really love intrigue/mysteries.
I am most familiar with choice based, but have played a non-zero amount of classic parser text adventures as well, so either is welcome! I'd appreciate including hints or a walkthrough for a parser game though.

[fenrisian]

AO3 username: fenrisian

Letter link:https://fenrisian.dreamwidth.org/1900.html

Fandoms:No Man's Sky, Legacy of Kain, The Saint of Steel

Anything else: I'm not sure how you'd do IF for the last two, though I can see it with NMS. Don't let my lack of imagination stop you though, I think IF in all its forms sounds fascinating.

[laughingpineapple]

AO3 username:laughingpineapple

Letter link:https://laughingpinecone.tumblr.com/post/797462288657416192/yuletide-2025-letter

Fandoms: Ghost Trick, Locust City - an Elysium Story, Phoenix Springs, Sacred and Terrible Air, Pyre

Anything else: Anything goes! Any of these could be fun as IF of various stripes, I think? Copying falloutcoy's note above, I would also appreciate hints or a walkthrough if there's puzzles n stuff or a parser piece that's not, like, Photopia

[estirose]

AO3 username: estirose

Letter link: https://estirose.dreamwidth.org/2025/10/10/dyw2025.html

Fandoms: Assemble with Care, Cozy Grove, Fantasy Life, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, My Time at Sandrock

Anything else: I love IF, though I prefer choice-based stories over parser-based. I think my prompts for Assemble with Care, Cozy Grove, and My Time at Sandrock could easily be used for an IF story.

[glitterpig]

AO3 username: glitterpig

Letter link: https://glitterpig.dreamwidth.org/3231.html

Fandoms: Arrested Development, Le Visiteur du Futur | Visitor from the Future (Web Series), The Epic of Gilgamesh

Anything else: I love IF! Text games bring me great delight and I would be ecstatically happy to receive any game at any level of complexity, like even a game where you just change clothing or something silly like that.

[(Anonymous)]

AO3 username: JadedPangolin

Letter link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d5R6wzViruNQfNY-ICjNfJKMoykBtTjwytgzz_m9BlM/edit?usp=sharing

Fandoms: 16 ways to kill a vampire at mcdonalds, lady thalia, stay?

Anything else: i am mostly here for the branching narratives because i am not smart or good at puzzles 🥲 parser games intimidate me a little but i have managed to play some that are very easy. i think i would enjoy receiving one if it was like the text equivalent of a walking simulator basically.

[corpsebrigadier]

AO3 username: CorpseBrigadier

Letter link: https://corpsebrigadier.dreamwidth.org/34674.html

Fandoms: Flesh and Blood, She is Conann, The Wizard's Shadow

Anything else: I love IF fanworks very much, and I've included a detailed section of ideas/prompts in my letter. :]

[pure_anon]

AO3 username: pure_anon

Letter link:https://pure-anon.dreamwidth.org/1822.html

Fandoms: A New Leaf (1971), The Warrender Saga - Mary Burchell, Cat-Eye Willie Claims His Lover - Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (Song), Maltese Falcon - Dashiell Hammett, The Secret Garden - Simon/Norman, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith

Anything else: I'm not sure how well most of my fandoms/prompts would fit as IF, but if inspiration strikes you, please go wild!! I really adore IF, and I would be so pleased to get an IF fic for Yuletide. I do think Cat-Eye Willie Claims His Lover could be really interesting as IF!

[penguinzero]

AO3 username:PenguinZero
Letter link: https://penguinzero.dreamwidth.org/1611.html

Fandoms: Chuubo's Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine, Blue Prince, Magus of the Library

Anything else: I actually wrote some IF for Yuletide last year, and it was challenging but satisfying. If anyone else wants to try for it, I'd be enthralled!

Some specifics: For Chuubo's, Natalia and/or Jasper trying to navigate the hijinks of an average day being themselves in Town would be fun, but so would them trying to escape the Bleak Academy -- or both! Or play with narrative and metafiction -- I think the two of them trying to escape a story that Chuubo's accidentally trapped them in would be interesting.

