Find your way · Make yourself at home
Take a Tour of Story Thyme
Take a guided walk through the website—from finding stories in the Library and browsing Resources to managing your work, building a visual novel and reading it in Theater.
Start exploring the Library Find a tutorial01 For readers · Public browsing
Library
Find your next story
The Library is where visitors discover published Story Thyme stories. Browse newest stories and series, or explore stories popular by likes and views. Open a story’s page to read its description, genre, rating and creator information before entering Theater.
02 For creators · Public assets
Resources
Find the pieces for your world
Browse approved community Backgrounds, Sprites, Effects, Dialogue Boxes, Audio, Ambience and Sound Effects. Resource pages explain each asset and how to use it. Your own uploads and private resources live in your Dashboard; Voice collections stay private. Traditional image/GIF Effect resources are separate from the 50 built-in animated Canvas Effects added inside the Editor.
03 For signed-in creators
Dashboard
Manage your own work
Your Dashboard brings together stories in development, published stories, submissions waiting for approval, series, your personal library and your resources. Start a new story here, return to an existing draft, or open a resource you own. A story’s management page is where you find editing and publishing actions.
04 For creators and their visitors
Profile
Your creator presence
A Profile introduces a creator through their avatar, bio and public activity. Visitors can explore their published public stories, published series and approved shared resources. Creators can manage their own profile; choose a creator’s name on a story or resource to visit theirs.
05 For creators · Open from your story
Story Editor
Build the story, frame by frame
This is where you actually build your visual novel. Choose backgrounds and sprites, write dialogue, and connect frames with choices. Frame Preview shows your current composition; Saved Frames helps you move through the story. Settings tabs hold transitions, audio, Story Variables, Reader Input and Canvas Effects.
06 For eligible creators
Character Creator
Meet your cast
The built-in Character Creator lets eligible creators build character sprites directly inside Story Thyme. Explore Body, Face, Expressions, Clothes and Accessories, then save a character, export PNG artwork or add a sprite to your account. An eligible account with a verified email is required; the Character Creator is unavailable in Kids Mode.
07 For readers · Open from a story
Theater
Step into the story
Theater is where readers experience Story Thyme stories. Follow dialogue, make choices and hear the scene’s audio as the story unfolds. Use fullscreen when your browser supports it. Open a published story from its story page; creators can test drafts with Preview Story in the Editor.
08 For new and returning creators
Tutorials
Learn one step at a time
Tutorials are Story Thyme’s current creator manual and learning path. Start with your first story, learn individual tools or jump straight to a focused guide. Each guide connects you to the next useful step.
09 For everyone
Updates
See what’s growing
The Updates navigation groups News and the Changelog. Visit News for platform announcements and asset updates, or read the Changelog for a record of product changes. Signed-in creators will also find Resources and Character Creator grouped under Assets when available.
Inside the creator tools
What can you create?
Once you know where to go, start with a small scene and let it grow.
Scenes with feeling
Compose backgrounds, sprites and dialogue. Crossfade and Color Fade connect moments; music, ambience, sound and private Voice add atmosphere.
Compose a scene · Build the soundscapeStories that remember
Branch through choices, track Number and Text Story Variables, and ask for a name with Reader Input. Dynamic dialogue can use each reader’s answers.
Plan branching choices · Use variables and input50 Built-in Animated Canvas Effects
Layer up to 8 effects per frame: Fireflies, Rain, Falling Leaves, Surface Water, School of Fish, Speed Lines and more. Choose layers, Bring Forward or Send Backward, and adjust each effect’s controls.
Explore Canvas Effects · Find Effects in the EditorFrom draft to reader
Test with Preview Story, then submit finished work for approval. Public stories appear in discovery; Unlisted stories are available through their direct link. Readers experience approved stories in Theater.
Preview, publish and shareThe final stop · A little mystery
The Secret Garden
What could this page be? Some places in Story Thyme aren’t listed in the navigation. You’ll have to discover this one for yourself.
Come back when you've discovered the secret garden!