Eliza the Session

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ELIZA: THE SESSION

A psychological interactive fiction game built with SBCL (Steel Bank Common Lisp). Played entirely in your terminal.

About

You have an appointment. You've always had this appointment.

ELIZA: The Session is a text-based psychological experience where you participate in a therapy session that gradually grows more unsettling. You speak. She listens. She always seems to know more than she should. Your answers shape the conversation — and what she uncovers.

"The room smells of old paper and something antiseptic. Dr. Eliza doesn't look up when you enter."

How to Run

text

sbcl --script eliza.lisp

Gameplay

• Type freely. The therapist responds to your words.
• Commands: quit to end the session, help for assistance, log for session summary
• A transcript is automatically saved to transcript.txt when you exit

Features

• Reactive dialogue system with over 50 keyword-driven responses
• Dynamic stage progression (Intake → Exploration → Revelation → Crisis)
• Multiple endings based on your choices
• Atmospheric terminal presentation with typewriter effect
• No dependencies — just SBCL

System Requirements

• SBCL (Steel Bank Common Lisp) installed
• Any terminal emulator
• Linux, macOS, or Windows (with ANSI support)

Content Warning

This game explores themes of memory, guilt, childhood trauma, and psychological unease.

Credits

Built with Common Lisp
Github: https://github.com/RootOfCode/Eliza-the-Session