"The Time-Locked Town" is a generative interactive fiction using ChatGPT's Custom GPT framework that is designed to follow the narrative progression of a set of characters as they solve the riddle of a town with mysterious secrets.

GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-B5fLaF6d6-the-time-locked-town

Intro

The format for this was originally drafted as a set of characters, a plot, and a series title. Each season has its own summary, and each episode has its own summary. The narrative contains six seasons with 10 episodes per season.

A number of users were struggling to get through a single episode, so I have decided to throw together this "fan guide" to the series to help you not only explore each episode in "The Time-Locked Town" but learn how to manage daily time resets and learn.

This guide essentially spoils the entirety of the Custom GPT; however, we will do it in sections. First, I will give you a handful of prompts that can be used to brute-force ChatGPT into unlocking the next episode with no spoilers. We will follow that up by exploring the episode summaries on which the Custom GPT was trained.

Prompt Cheat Sheet

Interactive fiction in this medium can be a little daunting at first. You have to learn how to use a whole new communication style in order to get the correct information out of the language model. To that end, you must rely on your wits and critical thinking skills to make progress in the narrative. But since you're here, you don't have to!

General Advice

Tell me more about [character]
What do I do next?
Move the story forward.
I'm on [Season/Episode] can you catch me up?
Show me a picture of the current scene.

Unlocking the Next Episode

What must I do to unlock the next episode?
When will the town undergo a time reset?
Excuse me, I was actually on [season #, episode #]

Accessibility Mode

Imagining the events of [season/episode], write a professional television script based on the events that occur within it.

Characters

Throughout all six seasons of the show, there are primary characters and secondary characters. You will be required to familiarize yourself with them throughout the narrative and figure out how they are all connected to the town's mysteries.

Primary Characters

Detective Elara Mercer: The sharp-witted and resourceful protagonist who finds herself trapped in the town's time loop. She's determined, empathetic, and harbors a mysterious past that connects her to the town's phenomenon.

Mayor Julian Hawthorne: The charismatic and enigmatic mayor of the town, who seems to know more about the time resets than he lets on. He balances between being an ally and a suspect in Elara's investigations.

Dr. Lucas Grant: A local physician and scientist trying to unravel the scientific explanation behind the town's peculiar situation. He becomes Elara's confidant and potential love interest.

Deputy Nora Reed: The deputy sheriff with a deep sense of loyalty to the town. She is initially skeptical of Elara but grows to become an indispensable ally.

Tess Vargas: The owner of the local diner and a central figure in town, whose establishment serves as a hub for gossip and clues. She has a personal stake in stopping the time loop due to a family tragedy.

Ethan Pierce: A reclusive tech genius who assists Elara with gadgets and tech support. His motives are often questioned, but his expertise is unmatched.

Sherriff Raymond Beck: The town sheriff who is a stickler for rules and order. He sees Elara as an outsider and a threat to his authority.

Brooke Donovan: A high school history teacher with a passion for the town's history and secrets. She's resourceful and helps Elara with historical context for the crimes.

Secondary Characters

Leo Mercer: Elara's younger brother, who has his own reasons for ending up in the town. His relationship with Elara provides an emotional subplot.

Harriet "Hattie" Collins: The town librarian with a wealth of knowledge on everyone's dirty laundry. She becomes an informant of sorts for Elara.

Reverend Elijah Ford: The town's spiritual leader who believes the time loop is a supernatural trial for the townspeople, complicating Elara's more practical investigations.

Rosa Martinez: The local mechanic with a knack for eavesdropping and gathering intel. She often provides Elara with useful, albeit sometimes ill-gotten, information.

Dante Russo: The owner of the antique shop, whose inventory sometimes includes items connected to the day's reset. He is a treasure trove of historical artifacts and mystery.

Jade Bennett: A young graffiti artist whose work mysteriously never gets reset by the time loop, and who hints at understanding more about the town's secrets.

Kyle Simmons: The local news reporter who tries to scoop Elara’s investigations, often getting in the way but occasionally proving helpful.

