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How to write in Yarn
Every Yarn script file (.yarn.txt file) is made of chunks called nodes (like passages in Twine). The player can only read one node at a time.
In each node you can show dialogue, run commands, or let players make a choice. Each line is a separate line of dialogue:
Robert: Hello world.
Eddie: ... Who are you talking to?
Robert: The world!
To make players choose between different nodes, you can use a node option like this: [[OptionLabel|NodeName]]. So to make the player go to a node called "Cookies" or a node called "Candy", you would write:
Do you want cookies or candy?
[[I choose cookies.|Cookies]]
[[I choose candy.|Candy]]
IMPORTANT NOTE: By design, Yarn only shows node options at the very end of the node, after all the dialogue is finished.
You can also make players choose an option by putting -> before each option. This is called a shortcut option.
When you indent (by pressing [TAB]) on line(s) after a shortcut option, you can create a response or branch of dialogue without creating another node, which is why we call it a shortcut option.
You can also nest another set of shortcut options after another shortcut option, like with the "Fresh baked cookies" and "Chocolate chip cookies" choices below:
Do you want cookies or candy?
-> I choose cookies.
What kind of cookies do you want?
-> Fresh baked cookies.
Are you saying my cookies aren't fresh?
-> Chocolate chip cookies.
No chocolate chip. Don't be so basic.
-> I choose candy.
Sorry, we don't have any candy.
It was bad candy anyway. It wasn't fresh.
Shortcut options are very flexible. I like using them instead of node options, actually. If you type [[NodeName]] (with no OptionLabel) then Yarn will jump to that node.
Do you want cookies or candy?
-> I choose cookies.
Now jumping to the cookies node...
[[Cookies]]
-> I choose candy.
[[Candy]]
And that's pretty much the basics of writing in Yarn and giving choices! If you want to do more, read the Yarn Spinner documentation:
- Yarn Spinner: using if/else and variables
- Yarn Spinner: advanced features