The Lighthouse Keeper
by ArcadeLabAn atmospheric interactive story. You are the keeper of Gull Rock Light on a stormy night, and the choices you make — what you carry, whether you light the lamp, which danger you face — branch the tale toward one of several distinct endings. It is a small, well-crafted example of stateful branching narrative: a story that reads differently every time.
Frequently asked
What is interactive fiction?
Interactive fiction is a story the reader steers by making choices. Instead of one fixed path, the narrative branches: different decisions lead to different scenes and different endings.
How does the story remember my choices?
It tracks simple state flags — like which item you picked up or whether you lit the lamp — and uses them to unlock or hide later choices and to decide which ending you reach. That is the core technique behind branching narrative design.
Can I publish an interactive story online?
Yes. The Lighthouse Keeper is a single self-contained HTML file. ArcadeLab hosts interactive stories, games, and explorables — paste your HTML at arcadelab.ai/publish for a permanent shareable URL.