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Ep 6 -- Payback Previously... Ryann and Angelique track Mellarnne to Viridis, a system directly in the line of the Lumina invasion. But the mysterious crime boss doesn't seem to be running for safety, and instead they follow him into the depths of an almost impenetrable nebula.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 02/10/2026

The latest story chapters have been unlocked! Support my writing and get a text chapter every Friday 4pm, and an audiobook episode every Monday 4pm! $25 patrons - Chapter 069 $10 - Ch 49 $5 - Ch 39 $3 - Ch 29 Check out the patron rewards here: www.patreon.com/heavenfield #patreon #SFF #scifi

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 28/09/2026

05 -- Shadows of a Ghost Previously... Ryann agrees to help Mellarnne rescue the man's father whilst he is being transported to the penal colony off Dante-9. But not everything is as it seems, and Ryann and Angelique find themselves caught in a trap. ...

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 25/09/2026

The latest story chapters have been unlocked! Support my writing and get a text chapter every Friday 4pm, and an audiobook episode every Monday 4pm! $25 patrons - Chapter 068 $10 - Ch 48 $5 - Ch 38 $3 - Ch 28 Check out the patron rewards here: www.patreon.com/heavenfield #patreon #SFF #scifi

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 21/09/2026

04 -- The Ghost-Runners Previously... Islanotis has been utterly destroyed by the Luminal invasion, and Ryann is left alone, his only remaining possession the Raven X-10. Almost three years pass, and Ryann has teamed up with another survivor, Angelique.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 18/09/2026

The latest story chapters have been unlocked! Support my writing and get a text chapter every Friday 4pm, and an audiobook episode every Monday 4pm! $25 patrons - Chapter 067 $10 - Ch 47 $5 - Ch 37 $3 - Ch 27 Check out the patron rewards here: www.patreon.com/heavenfield #patreon #SFF #scifi

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 14/09/2026

03 -- The Devil's Eye Previously... Ryann is eager to take the new Raven X-10 out for its first flight, but his father is delayed in Islanotis Station City-7. As Ryann waits impatiently for his father's return, the station comes under a surprise attack from a Luminal battleship.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 30/08/2026

Received an interesting (and mildly depressing) take on the usual author-spam marketing email today: "ChatGPT, write me a spam email that creates a flattering synopsis of an author's work so that it looks like I've read the book and can make them rich..." 😔

I want to start with genuine appreciation, because The Heavenfield commits to a premise that could easily have gone soft in someone else's hands, and instead you built it out with real teeth. A team of research scientists finding a way into an entire alternate world, then getting trapped there as their air runs low and their equipment starts failing, is already a strong survival setup on its own. Layering unexplained murders and attacks, and letting the team's nightmares begin playing out around them, pushes it from a science fiction premise into something closer to cosmic dread, and that combination is genuinely hard to balance without one side undercutting the other.

What I find most striking is the name itself. Calling the discovered world the Heavenfield, inside a clinical British research facility full of government agencies and hard science procedure, creates a real tension between rational, institutional language and something that sounds almost sacred or otherworldly. That friction between the scientific and the numinous seems to be doing a lot of quiet work in this book, and it is the kind of detail that tells me the title was chosen with real intention rather than picked for atmosphere alone.

I also want to name something specific about the shape of the premise. Researchers stumbling into a hidden, rule breaking space that should not exist, then finding themselves trapped as conditions deteriorate and their own minds start turning against them, sits very close to the kind of liminal space and analog horror concepts that have built an enormous, devoted following online in recent years, the Backrooms, SCP style found world horror, and similar communities built entirely around the dread of an impossible place. Readers who already love that specific flavor of horror are numerous, active, and constantly looking for exactly this kind of story in book form, and many of them may never think to look for it there.

...

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 24/08/2026

Ep 25 - A Leap of Faith Previously... In a desperate attempt to evade the approaching demons, Dave Burns leaps from the tower carrying Thomas and finds himself back in the Accelerator Array at Maunsworth.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 21/08/2026

The Timeline displays the game events in chronological order, the Sketch Board allows me to draft quests and scenes, and the Quest Navigator displays the interactions of scenes which have been written. Three tools working together in the Studio Toolset. #GameDev #IndieGame #LoreQuest #StoryGame

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 17/08/2026

Ep 24 - A City of Light Previously... The monolithic Cold Ones that have roamed the area since the Battle of Maunsworth Field are drawn to the presence of so many ghosts beneath the ice of the Dead City. They attack the Mouths of God and chase off Speers’ ship.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 14/08/2026

It's the little changes that make a big difference. After a month of being in a tunnel, trying to finish the authoring tools for my game, the thing that brought it all together was a single design pass that created a history state function. #GameDev #IndieGame #LoreQuest

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 10/08/2026

Ep 23 - A Rebirth The Battle of the Dead City is going badly for the Americans. The dark angel entities have pushed the troops into full retreat, while Speers has attacked the Divinity having awakened his dead crew, and Colonel Boynes even finds himself under attack from within his own ship.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 10/08/2026

