Hidden Door: An AI storytelling platform in early access that enforces in‑world limits

TL;DR

• Hidden Door is an early‑access platform that cowrites choose‑your‑own‑adventure stories with an AI narrator.
• It leverages public‑domain worlds and licensed works such as The Wizard of Oz, Pride and Prejudice, and The Crow, and it locks some storytelling options to keep the narrative within the world’s logic.
• Players create a character, flesh out backstory and traits, and respond to an opening scenario; dice rolls can influence outcomes and the story progresses accordingly.
• The system uses cards for characters and locations, plus a narrator deck of plot points to guide the flow.
• Compared with general chatbots like ChatGPT, Hidden Door imposes in‑universe limits to avoid instant, power‑fantasy wins, offering a more structured storytelling experience.

Context and background

Years before the current wave of generative AI. OpenAI technology powered a game called AI Dungeon 2 that let players improvise open‑ended stories with an AI narrator. Hidden Door builds on that legacy but introduces a structured, world‑based approach, placing limits on what players can write to keep narratives coherent within the chosen universe. The platform is now in early access and features familiar, licensed settings — including The Wizard of Oz and Pride and Prejudice — plus The Crow, which it has licensed. Players start by creating a character, detailing backstory, and specifying notable traits; the system then offers an opening scenario and you respond under the guidance of the AI narrator. The Verge

What’s new

Hidden Door emphasizes collaborative storytelling within established universes rather than free‑form improvisation. Key aspects include:

• Character creation and backstory input, with notable traits guiding the narrative.
• An opening scene generated by the AI narrator, followed by player responses that shape the path of the story.
• A dice‑roll mechanic for certain decisions, where success or failure influences the subsequent narration.
• A card system that collects characters and locations you can reference later as a refresher for important moments.
• A narrator deck of plot points you can draw from to steer the story toward new threads.
• Licensing and public‑domain usage to ensure stories you play through aren’t infringing on copyright, with worlds like The Wizard of Oz, Pride and Prejudice, and The Crow available. Hidden Door explicitly aims to work with authors involved in the process. The Verge

Why it matters (impact for developers/enterprises)

Hidden Door offers a case study in balancing creative AI storytelling with licensing, copyright considerations, and narrative coherence. By grounding adventures in public‑domain and licensed works, the platform avoids some copyright concerns that can arise with open‑ended AI generation on unbounded prompts. For developers, it demonstrates how structured constraints — such as a fixed world logic, character backstories, and dedicated plot‑point cards — can guide user interactions and improve narrative cohesion. The approach contrasts with general chatbots that may generate unconstrained or inconsistent results when asked to rewrite famous stories or invent new, powerful artifacts on the fly. The experience also highlights the value of a narrative “game master” style role for AI, where the AI sets the scene, imposes logical limits, and nudges players toward information gathering or story progression rather than power moves. The Verge

Technical details or Implementation

The platform blends user input with a structured storytelling framework to manage the narrative flow.

• You create a character, establish backstory, and define traits that influence how the AI narrator responds.
• The AI narrator presents an opening scenario and then reacts to your choices, occasionally using dice rolls to determine outcomes. The story continues regardless of success or failure, but the path changes accordingly.
• You collect cards that catalog characters and locations to reference later, functioning as a built‑in memory for the ongoing tale.
• The narrator has its own deck of plot points that can be selected to guide where the story heads next.
• Unlike free‑form AI chat, Hidden Door imposes in‑universe limits on what you can write, nudging you toward information gathering, dialogue, or other narrative devices instead of letting you trivially “win” with a single magical item or unbeatable tactic. In one observed Pride and Prejudice variant with vampires, for instance, attempts to craft an overpowering artifact were curtailed, and the game encouraged social gambits and investigation instead. The experience also includes occasional glitches, such as long thinking times and an instance of copied text appearing in‑story, which the reviewer noted among rough edges. The Verge

Table: Key distinctions (Hidden Door vs. a general chatbot)

| Feature | Hidden Door | General Chatbot |---|---|---| | Narrative constraints | In‑universe rules guide progress | Often unconstrained by world rules |Content licensing | Uses public domain and licensed works | Licensing varies; not always clear |Content memory | Character/locations cards provide persistent references | Less structured memory of past interactions |AI role | Narrator deck guides plot points | Free generation with fewer structure cues |Interaction style | World‑driven, quest‑like progression | Open‑ended text generation |

Key takeaways

• Hidden Door presents a structured alternative to free‑form AI storytelling by anchoring narratives in licensed and public‑domain worlds.
• The system combines character creation, opening scenarios, dice‑driven outcomes, and a deck of plot points to guide narrative progression.
• Its design aims to preserve narrative coherence within a chosen universe while still offering player agency.
• Early experiences note both engaging moments and rough edges, such as long AI response times and occasional content glitches.
• For those exploring AI storytelling UX, Hidden Door demonstrates how explicit constraints and a “game master” approach can shape player immersion.

References

• The Verge. Hidden Door is an AI storytelling game that actually makes sense. https://www.theverge.com/games/757816/hidden-door-early-access-ai-story