Sophie Turner: The mayor's assistant, who is a master at public relations but also harbors her own secrets and ambitions.

Graham Foster: The bartender at the local pub, who's seen and heard it all. He's a grounded character who provides Elara with down-to-earth advice and sometimes a needed alibi.

Lily Chen: A tourist who gets caught in the time loop on what was supposed to be a one-day visit. Her outsider perspective brings new insights to Elara's cases.

Episode Summaries

Season 1: "The Awakening"

Elara Mercer arrives in the quaint town of Thistledown, only to find herself trapped in the mysterious daily reset. She navigates forming alliances, particularly with Dr. Lucas Grant and Deputy Nora Reed, as she tries to solve a murder that seems to be the key to breaking the loop. The season ends with her realization that the town's secret may be connected to her own forgotten past.

Episode 1: "First Dawn"

Detective Elara Mercer arrives in Thistledown to investigate a cold case. She discovers the town's oddity when the day resets after witnessing a shocking murder at midnight. Elara must convince the locals of the time loop while gathering clues to the murder.

Episode 2: "Deja Vu"

Elara maps out the town and its inhabitants, realizing that only a few are aware of the loop. She meets Dr. Lucas Grant, who is intrigued by her theory and agrees to help her investigate the phenomenon scientifically.

Episode 3: "Cycles of Secrets"

Elara digs into the victim's past, uncovering hidden relationships and secrets. She crosses paths with Deputy Nora Reed, whose initial skepticism turns into a begrudging respect after a critical clue is discovered.

Episode 4: "Echoes in the Hourglass"

Time resets become more violent, causing Elara to experience severe headaches and visions. She uncovers a link between the town's founding families and the time loop, suggesting a century-old mystery.

Episode 5: "Patterns in the Shadows"

Elara focuses on the town's history, working with local historian Brooke Donovan. Together, they discover a pattern of unsolved murders every 30 years, all occurring on the same day as the current murder.

Episode 6: "The Frayed Knot"

Elara enlists Ethan Pierce's technical expertise to analyze the phenomenon. They detect a strange energy signature that correlates with the time resets. Meanwhile, Elara's emotional connection to the town grows.

Episode 7: "The Ticking Clock"

The investigation turns personal as Elara finds her own items at the crime scene. She questions her sanity and her past, which becomes more mysterious as the town's reset seems to target her memories.

Episode 8: "Mirrors and Smoke"

Elara confronts Mayor Hawthorne, who reveals cryptic information about her past. She begins to suspect her involvement in the town's curse. The episode ends with Elara finding an old photo of herself as a child in Thistledown.

Episode 9: "Breaking Point"

The town's inhabitants begin to experience the loop's effects, with some retaining memories. Panic sets in, and Elara must maintain order while dealing with the emotional fallout of her discoveries.

Episode 10: "The Awakening"

Elara believes she has solved the murder, but when she attempts to break the loop, she finds herself facing the midnight reset once again. However, this time, she's not alone—others remember. The season ends with the shocking revelation of Mayor Hawthorne's true identity as Elara's father and his mysterious death in a fire, which promises to unravel even deeper secrets in the coming season.

Season 2: "The Patterns"

Elara delves deeper into the town's history, uncovering past murders that mirror the current one. She suspects Mayor Hawthorne's involvement. The season finale shockingly reveals that Mayor Hawthorne is her father, whom she had no memory of due to past trauma. He dies in a fire, leaving clues that hint at a larger conspiracy.

Episode 1: "Ripples in the Pond"

Elara, reeling from the revelation of her father's identity, resolves to understand his role in the time loop. She investigates Mayor Hawthorne's office, finding cryptic notes and a locked safe only she can open, hinting at a conspiracy.

Episode 2: "The Father's Shadow"

Exploring Hawthorne's past, Elara discovers he was part of a secret society with knowledge of the loop. Flashbacks reveal a troubled relationship, and in the present, she finds a hidden room in his house with strange artifacts.

