AI-powered storytelling has come a long way. What used to be a fun gimmick is now a serious way to write novels, build fantasy worlds, or just escape into wild, unpredictable adventures. And if you’ve been exploring this space, two names have probably popped up more than once: NovelAI and AI Dungeon.
At first glance, they seem similar since they both let you create stories with the help of AI. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find they serve very different purposes. One is all about structured storytelling with deep customization. The other leans into spontaneous, multiplayer chaos that feels more like an improv game with a machine.
So, which one is better? Well, that depends on what you’re looking for.
This article breaks it all down; features, pros, cons, and everything in between, to help you pick the AI storytelling tool that fits your style.
At a Glance: NovelAI vs AI Dungeon
Before we get into the details, here’s a quick look at how NovelAI and AI Dungeon stack up:
| Features | NovelAI | AI Dungeon |
| Focus | Narrative writing, worldbuilding | Interactive storytelling, adventure gaming |
| Writing style | Polished, consistent, prose-heavy | Spontaneous, playful, unpredictable |
| Customization | Advanced (lorebooks, memory, modules) | Decent (custom prompts, world settings) |
| Art Generation | Yes (anime-style image generator) | No (relies on story text only) |
| Multiplayer/Co-Op | No | Yes |
| Interface | Clean, writer-focused | Game-like, casual |
| Best for | Writers, novelists, worldbuilders | Gamers, creatives, roleplayers |
| Pricing | From $10/month | Free + premium tiers (from $9.99/month) |
| Offline mode | No | No |
| NSFW content | Allowed (with moderation settings) | Mixed history with moderation policies |
NovelAI Review
NovelAI is an AI storytelling platform built with writers in mind. Instead of feeling like a game, it’s more like a private writing assistant, there to help you generate immersive prose, develop characters, and build expansive worlds. Whether you’re writing fantasy epics, sci-fi sagas, or character-driven romance, NovelAI puts narrative quality and creative control front and center.
The platform runs on powerful language models (currently a customized version of GPT), but what makes NovelAI stand out is how it wraps those models in tools tailored for authors. You don’t just type and wait; you guide the AI. You shape its memory, set rules with lorebooks, and even influence tone and style.
Key Features
- Lorebooks: One of its standout features. You can feed the AI your own characters, locations, backstory, and rules of your fictional universe. The AI references this as you write, keeping things consistent across long sessions.
- Memory & Author’s Note: You can tell the AI what to always remember, even across multiple interactions. Perfect for long-form storytelling or serialized writing.
- Image Generation: With its built-in anime-style art tool, you can visualize your characters or scenes right from your dashboard, great for fans of illustrated storytelling or visual novels.
- Style Modules: These are like writing filters. You can pick or train a module that changes the AI’s tone, whether you want poetic, action-packed, or even mimic a specific author.
- Text Exporting: Easily save your work, download chapters, and organize your stories however you like. It’s made with writers in mind, not just casual hobbyists.
Strengths
- High-Quality Writing: NovelAI consistently generates coherent, emotionally rich, and stylistically polished prose. It’s excellent at maintaining context over long passages.
- Customization and Control: Few platforms offer this level of personalization. You’re not just prompting, you’re building a dynamic narrative engine tailored to your world.
- Privacy & Ownership: One of the few platforms that makes a big deal about keeping your stories private. Nothing you write is used to train future models, and you retain creative rights.
- Stable, Distraction-Free UI: The interface is clean and focused on the writing. No pop-ups, leaderboards, or game-like interruptions.
Weaknesses
- No Multiplayer or Shared Play: If you’re looking for group fun or collaborative storytelling, this isn’t the place.
- Takes Time to Master: There are a lot of knobs and sliders. If you just want to plug in and go, it can feel a bit overwhelming at first.
- Not Very Game-Like: NovelAI is tailored for narrative depth, not wild branching adventures or sudden plot twists. It works better for methodical writers than chaotic storytellers.
Who It’s Best For
NovelAI is ideal for writers who want depth, consistency, and creative ownership. If you’re crafting a novel, developing an RPG setting, or even writing fanfiction with detailed worldbuilding, NovelAI gives you the tools to do it seriously. It’s less for play and more for passion projects. Basically, if you treat writing like art, NovelAI gives you the best canvas.
