Publish your game — Kata docs
Kata docs

Publish your game

Kata games are static. No server required (unless you want multiplayer). Compile your scenes with the CLI, build your UI, and drop the output on any static host.

1. Compile .kata → KSON

kata build "scenes/**/*.kata" -o dist/kson

Each .kata source becomes a .kson.json file — the parsed action list your UI will import. In most projects you bundle these straight into your Vite/bun build, so this step is already part of bun run build.

You can also keep a project config in kata.config.json:

{
  "input": "scenes/**/*.kata",
  "output": "dist/kson"
}

2. Build your UI

Whatever bundler you’re using (Vite, Bun, Next.js), run its production build:

bun run build

The scaffolded templates ship with a sensible default. If you’re rolling your own, make sure to:

  • Inline or preload the .kson.json files
  • Set NODE_ENV=production so devtools compile to a no-op shell
  • Bundle your audio/image assets into the static output

3. Deploy

Vercel / Netlify / GitHub Pages

Point the host at your dist/ (or .output/public, or whatever your bundler emits). Zero configuration.

Bun host

bun --bun ./dist/index.html

Lint before you ship

kata graph "scenes/**/*.kata" --lint

This reports:

  • Orphaned scenes — unreachable from any entry point
  • Dead ends — scenes with no choices and no outbound edge
  • Broken targets — -> @scene/id pointing at a scene that doesn’t exist

Fix these before deploying and you avoid an entire class of player-reported bugs.

Next steps

  • Plugins guide — analytics, auto-save, content warnings, profanity filter
  • Testing guide — StoryTestRunner lets you write behavioral tests for branching paths
  • Multiplayer guide — add co-op or networked rooms on top of any existing game
  • Devtools guide — in-browser timeline, profiler, and inspector