Guides & explainers
Loreon blog
Plain explanations of AI interactive storytelling — how it works and how the options compare. Every guide is dated, timed, and built to be skimmed.
17 guides 95 min of reading Updated Oct 18, 2026
All guides
17 guides · 95 min- Comparisons Roundup Any level 7 min AI Novelist (AIのべりすと) alternatives in 2026: 8 picks by what you want Eight AI Novelist (AIのべりすと) alternatives, sorted by what you want: AI BunCho or NovelAI to continue your writing, Claude or ChatGPT to write in conversation, Loreon to play a story. 7 min
- Comparisons Roundup Any level 7 min Character.AI alternatives: 10 options, sorted by what you want The best Character.AI alternatives in 2026, sorted by what you want: chat apps, companions that remember you, and AI story games where the chat goes somewhere. 7 min
- Comparisons Explainer Any level 5 min AI Dungeon free tier in 2026: what you get, and where it runs out Is AI Dungeon free? Yes: 9 story models, 2k–4k tokens of context, 25 memories and no credits. What that means in play, the paid plans compared, and how to stretch it. 5 min
- Comparisons Roundup Any level 7 min AI choose-your-own-adventure games: 9 worth playing in 2026 The best AI choose-your-own-adventure games in 2026, sorted by how you choose: pick from generated options, pick or type, or type anything. Platforms and pricing compared. 7 min
- Comparisons Roundup Any level 7 min Free AI story games in 2026: 8 you can play, and where free stops Eight AI story games you can play free in 2026, sorted by what free means: no account, no turn limit, or a daily allowance. Exactly where each free plan stops. 7 min
- Alternatives Any level 5 min An Episode alternative with no gem-locked choices An Episode alternative where no choice costs gems. Type what your character says and does, and the story reacts to it. Free to start, in your browser or on Google Play. 5 min
- Alternatives Any level 5 min A Janitor AI alternative with somewhere to go A Janitor AI alternative for people who want a story rather than an endless chat. Type any action into authored worlds that remember everything and reach real endings. Free to start. 5 min
- Alternatives Any level 5 min A SillyTavern alternative with nothing to set up A SillyTavern alternative with no install, no API keys and no model wrangling. Open a story, type any action, and play on your phone. Free to start, in your browser or on Google Play. 5 min
- Alternatives Any level 5 min A Talkie alternative that tells an actual story A Talkie and Chai alternative for readers who want a plot. Type any action into authored, illustrated stories that remember your choices and reach real endings. Free to start on Android. 5 min
- Alternatives Any level 5 min A Friends & Fables alternative you can play alone A Friends & Fables alternative for solo play with no Discord and no party to schedule. Type any action into authored worlds that track objectives and consequences. Free to start. 5 min
- Basics Explainer Beginner 6 min What is an AI interactive story? An AI interactive story is one you steer: you make choices and an AI continues the narrative, so your decisions change the ending. Here is how they work. 6 min
- Basics Explainer Beginner 5 min How does an AI choose-your-own-adventure work? An AI choose-your-own-adventure generates the next part of the story from your choice, with memory of what you did — removing the gamebook branch limit. 5 min
- Comparisons Roundup Any level 9 min The best AI story games in 2026 — 13 compared honestly 13 AI story games compared honestly — Episode, AI Dungeon, NovelAI, Character.AI, Loreon and more — with a full feature matrix and each one’s trade-offs. 9 min
- Comparisons Comparison Any level 4 min NovelAI vs AI Dungeon: which should you pick? NovelAI vs AI Dungeon: one is a creator writing and art studio, the other an open-ended adventure sandbox. How they compare, plus a third option to play. 4 min
- Alternatives Any level 5 min A free AI Dungeon alternative you just play Looking for an AI Dungeon alternative? On Loreon you type any action you want — into authored stories that remember everything and actually end. Free, in your browser or on Google Play. 5 min
- Alternatives Any level 4 min A NovelAI alternative for playing, not writing A NovelAI alternative for playing stories, not writing them. On Loreon you type any action into authored worlds that track everything — free, in your browser or on Google Play. 4 min
- Alternatives Any level 4 min A free Character.AI alternative where characters remember you Talk to AI characters who remember what you said — and act on it. Romance, fantasy, sci-fi and cozy stories. Free to start in your browser or on Google Play. 4 min