articy:draft X From €5.83/mo · Free plan 9.4 Visit ink and Inky
inklestudios.com
What it is
ink is a text-first scripting language for branching game narratives, with logic and code placed within the story text. It is designed mainly for professional game development, though it can also be used to write and share choice-based interactive fiction. The companion Inky editor lets writers create, test, and export stories in one app. Its play pane updates while a story is being written, it highlights errors as they appear, and it can jump from a divert to its target. Inky exports stories as JSON or as a web page ready for customisation. The editor runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. For Unity, an integration plugin recompiles ink files during editing and provides a previewer inside the Unity Editor; the maker also points to Inkpot, a container for using ink within Unreal Engine. ink, Inky, and the Unity plugin are free under the MIT license. Help is available through Discord and GitHub Discussions.
Spec sheet
- Purpose
- Ink is a narrative scripting language for writing branching game stories.Read 5 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
- Intended users
- The site describes ink as primarily designed for professional game development, while also noting that it can be used to write and share choice-based interactive fiction.Read 4 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
- Security
- The product page states the MIT license and does not describe security certifications or compliance.Read 5 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
- Support
- The site directs users to Discord and GitHub Discussions for questions about ink and its Unity integration.Read 4 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
- License
- The maker says ink, Inky, and the ink-Unity integration plugin are available under the MIT license.Read 5 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
- Headquarters
- Cambridge, United KingdomRead 28 Sep 2026 · inklestudios.com
- Founded
- 2011Read 28 Sep 2026 · inklestudios.com
- Company background
- inkle says it was founded in 2011 by two Cambridge game developers.Read 4 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
- Company history
- inkle says it was founded in 2011 by two Cambridge game developers.Read 5 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
- Downloads
- The Inky page links to downloads for Mac, Windows, and Linux.Read 5 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
- Editor features
- Inky provides an automatically refreshing play pane, as-you-type error highlighting, jump to definition, and JSON and web export.Read 5 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
- Export formats
- Inky exports stories as JSON or as a web page ready to customise.Read 4 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
- Help
- The maker directs users to its Discord server and GitHub Discussions for questions and help.Read 5 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
- Inky editor
- Inky lets users write, test, and export ink stories in one app.Read 5 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
- Intended use
- Ink is primarily designed for professional game development and can also be used to write and share choice-based interactive fiction.Read 5 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
- License and cost
- The site says ink, Inky and the ink-Unity integration plugin are freely available under the MIT license.Read 4 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
- Unity integration
- The Unity plugin automatically recompiles ink files as they are edited and includes a previewer for playing stories in the Unity Editor.Read 5 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
- Unreal integration
- The page points to Inkpot, a container for integrating ink within Unreal Engine, created by The Chinese Room.Read 5 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
- Writing style
- Ink uses markup where text comes first and code and logic are inserted within it.Read 5 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
Plans and prices
Free Free ink, Inky, and the ink-Unity integration plugin are freely available under the MIT license Read 5 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Inky play pane updates as stories are written.
- Errors are highlighted during typing.
- Exports to JSON or a customisable web page.
- Unity plugin recompiles files during editing.
- Free under the MIT license.
Limits
- Inky is available only on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
- Unreal integration is pointed to through Inkpot, not an Inky plugin.
Who it suits
It suits professional game developers building branching narratives, including teams using Unity or Unreal Engine. Writers can also use it to create and share choice-based interactive fiction.
Verdict
ink and Inky combine a text-first narrative language with an editor for testing and exporting stories. The free Unity plugin adds an in-editor preview, while Unreal users are directed to Inkpot.
Where Specifiction places it
- Game Narrative Design Software#9 of 258.1
