Twine
Twine is a free, open-source tool for creating interactive, nonlinear stories.
What Twine is
Twine is a free, open-source tool for creating interactive, nonlinear stories. You can start without code, then add variables, conditional logic, images, CSS, and JavaScript as a project develops. Twine is text-focused but also supports sound and video. Its built-in formats—Chapbook, Harlowe, Snowman, and SugarCube—provide different features and coding approaches. Twine works in a browser or through desktop packages for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It publishes stories as HTML files for web hosting or private sharing, and readers play them in a browser without installing extra software. The Cookbook includes guidance for publishing to Borogove.io and Itch.io and adding stories to IFDB. Reference material, documentation, tips, and examples support learning. Authors can use the Interactive Fiction Community Forum and Twine Discord. Stories made with Twine may be used for any purpose, including commercial purposes.
Good
- Starts with no-code story creation
- Publishes directly to HTML files
- Runs on desktop or in browsers
- Supports variables, logic, and multimedia
- Allows commercial use
Watch out
- Heavy multimedia workflows can feel awkward
- Multiplayer requires substantial programming knowledge
- No built-in team collaboration
Who it suits
Twine suits writers and creators who want branching stories without prior programming or game-making experience. It also supports authors who need code and multimedia as projects grow.
Verdict
Twine provides a flexible path from simple branching text to coded, multimedia interactive fiction. Its open-source licensing, HTML publishing, and browser play make sharing straightforward, while advanced multiplayer work needs programming knowledge.
Plans and prices
From Twine's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Twine | Free | Open-source story creation tool · free to use, including for commercial purposes |
The facts
Each one read from Twine's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Commercial use
- The site says anything created with Twine is free to use for any purpose, including commercial purposes.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Integrations and publishing destinations
- The Cookbook includes guides for publishing stories on Borogove.io and Itch.io and adding them to IFDB.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The reference says users do not need prior programming or game-making experience to succeed with Twine.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Learning resources
- Twine provides a reference guide to its editor and a Cookbook with documentation, tips, and examples.checked 8 Oct 2026
- No-code start
- Users can create a simple story without writing code, then add variables, conditional logic, images, CSS, and JavaScript.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Notable limits
- The reference says heavy multimedia workflows can feel awkward and that multiplayer play requires substantial programming knowledge.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Play requirements
- People can play published Twine stories in a browser without installing extra software.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Publishing
- Twine publishes stories directly to HTML files that can be uploaded to web hosting or shared privately.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Twine is an open-source tool for creating interactive, nonlinear stories.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Security and compliance
- The site links to separate Privacy Policy and Accessibility and Compliance pages, but those pages could not be opened during this research.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Story content
- Twine is text-focused and can also use images, sound, and video.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Story formats
- Built-in story formats include Chapbook, Harlowe, Snowman, and SugarCube, and the selected format determines available features and how code is written.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- The site points users to the Interactive Fiction Community Forum and Twine Discord for the author community.checked 8 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Desktop platforms
- Binary packages are available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, alongside a browser version.checked 8 Oct 2026
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