Engine List
From IFWiki
| Engine Name | Website | Last Updated | User Interface | Scripting Language | IDE | Game File Format | Complexity | Can Self-Publish Titles | Open Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-code (Dave Platt) | https://mipmip.org/acode | 2022-03-17 | Parser | A-code | No | HTML/JavaScript, Standalone (HTTP/Browser, Qt5, Console) | Medium to High | Yes | Yes |
| ADL | http://adl.sourceforge.net | 2003-11-12 | Parser | ADL | No | ADL | Medium | Yes | Yes |
|
2016-06-6 | Parser | None, visual | Download | ADRIFT | Low | Yes | Yes | |
| Adventure | https://github.com/adrian-prantl/adventure | 2015-11-28 | Parser | Prolog | No | HTML/JavaScript | Medium to High | Yes, under AGPL terms | Yes |
| Adventure Book | http://web.archive.org/web/20071120072512/http://www.ingold.fsnet.co.uk/adbook.htm | 2007-11-20 | Choice-Based | None, visual | Download | ADV, Z-machine, Standalone | Low | Yes | |
| adventure.lua | https://github.com/shawndumas/adventure.lua | 2013-09-26 | Parser | Lua | No | Lua | Low to Medium | Yes | Yes |
| Adventuron | https://adventuron.io/documentation | 2020-05-20 | Parser/Choice | Rion (JSON-like) | Web | HTML/JavaScript or 8-Bit | Low | Yes, Non-Commercial Use Only | No |
| AdvSys | http://mirrors.ibiblio.org/interactive-fiction/articles/byte87_betz.html | 1987 | Parser | Unnamed Lisp-like language | No | AdvSys | Medium | Yes | |
| Aetheria | https://github.com/komoku/aetheria | 2017-03-11 | Parser | Beanshell | Download | Aetheria | Medium to High | Yes | Yes |
| Aiee! | Defunct | 2004-10-19 | Parser | XML-esque | No | Java | Low | Yes | Yes |
| Alan | http://www.alanif.se/ | 2020-09-07 | Parser | Alan | Download | Alan | Low | Yes | Yes |
| AXMA Story Maker | https://axma.info/en/ | 2019-09-01 | Hyperlink-Based | Visual, JavaScript | Download or Web | HTML/JavaScript | Low | Yes, if you buy AXMA | |
| Blink! | http://bloomengine.com/blink/ | ? | Hyperlink-Based | Unnamed Language | No | HTML/JavaScript | Low | Yes | |
| ChoiceScript | https://www.choiceofgames.com/make-your-own-games/choicescript-intro/ | 2017-11-7 | Choice-Based | ChoiceScript | Third-party Download | HTML/JavaScript | Low | Yes, if your game is released for free or you work out a revenue-sharing model | Yes, but the license is restrictive |
| Choose Your Story | http://chooseyourstory.com | 2017 | Choice-Based | Visual, Unnamed Language | Web | N/A | Low to Medium | No | |
| CLI Adventure Games | http://thejackalofjavascript.com/text-based-adventure-games/ | 2017-12-13 | Parser | JavaScript | No | Node.js | Medium | Yes | |
| Curveship | 2011-03-31 | Parser | Python | No | Python | Medium to High | Yes | Yes | |
| Dendry | https://github.com/dendry/dendry | 2015-07-12 (never finished) | Hyperlink-Based | Dendry | No, but plugins are available for various code editors | HTML/JavaScript | Low to Medium | Yes | Yes |
| Dialog | https://linusakesson.net/dialog/index.php | 2019-01-23 | Parser | Dialog | No | Z-machine, Aa-machine | Medium | Yes | Yes |
| egamebook | https://github.com/filiph/egamebook | 2019-01-21 | Choice-Based | Dart, various definition languages | No | HTML/JavaScript | Medium to High | Yes | Yes |
