Stories that left you disappointed for a reason

[Ephemeris]

Maybe an unpopular opinion again but some of you are overeating to this cheating RO, some people just like the drama that comes with it, that doesn't mean they support cheating, that they forgive people who cheat or that they want to get cheated on, this is fiction at the end of the day and a safe space to explore more toxic or complex themes and you are not force to romance them, they aren't the only romantic interest in the if, let's chill damn. Also comparing cheating to incest (Which is actually banned from COG games) is insane. Although...now that I think about it that necromancer series second book is going to have something pretty close to it with the revived death not-brother-but-still-raised-you so idk.

 

[OrionCats]

Maybe an unpopular opinion again but some of you are overeating to this cheating RO, some people just like the drama that comes with it, that doesn't mean they support cheating, that they forgive people who cheat or that they want to get cheated on, this is fiction at the end of the day and a safe space to explore more toxic or complex themes and you are not force to romance them, they aren't the only romantic interest in the if, let's chill damn. Also comparing cheating to incest (Which is actually banned from COG games) is insane. Although...now that I think about it that necromancer series second book is going to have something pretty close to it with the revived death not-brother-but-still-raised-you so idk.

What necromancer game are you talking about?

 

[Ephemeris]

What necromancer game are you talking about?

The Nascent Necromancer, part 2 is going to allegedly let you romance Yosif, a dude who isn't your brother but lied to you about it for all your life and raised you as such so not really incest but you know close enough. Part 2 is getting finished/worked on in 2026 so don't hold your breath and part 1 has the most annoying characters known to man and the MC is kind of weak so the game is not everyone's cup of tea.

 

[God]

Maybe an unpopular opinion again but some of you are overeating to this cheating RO, some people just like the drama that comes with it, that doesn't mean they support cheating, that they forgive people who cheat or that they want to get cheated on, this is fiction at the end of the day and a safe space to explore more toxic or complex themes and you are not force to romance them, they aren't the only romantic interest in the if, let's chill damn. Also comparing cheating to incest (Which is actually banned from COG games) is insane. Although...now that I think about it that necromancer series second book is going to have something pretty close to it with the revived death not-brother-but-still-raised-you so idk.

It’s not banned btw, a author asked if they could have an cousin RO the other day and just got their game moved to an adult section. They even pointed out other games that featured such relation. Creative freedom reasons supposedly.

 

[Ephemeris]

It’s not banned btw, a author asked if they could have an cousin RO the other day and just got their game moved to an adult section. They even pointed out other games that featured such relation. Creative freedom reasons supposedly.

Interesting, I remember another game that feature an incest-like type of relationship (Adopted brothers) that was moved to itch and then abandoned because it would never get published by COG, maybe some type of it are just a step to far?

 

[God]

Interesting, I remember another game that feature an incest-like type of relationship (Adopted brothers) that was moved to itch and then abandoned because it would never get published by COG, maybe some type of it are just a step to far?

Okay rereading it, it says it could be made but won’t know if it’s publishable until it’s completed and they can’t speak for staff, but some games have gotten through.

 

[Hitoshura_tdn]

Any interactive game that lacks player agency and meaningful choices. Which I find mostly on Twine funnily enough.

No I don't want the only choices to be what I'm drinking for dinner. No I don't want my character to respond like a smart-*** protagonist number 2000

 

[Sant]

Heard about that game on hosted games subreddit yesterday and some people were even happy about getting cheated on and romancing the RO still. Games are getting more and more unhinged wait until the incest games start dropping since apparently you can have it in your games.

There was one sci-fi gay story in CoG forum which you could romance your stepbrother which was an alien. The dev tried to turn into a Ren'py visual novel but after 2 updates it was gone off-radar

 

[Vamp-kun]

Heard about that game on hosted games subreddit yesterday and some people were even happy about getting cheated on and romancing the RO still. Games are getting more and more unhinged wait until the incest games start dropping since apparently you can have it in your games.

My Clary Frey and Jace Wayland "being actually related" fanfiction will come true...

 

[Foulwarden]

If I have multiple romance options to choose from, and one of them is a cheating ex, the natural question becomes: Why would I PICK THEM when I have other options who haven’t hurt me?

But alas lets have faith people, maybe it will lean towards making the ex RO an option for a revenge plot?? (I will cut my hand if it happens), but that could be a refreshing dynamic. It would flip the usual “forgive and move on” of this trope

 

[Sokrates]

tbh most people on the sub annoy me to no end. it used to be good but since i returned (been inactive on reddit for about half a year) its like a shithole. just sh!tty memes and increasingly unhinged asks. On cue everyone replies with some fallen hero message that got old months ago. do they actually think that these games will have the ultra specific p0rn trope that they seek? most of them dont even have p0rn at all god damn it. just play an AVN at this point.

Anyways, people like this are the reason that actual good IFs barely get recognition. They would rather "play" a railroady story with no choices if it means having 10 different ROs to fill their cucking fantasies.

