GDC Twine Adventure

You land hard. REAL HARD. But after assessing your limbs, and discovering them intact (thank goodness) you struggle to your feet and head off into the night, to [[your left]] is a dark winding road, to [[your right]] you can hear the sounds of the waves. They sing eerily in the night. You have no clue what lies [[ahead]].

Once upon a time at GDC.... There was a [[video game]] that many developers decided to write together. It was somewhat incoherent, and had many dead ends. If you decide to play it, please feel free to make liberal use of the "back" button in the Twine interface, or the "Home" button to return to the beginning of the story. And have fun! Maybe!

The lock isnt attatched to anything and was sitting next the the key It does unlock with the corisponding key! which you have. I guess you can lock something or someone away

You find a tall table to stand around. Shortly, your friends The Wizard, The Knight and The Rogue join you, pints in hand. You recall your recent adventures and quench your thirst when a Knave bumps in to you, causing your beer to spill. [[Draw steel]] [[Ignore the slight and move on with your day]]

You quickly jump straight through the closed window. Shards of glass explode around you as you shoot through. You feel the sharp shards slice through the thin skin on your cheeks. The pain is soon forgotten as you quickly realize that the window was much higher up than expected. [[Aim for the bushes]]

Unfortunately, you get hit with a blue shell in real life and are taken to the hospital. The doctors say it will take years to recover and you won't be able to go to GDC until 24679. However, there is an experimental treatment that could save you. You just need to sell your soul to Santa and help him make toys every year. [[Accept the deal]] [[Refuse the deal]] [[Sell your soul to satan instead]]

after the party, you take the keys to go to the car. you start the car. then you see a mist. all the monster start appearing. [[ running away ]]

You peer over the edge of the window. You're several stories high, with the sight of concrete leaving you dizzy, as the thought of splatting against it flashes in your mind for a split second. The slight breeze now slaps across your face like a whip, as you realize the predicament you've found yourself in. Jumping out would be a bad idea. [[Step Away|push open the window.]]

You and your friends don't drink, it's dry janurary. Instead, you celebrate inside by playing some games with your friends. What kind of game do you play? [[Kart racer]] [[Party game]]

You miss the bush and hurt your butt. [[Get up and walk towards the road]]

Unfortunately, no GDC attendee wrote anything in this package. This is a Dead [[End]].

you got the bronze key from outside the window. [[Get the bronze lock]]

The gold key will get you and ten other criminals inside the GDC Vault. [[pull off a heist]] [[Tear the bear!]]

[[turn the key clock wise]] [[Tear the bear!]]

"wheeeeeeeeeee.", you yell. You notice that you're free falling to your harm, possible death. When suddenly a parachute explodes out of the back of your jacket. As you land, on the ground, [[you look around and see]]

The bear opens it's eyes creepily, you notice cameras behind them focusing upon you and a red light flashing. [[walk to the window.]] [[complain to management]] [[cover the bear]]

Well it's not much of a heist if you've got the key... None the less you and your companions quickly swipe the vault clean. Before you know it, you're off! What should you all do next? [[Grab a beer with your friends?]] [[We don't drink]]

[[jump out.]] [[Peer Over]]

You wake up in a cold sweat. It's the first day of GDC, and you forgot your entire schedule. Oh God. You're in a... hotel? I think? Something like that. I don't have a very clear view from over here. A complimentary teddy bear sits at a windowsill. In front of you are the window, a locked door, two keys, and a hydraulic press. The complimentary teddy bear eyes you with fear. [[walk to the window.|walk to window]] [[start talking about the roman empire]] [[Approach the Hydrolic Press]] [[You're actually in need of caffeine, brew a cup before anything else]] [[Approach the door|puzzle]] [[What is BRG?->whatisbrg]] [[What is ARG?->whatisarg]]

You contemplate where life has gotten you thus far. Have you lived a good life? A bad one? A mediocre one? Are you.... ok? No. You are not ok. You are suffering. Your life has been useless. You are worthless. Unless you find a gold key, your life has no meaning. BUT WAIT! WHAT'S THAT YOU FIND ON THE GROUND! A GOLD KEY? [[get the gold key.]]

