A short, catchy word for a long-overdue genre: story-first games with little to no actual gameplay. Think Disco Elysium, Firewatch, SOMA, The Invincible, or Vampire: The Masquerade — Coteries of New York. These aren’t quite visual novels, nor are they walking sims, or interactive fiction. They’re instories — interactive stories with just enough game to click “next.”
Subgenres include:
— noir instory: Chain-smokes regret.
— horror instory: You are the flashlight.
— instory drama: Your only weapon is a sigh.
Subgenres include:
— noir instory: Chain-smokes regret.
— horror instory: You are the flashlight.
— instory drama: Your only weapon is a sigh.
“The devs behind Disco Elysium just dropped a new instory. You play as a trenchcoat looking for meaning. But first — a cigarette.”
“In the new instory from the SOMA team, you’re a microwave with uploaded consciousness trying to remember what humans taste like.”
“The creators of The Invincible made an instory where literally nothing happens. You don't even walk. It’s beautiful. It’s nothing. It’s beautifully nothing.”
“In the new instory from the SOMA team, you’re a microwave with uploaded consciousness trying to remember what humans taste like.”
“The creators of The Invincible made an instory where literally nothing happens. You don't even walk. It’s beautiful. It’s nothing. It’s beautifully nothing.”
by IgorVarn April 28, 2025
A short, catchy word for a long-overdue genre: story-first games with little to no actual gameplay. Think Disco Elysium, Firewatch, SOMA, The Invincible, or Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York. They’re instories — interactive stories with just enough game to click “next.”
Books are dying. People still love stories, but now they want to walk through them, talk to them, be them. That’s where instories come in.
Subgenres include:
— noir instory: Chain-smokes regret.
— horror instory: You are the flashlight.
— instory drama: Your only weapon is a sigh.
Books are dying. People still love stories, but now they want to walk through them, talk to them, be them. That’s where instories come in.
Subgenres include:
— noir instory: Chain-smokes regret.
— horror instory: You are the flashlight.
— instory drama: Your only weapon is a sigh.
“The devs behind Disco Elysium just dropped a new instory. You play as a trenchcoat looking for meaning. But first — a cigarette.”
“In the new instory from the SOMA team, you’re a microwave with uploaded consciousness trying to remember what humans taste like.”
“The creators of The Invincible made an instory where literally nothing happens. You don't even walk. It’s beautiful. It’s nothing. It’s beautifully nothing.”
“In the new instory from the SOMA team, you’re a microwave with uploaded consciousness trying to remember what humans taste like.”
“The creators of The Invincible made an instory where literally nothing happens. You don't even walk. It’s beautiful. It’s nothing. It’s beautifully nothing.”
by IgorVarn April 16, 2025
That best friend who helps you please your angry partner (read: writer's block) with a dose of empathy". Sits down and reads your content. Tells you what's gone wrong, and comes up with solutions that you can swear by. There you go, win your partner (read: content) back!
Also tells you if they've read your content somewhere else.
Also tells you if they've read your content somewhere else.
by Instoried November 24, 2021