StoryCraft System (ZX Spectrum Next)

This software runs on the ZX Spectrum Next home micro  - System/Next 22.10

The StoryCraft System is a system for creating story-based games on the Spectrum Next. The basic gameplay of a StoryCraft game involves moving, talking and interacting with people and objects to progress the story you create.

It uses a simple visual map-based system to simplify 'programming' events, meaning that digging into BASIC is not required unless you want to customise the system further. 

There is a template game included, along with a fuller sample game 'The Chronicles of Pard', to give you an idea of what can be done. An early version of the system was also used in the game 'Santa's Magic Cookies' available on issue 3 of Nexter (Nexter (ZX Spectrum Next) by sunteam).

REQUIREMENTS

As well as the ability to draw your own sprites and background tiles, you will require:

TILED
Free map making software by Thorbjørn Lindeijer available from www.mapeditor.org.

TILED2BIN (for Windows)
A utility by Rusty Pixels for converting map files into Next format.
Available from www.rustypixels.uk/tiled2bin/

You will also need to use the MESSAGE MAKER. This is included in the StoryCraft package (data/messages/) and runs on your Spectrum Next.

It is advisable to set up a PC based workflow to make things easier to test, such as VSCode (tutorials can be found on YouTube).

The download contains an instruction manual, along the 2 folders. The NEXT folder contains Spectrum Next files that can be copied to your SD card to run. The WINDOWS folder contains tutorial files to examine and use as templates for your own game if required.

By Paul Weller / Sunteam 2026.