Creating Your First Interactive Story: A Step-by-Step Tutorial
From Blank Page to Published Story
There's nothing quite like the thrill of seeing your first interactive story come to life. In this comprehensive tutorial, we'll build a complete interactive story from scratch - "The Lighthouse Keeper's Mystery." By the end, you'll have a fully functional narrative game that you can share with others and expand upon.
This tutorial assumes you've installed Inky or have a basic InkGameScript setup ready. We'll cover not just the technical implementation, but also narrative design principles that will make your story engaging and memorable. Let's dive in!
Step 1: Conceptualizing Your Story
Before writing any code, let's outline our story. "The Lighthouse Keeper's Mystery" will be a atmospheric mystery where players investigate strange occurrences at a remote lighthouse. This premise gives us:
- Clear Setting: An isolated lighthouse on a stormy coast
- Mystery Hook: The previous keeper has vanished
- Player Role: A new keeper investigating the disappearance
- Atmosphere: Eerie, mysterious, with supernatural elements
- Scope: 15-20 minutes of gameplay with multiple endings
Story Structure Planning
We'll structure our story with:
- Opening: Arrival at the lighthouse
- Investigation: Exploring different areas
- Discovery: Finding clues about the mystery
- Climax: Confronting the truth
- Resolution: Multiple endings based on choices
Step 2: Setting Up Your Project
Open Inky and create a new project. Save it as "lighthouse_mystery.ink". Let's start with our story header and initial variables:
# The Lighthouse Keeper's Mystery
# An interactive story created with InkGameScript
// Story variables
VAR player_name = "Alex"
VAR sanity = 10
VAR found_diary = false
VAR found_letter = false
VAR found_photograph = false
VAR knows_truth = false
VAR lighthouse_lit = false
// Character relationships
VAR trust_voices = 0
VAR skepticism = 0
-> introductionThese variables will track the player's progress, mental state, and the clues they discover. The sanity mechanic adds tension, while the trust_voices variable enables different narrative paths.
Step 3: Crafting the Opening
The opening sets the tone and hooks the player. Let's create an atmospheric introduction:
=== introduction ===
The small boat lurches violently as another wave crashes against its hull. Through the storm, you catch your first glimpse of Beacon's End Lighthouse, its darkened tower a black finger pointing accusingly at the churning sky.
Strange. The light should be on.
* [Steady yourself and keep watching]
You grip the boat's railing tighter, eyes fixed on the lighthouse.
~ skepticism += 1
-> arrival
* [Ask the ferryman about the dark lighthouse]
"Why isn't the light on?" you shout over the wind.
The ferryman's face pales. "Been dark for three nights now. That's why they sent for you."
~ found_information("lighthouse_dark")
-> arrival
* [Check your letter of appointment again]
You pull the water-spotted letter from your coat pocket, reading it once more in the dim lantern light.
-> read_letter -> arrival
=== read_letter ===
"...immediate replacement needed for lighthouse keeper position. Previous keeper, Silas Morton, has abandoned post without notice. Urgent that lighthouse operation resume..."
The word "abandoned" seems oddly chosen.
->->
=== arrival ===
The ferryman barely waits for you to disembark before pushing off again. "I'll return in a week," he calls out, his voice nearly lost in the wind. "If the light's on!"
You stand alone on the rain-slicked dock, your single trunk of belongings at your feet. The lighthouse looms above, dark and unwelcoming.
What's your name, new keeper?
* [Alex]
~ player_name = "Alex"
* [Morgan]
~ player_name = "Morgan"
* [Casey]
~ player_name = "Casey"
- Very well, {player_name}. Time to see what awaits you at Beacon's End.
-> lighthouse_entranceStep 4: Building the Investigation Hub
The lighthouse serves as our central hub. Players can explore different areas, finding clues and piecing together the mystery:
=== lighthouse_entrance ===
{lighthouse_entrance > 1: You stand in the entrance hall of the lighthouse.}
{lighthouse_entrance == 1: The heavy wooden door groans open, revealing a circular entrance hall. A spiral staircase winds upward into darkness, while doorways lead to other parts of the ground floor.}
{found_diary && found_letter && found_photograph && not knows_truth:
Something about all these clues is starting to form a picture in your mind...
-> revelation
}
Where would you like to investigate?
