How do you get started with Twine?
You can start using Twine in two ways: download the desktop app, or use it directly in your browser. The latest version is 2.12.0, released 10 April 2026. You don't need to write any code to create a simple story, but you can extend your stories with variables, conditional logic, images, CSS, and JavaScript when you're ready. Twine publishes directly to HTML, so you can post your work nearly anywhere, and anything you create with it is completely free to use any way you like, including for commercial purposes.
Choose how you want to run Twine
Twine offers two entry points, and both lead to the same kind of output.
| Option | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Download desktop app | Install Twine locally on your machine. |
| Use in your browser | Run Twine without installing the desktop app. |
If you're unsure which to pick, start with whichever fits your setup — the site presents both as first-class ways to begin, and neither is described as a limited trial.
Learn the interface first
The Twine Reference is a guide to the Twine user interface, and the site says: if you're new to Twine, start here. That's the natural first stop after you open the app or the browser version, because it explains the parts of the interface you'll be working in.
Then learn your story format
Once you're familiar with Twine, you should learn more about the story format you're using. Story formats are like game engines: they determine the features you'll have access to and the way you write code.
Twine's built-in story formats each have an online guide:
- Chapbook
- Harlowe
- Snowman
- SugarCube
If you're not sure which format to use, the Twine Cookbook has advice on how to choose a story format, plus easy-to-follow examples of how to accomplish common tasks with each of Twine's built-in formats.
Version notes
- The latest version of Twine is 2.12.0, released 10 April 2026.
- If you're looking for the 1.x version of Twine, it's on the IF Archive.
Where to get help and follow along
- Interactive Fiction Community Forum — a web-based forum for interactive fiction authors.
- Twine Discord — a live chat for Twine authors.
If you want to support Twine
Chris Klimas, who created Twine and leads its development, has a Patreon. You can also donate to The Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the infrastructure of the interactive fiction community. Some story format developers also accept donations — check the website of the story format you use.
Non-financial support counts too: help someone with a question, contribute to the Cookbook, create your own tutorials, help fix bugs in Twine or its story formats, or translate Twine's user interface into another language.
Source code and archives
There are repositories for the Twine application and specs describing the files it works with, plus repos for Twine's story formats: Chapbook, Harlowe, Snowman, and SugarCube.
There are also read-only archives of the Q&A section and forum that were hosted on the site, but keep in mind that information there is likely out-of-date, as they were closed in 2019 and 2017 respectively.