Zorlok

Zorlok is an interactive fiction game following the bizarre misadventures of a demon with no memories and the nerdy high schooler they're bound to serve. Uncover mysteries and cause mayhem in this dark comedy about monsters, found family, personal identity, and the line between good and evil.

The setting and story are inspired by campy horror movies, classic murder mysteries, and an old Monster of the Week campaign. The first demo release was on May 13th, 2022. The next release is scheduled for July 1st, 2022.

Warning: Zorlok is rated 17+ for swearing, alcohol and drug use, sexually suggestive content, violence, self-harm, discussions about religion and mental health, and death. 

You were a terrifying demon who wielded hellfire, fought angels, and corrupted souls (or something like that). Unfortunately, that version of you vanished the night you made your deal with Tommy, a nerdy high schooler who was willing to sell you his soul if you'd help him become "cool."

That should have been easy. You could've sat the kid in front of a box fan for a few minutes, let him cool down, collected his soul, and been on your merry way. But, no! Before you even got a chance to introduce yourself, Tommy told you to forget your past and start going by the name Zorlok.

So, now you're "Zorlok" and you have no idea who or what the Hell you really are. You know you're a demon, but that's it. You don't know why or how you became a demon, how to control your powers, you aren't even sure how these deals are supposed to work. (Like you tried the fan thing and nothing happened, so either that loophole doesn't work or there's some other trick to stealing souls you haven't quite figured out yet.)

But what does it mean to be a demon? With your memories and identity stripped away, where does that leave you? You are a demon, but are you still demonic?

And just in case things weren't complicated enough, you've gotten yourself involved with a group of monster hunters working for the local Fay Council. To make a long story short, you saved someone being attacked by a monster, that person was a hunter, now you're on a team with this hunter and another random human, and the three of you are supposed to protect the city of Casper from vicious predators, investigate strange deaths, and fight off evil. Whatever. You're just happy to get a break from doing Tommy's math homework.

- Decide who you're going to be now or attempt to discover who you were

• Fully customize your gender and pronouns
• Choose an alias (or use several of them)
• Design your human disguise and gradually unlock your more demonic appearance
• Name your loyal hellhound and select what animal they're disguised as
• Watch your own alignment shift and Tommy's personality change as a result of your actions
• Continue to rail against your situation or decide that maybe this isn't so bad

- Learn to control your infernal powers and choose the three domains at your command: Fire or Ice, Sight or Spirit, Corrupting or Shifting

- Tell elaborate lies or risk revealing dangerous truths

- Help Tommy survive high school (or sabotage him at every turn)

- Explore Casper, WA, a strange little city either surrounded by or inhabited by monsters (depending on who you ask)

- Set everything on fire... accidentally...

Tommy Osorio

The 15 year-old who trapped you in this pact and forced you to forget your past. You'll get his soul in exchange for helping him become "cool," but, after learning what "cool" means in this context, you're starting to wonder if that's an impossible task. To read more about Tommy click here.

Dev Vaghela

The charismatic leader of your monster hunting trio, Dev used to be a career criminal but since returning to the small town xe grew up in, xe has apparently turned over a new leaf. It's not xyr fault if trouble follows xem everywhere. Right? For more on Dev click here.

RO + Gender Selectable: nonbinary (xe/xem), cis female (she/her), cis male (he/him) E.J.

Dev's childhood friend, your new roommate, and a reluctant member of your monster hunting team. EJ was living a completely ordinary life, unaware of magic's existence, until you showed up at their door. However, unexplained, arcane phenomena have plagued EJ for decades. For more on EJ click here.

RO + Gender Selectable: nonbinary (they/them), cis female (she/her), or cis male (he/him) Adam / Eve Park

A talented detective dedicated to protecting people from harm. Like most citizens of Casper, Park isn't aware of the supernatural world but they have their suspicions and believe their former friend turned bitter rival, Dev, is involved with these recent mysteries. For more on A/E  click here.

RO + Gender Selectable: trans male (he/him) or trans female (she/her) Lucía Reyes

A member of a rival monster-hunting team, Lucía is a park ranger, an impressive feat given that the state park which borders Casper is "infested" with monsters. Something keeps drawing Lucía back to the forest, but you can't tell if she's looking for something or hiding from someone. For more on Lucía click here.

RO: cis female (she/her or they/them), lesbian Ciel Renault

Another member of the rival monster-hunting team, Ciel is an enigma—an acerbic, reticent, goth enigma to be exact. At first glance, they appear human but you quickly notice their pointed ears, yellow eyes, and short fangs. You aren't sure exactly what Ciel is, but you're 96% sure they're not human. For more on Ciel click here.

RO + Gender Customizable: nonbinary (she/they) or nonbinary (he/they) Danny

A shadow of their former self by the time you properly meet them, Danny becomes your steadfast companion—whether they wish to be or not. For more on Danny click here.

RO + Gender Selectable: nonbinary (any), cis female (she/her), cis male (he/him) The Celestial

A trickster who's known you for most of eternity. The Celestial's objective is unknown to you, but ey seems to support you, despite being a "fallen angel." For more on the Celestial click here.

RO: omnigender (ey/em) Oren Rose

A single father constantly striving to make the world a better place. Despite everything he's been through, he's a caring, light-hearted, goofy optimist, never without a smile on his face. For more on Rose click here.

RO: cis male (he/him), gay [redacted]

You don't who they are, you don't know where they are, you don't know what they are. All you know is that they're watching. Waiting. Who knows what for?

RO: unknown BLOG | AUTHOR | CONTACT | KO-FI | PLAYLIST | PINTEREST

Special thanks to the Zorlok beta readers: Keys, Lore, Manon, Monday, wywrds