[[enter the silver realm]]

The teddy bear stares back at you with complimentary eyes. Its back is pressed against the slightly ajar window. The two keys are next to the teddy bear. One is gold, the other is silver. Unfortunately, the door has a post-it on it that says, "I cannot open." [[poke the complimentary teddy bear.]] [[push open the window.]] [[get the gold key.]] [[get the silver key.]] [[get the bronze key.]] [[the door doesn't open sorry.]] [[Jump through the window]] [[Romance the Gold Key]] [[maximize the window]] [[Draw a little robot on the window]]

As you walk through the valley of the shadow of death you take a look arround and you see there's nothing left. [[Realize you've been spending most your lives living in a Gangster's paradise]] [[Realize that you are never gonna give yourself up or let yourself down]] [[move to ablequerque]]

You will feel reliefed because you get on ground unharmed. [[Keep walking toward guy you see in front of you]]

And you find a nice girl walking through the park, you fall instantly in love, but she is taking the bus, how can you reach her? Oh, she left her coat in the station.

[[You ignore that guy and trying to keep walking]]

This is the end point of the game. Well, AN ending. Maybe you died, or maybe you retired rich, or maybe the story path you were on just petered out. That's the nature of a game that was collaboratively authored by dozens of developers in a three-day period without any concern for coherence, continuity or, let's be frank, quality. There are other endings, of course, but they're mostly dead ends, places where an author left a thread and nobody else picked it up. Maybe you could download this file and begin editing yourself? These orphan story routes are just waiting for you to adopt them and make them real. Or, you could always just [[start over->GDC Twine Adventure]]. Whatever you decide, thank you for playing!

You attempt to call management, but as it turns out, the phone you're holding is just... the teddy bear. Your complaints are sadly, unheard. [[Rip open the bear]] [[walk to the window.]]

You cover the bear, its creepy eyes removed from your morning... Now what? [[starting the adventure]] [[complain to management]] [[hug the bear]]

The Gold Key looks at you aghast. "I can see you have an appreciation for the finer things in life" A shimmer races across the full-toothed smile as a husky voice emanates from Mr. Key. "Would you like to join me on an adventure?" [[Continue.->End]]

You sprout extra legs and skitter so fast the mosters cannot catch you. BUT Now you are also monstrous. What does being a monster mean? What does being a human mean? How do we [[keep going?]]

Unfortunately, no GDC attendee wrote anything in this package. This is a Dead [[End]].

The sudden urge strikes you. There's something you need to discuss. The Roman Empire. It definitely rose and very assuredly fell. [[Be an empath and mourn it.]] [[If the Roman Empire had held on for just a few more years, they would have invented the steam engine!]] [[Actually you had a sudden urge to moreso speak on Wizardry]] [[You just give up because you have no real knowledge about the Roman Empire]]

you've been meaning to checkout this tabletop rpg anyways. time to spend 60 bucks on the ruleset [[open up google chrome on your phone]] sword replaced with card board copy. -100 strength

Unfortunately, no GDC attendee wrote anything in this package. This is a Dead [[End]].

You go to the website to buy the TTRPG. https://shop.mcdmproductions.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopTA_zc7UxtZfEptnOeBCgyMylGZaaT7bDSufhbASIVPBQacPfR [[roll for initative]]

You fell out the window [[End]]

You'll need something sharp to rip open the bear. [[get the gold key.]] [[get the silver key]] [[walk to the window.]]

You open up the bear with your key... what do you find inside? [[Another, smaller bear?]] [[ A phone?]]

The small bear looks at you with sad little bear eyes. [[I can't tear this!|walk to the window.]] [[Let 'er rip!|tear the bear 2]]

You find a small brick phone inside the bear. As soon as you pick up the phone, a sense a dread washes over you. A collection of whispers can be heard from the phone but you are unable to really hone in on anything specific until you accidentally hit the "1" key. "Do it." "Do it." "Do it." "Call me and I will rid you of your troubles." The raspy voice demands of you. You feel like you have no choice. You truly have no choice anymore now that you have unleashed his wrath. [[Call Satan|Sell your soul to satan instead]]

You drew a tiny red robot on the window with a marker. The robot stays on the window and wave back towards you. [[walk to the window.]]

