Good news, Mac fans! The Novelist has been updated into a 64-bit app; this means it will be playable in macOS Mojave, the next update to macOS coming this month. Mojave will be dropping support for 32-bit apps, meaning they'll no longer be playable at all. Your game should auto-update the next time you log in or check for updates. This is the only update in this new version; everything else should remain the same, and your save files will remain intact. Thanks, as always, to the players who have loved and supported the game over the years. Here's to many more years of Novelist playthroughs on Mac!

We've just added the original score for The Novelist as DLC! You can find it here for just $4.99 USD. The original score features 14 tracks of beautiful, haunting ambient piano music. While the game generates its soundtrack in realtime, the downloadable score contains compositions that were recorded and curated for offline listening. We hope you enjoy it!

We've just added the original score for The Novelist as DLC! You can find it here for just $4.99 USD. The original score features 14 tracks of beautiful, haunting ambient piano music. While the game generates its soundtrack in realtime, the downloadable score contains compositions that were recorded and curated for offline listening. We hope you enjoy it!

We're very excited to announce The Novelist version 1.13, which is a stability and longevity update that also improves the save game system and adds Steam Cloud support. Here's the list of changes:

• The Novelist has been updated to Unity 4.7.2, the final build of the Unity 4.x branch. This brings stability, performance, and compatibility improvements that will extend the life of the game.
• The game now uses a unified file format for saved games across all platforms, instead of using platform-specific systems like the Windows Registry and macOS .plist files. This makes it much easier to debug issues and move savegame files between computers. Existing saves will be converted to the new format the next time the game is launched; game progress will not be lost.
• The Novelist now supports Steam Cloud for syncing save games. Note: Steam Cloud requires the new save game format to function, so you must launch the game once to convert your save to the new format before Steam Cloud can sync your save.
• Fixed a bug where toggling fullscreen would sometimes not keep the current resolution.
• Characters now save and restore the clothes they're wearing.
• The Unity resolution picker can now be brought up by holding Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) when the game is launched. This is helpful if you encounter issues with window placement or resolution.

We're very excited to announce The Novelist version 1.13, which is a stability and longevity update that also improves the save game system and adds Steam Cloud support. Here's the list of changes:

• The Novelist has been updated to Unity 4.7.2, the final build of the Unity 4.x branch. This brings stability, performance, and compatibility improvements that will extend the life of the game.
• The game now uses a unified file format for saved games across all platforms, instead of using platform-specific systems like the Windows Registry and macOS .plist files. This makes it much easier to debug issues and move savegame files between computers. Existing saves will be converted to the new format the next time the game is launched; game progress will not be lost.
• The Novelist now supports Steam Cloud for syncing save games. Note: Steam Cloud requires the new save game format to function, so you must launch the game once to convert your save to the new format before Steam Cloud can sync your save.
• Fixed a bug where toggling fullscreen would sometimes not keep the current resolution.
• Characters now save and restore the clothes they're wearing.
• The Unity resolution picker can now be brought up by holding Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) when the game is launched. This is helpful if you encounter issues with window placement or resolution.

Hey, everyone, we're very excited to announce The Orthogonal Games Bundle! It packages Near Death with The Novelist for a $5 discount, and if you already own one of the games you still get a discount on the other one. So spread the world and tell your friends. Thanks!

Hey, everyone, we're very excited to announce The Orthogonal Games Bundle! It packages Near Death with The Novelist for a $5 discount, and if you already own one of the games you still get a discount on the other one. So spread the world and tell your friends. Thanks!

Hey, everyone, just a quick note to let you know that the Humble Store is doing its Spring Sale for the next two weeks. The Novelist is on sale there for a cool $5.09, and it comes with a Steam key so it's a great way to pick the game up for your Steam library. If you've already got it, tell your friends or gift it to them. :) Have a good weekend!

Hey, everyone, just a quick note to let you know that the Humble Store is doing its Spring Sale for the next two weeks. The Novelist is on sale there for a cool $5.09, and it comes with a Steam key so it's a great way to pick the game up for your Steam library. If you've already got it, tell your friends or gift it to them. :) Have a good weekend!

Players have been requesting this for quite some time, so I’m very excited to announce that trading cards have been added to The Novelist! There are 6 cards, 3 profile backgrounds, 6 emoticons, and of course 6 badge levels. It was really fun revisiting the game after a long time away from working on it, and while I’m not sure achievements will ever be the right fit (they might clash with the story content), I think trading cards are a nice addition to the experience. To celebrate the new feature, I’m also putting the game on sale for 40% off ($8.99). So if you’re looking for some new cards to gather and trade, fire the game up and start collecting!

Players have been requesting this for quite some time, so Im very excited to announce that trading cards have been added to The Novelist! There are 6 cards, 3 profile backgrounds, 6 emoticons, and of course 6 badge levels. It was really fun revisiting the game after a long time away from working on it, and while Im not sure achievements will ever be the right fit (they might clash with the story content), I think trading cards are a nice addition to the experience. To celebrate the new feature, Im also putting the game on sale for 40% off ($8.99). So if youre looking for some new cards to gather and trade, fire the game up and start collecting!

Hey, everyone! The game is on sale at 70% off as part of the Steam Halloween Sale, and to celebrate I wrote a new blog post over on the game's site. The Novelist is full of references to old horror movies, so I created a guide that lists all of the specific references, complete with fun movie clips from the horror flicks. I think it's a pretty fun read ... check it out here!

Hey, everyone! The game is on sale at 70% off as part of the Steam Halloween Sale, and to celebrate I wrote a new blog post over on the game's site. The Novelist is full of references to old horror movies, so I created a guide that lists all of the specific references, complete with fun movie clips from the horror flicks. I think it's a pretty fun read ... check it out here!

