List of visual novel engines

Digital Novel Markup Language (DNML) is one of the first scripting language game engines for creating visual novels, also known as interactive fiction games. DNML was developed using C++ by a Japanese programmer known by their Internet name, Karin. The initial release was in 1998. The programming structure is similar to HTML, which made it easy to produce dōjin games. DNML was succeeded by software like KiriKiri, NScripter, and Ren'Py.[https://web.archive.org/web/20001002065809/http://hp.vector.co.jp/authors/VA015183/ DNML website]

There have been various attempts to create a more modern DNML interpreter. However the only known successful project is DNML Midori,{{Cite web|url=http://mak165165.starfree.jp/con_dnml_midori.htm|title=たびするだんご～DNML(緑)～}} a full reimplantation of DNML that has several features of its own. While it is free to use, it is not open source. As of 2021, it was last updated in 2019 and development seems to be concluded.

{{Redirect|KiriKiri||Kirikiri (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox software

| name = KiriKiri

| logo =

| screenshot =

| caption =

| author =

| developer = W.Dee

| released = 1998

| latest release version = 2.32 rev.2

| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2010|10|26}}{{cite web |title=吉里吉里 変更点の詳細 |language=ja |url=http://kikyou.info/tvp/vup_detail.php |access-date=2016-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160319065806/http://kikyou.info/tvp/vup_detail.php |archive-date=2016-03-19 |url-status=dead }}

| programming language =

| operating system = Windows

| platform =

| size =

| language = C++

| genre = Game engine (visual novel)

| license = GPL

| website = {{Official URL}}

}}

{{nihongo|KiriKiri|吉里吉里}} is a scripting engine{{cite book |last1=Owada |first1=Shigeru |last2=Tokuhisa |first2=Fumiaki |title=The 1st IEEE Global Conference on Consumer Electronics 2012 |chapter=Kadecot: HTML5-based visual novels development system for smart homes |chapter-url=http://kadecot.net/publications/1210-GCCE.pdf |year=2012 |pages=17–19 |doi=10.1109/GCCE.2012.6379572 |isbn=978-1-4673-1500-5 |access-date=2016-05-09 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081617/http://kadecot.net/publications/1210-GCCE.pdf |url-status=dead }}{{cite thesis |last1=Romppanen |first1=Janne |title=Visuaalisen novellin kehitystyökalut länsimaissa |language=fi |trans-title=Visual Novel Developer Tools in the Western World |type=Bachelor's in Information Technology |url=https://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/94089 |date=April 2015 |publisher=Karelia University of Applied Sciences |access-date=2020-05-19}} by Japanese developer "w.dee", initially released in 1998. It is almost exclusively used with the KAG (KiriKiri Adventure Game System) framework as a visual novel engine.{{cite book |author1=gutchie |date=2007 |title=Kirikiri/KAG noberu gēmu seisaku nyuumon |publisher=秀和システム |script-title=ja:吉里吉里/KAGノベルゲーム制作入門 |language=ja |trans-title=Kirikiri/KAG NovelGame Product Guide |isbn=978-4-7980-1659-7}} Usually, the package of the two components is regarded as the whole engine, and referenced with major version numbers. Thus, the current version is called KiriKiri2/KAG3. It is available under the GNU General Public License, though commercial licenses can be acquired if somebody wishes to expand the software without disclosing the changes.

KiriKiri is often used as a more modern and expandable replacement of the older NScripter engine.{{Citation needed|reason=Fuwanovel is unreliable source so should not be cited|date=May 2024}}{{Citation needed|reason=TL Wiki is unreliable source so should not be cited|date=May 2024}} It has been used in both dōjin and commercial visual novels, the most well known of which are TYPE-MOON's Fate/stay night and Fate/hollow ataraxia. Another notable visual novel that is known to be implemented using this engine is {{nihongo|1999 Christmas Eve|1999クリスマスイブ}}. The Nekopara game series, available on Steam, also uses a modified version of Kirikiri.{{cite web |title= Nekopara engine? |url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/333600/discussions/0/618457398966888673/ |access-date=2016-03-29}}

For KiriKiri2 and Kirikiri Z's implementation of KAG there is a module called 鱧天 (Hamotem).http://hamotem.f-sp.net/ which provides a myriad of plugins and a ready made template to build games on. As TyranoBuilder is to TyranoScript, there are several programs which create a graphical editor on top of the KAG script. The most well known of these is NVLMaker,http://www.nvlmaker.net/ which also has a cloud platform.https://cn.nvl.cloud

Due to a lack of updates since October 2010, from 2013 onward the code has been forked and continued as {{nihongo|Kirikiri Z|吉里吉里Z}}.[https://krkrz.github.io/ Kirikiri Z GitHub]

{{Main|NScripter}}

NScripter is a visual novel engine written by Naoki Takahashi. Due to its simplicity and its liberal license (while it is not open-source software, royalty-free commercial use is permitted), it quickly became popular in Japan, and was used for a number of high-profile commercial and dōjin titles, such as HaniHani and Tsukihime.{{Citation needed|reason=TLWiki is unreliable source so should not be cited|date=May 2024}} NScripter is closed-source and only available for Windows.