Blue Prince is of course a game with random roguelike exploration, and there could be interesting ways to handle that in Twine or other game systems. Exploring another building built like Mt. Holly, or maybe even building your own! Or play as Mary, attempting to pull off the daring heist of the crown jewels and escape while dealing with odd architectural elements of the museum.

Magus of the Library could lend itself to an interesting game about the duties of a librarian -- perhaps attempting to repair a book, magical or not, with understanding the book's origins and contents being important. Or a more unusual style could be interesting -- maybe give the player a text, and have spots in it where you can choose different translations, or pick between various annotations or instructions to librarians or decisions about censorship, and show at the end how it affects the reception of the text and its preservation!

And, of course, if you can think of anything to do with my other fandoms, or different ideas for the ones I've listed here, go for it!

[lurking_latinist]

AO3 username: lurking_latinist

Letter link: https://lurking-latinist.dreamwidth.org/27962.html

Fandoms: An Age of Kings (1960), Barron's E-Z Math Textbook Series, Welcome to Our Village, Please Invade Carefully

Anything else: I enjoy multi-stranded and branching stories and the opportunities for experimenting offered by IF! I enjoy any form, but am not that good at figuring out tricky, puzzly parserfic, so if you're writing that for me, a little hand-holding would probably not go amiss. (But I'll give anything a go!)

[yvain]

AO3 username: yvain

Letter link: https://yvain.dreamwidth.org/328.html

Fandoms: The Bright Sword, The Dispossessed, Dogsbody

Anything else: I love parser games and would always be happy to receive one, but I also really enjoy CYOA and hypertext games! Given that it's a worldbuilding request, I imagine my The Dispossessed prompt might be the easiest to render as IF, but I'd be delighted to receive IF for any of the three fandoms I requested.

[reshiel]

AO3 username: Reshiel
Letter link: https://reshiel.dreamwidth.org/46655.html
Fandoms: MIU 404, Philosophia, Rush to the Dead Summer, The Long Walk (2025)
Anything else: I will be thrilled for any sort of IF. If you have an idea, go for it! For parser-based, a walkthrough would be much appreciated.

Totally optional ideas:

MIU 404: I think it'd be super fun to play a case with lots of optional dialogue for [ship of choice]

Philosophia: a meandering conversation tree for a cozy winter coffeeshop afternoon would be lovely

Rush to the Dead Summer: Lu Zhi'ang's last day in Qianchuan before he leaves for university

The Long Walk: I feel absolutely terrible about this, but resource management sim - food, water, warnings, steep hill mechanics, energy for conversation, relationship stats, ... gradual UI breakdown over the course of canon

[beleghir]

AO3 username: beleghir

Letter link: https://beleghir.dreamwidth.org/35037.html

Fandoms: Octopath Traveler

Anything else: I love this game exactly as it is, but the minimal character interactions leave so much space open for fanworks. When I play, I always stop for a travel banter scene, and anything along similar lines would be delightful, like a conversation unfolding with different dialogue options. I've requested Alfyn, Cyrus, and Olberic, and prompted Alfyn/Olberic and Alfyn/Cyrus, though I'd also be delighted with gen fic (or only background relationships) and anyone else from the main cast appearing. E-rated works are welcome!

[kubernetes_writes]

AO3 username: kubernetes

Letter link: https://kubernetes-writes.dreamwidth.org/2091.html

Fandoms:
Look Outside (Video Game) (promo)
Sunless Sea
There is No Antimemetics Division - qntm (promo from last year)

Anything else: I love IF and would be thrilled to receive IF for any of my requested canons! I prefer choice-based IF over parser-based, and would appreciate a format that is either web-based or Mac-friendly.

[skazka]

AO3 username: skazka

Letter link:

Fandoms: Cuckoo (2024); FX Legion; Peeping Tom (1960)

Anything else: I love using IF to explore multiple mutually contradictory possibilities for how events could unfold -- replay value! forking paths! -- as well as to bring the reader in contact with parts of a story that normally lay outside their reach. I'm most familiar with making parser-based IF but I love branching choices, point-and-click games, and anything else you've got. Legion seems like a great fit for experimental narratives and strangeness, but I'd love anything.

