Play Mode - the Storyteller
TwistScript tells the story for you - or you tell it yourself, with friends joining by link. No rules knowledge, no experience required - just describe what your character does.
What is Play mode?
Play mode is run by TwistScript's Storyteller - and the front door to everything on the platform. You pick a setting (fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, or horror-lite), name your character, and the Storyteller describes a scene. Then you type what your character does - "I try to pick the lock", "I ask the innkeeper what happened", "I draw my sword" - and the Storyteller tells you what happens next, with outcomes decided by chance.
When you start, you choose who tells the story: let TwistScript tell it, or tell it yourself and have friends join by link (more on that below). No account needed. No rulebooks, no character sheets, no experience required.
How it works
Choose a setting
Pick from Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Mystery, or Horror (lite). Each has a different opening scene and tone.
Set up your group
Play solo or with up to 4 players. Name your characters and pick a class (Warrior, Rogue, Mage, Ranger, Bard, Cleric, or Adventurer). Players can share one screen or join from separate devices.
Choose a difficulty
Easy (target 8) is great for first-timers - most actions succeed. Normal (target 12) is balanced. Hard (target 16) is punishing and unforgiving.
Play
The Storyteller describes the opening scene. Each player types what their character does and submits. Once everyone has submitted, the Storyteller weighs each action's chances and writes one narrative paragraph weaving all the results together. Then the next round begins.
How rolls work
Every risky action triggers a chance roll from 1 to 20. The result is compared to a difficulty target. Roll at or above the target and you succeed; roll below and something goes wrong - though the Storyteller always makes failure interesting, not just punishing.
| Action type | Target (normal) |
|---|---|
| Look around, listen, wait | Always succeeds |
| Talk, persuade, deceive | 16 |
| Attack, climb, run, fight | 16 |
| Most other actions | 12 |
On a roll of 1-3 against a failed hard action, your character loses 2 health. Characters start with 10 health. The story ends when all players reach 0 health.
Playing with others
Up to 4 players can share a story. Everyone submits their action for the round simultaneously - no waiting for turns - and the Storyteller narrates the whole round in one cohesive paragraph once everyone has acted. Crowd around one screen, or open More options → Invite others to bring people in from their own devices: share a link, send an email invite, or pick friends you follow. They read the story so far and join as their own character.
You don't all have to be online at once. Set a turn timer (an hour up to a few days) and the game waits for each player; if someone runs out of time their turn is skipped so the story moves on, and the host can skip a turn manually too. Signed-in players get a notification - in-app and by email - when it's their move.
Progress and rewards
Finishing a story earns XP - more for a designed tale, more again for finishing on hard, and a little even for a brave defeat. XP builds your level and tier, and milestones unlock badges (First Story, Tale-teller, Honours, and more). Play on consecutive days to keep a streak going. You'll see it all on the completion screen, in the header, and on your profile.
Play as a guest and none of it is lost: the moment you create a free account, the stories you played and the XP and badges you earned are saved to it.
The words we use
Interactive stories on TwistScript follow a simple ladder:
- World - a designed setting: its places, people, factions, and secrets. Pick one before you play. A world sets the stage but doesn't script the story.
- Tale - one playable story arc within a world, with a beginning, an end, and something at stake. Tales can chain into a series. Finish one and it counts - signed-in players earn badges, with honours on hard difficulty.
- Improvise - no tale, and no world needed. Pick just a setting (or a world, for its flavour) and the Storyteller makes up the story as you go. There is no fixed ending to reach - play for as long as you like.
- Session - one sitting of play. A short tale might finish in a session; a long one spans several.
- Scene - one moment or location within a session: the tavern, the chase, the confrontation. Scenes are where mood images and ambient soundtracks live.
Pick a tale, pick a world, or just improvise - the Storyteller handles the rest.
Guardrails
The Storyteller is designed to be family-friendly and appropriate for all ages. It stays in character, keeps violence at a narrative (not graphic) level, and avoids explicit content. It's designed to be welcoming to complete beginners.
Where Play leads
Play is the beginning. When you're ready to go deeper:
- Tell the story yourself - you as Storyteller, real players join via link, each session written in character.
- Explore the library - browse the Worlds and Tales the TwistScript team has crafted and find your next story.