+ [Climb the spiral stairs] -> lighthouse_stairs
+ [Check the keeper's quarters] -> keepers_quarters
+ [Explore the storage room] -> storage_room
+ [Examine the entrance hall more carefully] -> examine_entrance
* {found_diary && found_letter} [Try to light the lighthouse beacon] -> attempt_lighthouse
=== examine_entrance ===
{not examine_entrance.examined:
The entrance hall is sparse but functional. A coat rack holds a moldy raincoat, and a small table bears a dusty lamp.
Wait - there are scratches on the floor, as if something heavy was dragged...
~ skepticism += 1
-> lighthouse_entrance
- else:
You've already searched here thoroughly.
-> lighthouse_entrance
}
= examined
=== lighthouse_stairs ===
The spiral staircase winds endlessly upward. With each step, you feel the weight of the lighthouse pressing down.
{sanity < 5: Your hands shake as you climb. Are those whispers you hear, or just the wind?}
* [Continue to the lamp room] -> lamp_room
* [Stop at the middle landing] -> middle_landing
+ [Return to the entrance] -> lighthouse_entrance
=== lamp_room ===
The lamp room is a catastrophe. The great lens lies shattered, fragments of glass catching what little moonlight filters through the storm clouds.
{not found_diary:
Among the debris, you spot a leather-bound book.
* [Pick up the book]
~ found_diary = true
It's Silas Morton's diary. The final entries are... disturbing.
-> read_diary
}
The broken beacon seems to whisper accusations in the wind.
+ [Examine the broken lens] -> examine_lens
+ [Look out at the sea] -> view_sea
+ [Return downstairs] -> lighthouse_entrance
=== read_diary ===
The diary's last entries are increasingly frantic:
"October 15th - They speak to me through the light. I know I sound mad, but the patterns... the patterns mean something."
"October 18th - I've figured it out. The lighthouse doesn't keep ships from the rocks. It calls them. It's always called them."
"October 20th - I won't be their keeper anymore. I'll break the lens. End the calling. They're angry. So angry. But I won't—"
The entry ends mid-sentence, the page torn.
~ sanity -= 2
->->
=== keepers_quarters ===
{not keepers_quarters.searched:
Silas Morton's quarters are in disarray. Furniture overturned, papers scattered, as if he left in a terrible hurry... or was dragged out.
* [Search the overturned desk] -> search_desk
* [Check under the bed] -> check_bed
* [Examine the scattered papers] -> examine_papers
- else:
The ransacked quarters offer no new secrets.
+ [Return to entrance] -> lighthouse_entrance
}
= searched
=== search_desk ===
~ keepers_quarters.searched = true
In a hidden drawer, you find a letter dated two months ago:
"Silas, the Maritime Commission appreciates your concerns, but lighthouse keepers reporting 'voices in the light' is not uncommon. The isolation plays tricks. Continue your duties. Do not abandon your post."
~ found_letter = true
~ skepticism += 2
-> lighthouse_entrance
=== storage_room ===
{not found_photograph:
The storage room smells of salt and decay. Ancient equipment lies rusting in corners. On one shelf, you find a collection of photographs.
* [Examine the photographs]
~ found_photograph = true
They show previous keepers of Beacon's End. In each photo, the keeper looks haggard, frightened. And in each... their eyes seem to reflect an unnatural light.
~ sanity -= 1
-> photograph_discovery
- else:
Nothing new here among the rust and shadows.
-> lighthouse_entrance
}
=== photograph_discovery ===
The final photograph shows Silas Morton. But there's someone else in the frame - a shadowy figure standing just behind him, barely visible.
No. That's not possible. The figure... it has no face. Just a void where features should be.
Your hands tremble as you pocket the photograph.
-> lighthouse_entranceStep 5: Creating Meaningful Choices
Now let's add choices that affect the story's outcome. Player decisions should feel impactful:
=== revelation ===
The pieces fall into place with horrible clarity. The lighthouse isn't meant to save ships - it's meant to feed them to something ancient beneath the waves. Silas tried to stop it by breaking the lens.
But now you're here. And you can hear them calling.
* [Listen to the voices]
~ trust_voices += 3
The whispers grow clearer. They're not threatening... they're pleading. Hungry. So terribly hungry.
-> the_choice
* [Block out the voices]
~ skepticism += 3
~ sanity -= 2
You cover your ears, but the voices seep through, insistent and otherworldly.
-> the_choice
=== the_choice ===
{sanity <= 0: -> madness_ending}
You stand before the broken beacon. In your pocket, you have matches. The emergency oil reserves are intact. You could relight the beacon... or leave it dark forever.
