Branching novels that play in the browser with no account. Netwrck library novels are complete, playable scripts at different stages of production: 53 of the 59 novels have generated cover art; 59 novels play licensed music credited in the build; in-game backgrounds and character art are still generated placeholders throughout. Fork one and the art, music and voice tools in the editor fill in the rest. Author-published novels carry whatever their author gave them, and each card states its own art, audio and content notice below.
Sorted by newest first.
Sixty-one children, forty adults on Thursdays, and a building she does not own.
- ~95 min
- 19236 words
- 5 branch points
- 5 endings
- 3 plays
historicaldramaromancepolitical thrillertragedyReconstruction-era Louisiana, spring to autumn 1873
reconstructionamerican southhistoricalqueer romancelove trianglepolitical violenceeducation1870stragedyvoting rights
Content notice (8)
- racist mass violence and massacre, graphic
- lynching referenced
- slavery aftermath and its ongoing coercion
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- queer relationship under lethal social threat
- child endangerment
- arson
- grief
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
The mountain takes the body. The book decides whether it ever lived.
- ~188 min
- 31721 words
- 12 branch points
- 6 endings
- 3 plays
historicaldramaromancetragedypoliticalPotosí, Upper Peru, August–November 1585
historical dramacolonial AndesPotosíforced labourqueer romancelove triangleinstitutional corruptionminingtragedyadult protagonistmoral compromiseslow burn
Content notice (8)
- forced labour and colonial racial hierarchy
- graphic mine-collapse injury and death
- mercury poisoning and chronic illness
- coercion, wage theft, debt, and imprisonment
- religious discipline and institutional betrayal
- grief, burial, and falsified death records
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- bigotry shown through behaviour and consequence; no slurs written out
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
An army can conquer a market. First it has to count it.
- ~188 min
- 29686 words
- 13 branch points
- 7 endings
- 3 plays
historicalpolitical dramaromancetragedyTlatelolco and Tenochtitlan, 1473 CE
mexicatlatelolcohistorical dramaadult romancelove trianglemerchant spiesmarket lawwartributeslow burninstitutional tragedypolitical intrigue
Content notice (10)
- war and civic conquest
- graphic violence and battlefield injury
- human sacrifice as state ritual
- death of a spouse discussed
- debt-slavery and threatened sale
- coercion, blackmail and institutional corruption
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- grief and survivor guilt
- food insecurity
- bigotry by class and city shown through behaviour; no slurs written out
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
One field chest, no laudanum since January, and four hundred names by July.
- ~95 min
- 14437 words
- 5 branch points
- 5 endings
- 3 plays
historicalwardramaromancetragedyGreat Northern War, Ukraine, winter 1708 to July 1709
18th centurygreat northern warmilitary surgeryhistoricallove trianglequeer romanceoccupationfaminewintertragedy
Content notice (8)
- graphic surgical and battle injury
- amputation without anaesthesia
- frostbite and death by exposure
- military requisition and induced famine
- execution of a deserter
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- grief
- sexual coercion referenced within an occupying army
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
Two hundred and eleven camels, eleven wells, and an army that has never been thirsty here.
- ~95 min
- 21370 words
- 5 branch points
- 5 endings
- 3 plays
historicaladventuredramawartragedySonghai empire and Saadi conquest, 1591 CE
16th centurywest africasonghaisaharahistoricalcaravanoccupationmarriagebookstragedy
Content notice (7)
- battle violence, graphic
- slavery and the slave trade depicted as the era's commerce
- thirst, dehydration and death by exposure
- occupation, deportation of scholars
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- grief
- execution
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
Six hours a night, three currencies, no passport.
- ~100 min
- 16957 words
- 5 branch points
- 5 endings
- 4 plays
historicalnoirromancepolitical thrillertragedyShanghai, International Settlement and French Concession, January to April 1927
1920s shanghaihistoricallove trianglequeer romancegangstersrevolutionstateless refugeebetrayaltragedyjazz age
Content notice (8)
- massacre and political mass killing, graphic
- opium trade and addiction
- sex work and coercion
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- police corruption and surveillance
- racism and colonial hierarchy depicted through behaviour
- torture referenced
- grief and displacement
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
Eleven weeks of poisonings, ninety days of grain, one woman allowed to look at the bodies.
