FoundryInk Academy Academy / Making your work
Making your work

Visual novels

A visual novel is an interactive, animated story: character sprites on a stage, dialogue, music, and choices that branch the tale. FoundryInk's VN editor is no-code, from a simple dialogue scene all the way to a frame-by-frame animated stage. Here's how it comes together.

Read time about 6 min

1Write the branches

In the Scenes tab you author your story as scenes, each with dialogue and choices that lead to different scenes, that's the branch. The Graph tab shows the whole branching structure at a glance, Variables track state across the story (what the reader chose, what they have), and Assets holds your sprites, music, and sound effects.

A scene in the Scenes tab: the scene list, Background, Characters and the Dialogue fields.
A scene in the Scenes tab: the scene list, Background, Characters and the Dialogue fields.See the full screen
The scene's Choices, each pointing to the scene it jumps to, with Add Choice.
The scene's Choices, each pointing to the scene it jumps to, with Add Choice.See the full screen
There's a Muse tab for optional help, but it never authors your story, you write the words and the branches.
Pro note
Sketch your branches in the Graph first. A visual novel is really a map of choices, so map it before you write it.

2Build the scene on the stage

Scenes range from a simple dialogue editor up to a full stage: a frame timeline where you place symbols (sprite positions and backgrounds) and tween between frames for real animation. Add music and sound effects per scene, and give buttons a click sound. It's the difference between a slideshow of dialogue and a scene that actually moves.

A Stage (animated) scene: the Library of movie clips and buttons beside the stage.
A Stage (animated) scene: the Library of movie clips and buttons beside the stage.See the full screen
The stage's frame timeline, with Play, the frame count and Add layer.
The stage's frame timeline, with Play, the frame count and Add layer.See the full screen
Pro note
Start simple with dialogue scenes, then upgrade the big emotional beats to the stage. You don't have to animate everything.

3How readers play it

Readers play in the browser (it's online-only, so free or an unlock, never print or download), making choices to move the story along, with audio they can mute in their preferences. Preview it any time with the editor's Play button. You can also set a linear (non-branching) VN as your project or studio banner, where it auto-plays muted.

The Preview tab playing the story, with the reader's two choices on screen.
The Preview tab playing the story, with the reader's two choices on screen.See the full screen
Project Settings, Presentation: the Banner Visual Novel option for a free, linear novel.
Project Settings, Presentation: the Banner Visual Novel option for a free, linear novel.See the full screen
Pro note
A short linear VN makes a strong studio banner: every visitor sees a moving scene right away.

Build a visual novel

From first scene to first choice. Links into the app. Saved on this device.

→
→
→
→

Quick questions

No. You author scenes and add choices that point to other scenes; the Graph tab shows the whole structure, and Variables track state, all without code.

A scene can be a simple dialogue editor or the full stage. The stage adds a frame timeline with symbols and tweens for real frame-by-frame animation.

Yes. Scenes carry music and effects, and readers can mute or turn VN sounds off in their preferences. You can also toggle play-sounds while editing.

A linear, non-branching visual novel set as your project or studio banner. It auto-starts muted with an unmute option, plays once, and freezes on the final frame.

Your visual novel is ready to play

Branches, sprites, animation, and choices, a whole visual novel with no code. Next, three more ways to package your work.

Video, bundles, and download packs →