VisualInk

We got mentioned in a forum where someone was looking for a simple tool to create a #visualnovel, and the next reply was:

I tried this out a while back. It’s pretty cool!

So proud :sniff:

Next week, we'll be looking at how to track character attitudes in #visualnovels using Ink. To see the techniques in action, we'll be starting with a rendition of one of the famous fictional first meetings.

What do you do when it's 1880 and you've just been shipped home from Afghanistan? Look for someone to share the cost of lodgings, of course!

Play the example here: visualink.mavnn.eu/published...

And we're off! First class of 2026 saw three pre-teens starting their first #visualnovel with its first choice point, visuals for the speakers and scene backgrounds, and background music. Not bad for one hour!

To my considerable surprise, we're launching an adult introduction to #visualnovel writing courses here at VisualInk. Someone has offered to pay my 1-1 mentoring rates for an introduction, so now we’re at the stage of seeing if other people are interested at times that can work as this is the kind of thing that is most fun in a small group setting - and to share out the cost to something more reasonable!

So if you’re interested or know anyone who might be drop a message and we can talk.

I'm running courses for under 18s on creating #interactivefiction (specifically, #visualnovels ) but I just had a request from one of the parents for an adult version of the course.

Would you, or anyone you know be interested in a short course on writing interactive fiction? Would probably run at around 5 hours over 5 weeks, homework optional, costing around 55 GBP.

More about me/the existing courses at thinkersmeetup.com/scholars/...

(Please share if this seems even vaguely interesting)

So - week starting the 12th I'm starting a new run of Coding Games with a Story, a five week course teaching young people how to write interactive fiction (in the form of visual novels, using Ink). Build stories that change based on the player's choices while learning about both good story telling and telling computers to do what you want - and then publish your experiments for other people to try.

For people who already know the mechanics of writing interactive fiction (taught at one of my courses or not) and who want the encouragement and structure of a writing club to build a full game, I'm also starting the Interactive Fiction Writing Club.

So - know anyone 9-18 who wants to tell stories that are also games? Nows the time for them to sign up!

You can find the courses I'm running here: thinkersmeetup.com/scholars/...

Coding is a lot more fun when you don't have to keep jumping around to check you've used exactly the right names for things. Which means we're constantly trying to up our game with the VisualInk editor to make the suggestions it gives as fast, context aware, and accurate as possible. Today we've rolled out intelligent suggestions for asset names and divert targets as you type!

#interactivefiction #visualnovel

And because of the constraints, we can do things like having seamless support for mobile devices without you having to think about it.

On the one hand, customisation is a bit limited (there's no way to override themes, etc) - on the other, for prototyping the lack of distraction on detail while you test the idea can be really helpful. And at the end of it you still have an Ink file you can use anywhere Ink is usable.

Interested in quickly prototyping your #ink based #interactivefiction or #visualnovel? We're starting to look a pretty decent choice, with collaborative editing sessions and (if you're logged in) instant shareable "play" links.

visualink.mavnn.eu/

Here at VisualInk we love writing the narrative side of visual novels in Ink, a programming language specifically designed to help manage the complexity of branching narrative without getting overly technical.

But it does miss one feature that is really useful in visual novels: tracking ordered "stacks" of values. So we added it.

Blog post here: blog.mavnn.co.uk/2025/12/12/...

#interactivefiction #fsharp

Interested in writing #visualnovels / #interactivefiction ?

We're running courses online next term at Thinkers Meetup:

• Coding Games with a Story (ages 9-14 and 14+) teach you how to write visual novels in Ink
• The Interactive Fiction Writing Club is a writing club, but specifically for 9-18 year olds writing interactive fiction

Interested in writing #visualnovels / #interactivefiction ?

We're running courses online next term at Thinkers Meetup:

• Coding Games with a Story (ages 9-14 and 14+) teach you how to write visual novels in Ink
• The Interactive Fiction Writing Club is a writing club, but specifically for 9-18 year olds writing interactive fiction

Okay, this is very alpha but also insanely cool.

VisualInk now supports live collaborative script writing sessions! Whether you just want to play on the demo editor page, or you've signed up and you want to collaborate on a script owned by your account, just hit the "Copy live edit invite" button at the bottom of the screen and send the invite to a friend.

Warning: the session only persists as long as you stay on the page at the moment and doesn't warn you if it breaks. If you run your script, browse away, reload the page, etc, you'll need to send out new links. We're working on a proper release!

A new week, and a new example #visualnovel. This time we have a reasonably complete 1800 word example to work through rather than a workshop; can you impress your sensei as you enter the Steel Street Fist Combat for the first time?

The game: visualink.mavnn.eu/published...

Script part 1: github.com/mavnn/VisualInk/b...

Script part 2: github.com/mavnn/VisualInk/b...

(no artwork this week - it's tracking state across the story we're focused on)

#interactivefiction

It's always fun to slip a few references into the examples, even if they are probably from the wrong decade for the students.

Because sometimes they're the obvious thing to reference for a reason.

#interactivefiction

A one hour writing jam later, and the adventures of the GSV Badly Sketched are now longer, more dramatic, and in places a bit less finished.

But great fun was had by all, and several of the course members are now planning their own full games to make!

Check out the updated version here to see what four young teens with keyboards can make of a shipboard disaster in an hour: visualink.mavnn.eu/published...

By popular demand (also known as "at least one person asked") you can now try out VisualInk scripts without creating an account.

Just head to the example script from the demo, tweak things as you'd like and hit run at the bottom.

Can you save the GSV Badly Sketched By An IT Professional?
Find out here: visualink.mavnn.eu/published...
At the moment the answer is probably yes: each problem can be solved just by saying you want to. But this Tuesday our "Coding Games with a Story" students will be turning each problem into its own little fiendish challenge.
Want to take part informally? I've attached the backgrounds needed for the base story, and the base script is now one of the templates available at VisualInk. Feel free to create an account at visualink.mavnn.eu/ and try your own variation - you'll need to upload the backgrounds with the scene names from the script and start a new script using the "Save the ship" template.

The GSV Badly Sketched By An IT Professional is coming together.

Nailed it 👨‍🍳 💕