Storie

Storie is a hackable engine designed for fast prototyping with a clear path to native compilation.

• Built with Nim. Readable code, fast compilation and small binaries.
• Write markdown with executable code blocks in simplified Nim via Nimini.
• Code with raylib as an entry point.
• Auto-converts to SDL3 for more robust rendering and platform support.
• Compiles to WASM (via Emscripten) by default with easy compilation to native.

Swap backends (Raylib/SDL3), modify anything, break things. It's made for tinkerers who want zero constraints.

Check it out live: Demo

GitHub Gist examples:

• Audio - Sinewave | Source Gist
• 3D - OpenGL | Source Gist

The engine is built around GitHub features. No need to actually install Nim, or anything for that matter. Just create a new repo from the Storie template, update index.md with your own content and it'll auto-compile for the web. Enable GitHub Pages and you'll see that content served live within moments. GitHub Actions take care of the full compilation process.

Features

Core engine features:

• Cross-Platform - Runs natively and in web browsers via WebAssembly
• Fast-Prototyping - Write code on GitHub Gist and see it run live. Example | Source Gist
• SDL3-powered - Code in Raylib, get the same code rendered via SDL3. Example

Getting Started

Quick Start:

• Create a gist using Markdown and Nim code blocks. Example Gist
• See your gist running live: https://maddestlabs.github.io/Storie?gist=GistID

Create your own project:

• Create a template from Storie and enable GitHub Pages
• Update index.md with your content and commit the change
• See your content running live in moments

Native compilation:

• In your repo, go to Actions -> Export Code and get the exported code
• Install Nim locally
• Replace index.nim with your exported code
• Choose your backend:
  • Raylib (default): ./build.sh
  • SDL3 + OpenGL: ./build-cmake.sh
  • SDL3 + GPU (Vulkan/D3D12/Metal): ./build-sdlgpu.sh
  • Web: ./build-web.sh
  • Windows: build-win.bat

You'll get a native compiled binary in just moments, Nim compiles super fast.

Graphics Backends

Storie supports multiple graphics backends:

Backend	API	Platforms	WASM	Use Case
Raylib	Raylib 3D	All	✅ WebGL	Easiest, great for prototyping
SDL3 + OpenGL	OpenGL 3.3	All	✅ WebGL	Balance of ease and control
SDL3 + GPU	Vulkan/D3D12/Metal	Desktop/Mobile	⏳ Future	Best performance, modern GPUs

Note: SDL_GPU WebGPU backend for WASM is not yet available. For WASM builds, use OpenGL/WebGL.

SDL_GPU Backend (NEW!)

For production builds requiring maximum performance:

# Compile shaders first (one-time setup)
./compile-shaders.sh

# Build with SDL_GPU
./build-sdlgpu.sh

Benefits:

• 27% less CPU overhead vs OpenGL
• Vulkan (Linux/Windows), Direct3D 12 (Windows), Metal (macOS/iOS)
• Modern GPU architecture
• Better for complex 3D scenes

WASM Note: SDL_GPU doesn't support WebGPU yet. For web builds, use:

./build-web.sh        # Raylib (simplest)
./build-web-sdl.sh    # SDL3 + WebGL

See START_HERE_SDL_GPU.md and SDL_GPU_WASM_STATUS.md for details.

History

• Successor to Storiel, the terminal based proof-of-concept with Lua scripting.
• Rebuilt from Backstorie, a terminal focused template providing a more robust foundation for further projects.