Ink Language
The definitive Ink scripting language extension for Visual Studio Code.
Ink is inkle's open-source scripting language for writing interactive narrative, used in games like 80 Days, Sable, Heaven's Vault, and Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2.
Features
Editor
- Syntax highlighting for
.ink and .ink2 files
- IntelliSense — context-aware completions for knots, stitches, variables, lists, and built-in functions
- Go to Definition — jump to knot, stitch, variable, or function definitions
- Find All References — find every usage of a symbol across files
- Rename Symbol — rename knots, variables, and other symbols across files
- Hover Information — see symbol type, parameters, word count, and reference count
- Document Outline — navigate your story structure in the sidebar
- Code Folding — collapse knots, stitches, conditional blocks, and comments
- Diagnostics — real-time errors and warnings via the inkjs compiler
- Snippets — templates for knots, stitches, choices, conditionals, and more
- Multi-file support —
INCLUDE directives are fully supported
- Story Outline — tree view of all knots, stitches, and functions with click-to-navigate
- Variables & Lists — overview of all VAR, CONST, LIST, and EXTERNAL declarations
Interactive Preview
- Story Preview — play through your story directly in VS Code
- Choice selection — click choices or use keyboard shortcuts (1-9)
- Variable watch — see variable values update in real time
- Jump to knot — skip to any knot during playtest
- Go to source — click to navigate from preview back to your Ink source
- Auto-update on save — preview refreshes when you save
- Branch Visualizer — interactive SVG graph of your story structure with dead code detection
- Statistics Panel — word count, knot/stitch/choice counts, estimated playtime, unused variable detection
- Compile to JSON — export your story as inkjs-compatible JSON
- Export Localization — extract narrative text to CSV for translation
Getting Started
- Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace
- Open a
.ink file
- Start writing — IntelliSense, diagnostics, and navigation work automatically
Commands
Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and type "Ink" to see all available commands:
| Command |
Description |
Ink: Preview Story |
Open interactive story preview |
Ink: Show Branch Visualizer |
Visualize story structure as a graph |
Ink: Show Statistics |
Show story metrics and analysis |
Ink: Compile to JSON |
Compile the current file to JSON |
Ink: Restart Story Preview |
Restart the preview from the beginning |
Ink: Export Localization (CSV) |
Export narrative text for translation |
Snippets
Type these prefixes and press Tab:
| Prefix |
Description |
knot |
New knot |
knotp |
New knot with parameters |
stitch |
New stitch |
func |
New function |
choice |
Choice with divert |
sticky |
Sticky choice with divert |
var |
Global variable |
const |
Constant |
list |
List declaration |
if |
Conditional block |
ifelse |
Conditional with else |
tunnel |
Tunnel |
thread |
Thread |
include |
Include file |
external |
External function |
seq |
Shuffle sequence |
cycle |
Cycle sequence |
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
ink.mainFile |
"" |
Path to main .ink file for multi-file projects |
ink.compileOnSave |
false |
Automatically compile to JSON on save |
ink.outputDirectory |
"" |
Directory for compiled JSON output |
ink.previewAutoUpdate |
true |
Auto-update preview when source is saved |
ink.readingSpeed |
200 |
Reading speed (WPM) for playtime estimation |
ink.countAllVisits |
false |
Enable COUNT_ALL_VISITS flag during compilation |
Requirements
- VS Code 1.85.0 or later
- No external dependencies required (uses bundled inkjs compiler)
About Ink
Ink is created by inkle. Learn more:
License
MIT
| |
