How to Make Twine Game Slowly Show Words
Creating a twine game that slowly reveals words can add an engaging and immersive experience for players. This technique is particularly useful for narrative-driven games where the pacing and reveal of information are crucial. In this article, we will guide you through the process of making a twine game slowly show words, step by step.
1. Choose the Right Twine Engine
Before you start, it is essential to choose the right twine engine. Twine is an open-source tool that allows you to create text-based games without the need for programming knowledge. There are several versions of Twine, but for this purpose, we recommend using Twine 2, as it offers more customization options and is widely used in the community.
2. Set Up Your Twine Game
Once you have downloaded and installed Twine 2, create a new game by opening the application and selecting “Create New.” Choose a title for your game and click “Create.” Twine will open a new document with a default starting passage.
3. Write Your Text
Start writing your game’s text in the starting passage. Break your text into smaller chunks and add placeholders for the words you want to reveal slowly. For example, if you want to reveal the word “mystery” slowly, you might write “The room is dark and filled with a sense of _1_.”
4. Create Custom Twine Tags
To make words appear slowly, you need to create custom Twine tags. Twine uses a simple markup language that allows you to define the behavior of different elements in your game. To create a custom tag, follow these steps:
– Click on “File” in the top menu and select “Open Tags.”
– Create a new tag by clicking the “Add” button.
– Give your tag a name, such as “slow-reveal.”
– In the “Content” field, enter the following code:
“`
[[slow-reveal:<%= passageName %>]]
“`
– Save the tags file and close the window.
5. Use the Custom Tag in Your Game
Now that you have created a custom tag, you can use it in your game to reveal words slowly. In the passage where you want to reveal the word “mystery,” replace the placeholder with the custom tag:
“`
The room is dark and filled with a sense of [[slow-reveal:mystery]].
“`
6. Customize the Tag’s Behavior
To control the speed at which words are revealed, you can modify the custom tag’s behavior. Open the tags file again and locate the “slow-reveal” tag. In the “Content” field, you can add a delay by using the `setTimeout` function:
“`
[[slow-reveal:mystery]]
<%= setTimeout(function() { document.querySelector('.passage-' + passageName).style.display = 'block'; }, 1000) %>
“`
In this example, the word “mystery” will be displayed after a 1-second delay. You can adjust the delay time as needed.
7. Test Your Game
After adding the custom tag and setting the delay, test your game to ensure that the words are revealed correctly. Save your game and click the “Test” button in Twine to play it. If everything works as expected, you have successfully created a twine game that slowly shows words.
By following these steps, you can enhance the storytelling experience in your twine game and engage players with a more immersive narrative. Happy game development!
