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Project DVN - Visual Novel Engine

Project DVN

Website: https://projectdvn.com/

Wiki: https://github.com/ProjectDVN/dvn/wiki

Documentation: https://projectdvn.com/Docs/

Discord: https://discord.gg/UhetecF4US

Project DVN is a powerful, user-friendly and flexible free open-source visual novel engine written in the D programming language. It's designed to help creators craft immersive, interactive narrative experiences. Whether you're a solo storyteller, an indie developer, or a studio, Project DVN provides the tools and flexibility needed to bring your stories to life. No advanced technical skills required. Start your journey today!

Vision

DVN exists to bring visual novel development closer to how stories are actually written.

The goal is simple: powerful systems, simple scripts.

DVN aims to merge a screenplay-like scripting style with a deeply capable engine core - letting writers focus on narrative flow while still giving developers the freedom to build complex, dynamic experiences.

Ease of use for writers. Full power for developers. No limitations for creators.

Core Philosophy

Project DVN is built from what visual novels actually do, not from what engines typically offer.

Most engines are built like this:

Engine -> Features -> VNs must fit those features

DVN is the opposite

Visual novels -> Real-world behavior -> DVN implements those behaviors

Current Features

No coding or compiling required - scripts run instantly.
User-friendly - dive in without coding knowledge
Custom script engine - write your scripts in a simple format that requires zero coding knowledge
Flexible and dynamic "game scripting" for creative story creation
Proper unicode support - Ex. Japanese, Chinese etc.
Backup Font System (Automatic Fallback Fonts)
Fully integrated UI components
Labels
Panels
Buttons
Textboxes
Dropdowns
Checkboxes
Scrollbars
Images
Videos
Animations
Can all be used outside of VN mode...
Themes + Layout Generator
Localization / i18n with template functions
Multiple Windows Support (You can open multiple windows with application instances or even multiple vn instances)
Hot reloading of scripts (Requires you to enter main menu however)
Custom render functions with low-level access (OpenGL or custom rendering)
Allows custom render hooks for ex. 3D, 2D, custom pipelines etc.
Lots of game configurations and customization
Native compilation using D (Can run on anything D and SDL2 builds for - Ex. Windows, Linux, macOS etc.)
Visual novel features like characters, dialogues, options, animations, music, sound effects etc.
Eventhandling to allow more flexibility
All steps of the engine allows eventhandling, even dialogues and each dialogue component
Develop without coding or compiling
Networking (Allowing multiplayer VN, asset streaming etc.)
Custom views - allowing minigames, custom UI, special game mechanics etc.
Texture aliases - not default, but can be used
Dynamic character models (actions, states, directions) - not default, but can be used
Gallery
History (Searchable) with jumping to ANY scene node (including options)
DVN supports deterministic timelines, timeline jumping, and multiverse-based narrative exploration natively.
Saving, loading, auto-save
Auto-skipping
Dom Parser (html, xml, svg etc.)
CSS3 Selector Parser
Markdown Parser
Effects (Like screen shake) + Custom Effects
Effects can stack
Fast and light-weight
Allows rapid development
And much more ...

(For a full list and documentation, see the wiki or docs.)

Scripting

See: https://projectdvn.com/Docs/scripting-language

Script-Agnostic Architecture

DVN does not rely on a specific scripting language.

The built-in .vns script format is only a parser included with the engine, not a core requirement. DVN itself only needs scene graph data (SceneEntry objects), meaning:

You can replace the scripting language entirely.

You can load scenes from JSON, YAML, Lua, Ink, or any custom format.

You can generate scenes procedurally at runtime.

Tools can build scenes directly without parsing text.

Modders can add new scripting formats without modifying the engine.

If your custom parser constructs the scene graph correctly, DVN will run it exactly like native scripts.

This makes DVN fundamentally different from interpreter-driven VN engines: DVN is a data-driven runtime, not a language-bound interpreter.

DVN Scripting Is This Simple

Example taken from an actual VN (The Classroom Where Tomorrow Never Comes) made with Project DVN.

[act-8-rooftop-conversation]
c=Yume_Uni_Smile
n=Yume
t=...Yume.
n=Yume
t=Have you noticed how the flowers bloom in April?
narrator=250,250
t=What does she mean? We're not in April.
n=Yume
t=I think flowers and humans are alike.
n=Yume
t=We also bloom best when we're being cared for.

Branching example (Not from an actual VN)

[choice-scene]
t=What should I do?
o:StayWithYume=Stay with Yume.
o:LeaveYume=Leave her behind.

[StayWithYume]
t=I decide to stay with her.

[LeaveYume]
t=I can't stay here any longer.

Who It's For

Project DVN is perfect for writers and developers of all experience levels. Whether you're creating a personal passion project or a commercial release, Project DVN empowers you to build engaging stories across all genres imaginable.

Why Project DVN?

Project DVN combines ease of use with powerful features, making it the ideal choice for creating visual novels. With its innovation, expansive capabilities and flexibility, Project DVN helps you focus on storytelling, while providing all the support you need to deliver a polished, professional product.