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ink and Inky
Cambridge, United Kingdom
What it is
ink is a narrative scripting language for games, and Inky is its companion app for writing, testing, and exporting stories. The language uses text-first markup, with code and logic inserted into the text. As writers work, Inky refreshes its play pane, highlights errors as they type, and can jump from a divert to its target. Stories can be exported as JSON or as a web page ready for customization. Inky is available for Linux, macOS, and Windows. For Unity projects, the integration plugin recompiles ink files during editing and includes a previewer for playing stories in the Unity Editor. For Unreal Engine, the site points to Inkpot, a container for integrating ink that was created by The Chinese Room. The maker says ink, Inky, and the Unity plugin are freely available under the MIT license. The tools are intended primarily for professional game development, but can also be used to write and share choice-based interactive fiction. The maker directs users with questions to Discord and GitHub Discussions.
For and against
For
- Inky writes, tests, and exports ink stories.
- Play pane refreshes as the story changes.
- Exports to JSON or a customizable web page.
- Unity plugin recompiles ink files during editing.
- Free under the MIT license.
Against
- Unreal integration is referenced through Inkpot.
- No free trial is listed.
The verdict
ink and Inky bring story authoring, testing, and exporting into a single writing workflow. The Unity plugin adds an editor previewer, while Unreal integration is pointed to through Inkpot.
Who it suits
ink and Inky suit game developers creating branching narratives, particularly those working with Unity. They can also serve writers making choice-based interactive fiction to share.
Plans and prices
Free
ink, Inky, and the ink-Unity integration plugin are freely available under the MIT license
Read 5 Oct 2026 · inklestudios.com
On the record
- Company background
- inkle says it was founded in 2011 by two Cambridge game developers.inklestudios.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Company history
- inkle says it was founded in 2011 by two Cambridge game developers.inklestudios.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Downloads
- The Inky page links to downloads for Mac, Windows, and Linux.inklestudios.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Editor features
- Inky provides an automatically refreshing play pane, as-you-type error highlighting, jump to definition, and JSON and web export.inklestudios.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Export formats
- Inky exports stories as JSON or as a web page ready to customise.inklestudios.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Help
- The maker directs users to its Discord server and GitHub Discussions for questions and help.inklestudios.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Inky editor
- Inky lets users write, test, and export ink stories in one app.inklestudios.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Intended use
- Ink is primarily designed for professional game development and can also be used to write and share choice-based interactive fiction.inklestudios.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- 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.inklestudios.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- License
- The maker says ink, Inky, and the ink-Unity integration plugin are available under the MIT license.inklestudios.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- License and cost
- The site says ink, Inky and the ink-Unity integration plugin are freely available under the MIT license.inklestudios.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Ink is a narrative scripting language for writing branching game stories.inklestudios.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Security
- The product page states the MIT license and does not describe security certifications or compliance.inklestudios.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Support
- The site directs users to Discord and GitHub Discussions for questions about ink and its Unity integration.inklestudios.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Unity integration
- The Unity plugin automatically recompiles ink files as they are edited and includes a previewer for playing stories in the Unity Editor.inklestudios.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Unreal integration
- The page points to Inkpot, a container for integrating ink within Unreal Engine, created by The Chinese Room.inklestudios.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Writing style
- Ink uses markup where text comes first and code and logic are inserted within it.inklestudios.com · read 5 Oct 2026
