Drafft
Drafft: A focused narrative workspace for creators who need planning, simulation, and structured export. Ranked #12 of 25 in Game Narrative Design Software by our editors (7.5/10); pricing: 7-day trial; best for low-cost creators needing full narrative planning.
At a glance
- Editor score7.5 / 10
- Pricing7-day trial
- Best forLow-cost creators needing full narrative planning
- Free planNo
- Branching dialogueYes
- Facts checked21 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Branching dialogue, quests, scenes, and narrative-state simulation
- Markdown GDD authoring with linking and media embedding
- JSON export, revision history, and optional real-time collaboration
Where it doesn't
- There is no free plan
- Real-time collaboration requires a self-managed CouchDB server
- The workflow is centered on desktop authoring rather than browser access
Our verdict on Drafft
Drafft is a desktop, offline-first editor for interactive narrative systems and structured game design data. It suits solo developers and teams building branching stories, quests, dialogue, scenes, and game logic in one workspace. Its mixed authoring model covers visual dialogue trees alongside scripts, variables, scenarios, simulations, items, and Markdown-based game design documents. Projects can also be organized into sequences and exported as structured JSON for use in a game development workflow.
The subscription and lifetime license both include all Drafft features and lifetime updates. The subscription adds offline-first private data and optional multiuser support through a team’s own database, while the lifetime license keeps private offline-first data without that listed multiuser option. A 7-day trial is available. This structure gives creators a choice between recurring access with optional collaboration and a one-time license for individual work, without splitting core authoring features across paid tiers.
Drafft’s strongest distinction is the depth of its narrative planning toolset. Dialogue trees support choice, condition, switch, event, jump, and return nodes; quest design includes objectives, missions, properties, rewards, and completion conditions; and simulation helps examine variables and narrative states. Revision history supports restoring or downloading earlier document versions. JSON export mappings and an optional REST API support structured handoff, while real-time collaboration depends on a self-managed CouchDB server. Choose Drafft if offline authoring and detailed narrative structure matter most. Choose another tool if your priority is browser-first collaboration or a ready-made integration ecosystem.
Your product? Our editors can test Drafft in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
Drafft pricing
All 2 Drafft plans and prices →
Drafft fact sheet
| Free plan | No |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Branching dialogue | Yes |
| Quest design | Yes |
| Authoring model | Mixed |
| Game engine support | Not verified |
| Localization workflow | Not verified |
| Version history | Yes |
| Maximum collaborators | Not verified |
| Free trial | 7 days · no card needed |
| Deployment | Desktop, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Support | Email, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 1 integrations: CouchDB |
| Pricing | 7-day trial (source) |
| Website | drafft.dev |
| Facts checked | 21 Sep 2026 |
Drafft integrations
Drafft lists 1 integrations on its own site.
- CouchDB
Alternatives to Drafft
- ink and InkyA focused, free scripting toolkit for branching stories targeting Unity or the web.7.9
- Ren'PyA free, flexible choice for visual novels across desktop, mobile, and web.7.9
- Godot Asset LibraryA useful Godot asset library, but not a dedicated narrative authoring tool.7.9
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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