| Elm Story | https://elmstory.com/ | 2022-04-18 | Choice-Based | Visual, JavaScript-esque | Download | JSON, PWA (HTML/JavaScript) | Low | Yes | No |
| Enter the Story |
|
2013 | Choice-Based | JavaScript | No | HTML/JavaScript | Medium | Yes | |
| Erasmatron | Web Archive Link | 2000-05-23 | Graphical, Choice-Based | None, visual | Download (only a demo was ever released publicly) | Erasmatron | High | Yes, if you can obtain a version that can compile storyworlds | No |
| Ficdown | 2018-05-22 | Choice-Based | Markdown | No | EPUB or HTML/JavaScript | Low | Yes | Yes | |
| Flux | Defunct | 2015 | Parser | None, visual | Web | N/A | Low | No | |
| Fungus | http://fungusgames.com | 2018-01-14 | Graphical, Menu-Driven | Visual, optional scripting via Unity | Visual editor embedded in Unity | Anything Unity supports | Low to High | Yes | |
| Gamefic | https://github.com/castwide/gamefic | 2017-07-31 | Parser | Ruby | No | Ruby | Medium | Yes | Yes |
| gist-txt | https://github.com/potomak/gist-txt | 2015-12-15 | Hyperlink-Based | Markdown | No | Markdown | Low | Yes, if you host your own copy of the interpreter | Yes |
| Glasm | https://www.npmjs.com/package/glasm | ? | Any | Assembly language | No | Glulx | High | Yes | Yes |
| Gruescript | https://versificator.itch.io/gruescript | 2022 | Parser/choice hybrid | Gruescript | Web | HTML/JavaScript | Low to Medium | Yes | Yes |
| HERITAGE | https://notabug.org/SylvieLorxu/HERITAGE | 2015-07-4 | Parser | HERITAGE | No | HTML/JavaScript | Low to Medium | Yes | |
| Hoot | http://ratfactor.com/misc/hoot/hoot.html | 2013 | Hyperlink-Based | Hootscript | Web | HTML/JavaScript | Low | Yes | |
| Hugo | http://www.generalcoffee.com/hugo/gethugo.html | 2006-01-10 | Parser | Hugo | No | Hugo | Medium | Yes | Yes |
| Icicle Engine | http://icicle-engine.org/ | ? | FPS-Style | Unknown | Visual editors | Icicle | Low to Medium | Yes | |
| Infinite Story | http://infinite-story.com/ | 2012-06-19 | Choice-Based | None, visual | Web | N/A | Low | No | |
| Inform |
|
2015-12-24 | Parser | Inform | Download | Z-machine, Glulx | Low to Medium | Yes | Yes (Inform 6) |
| Ink | 2018-10-4 | Hyperlink-Based | Ink | Yes | JSON (runtimes exist for JavaScript and Unity) | Low | Yes | Yes | |
| InkleWriter | http://www.inklestudios.com/inklewriter/ | ? | Choice-Based | None, visual | Web | HTML, JSON, PDF, or Word | Low | Yes, once you've paid to have your story converted | |
| InquisitorIF | https://github.com/Orihaus/InquisitorIF | 2017-01-4 | Hyperlink-Based | Inquisitor | No | HTML/JavaScript | Medium | Yes | Yes |
| INSTEAD | http://instead.syscall.ru/index.html | 2018-02-10 | Graphical, Hyperlink-Based, Menu-Driven, and/or Parser | Lua | No | INSTEAD | Medium | Yes | |
|
http://sourceforge.net/projects/ifml | 2002 (unlikely to work on modern versions of Java) | Parser | IFML (XML-esque) | No | Java | Low | Yes | Yes |
| Interactive Story | https://www.interactive-story.com/is/ | 2015-12-24 | Menu-Based | None, visual | Web | N/A | Low | No | |
| JACL | http://code.google.com/p/jacl/ | 2014-11-17 | Parser | JACL | No | HTML/JavaScript | Medium | Yes | Yes |
