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Messar Dreams (working title) is a visual novel written by two-time Aurealis Award finalist and graphic novelist Shane W Smith.

It features an epic science fiction tale, a branching story that uses dozens upon dozens of variables to track player choices and make appropriate changes to the outcome of the story. The story is split into four ‘chapters’, all interwoven and interlinking, and each one focusing on a different character.

Everyone has a different stake in the civil unrest festering on the desert world of Messar, and the war brewing between Padakan House and the Senate (meaning that a 'good' outcome for one character might end up having negative repercussions for another POV character in subsequent chapters).

No one is immortal in this game. Even the POV characters can die, and the story will just progress without them.


Chapter One is in development right now, and follows Sean Banner, an underage PFC in the Padakan infantry who is running from his past, and who has been warned to follow orders no matter what…

Sean will be forced to make a number of decisions that will determine his fate. Will he betray his best friend to further his military career? Will he take pity on the people his army has invaded? Will he be arrested for treason, or killed by insurgents, or will he live to fight another day?
Chapter Two follows Mila, a freelance pilot and hired hand who is famous for burying her feelings deep. Her family will come under threat, and she will be forced to work as a double agent, navigating a safe path between the treacherous Senate and the dangerous Padakans. One misstep will spell disaster... for her, and her family.
Chapter Three follows Susan, an innocent bystander who has been thrown into prison on suspicion of crimes she didn't commit. Desperate to get back to her family, Susan is starting to crumble under the weight of her situation. Will she find a way out? Will she be saved? Will she betray the other innocents she has been imprisoned with? Or will she succumb to despair and never see the light of day again?
Chapter Four follows Senator Solomon Ford, in corruptus extremis, keeping a close eye on all developments. His story will be determined by the choices made by the player in Chapters 1, 2 and 3. Ironically, the puppetmaster will end up having no agency on the situation's outcome.
Development began on this game on July 8th, 2015, and an early draft of the first chunk of the game has been entered in the Indie Game Making Contest 2015.

If this sounds like your kind of thing, please check it out, make a comment, post feedback. And if you enjoy it, please vote for it too.

Future builds of this game are expected to include:

• Full voice acting for all characters
• End of chapter summaries of choices made along the way
• Expanded credits sequence with videos and animation
• Save/load functionality

Thanks for checking out Messar Dreams!


I'm looking to make contact with gamers, and build a readership/fanbase. If you dig this chapter of Messar Dreams, hit me up via email (shane@shanewsmith.com) or Twitter (@Shane_W_Smith), and I'll send you a free copy of a 400-page Aurealis-finalist graphic novel that takes place in the same universe!