{{Main|Ren'Py}}

The Ren'Py Visual Novel Engine is a free software engine. Ren'Py is a portmanteau of {{nihongo|ren'ai|恋愛}}, the Japanese word for 'love', a common element of games made using Ren'Py; and Python, the programming language that Ren'Py runs on. The easy to learn script language allows anyone to efficiently write large visual novels, while its Python scripting is enough for complex simulation games. Ren'Py has proved attractive to western hobbyists; over 4,000 games use the Ren'Py engine, nearly all in English. Visual novels, kinetic novels, role-playing games, simulation games, and many other games can be made with Ren'Py.{{cite web |title=List of Ren'Py games |url=http://games.renpy.org/special/quick |work=renpy.org}}{{cite web |author=QuickJump staff |date=24 November 2007 |title=Ren'Py Visual Novel Engine: make your own visual novel, dating sim |url=http://www.qj.net/pc-gaming/featured-articles/renpy-visual-novel-engine-make-your-own-visual-novel-dating-sim.html |access-date=13 February 2013 |work=QuickJump}}

NVList is an open source visual novel engine that runs on Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android as well as online (through an applet). It is coded in the Java language, even though the scripts are written in Lua. It is being updated to this day on GitHub.{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/anonl/nvlist|title = NVList|website = GitHub|date = 25 October 2021}} It has all the functionality required for a Visual Novel, and more. It has support for resolution scaling and switching, along with pixel and vertex shaders.{{Cite web|url=http://nvlist.weeaboo.nl/features/|title = NVList}}

Narrat is a free and open source narrative engine designed for role-playing games that can also be easily used in the development of visual novels. Narrat uses web technologies to output games that run on Web Platforms, as well as Desktop.{{Cite web |title=Building and exporting a Narrat game {{!}} Narrat Docs |url=https://docs.get-narrat.com/guides/building-and-exporting.html#windows-distribution |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=docs.get-narrat.com}} Narrat was inspired by games like Disco Elysium in its visual layout and presence of RPG mechanics, as well as dice-based tabletop role playing games style skill checks.{{Cite web |title=Narrat game engine 1.0.0 launch - Release Announcements |url=https://itch.io/t/2191850/narrat-game-engine-100-launch |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=itch.io |language=en}} It features an easy to learn script language{{Cite web |title=Language syntax and expressions {{!}} Narrat Docs |url=https://docs.get-narrat.com/scripting/language-syntax.html |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=docs.get-narrat.com}} that allows anyone to efficiently write large visual novels that can contain more advanced RPG mechanics like an inventory{{Cite web |title=Inventory {{!}} Narrat Docs |url=https://docs.get-narrat.com/features/inventory.html |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=docs.get-narrat.com}} and quests.{{Cite web |title=Quests {{!}} Narrat Docs |url=https://docs.get-narrat.com/features/quests.html |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=docs.get-narrat.com}} It has a system for customising UI based on CSS, which allows game developers to radically change the presentation of their games.{{Cite web |title=Theming the game and UI {{!}} Narrat Docs |url=https://docs.get-narrat.com/guides/theming-ui.html |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=docs.get-narrat.com}} The engine has been particularly noticed in the Spanish speaking interactive fiction community.{{Cite web |title=Narrat Game Jam 2 calienta motores |url=https://caad.club/narrat-game-jam-2-calienta-motores/ |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=Club de Aventuras AD |date=15 June 2023 |language=es}} Narrat has also been listed as one of the best free tools for narrative games by Game Developer.{{Cite web |last=Riendeau |first=Danielle |date=2023-06-16 |title=The best free tools for narrative games |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/pc/the-best-free-tools-for-narrative-games |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=Game Developer |language=en}}

Suika2 is a free and open source visual novel engine. It is lightweight, compact, and portable by design. Games created with Suika2 can run on Desktop, Mobile and Web Platforms.{{Citation |title=Suika2 |date=2022-10-22 |url=https://github.com/suika2engine/suika2 |publisher=Suika2 Development Team |access-date=2022-10-22}} Having Japanese and International language options, it is one of the few Japanese Visual Novel Engines supporting multiple languages out of the box. Its simple command based syntax allows for easy creation of Visual Novels, while its GUI system provides the framework for a robust visual experience.{{Cite web |title=Suika2 {{!}} Visual Novel Engine Command Reference |url=https://www.suika2.com/en/reference.html#gui |access-date=2022-10-22 |website=www.suika2.com}} The provided Visual Debugger allows easy testing of scripts, and facilitates packaging of game files. Suika2 Kirara, a drag-and-drop development tool for Suika2, is being developed.