- ~105 min
- 22301 words
- 6 branch points
- 5 endings
- 3 plays
historicalmysterythrillerromancetragedyNorthern Song China, Kaifeng, winter 1126 to spring 1127
song dynastyhistorical mysterysiegeforensicslove trianglebetrayalfaminepolitical thrillertragedywomen's work
Content notice (8)
- detailed autopsy description
- poisoning deaths
- famine, starvation and one implied instance of survival cannibalism (offscreen)
- siege violence, graphic
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- coercive marriage law
- child endangerment (a son's fate, offscreen)
- torture referenced, not depicted
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
Eleven cabarets in four blocks, and one of them reopens.
- ~90 min
- 13175 words
- 5 branch points
- 5 endings
- 3 plays
historicaldramamusicromancetragedyArgentina, Buenos Aires, 1917
1910sbuenos airestangomusichistoricallove trianglequeer romanceclasspatronagetragedy
Content notice (7)
- knife violence, graphic
- sex work and coercion in the cabaret trade
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- queer relationship under legal and social threat
- police corruption
- poverty and debt
- grief
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
Four thousand three hundred glass negatives, and every sleeve in her own handwriting.
- ~90 min
- 17663 words
- 5 branch points
- 5 endings
- 3 plays
historicaldramaromancepolitical thrillertragedyOttoman Constantinople, Pera, 1896
ottoman empire1890sphotographyhistoricallove trianglequeer romancecensorshipsurveillancearchivetragedy
Content notice (7)
- ethnic persecution and mass violence (reported, one scene depicted at distance)
- state surveillance and arrests
- torture referenced
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- chemical hazard and one injury
- grief
- destruction of records
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
Eleven musicians, one biscuit tin, and fourteen minutes about the cement ships.
- ~90 min
- 16555 words
- 5 branch points
- 5 endings
- 3 plays
historicaldramamusicromancepolitical thrillerNigeria, Lagos, February to December 1976
1970slagosnigeriamusicpolitical thrillerlove trianglequeer romancecoupbetrayalafrobeat
Content notice (8)
- state violence, detention and executions
- political persecution and censorship
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- queer relationship under legal threat
- alcohol and cannabis use
- police brutality
- infidelity
- grief
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
He translates for the men who might shoot him by mistake.
- ~100 min
- 16447 words
- 5 branch points
- 5 endings
- 3 plays
historicalwardramaromancetragedyPacific War, Saipan, June to August 1944
world war twopacific theatrehistoricalmilitarylove trianglequeer romancemoral compromisetranslationtragedyjapanese american
Content notice (8)
- graphic combat violence and burn injuries
- mass civilian death including suicide (depicted at a distance, not instructional)
- racism against Japanese Americans, internment
- prisoner interrogation
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- suicide
- PTSD, dissociation
- alcohol use
If this is close to home: findahelpline.com lists free crisis lines by country.
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
Eighty seats, six nights a week, and a file in a policeman's own handwriting.
- ~100 min
- 16688 words
- 5 branch points
- 5 endings
- 3 plays
historicalnoirdramaromancetragedyWeimar Germany, Berlin-Neukölln, winter 1931 to summer 1932
weimarcabaretberlinaddictionpolitical thrillerlove triangle1930snoirtragedyclass struggle
Content notice (8)
- opioid addiction and withdrawal, non-instructional
- street violence and murder, graphic
- political extremism and fascist violence
- police surveillance and betrayal
- sex work referenced
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- suicide
- antisemitic and political persecution depicted through behaviour
If this is close to home: findahelpline.com lists free crisis lines by country.
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
The city has three months of water and four caliphs a year.
- ~95 min
- 20234 words
- 5 branch points
- 5 endings
- 3 plays
historicaldramaromancewartragedyAl-Andalus, Córdoba, 1013 CE during the fitna
al-andalusislamic golden agesiegehistoricallove triangleengineeringbetrayaloccupationtragedypoetry
Content notice (7)
- siege warfare, graphic violence
- massacre of civilians (offscreen and reported)
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- religious persecution
- torture referenced
- destruction of libraries and cultural property
- thirst and dehydration
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
She wrote the letters. Someone else got the woman.