Im aware this is a bit rude, but i had to get it off my chest.

What did you expect? Unless an IF has romance or "ROs" most peeps on COG forums, wouldn't even bother skimming through the game's description. An author HAS to include them, even if they are utterly unnecessary for the plot to move forward, to garner scraps of attention by the fandom in the forums. Romance and almost p*** are what sells and gets most attention nowadays.

 

[God]

What did you expect? Unless an IF has romance or "ROs" most peeps on COG forums, wouldn't even bother skimming through the game's description. An author HAS to include them, even if they are utterly unnecessary for the plot to move forward, to garner scraps of attention by the fandom in the forums. Romance and almost p*** are what sells and gets most attention nowadays.

Yup what we are seeing is almost every author trying to create the next big “ red flag RO” it’s a popular trend, so most are latching onto it by creating more and more toxic romance options. I can’t blame them because that’s what most seems to want.

 

[yourstalkeroutside]

I love that you articulated your thoughts like a sane person. Most of the times people would respond to what I've said as me being 'transphobic' when in all honesty I am simply saying what I think as it is. Don't the non binary people online do the same? Except they dont bother to explain themselves and would rather force their ideas on others. My comment is tagged as transphobic but not yours when you talk about how everything is added just for the sake of 'inclusivity'. I'm sorry if this sounds rude but the fact you mentioned you're enby might have availed you of your comment being labelled as transphobic. Like when people say "I can't be racist if its against my own race" lmao.

TBH, yes. Though a lot if not all of those annoyingly loud enbies are also those who use and push nonsense like neo-pronouns. The majority are teenagers trying to be rebellious and edgy, the minority adults tend to be teens who never grew up or transtrenders ( people who claim to be trans/enby because they see it as a form of counter culture rather than actually being transgender or non binary). The actual group is much much smaller than it looks. It's just that they're vocal and so are their enablers, so it looks like the majority. Unfortunately, it's easier to listen to the guy with the microphone than the guy without one. Also, I'm not American. Americans are much more likely to listen to Ashleigh from California saying that it/its pronouns are fine and that all the negative stuff can be 'reclaimed' than myself from Trinidad pointing out that words, especially slurs don't work that way. It's pretty normal bias to have tbh.

There's also the problem of in-jokes becoming sterotypes by those outside the group. The whole gender= chaos thing is the best example of that. It was never meant to be something to take seriously, but since it was an easy 'box' to put people in, those outside turned it into a stereotype. The joke itself actually is about how most non-binary people are neuro-divergent and thus are 'chaotic' rather than it being anything to do with the enby experience.

Also I still don't know why your comment was flagged as transphobic, you said you disliked it. Nothing you said was transphobic, not even saying you dropped stories because of it. It's ok to dislike things, especially since LGBT in IFs are often poorly written at best, 80's PSAs at worst. A lot of people seem to think that the only people allowed to criticize a group are it's own members especially anything in regard to race or anything LGBT. Which is stupid because criticism is a part of life. No one lives in a bubble where their actions only affect themselves, everything that is done affects someone else.

 

[realman]

What did you expect? Unless an IF has romance or "ROs" most peeps on COG forums, wouldn't even bother skimming through the game's description. An author HAS to include them, even if they are utterly unnecessary for the plot to move forward, to garner scraps of attention by the fandom in the forums. Romance and almost p*** are what sells and gets most attention nowadays.

I agree that the authors have to include those scenes and ROs to make a profit and dont blame them for it, but the thing that is annoying me is that it should be able to sell well without them. It's just a bit sad to me because when I got into this genre, it wasn't about toxic romances as much as it was enjoying a sick story that you could influence.

I get that this stuff is what sells most in the media, but it shouldn't. Sometimes I just want to read a captivating story that has actual substance beyond the "hot dom that could crush me" romance. Nowadays the world building gets sacrificed for the sake of having 10 romance options. (and even more "side" ROs, whatever that means)
Yes, for now stories that arent so focused on romance are more common. But take a look at the popular WIPs and tell me one that isn't romance centered and is enjoyable beyond the romance. To me, every RO feels like a copy of other ROs from books that made it big, and its getting more annoying and stale with every book that gets published.

If they want to goon to ****in criminals, theres always books where you romance straight up felons. theres interactive fiction on ao3 with just romance and no substance. theres loads of **** games. It's just that this genre of books is already niche, and the authors that could write a good story often don't and focus on romance.

I'm straying from the point here. My main point is that the fanbase shouldn't make the authors be afraid of publishing a story with no romance. But i get that is what people want and i understand why. still annoys me tho.

 

[Sokrates]

I agree that the authors have to include those scenes and ROs to make a profit and dont blame them for it, but the thing that is annoying me is that it should be able to sell well without them. It's just a bit sad to me because when I got into this genre, it wasn't about toxic romances as much as it was enjoying a sick story that you could influence.

