Glad Libs

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We're going to a dangerous place. [[We are?]]

We must leave quickly. Hurry, take one item with you that you hold dear. Something related to what you like to do or are good at: <<cyclinglink "$aAn" "a" "an">>   <<textbox "$imptItem" "" curious>>

<<print $aAn>> <<print $imptItem>>? Whatever do you use that for? "I like <<textbox "$itemWhy" "" "pickplace">>," you blurted, swept up in anxiety.

As you reach for <<print $imptItem>><html>, your eye catches a photo of your absolute favorite place to be. Very well. You may bring that, too. You quickly slip the photo of that most important place,   <<textbox "$imptPlace" "" "pickperson">>,   into your pocket.

We really must be going. I'll have time to reach one person you know on our way to the Other Side. So quick — who'll it be? <<textbox "$imptPerson" "" "offWeGo" autofocus>> must come with me.

Ok. <<print $imptPerson>>. Understood. No going back. [[Here we go|enter]]

It's dark. The difference between opening or closing your eyes is negligible. You reach out your hand, but wouldn't know it because you can't even see to your elbows. This must be the aforementioned Other Side. But what side of where? You haven't the slightest. You're paralyzed, panicked. It's hard to tell if you can't move or you can't will yourself to move. You sense something sinister and predatory in the all-encompassing darkness. You're being watched. From a distance. For now. [[You uneasily look around|around]] [[You think of that picture of|gotoplace]] <<print $imptPlace>> [[Hey where's|around]] <<print $imptItem>>

[[Nope. Way to dark to see. Might as well be at the bottom of the ocean.|enter]]

You reach into your pocket, fumbling, and feel the picture of <<print $imptPlace>>. You can't see it in the darkness but you realize you don't need to. You picture it clearly in your mind, the scenery, the atmosphere, the warm sense of security, the lighting. For a second, you feel at home, despite the permeating darkness that threatened to swallow you a second ago. [[Daydream about the picture|daydream]]

A sudden chill runs down your spine, interrupting your reverie and rooting you firmly back in the situation at hand. You notice it's a little different here now... Could it be? It's a little lighter? Yes... You can see your fingertips. In fact, you can see a few feet of ground ahead of you, too. More light and power to fight through this world. Excellent. You grin, but notice you're traveling a little too lightly. You had dropped <<print $imptItem>> at some point. You walk a few paces over to it and pick it up. [[There's something underneath it|underneathitem]]

Underneath <<print $imptItem>>, you find strange, glowing red shard of something. [img[images/part1.png]] [[Pick this up, too|shard1]]

The crimson shard glows softly in your hand. More light and power in this dark, dark place. Excellent. [img[images/part1.png]] Clutching the shard, you stand up and face the world. It's definitely not black; much duskier. Warmer but not welcoming. [[Move on|path]]

Your eyes barely make out the faint outline of a dirt path ahead of you. You take a few shaky steps forward. Seems like solid enough ground. You recall you had asked for someone before coming here. <<print $imptPerson>>. Where had they gone... [[WOOSHTHWACK|thwack]] [------ your stuff ------] [img[images/part1.png]]

No time to think about that now. Something winged and lizard-like that's about your size has come flying out of nowhere, knocking you to the ground in an instant. The wind's been knocked out of you, but you still have two items: the red shard and <<print $imptItem>>. You... [[scramble to regain your footing and hold up the red shard|shardattack]] [[scramble to regain your footing and hold up the|itemattack]] <<print $imptItem>> [[run|run]] [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]]

Rattled, you manage to stand up and face what seems to be a small dragon. With the red shard at the ready, you brace yourself for what's next. "You expect to attack me with that?" the dragon cackles. … The dragon… cackles… and talks… naturally, this takes a moment to register. [[You nod uncertainly|dragon2a]] [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]]

Rattled, you manage to stand up and face what seems to be a small dragon. With the <<print $imptItem>> at the ready, you brace yourself for what's next. "You expect to attack me with that?" the dragon cackles. … The dragon… cackles… and talks… naturally, this takes a moment to register. [[You nod, grimly|dragon2b]] [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]]

You stumble to your feet and sprint down the path, which is thankfully free of barriers. In just a few seconds, you begin to see the outline of a humongous fortress in the distance. Unfotunately, that dragon is closer. It rips by in an air-tearing whoosh, devouring you whole. [[The good news? You can try this again|path]] [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]]

