Visual Novel System #
Visual novel #
Introduction #
The Visual Novel System provides a cinematic storytelling framework that allows developers to create fully controllable, dialogue-driven scenes directly within Unreal Engine.
It blends visuals, audio, and text into structured sequences that can be played automatically or advanced manually by the player.
Each sequence is defined through Data Assets, which reference a series of Scenes (Struct_VisualNovelScene) made up of dialogue Sentences, background images, and optional animations or sound effects.
This allows for both short character interactions and long narrative-driven cutscenes to be built quickly and consistently.
Core Features #
- Scene-based storytelling: Chain multiple backgrounds, soundscapes, and dialogue lines into cohesive story moments.
- Fully data-driven: Build sequences through data assets–no need for Blueprint scripting.
- Supports audio & animation: Each sentence can include recorded voice lines, ambient sound, and character montages.
- Manual or automatic progression: Choose whether the player advances each scene or if it flows seamlessly on its own.
- Memory integration: Sentences can store memory context for use in future dialogue or gameplay events.
Example Use Cases #
- Introductory cutscenes or chapter openings.
- Storytelling between missions or after major events.
- Flashbacks or dream sequences.
- Lore delivery, character introductions, or narrated endings.
Video demonstrations #
Official Hyper Demonstration
Bringing Your Visual Novels To Life Unreal Engine 5 | Games By Hyper Devlog
Community Member Demonstration
Structs #
Struct visual novel #
This struct defines a single visual novel sequence — essentially a short, story-driven segment where images, text, and optional audio are presented in a cinematic or narrative format.
It determines how the player interacts with the sequence and how each scene within it plays out.
Wait For Player Input #
Type: Boolean
Description:
Determines how the visual novel progresses:
- True → The sequence waits for the player to manually advance each scene (e.g., pressing a key or clicking “Next”).
- False → The sequence automatically progresses using the Timeline settings.
Use Case Example:
- Story moments where the player reads dialogue at their own pace.
- Automatic cutscenes that progress without input.
Timeline #
Type: Array of Struct_VisualNovelScene
Description:
Holds all the individual scenes that make up the full visual novel sequence.
Each entry defines what appears on screen (image, dialogue text, sound, etc.) for a given moment in the story.
Use Case Example:
- A single scene might show a background image with one line of dialogue.
- The full array can create a complete conversation or story segment with multiple images and audio cues.
Struct visual novel scene #
Each Visual Novel Scene defines a single frame or “moment” within a visual novel sequence.
It controls what the player sees, hears, and reads during that segment of the story, including background art, music, and dialogue text.
Background Image #
Type: Texture2D
Description:
The main image displayed behind the dialogue text for this scene.
This can represent a location, environment, or cinematic illustration.
Use Case Example:
- Showing a forest background during an exploration scene.
- Displaying a close-up portrait for a dramatic moment.
Background Music To Play #
Type: Sound Base
Description:
Optional music or ambient sound that plays when this scene begins.
If left empty, the system continues using the previous scene’s music.
Use Case Example:
- A calm tune during conversation transitions to a tense track when danger is revealed.
Sentences #
Type: Array of Struct_Sentence
Description:
Contains all dialogue or narration lines spoken during this scene.
Each entry represents one text line (and optionally its voice line or subtitle).
When all sentences are played, the scene either waits for input or progresses automatically.
Use Case Example:
- “We’ve finally made it.”
- “But… where is everyone?”
Maximum Display Time When Sentences Finished #
Type: Float (seconds)
Description:
Determines how long the scene remains visible after all sentences are complete — used only if Wait For Player Input is False.
If the time expires, the sequence advances to the next scene automatically.
Use Case Example:
- Set to 2.5 seconds for a short pause before fading into the next image.
Struct sentences #
A Sentence represents one spoken or narrated line in a Visual Novel Scene.
It defines what is displayed as text, which sound or animation plays, and what contextual memory is linked to the dialogue.
This is the smallest narrative unit in the system — a single line of dialogue, thought, or narration.
Audio #
Type: Sound Base
Description:
An optional audio clip played when this sentence begins.
If provided, it overrides auto-generated gibberish or default voice sounds.
Use Case Example:
- A recorded voice line for a key story moment.
- A unique grunt, sigh, or sound effect associated with the dialogue.
Spoken Text #
Type: Text
Description:
The line of text displayed in subtitles or the dialogue box.
This is what the player sees on screen as the character “speaks.”
Use Case Example:
“We have to move before nightfall.”
“I can’t believe it’s really over…”
Should Play Animation While Saying Sentence #
Type: Boolean
Description:
If True, triggers the specified animation montage to play while the line is spoken.
If False, the sentence plays without any animation.
Use Case Example:
- Enable for gestures or talking animations.
