Life as a Lich

Life as a Lich is a 200,000-word, entirely text-based interactive novel in which your choices shape the story. You awaken as an undead lich after performing a powerful ritual, then recruit undead minions, manage your underworld domains and explore their secrets. You can also travel to other planes of existence to interact with fellow immortals.

You balance research into new spells with the logistics of managing undead minions and cultists, while facing threats from your world and other planes. The story offers different paths and endings, side missions, and choices about your character’s ambitions, morality and relationships. You can pursue research into becoming a demigod and leaving your skeletal form, or seek to reincarnate as a mortal. You can play as an evil lich who kills and enslaves, or a benevolent necromancer who helps those who worship you, and choose whether to seek companionship and love or remain in solitude.

Characters and settings

You can import a character from Tokyo Wizard or Raiders of the Icepeak Mountains, or create a new character in modern-day Japan or a fantasy world. The game is a sequel to one ending of each of those two novels, but can also be played on its own with a new character. You can play as male, female or nonbinary, and romance other undead.

Spells and domains

You can learn or research over 50 unique spells and develop your underworld domains. Assign minions to different tasks to build your economy, or focus on the story instead. You can explore and expand your domains or travel to other planes of existence.

Minions and encounters

Raise undead armies made up of skeletons, zombies, ghouls, necrodragons and golems, or even form a rat army. You can battle or befriend creatures including demons from other planes and demigods.

Difficulty settings

Several difficulty settings let you begin as a mighty lich on Very Easy or face the challenges of Impossible mode. The novel has multiple game paths, side missions and endings.