Yarn Spinner
Yarn Spinner is an open-source dialog engine for games. It allows developers to write character dialogue in YAML files and integrate it into Unity games using C# code. Key features include a node-based conversation editor, localization support, and options for branching dialog.
dialogue-system
game-engine
unity
localization
open-source
Yarn Spinner: Open-Source Dialog Engine for Games
Yarn Spinner is an open-source dialog engine for games. It allows developers to write character dialogue in YAML files and integrate it into Unity games using C# code. Key features include a node-based conversation editor, localization support, and options for branching dialog.
What is Yarn Spinner?
Yarn Spinner is an open-source dialog engine designed specifically for narrative-heavy games built in Unity. It provides a framework for writers to author conversational dialogue using a YAML-based scripting language. Developers can then integrate the serialized dialogue into their Unity projects using the Yarn Spinner C# library.
Some key features and benefits of Yarn Spinner include:
- A visual node-based editor for constructing dialogue graphs and branching conversations
- Support for localizing dialogue into multiple languages
- Tags for checking game state and variables to enable contextual and dynamic dialog
- Options for integrating dialog with animations, audio, and other game systems
- An active open-source community providing support and continuing development
By separating the writing from the code, Yarn Spinner enables writers and developers to work independently. This makes iterating on story and dialogue faster compared to hard-coding conversations. It has become a popular option for narrative games built in Unity that have significant amounts of dialog and character interaction.
Yarn Spinner Features
Features
- Node-based visual editor for writing dialog conversations
- Support for branching and conditional dialog
- Localization system for translating dialog to multiple languages
- Integration with Unity using C# scripts
- Dialog playback system at runtime
- Open source and free to use
Pricing
- Open Source
- Free
Pros
Makes writing and organizing dialog easier with visual editor
Powerful options for complex dialog with branches and conditions
Good localization support out of the box
Integrates smoothly into Unity workflow
Active open source community
Cons
Limited documentation for some advanced features
Visual editor can be tricky for complex dialog
Requires coding for runtime integration
Not as full-featured as commercial alternatives
Official Links
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