# Serum: An Interactive Novel **URL:** \ **Category:** Promote your App\ **Created:** [June 19, 2018, 4:03pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268 "2018-06-19T16:03:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![L.B.Speller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@L.B.Speller](https://community.thunkable.com/u/L.B.Speller)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2018, 4:03pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/1 "2018-06-19T16:03:05Z")
[Serum: An Interactive Novel.](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.leebeespeller.Serum_An_Interactive_Novel) **This is my first app, and it is something I have been working on for a while, in between writing my novels. I wanted to create something people could use to enjoy some of my writing in a different way, and I am quite happy with the result. It has been a massive learning experience, and I have enjoyed problem solving my way through the entire process.** Completely free to play – No ads, no in app purchases. Serum is a text-based interactive science fiction novel, set in L.B.Speller’s Human Jurisdiction Universe. Requiring no knowledge of of the novels, Serum is a great introduction to the Human Jurisdiction for new readers, or a fascinating expansion for existing fans. Over 75,000 words in length, with 47 possible endings, there are many different stories to tell – some only a couple of choices in length, others far longer. Simply read the text given and select how to proceed from the options provided. ![mockup](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/thunkable/original/3X/f/4/f4f398e140535483e55971a5735c91442bf879ef.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Mathijssen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/peter_mathijssen/32/7493_2.png) [@Peter\_Mathijssen](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Peter_Mathijssen)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2018, 4:22pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/2 "2018-06-19T16:22:05Z")
I almost never install apps featured here but this one made me curious. ---
**Author:** ![L.B.Speller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@L.B.Speller](https://community.thunkable.com/u/L.B.Speller)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2018, 4:30pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/3 "2018-06-19T16:30:43Z")
Really kind of you to say 🙂 I hope you are not disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Mathijssen](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/peter_mathijssen/32/7493_2.png) [@Peter\_Mathijssen](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Peter_Mathijssen)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2018, 4:37pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/4 "2018-06-19T16:37:54Z")
Maybe you can tell something about the programming technics you used to make it work? ---
**Author:** ![L.B.Speller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@L.B.Speller](https://community.thunkable.com/u/L.B.Speller)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2018, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/5 "2018-06-19T16:55:29Z")
I would say 80% of the work was actually writing the text for the game - a lot more tricky than writing a normal novel! Once that was done the actual logic for the game was relatively simple, although I had a bit of trouble getting a list from a CSV, although it was resolved after a bit of head scratching (ended up not using the list from csv function, instead splitting the text (I switched the commas for the ~ symbol in my source text and used that to split). Most of the actual Thunkable work involved getting the layout how i liked it. I wanted to follow material design guidelines as far as was possible, but didn’t want to reply on too many extensions to get it. The material style cards were made with a simple gradient image which I ‘stretched’ to fit at the top and bottom of the cards. I originally used multiple screens but that ended up being a nightmare when using the back button or closing the app, so in the end I just had one main arrangement for each ‘screen’ (the menu screen and the game screen) and just switched the visibility. Much much easier once I did that lol ---
**Author:** ![L.B.Speller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@L.B.Speller](https://community.thunkable.com/u/L.B.Speller)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2018, 8:39am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/6 "2018-06-23T08:39:26Z")
Had a couple of reviews (350 downloads in 3 days, not sure if that is good or bad lol) One review asked for a night mode, so I am going to try to implement that in the next few days. Yay, I get to do a bit more thunking, lol. ---
**Author:** ![Indra\_Tjahjono](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dec6dc/32.png) [@Indra\_Tjahjono](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Indra_Tjahjono)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2018, 11:07am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/7 "2018-06-23T11:07:52Z")
Nice app… and good trick to make the material cards looks clean. ---
**Author:** ![L.B.Speller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@L.B.Speller](https://community.thunkable.com/u/L.B.Speller)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2018, 3:47pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/8 "2018-07-03T15:47:25Z")
So I have added the night mode, and I am quite happy with the result. I am so glad I was organised when originally making the app and set each colour as a variable, so it was really easy to change the whole theme at the press of a button just by making it change a few variables, rather than having to go through every single element one at a time. ---
**Author:** ![Allteach\_BD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4491bb/32.png) [@Allteach\_BD](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Allteach_BD)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2018, 4:45pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/9 "2018-07-03T16:45:41Z")
Awesome. I have a question. Which component did you use to make card shape ? ---
**Author:** ![L.B.Speller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@L.B.Speller](https://community.thunkable.com/u/L.B.Speller)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2018, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/10 "2018-07-03T17:25:01Z")
Thanks. All I did was create normal vertical arrangements (with other arrangements inside as needed) set the colour to the card background colour, and then created a tiny square jpg of a shadow gradient which I could turn stretch to fit underneath the card. ---
**Author:** ![Allteach\_BD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4491bb/32.png) [@Allteach\_BD](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Allteach_BD)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2018, 6:11pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/11 "2018-07-03T18:11:32Z")
Can you share the jpg file? It will help me to learn more about that. ---
**Author:** ![L.B.Speller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@L.B.Speller](https://community.thunkable.com/u/L.B.Speller)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2018, 6:58pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/12 "2018-07-03T18:58:19Z")
Sure. I will do it tomorrow when I am back near my pc. ---
**Author:** ![el\_turco](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/el_turco/32/20529_2.png) [@el\_turco](https://community.thunkable.com/u/el_turco)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2018, 7:06pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/13 "2018-07-03T19:06:44Z")
this is great!!! do you have it as iOS version? ---
**Author:** ![L.B.Speller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@L.B.Speller](https://community.thunkable.com/u/L.B.Speller)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2018, 7:19pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/14 "2018-07-03T19:19:39Z")
Thanks. Unfortunately I had already started working on the old android only thunkable and didn’t have the time to convert it to the new platform. I intend to make another story to go with it, so will probably create a new app on the new platform to contain both stories. Will be a while though (writing 75,000 word stories is not a quick job, lol) ---
**Author:** ![cheazy\_gift](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@cheazy\_gift](https://community.thunkable.com/u/cheazy_gift)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2018, 7:10am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/15 "2018-11-27T07:10:47Z")
Why do I keep on Dying with every choice I make? Is that how it’s suppose to be? ---
**Author:** ![L.B.Speller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@L.B.Speller](https://community.thunkable.com/u/L.B.Speller)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2018, 8:41am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/16 "2018-11-27T08:41:52Z")
Lol, there are some choices which do not lead to death, . But in keeping with the tone of my novels on which this story is based, there are also a great many ways to die too. ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Efeni](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/jake_efeni/32/24508_2.png) [@Jake\_Efeni](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Jake_Efeni)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 11:49pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/17 "2019-03-26T23:49:30Z")
kudos to you…keep it up…we hope to see a video of how you made the app! keep thunking ---
**Author:** ![L.B.Speller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@L.B.Speller](https://community.thunkable.com/u/L.B.Speller)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2019, 12:42am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/18 "2019-03-27T00:42:29Z")
Thanks @Jake_Efeni . Around 7000 downloads and 4.6 rating from 119 reviews, so people seem to like it 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Efeni](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/jake_efeni/32/24508_2.png) [@Jake\_Efeni](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Jake_Efeni)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2019, 12:43am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/19 "2019-03-27T00:43:30Z")
wow …that is great news ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Efeni](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/jake_efeni/32/24508_2.png) [@Jake\_Efeni](https://community.thunkable.com/u/Jake_Efeni)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2019, 12:44am UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268/20 "2019-03-27T00:44:29Z")
when did you uploaded on play store… [Next page](https://community.thunkable.com/t/serum-an-interactive-novel/32268.md?page=2)