Getting Started

Welcome to Monogatari! In this guide you’ll go from nothing to a playable visual novel running in your browser, with a live-reload workflow that updates the moment you save a file.

It takes about 15–20 minutes, and you don’t need to be a programmer — if you can edit a text file, you can make a visual novel.

What you’ll build

By the end you’ll have the starter project running locally and you’ll have written and tested your own dialog, a character, and a scene — the core loop of making a Monogatari game.

The four steps

  1. Set up your environment — A browser, a code editor, and Bun.
  2. Get Monogatari running — Get the template and start the dev server.
  3. Get familiarized — A quick tour so you know where everything lives.
  4. Make your first visual novel — Write, save, and watch it update live.

TIP

Already comfortable with the web? The short version: get the template, run bun run serve, open http://localhost:5100, and edit js/script.js. The rest of this guide explains each part.

Need help?

  • Check the F.A.Q. for common questions.
  • Ask the community on the Forums.
  • Browse the rest of this documentation for detailed guides on every feature.