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How to Make a Text-Based Game: Tips and Tools for Interactive Fiction

Jack

By Jack Lin

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How To Make A Text-Based Game

Do you want to make a text game of your own? If so, let us teach you how to make a text-based game.

These are some of the most amazing games that are filled with amusing in-game experience that keeps the player hooked up.

We’ve given some tips on how to make a text-based adventure game.

About Text-Based Games

Text-based games are also known as interactive games, where you make the players interact with the in-game text to make things interesting. They’re actually considered for people who prefer the gaming world more in comparison to reality.

If you’ve ever played games, then you would’ve thought of making one as well. Making an MMORPG or even a shooting game can be out of the league for anyone.

However, text-based games aren’t hard to make. You can also add twists as much as you like and upload them online for people to enjoy as well.

As much easier it is to make them, learning how to make a text-based adventure game is equally easier as well. Many amazing tools like Quest and ADRIFT still have an active community that can help you in creating these games as well.

Almost every tool has tutorials or at least a community to help them in learning how to make a text-based game.

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Components of the Text-Based Adventure Games

The main point of creating text-based adventure games is basically to make the player interact with the game with the help of the in-game text.

There are many ways you can always make the game interactive and interesting at the same time. Simultaneously, the more you add, the better it becomes. So, let’s take a lot at those.

  • Show off your game-making skills
  • Giving out random outcomes
  • Taking specific text input
  • Adding choices for the players

Top 7 Ways and Tools for Making Text-Based Adventure Games

Given below is a list of some of the best ways will teach you how to make a text-based game in the easiest way possible.

1. How To Make A Text-Based Adventure Game via Twine

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To create mind-blowing yet aesthetic adventure games, there is no requirement to be the king of coding languages. Twine provides you tools that one may need for starting interactive fiction very easily on the desktop in a single go.

You can easily get the app for creating and managing all the stories. These stories can also be exported from the web as well. Whenever you’re done with the work on your file, you can always share the HTML file on the browser.

Along with that, Twine also supports complex features like conditional logic and variation. Not only that, Twine supports various languages like CSS, JavaScript, and even images for letting your story into a well-standardized one.

To know more about Twine, you can also check out their official wiki. You can find a small informative guide that’s present to help people learn how to make a text-based adventure game. You can also learn various tricks just by being part of its community.

Download AvailabilityTwine is exclusively available on Mac, Windows, Web, and Linux

2. How To Make A Text-Based Adventure Game via Quest

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Quest is one of the special apps that don’t need you to have any sort of experience with the programming language. To implement various complex in-game logic along with supports, Quest gives some of the best built-in features that provide scripting language.

This helps in addition to images, sound, and video as well. It is also one of the reasons that it’s easier for people to learn how to make a text-based game.

This app is free-to-play software that has been licensed by MIT. Thus, you can not only download the given source code but also modify it according to your need.

Even if you’re not one of those who do these kinds of things, you might keep it. You can use it if the direction taken by Quest is not what you’re looking for on other occasions.

However, it is also one of those tools which have a large number of communities in the world of text-game that are currently active.

In case you’re also looking for a community, Quest’s community can be a perfect place for learning about how to make a text-based adventure game.

Download AvailabilityQuest is exclusively available on the Web and Windows (Free) only.

3. How To Make A Text-Based Adventure Game via Squiffy

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The Squiffy tool has been a hell of a game maker despite coming from the same developer team of Quest.

Squiffy marks a difference by focusing more on the storyline of the game when Quest is more about the inclusion of modern gamebooks and adventures.

Squiffy is designed by the same skilled team that designed Quest. However, both of these actually have a different reach toward making text-based games. Quest is majorly inclined toward writers who are planning to create mind-challenging.

It is for those people who are into producing intense levels of gamebooks or text adventure games. Apart from this, Squiffy is majorly focused on the in-game storyline.  

This is free and free-to-use software that has been helpful to various people who were troubled with how to make a text-based adventure game. People can also get full output games with the help of Squiffy, all in the form of JavaScript and HTML 5.

This will allow the person to upload that game on the web. It doesn’t matter which website you attach to; you can check textadventures.co.uk for a better understanding of the community as well. You can also try Adobe PhoneGap to turn that game of yours into the app.

Download AvailabilitySquiffy is exclusively available on Linux, Windows, and the Web.

4. How To Make A Text-Based Adventure Game via ADRIFT

How To Make A Text-Based Adventure Game via ADRIFT

ADRIFT is probably one of the oldest functions out there which can be used by the creators of text-based games.

