I Spent 3 Hours Playing AI-Generated Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Stories

I Couldn't Stop Playing

So here's the thing—I meant to test our story feature for like 20 minutes. Just make sure everything worked, you know? Three hours later, I'd died in a spaceship explosion, become a medieval knight, and somehow ended up running a bakery in a fantasy kingdom.

Interactive stories hit different when you're the one making the choices.

What Actually Happens

You start with a scenario. The AI shows you a scene with an image, gives you some context, and presents 2-4 choices. Pick one, and the story branches. The AI generates what happens next based on your decision.

It sounds simple, but the execution is wild. The AI remembers your choices, maintains consistency, and creates images for each scene. You're not just reading—you're steering.

The Part That Surprised Me

I thought I'd pick the "smart" choices. You know, be strategic, survive, win the game.

That lasted about 10 minutes.

Then I started picking the ridiculous options. "Befriend the dragon" instead of "Run away." "Challenge the king to a dance-off" instead of "Pledge loyalty."

And here's the thing—those choices led to the most interesting stories. The AI rolled with it. The dragon became my business partner. The king respect my dance moves and made me court jester.

The bad decisions were more fun than the good ones.

Different Genres Work Differently

Fantasy adventures are great for moral choices and character moments. Do you save the village or pursue the villain? Risk your life for a stranger? Sci-fi stories give you technical decisions. Divert power to shields or weapons? Investigate the anomaly or report it? Each choice has logical consequences. Mystery stories are detective work. What do you examine first? Who do you trust? The clues you find (or miss) affect the whole investigation.

I kept gravitating back to fantasy. Something about having a sword and facing dragons just works for choose-your-own-adventure.

The Images Make It Real

Each scene gets a generated image. That matters more than I expected.

When the AI described a "dark forest," I could imagine it. When it showed me the dark forest—twisted trees, fog, an ominous path—I felt it. The images ground the abstract narrative in something concrete.

Plus, they're just cool to look at. I screenshot probably 15 scenes just because the images were neat.

When Choices Actually Matter

Good interactive fiction gives you meaningful choices. Not "do you want to go left or right" (who cares?), but "do you want to save your friend or complete the mission?"

The AI generally nails this. Most choices create genuinely different outcomes. Sometimes paths converge later (you end up in the same location regardless), but how you get there—and what happens along the way—varies significantly.

The best moment: I chose to trust a suspicious merchant early in a story. Fifteen choices later, he showed up again and helped me escape capture. The AI remembered. That kind of callback makes the world feel alive.

You Can't Go Back

Once you make a choice, that's it. No undo button. This is either frustrating or liberating depending on your personality.

I found it liberating. Commits you to your decisions. Makes them feel weighty. Also forces you to accept consequences rather than constantly reloading for the "perfect" playthrough.

If you want to try different paths, start a new story with the same prompt. I did this three times with the same opening scenario and got completely different adventures.

The Credit System Makes Sense (Sort Of)

Each new scene costs 10 credits (~$1). You get 100 free daily, so you can play around without spending anything.

Once you're hooked (which, let's be real, you will be), you buy credits in bulk. It's pay-per-use, not subscription. I like this model for something I don't use every day but want available when I'm in the mood.

That said, stories can get expensive if you really binge. A 15-scene adventure is 150 credits. Be aware of that going in.

The Educational Angle I Didn't Expect

Halfway through my testing, I realized this would be incredible for teaching.

History class: "You're a colonist in 1775. Do you support the revolution or remain loyal to England?" Play through the consequences of each choice.

Ethics class: Present moral dilemmas where students argue for their choice, then see how the story plays out.

Creative writing: Analyze how choices create narrative branches. Discuss what makes a choice meaningful vs. superficial.

I'm not a teacher, but if I were, I'd absolutely use this. It's engaging in a way textbooks aren't.

Tips If You Try It

Start with a simple premise. Don't go crazy with elaborate backstory. "You're a detective investigating a murder" works better than a three-paragraph character history. Make choices that interest you, not ones you think are "right." The fun is in seeing where strange decisions lead. Read carefully. The AI drops hints and foreshadowing. Details matter. Embrace the weird. Sometimes the AI generates something unexpected. Roll with it. Some of my favorite moments came from the AI taking my choices in directions I didn't anticipate.

The Verdict

I went in skeptical and came out a fan. This isn't revolutionary—interactive fiction has existed for decades. But the combination of AI-generated narrative, custom images, and responsive branching creates something that feels fresh.

It's not replacing books or games. It's its own thing: low-commitment, choose-as-you-go fiction that adapts to your decisions in real-time.

Will I use it again? Already have. Twice since finishing that first session.

Try one story. Pick a genre you like. Make bold choices. See what happens.