TyranoBuilder is a commercial visual novel engine. Projects created in this engine can be compiled for use on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and browser-based web apps.{{cite web |url=https://www.nyu-media.com/tyranobuilder-visual-novel-studio |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930210915/https://www.nyu-media.com/tyranobuilder-visual-novel-studio |url-status=usurped |archive-date=September 30, 2020 |title=TyranoBuilder Visual Novel Studio |author=Nyu Media Ltd |accessdate=2022-04-09 }}{{cite web |url=https://tyranobuilder.com/about/ |title=About TyranoBuilder |author=STRIKEWORKS |publisher=Nyu Media Ltd |accessdate=2022-04-09 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2022-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409230406/https://tyranobuilder.com/about/}}

Geek & Sundry said it uses "a simple drag-and-drop system and the interface makes it easy to see how the scene will look as you change elements on the fly."{{cite news |last=Fisher |first=Jessica |url=https://nerdist.com/article/build-your-own-video-games-with-these-simple-programs/ |title=Build Your Own Video Games With These Simple Programs |work=Nerdist |location=New York |publisher=Geek & Sundry |date=2018-09-25 |accessdate=2022-04-09 }} The GUI is similar to GameMaker, usually bypassing any need for scripting.{{cite web |url=http://www.gaminglives.com/2015/04/28/tyranobuilder-visual-novel-studio-review/ |title=TyranoBuilder Visual Novel Studio – Review |author=Ric |publisher=GamingLives |date=2015-04-28 |accessdate=2022-04-09 }} TyranoBuilder acts as an interface for TyranoScript, a web-focused engine created in Japanese language{{cite web |url=https://github.com/ShikemokuMK/tyranoscript |title=TyranoScript｜ティラノスクリプト v5.00 |language=Japanese |author=ShikemokuMK |publisher=tyrano.jp |date=2015-04-28 |accessdate=2022-04-09 }} (a partial English version exists).{{cite web |url=https://evanburchard.github.io/tyranoscript/ |title=TyranoScript｜ティラノスクリプト novel game engine for Browser, iOS, Android, etc. v2.60 |author=ShikemokuMK |publisher=tyrano.jp |date=2015-04-28 |accessdate=2022-04-09 }} TyranoBuilder and TyranoScript use a syntax similar to the scripting language of KiriKirki, although less flexible.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}

Asobu, an independent game development community and shared workspace,{{Cite web|url=https://asobu.dev/?lang=en |title = asobu.dev}} hosted a TyranoBuilder Meetup in Japan in January 2020. A small group of developers (including the 'Tyrano Game Festival 2018' 2nd-place winner,{{cite web |url=https://novelgame.jp/games/show/1059 |title=公衆電話 |language=Japanese |trans-title=Public Phone |last=Takumi |first=Kato |publisher=Novel Game Collection: novelgame.jp |date=2019-11-07 |accessdate=2022-04-09 }} Takumi Kato) were in attendance, and the event corrdinator said there will be future events.{{cite news |last=Giichi |first=Totsuka |url=https://gamesoldier.net/2020/01/20-tyranomeetup/ |title=ノベルゲーム制作者で集まったっていい！ 「ティラノミートアップ#1」小リポート |language=Japanese |trans-title=It's okay to get together as a novel game creator! 'TyranoBuilder Meetup #1' Small Report |work=gamesoldier.net |date=2020-01-21 |accessdate=2022-04-09 }}{{cite news |last=Giichi |first=Totsuka |url=https://asobu.medium.com/visual-novel-creators-join-your-forces-tyranobuilder-meetup-1-a-short-report-a9976178dcff |title=Visual novel creators, join your forces! "TyranoBuilder Meetup#1", a short report |work=asobu.medium.com |publisher=asobu.dev |date=2020-01-21 |accessdate=2022-04-09 }}

{{Reflist}}

{{Video game engines}}

Visual_novel_engines