Install and launch

Get a local portable package from the latest release page. Version 4.0.0 includes the main-branch features, interface and bundled media at release time; ordinary users no longer need a development setup. Older releases remain historical snapshots. A fixed release does not automatically receive later main-branch changes.

Portable packages: no Node.js installation

Computer	ZIP to download	Launcher after extraction
Windows 64-bit	StoryForge-v4.0.0-windows-x64.zip	Double-click Start-StoryForge.cmd
Mac with an M-series chip	StoryForge-v4.0.0-macos-arm64.zip	Double-click Start-StoryForge.command
Intel Mac	StoryForge-v4.0.0-macos-x64.zip	Double-click Start-StoryForge.command
Linux x64	StoryForge-v4.0.0-linux-x64.zip	Run bash Start-StoryForge.sh in the extracted folder

1. Download the ZIP matching your computer and extract the entire folder before launching. Do not launch from inside the ZIP.
2. Open the launcher. Node.js and the built interface are included; there is no need to run npm install.
3. Your browser opens http://localhost:1111/storyforge/. Open that address manually if necessary.
4. Keep the launcher window running; press Ctrl+C to stop. If the port is occupied, close the old service first. The launcher will not silently change ports.

If macOS blocks double-click launching, run bash Start-StoryForge.command in a terminal in the extracted folder. If a macOS/Linux extraction tool did not preserve executable permissions, run chmod +x runtime/node first. These portable packages are not signed system installers.

Start with built-in works such as Mist Harbor: The Lost Tide Bell, which need no model API. AI creation requires your own model service; the local package provides same-origin provider proxies. The Codex subscription connection still requires a separately installed, logged-in Codex CLI. Packaging does not change product maturity: preview features retain their labels.

The release attachment SHA256SUMS.txt lets you verify ZIP integrity. The included release.json records the version, source commit, platform and Node.js checksum.

Developers or other architectures: run the source

Use Node.js 24 and npm, matching project CI:

git clone https://github.com/yuanbw2025/storyforge.git
cd storyforge
npm ci
npm run dev

Without Git, download the latest main source ZIP, extract it and run the same npm ci and npm run dev commands. To get a fixed source version, use Source code (zip) on a release page.

The default address is also http://localhost:1111/storyforge/. Source ZIPs require an internet connection to install dependencies; they are different from the portable ZIPs above.

Online use and work data

The online app opens directly, but deployment may lag behind main or a fixed release. The official website experience disables AI and external services. It previews the interface and does not replace the full local app.

Before upgrading, export a full JSON backup from the old version. Works remain in the current browser. Existing data at the same http://localhost:1111 address in the same browser remains available; online deployments, different addresses, ports and browsers do not transfer data automatically. Do not clear site data to upgrade. Plain-text exports do not replace full backups.

Browser support for the File System Access API affects some local-folder workflows. Next: Quick start.