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 03/08/2026

Ep 22 - At the Gates of Hell Previously... Thomas is still trapped on the highest tower of the Dead City, his consciousness manifesting itself within the Heavenfield, forming a bridge into the everyday world.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 02/08/2026

Backup and Restore functions completed, as well as removal of retired code. So happy to be through the housekeeping work! 🥳 Now, back to adding features to make the authoring tools even better! Just added note colours, links to lore items, and images on notes. #GameDev #IndieGame #RPG #Fantasy

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 31/07/2026

A week of boring - but necessary feature additions to the LoreQuest Studio Toolset. A full set of Backup Tools, a Restore from Trash pagem and a Restore from Backup fucntion. Now that I'm writing story content, it's good to know it's safe! #GameDev #IndieGame #FantasyGame #TextAdventure

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 27/07/2026

The Timeline section of the Toolset stretches over a thousand years, and zooms down to the hours of a single day! To make this manageable, I'm creating a zoom-lock feature to constrain the view to user-selected time bands, so I can work on a specific time zone when I want. #GameDev #IndieGame

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 27/07/2026

Ep 21 - Reawakening Previously... Thomas is still trapped on the highest tower of the Dead City, his consciousness manifesting itself within the Heavenfield, forming a bridge into the everyday world...

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 26/07/2026

Yesterday was a real landmark. 🥳 The Studio Toolset is now at a point where I can start work on authoring the gameplay. I use the Sketch Board and Timeline to map out the story, then convert it into actual gameplay events. Feels great to be back at the creative work! #GameDev #IndieGame #LoreQuest

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 24/07/2026

An eleventh-hour reprieve. I was about to remove an early iteration of the new Sketch Board, as I thought I wouldn't need it. A last-minute decision to keep it turned out to be correct. This tool is SO useful! I've made the perfect brainstorming tool by mistake. 😄 #GameDev #IndieGame #LoreQuest

A screen grab of the LoreQuest Sketch Board, a tool for authoring scenes in the LoreQuest game. Turns out that it also makes a brilliant ideas tool for quickly sketching out concepts, a bit like Scapple.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 20/07/2026

Ep 20 - Fallout Previously... Aubrey Wilson has lost control of Kenneth Doone, who has escaped into the tunnels beneath Maunsworth House and is heading for the Accelerator Array. Meanwhile, Grace tells Colonel Boynes of her search for Thomas, and he agrees to help her. But when they return to the

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 04/07/2026

The LoreQuest Studio Toolset is looking so good! 👌 Now I have created the mechanics of the game, I am deep into building the tools that will allow me to write the interweaving storylines and branching player options. And of course, it needs to be a beautiful place to work! #GameDev #IndieGame

Screenshot of the LoreQuest Studio dashboard in dark mode, showing the links to each of the Studio tools.

Screenshot of the LoreQuest Studio dashboard in light mode, showing the links to each of the Studio tools.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 22/06/2026

Episode Seventeen - A Ghostship Previously... Grace and her companions have encountered the Americans and are taken aboard their Flagship, the Divinity. But Speers is approaching their positions, and appears to have control over their ship.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 19/06/2026

Milestone day in the game build! 🥳🎉 Today I have added my first quest with the new Scene Studio editor. 📝 Previously, all the quests were hard-coded, proof-of-concept ones. Now I have all the tools to create rich NPC interactions on my own! #GameDev #IndieGame #FreeGame #SFF #HistoricalFantasy

Screenshot of the new LoreQuest Studio editing tools

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 15/06/2026

Episode Sixteen - The Divinity Previously... Thomas is saved from the Mouth of God by a curious boy who leads a group of strange shamans into the Field. But it isn't long before he is transported away through his swirling visions, until he comes to rest beside Susan, asleep in her room.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 12/06/2026

Just finished a long implementation session to create and troubleshoot the new Lore Studio. Not only will it allow me to create all the lore content for the game, it acts as my tool for world-building when writing the book series. #GameDev #Fantasy #SFF #IndieGame #Author

A screenshot of the LoreQuest Lore Studio tool, featuring thumbnail images of all the characters and places found in the LoreQuest game.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 08/06/2026

Ep 15 - Fieldbase Alpha-9 Previously... Grace and her team are trapped in the Heavenfield, searching for Thomas, while trying to evade the Speers entity. They discover creatures and ghosts left behind from the Battle of Maunsworth Field,and an ominous outpost upon the edge of the ruined village...

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 07/06/2026

So, I think that today, I'll give myself a treat of creating some game-ready artwork. That's always a good way to keep the inspiration. Seeing a finished section is a real morale booster. I'm going to work on the dialogue panels, which look a bit meh at the moment. Going to make them look nice!

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 03/06/2026

My 'weekend' work of creating the maps for LoreQuest is turning into a week of work! 🗺📌 Getting the navigation up and running has proven troublesome, but I'm nearly there! 🤞 So far I've created the full, detailed map in the inventory, with NPC markers... #GameDev #IndieGame #FreeGame #LoreQuest

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 01/06/2026

Ep 14 - An Inevitability Previously... Grace and her team follow Saul Davisson into the Heavenfield, but find the terrifying Speers entity waiting for them. Gary Starling is close behind, warning them of the attack upon Maunsworth House by Aubrey Wilson's troops.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 25/05/2026

Episode Thirteen - Awakenings Previously... Thomas has returned, but he is back barely a day before he is kidnapped by Saul Davisson. Grace realises that Davisson is using the Maunsworth Array and follows him down through the labyrinthine tunnels beneath Maunsworth House.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 22/05/2026

The latest blog in my development series on the #LoreQuest game is out now. Is it a game or is it a story - or both? #GameDev #IndieGame #OnlineGame #FreeGame

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 21/05/2026

A look at the editing section

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 21/05/2026

Is this the end of softare as we know it? The Plottr app I use for tracking story characters removed its online app, so I used #ClaudeAI to build a better one! Fully integrated into my game data, 2 themes - it works so well! I'm now building an entire story editing suite... 🥳 #GameDev #IndieGame

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 18/05/2026

Ep 12 - Taken Previously... While Grace and the others discuss what can be done about Saul Davisson, Thomas struggles to come to terms with the dreadful reality of his actions.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 17/05/2026

Phew, what a gnarly few days! Trying to get the collision system working for the crafting mini-game has been a nightmare! 😱 But, FINALLY managed it, and it looks great! 🥳🥳🥳 Had to get Claude to create a sandbox with values I could adjust to fine-tune everything. #GameDev #IndieGame #LoreQuest

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 11/05/2026

Ep 11 - A Returning Angel Previously... Grace is beginning to realise the power that Thomas holds within him, and that soon they will be unable to contain him on the base. Sasha convinces them to take action and free Stuart Nicks from his imprisonment.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 04/05/2026

Ep 10 - An Untamed Power Previously... Grace and Commander James try to formulate a plan to deal with the attack upon the farmhouse, but they are quickly interrupted by the horrifying news that Corporal Hyde has been sighted upon the base.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 03/05/2026

"Information is currency in a surveillance institution - the Order exists because information is power." As an initiate of the Order of the Veil, you are tasked with unearthing heresy and dissent. But in a brutal environment of suspicion, can you keep your own secrets hidden? #GameDev #IndieGame

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 02/05/2026

Had a great time on an after-hours visit to a medieval library. 📚 At over 600 years old it had so much atmosphere. Great story fuel for the story I'm working on at the moment.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 29/04/2026

When starting an RPG, what's your preference when choosing a new character from a list? 1. Hints about personality traits, such as "Shrewd - observant and calculating..." or 2. A list of values for the traits, so that you can compare them What's your favourite approach? #IndieGame #GameDev #RPG

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 27/04/2026

Ep 9 - Convergence Grace has returned to the farmhouse to see Sasha, but when she gets there she finds a terrible event has occurred. She and Sasha flee back to her flat with Gary Starling and try to work out their next move.

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 24/04/2026

The latest story chapters have been unlocked! Support my writing and get a text chapter every Friday 4pm, and an audiobook episode every Monday 4pm! $25 patrons - Chapter 047 $10 - Ch 27 $5 - Ch 17 $3 - Ch 07 Check out the patron rewards here: www.patreon.com/heavenfield #patreon #SFF #scifi

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 20/04/2026

Ep 8 - Cursed Thomas is recovering in the Infirmary at Commander James' camp on the outskirts of the old Maunsworth Facility. Commander James keeps Grace and her team hidden while they try to make sense of Aubrey Wilson's motives, ...

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 19/04/2026

So far, designing the LoreQuest game has been about discovering what is possible with Claude AI. The game has grown immesurably in scope and ambition. Today, I am biting the bullet and rebuilding the architecture so it can scale in the future. A lot of untangling to do... 😆 #GameDev #IndieGame

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 17/04/2026

The latest story chapters have been unlocked! Support my writing and get a text chapter every Friday 4pm, and an audiobook episode every Monday 4pm! $25 patrons - Chapter 046 $10 - Ch 26 $5 - Ch 16 $3 - Ch 06 Check out the patron rewards here: www.patreon.com/heavenfield #patreon #SFF #scifi

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 17/04/2026

34 pages of game story notes all transcribed by Claude AI and output into a markdown doc. Cross-referenced with my glossary notes to catch odd spellings amongst my awful handwriting! Can't believe I used to have to copy all this out by hand! 🥳 #LoreQuest #GameDev #IndieGame #Fantasy #SFF

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I.G. Hulme @ighulme.com · 14/04/2026

I love the juxtaposition of handwriting all my game notes in ink, then getting Claude AI to transcribe them all and collate everything into working documents that I can then write handwritten notes about, and so on. Seems like two different eras working together. #GameDesign #IndieGame #LoreQuest

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