I get that this stuff is what sells most in the media, but it shouldn't. Sometimes I just want to read a captivating story that has actual substance beyond the "hot dom that could crush me" romance. Nowadays the world building gets sacrificed for the sake of having 10 romance options. (and even more "side" ROs, whatever that means)
Yes, for now stories that arent so focused on romance are more common. But take a look at the popular WIPs and tell me one that isn't romance centered and is enjoyable beyond the romance. To me, every RO feels like a copy of other ROs from books that made it big, and its getting more annoying and stale with every book that gets published.

If they want to goon to ****in criminals, theres always books where you romance straight up felons. theres interactive fiction on ao3 with just romance and no substance. theres loads of **** games. It's just that this genre of books is already niche, and the authors that could write a good story often don't and focus on romance.

I'm straying from the point here. My main point is that the fanbase shouldn't make the authors be afraid of publishing a story with no romance. But i get that is what people want and i understand why. still annoys me tho.

EXACTLY my point: this is the fanbase that has been nurtured in the forums (romance obsessed readers) who'll refuse anything that doesn't even have romance on it. Even on this very thread. What most complain about is the ROs instead of the story (i love the posts about the stories which i may or may not agree with).

It's one of the reasons why nowadays I mostly read chooseyourstory.com stories with only a few HG demos (Mind Blind/Kingdoms and Empires/Sword of Rhivenia).

Alas. Just an observation nobody asked about

 

[seneya]

It used to be a push just for romance at first. Which, fine, I enjoy a well-written romance, especially if it's plot-relevant. Fast-forward, and now it's specifically NSFW romance. Or just NSFW without any romance. And like 90% of Tumblr asks are RO/NSFW stuff.
Now this is obviously great for those authors who enjoy writing romance and adult content. But it can also be kinda disheartening if you want to focus on other things.

 

[Vamp-kun]

Just give me my Witcher 3 interactive story already.
Copy-paste absolutely everything and put it into words.

VOILA!

A text book about a customizable monster hunter with Drizzt-like melancholy, D&D style monster hunting and treasure hoarding, and only two gender selectable romance options — plus a Shani secret on again off again relationship, of course. It's heresy to never include that!

It's easy enough to do. Freaking "Lost Heir" trilogy did it, even if it devolved into a "got to create a kingdom" simulator.

It can be done!

You don't have to create 90+ romance options that you can never have the time to fully expand. Trust me, anything more is always harder. If I barely have enough time to create a plot for an egomaniacal British terrorist who wants to destroy Europe with his supersoldiers, then even the barest hint of anything more will require much more time to fully write.

 

[xeroxo]

There's new if game made by the same author of Remember You Will die, and its also about a music band if. Well, sort of, you're not actually in a band, but you play as a lead singer's lover.
The thing is, the lead singer is going to cheat on MC. And surprise2 the cheated lover is listed as ro.

So far the story hasn't go that scene, but i really hope this story did not turn into the classic "haha ur so hot/rich/popular/ have more power than me, so u can treat me badly and emotionally abuse me" type of story.
Like I kinda like the IF so far. it's messy, full of drama, but its too painfully frustating to see a character who cheated go without any consequences.

The PC and the cheating RO cheated first though; the RO had a partner and MC and RO got together while the RO was still in a relationship.

 

[Sokrates]

Just give me my Witcher 3 interactive story already.
Copy-paste absolutely everything and put it into words.

VOILA!

A text book about a customizable monster hunter with Drizzt-like melancholy, D&D style monster hunting and treasure hoarding, and only two gender selectable romance options — plus a Shani secret on again off again relationship, of course. It's heresy to never include that!

It's easy enough to do. Freaking "Lost Heir" trilogy did it, even if it devolved into a "got to create a kingdom" simulator.

It can be done!

You don't have to create 90+ romance options that you can never have the time to fully expand. Trust me, anything more is always harder. If I barely have enough time to create a plot for an egomaniacal British terrorist who wants to destroy Europe with his supersoldiers, then even the barest hint of anything more will require much more time to fully write.

You know i just love your posts and the subtle intelligent sarcasm in them.

 

[Parallax]

There's new if game made by the same author of Remember You Will die, and its also about a music band if. Well, sort of, you're not actually in a band, but you play as a lead singer's lover.
The thing is, the lead singer is going to cheat on MC. And surprise2 the cheated lover is listed as ro.

So far the story hasn't go that scene, but i really hope this story did not turn into the classic "haha ur so hot/rich/popular/ have more power than me, so u can treat me badly and emotionally abuse me" type of story.
Like I kinda like the IF so far. it's messy, full of drama, but its too painfully frustating to see a character who cheated go without any consequences.

Lol, I saw this WIP on not-anymore-Dashingdon site and got excited at the word 'rock star', **** yeah new musical IF.... and in a moment it turned out that MC is only a partner of the singer.

I left immediately,