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The Twine® Grimoire is an unofficial guide to using CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) to customize projects made in Twine 2.0. The Grimoire demonstrates how CSS and HTML can be used in a variety of Twine 2.0 Story Formats as a method of fine-tuning a game’s appearance and behavior, allowing users to develop new skills and create visually and mechanically unique text-based games. These tutorials are suitable for beginner to intermediate users. The Grimoire (vol. 1) was included in itch.io's Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality in June 2020, the Indie Bundle for Palestinian Aid in June 2021, and the Indie Bundle for Abortion Funds in 2022. Volumes 1 & 2 were included in the 2022 Queer Games Bundle.
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Volume I
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The first volume of the Twine® Grimoire is geared toward common features that many first-time users are interested in working into their projects, including text styling, link styling, and passage backgrounds.
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The information in these tutorials is not compatible with previous versions of Twine such as Twine 1.4.2. These tutorials are suitable for beginner to intermediate users who are interested in experimenting with CSS and HTML. Users do not need previous experience with web development, programming, or Twine.
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Volume II
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The second volume of the Twine Grimoire® focuses on more intermediate and advanced ways to customize a project's stylesheet. These tutorials are suitable for intermediate users who are familiar and confident with topics and skills introduced in Volume 1.
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Volume III ✨ NEW
The third volume of the Twine Grimoire® focuses on some advanced ways to use HTML in your projects, as well as guides for effective use of assets and data. This volume is suitable for intermediate users who are familiar and confident with topics and skills introduced in Volumes 1 & 2, but there is also beginner friendly information regarding saving and testing games.
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OTHER RESOURCES
TEMPLATES
After spending a few years working on 3 volumes of tutorials, I'm starting development on a series of templates for Twine 2 users. By "templates," I mean downloadable zip files (compressed folders) containing a README and an "index.html" file. Users can collect these files and import them into Twine to use their bespoke UI.
In addition to an annotated custom stylesheet (CSS), full templates will also include a default set of passages and all necessary HTML to functionally preview the features of the template. Similar to a website or blog theme, which are also made with CSS and HTML, but with some different installation steps. Templates can be used as-is, customized, or built upon. For users already confident with CSS, HTML, and Twine, templates can be adapted to other versions of Twine as well. Patrons receive exclusive devlogs & early access to test builds! |
IF AND ONLY IF
"If And Only If" is a presentation discussing the use of conditional logic in game design. This download includes a PDF of the full text transcript, a .ppt (Microsoft PowerPoint) file, and .png files of the 33 individual slides.
These demonstrations explore the use of variables and specific macros (set, if, else) in Twine 2. Examples are given in syntax appropriate for use in both SugarCube and Harlowe story formats. This resource was originally a talk given at Narrascope 2022; it was later included in HandEyeSociety's SuperFESTival 2022, and has since then been used as a guest lecture to teach several cohorts of Writing Interactive students. It's now available to all in a convenient downloadable form! |
About Twine®
Twine® is an “an open-source tool for telling interactive, non-linear stories” originally created by Chris Kilmas in 2009; it is now maintained by “a whole bunch of people at several different repositories,” per Twinery.org. I am in no way affiliated with its development process.
Twine is a registered trademark of the Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation (IFTF), which “helps ensure the ongoing maintenance, improvement, and preservation of the tools and services crucial to the creation and distribution of interactive fiction, as well as the development of new projects to foster the continued growth of this art form.” 
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Grimoire Reviews
Volume 1 has been downloaded over 5,000 times and volume 2 has been downloaded over 1,200 times! Here are some things people have said about the Grimoire:
Educators and enthusiasts alike, please feel welcome to use the Grimoire as a classroom or workshop resource any time. 
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Other Resources
Additional resources, including links to Story Format documentation, can be found in the Vol. 1 PDF, and further resources can be found in the Vol. 3 PDF.
Supporting the Grimoire
The Twine® Grimoire project is made possible by the support of my patrons on Patreon, who enable me to take the time to write these tutorials, revise them, and compile them into free PDFs. All patrons pledging $2 or more gain early access to the first draft of each tutorial as I write it, and also have the opportunity to make tutorial requests every month.
In the interest of making this resource as accessible as possible to many users, the Grimoire will NEVER have a minimum donation required to download. However, if you would like to support my work, you can do so by either donating on itch, or pledging on Patreon.
In the interest of making this resource as accessible as possible to many users, the Grimoire will NEVER have a minimum donation required to download. However, if you would like to support my work, you can do so by either donating on itch, or pledging on Patreon.