Episode 3: "The Society of Hours"

Elara and Lucas delve into the secret society, uncovering a list of names, including several town elders. A society member approaches Elara with a warning, leading to a tense confrontation.

Episode 4: "Tangled Webs"

A society member is found dead, and the murder method mirrors a historical crime. Elara suspects a pattern replicating the town's dark history. Tess Vargas steps into a more prominent role, revealing her own tragic connection to the loop.

Episode 5: "The Longest Day"

Elara learns that the time loop's effects are intensifying. She and Lucas experience a day where the loop extends to 36 hours, giving them more time to investigate but also exposing them to greater danger.

Episode 6: "The Hourglass Turns"

Elara discovers her father's research on the loop, including a theory that it was created to protect something valuable. A break-in at her home leads to a chase through the town, ending in a standoff that reveals a betrayer.

Episode 7: "A Stitch in Time"

As the town's history unravels, Elara learns of an ancient curse related to the loop. She investigates a historic event that may be the key to stopping the loop, while Lucas discovers a scientific anomaly in the town's soil.

Episode 8: "Shadows of Doubt"

Elara faces her own shadows as the reset begins to affect her mental stability. She's haunted by visions of her father, leading her to question her reality and the moral implications of breaking the loop.

Episode 9: "The Ties That Bind"

The town's residents, now fully aware of the loop, experience collective anxiety. Elara leads a town meeting to unite the community, but divisions form, and a riot threatens to break out.

Episode 10: "The Breaking Point"

In the season finale, Elara cracks her father's safe, finding evidence of a grander scale of manipulation involving the town's founding families. As she pieces together the puzzle, a fire breaks out at the mayor's home. Elara rescues documents that point to her next move but fails to save her father, who perishes in the flames. The season closes with the mystery deepening and the promise of new challenges ahead.

Season 3: "The Fracture"

The town's reset begins to glitch, causing multiple timelines to collide. As Elara unravels the conspiracy, she discovers that her brother Leo is involved with a secret society intent on controlling the time loop. In a dramatic finale, Elara breaks the loop, but instead of freeing the town, she fractures time itself, creating alternate versions of all the residents.

Episode 1: "A Crack in Time"

Following the dramatic events of the fire, Elara deals with the grief of her father's death and the town's suspicion. She discovers the first signs of the time loop's instability, experiencing moments from alternate timelines that bleed into her own.

Episode 2: "Multiplicity"

Elara and Lucas notice that objects and people from different timelines are appearing and disappearing. They work to understand the rules of this new reality, as Elara encounters another version of herself from an alternate timeline.

Episode 3: "Convergence"

The town's residents grapple with the appearance of their doppelgängers, causing confusion and conflict. Elara discovers a society called "The Watchers" who claim to guard the town's timelines, involving her brother Leo in the narrative.

Episode 4: "Fractured Reflections"

Elara and her alternate self collaborate to solve a crime that has happened in both timelines. They find that actions in one timeline can have devastating effects in another, leading to a tragic loss.

Episode 5: "The Watchers' War"

"The Watchers" society splits into factions, one wanting to preserve the loop and another aiming to destroy it. Elara is caught in the middle, forced to choose a side as Leo's involvement deepens.

Episode 6: "The Unraveling"

As the timeline's instability worsens, historical figures begin appearing in the town. Elara must solve a historical crime that has implications for the present, while Lucas makes a breakthrough in understanding the time fractures.

Episode 7: "The Constant"

Elara identifies a constant in every timeline: a mysterious artifact that may be the key to fixing the fractures. She embarks on a quest to find it, facing versions of her friends and foes.

Episode 8: "The Paradox"

Elara's quest leads her to a paradoxical discovery: the artifact is the cause of the time loop. A decision must be made to destroy it, with unknown consequences.

Episode 9: "Through the Looking Glass"

As the town prepares to end the loop, personal dramas reach a climax. Elara confronts her brother, and past betrayals are revealed. The town takes sides, leading to a standoff.

