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Necessary Cuts – an interactive fiction fragment

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Necessary Cuts – an interactive fiction fragment

I'm a platform engineer who wrote a literary novella that's getting published next year. I've also had an interest in interactive narratives for a while, so I decided to experiment. This was also heavily inspired by "playing" through Betwixt. The result is a short interactive fragment (~5 minutes) — ambient audio synced to prose, three scenes. I didn't want to build a true game as much as make an attempt at immersion. So I re-wrote a fragment set in the world of the book, and wired up the computer-y bits to it. The fragment is in second person (the novella isn't), because other POVs don't really work with the immersion angle. For the technically interested, this is just vanilla JS and Web Audio API, no frameworks - as is the way of my people.

Visit productView on Hacker NewsMar 25, 2026
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Product HuntOn track for Day 1 leaderboard · Strong signals: computer · Missing: mac, agents, macos
79%79% predicted probability of success on Product Hunt, based on ML models trained on real launch data.
best fitHighest predicted score across all platforms for this description.
Indie HackersFits the IH revenue-focused audience · Missing: supports, reddit linkedin, podcasting
75%75% predicted probability of success on Indie Hackers, based on ML models trained on real launch data.
Hacker NewsStrong engagement from HN community · Strong signals: ide, io · Missing: https docs, excited, just released
72%72% predicted probability of success on Hacker News, based on ML models trained on real launch data.
nativeThis product was originally launched on this platform.
TrustMRRFits verified-revenue profile · Strong signals: way · Missing: mobile apps, ios, personal
51%51% predicted probability of success on TrustMRR, based on ML models trained on real launch data.
AppSumoMay struggle as an AppSumo deal · Strong signals: platform · Missing: plus, intuitive, reviews
45%45% predicted probability of success on AppSumo, based on ML models trained on real launch data.
Acquire.comPre-revenue stage for this audience · Strong signals: arr, active · Missing: mrr, revenue, profit
16%16% predicted probability of success on Acquire.com, based on ML models trained on real launch data.
BetaListMay not resonate with beta-testers · Strong signals: audio · Missing: web3, chat, crypto
0%0% predicted probability of success on BetaList, based on ML models trained on real launch data.

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