| Materialistic Interactive Fiction Engine | Defunct | 2015-03-11 | Parser | Common Lisp | No | MIFE Game | Low to Medium | Yes | |
| ngPAWS | 2018-01-20 | Parser | Visual, JavaScript | Download | HTML/Javascript | Low | Yes | Yes | |
| nScripter and ONScripter |
|
Graphical, Choice-Based | nScripter | No | nScripter | Medium | Yes | Yes (ONScripter) | |
| Project PD | http://projectpd.blogspot.com/?m=0 | 2012-03-19 | Graphical, Menu-Driven | None, visual | Download | PD | Low | Yes | |
| PunyInform | 2021-11-15 | Parser | Inform | No | Z-machine | Medium | Yes | Yes | |
| PyF | https://code.google.com/p/pyf/ | 2009-12-3 | Parser | Python, XML | No | Python | Medium | Yes | Yes |
| Python Adventure Writing System | https://github.com/Moonbase59/PAWS | 2016-11-18 | Parser | Python | No | Python | Medium to High | Yes | Yes |
| Python Universe Builder | http://py-universe.sourceforge.net/ | 2013-03-22 | Parser | Python | No | Python | Medium | Yes | Yes |
| QUEST 3/4/QuestNet | 2009 | Parser | ASL | Download | Quest | Low to Medium | Yes | ||
| QUEST 5 | 2018-02-22 | Parser | Visual or QUEST | Download | Quest, can be converted to HTML/JavaScript | Low | Yes | Yes | |
| QuestML | http://questml.com/ | 2007-09 | Choice-Based | QuestML | Optional download | HTML/JavaScript | Low | Yes | |
|
2010-06-06 | Choice-Based | Custom |
|
QSP | Medium | Yes | Yes | |
| Ramus | https://notimetoplay.org/engines/ramus/ | 2020-04-10 | Hyperlink-Based | JavaScript | No | HTML/JavaScript | Medium | Yes | |
|
http://ragsgame.com | 2015-01-21 | Graphical, Menu-Driven | None, visual | Download | RAGS | Low | Yes | |
| Ren'Py | 2019-10-17 | Graphical, Choice-Based | Python | No | Python | Medium to High | Yes | Yes | |
| Sadako | https://github.com/Tayruh/sadako/ | 2020-05-12 | Hyperlink and/or Choice | Sadako Script, JavaScript | No | HTML/JavaScript | Low to Medium | Yes | Yes |
| Salet | https://salet.su/ | 2017-02-11 | Choice-Based | Javascript | No | HTML/JavaScript | Low to High | Yes | Yes |
| ScottKit | https://github.com/MikeTaylor/scottkit | 2017-11-16 | Parser | Unnamed Language | No | Scott Adams | Low to Medium | Yes | Yes |
| Smash | http://www.rinkworks.com/smash/ | 2007-09-27 | Parser | Smash | Yes | Smash | Low | Yes | |
| Squiffy | 2017-11-22 | Hyperlink-Based | Markdown, JavaScript | Download or web | HTML/JavaScript | Low | Yes | Yes | |
| Story Explorer | https://robsprojects.co.uk/apps/storyexplorer/ | 2014-08-2 | Hyperlink-Based | None, visual | Web | N/A | Low | No | |
| StoryNexus | http://www.storynexus.com/s | 2013-12-8 | Choice-Based | None, visual | Web | N/A | Low to Medium | No | |
| StoryStylus | https://storystylus.com | ? | Graphical, Menu-Driven | None, visual | Silverlight, web | Flash | Low to Medium | No, costs $20/month to use authoring system | No |
| Storyteller | http://storytellerjs.blogspot.com.au | 2014-04-28 | Hyperlink-Based | JavaScript | No | HTML/JavaScript | Low to Medium | Yes | |
| Storytron | 2018-12-1 | Graphical, Choice-Based | None, visual | Download | Storytron | High | Yes | Yes | |
| SUDS | https://web.archive.org/web/20150103040350/http://sudslore.org:80/ | 2007-10-20 | Parser, Optional Menu | None, visual | Download | SUDS | Low | Yes | |