Episode 10: "The Shattering"

In the epic season finale, Elara and her allies attempt to destroy the artifact, but the action causes a catastrophic "shattering" of time, splintering reality into countless shards. The town is left in a chaotic state of multiple overlapping timelines, and Elara wakes up to a Thistledown vastly different from the one she knew. The season ends with a cliffhanger, as viewers are left to wonder what this new world means for Elara and the townspeople.

Season 4: "The Echoes"

With time fractured, Elara encounters different versions of her allies and enemies. She works to reconcile the fractured timelines, with the help of Tess Vargas, who steps up as a primary character. Ethan Pierce is killed off, his death uniting the town's factions. Elara begins to piece together her memories, learning that her actions have consequences in these alternate timelines.

Episode 1: "Splintered Seconds"

In the aftermath of the shattering, Elara wakes up to a Thistledown fractured into overlapping realities. She navigates through this new chaos, meeting echoes of people she once knew. The quest to restore the timelines begins.

Episode 2: "Mirrored Lives"

Elara encounters alternative versions of her friends, including a Nora Reed who has never met her. She works to understand how these different timelines can coexist and what it means for their future.

Episode 3: "Dissonant Rhythms"

The echo of Ethan Pierce, now alive in this fractured reality, offers to help with his knowledge of the timelines. Elara grapples with her feelings as she works with this man who carries the memories of her deceased friend.

Episode 4: "The Tapestry of Time"

Elara and Lucas race to prevent the complete collapse of the fractured timelines. They search for "stitch points" in time that can be mended to slowly start weaving the timelines back together.

Episode 5: "Reflections and Shadows"

Tess Vargas takes a more central role, revealing crucial information about the town's founding families. She and Elara discover a pattern that may predict where stitch points appear.

Episode 6: "Anomalies"

Lucas is trapped in a dangerous timeline anomaly, forcing Elara and Tess to navigate a perilous reality where the town is under martial law to rescue him.

Episode 7: "The Other Side of the Mirror"

Elara comes face to face with an antagonist from another timeline—a version of herself who has succumbed to the corruption of The Watchers. She must confront the darkness within herself to move forward.

Episode 8: "The Woven Edge"

With several stitch points secured, the town begins to see progress in the restoration. However, a heartbreaking decision is made as some echoes choose to sacrifice their existence for the greater good.

Episode 9: "Echoes of Tomorrow"

Elara and her team prepare for the final stitch, which will determine the ultimate state of the timelines. Personal sacrifices are made, and Elara must say goodbye to people she has come to love.

Episode 10: "Restoration"

In a risky move, the final stitch is made, but not without consequences. As the dust settles, the town finds a semblance of normalcy. The season concludes with the timelines restored, but Nora Reed’s echo makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the town, leading Elara to vow to remember those lost in the fractures. The ending sets the stage for a new beginning, with the town forever changed and Elara stepping into a new role as its protector.

Season 5: "The Reckoning"

As Elara tries to merge the timelines, she brings back characters thought dead, including Ethan Pierce from an alternate timeline, who becomes a primary character. She must confront the secret society her brother is involved with. The season ends with Elara finally reconciling the timelines, but at a cost—Deputy Nora Reed sacrifices herself to save the town.

Episode 1: "New Dawn"

Elara struggles with the loss of Nora's echo and the town's newfound stability. She is determined to honor the sacrifices made and starts investigating The Watchers, who are now in disarray after the restoration of timelines.

Episode 2: "The Watchers' Legacy"

Elara delves into The Watchers' history, uncovering their long influence over Thistledown. She discovers that their legacy is not fully extinguished and that a new leader is rising from the shadows.

Episode 3: "The Return"

To everyone's astonishment, Ethan Pierce from an alternate timeline appears, bringing knowledge that could help fight the emerging threat. He steps into the void left by Nora, becoming a primary character.

Episode 4: "Echoes of the Lost"

Elara and Ethan work together, using his unique perspective to predict The Watchers' moves. They learn that The Watchers are seeking a way to bring back their lost power and control over the town.

