Branched stories · in v1, today

Some stories ask you
a question.

On certain CliffPop episodes the screen will present an option for you to make a choice. Two paths, both filmed. What plays next is up to you - but every branch was planned, written, and shot with intent. It’s a curated journey, with you holding one of the threads.

For viewers

Tap. The story responds.

No menus. No pause-the-action UI. Just a beat in the episode where the creator decided you should be the one to call it.

01

Watch like normal

Most of the time, you swipe through episodes the same way you always do. Branched series don’t feel like games or quizzes - they feel like television.

02

A Twist appears

At a moment the creator chose, the screen presents a choice. Two paths. A few seconds. No menus, no scoring - just the decision the story is asking of you.

03

The story listens

Your pick changes which episode plays next. Branches can diverge for a few episodes, run side-by-side, or rejoin further down the road - exactly as the writer planned.

04

Come back for the other path

Every branch is independently unlockable at the creator set token price. Watch one path now, the other later.

The Twist moment

Two doors. A few seconds.
The rest of the story.

When a Twist arrives, an overlay slides up over the lower third of the player. Two buttons, one stacked above the other. One is amber-outlined - the default, the creator’s suggested path if you don’t pick. The other shows its unlock cost in tokens, ready to take you somewhere new. Don’t tap? The default plays. Always a story; never a dead end.

For creators

Authored. Not algorithmic.

Forks are a directorial choice, not a feature the platform imposes. The branch the viewer takes is a branch you wrote, shot, and approved - same edit room, same colour pass, same standards.

01

Curated, not generative

Every branch is filmed, edited, and approved by you. CliffPop never invents an episode - the path the viewer takes is a path you wrote.

02

A filename convention, not a new workflow

Upload `S01E03a.mp4` and `S01E03b.mp4` alongside the rest. The platform recognises the suffix, flags the previous episode as a Twist, and wires the choice into the player. No separate tool to learn.

03

Branches earn like episodes

Each branched episode is a normal unlock at your series tier. Revenue share is identical to a linear episode. Forks are an additive feature, not a separate economy.

04

Plan the choice with intent

In the admin Twist Graph, set when the choice appears, label each option (“Open the letter” / “Burn it”), and pick a default branch for viewers who don’t tap in time. The audience always lands on a story you meant for them.

“A Twist isn’t a fork in the road - it’s a moment the story makes the audience complicit. We wrote both endings. Either one of them is the real one.”

- The shape of a CliffPop branched series

Reasonable questions

Do I have to make a choice?
No. If you don’t tap, the story falls through to the creator’s default branch. The series still plays end-to-end without you doing anything.
Is this a video game?
No. There’s no score, no win state, no inventory. It’s a piece of filmed drama where the next scene depends on a single decision - the same way a director sometimes shows you a moment and lets it sit.
Are branched episodes more expensive?
Not necessarily. Every episode cost is determined by the series creator. Branches are added on top of the base episode count - explore further, see more.
Will every series have Twists?
No, and that’s by design. Some stories are linear by nature. When a creator chooses to fork their series, you’ll see a small ↳ Twist marker - otherwise, expect a straight read.
Can I go back and try the other path?
Yes. The series page collapses branched siblings into a single fork chip; tap it to expand and unlock the path you didn’t take.

Make choices.
Find the other ending.

Branched series carry a small ↳ Twist marker on the watch page. The rest of the catalogue plays the way you expect - swipe, watch, finish. Either way, the cliff is the point.

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