jimdattilo

Writing Updates

This month has already been a lot better than the last few. My health concerns are getting better. I had surgery almost a month ago, but I’m healing nicely. Today was my follow-up with the surgeon, and I’m doing well. Thanks to everyone who has been sending me well wishes.

Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven Part 4 Progress

I’ve been working very hard this month on the new trade system. I will have a larger write-up in my newsletter at the end of the month, but here are some quick f...

Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven Artwork poll

My artist is working on Parker and will soon be ready to create another character portrait for Safe Haven. Which character would you like to see next?

Parker from ZE:SH

Here is the initial sketch of Parker as he was seen when he is first introduced in Part 1. What are your thoughts? Do you have any suggestions to make him look more authentic?

For my visually impaired readers: The sketch shows Parker standing with his hands in his pockets. He wears a hooded sweatshirt with the hood up, a thick chain necklace, and dark sunglasses. His hair is short on the sides and longer on top, with a slight wave. He has a watch on his left wrist and c...

ZE:SH New Items

I am adding new items to Part 4. Some of them can be obtained by trading with other groups while others can be found out in the world. Here are the new items so far.

---

RANGED WEAPONS

• PISTOL: Magnum Research BFR: Mod 15| ER: 75 |AMMO: .45-70 Government (River Dogs and Silverthorne Militia)

• SHOTGUN: Benelli M3 Convertible: Mod: 17| ER: 50| AMMO: 12-gauge (River Dogs and Museum Group)

• RIFLE: Barrett M82A1 (.50 BMG): Mod: 30| ER: 1800+ |AM...

  2025-08-07 00:31:04 +0000 UTC View Post

MC POV - Interactive Story - 13

Continued from scene 12

While her back is turned, you grip your rifle and raise it, centering the sights on the back of her head. She rummages in the closet, hands shaking, then suddenly pulls a small pistol from behind a shoebox. She spins toward you, eyes wild, but you squeeze the trigger first. The rifle bucks in your hands. The single shot cracks through the room, and she drops instantly,...

Outbreak Scenario 25

It’s late when your phone buzzes. A WhatsApp message arrives from Kenji, an old gaming friend from Japan you haven’t heard from in months.

The text is short. “Watch this.”

A video opens. The footage shows a hospital corridor in chaos. Security in hazmat suits are screaming in the background. A man bites into someone’s neck before being dragged away.

The screen freezes. Then the video vanishes. So does the message. Kenji’s profile disappears.

(It's the day b...

Schedule for August, 2025

If you haven't checked out my latest newsletter, it is now open to every member.

8/3 -- Outbreak scenario poll (Free tier)

8/4 -- Zombie Exodus: Side Stories (MC POV) scene 13. ($3+ tiers)

8/6 -- Content Sneak Peek ($3+ tiers)

8/9 -- Game updates (Free tier)

8/12 -- Content Sneak Peek ($1+ tiers)

8/16 -- Zombie Exodus: Side Stories (MC POV) scene 14. ($3+ ti...

Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven Trade System

I am writing and coding the trading system that will go into Part 4. This will allow you to trade with other groups, such as the Silverthorne Militia, the River Dogs, and others.

I would like to incorporate some unique items that you can only get by trading with other groups. The five groups are as follows:

• Southern Ute

• Red Mamba Biker Club (Thelma's group)

• The Museum group

• River Dogs

• Silverthornes

ZE Outbreak Novel, Chapter 5

continued from chapter 4 Morning of Wednesday, May 9, 2012 I woke up with Amber still asleep beside me. Her mouth hung open just enough to s

continued from chapter 4

Morning of Wednesday, May 9, 2012

I woke up with Amber still asleep beside me. Her mouth hung open just enough to show a trace of dried drool at the corner. Her hair was a mess, a tangle spread over the...

Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven Part 4 Public Test

Here's the link:

Test version (click here)

Part 4 is over 910,000 words! Please check the log notes after loading the page above.

On CoGDemos, you must create a free account to save your game!

Guidelines

• Please do not share details outside of here.

• Keep all comments in this thread.

