The City Below - A Solo Web Journaling RPG

I’m thrilled to share The City Below with the world. I’ve been working on this game since November 2025, when the idea first came to me: a single-player journaling RPG set in a futuristic sci-fi world with a horror bent. It’s a psychological thriller that I hope makes you think.

I began by writing the full story and game mechanics, then spent a long time figuring out how to implement it as a web experience. What you see is v1.0, and I’m pretty happy with it.

You begin your journey dropping into your character’s mind right as they receive a mysterious series of messages — and have to decide whether to follow them. The city itself seems to be calling to you. But that’s not possible, right?

Each day you read a section of story text, then answer journaling prompts from your character’s POV. There are two alternate paths through the game, each with its own psychological twists. It’s meant to be a fun creative exercise that also walks you through a compelling story.

The design was possibly the most fun part for me. I wanted it to feel terminal and techy, while still giving players some control over their experience. You get to create your character and set your site theme — changing the colors to match your preference — and you can update your theme at any time.

I’ve hidden a few easter eggs throughout the story, so if you give it a shot, make sure to play through twice!

Screenshot of Start Page:

Theme Picker: