Forbidden Magic

As a paranormal agent, your job is to keep magic under wraps. Can you catch a magical arsonist before you lose your heart?

Forbidden Magic is a 145,000-word interactive paranormal romance game by Frances Pauli, author of Brimstone Manor. It's entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

You’re a mage on parole for a crime you didn’t commit. Or, maybe you did, but you certainly didn’t intend to get caught. For penance, you’ve been assigned to the Organization for the Protection of Sorcerous Secrets, a task force dedicated to keeping the paranormal out of the public eye.

The vampire who works in the basement is out to get you. Your boss is literally a devil. And they’ve assigned you a hellhound for a partner, a shapeshifter who just happens to be your high-school crush. (Or, choose your own background! Maybe you were the hellhound’s crush? Or perhaps you were rivals, instead?)

Whether you use your superior sleuthing skills, rely on some magic of your own, or resort to dirty tactics, it’s not the worst gig. Hunting down rogues and mopping up public displays of magic could even be fun. But when a magical arsonist goes on a rampage, you'll need all the help you can get to keep the city safe and to keep your secrets, even if it means working with a human from a rival agency.

The closer you get to finding the arsonist, the closer you get to losing your heart. You used to be very close with the hellhound-shifter who’s now your OPSS partner. Could there be the sparks of something more? Your job is to keep magic out of mortal hands, but wouldn't it be nice to put yourself in the hands of that tall, broad-shouldered rival agent? Or perhaps you'll take this opportunity to seduce your boss, the dazzlingly competent and even more dazzlingly dressed devil? And then there’s the suspect whose vulnerability just might melt your heart…

Play as male, female, or non-binary; gay, straight, or bi.

Romance a shifter, devil, mage, or even an ordinary human.

Choose your relationship trope: friends-to-lovers, friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance, and more.

Choose your magical specialty and build your power!

Investigate crime in a hidden magical part of the city: fey-owned nightclubs, elf-run diners, secret government agencies, and more.

Work to keep magic a secret, or unleash forbidden knowledge into the wider world.

As the city burns, let your heart catch fire!