  2025-07-27 18:57:17 +0000 UTC View Post

Game Achievements Poll

As you know, I place achievements you can unlock when you make certain choices. How do you feel about them? Do you enjoy tracking down every achievement, or do you mostly ignore them? Are they a fun bonus, or just background noise?

Your feedback will help me decide how much I should focus on achievements in Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven and future projects.

Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven Part 4 Test Version (July 24, 2025)

Here's the link:

Test version (click here)

Part 4 is over 950,000 words! Please check the log notes after loading the page above.

On CoGDemos, you must create a free account to save your game!

Guidelines

• Please do not share details outside of here.

• Keep all comments in this thread.

2025-07-24 19:29:18 +0000 UTC View Post

Games by JimD Newsletter – Game Updates, Getting Closer  

Welcome to my 93rd newsletter! This was another tough month. I had surgery on July 16 for the bleeding in my stomach. Everything turned out okay, but I’m still recuperating. I put in a lot of work before my surgery and am slowly getting back to writing.

With ZE:SH Part 4, it’s coming together nicely, but there’s still so much I want to add. Even though I will be doing a free update next year, it’s essential that Part 4 has everything that one would expect. It’s not just about ...

Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven, Part 4 Content Sneak Peek

For those of you interested in polyamorous relationships, here is a scene between the MC, Gina, and Monica.

---

Gina glances at Monica, then at you. She pushes a strand of blond hair behind her ear and shrugs, smiling. “As long as everyone is honest, I don’t see a problem. I’m not looking for romance, Monica. For me, it’s just physical. I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep.”

Monica crosses her ankles as she stands, the muscles in her thighs flexing under ...

MC POV - Interactive Story - 12

Continued from scene 11

You say, “You need to stay strong right now. I’ll take care of your son. I promise.”

Her shoulders jerk and she presses a hand to her mouth, trying to smother a sob. Tears spill freely down her cheeks. When she lowers her hand, her lips tremble so badly she can hardly speak.

“There’s no other way for this to end,” you say. You keep your eyes on ...

Writing Updates

It’s been another rough few weeks. You may remember that I was in the hospital about a month ago. It turns out that I need to have surgery next week. I will probably be out of commission for a few days and recovering at home.

The good news is that I have made a lot of progress in writing ZESH Part 4. I have been focusing on writing and editing so much that I have already written over 39,000 new words this month. I don’t know if I will be able to write more than that due to my recove...

Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven, Part 4 Content Sneak Peek

I am currently going through Part 4 and adding content for challenges. I made this for kleptomaniac and thought it was a really engaging scenario. This happens when you are visiting the Southern Ute when going to save Kevin in chapter 13. Jimmy is the name of an elder of the tribe.

---

Your eyes wander the room and land on a small display tucked on a wooden shelf near the fireplace. It’s a hand-carved kachina doll, painted with bright bands of turquoise and deep red. The details...

MC POV - Interactive Story - 11

Continued from scene 10

You lower your voice. “Ma’am, why don’t we step into the bedroom? It’ll be easier for me to take a closer look at that bite.”

She doesn’t answer right away. Her eyes glance at the bathroom door, then back to you. Her chest rises and falls in quick, shallow breaths. After a moment, she nods, her chin trembling.

“Just so you can look? Nothing el...

Jude from Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven

I had Jude redesigned. This is how he looks now, and it would be his appearance when you first meet him at the grocery store in Part 2.

Appearance (for visually impaired followers): Jude is a man with dark hair and olive skin and wears a makeshift ghillie suit made of cardboard, cans, plastic bags, and assorted trash.

Outbreak Scenario 24

You’ve been alone for weeks, moving cautiously through abandoned towns. Supplies are running low. Just when you start to feel hunger and loneliness creeping in, you come across a small group camped in an old church.

Their leader, a tall man named Ross, offers you food and the opportunity to join them. As the days pass, you travel with them, sharing stories and hunting small game. They’re organized, resourceful, even friendly.

But on the second night, everything changes. You ...

Schedule for July, 2025

If you haven't checked out my latest newsletter, it is now open to every member.