There’s also a reason why it is still one of the best apps for creating text-based games. It doesn’t matter what kind of game you’re creating, even if it’s the non-trivial one. This app doesn’t need any sort of experience with programming.

This made a lot of things simpler for people, especially those who are trying to learn how to make a text-based adventure game.

The addition of drag-and-drop controlled through the GUI has actually added elegance to the user experience of this tool. This also means that it’ll allow dropping-down menus, folder navigation, and much more similar.

However, there’s also a downside to this app. The games created by this app only run upon using the Runner application of this tool. Even being a tool that’s available on cross-platform, it hasn’t been much of a convenience.

In addition, ADRIFT hasn’t received a single update since the year 2016, but you can always use the present feature it gives out.

Download AvailabilityADRIFT is exclusively available on Linux (Free) and Windows only.

5. How To Make A Text-Based Adventure Game via Inklewriter

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There’s also an app that is specially designed for people who are not sure whether they should commit to making tex games only. It is basically a web-based online tool that takes you along the whole process thoroughly with the help of interactive tutorials.

This also helps in understanding the app better as well. However, it is not equipped with smart features, but you sure go for the casual ones.

To understand the working of the tool, all you have to do is launch its website and start playing tutorials. These tutorials can be used to understand how to make a text-based adventure game better than anyone.

There’s also a special feature called Tutorial Story, which is not only good for taking you through the procedures but also with the creative mode for the branch.

As there is no code required to use the Inklewriter website, it is considered one of the best websites that will help you in understanding the concepts properly.

6. Inform

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Inform is basically free to use app that uses a programming language to help you in learning how to make a text-based game. This app comes with two special in-built books.

It has helped a lot of people, apart from giving an additional touch-up to the website. It is also filled with tutorials, Writing with Inform, and The Inform Recipe Book. That may not help you learn, but it can also be enjoyed significantly.

Tutorials are the major and better way for you to learn about the software. However, the recipe books portray how one can control various objects in text-based adventure games.

Apart from getting to access these books through this game development software, they are also available on the documentation page of the website.

A team of creators that stay linked with us through the “Interactive Fiction Community Forum” for fast learning. Raspberry Pi, along with FreeBSD, was actually released by the fans as well.

Download AvailabilityInform for macOS, Linux (Free), Raspberry Pi, FreeBSD, and Windows.

7. Ren’Py

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Ren’Py is one of the most polished yet popular text game makers among these tools. This app is not only used for interactive sessions for creating fantastic stories.

However, you can also use it the other way around by turning it into a pause-and-click text game which will be quite interesting.

This tool also contains a special text manual. Not only that, its tutorial gives you amazing insight on how to make a text-based game using Ren’Py.

To check out the extent of the usage of this particular tool, check out games on itch.io. These are games built with the help of Ren’py.

However, it will actually be too much to handle for any kind of beginner in the field of making games. In case you’re done with the storyline with the help of any other app but are currently looking for a tool to upgrade it, then Ren’py is for you.

Download AvailabilityRen’Py is exclusively available on iOS, Windows, Linux, Android, macOS, and Web-only.

FAQs

Q: Are text-based games only for experienced programmers?

A: Not at all! While programming knowledge can be beneficial, there are user-friendly tools and frameworks available that make text-based game development accessible to beginners as well.

Q: Can I include images or multimedia in my text-based game?

A: Text-based games primarily rely on written descriptions, but you can certainly incorporate ASCII art or other text-based visuals if desired. Keep in mind that the emphasis should remain on the textual experience.

Q: How long does it take to create a text-based game?

A: The time required to create a text-based game can vary significantly depending on the complexity of the game, your experience level, and the amount of time you can dedicate to the project. It can range from weeks to months or even longer.

Q: Can I monetize my text-based game?

A: Absolutely! You can monetize your game through various methods, such as selling it as a premium game, offering in-game purchases or subscriptions, or utilizing crowdfunding platforms to gather support from the community.

Q: Are there communities or forums dedicated to text-based game development?

A: Yes, there are communities and forums where you can connect with fellow text-based game enthusiasts, share your work, and seek advice. Interactive Fiction Community Forums and r/interactivefiction on Reddit are popular platforms to start with.

Conclusion

By using tools like ADRIFT and Inklewriter, creating text-based adventure games has become easier. All of them don’t even need any additional programming experience.

That makes it easier for someone to learn how to make a text-based game. If you’ve used any of these tools or have some additional tips and tricks, don’t forget to comment on them in the comments section below.

Jack
Jack

10 years of experience in information and computer technology. Passionate about electronic devices, smartphones, computers, and modern technology.

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