As you hold the silver key in your hand a sorching sensation makes you [[drop the key]].

Your attempt does not succeed, he continues to approach. You can't possibly ignore him. [[Get into a battle stance.]] [[Get into a swan stance.]] [[Get into a disco stance.]]

The cold brutal steel of the hydrol press contrasts the luxury and confort of what you believe is a hotel room. It screeches in infront of you, a lever stares as you begging to pulled... [[Pull the Lever]] [[Place the Items on the Hydrolic Press]]

The lever is covered in a thin layer of fruit-smelling jelly. You grab it and your hand is immediately stuck in place. The lever, and your hand, are stuck. [[Pull harder]] [[Give up]]

The machine screeches as it crunches the space between its plates.

Sadness fills you. What an inspiring and tragic story. You remember once when you fell. You were four, and it hurt quite a bit. It must hurt a lot more when you're a civilization with years of history behind you. [[In this moment, it is your Roman Empire.]]

From somewhere deep within you, an angelic choir resonates, rapidly growing in volume. The sensation is painless, but is approaching the point where (you believe) hearing loss may ensue. [[Attempt to silence the choir]] [[Let it resound!]]

As you ponder ther absurdity of the thought-- to never let yourself down is to never have unmet expectations of yourself, you consider thr framing of the ever iconic music video. In the background is a panoramic stained glass window, layered on top of color after color. Distantly, it feels familliar. Perhaps it was a movie you recently saw that stirred up the memory? Oerhaps.. But for now, youresign yourself to the humble, and impossible mission and move forward. [[move to ablequerque]] [[Realize you've been spending most your lives living in a Gangster's paradise]]

[[Eat a sandwich]][[Perform the ritual]][[East]]

You attempt to copy a battle-esque stance from your favorite anime, mustering all the courage you have. Maybe your shaky gaze or trembling hands betray you, however, because the guy continues his approach. [[hold the pose]] [[run away]] [[run towards the guy]]

Unfortunately, no GDC attendee wrote anything in this package. This is a Dead [[End]].

[[Disco|Disco like no one's watching]]

The ground... approaching far more aggresively then you had planned. A sudden rush of adrenaline unlocks your secret powers. You have a [[Quirk]]. What is it? How does it work? You are about to find out.

Your scalp begins to tingle and you feel your hair stand on end. You get that feeling -- you know this feeling -- even though you're pretty sure this has never happened to you before. You reach into your pockets with confidence, knowing full well that you'll find exactly what you need. Your power? Well, I guess you could say it's precognativeautoawareness. You don't KNOW what's going to happen, but you know what you need to do to prepare. That's why you pull out a... [[A wet towelette]] [[A gold key.|get the gold key.]] [[A... Niffler]]

You dedicate a soul-less existance towards manual labor, ending each and every day with splinter covered hands and paint-stained clothing. Luckily, you are not alone in this matter, at your side at every turn is a young elven trainee by the name of Ash. [[Befriend Ash]] [[Frame Ash for poor workmenship]] [[Convince Ash to fight back against the workshop]]

Unfortunately, no GDC attendee wrote anything in this package. This is a Dead [[End]].

"The Devil raises an eyebrow, angry at the narrator narrating all their." "STOP TALKING!!!" You are now free. [[End]]

You disco like no one is watching. You boogie woogie woogie, you hook and tackle, and you shopping cart the night away. Once filled with the light of a thousand disco balls, you finally pause and feel your body return to reality. The guy has stopped and is staring at you. Is that wonder you see on their face? Is it awe? Is it indigestion? [[Hold it in]] [[Bowel movement]]

Unfortunately, no GDC attendee wrote anything in this package. This is a Dead [[End]].

But when you drop the key, it falls into a lock beneath you and opens a door and a wizard comes out [[Talk to the wizard]] [[Punch the wizard in the face]]

You approach the hotel coffee pot. Your choices are many, which is wonderful for you. [[Dark Roast]] [[Also Dark Roast ->Dark Roast]]

The coffee is wonderful, as expected. [[Bowel movement]] [[Hold it in]]

Now that you're sufficiently caffeinated, continue. [[starting the adventure]]

Bad idea. [[Bowel movement]] [[Press your luck]]

A bold move. Perhaps something bold to follow [[A wet towelette]] [[Demand that the wizard get his life together.]] [[keep going?]]

