[bttf]

There is a distinction between Twine games, or choice-based games, and parser games, which are typically called Interactive Fiction games. One provides a pre-set list of choices at branches of narrative, while the other provides a world that the user can explore and manipulate via a palette of text commands.

[jrochkind1]

Wait, Twine is _not_ for making "text adventure" style games with a palette of text commands? Somehow I was getting the idea that it was, but when used for shorter stories authors just didn't want to call it "text adventure". but we're actually talking about a different feature set of the game software entirely?

[jccalhoun]

Twine does not lend itself to making Infocom style games easilly. It is more like Choose Your Own Adventure books in that at its simplest it is "do you want to go left or right?" style choices. However, you can use javascript to program more complicated styles of game play.

[neversaydie]

Yes - Twine is for what's called "CYOA" (after the old Choose Your Own Adventure book series) or "choice based" interactive fiction. That type of IF has its origin in gamebooks, and generally consists of sections of text that you move between by picking from a list of choices ("to open the door turn to section 223, to run away turn to section 543", that sort of thing). Digital tools can add more dynamic elements, but generally it's rooted in the experience of reading/playing a Fighting Fantasy or Choose Your Own Adventure type gamebook.

The other main type of IF is the "parser" kind - that's the Infocom style where the UI is a bit like a command line, you type arbitrary commands, and get dynamic feedback. The main tool used nowadays for making that type of IF is Inform 7, though there are others.

[djur]

The IF community has included choice-based games in "interactive fiction" for a long time now. They're eligible for IFComp and everything.