Black Tabby Games recently released the first episode of Scarlet Hollow, a horror visual novel and choice-driven adventure game set in the mountains of Appalachia. After the initial release, they put up a Linux version too!

It's made by the award-winning graphic novelist Abby Howard whose previously works include the comics of 2013: The Last Halloween, Junior Scientist Power Hour and The Last Halloween - all of which had very successful Kickstarter campaigns. Scarlet Hollow will have hand-drawn backgrounds mixed with animated sprites together with a "complex relationship system to bring to life an immersive world of charming (and terrifying) characters".

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Your choices are supposed to matter here and while I haven't seen exactly how far that goes, the character build options you get to pick were interesting in how it affected conversations and actions. With my own play-through I picked the Powerful Build option, which definitely made for some amusement. I was also able to partially intimidate an annoying person on the bus thanks to it, who ended up giving me a bag of…dripping peanuts? Well, Protein is Protein. Oh there's an old smelly takeaway in the fringe? Well Protein is Protein - gotta stay buff. Wait isn't this a horror? Some of the writing made me laugh but I don't want to spoil too much more.

Looks like it's going to be a fun series if this first episode is anything to go by. Great music, some wonderful artwork and with a really good atmosphere too. I don't often manage to get sucked in with visual novels but this is great. Seems users on Steam agree with is getting a Very Positive rating so soon after release.

You can play the full first episode free on Steam , with a Kickstarter campaign launching October 1 for the rest. We'll follow along and let you know how it goes.

More FMV goodness? Yes please. Bloody Service mixes in a visual novel with an FMV (full motion video) to bring an intriguing mix that the developer says is a "dark, wild and unsettling love letter to 80's slashers".

Bloody Service is set in an exclusive Hilltop Tennis Club, one where the rich owner recently died, who happened to have conjoined twins. They appear to be heavily disliked and bullied, pushed aside, fortune taken away and so of course they're now going to be out for a little bit of crazy revenge.

Weeks later during a party the twins weren't invited to — they show up. From there, it seems everything goes downhill.

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In Bloody Service you are a catering waiter "serving rich people in an exclusive and quite boring party". However, things quickly get interesting when "the conjoined twins arrive". The developer says it mixes in horror fiction and FMV with a "coming-of-age" tale and some gruesome deaths. There's also some apparent clever one-liners related to tennis.

Note: the developer confirmed Linux support to us on Twitter. Feature Highlight:

• Cinematic Experience: Horror Visual Novel with full FMV support.
• Multiple Endings: Death is important in slashers, right?
• Innovative Inventory System: Slots used to keep items have an impact on narrative outcomes.

You can follow Bloody Service on Steam where it should hopefully release in October.

Developer Draw Distance has confirmed that Vampire: The Masquerade - Shadows of New York will be release on September 10, and it will come with full Linux PC support.

This is a standalone companion game to the previous title, Coteries of New York. So you don't need to have played it, although there is a small amount of crossover. Good to see Draw Distance continue Linux support after getting their tech ready with Coteries. Continuing the same gameplay found in Coteries, Shadows of New York is very much a visual novel, a fantastic look one too with some great artwork. Check out the gameplay trailer below:

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As the name might suggest, it's set in the same shared universe as other titles including World of Darkness, Bloodlines 2, Redemption and more. However, it's not mixing in with other games in this universe as its very much its own tale. In Shadows of New York you're an outcast, even in your own vampiric sect. However, when New York’s Anarch leader meets a gruesome end, out of all the bloodsuckers in the metropolis, you’re the one picked to investigate pulling you back in.

Feature Highlight:

• A visual novel tackling themes of personal and political horror, suitable for both Vampire: The Masquerade veterans, and fans of narrative-driven games who are newcomers to the setting.
• A stand-alone expansion to Coteries of New York. See the familiar metropolis through entirely different eyes. Expect new characters, new locations and a fresh original soundtrack.
• Play as a member of the Lasombra clan. Formerly vicious foes of the Camarilla, the Magisters decided to search for safety in the ranks of their former enemies. Master the shadows and communicate with the inhabitants of the Other Side, but beware – Oblivion is always lurking out there, ready to devour you whole.
• Explore the streets of the Big Apple. While you search for ways to satiate your bloodthirst, catch glimpses of various fascinating vignettes and forge connections with the eccentric inhabitants of the city. One playthrough won’t be enough to see it all.
• Shape your mind, shape your fate. You used to avoid defining yourself and tried to stay neutral, but given your situation, you can no longer afford to do so. The choices you make will alter the way you think, and your thinking will alter the paths you take.

Shadows of New York should be available around 7 PM CEST / 6 PM BST / 10 AM PT on GOG and Steam .

Mixing up the visual novel genre with a little management and plenty of politics, For the People from Brezg Studio is out now with Linux PC support. As a young and spunky graduate you're shoehorned into leading Iron-1, one of the many towns spread across a fictional communist country. With big shoes to fill and plenty of problems to solve, along with talk on unrest, it's up to your to solve the issues of the people.

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Very much a visual novel, one to get if you like a bit of political mystery and revolutions. That's mixed in with some reasonably light decision-based mechanics, where you need to weigh up various choices against your funding and how the political party feels about you. Don't expect a lot of depth to any of the management parts of the game, they're all quite light and don't seem to have a lot of meaning, it's more about going through the story. Quite short too, can be finished within single digit hours.

Feature Highlight:

• Develop a taste for power - Manage the appeals for justice from your citizens, grant or dismiss requests from subject departments, and untangle a web of political intrigue. Information is your most valuable resource, so do not be afraid to obtain it by any means necessary!
• Always be two steps ahead - Every district in Iron-1 needs your help, but with a limited budget, you cannot help everyone. Strategically distribute resources to the people to earn their trust and increase your influence over them.
• Over 5 possible endings - Every decision has a consequence. You will need to balance the interests of the party, the future of the country, and the very livelihood of your citizens. So, whose side will you really be on?

You can buy it on Humble Store and Steam .