It hurts very much, but your hand comes loose. Well, the lever comes loose, but your hand is attached to it, so this is an improvement. You decide you want to talk about the Roman Empire instead [[start talking about the roman empire]] you decide you want to jump through a window [[walk to the window.]]

This is your home now. [[End]] But wait you decide you want to go to the hydraulic press [[Approach the Hydrolic Press]]

Catherine was here [[Continue.->End]]

<div class="iftf"><a href="https://www.iftechfoundation.org/" alt="Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation" title="Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation"><img src="images/iftf.svg"></a></div><div class="banner"><img src="images/GDC_728x90.gif" width="400px" title="GDC Festival of Gaming by Informa" alt="GDC Festival of Gaming by Informa"></div><div class="twinelogo"><a href="https://www.twinery.org/" alt="Twine" title="Twine"><img src="images/twine.png"></a></div><div class="header"><img src="images/GDC.png" width="400px" title="GDC Festival of Gaming by Informa" alt="GDC Festival of Gaming by Informa"> <span class="title">IFTF x GDC<small> Festival of Gaming</small> Twine Adventure</span> [[Help]] ✦ [[Credits]] ✦ [[Home|Start]]</div>

You must now decide how to begin your conversation with Ash. Do you: [[Shake their hand]] [[Curtsy]] [[Fart and run away, but then come back once the smell is gone]]

Unfortunately, no GDC attendee wrote anything in this package. This is a Dead [[End]].

The //<a href="https://twinery.org/reference/en/">Twine Reference</a>// is a guide to the Twine user interface. If you're new to Twine, <a href="https://twinery.org/reference/en/">start here</a>. Once you're familiar with Twine, you should learn more about the ''story format'' you're using. Story formats are like game engines, and determine the features you'll have access to and the way you'll write code. The online version of the //<a href="https://twinery.org/reference/en/">Twine Cookbook</a>// has advice on how to choose a story format and easy-to-follow examples of how to accomplish common tasks with each of Twine's built-in formats. A print edition of the //Twine Cookbook// is also available for purchase online, which is one way to help <a href="https://iftechfoundation.org/give/">support the IFTF</a>. Twine publishes ''directly to HTML'', so you can post your work nearly anywhere. Anything you create with it is completely free to use any way you like, including for commercial purposes. You can use inline links or format them as lists or buttons, [[whatever|Help]] suits your game. Links you have already visited will appear different after clicking on them. <center>[[Start]]</center>

<center><img src="images/GDC_300x50.gif" width="400px" title="GDC Festival of Gaming by Informa" alt="GDC Festival of Gaming by Informa"></center> <a href="twinery.org">Twine</a> is created and maintained by: * Chris Klimas. Twine is a registered trademark of the <a href="https://iftechfoundation.org/">Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation</a>. In 2026, the IFTF ''partnered'' with ''Informa'' and ''GDC Festival of Gaming'' to bring you this game. ''Special thanks'' to the 2026 IFTF booth ''staff and volunteers'': * Andrew "Zarf" Plotkin * Alice Camp * Colette Zinna * Dan Fabulich * G.C. "Grim" Baccaris * Justin Bortnick * Mar Ferreri The ''IFTF Twine Committee'' members are: * Chris Klimas (chair) * Chapel * David "Greyelf" Tarrant * G. C. "Grim" Baccaris * Leon Arnott * litrouke * M. C. DeMarco * Thomas Michael Edwards The GDC Festival of Gaming Twine Adventure stylesheet is by: * G.C. "Grim" Baccaris The GDC Festival of Gaming Twine Adventure was edited by: * Justin Bortnick <center>''Thank you'' for playing, and thanks for having us, ''GDC!''</center> Contributors to the GDC Festival of Gaming Twine Adventure 3/9 to 3/13: (display:"Contributors")

