Fiction Factory Games

Fiction Factory Games is an independent development studio focusing primarily on visual novels and narrative-driven games. The studio emphasises distinctive characters, player choices, relationships between characters, and stories whose course players can influence through their decisions. The project is primarily the brainchild of developer and scriptwriter Stefan Gagne; on the original Arcade Spirits, he collaborated with narrative designer Aenne Schumann and other creators.

The studio’s best-known title is Arcade Spirits, a romantic visual novel set in an alternate history where the 1983 video game crash never happened. As a result, arcades have remained a significant part of popular culture, and the player begins working at the Funplex arcade.

Players can customise the main character and, through dialogue and choices, form friendships and romantic relationships with other characters. Individual choices influence the protagonist’s personality, relationships and the further development of the story. Arcade Spirits was released not only on PC but also for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

The first instalment was followed by Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers. The sequel focuses more on the world of competitive gaming and esports. The player aims to make a name for themselves on the professional scene of the fictional arcade game Fist of Discomfort 2, putting together a team and once again building relationships with other characters. The game also allows players to carry over certain decisions made in the original Arcade Spirits.

Fiction Factory Games’ portfolio has gradually expanded to include other narrative-driven titles, such as Penny Larceny: Gig Economy Supervillain, the horror visual novel The Shadow Over Cyberspace and Laugh Track. The studio thus remains primarily focused on interactive storytelling and decision-based games.

Thanks to the games Arcade Spirits and Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers, Fiction Factory Games has established itself as a well-known independent developer of modern visual novels. The Arcade Spirits series is the most important part of its console catalogue, having also been released on PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch.