It Lives Beneath is one of the most atmospheric and tension-filled interactive stories in the Choices: Stories You Play app by Pixelberry Studios. Set in the mysterious town of Kingsport, this supernatural horror thriller draws readers into a world full of secrets, old legends, and dark forces lurking just below the surface. Your choices as the protagonist influence how the story unfolds, who lives, who dies, and ultimately, what you uncover. This isn’t just a game about reading it’s about shaping a terrifying story through your decisions, and those decisions matter. Understanding your options and their consequences is essential to navigating It Lives Beneath and unlocking the full depth of its chilling narrative.
Overview of It Lives Beneath
It Lives Beneath follows a group of high school students as they try to uncover the truth about the dark history of their town. The player character, along with a cast of memorable companions, begins to experience strange occurrences that hint at an ancient evil that may be returning. The choices you make will determine not only how much of the story you uncover but also who will be by your side when the final confrontation arrives.
Gameplay and Genre
This book falls under the interactive horror drama genre. Like other books in the Choices app, It Lives Beneath is heavily choice-driven, with multiple branching paths and outcomes based on the player’s decisions. The horror is psychological, supernatural, and often emotional, focusing on suspense, fear, and loyalty between friends.
Main Characters and Relationships
The game offers a wide cast of characters, each with their own backstory, personality, and potential for development. Who you trust, who you support, and who you choose to spend time with can impact both the emotional tone of the story and its final outcome.
- The Protagonist: Customizable by the player; you choose their name and decisions throughout the story.
- Noah: A quiet and intelligent character who holds many secrets. His bond with the player character can become central to the story.
- Hazel: Outspoken and fearless, Hazel is one of the more action-driven members of the group.
- Andy: Often the voice of reason, Andy provides emotional support and a rational perspective.
- Lucas: A strong-willed character who can either be your ally or a source of conflict depending on your choices.
The relationships you build or destroy with each of these characters can determine who survives and what endings you unlock.
Major Choices and Their Impact
Unlike some other narrative games where decisions have minor effects, It Lives Beneath places heavy weight on the player’s actions. These choices influence not only dialogue but also key plot developments and character fates.
Survival Choices
One of the most important elements of the game is keeping your friends alive. Many characters can die depending on the decisions you make in key scenes. Being cautious, observant, and brave in the right moments can save lives or doom them.
Romance Paths
You can pursue romance with multiple characters, including Noah and Hazel. These relationships are optional but add significant emotional depth to the story. Your romantic choices can affect loyalty, trust, and how characters react in critical moments.
Bravery and Suspicion
Certain choices will define your character’s personality. Are you bold and reckless, or cautious and calculating? Do you believe in the supernatural, or are you a skeptic? The game tracks these traits, and certain options will only appear if your past decisions reflect a consistent personality type.
Premium Choices
As with many Choices books, some decisions require diamonds, the app’s premium currency. These often unlock bonus scenes, exclusive dialogue, deeper relationship moments, or survival advantages. While the main story is playable without them, premium choices can enhance the experience and provide safer paths.
Important Themes in It Lives Beneath
This story blends horror elements with emotional depth. The monsters aren’t just physical threats they’re metaphors for trauma, grief, and buried guilt. Many of the characters are haunted not only by what’s outside, but what’s inside them. Exploring these themes requires careful dialogue choices and emotional investment.
Supernatural Mystery
The central plot revolves around uncovering the ancient force beneath Kingsport. There are rituals, visions, cryptic symbols, and a deepening sense of dread as you approach the truth. Your choices determine how much of the mystery you uncover and how much you survive to see.
Friendship and Loyalty
Much of the emotional core of the story is built around friendship. The group faces life-threatening danger, and how you treat them will shape their trust in you. Do you lead or follow? Do you keep secrets or tell the truth? Your loyalty is tested repeatedly, and those moments define the ending.
Mental and Emotional Struggles
Characters in It Lives Beneath deal with loss, fear, and personal demons. Your choices can help them grow, break them down, or even end their stories prematurely. This adds a layer of emotional realism that enhances the horror. It’s not just about surviving monsters it’s about surviving each other and yourself.
Multiple Endings
One of the strongest aspects of It Lives Beneath is its replayability. There are several endings based on who survives, who you trust, and how much you uncover about the dark force beneath the town. Endings range from tragic to bittersweet to victorious, with many variations in between.
- True Ending: Only possible if specific choices are made and the maximum number of characters survive.
- Romantic Endings: Include special scenes and resolutions based on your romantic partner.
- Tragic Endings: May occur if you fail critical moments or lose key allies.
Getting the best ending typically requires multiple playthroughs, as some consequences are not immediately obvious.
Is It Lives Beneath Worth Playing?
For fans of horror, interactive fiction, and emotionally rich storytelling, It Lives Beneath is absolutely worth experiencing. Its combination of suspense, character-driven narrative, and branching outcomes creates a game that feels personal and gripping. Each choice matters, and each playthrough can feel different depending on the path you take.
What Makes It Stand Out
- Genuinely tense and scary moments, both psychological and supernatural
- Deep character development and emotional investment
- Meaningful choices with long-term consequences
- Multiple romantic and narrative paths
While some players might find the diamond system limiting, even the free-path version of the story delivers a powerful experience. If you enjoy stories where you control the outcome, and you’re not afraid of things that go bump in the night, It Lives Beneath delivers everything it promises and more.
It Lives Beneath offers a rich and chilling narrative filled with impactful decisions, strong character development, and multiple endings that encourage replayability. Your choices shape every step of the journey from survival to relationships to the final battle against the darkness. Whether you’re new to Choices or a longtime fan of interactive fiction, this book is one of the strongest horror entries on the platform. Dive in, but choose wisely because what lives beneath may be more than you bargained for.