Welcome to the interactive ''GDC Festival of Gaming Twine Adventure''! In 2026, the ''Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation'' (IFTF) partnered with ''Informa'' and ''GDC Festival of Gaming'' to create a brand new activity for that year's conference. While attendees enjoyed the festival, they also got some hands-on experience with ''Twine'': a ''free'', open-source tool for telling interactive, nonlinear stories. You don't need to write any code to create a simple story with Twine, but you can extend your stories with variables, conditional logic, images, CSS, and JavaScript when you're ready. During the GDC activity, attendees edited ''passages'' in the Story Map using the Twine desktop application on an "''editing''" computer at one table, while on a second screen, they could play the "''testing''" build. Each person who visited the IFTF booth could ''add a passage'' to this game. What you are playing now is the is the ''Final Build''!! Each person who visited the IFTF booth could ''add a passage'' to this game. If you hit a ''dead end'', use the ''back'' arrow or return to the very beginning by clicking the ''Home'' button at the top of the screen. <center>[[Get started!|GDC Twine Adventure]] ✦ [[Learn More|Help]]</center>

The followering developers contributed writing to the GDC Twine Adventure. They are credited in order of submission, with an affiliated company or institution if they indicated one. * Justin Bortnick - Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation, Allfather Productions * Jordan Wexler - ATVI * Jane Tilly - EVIL EVIL * Gladeline (Gladel) Rufo * Zarf * Anirudh * Jake Anderson - Gamma Law, PC * Dan Fabulich * Stan * Melpy - wolverinesoft * Amara Eden Doshi * Jaynie Leavins - Girls Make Games * Charles Greenberg - Berklee School of Music * Blythe - University of California, Santa Cruz * Daniel Bratsberg - Blue Bichon Game Studio * Jason Rangel-Martinez - University of California, Santa Cruz * Gavinsta * Lex Robots * Sarah Winans * Nik Pantis - Riot Games & IGDA Foundation * Jusu * Dallas Rae Lillie - IGDA Foundation * Inflexi0n - Benevolent Creative Technologies * Julio - siaca creator studio design * Hexe * Mart * Alex Ferbrache * valorzard * kory - Video Game History Foundation * Anik Panja - USC Games * Thomas Zhu - Ringling College of Art and Design * Seff Zeng - OctaNOVA Studio * Jacob - Loyola Marymount University * Carter X. Gwertzman - USC Games * Lea Sioson * Thomas Revord * Stephen McGregor * Benjamin 'AbbaJudah' Walker - Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center, Homewood Children's Village, Walker Learning Group * Richard Stanley - Meridian Studios * Zero Boemker - Nerd Louisville and Whodunnit * Genhack * Stef - Schell Games * Ben Reeves * Leo * Vinit - Gumbo, NovyJump * James Marion * Yi Xie * qst0 - AngryBread // msnyng.com * Daniel Hudson-Fuentes * Evan Ashby - Utah Valley University * Talie Marks * JT Alex - Steam developer * Lauren "Prophet" Girod * Jas Sanghani * Vicente Morales - Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management * Maki * Jackson miller - IGDA Game Writing Special Interest Group * Alice Camp - Microfun * johnee - Glitch City * Ehsan Razfar - Azar Studio * Trish * Samah Damanhoori - Blendbound.co * Tristan * RN Sandhu - University of California, Davis * Raven Ruiz * Oorja Chowdhary * Chris Wiley - Wiley Fox Studios * Brian Kelly * EbethO * Jonathan Chen - SJSURF * CK - * Drew Smith - The Nameless Corporation * Andrew C - City College of San Francisco

Unfortunately, no GDC attendee wrote anything in this package. This is a Dead [[End]].

A bit meta isn't it? Not Meta as in the company of course. No - we're a bit beyond the aspects of the Game Developer's Conference in Moscone. Inevitably we are doomed to suffer from our own success in ways that we cannot begin to comprehend. The folley of man, Artificial Intelligence, and the forces upon which we have not begun to understand. Truly we are an oroborous of the mind, an animal pacing within its own enclosure. Anomolous in all aspects, focused on hurtling towards nothingness and everything at the same time. But as the [[end|End]] exists, so does the beginning.

Is this your idea of some kind of sick joke? Ash doesn't have any hands. What the hell is wrong with you, man?

