%20--%3e%3cdefs%3e%3cstyle%3e%20.st0%20{%20fill:%20%23ec6b21;%20}%20%3c/style%3e%3c/defs%3e%3cpolygon%20class='st0'%20points='107.1%2057.3%2078.2%2074.2%2078.2%20193.5%20111.5%20212.9%20144.8%20193.5%20144.8%20135.1%20115.9%20151.9%20115.9%20176.8%20107.1%20182%20107.1%20128.8%20144.8%20107%20144.8%2073.7%20107.1%2095.5%20107.1%2057.3'/%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M160,98.8v114l28.9-16.9v-15.8l8.9-5.1v37.8l28.9-16.9v-97.1l-33.3-19.3-33.3,19.3ZM197.7,141.7l-8.9,5.1v-31.3l8.9-5.1v31.3Z'/%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M241.7,98.8v114l28.9-16.9v-24.9l8.9-5.1v46.9l28.9-16.9v-31.6l-20-11.6,20-11.6v-42.5l-33.3-19.3-33.3,19.3ZM279.5,134.6l-8.9,5.1v-24.2l8.9-5.1v24.2Z'/%3e%3cpolygon%20class='st0'%20points='323.5%20212.9%20352.4%20196%20352.4%2079.5%20323.5%2096.4%20323.5%20212.9'/%3e%3cpolygon%20class='st0'%20points='367.6%2098.8%20367.6%20212.9%20396.4%20196%20396.4%20115.5%20405.3%20110.4%20405.3%20212.9%20434.2%20196%20434.2%2098.8%20400.9%2079.5%20367.6%2098.8'/%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M449.4,98.8v94.7l33.3,19.3,33.3-19.3v-94.7l-33.3-19.3-33.3,19.3ZM487.1,176.8l-8.9,5.1v-66.5l8.9-5.1v66.5Z'/%3e%3cpolygon%20class='st0'%20points='531.1%2096.4%20531.1%20212.9%20560%20196%20560%2079.5%20531.1%2096.4'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
As more people come across our site and the app, we've started to get lots of questions about what Tarinoi is, what it can do - and what it can't. Our enthusiasm may have obscured some of the messaging - it's true, we think it's pretty awesome! - so instead of another blog post where we tell you all the great things it does, let's talk about what it's not.
Tarinoi is not an engine
Tarinoi is designed to connect up with your game engine of choice, whether that's the usual big three - Unity, Unreal, Godot - via a plugin, or something else via a custom integration that we can help with.
Tarinoi itself is not an engine, and won't fully 'run' your game.
Another difference is that Tarinoi does not implement your functions, scripts, or conditions. You design their shape with Tarinoi, and our plugins will generate stubs for them - your scripting API - in the game engine. Then you implement them. The plugin just invokes them in the game, after you’ve connected them to cards. Consequently, in Tarinoi itself, you’ll just see that, say, AddItem( funny_hat ) is being invoked, but Tarinoi won’t know anything about what it does.
This is because Tarinoi is designed to pair with any engine and any studio, where everybody has their own responsibilities. You design the structure in Tarinoi, game designers and programmers will bring it to life in the engine. The plugin pulls in the data from Tarinoi in near real time, so you don’t need an import and compile step - you don’t even need to restart the scene - so you’ll be able to iterate on your changes in-engine really quickly.
Instead try: Ren'Py is a full visual novel engine. Open source, free and cross-platform, users can combine words, images and sound, using a Python-based scripting language to bring their games to life. As an engine, it includes by default features like save/load, main menus, controller support and volume settings.
Tarinoi is not a linear tool
We know there are writers who likes node-based graphs, and those who much prefer to just type without barriers into linear tools. We are considering a linear view - under the hood, we could convert a linear script into nodes and connections, hubs and forks, conditions and functions - but as Tarinoi allows for endless possibilities with depth and branching, it still may not be favourable. With our keyboard shortcuts, we have tried to get as close to typing without barriers as we can, but ultimately if you don't like nodes, it may not be for you.
Different keyboard shortcuts are available for navigation, creation and management of your dialogue
Instead try: Ink and Yarn Spinner are linear - and very popular! Check them out if that's more your thing.
Tarinoi is not free
While we intend to have a free test-drive version where users can make basic projects, try out in-app Playback and explore the data management, templating and scripting features, Tarinoi will be available for a monthly fee. This is not a hobby or side project. We are just two people, working full time on this with limited funds. We have operational costs and one day hope to have salaries. More importantly, we want to grow - hire people, invest in marketing and our community and continue building the product.
Instead try: Yarn Spinner, Ink, Arcweave and Articy have free tiers with the options for more.
Tarinoi is not without sin
As we've stated before, Tarinoi will never include features that use generative AI for content - no magic button to spit out writing, art or sound clips. Your data belongs to you, and will not be used for training AI models or anything of that nature.
As software developers, we do use AI tools in our internal workflows to support development. Our logic, solutions and implementations are planned, reviewed and discussed by ourselves.
We draw the line at the creative aspects of the work - the architecture, user interaction journeys, user experience flows, our visual design, graphic design, our slightly janky div-based, handmade landing page, and all of our words, blog posts and copy are 100% human. Even the em-dashes.
Instead try: Yarn Spinner is fully committed to being AI-free in its development processes as well as the product.