Hey everyone, I just wanted to make a quick post letting you know that The Novelist is on sale for $5.99 over at the Humble Store. You can also pick it up directly at the game's website. Each purchase comes with a Steam key, so it's a good way to support the game, support charity, and still add the game to your Steam library. Spread the word!

Hey everyone, I just wanted to make a quick post letting you know that The Novelist is on sale for $5.99 over at the Humble Store. You can also pick it up directly at the game's website. Each purchase comes with a Steam key, so it's a good way to support the game, support charity, and still add the game to your Steam library. Spread the word!

Hey, everyone, I wanted to quickly let you know the game is part of the Humble Spring Sale here. I didn't know that the Humble Spring Sale was coming when I put the game on a Weeklong Deal here last month, and unfortunately there is a two-month waiting period for sales here on Steam. This means that I'm prevented from reflecting the same 50% discount here on Steam. :-/ That said, Humble sales do come with a Steam key, so you can buy it there and then activate your game on Steam via your Humble account. Sorry for the confusion, but I hope you enjoy the deal!

Hey, everyone, I wanted to quickly let you know the game is part of the Humble Spring Sale here. I didn't know that the Humble Spring Sale was coming when I put the game on a Weeklong Deal here last month, and unfortunately there is a two-month waiting period for sales here on Steam. This means that I'm prevented from reflecting the same 50% discount here on Steam. :-/ That said, Humble sales do come with a Steam key, so you can buy it there and then activate your game on Steam via your Humble account. Sorry for the confusion, but I hope you enjoy the deal!

Hey everyone, just a quick note to let you know that the game is 50% off this week as part of Steam's Weeklong Deals. There's also a new patch to the game with two important changes. You can read more about everything here.

Hey everyone, just a quick note to let you know that the game is 50% off this week as part of Steam's Weeklong Deals. There's also a new patch to the game with two important changes. You can read more about everything here.

Today's Deal: Save up to 85% on select games!
Offer ends Sunday at 10AM Pacific Time.

Hey everyone, I know it's been a while since I've posted but today's a big day for The Novelist! First off, the game is currently on sale for 40% off to celebrate Valentine's Day. The sale will run from today, February 14th, at 10am PST until Sunday February 16th at 10am PST, so take advantage of the discount this weekend and tell your friends to do the same! But the sale isn't the only news; today there's also a big update to the game that adds two features players have been asking for: customizable controls and a Linux version. There are also a number of bug fixes in the build. Here are the full patch notes: Major Changes

• Added Linux support
• Added customizable controls
• Upgraded to Unity 4.3, which brings performance and memory improvements

• Improved rendering of thoughts above character heads to reduce popping
• Added animation to the loading screen
• Disabled the ability to flicker lights during sleeping sequences
• Improved audio handling of character interactions
• Fixed a bug where menu option descriptions would incorrectly show
• Fixed a bug where resolutions below 800x600 could be selected
• Fixed a bug where “The Story So Far” text would be misaligned on Retina displays
• Fixed a rare bug where players would not be able to view objectives if they quit during a specific point in the intro
• Fixed a bug where some UI elements would scale incorrectly in high resolutions
• Fixed a typo in the objective screen
• Fixed a black outline on the loading screen in some resolutions
• Fixed a bad lighting seam in the art studio
• Fixed a typo in a playtester’s name (sorry, Aaron!)

Whoa! The Novelist was nominated for the Outstanding Achievement in Story award at the 17th annual DICE Awards! It’s going up against 4 big-budget AAA games: Beyond: Two Souls BioShock Infinite The Last of Us Tomb Raider Needless to say, I’m truly honored that my game is being considered alongside such successful mainstream titles. It’s crazy to think that this weird little thing I made in my apartment will be on the big screen at an awards show. What’s more encouraging, though, is seeing such strong representation from indie games at this year’s show (you can see the full list of nominees here). Going back just a few years the awards were dominated by mainstream AAA games, with nary an indie title in sight. It’s fantastic to see that the crazy amount of quality and innovation in the indie space is being recognized by larger organizations (the Downloadable Game of the Year and Outstanding Gaming Innovation categories are a murderer’s row of incredible ideas and execution). Again, I’m honored that The Novelist is part of the discussion. As for what’s next, I’ve made great progress on updating the game to Unity 4.3. I’ve fixed all the stuff that broke during the upgrade, and next week I’ll dive into adding customizable controls and pushing out some text builds on Linux. As always, stay tuned, and thanks once more to everyone who’s supported the game!

Hi, everyone, I wanted to make a quick announcement to let you know that I just uploaded a bugfix patch, bringing the game to version 1.01. You can read about the fixes, as well as what's coming in 2014, here.

Hey, everyone, thanks so much for checking out the game and sharing your thoughts on the forums! I just wanted to share a quick blog post I made over at the official site.

The Novelist is Now Available on Steam!
The Novelist asks one central question: can you achieve your dreams without pushing away the people you love? The game focuses on Dan Kaplan, a novelist struggling to write the most important book of his career while trying to be the best husband and father he can be. The Kaplans have come to a remote coastal home for the summer, unaware that they’re sharing the house with a mysterious ghostly presence: you.

Read the family’s thoughts. Explore their memories. Uncover their desires and intervene in their lives. But stay out of sight; you can’t help the Kaplans if they know there’s a ghost in the house. It’s up to you to decide how Dan’s career and family life will evolve, but choose carefully; there are no easy answers, and every choice has a cost.

Dan’s relationships – to his work, his wife, and his son – react and shift in response to your choices. With a different sequence of events in every playthrough, The Novelist gives life to a unique experience each time you play.

The decisions you make will define the Kaplans’ lives, but they may also tell you something about yourself.