| ThinBASIC Adventure Builder (TAB) | http://tab.thinbasic.com/ | 2020-04-11 | Parser | Basic | Download | TAB | Low | No | |
|
2013-05-16 | Parser | TADS | Download | TADS, HTML/JavaScript (TADS 3) | Medium to High | Yes | ||
| Tale | https://github.com/irmen/Tale | 2018-01-20 | Parser | Python | No | Python | Medium to High | Yes | Yes |
| TAME | https://tame-if.com/home.php | 2019-09-30 | Parser | TAMEscript | None | HTML/JavaScript | Medium | Yes | Yes |
| TAVERN | http://zzo38computer.org/fossil/tavern.ui/ | 2017-08-7 | Parser | Forth-like | No | TAVERN (based on Hamster) | High | Yes | |
| Text Adventure Engine | https://github.com/ManzDev/text-adventure-engine | 2014-03-19 | Parser | JSON | No | PHP | Low | Yes | Yes |
| Textallion | 2019-11-23 | Hyperlink-Based | txt2tags | No | HTML/JavaScript | Medium | Yes | Yes | |
| TextAdventure.js | https://github.com/TheBroox/TextAdventure.js | 2017-11-17 | Parser | JavaScript | No | Node.js | Low | Yes | Yes |
| Texture | 2017-05-5 | Hyperlink-Based | None, visual | Web | HTML/JavaScript | Low | Yes | Yes (Reader only) | |
| Tinsel | https://github.com/lazerwalker/tinsel | 2015-12-18 | Choice-Based | Ruby | No | Ruby | Medium | Yes | Yes |
| Toothrot | https://github.com/toothrot-if/toothrot | 2018-08-24 | Choice-Based or Hyperlink-Based | Markdown-like language, JavaScript | Download | HTML/JavaScript | Low to Medium | Yes | Yes |
| Twine | http://twinery.org/ | 2018-01-30 | Hyperlink-Based | Visual, JavaScript | Download or web (2.0) | HTML/JavaScript | Low to Medium | Yes | Yes |
| Tworld (Seltani's engine) | https://github.com/erkyrath/tworld | 2015-12-6 | Hyperlink-Based | Visual, Python | Built-in | Python | Medium to High | Yes, if you run your own server | Yes |
| Undum | https://github.com/idmillington/undum | 2018-10-11 | Hyperlink-Based | JavaScript | No | HTML/JavaScript | Medium to High | Yes | Yes |
| Varytale | Defunct | 2012 | Hyperlink-Based | Visual, JavaScript-esque | Web | N/A | Low | No | No |
| Visionary | https://web.archive.org/web/20160428141653/http://www.therealeasterbunny.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/visionary.htm | 2011-12-17 | Parser | None, visual | Download | Scott Adams | Low | Yes | |
| Wander | Renga In Blue Blog Post | 2015-04-25 | Parser | Unnamed Language | No | Wander | Low | Yes | |
| Wibble Quest | http://orta.io/WibbleQuest/ | 2012-01-17 | Parser | Objective-C | No, XCode project included | iOS | Medium to High | Yes | |
| Windrift | https://github.com/lizadaly/windrift | 2018-12-20 | Hyperlink-Based | JavaScript | No | HTML/JavaScript | Medium | Yes | Yes |
| WinPAW | http://www.winpaw.com/ | 2006-08-12 | Parser | Unnamed Language | Yes | PAW | Low to Medium | Yes | No |
| XVAN | https://www.xvan.nl/ | 2018-03-28 | Parser | XVAN | No | XVAN | Medium | Yes | Yes |
| Yarnspin | https://mattiasgustavsson.itch.io/yarnspin | 2018-03-3 | Choice-Based | Unnamed Language | Download | Yarnspin (text file) | Low | Yes | |
| ZILF | http://zilf.io/ | 2019-08-11 | Parser | ZIL and MDL (vaguely Lisp-like) | VS Code extension | Z-machine | Medium to High | Yes | Yes |