Build a visual novel: a branching script, character and background display, a text box with choices, save/load, backlog, and skip/auto. Use for a VN, dating sim, or branching story game.

Visual Novel A playbook for visual novels — the branching script, the presentation (text box, characters, backgrounds), choices, and the quality of life systems players expect (save anywhere, backlog, skip, auto). This is a compositional skill: it drives a dialogue engine and a UI layer. It does not re teach the dialogue engine or UI nodes; it defines the script model and the player conveniences that make a VN pleasant to read. When to use Use when the game is mostly reading branching text with character art and backgrounds: visual novel, dating sim, branching interactive fiction, story choice game. Use when designing a choice/route structure, story flags, or VN conveniences (backlog, skip, auto advance, save anywhere). When not to use: dialogue as one feature inside a larger game → rpg consuming dialogue systems . Card/board play → other genres. For the branching script engine itself, use dialogue systems (Ink / Yarn Spinner). If the project is Ren'Py (current stable 8.5.3): the engine already ships save anywhere, rollback, a history (backlog) screen, skip that stops at unseen text by default ( preferences.skip unseen = False ), auto forward and a text speed preference. Use and restyle those through its screens and preferences; apply this skill's design guidance (routes, flags, reactivity) rather than rebuilding the systems in Patterns 2–3. Core loop Read a line → advance → (at a branch) make a choice → the story branches on flags/choices → read on → reach an ending. The "game" is the shape of the branching and whether choices feel consequential; everything else is presentation and convenience. Must have systems 1. Branching script — ordered lines + choices + jumps, with conditions and variables (Ink/Yarn). 2. Text box — speaker name, body text, typewriter reveal, advance on click/key. 3. Characters — sprites with expressions/poses, positions, show/hide transitions. 4. Backgrounds + transitions — scene images, fades/dissolves. 5. Choices — present options, gate some on flags, record the pick. 6. Story state — flags/variables that branch the script and unlock content. 7. Save/load (save anywhere) — full script position + state; multiple slots; quick save. 8. VN conveniences — backlog/history, skip (read text), auto advance, text speed setting. 9. Audio — music per scene, SFX, optional voice clips. Design knobs Knob Effect Notes Text speed / instant reading comfort Always allow instant + a skip. Auto advance delay hands free reading Tunable; pause on choices. Skip scope re reading Skip read text only by default. Branch breadth/depth replay value vs. cost Branches multiply writing/art work. Flag gated content reactivity Lines/choices that check past decisions. Route structure story shape Branch and merge vs. distinct routes (refs). Choice visibility fairness Show locked choices vs. hide them. Backlog length convenience Keep enough to re read recent context. Patterns 1. Script as data the engine walks 2. Typewriter reveal + advance (skippable) Reveal with the label's visible character count, not by slicing the string: slicing cuts markup tags in half and re wraps the text every frame, so a word starts on one line and jumps to the next. Godot 4.7: RichTextLabel.visible characters (or visible ratio ) with visible characters behavior = TextServer.VC CHARS AFTER SHAPING ; the default VC CHARS BEFORE SHAPING leaves hidden text out of line breaking, so words still jump. Unity 6.3: TMP Text.maxVisibleCharacters (TextMeshPro, part of the uGUI package). 3. Choice sets a flag that branches later content Pitfalls / failure modes Save that only stores a checkpoint → VNs need save anywhere . Persist the exact script position and all flags/variables (and seen text data) so a load resumes the same line. Check what your runtime can restore: Ink saves the exact position, Yarn Spinner only the node (refs §4). Typewriter text that jumps between lines or shows raw tags → the reveal slices the string. Set the full text and raise the visible character count (Pattern 2). Presentation logic baked into the script → unmaintainable. Keep content (text, choices) in the script and how it looks (sprites, transitions) in the engine layer. No skip/auto/backlog → readers feel trapped, especially on replays. These are expected baseline features, not extras. Skipping unread text → players miss content. Skip should fast forward read text only. Choices with no consequence → branches that reconverge instantly feel fake. Set flags that visibly change later lines, choices, or endings. Combinatorial branch explosion → unshippable. Prefer branch and merge with a few flagged variations over fully distinct trees (refs). Lost reading context → no backlog to re read the last lines. Keep a history buffer. Hardcoded language → no localization path. Keep text in data keyed for translation. Composition (build it from these skills) Script engine: dialogue systems (Ink / Yarn Spinner) — branching, conditions, variables, localization hooks. Presentation: game ui ux for text box/choice menu layout, scaling, and safe areas; godot ui control for the concrete text box, choice menu, name plate, and backlog UI. Persistence: save systems for save anywhere slots, seen text/skip data, and settings. Audio: audio design for per scene music, SFX, and voice playback. Visuals: the engine animation/ Tween skill for sprite/background transitions; shader programming for dissolves. Process: prototype fast to test the branch structure in plain text before adding art. References For the branching data model, route structures (branch and merge vs. routes), flags/variables, save anywhere + backlog/skip data, and the content/presentation split, read references/script and flow.md .

visual-novel