Teahouse of the Gods

Choice of Games LLC

Contains adsIn-app purchases

About this game

Harness the energy of life itself to empower your body, control your environment, even delve deep into the mysteries of the mind! Will you use your newfound powers to maintain the balance of the universe, or will corruption stain your soul?

"Teahouse of the Gods" is a 250,000-word interactive novel by Naca Rat. It's entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

After one night at "The Teahouse" on Mount Qingcheng in Sichuan, China, you wake with the ability to perceive and manipulate spiritual energy, known as qi. Now, you can see gods and monsters that ordinary people can't, and you can unlock extraordinary powers.

On the path of the body, you can run faster, jump higher, and punch harder. On the path of the mind, you can create glamours and illusions that change people's perceptions of reality. And on the path of the environment, you can reach out to the world around you, from blades of grass, to the smallest teacup, to Mount Qingcheng itself.

Under the guidance of gods and animal spirits, you can perceive a sickness slowly poisoning the mountain and its inhabitants. When an ancient enemy returns to the mountain with vengeance in mind, will you be ready to join the fight? The mysteries of Mount Qingcheng are beckoning you.

• Play as male, female, or nonbinary; gay, straight, bi, asexual, or poly.
• Explore a mountain village in China that's as timeless as myth, yet as modern as a trending hashtag on TikTok.
• Discover the secrets of your past life. Do they still have the power to shape your destiny?
• Rekindle an ancient romance, explore the possibilities with a long-lost friend, or charm a local mogul/memelord.
• Specialize in the body, mind, or environment path as you learn to control spiritual energy, or develop your skills in all three.
• Befriend a Romanian expat, a musical prodigy, a panda spirit, and a busy mother.
• Help a local resort owner plan a summer festival. (You're here to learn the hospitality industry, remember?)
• Eat. Eat vegetarian, kosher, halal, or try everything: gourmet delicacies, spicy local fare, street food, and dishes from around the world ...and beyond.

Thousands of years later, you're home at last.

Ratings and reviews

The writing style is beautiful and transports you to a more traditional China landscape while having a lasting impression of environment conservation. There are characters that my character doesn't get along with, but the narrative sort of forces them to get along anyway. This game is for people who have played Choice games before because if you don't manage stats consistently you will die at the climax. Also wish there was an option for me to "speak" Chinese and have it written in English.

The story content is just fine, but you do lose a lot if you can't read Chinese. And if you can, not all of it is correct. There should be a warning in the description. The game is unfortunately marred by coding mistakes that make certain later areas impossible. The biggest one involves a power gain and then a power loss as part of the plot. Because it is using fairmath, you lose more than you gain despite the game trying to add the same amount it subtracted. Unacceptable for a released game.

The idea is interesting but I wouldn't say it was executed perfectly. Chinese at early chapter can be discouraging, I wish the option was given right at the start. Edit: okay I played it twice and here are my vague impressions. This reminds me of earlier choice games and not necessarily in a good way. The dialogue doesn't feel too smooth. Maybe it's just me who doesn't feel the vibe.

What's new

Bug fixes. If you enjoy "Teahouse of the Gods", please leave us a written review. It really helps!