I’ve compiled a list of free tools that make it easy (or easier, at least) to make digital stories. This list is by no means comprehensive; my goal was simply to create a list tools that seemed the most useful to me. I haven’t tried all of these, but I did take other users’ responses into account.
I tried to favor cloud-based software (stuff you don’t have to download), but where I found online solutions lacking I listed free downloadable software.
Last updated: 5/27/2010
Interactive Fiction tools
- Choice Script: scripting for multiple choice games
- TADS: the Text Adventure Development System
- Inform 7: extremely popular IF authoring software
- Twine: work using a graphical mapping system and output your story to a web page file for easy sharing
- Inform: “a design system for interactive fiction, created in 1993″ (inform-fiction.org)
- Curveship (Coming soon): a soon-to-be-released IF system (More info on the creator’s blog)
Visual novel construction kits
Visual digital storytelling resources
- Story Bird: collaborative visual storytelling
- Prezi: an interactive approach to slideshows
- Zooburst: create 3D pop-up books from your photos
- OurStory: create multimedia timeline-based stories
- PikiWiki: easily build multimedia web pages
Video game tools
- Adventure Game Studio: adventure game maker
- Ogmo Editor: 2D Level Editor
- RPG Maker XP: create your own RPGs without all the fuss
- RPG Toolkit: An alternative to RPG Maker XP suggested by Shaun Knighton.
Comics tools
You don’t even have to draw to make a web comic anymore. And I’m not just talking about XKCD.
Video tools
- Xtranormal: text-to-video software
- Blabberize: Turn static photos into creepy, Gilliam-esque talking images
- Screenr: create quick and easy screencasts
Image editing tools
- Aviary Tools: Surprisingly robust features for an online application suite. Think PhotoShop Lite.
- Picnik: popular online photo editing application that lives up to the hype
- Sumo Paint
- Pixlr Editor
- Fotoflexr
Audio Editing
- Myna: another impressive online tool from Aviary
- Audacity: Another recommendation from Shaun Knighton. As he pointed out, if you’re dealing with big file sizes, having software that runs on your own system might be the way to go.
Misc.
- Processing: “an open source programming language and environment for people who want to program images, animation, and interactions” (processing.org)
If you’re interested in this junk, you might want to follow me on Twitter or check out my public feed bundles via Google Reader:
Further Reading
- Fifty web tools for your web story: a far more thorough list of resources than the above
- Digital storytelling resources
- Brass Lantern’s resources for adventure game writers
- 100 Digital Storytelling Tools for Your Digital Selves + Natives
- Authoring Software and Platforms for Electronic Literature and New Media: This site isn’t tailored to the non-programmer and the site’s design is hideous, but there are still some resources worth checking out
- The Electronic Literature Organization