"Well, that's a weapon I've not seen before," the dragon spits, a couple of stray flames spilling from its mouth and emphasizing its disgust toward you and your comparably pitiable abilities. "How do you expect to fight with that?" Rhetorical question sure, but before you know it you face the dragon, idling in the sky above, and retort,"It's <<print $aAn>> <<print $imptItem>>! I like it because I like <<print $itemWhy>>!" "<<print $itemWhy>>?" the dragon repeats with a curious growl. "Y-yes," you stammer, genuinely surprised that this has temporarily diffused the situation. "Is that a new spell? Will you show me how it works?" the dragon lands and unthreateningly waddles toward you. [[S-sure!|dragon3a]] [[No, I'd like to get out of here now.|dragon3b]] [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]]

The dragon sidles up to you in a surprisingly gentle and graceful manner. He seems much more interested in this new "spell" than eating you alive. You hadn't noticed earlier, but now you can clearly see the dragon has something in one of his claws. It's another red crystal thingie. [img[images/part2_dragon.png]] [[You play it cool for now|cool]] and show the dragon what it is you like about <<print $itemWhy>>. [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]]

The apparently short-fused dragon becomes engraged. Your welcome is over. Time to [[run|run]]. [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]]

The dragon is intrigued with the <<print $imptItem>>. You decide to [[grab the other red crystal, which is now on the ground, while the dragon is distracted|distracted]] or [[make a deal with the dragon, offering it your|deal]] <<print $imptItem>> [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]]

"Here try this," you suggest, showing the dragon a new trick with the <<print $imptItem>>. You sneakily snag the crystal and begin creeping away, breaking into a run as soon as you think your footsteps are out of earshot. As you near the fortress, you can see that the gate is open. A little odd that such a gate would be left wide-open and unguarded, but since you'll need a speedy getaway, you hardly think twice about it. Especially when you hear an enraged dragon's roar bellow from overhead. [[Oh no.|tofortress]] [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]] [img[images/part2_dragon.png]]

You clear your throat, "Say, that's a really neat crystal. Want to trade it for my <<print $imptItem>>?" The dragon pauses. It wordlessly slides the crystal toward you with its tail, still engrossed in playing with the <<print $imptItem>>. /*<<set $dragonfriend = "yes">>*/ You grasp the crystal shard, pressing its warmth into your palm. More light and power in this dark, dark world. Excellent. You take off for [[the faraway fortress|fortress]], before the dragon can change its mind. [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]] [img[images/part2_dragon.png]]

You know you don't have long. An arrow knicks your arm. [[What? o_o|what]] [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]] [img[images/part2_dragon.png]]

You see someone standing on the parapet above the gate, armed with a bow and arrow, and firing overhead at the dragon, whose wingbeats you can nearly feel on your back. [[!!! That's ...|thats]] [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]] [img[images/part2_dragon.png]]

That's <<print $imptPerson>>! Shooting off arrows rapid-fire. Encouraged by their backup, you sprint faster, barely outpacing the dragon's fire that's scorching the earth behind you. [[hot hot hot!|hot]]

Another arrow whistles overhead, landing squarely in the dragon's face. It backpedals mid-air, roaring. <<print $imptPerson>> takes the opportunity to send a few more arrows through the dragon's wings, effectively grounding it. You pull yourself together and turn the crank to shut the fortress gate. [[Safe at last|insidefortress]] [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]] [img[images/part2_dragon.png]]

<<print $imptPerson>> comes down a flight of stairs from the parapet and to the entryway. You [[hug|hugB]]. [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]] [img[images/part2_dragon.png]]

"You're hurt!" <<print $imptPerson>> exclaims, looking at the wound where the arrow grazed your arm. "That... wasn't me was it?" "Yeah, it was," you admit, brushing off their concern since they did save your life after all. "I thought for a second that I was going to have to worry about more than that dragon. But what're you doing here?" you ask <<print $imptPerson>>. "I was about to ask you the same," they reply. "You don't know how you got here?" "No." "Well, when I was sent here, someone said I could ask to bring one person with me. I asked for you." Even as you say it, this still sounds ludicrous. "Someone?" "Yeah, I dunno. This might be a dream." "Uh huh...." <<print $imptPerson>> trails off. "You're ok though?" "Yeah, luckily I havne't had to use this bow and arrow until you brought that dragon around. Sure hope he doesn't come back. We should find you something, too, and head deeper inside in case that dragon does want revenge. Come on, I'll show you were I got this." [["All right."|weapons]] [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]] [img[images/part2_dragon.png]]

