StoryMate 2.2: Rise of the writers!

Nothing good ever happens over night. It happens over many many many (many many many) nights :last_quarter_moon_face:

I’m quite proud of this release. It feels like things are starting to come together for StoryMate.

  • :books: Bundled templates like Gauntlet and Time Cave
  • :memo: Quick Edit mode for writing in Plan mode
  • :artist_palette: Visual Novel support with characters, backgrounds, and media uploads
  • :toolbox: UX improvements across the board
  • :bug: Bug fixes and performance tweaks to keep things smooth

Last week I ran a playtest with a class of university game design students. We did a Writing Jam using the Gauntlet Template, and they smashed it. The first 5 minutes were all about dumping ideas into passages. The next 25? Completing a short story and riffing on it with a card from Jesse Schell’s Art of Game Design deck.

Never have I been so happy to hear nothing but keyboards click-clacking away.

Oh - and yes, StoryMate now has a password reset feature. Big thanks to @HAL9000 for the nudge :smirking_face:

Bundled Templates
Think of these as story starters β€” design patterns used by top writers and game designers. The Gauntlet was a classic in Fighting Fantasy stories.


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Quick Edit - Helpful writing aid in Plan Mode
A small but welcome quality-of-life boost.

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UX tweak - Open Sidebar Customiser
Now visible up front in Plan mode via User Interface - no more guess work.

Text styling - moved to fixed menu
It’s no longer hidden, and honestly, after using it like this for a few weeks, I prefer it.

And last but not least - A Visual Novel template

You can access the Visual Novel template from the Setup tab

How it works - Plan Mode
Once you’ve activated the Visual Novel template, you can start exploring VN-specific features.

In Plan Mode, you can add Characters, Locations and Objects to your story. Open these up to upload media - like character portraits or background art.*

How it works - Write Mode

In Write Mode, hit the @ key to open the Visual Novel menu. From there, you can:

- Trigger dialogue from your characters or the built-in Narrator*
- Show or hide backgrounds via Visual Cues*
- Insert events and structure your scenes*

This is just the beginning.

We’re building more, and would love your feedback :folded_hands:

β†’ StoryMate 2.2.: Rise of the writers!

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