[meteordust]

AO3 username: Serenade

Letter link: https://meteordust.dreamwidth.org/273080.html

Fandoms:
Chronicles of Amber - Roger Zelazny
Foreigner Series - CJ Cherryh
Fortress Series - CJ Cherryh
Fallen London

Anything else: I'd be happy to receive IF for any of these! Fallen London is a text-based browser game, and the others are novel series.

[(Anonymous)]

AO3 username: epobymiad
Letter link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vT00YMW0OaoifAXFB61zQwAmxOSfHHbYGbDPxY92ea0_gUrXbqKQqCnbL4ndPTtII8Kr-M_hFWsQzX-/pub
Fandoms: Midnight Burger, Frasier, Shakespeare & Hathaway, Pentecost & Parker, Ludwig, We Are Lady Parts, How to Die Alone, Good Place
Anything else: I think Midnight Burger (sci fi audio fiction podcast), Pentecost & Parker (murder mystery series set in 1940s New York), and Good Place (TV show) might be best suited to IF out of my requests, but the others could be really interesting (Frasier in particular could be hilarious).

[(Anonymous)]

*eponymiad

devastating, I can't spell my own username

[pikkugen]

AO3 username:pikkugen

Letter link:https://pikkugen.dreamwidth.org/147600.html

Fandoms:A Box Of Nothing - Peter Dickinson, Sadness Is A Blessing - Lykke Li, Irn Bru Snowman Ads, Historical Farm, Dinner For One

Anything else: I have no ideas for this, but a choose-your-own-adventure of any of these sounds wonderful! Otherwise whatever hits your fancy. (Not afraid of Bad Endings, as long as there's a good one, too.) Feel free to go wild.

[hekateras]

AO3 Handle: Hekateras
Letter Link: https://hekateras.dreamwidth.org/8672.html
Fandoms: Invisible Inc, Betrayal at Krondor, The Changeling - psychomachia, Neuromancer, The Red Strings Club, Blackwell Series, There Is No Antimemetics Division, Tactical Breach Wizards
Anything else: I would prefer choice-based IF but am otherwise open to anything :)

[steelneko]

AO3 username: Steelneko

Letter link: https://steelneko.dreamwidth.org/407625.html

Fandoms:

• Dead Outlaw - Penna & Yazbek/Moses
  
• Dimension 20: On A Bus
  
• Groundhog Day - Minchin/Rubin
  
• Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical - SpitLip

Anything else: I've never opted in to IF before, but it sounds cool! It could be neat to have Phil choose what kind of Groundhog Day to live through this time, or run with the madness of On A Bus, but anything could be fun.

I've played visual novels & otome games before, so I'm very familiar with the Choice-based style of IF.

[mousek]

AO3 username: Mousek

Letter link:https://mousek.dreamwidth.org/1384.html

Fandoms:

Islander - Anderson/Melton

The Islanders - Christopher Priest

17776: What Football Will Look Like in the Future - Jon Bois

Chants of Sennaar (Video Game)

The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon

A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles

A Day of Fallen Night - Samantha Shannon

[themangosity]

AO3 username: TheMangosity
Letter link: https://themangosity.dreamwidth.org/3297.html

Fandoms:

Columbo

Mario Kart

Final Fantasy IV

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

Pokémon Concierge

Star Wars: Visions "The Ninth Jedi"

Anything else: I love all sorts of IF! Text adventures, choose your own adventures, and visual novels are what I imagine when I think of IF. I like little puzzles where you have to figure out what to do with items you find in the world (i.e. you find a book in a house and then later you meet someone who's bored, and the solution is to give them the book). I also like links that let you jump around the world so you don't have to keep typing "go left, go right." I've played a lot of Quest games in the past, but if you don't know Quest that's okay. Use whatever engine you're most familiar with and inspires you the most. If someone goes to all the trouble of making an IF gift for me, I'm sure I'll love it no matter what!