- ~95 min
- 18739 words
- 6 branch points
- 5 endings
- 3 plays
historicalromancedramatragedyHeian Japan, autumn 1004 CE
heianhistorical romancelove trianglecourt intrigueletterstragedyjoseislow burnclasspoetry
Content notice (7)
- grief
- coerced marriage and concubinage
- class and gender subjugation
- suicide (offscreen, discussed)
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- violence (a beating, an execution ordered)
- infant mortality referenced
If this is close to home: findahelpline.com lists free crisis lines by country.
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
Rome eats because somebody signs for the missing grain.
- ~190 min
- 29117 words
- 15 branch points
- 7 endings
- 3 plays
historicaldramaromancecrimepolitical thrillertragedyOstia and Portus, Roman Italy, spring to autumn 62 CE
ancient romehistorical dramapolitical thrillerbisexual protagonistlove trianglefreedwomanport cityinstitutional corruptionslow burnclasscrimetragedy
Content notice (10)
- slavery and coerced labour
- institutional hunger and poverty
- financial exploitation and debt
- graphic fire injuries and death
- assault and custodial violence
- alcohol misuse
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- class and gender subjugation
- corpse recovery and drowning aftermath
- bigotry shown through behaviour; no slurs written out
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
In Naples, every ruined house is worth something to the wrong person.
- ~190 min
- 36467 words
- 14 branch points
- 7 endings
- 3 plays
historicalcrimeromancepolitical dramatragedyNaples, February to July 1982
naples1980shistorical dramacrimepolitical corruptionadult romancelove trianglefamily betrayalearthquake aftermathinstitutional rotslow burntragedy
Content notice (10)
- earthquake trauma and child deaths referenced
- building collapse and graphic injury
- organized crime and intimidation
- heroin addiction, overdose, and withdrawal
- domestic coercion
- institutional corruption
- arson and death
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- religious conflict
- forced displacement and witness exile
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
Her sentence belongs to the Crown. Her hours belong to a man.
- ~195 min
- 38388 words
- 10 branch points
- 7 endings
- 3 plays
historicalliterary dramaromancecrimetragedyVan Diemen's Land, August–December 1832
van diemens landhistorical dramaconvict assignmentbisexual protagonistlove trianglepenal labourinstitutional rotbushrangingcolonialismslow burnbetrayalliterary tragedy
Content notice (12)
- convict labour and enslavement-like coercion
- colonial dispossession of palawa people
- pregnancy under custodial coercion
- graphic corporal punishment where earned
- sexual coercion discussed
- imprisonment and solitary confinement
- bushranging and violent death
- institutional corruption
- pregnancy loss discussed
- alcohol dependence
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- no slurs written out
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
The famine has an account. Her name is at the bottom.
- ~190 min
- 33127 words
- 11 branch points
- 7 endings
- 2 plays
historicalliterary dramaromancepolitical tragedyMurshidabad and Kasimbazar, Bengal, February–September 1770
bengalhistorical dramafaminecolonialismbisexual protagonistlove triangleeconomic crimeweavinginstitutional rottragedyslow burnmoral choices
Content notice (12)
- famine and starvation
- mass death and corpses
- colonial and caste oppression
- debt bondage and seizure of livelihoods
- cholera-like epidemic illness
- smallpox referenced
- graphic violence where earned
- opium dependence
- fraud, hoarding, and institutional corruption
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- bereavement
- no slurs written out
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
The fish belongs to a dead man. The hunger belongs to everyone.
- ~190 min
- 29053 words
- 12 branch points
- 7 endings
- 3 plays
historicalromancedramapolitical thrillertragedyBergen, Norway, summer to Michaelmas 1427
historical dramamedieval NorwayHanseatic Leagueadult romancelove triangleeconomic intriguepiratesslow burnqueer romanceinstitutional rottragedystockfish
Content notice (10)
- famine and food deprivation
- widowhood and grief
- institutional misogyny and xenophobia
- coercive debt and threatened homelessness
- graphic fire injuries and violent death
- workplace assault and brutal apprentice initiation
- alcohol misuse
- sexual content implied, cuts away
- betrayal by a dependent and business partner
- no slurs written out; bigotry shown through behaviour and consequence
Placeholder in-game art · licensed music
The Tally Room
~200 min · 7 endings
The Second Shift
~198 min · 7 endings
The Cold Archive
~195 min · 7 endings
The Hollow Below
~195 min · 7 endings
The Rain Tithe
~195 min · 7 endings