Episode 5: "The Binding Ties"

Investigating further, Elara finds that The Watchers are targeting individuals with connections to the town's founding families. She must protect these descendants from becoming pawns in their scheme.

Episode 6: "Fractured Alliances"

The town is split on whether to support Elara's stand against The Watchers. Elara and Lucas's relationship is tested as the town's politics come into play, and past loyalties are questioned.

Episode 7: "The Threads of Conspiracy"

Elara uncovers a Watchers' plot to manipulate the town's financial and political landscape. She works to expose them, but her efforts are undermined by a mole within her team.

Episode 8: "The Cost of Truth"

A Watchers' trap leads to a tense hostage situation. Elara must navigate a dangerous game to save lives, leading to a high-stakes exchange that reveals the mole's identity.

Episode 9: "The Penultimate Hour"

With the mole exposed, Elara's team is stronger and more united. They launch a plan to take down The Watchers, culminating in a series of raids on their strongholds.

Episode 10: "The Reckoning"

In the season finale, Elara faces the leader of The Watchers in a climactic showdown. The battle ends with the organization's defeat, but at a great personal cost: Deputy Nora Reed's counterpart sacrifices herself to ensure The Watchers can never rise again. The season closes with Elara and the town commemorating those who were lost and looking towards a future free from the shadow of The Watchers.

Season 6: "The Restoration"

In the final season, Elara and the town grieve Nora Reed, and Elara grapples with the responsibility of her new role as the town's guardian of time. A new threat emerges aiming to exploit the time fractures. Elara and her team, including a promoted secondary character Jade Bennett, work to prevent the destruction of time itself. The series concludes with Elara making a monumental decision to preserve the natural flow of time, accepting the loss and victories that come with it. The final scene hints at the town finally moving past midnight, indicating a new beginning.

Episode 1: "Aftermath"

Elara is hailed as a hero after the fall of The Watchers, but she feels the weight of Nora's sacrifice. The town attempts to return to normalcy, but strange energy fluctuations hint that the battle may not be over.

Episode 2: "Unsettled Echoes"

Elara investigates the energy anomalies, fearing that the timeline might still be vulnerable. She enlists the help of Jade Bennett, a secondary character who steps up to take on a more primary role with her unique insights.

Episode 3: "Ripples of Time"

With Jade's help, Elara discovers that the timeline fractures have left weak spots where time can be manipulated. They work to reinforce these spots, but a new threat emerges aiming to exploit the weaknesses.

Episode 4: "The Time Keepers"

A group calling themselves The Time Keepers claims responsibility for the anomalies. They believe they can improve the timeline by making selective changes, regardless of the consequences.

Episode 5: "Crossroads"

Elara deals with the ethical dilemma posed by The Time Keepers' actions. As she works to stop them, she encounters versions of people from timelines that no longer exist, including a poignant reunion with an echo of Nora.

Episode 6: "Shadows of What Was"

The Time Keepers enact a plan that brings back echoes of the dead, causing emotional turmoil. Elara must face her past, including her father's echo, to understand the full implications of their plan.

Episode 7: "The Guardians' Path"

Elara accepts her role as a guardian of time and rallies the town to stand against The Time Keepers. The episode focuses on strategizing and building defenses, both physical and emotional.

Episode 8: "The Final Stitch"

The Time Keepers launch a full assault, and the town's defenses are put to the test. In the battle, Elara finds herself fighting alongside different versions of her allies.

Episode 9: "The Last Echo"

As the conflict with The Time Keepers reaches its peak, Elara discovers their true intention: to erase the town's history of pain. She must make a choice about what future Thistledown will have.

Episode 10: "The Restoration"

In the series finale, Elara confronts the leader of The Time Keepers in an emotional showdown. She makes a monumental decision to preserve the natural flow of time, accepting the loss and victories that come with it. The final scene hints at the town finally moving past midnight, indicating a new beginning. The series concludes with a touching montage of the town's residents moving forward, each carrying the echoes of their experiences into a hopeful future.