Large language models (LLMs) are reshaping interactive digital narratives (IDNs). However, creating complex interactive narratives while preserving narrative consistency remains challenging. We present Orchid‑Creator (Orchid), an LLM-based authoring tool that represents IDNs as story graphs with a card‑based interface for scene definition and conditional transitions. We evaluated Orchid in two studies: a usability study with eight authors, and a comparative study with 20 participants (authors, developers, and players) that compared Orchid to Twine and AI Dungeon. Authors reported that Orchid’s features met their needs (card‑based interface: 4.0/5; story graph: 4.38/5; variable setup: 4.5/5). Structuring narratives with Orchid was easier (M = 6.0/7, p < .01) and produced better‑structured stories (M = 5.3/7, p < .05) than the alternatives, balancing author control (M = 5.5/7) with outcome diversity (M = 5/7, p < .01) and maintaining comparable usability. Finally, a case study with an artist demonstrates Orchid’s utility for interactive art.
ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems