During times of dynastic change, turmoil often spreads across the land. The protagonist you play is just one of many ordinary people who lost their parents and family in such an era. Taken in by distant relatives, you soon reach the age of the coming-of-age ceremony. Whether for the sake of a personal dream or to make a living, you become a constable… for the time being.

Long Knives is a low-fantasy wuxia and historical fiction text-based adventure (ADV) game featuring the following main gameplay elements:

Tabletop Role-Playing Game (TTRPG) System

The game’s narrative is primarily in the second person ("you") and supports character attribute customization. A highly interactive branching system and hidden data help create a personalized storytelling experience. The game also includes minor random number elements.

Although it is a text-based adventure without a combat system, the TTRPG mechanics are inspired by the D20 system. Instead of a 20-sided die, the game uses a traditional Chinese 18-sided die.

Notable Features:

• Character Attribute Customization: At the beginning of the game, players will choose the protagonist’s background before they become orphans. This background will determine the character’s base attributes. Throughout the game, players will have several opportunities to allocate additional points.

• Skill Proficiencies: Yup, we have skill proficiencies. Players must decide on their proficiencies before starting the game, and these will provide bonuses during checks.

• Attribute and Skill Checks: The game will periodically check the player’s attributes to determine the course of events. Some checks will be visible dice rolls, while others will be hidden. Checks may happen automatically or be presented as choices. If you are unsatisfied with a result, you can reload a save anytime.

Personalized Experience

As mentioned earlier, Long Knives creates a highly personalized storytelling experience through extensive interactive branches and hidden data. Here, what matters is not just the choices made by the protagonist but also the decisions made by you, the player.

Every time the protagonist speaks, you decide what they say. The protagonist will not speak on their own. The game records certain values based on your choices and subtly adjusts the story accordingly.

Of course, all data is stored locally on your device. The developers do not use your data for any purpose. For this reason, Long Knives does not currently support cloud saves.