Twine • Interactive Fiction • Branching Story
Abscond
An interactive text-based fiction story made in Twine, built around branching decisions, inventory interactions, and a short sci-fi mystery about waking up in the far future.
Published interactive fiction project built with branching passages, inventory logic, and sci-fi mystery writing.
Project Summary
Project Overview
Abscond is a short interactive fiction game about a normal life suddenly interrupted by an event that changes the player’s future forever.
Two minutes remain until a new year begins. As the player recalls their normal life, something happens that sends the story into a far-future sci-fi mystery.
The project was inspired by my interest in visual novels and by the idea of waking up far in the future, similar to the setup of Futurama.
Story Systems
Story Systems
Branching Decisions
- Built around player choices and story branches
- Allows the story to shift based on decisions
- Creates a more interactive reading experience
- Supports multiple paths through the narrative
Inventory System
- Includes a working inventory system
- Lets the player collect or track important items
- Connects items to the interactive fiction structure
- Adds light adventure-game mechanics to the story
Visual Novel Influence
- Inspired by visual novel pacing and storytelling
- Focuses on text, choices, and narrative progression
- Uses branching text to create player agency
- Explores a short story format with personal twists
Sci-Fi Mystery
- Starts from an ordinary-life setup
- Quickly shifts into a future-based premise
- Uses mystery as the main hook
- Builds around the question of what happened and why
Opening Hook
Opening Hook
Two minutes remain until a new year begins. As you recall your utterly normal life that you have lived until this point, something happens that changes your future forever.
Design Notes
Design Notes
Choice Structure
The project uses Twine’s passage-based structure to connect story moments, choices, and branching outcomes.
Scope
The game was designed as a short interactive fiction project, keeping the scope focused while still allowing experimentation with inventory and branching.
Personal Twist
Instead of making a traditional visual novel, the project uses a short-form sci-fi premise with my own take on choice-driven storytelling.
Tech Stack