On the way to the armory, <<print $imptPerson>> explains that they've already explored most of the fortress. "There's one door I can't open. It's locked tight," <<print $imptPerson>> says. "It looks different from the others, too. Plus, I've been to the top of this fortress and can't see anyting remarkable for miles and miles around. Well, here we are." <<print $imptPerson>> throws open a steel door to rows and rows of weaponry. Uncertain among the weaponry, you unceremouniously select the lightest sword you see. They're heavier than they look. [[So about that door...|door]] [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]] [img[images/part2_dragon.png]]

<<print $imptPerson>> leads you to the door. They weren't kidding when they said it was different. Plastered with gold and splattered with gemstones, the door seemed to contain all the combined wealth of the now-vanished fortresses' inhabitants. It glowed and glittered, giving off its own light in an otherwise sunless, inner part of the fortress. "No doorknob, huh?" you murmur. <<print $imptPerson>> sighs, "And I haven't been able to find a key or a keyhole, either. All I've found is this useless shiny rock." They extend their hand to show you: [img[images/part3.png]] You take it. [[!!!!!|idea]] [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]] [img[images/part2_dragon.png]] [img[images/part3.png]]

You put the three shards together [img[images/part1.png]] [img[images/part2.png]] [img[images/whole_s.png]] ........ More light and power in this dark, dark world. Excellent. You slide the completed key into the door. You expected to hear mechanical whirring and clicking from whatever complicated device powers this door, but instead it makes a series of bright, crisp sounds you'd expect from a wind chime. [[smile|smile]]

But the truth is, it's dangerous to go alone. So take this. [img[images/whole_s.png]] Remember to take the good things in life with you always. They'll help you take on the bad. <html>the end</html> [[about|about]]

About this game A Twine 2 port of a Twine 1 game, originally made during the IGDA DC (@IGDA_DC) #txtjam in 2013. i wanted to make a game that'd encourage people to think about the good things they have in life. i had to cut lots of parts to finish it in the one day i had. (hoped to end with a big boss fight, where the dragon would fight with or against you, depending on the decision you made, buuuuut ran out of time and just haven't gotten back to it. :)) i hope it's somewhat effective. i'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts about your experience at gladlibsgame@gmail.com. if you know who i am in real life, please know that i am terribly embarrassed by this. •_•;; CREDITS Built in <a href="https://twinery.org/" target="_blank">Twine 2</a> <a href="http://www.motoslave.net/sugarcube/2/" target="blank"> CyclingLinks Macro for SugarCube </a> by Thomas M Edwards, based on the non-SugarCube version from Leon Arnott Menu CSS help from Greyelf. If you played this in an Android app, thanks to Michael Barltrop for his tutorial <a href="https://whatbinder.com/2018/06/01/converting-twine-2-stories-to-android-apk-apps-for-the-google-play-store/" target="_blank">here</a>. donate? This game is free, but if you'd like to donate, click the "Download" button here, which will bring up a prompt to donate: https://emdash.itch.io/glad-libs. Thanks!

Your walk to the fortress is easy and unhurried. The fortress gate is open, which seems a little odd that such a gate would be left unguarded. Any misgivings you have about entering the fortress disappear after you see a familiar face waiting there. [[Hug|hugA]] <<print $imptPerson>> [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]] [img[images/part2_dragon.png]]

"What're you doing here?" you ask <<print $imptPerson>>. "I was about to ask you the same," they reply. "You don't know how you got here?" "No." "Well, a nameless someone sent me here, and when they offered to send someone to help me, I asked for you." Even as you say it, this still sounds ludicrous. "Someone?" "Yeah, I dunno. This might be a dream." "Uh huh...." <<print $imptPerson>> trails off. "You're ok though?" "Yeah, luckily I haven't had to use this bow and arrow yet. We should find you something, too. Come on, I'll show you were I got this." [["All right."|weapons]] [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]] [img[images/part2_dragon.png]]

You thrust the red shard high above your head, hoping to unleash some magical something. The dragon guffaws, "Silly mortal. That is not nearly enough power to fight with." You don't doubt the dragon's words; this is its world after all. Panic makes your eyes widen and stomach knot. "I eat bits like that for breakfast," it adds, eyes and scales gleaming. You're powerless and it knows it. Crap. [[Flee|run]] [[Switch to the|dragon2b]] <<print $imptItem>> [------ your stuffs ------] [img[images/part1.png]]

You cross the door's threshold with <<print $imptPerson>>. Whatever is waiting on the other side, whether in reality or the Other Side, you know you can face it. You have things you enjoy doing, people you love seeing, and places you like to be. [[This is sappy, sure...|but]]