Ash is repulsed by your old-fashioned stylings and kills you instantly. [[End]]

You return to find that Ash began to suffocate in your noxious cloud of gas and died. Sad! [[Continue.->End]]

You attempt to converse with the wizard, but he is so heavily inebriated you cannot understand a word he says in response. [[Punch the wizard in the face.->Punch the wizard in the face]] [[Rip an enormous fart.]] [[Demand that the wizard get his life together.]]

He starts screaming and crying on the ground. [[feel bad and say sorry]] [[point and laugh]]

Sorry.

No they wouldn't. Due to a wide variety of factors, the Roman Empire would likely never have gotten to the point of realizing their own industrial revolution. It's a cool idea, though! [[Spoilsport.]]

It doesn't matter how sorry you are. The wizard's face has been reduced to an unrecognizable pulp from your brutal iron fist. They won't even be able to use dental records to identify him. His wizard wives are going to be so sad that you did this. [[Put him out of his misery and mercy kill him.]] [[Leave him to slowly bleed out of the crater you left in his skull.]]

You point and laugh but you can't hear yourself over the sound of the wizard's agonized screams. He is dying. What do you do? [[Put him out of his misery and mercy kill him.]] [[Leave him to slowly bleed out of the crater you left in his skull.]]

Unfortunately, no GDC attendee wrote anything in this package. This is a Dead [[End]].

The wizard takes one good sniff of your malodorous effluvium and begins having a seizure. [[Put him out of his misery and mercy kill him.]] [[Leave him to suffocate on your fetid fumes.]] [[Tell him to pull himself up by his bootstraps and get his life together.->Demand that the wizard get his life together.]]

Unfortunately, no GDC attendee wrote anything in this package. This is a Dead [[End]].

[[starting the adventure]]

To find the new answer to the puzzle, look for the light beneath the locked heart. [[Jump as high as you can|Untitled Passage 2]] then open the new door infront of you.

Unfortunately, no GDC attendee wrote anything in this package. This is a Dead [[End]].

(text-rotate-x:13)+(text-rotate-y:14)[= The sandwich is unremarkable in every way. The meats are bland, the cheese is moist, but flavorless, the vegetables could be better used as a projectile for a medieval puppet show. As you take your second bite, you feel your body dissolving into the (text-colour:white)+(bg:(gradient: 0, 0.2108,#ffffff,0.7035,#000000,1,#ffffff))[grey of the universe...] [[get the silver key.]] [[it was radioactive, -25hp per second|Rip an enormous fart.]]

[[Talk to the wizard]]

[[Give up]]

(enchant:?passage,(b4r:"double")+(b4r-colour:white))(enchant:?page,(text-colour:green)+(bg:magenta))You raise your hands up in the air and chant esoteric words as they come to you from somewhere in the deep recesses of your mind. As you lower you hands a small key appears in your hands. [[get the gold key.]] [[sacrifice your companion]]

[[ A phone?]]

An ARG is an Alternate Reality Game. [[What is BRG?->whatisbrg]]

Amid the white tufts of tiny bear innards is a shiny gold ribbon! Unrolling it reveals a [[message->gold ribbon]].

''Bold Text''(text-colour:red)+(bg:yellow)[I KILL TINY HELPLESS BEARS] [[affix it to you GDC badge->affix ribbon]] [[throw it away->throw away ribbon]]

A ribbon's a ribbon! It lives under your [[brg|whatisbrg]] qr code, now. [[<|walk to the window.]]

You throw it in the trash, but the shame lives on in your heart. And it will forever. [[<|walk to the window.]]

the bear mauls you but in a friendly way [[Hug the bear back]]

you and the bvear feel better about everything [[ask the bear to be your friend]]

the bear agrees and you all walk through the forest and hang out

You've sacrificed Archie. Oh no. But on the plus side, you've acquired a pretty cool new teacup. Its filled with a strange yellow liquid. Hmmmmm. [[Suddenly feel remorse for killing of Archie, so you use the strange yellow liquid to revive him.]]

Unfortunately, no GDC attendee wrote anything in this package. This is a Dead [[End]].

A small magical creature that loves stealing shiny objects.

Unfortunately, no GDC attendee wrote anything in this package. This is a Dead [[End]].

The window is open just a crack. A cold breeze streams through. Far below there is a clatter in the alley. A voice cries out for help. [[Look down into alley]] [[Lift the window open]] [[Close the curtains]]