- Disable for narration, off-screen dialogue, or environmental storytelling.
Montage To Play On Sentence Start #
Type: Anim Montage
Description:
Specifies an animation montage to play when this sentence begins.
Used to sync facial expressions, gestures, or body movement to dialogue delivery.
Use Case Example:
- NPC points while saying a command.
- Character bows at the end of a conversation.
Memory Context #
Type: Struct_Memory
Description:
Associates this sentence with a memory tag or gameplay context, allowing dialogue systems or NPCs to “remember” the interaction.
Useful for branching dialogue, conditional reactions, or personality tracking.
Use Case Example:
- The player promises help → memory tag added for future dialogue.
- NPC recalls this later: “You said you’d help me last time.”
Data assets #
Da_visualnovel_(your.da) #
The Visual Novel Data Asset stores the full configuration for a single visual novel sequence — a playable story moment that combines artwork, dialogue, and audio.
It uses the Struct_VisualNovel and Struct_VisualNovelScene structures to organize every scene and line in order.
This setup allows designers to create story sequences directly in the editor — without writing Blueprint logic.
Wait For Player Input #
Type: Boolean
Controls whether the player must manually advance through scenes or if they automatically transition based on timers.
Checked → Player must press a key or button to move forward.
Unchecked → Scenes advance automatically after the specified duration.
Timeline #
Type: Array of Struct_VisualNovelScene
Represents the full sequence of scenes that make up the visual novel.
Each index (scene) defines:
- The background image shown on screen.
- The music or ambient sound that plays.
- The sentences (dialogue lines) spoken during that scene.
- The maximum display time before advancing (if auto-continue is enabled).
Example Scene Breakdown (Index 0) #
How It Works In-Game #
- When the visual novel sequence begins, the background and music for the first scene are loaded.
- The system displays each sentence (text and/or audio) in order.
- Once all sentences are complete, the player presses input (or the timer ends) to move to the next scene.
- The process repeats until the final scene ends.
Use Case Example #
This asset might represent a cutscene or storytelling moment, such as:
“The player arrives in town. The scene shows the marketplace background, ambient birds playing, and two lines of narration explaining the setting.”
Start a visual novel #
Visual Novels can be triggered directly through gameplay events — such as entering a trigger volume, interacting with an NPC, or completing a quest.
The example below demonstrates a simple overlap-based trigger that starts a Visual Novel when the player enters a designated area.
How It Works – Step-by-Step #
- On Component Begin Overlap (Sphere Collision)
This event fires when another actor — typically the player — enters the collision sphere attached to this trigger.
It’s the entry point for starting the Visual Novel sequence.
- The sphere acts as the activation zone.
- Any actor overlapping it will be checked to determine if they can trigger the story event.
- Get Instigator Controller
Retrieves the Controller responsible for the overlapping actor.
This is usually the Player Controller, which manages UI and narrative systems.
This ensures that the Visual Novel starts for the correct player — even in multiplayer or split-screen scenarios.
- Is Valid (Branch)
Before continuing, the Blueprint checks that the retrieved controller is valid.
If the controller doesn’t exist (for example, if a non-player object triggered the sphere), the chain stops here to avoid errors.
- Get Visual Novel System
Calls a macro that retrieves the player’s Visual Novel Component.
This component handles the logic for starting, updating, and displaying visual novel content.
It ensures that the Blueprint communicates with the correct gameplay system rather than spawning new managers unnecessarily.
- Start New Visual Novel
This is the final step — once everything is validated, the system is instructed to begin the selected Visual Novel Data Asset.
- The Target pin connects to the player’s Visual Novel System component.
- The Visual Novel To Start pin is assigned a Data Asset reference (the story sequence you want to play).
Once called, the system loads the first scene, displays the background, starts the audio, and begins the visual novel flow.
Alternative Event Triggers #
The system isn’t limited to overlaps — Visual Novels can begin from any event in your game world.
Here are several example scenarios:
1. NPC Interaction #
Trigger a Visual Novel when the player interacts (presses “Use” or “Talk”) with a specific NPC.
2. Quest Completion #
Use the On Quest Completed event to start a visual novel that serves as a narrative reward.
3. Location Trigger / Discovery #
Start a visual novel when the player enters a new region or discovers a landmark.
4. Timed or Scheduled Events #
Call Start New Visual Novel during in-world time events (e.g., sunrise, midnight, or festival).
5. Scripted Cutscenes #
Combine Visual Novels with your Cinematic Camera or Level Sequence system to create dialogue-driven cutscenes.
Creating your own visual novel #
- Follow this file path.
- Duplicate an existing visual novel data asset.
- Rename it to the novel you want to create.
- Delete indexes from duplication
- Implement your own parameters – to know what each parameter is used for, please go to DA_VisualNovel