Guide

How to play

Last updated: October 25, 2026

Every story is a game master prompt: a plain-text file of instructions for your AI. Give it to your AI, and it becomes the narrator of a story you play. Here's how to start, and how to get the most out of it.

Two ways to start

Both work well. Pasting a very long text into a phone chat box doesn't, so use one of these instead:

Either way, turn on code execution if your app has it. The narrator uses it to roll real dice instead of picking numbers.

Step by step, for each app

Which AI models work best

The smarter the model, the better the story. My first choice is Claude Opus; Gemini 3.6 Flash or newer in Google AI Studio is a strong second. Every story page also lists the models it was tested on.

Compare Claude, Gemini, Grok and ChatGPT for AI roleplay →

Why use your own AI subscription?

AI story and roleplay websites usually run on the same kinds of models, then charge their own subscription on top, often with message credits, daily limits, or the best models locked behind a higher tier.

Using a model you subscribe to directly is much cheaper: you pay once for a scenario and play it as often as you like with the AI you already have. You also get the smartest models straight from the companies that make them, and you can switch between Claude and Gemini whenever you want.

Once the story starts

• The narrator introduces the story and usually asks a few setup questions, like your character's name.
• Each reply ends with suggested actions. Pick one, or write your own, as briefly or as richly as you like.
• Dice rolls appear at the top of a reply, and a status block at the bottom tracks time, stats, money and people.

Tips for long sessions

• Ask for a save now and then. Something like "(Pause the story and give me a short save summary: characters, relationships, stats and open plot threads.)" Copy it into a note.
• Start a new chat when things slow down. Very long chats get slower and the AI remembers less. Give it the story again, then your latest save, and say "Continue from this save."
• Talk to the narrator out of character in brackets: "(OOC: let's skip ahead to the festival.)"
• Steer the pace. Ask for shorter or longer replies, more dialogue, or a time skip whenever you want.

When the AI forgets details or breaks character

An honest note: this will happen sometimes. AI models have a limited memory, and in long stories early details fade. The scenarios are written to reduce this, for example by tracking the world state, but no prompt can prevent it completely. Here's what helps:

• It forgot a detail (a name, an event, a stat): correct it out of character."(OOC: Hank already promised me his pickup if I get it running.)" The narrator will pick it up.
• A reply went wrong: use your app's regenerate or edit message button to try again. This is often faster than arguing with the reply.
• It stepped out of the story or started talking like an assistant: remind it, "(OOC: please stay in your role as narrator and continue the scene.)"
• It keeps getting things wrong: the chat has probably grown too long. Ask for a save and start fresh, as described above.
• It declines or softens a scene: every AI provider has its own content rules, and the model may refuse or tone things down, especially in mature stories. That's expected. Rephrasing or steering the scene in another direction usually works.

Still have questions? See the FAQ.Or start right away with the free story The Lazy C Ranch.