studio
FolioTier 1
narrate
Narrator line - text without a speaking character.
Use narrate for atmosphere, action, and observations without a speaking character. The line appears without a namebox and supports the same text tags as dialogue.
For a timed beat, enable Auto-advance in the event Inspector and set the delay, or open the timing control in narration mode. Enabling it starts at 2 seconds. Leaving it off lets the line follow the reader's Auto setting.
Timing starts when the whole line is visible, so a 2-second delay leaves the complete narration on screen for 2 seconds before continuing. It works with reader Auto off, replaces the reader's delay, and does not wait for voice playback to finish. Manual advance remains available. A delay of 0 continues immediately after text reveal; only this event is affected.
Parameters
| Parameter | Kind | Required | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| auto(seconds) | number | no | - | Optional auto(2) after the text and before any if clause. Advances this event after 0-60 seconds from full text reveal, even with reader Auto off. Replaces the reader's delay and voice-end wait for this line. Menus, editing, and paused playback hold the timer; manual advance still works. Omit to follow reader settings. |
| text | string | yes | - | The narrator line. Supports the same text-tag grammar as `say`. Renders without a namebox so the line reads as a third-person voice rather than character speech. |
Canonical example
narrate "The room was empty when she opened the door."
narrate "Or - empty was the word she used at the time.""The room was empty when she opened the door."
"Or -- empty was the word she used at the time."In Ren'Py, narration is a quoted line with no character prefix. Folio
uses narrate explicitly. To continue automatically after a brief beat,
write narrate "The door slammed." auto(2). Put an optional condition
last: narrate "The door slammed." auto(2) if ready.
Notes
For a narrator with a visible name, use say "Storyteller": "...",
or add the narrator to the cast and use their cast handle. Choose
narrate for text without a namebox. Both verbs accept the same inline
text tags and optional auto-advance timing.
Menus, editing, and paused playback suspend the countdown. Returning to playback starts the full delay again. Selecting a line in Forge holds it for inspection until playback resumes.