storytoy

storytoy is a framework for interactive storytelling applications.

Many choose-your-own-adventure games allow the player to pick from a set of actions. Usually, each action results in a different outcome.

In storytoy, the reader does not choose actions directly. Instead, readers shape the course of the story by describing their emotional reactions to events.

Overview

At its core, storytoy is a recursive function that operates on a Story.

Choice objects are the building blocks of every Story; a Story is just a set of choices. In other words, Story is syntactic sugar for Choice[].

Choice objects tell storytoy what to show to the reader and how to prompt the reader for feedback. Reader feedback helps storytoy determine which Choice to show next.

Each Choice leads to another Choice until the story ends.

For more, visit the documentation.

Example

const { tell } = require("storytoy");

const story = [
  {
    axes: ["disgust", "lust", "trust"],
    id: "link-with-odo",
    onRender: (context) => {
      return `"Ensign," says Odo in a gravelly voice. "Let me link with you."`;
    },
    results: [
      {
        point: [
          { axis: "disgust", value: 0 },
          { axis: "lust", value: 1 },
          { axis: "trust", value: 1 },
        ],
        id: "link-with-odo-passionately",
      },
      {
        point: [
          { axis: "disgust", value: 1 },
          { axis: "lust", value: 0 },
          { axis: "trust", value: 1 },
        ],
        id: "link-with-odo-dutifully",
      },
      {
        point: [
          { axis: "disgust", value: 1 },
          { axis: "lust", value: 1 },
          { axis: "trust", value: 0 },
        ],
        id: "link-with-odo-inquisitively",
      },
      {
        point: [
          { axis: "disgust", value: 1 },
          { axis: "lust", value: 0 },
          { axis: "trust", value: 0 },
        ],
        id: "offend-odo",
      },
    ],
  },
  {
    axes: [],
    id: "link-with-odo-passionately",
    onRender: (context) => {
      return "No longer afraid of expressing your innermost desires, you throw yourself into Odo's waiting arms and become one with the Great Link.";
    },
    results: [],
  },
  {
    axes: [],
    id: "link-with-odo-dutifully",
    onRender: (context) => {
      return `You sigh and shake your head. A wry smile flickers across your face. Being a Starfleet officer certainly comes with its fair share of adventures. You take Odo's hand and prepare to join the Great Link.`;
    },
    results: [],
  },
  {
    axes: [],
    id: "link-with-odo-inquisitively",
    onRender: (context) => {
      return `The next few hours are a blur. You don't remember much, and you're not sure you ever want to.`;
    },
    results: [],
  },
  {
    axes: [],
    id: "game-over",
    onRender: (context) => {
      return `You recoil in disgust and slap Odo's gooey hand away. "${context.player.name}," says Odo. "...how could you?" Odo's feelings are clearly hurt.`;
    },
    results: [],
  },
];

tell(
  story,
  async (axes) => [
    { axis: axes[0], value: 1 },
    { axis: axes[1], value: 0 },
    { axis: axes[2], value: 1 },
  ],
  { player: { name: "Quark" } }
)
  .then((transcript) => console.log(transcript))
  .catch((error) => console.error(error));

Scripts

npm run build   # compile the code
npm run docs    # generate updated documentation
npm run start   # compile the code and then run it
npm run test    # run all the tests