* [Light the beacon - feed the ancient hunger]
~ lighthouse_lit = true
-> feed_the_deep
* [Keep the lighthouse dark - starve the voices]
~ lighthouse_lit = false
-> resist_the_call
* {trust_voices >= 3} [Offer yourself to the voices instead]
-> sacrifice_ending
=== feed_the_deep ===
With trembling hands, you light the emergency beacon. The makeshift light flares to life, casting dancing shadows through the broken lens.
Immediately, you hear it - a sound like singing from beneath the waves. Ships will come. They always come when the light calls.
{trust_voices > skepticism:
The voices whisper their gratitude. You understand now. You're not just a keeper of the light - you're a shepherd of souls. And the deep must feed.
You settle into your new role with disturbing ease. After all, what are a few ships against the hunger of eternity?
ENDING: THE WILLING KEEPER
- else:
But the guilt... it will never leave you. Every ship that founders on these rocks, every life lost to the hungry deep - their blood is on your hands.
You've become what Silas refused to be: a servant of the abyss.
ENDING: THE RELUCTANT MONSTER
}
-> END
=== resist_the_call ===
You turn away from the beacon. Let the ships find their own way. You won't be part of this ancient feeding.
The voices shriek in fury, a sound that seems to come from the very stones of the lighthouse. The building shakes, and you hear something vast stirring beneath the waves.
{skepticism >= 5:
But you stand firm. Whatever dwells in the deep, it won't use you. You'll wait out your week, and when the ferryman returns, you'll leave this cursed place forever.
The lighthouse will stand empty, its hunger unsated. Perhaps that's for the best.
ENDING: THE RATIONAL ESCAPE
- else:
The pressure in your mind builds until you think your skull might crack. They're so hungry. So angry. And you... you're so alone.
By morning, they find you at the base of the lighthouse, your body broken on the rocks. Just like Silas.
ENDING: THE PRICE OF DEFIANCE
}
-> END
=== sacrifice_ending ===
You understand now. The voices don't want the ships - they want a keeper. Someone who understands. Someone who chooses.
"I'll stay," you whisper to the darkness. "I'll tend your light. But the ships pass safely."
The voices consider... and accept.
You become something more than human, less than alive. The lighthouse keeper eternal, guarding both the ships above and the hunger below. It's a cold existence, but a necessary one.
Silas was wrong. The lighthouse doesn't just call ships to their doom. It maintains a balance. And now, you are that balance.
ENDING: THE ETERNAL GUARDIAN
-> END
=== madness_ending ===
Your mind shatters like the lens above. Reality bleeds into nightmare, and you can no longer tell where you end and the voices begin.
They find you weeks later, huddled in the lamp room, speaking in languages that were old when the world was young. Your eyes reflect an inner light that should not be.
They take you away, but part of you remains. Part of you will always remain at Beacon's End.
ENDING: CONSUMED BY MADNESS
-> ENDStep 6: Adding Polish and Atmosphere
Let's enhance the atmosphere with weather effects and environmental storytelling:
=== function found_information(info_type) ===
// This function could trigger atmospheric changes
{info_type == "lighthouse_dark": The darkness of the lighthouse seems even more oppressive now.}
{info_type == "voices_heard": The wind carries whispers that might not be wind at all.}
=== view_sea ===
{
- sanity > 7:
The sea churns violently below, waves crashing against the rocks with primordial fury. In the distance, you can see the lights of passing ships, safely navigating around the point.
- sanity > 4:
The waves seem to form patterns - faces, perhaps? Hands reaching up from the depths? You shake your head. Just the storm playing tricks.
~ sanity -= 1
- else:
They're down there. Waiting. Watching. Hungry. The sea isn't water anymore - it's a thousand open mouths, a million grasping fingers. They know you're here. They know you have the matches.
~ sanity -= 1
}
-> lamp_room
=== middle_landing ===
A small window provides a view of the coastline. Far below, you can see the jagged rocks that have claimed so many vessels - the Widow's Teeth, locals call them.
{found_diary:
Silas wrote about those rocks. How on clear nights, he could see the wrecks beneath the water, perfectly preserved. And sometimes... movement among them.
}
* [Look closer at the rocks] -> examine_rocks
* [Continue up] -> lamp_room
* [Go back down] -> lighthouse_entrance
=== examine_rocks ===
You peer through the rain-lashed window. For a moment, the storm clears, and you see...
No. That can't be right.
There are ships down there. Dozens of them. All perfectly intact, as if they just sailed beneath the waves and... stayed. Their lights still burn with an underwater phosphorescence.