7/3 -- Outbreak scenario poll (Free tier)

7/4 -- Zombie Exodus: Side Stories (MC POV) scene 11. ($3+ tiers)

7/6 -- Content Sneak Peek ($3+ tiers)

7/9 -- Game updates (Free tier)

7/12 -- Content Sneak Peek ($1+ tiers)

7/16 -- Zombie Exodus: Side Stories (MC POV) scene 12. ($3+ tier...

ZE Outbreak Novel, Chapter 4

continued from chapter 3

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

The alarm blared at 6 AM, jolting me awake. I was glad for the habits of life, because there was no time to waste. I rolled out of bed, grabbed a banana from the kitchen, and ate it in a few quick. It was time to leave.

I slipped my Glock 17, already loaded, into the front of my pants, the holster clipped to my belt. I c...

Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven, Part 4 Content Sneak Peek

It's been hard to keep up with everything this month but I just added a new part for people romancing Bailey. Below is a scene I added to chapter 14 if you happened to see Bailey the day before when she was high.

---

"Let's talk about yesterday. I'm worried about you. You were so out of it. What did you take?"

Bailey draws away from you, sits up, and wraps her arms around herself. You now see she is wearing a thin pink camisole and lacy underwear. "It was just a few Oxy. Why...

Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven Part 4 Test Version (June 25, 2025)

Here's the link:

Test version (click here)

Part 4 is over 907,000 words! Please check the log notes after loading the page above.

On CoGDemos, you must create a free account to save your game!

Guidelines

• Please do not share details outside of here.

• Keep all comments in this thread.

• Good feedback is s...

  2025-06-25 22:08:30 +0000 UTC View Post

Games by JimD Newsletter – Game Updates, Schedule

Welcome to my 92nd newsletter! As some of you know, I was admitted to the hospital on Monday, June 9, and was discharged on Saturday, June 14. I had bleeding in my stomach and had to have numerous diagnostic tests. Everything went fine, but it was a tough week to say the least. Recovery has been slow, but I work on ZE:SH daily. I’m not that far off from my normal word count, but I lost almost a full week of work.

That said, I’m trying to stick to my plan to send Part 4 to my editor ...

MC POV - Interactive Story - 10

Continued from scene 9

You step forward slowly, raising a calming hand. "Hey, I'm here to help."

The woman jerks in surprise, turning quickly toward you. Her eyes are wide, red-rimmed, tears streaking through dirt smudges on her cheeks. She sniffles sharply, taking a shaky breath.

"Oh God, who are you?" Her voice trembles. "Please…my son's locked in there."

"Let me see your...

Writing Updates

It has been a rough few weeks. Last Monday (6/9), I had to go to the hospital due to bleeding in my stomach. It took days for them to figure out the issue, and I had an emergency procedure. I will have to do more tests and likely have another outpatient procedure, but at least the worst is over. I am recovering at home and will catch up on work over the next few weeks.

Before I went into the hospital, I wrote consistently and got a lot of content done. Below is a bit of discussion on my...

Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven, Part 4 Content Sneak Peek

In chapter 14, if you have Benton captured, you have the option of letting him out of his cell and letting him get some yard time. Below is the scene.

Benton stands in the yard, his ankles bound with a rope long enough to let him shuffle but not stray far. His wrists are locked in handcuffs, and his shoulders slump. Sweat beads on his brow, and his hair hangs in limp, straw-colored clumps. He chews the end of a plastic straw, jaw working slow and tight. His shoulders sag and his ...

MC POV - Interactive Story - 9

Continued from scene 8

You lead Jessica quietly up the stairs, careful to step near the edges to avoid any creaking. At the top, you peer around the corner. Down the hall, a woman stands hunched over near a closed bathroom door. Her blonde hair hangs loose and tangled around her face, strands damp with sweat. Blood spatters darken the front of her shirt, small droplets smeared across her jeans...

Outbreak Scenario 23

It’s been a year since the outbreak began. A few weeks ago, your settlement was attacked. You were out on a scavenging run. When you returned, there was nothing left but ash and corpses.

You’ve been alone, surviving on scraps. Then, three days ago, you saw smoke. Following it, you came upon a functioning settlement.

It’s built around a fortified pre-outbreak campus with thick concrete walls, solar panels, windmills, and freshwater wells. They have animals and farms and seem ...