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What it controls

A branch is a route decision in the editor, not a button that players see. Use it when an earlier act should lead to different next steps based on facts, a player decision, or a current state. The example branch is Whether to Visit the Old Pier. One route follows the clue to the pier; the other leaves a reply at the post office.
Branch panel with branch name and exit route strategy

Chinese UI screenshot: branch fields

Connect one incoming route and at least two outgoing routes. Write a separate, observable condition for each route. Good conditions say what the player did or what fact is true; they do not say “if the player is clever.”

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How to build a branch

  1. Connect one incoming route from the previous act;
  2. Connect the branch to two or more later acts or endings;
  3. Write a separate condition for each outgoing route;
  4. Check that the routes differ and that no route always leads to the same place;
  5. Trigger every route in a test session and confirm the player page really differs.

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Write facts, not vibes

A condition states what has already happened, not what would be more exciting:
  • Good: The player found the salt mark and clearly chooses to visit the old pier.
  • Good: The player leaves the letter at the post office and chooses to wait.
  • Avoid: If the player is clever, go to the good ending.
  • Avoid: Choose the most suitable route from the player's tone.
When a condition depends on a clue, intelligence, or state, say whether the player saw the evidence or already understood the fact; do not treat the two as the same.

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Common branch mistakes

  • No incoming or no outgoing route;
  • An outgoing route has no condition, so a test cannot tell why it was taken;
  • Two routes describe the same result with different titles;
  • A fact is written as already true before it happens;
  • The branch is used as an ending, so the story stops before the player is done.

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What the player sees

The branch card and strategy text are hidden. The player sees different dialogue, location access, items, clues, intelligence, or later endings. If you want a choice to be explicit, write it as a natural action or conversation in the player scene.
A branch has no required fields, but every exit route needs a selection rule; without one, a test cannot tell why the route was taken. See Required Fields and Blockers.

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Check it in testing

Trigger every route from a test session. Make sure the routes actually differ, no route has an unconnected exit, and a future fact has not been written as if it already happened. Next: Character and Location.