~ sanity -= 2
{sanity <= 3: You giggle. It's funny, really. A parking lot for ghost ships.}
-> middle_landingStep 7: Testing and Refinement
Now comes the crucial phase - testing your story. In Inky, use the "Play" button to test different paths:
Testing Checklist:
- ✓ Can all endings be reached?
- ✓ Do variables update correctly?
- ✓ Are there any dead ends?
- ✓ Does the pacing feel right?
- ✓ Is the mystery satisfying to uncover?
Common Issues and Fixes:
- Dead Ends: Always ensure players can return to the hub or progress forward
- Variable Bugs: Use Inky's variable tracking to monitor state changes
- Pacing Problems: Add or remove intermediate choices to control flow
- Unclear Progression: Add hints when players have found all clues
Step 8: Publishing Your Story
Once you're satisfied with your story, it's time to share it with the world:
Export from Inky:
- Go to File → Export Story.js
- This creates a JavaScript file containing your compiled story
Create a Web Version:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>The Lighthouse Keeper's Mystery</title>
<style>
body {
background-color: #1a1a1a;
color: #e0e0e0;
font-family: Georgia, serif;
max-width: 600px;
margin: 50px auto;
padding: 20px;
}
#story {
line-height: 1.6;
}
.choice {
background: #2a2a2a;
padding: 10px;
margin: 10px 0;
cursor: pointer;
border-left: 3px solid #4a9eff;
}
.choice:hover {
background: #3a3a3a;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div id="story"></div>
<script src="ink.js"></script>
<script src="lighthouse_mystery.js"></script>
<script>
var story = new inkjs.Story(storyContent);
var storyContainer = document.getElementById("story");
function continueStory() {
while(story.canContinue) {
var paragraphText = story.Continue();
var paragraphElement = document.createElement('p');
paragraphElement.innerHTML = paragraphText;
storyContainer.appendChild(paragraphElement);
}
if(story.currentChoices.length > 0) {
for(var i = 0; i < story.currentChoices.length; i++) {
var choice = story.currentChoices[i];
var choiceElement = document.createElement('div');
choiceElement.classList.add("choice");
choiceElement.innerHTML = choice.text;
storyContainer.appendChild(choiceElement);
(function(index) {
choiceElement.addEventListener("click", function() {
story.ChooseChoiceIndex(index);
removeChoices();
continueStory();
});
})(i);
}
}
}
function removeChoices() {
var choices = storyContainer.querySelectorAll('.choice');
for(var i = 0; i < choices.length; i++) {
choices[i].remove();
}
}
continueStory();
</script>
</body>
</html>Step 9: Expanding Your Story
Your first story is complete, but the journey doesn't end here. Consider these expansions:
Additional Features:
- Save System: Implement checkpoint saves using localStorage
- Sound Effects: Add atmospheric audio for enhanced immersion
- Achievements: Track special accomplishments across playthroughs
- New Areas: Expand the lighthouse with basement, caves, or nearby buildings
- Multiple Characters: Add NPCs through found recordings or ghostly encounters
Advanced Narrative Techniques:
- Time Pressure: Add a day/night cycle affecting available actions
- Inventory System: Let players collect and use items
- Puzzle Elements: Require combining clues to progress
- Branching Midpoints: Create multiple paths through the middle section
- Hidden Endings: Reward thorough exploration with secret conclusions
Lessons Learned
Through creating "The Lighthouse Keeper's Mystery," you've learned essential InkGameScript skills:
- Story Structure: How to organize a branching narrative with a central hub
- Variable Management: Tracking player state and choices
- Atmosphere Building: Using descriptive text and environmental storytelling
- Choice Design: Creating meaningful decisions that affect outcomes
- Pacing Control: Balancing exploration with narrative progression
- Technical Implementation: From Ink script to playable web experience
Your Next Steps
Congratulations on completing your first interactive story! You've joined a community of digital storytellers pushing the boundaries of narrative. Here's what to do next:
- Share Your Story: Upload it to itch.io, share on social media, or embed on your website
- Gather Feedback: Player responses will help you improve future stories
- Study Other Works: Play acclaimed InkGameScript stories for inspiration
- Experiment Boldly: Try different genres, structures, and narrative techniques
- Join the Community: Connect with other creators for support and collaboration
Remember, every master storyteller started with their first story. You've taken that crucial first step. The worlds you'll create from here are limited only by your imagination. Keep writing, keep experimenting, and most importantly, keep telling stories that matter to you.
Welcome to the wonderful world of interactive fiction creation!