Games
Games and development systems I have made or contributed to. For everything else, see Not Games
Click each game cover for more info
Interactive fiction (IF)
The simplest way to see samples of writing from my IF games is to play them; they're all free on my itch site and run in the browser.
Detectiveland
2016 · point-and-click · JavaScript
play on itch – view on IFDB
Built on the Draculaland engine, with improved design adding support for graphical elements and music
Complex narrative structure with separate 'cases' which can run sequentially or simultaneously, with interdependent narrative pathways leading to multiple endings
Winner of IFComp; shortlisted for six Xyzzy Awards (Best Game, Best Puzzles, Best Individual Puzzle [sneaking through the house], Best Implementation, Best Use of Innovation, Best Use of Multimedia)
Reviews/press: Rock Paper Shotgun, Giant Bomb
Pirateship
2019 · point-and-click · JavaScript
play on itch – view on IFDB
Shortlisted for four Xyzzy Awards (Best Setting, Best Puzzles, Best Implementation, Best Use of Innovation)
Draculaland
2016 · point-and-click · JavaScript
play on itch – view on IFDB
Implemented a new, mobile-friendly 'parser-like' hybrid point-and-click engine
Showcased at the Wordplay narrative games festival at the British Library
Review: PC Gamer
Zeppelin Adventure
2018 · point-and-click · JavaScript
play on itch – view on IFDB
Built on the Draculaland/Detectiveland engine, adding support for better presentation of longer prose
Gruesome
2021 · parser · JavaScript
play on itch – view on IFDB
Revised parser engine, incorporating improvements from my hybrid engine
Game designed for replayability, with autonomous NPCs who interact with the game world and each other
2nd place in ParserComp
Shortlisted for two Xyzzy Awards (Best Puzzles, Best Individual NPC [the skeleton])
The Xylophoniad
2016 · parser · JavaScript
play on itch – view on IFDB
Co-winner of the Spring Thing interactive fiction festival
Aunts and Butlers
2006 · parser · JavaScript
play on itch – view on IFDB
Built on the engine used for Hamlet, adding better support for NPCs
Shortlisted for two Xyzzy Awards (Best NPCs, Best Individual NPC [the butler])
Review: Jay Is Games
Portcullis
2015 · parser · JavaScript
play on itch – view on IFDB
Includes complex NPCs, multiple puzzle solutions, narrative pathways and endings
IF development system
Gruescript
2021 · JavaScript
Rule-based development language and online authoring tool for parser/choice hybrid point-and-click IF
Designed to mimic the game design and play style of parser games without the need for the player to type, with attention to the implications of this for puzzle design
Games can be downloaded as standalone HTML pages, in the model of popular hobbyist authoring tools such as Bitsy and Puzzlescript
Includes documentation and annotated code examples including a full length game, The Party Line
Winner of the Xyzzy Award for Best Technological Development in IF
Demoed at Programming Languages In Interactive Entertainment at AIIDE (watch talk)
2D puzzle games
Commercial credits
Saltsea Chronicles
Due Gute Fabrik, 2023 · Story-driven adventure · Unity/Ink
Additional Story Tech (contractor)
Placing animations and sounds to add life and characterisation to all characters in Ink-scripted dialogue scenes
Unannounced title
3D narrative title set in the world of a well-known AAA sci-fi franchise · Unreal Engine 4 and 5
AI Developer/Technical Narrative Designer
Assisted in design of bespoke UE4/5 tools for customisable NPC spawning and behaviours
Designed and implemented ambient NPC behaviours, including modifications to levels to support spawning and behaviour systems
Noncommercial credits
Shunty Train
Glastonbridge Software, 2017 · puzzle · JavaScript/Pixi
play online
Game design and level design
Contributed artwork
...plus a lot of mutual beta testing of hobbyist interactive fiction.
Cryptic crosswords
I knew there'd be something that didn't fit neatly into "Games" or "Not Games". I set cryptic crosswords here.