Twine
Twine is an open-source tool for creating interactive, nonlinear stories and games. It allows users to create 'passages' of text or images that link together into branching narratives without needing to write code.
interactive-fiction
text-adventure
nonlinear-narrative
branching-story
Twine: Open-Source Storytelling Tool
Explore nonlinear stories and games with Twine, an open-source tool that allows users to create branching narratives without coding.
What is Twine?
Twine is an open-source software tool originally created by Chris Klimas in 2009 for easily creating interactive and nonlinear textual stories, RPGs, adventure games, or interactive fiction games. The stories created in Twine consist of textual 'passages' that link together into branching or looping narratives based on user choices.
A key advantage of Twine is its simplicity and ease of use - it uses a visual editor for creating passages and connecting them without needing to write any code. This makes Twine accessible for beginners and non-programmers to create complex interactive narratives. Stories and games made in Twine export to web-ready HTML files that can be easily shared online or on various platforms.
Over the years, Twine has grown into a popular tool with a vibrant community. It supports custom CSS, variables, conditional logic, images, multimedia, and other advanced features through story formats and JavaScript scripting. There is also a healthy ecosystem of external libraries, formats, and tools that further extend Twine's capabilities. Overall, Twine provides a flexible and user-friendly way for authors to bring their nonlinear, interactive stories to life.
Twine Features
Features
- Visual editor for creating passages and connecting them
- Support for text, images, CSS, JavaScript
- Export stories to web, desktop apps, or ebook formats
- Collaborative editing and version control
- Plugin architecture to extend functionality
Pricing
- Free
- Open Source
Pros
Easy to learn and use
Very flexible for different types of interactive stories
Completely free and open source
Active community support
Cross-platform compatibility
Cons
Limited built-in game mechanics
Not ideal for complex games or large projects
Web export can be tricky for some features
Collaborative editing features are basic
Steep learning curve for programming custom features
Official Links
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