AI dungeon review
AI Dungeon is an interactive storytelling platform that feels more like a game than a writing tool. Originally launched as a choose-your-own-adventure-style experience, it quickly evolved into a sandbox where you can do anything, literally. The AI responds to whatever you type, letting you explore fantasy worlds, go on sci-fi quests, or just cause absolute chaos for fun.
Compared to NovelAI, AI Dungeon is more spontaneous and player-driven. It’s built around the idea of improv storytelling, where the AI is your dungeon master, sidekick, and unpredictable co-author all in one. You type a line, and it responds. There are no rigid plot structures or genre limits. Want to ride a dragon into a mall in space? You can. Want to romance a ghost in the Wild West? Go for it.
Key Features
- Game Modes: You can play solo or in multiplayer (co-op) with friends. There are also pre-made story modes and quests for guided play.
- Custom Worlds & Scenarios: Create your own story setups or jump into ones made by the community.
- Prompt Freedom: The AI responds to anything. You’re not stuck in a script.
- Memory Settings: Paid users get more memory and persistent story elements (though not as advanced as NovelAI’s lorebooks).
- Multiplayer & Public Stories: Invite friends to join your story or explore public adventures created by others.
Strengths
- Improv-Style Fun: The sheer unpredictability is part of the charm. If you enjoy seeing where the AI takes you, even if it’s totally wild or weird, you’ll love this.
- Great for Casual Users & Gamers: No need to worldbuild or plan, just jump in and see what happens.
- Multiplayer: One of its biggest advantages over NovelAI. Group storytelling, jokes, and roleplay sessions are all possible here.
- Creative Freedom: No genre limitations, and the AI doesn’t resist crazy ideas. It’s a playground for your imagination.
Weaknesses
- Inconsistent Writing Quality: The AI can derail easily. One minute you’re in a serious scene, the next it’s inserting something absurd or contradictory.
- Moderation Woes: AI Dungeon had a rocky past with NSFW content and censorship. While things have improved, it’s still a concern for some users.
- Less Narrative Structure: If you want a deep, coherent story or consistent tone, you’ll have to work harder to guide the AI.
- Limited Worldbuilding Tools: There’s no lorebook system. Memory is shallow unless you’re on the premium tier.
Who it’s best for
AI Dungeon is perfect for players, roleplayers, and casual storytellers who care more about fun than literary polish. If you enjoy Dungeons & Dragons, open-ended games, or shared chaos with friends, AI Dungeon delivers a great experience. It’s not built for writing a novel, but it’s fantastic for wild adventures and laugh-out-loud moments.
Hands-on experience with Novel AI and AI Dungeon
Here’s the part I couldn’t wait to get into. NovelAI and AI Dungeon are both storytelling apps, and I was eager to see their creativity unfold. So, I tested both tools with the same criteria to see how they perform under different tests. Here’s what I found:
Getting started: ease of use and first impressions
Of course, we need to sign up to get started, so that’s what I did, and here’s my experience signing up for these tools:
NovelAI
You’d expect a writing tool to be smooth and welcoming, but getting into NovelAI wasn’t exactly seamless. After entering your details on the sign-up page, it just… looped. Instead of moving you into the dashboard or confirming your account, it sent you right back to where you started. No error message, no confirmation. Just endless loading and confusion. Not a great first impression, especially for something you’re planning to pay for.
AI Dungeon
Surprisingly, it was the same story here. Between account creation errors, failed login attempts, and random reloading, getting into AI Dungeon felt more like battling a glitchy boss than opening a storytelling app. It’s marketed as a playful, jump-right-in platform, but the login issues definitely broke the vibe.
Neither platform made a strong case for user-friendliness right out the gate. And while occasional tech hiccups happen, first impressions matter—especially when you’re trying to choose which one deserves your time (and possibly your money).
Interface & first impressions
Next, let’s talk about what I felt immediately when I got in. I believe layout and first impression is a huge part of story telling AIs. Here’s what I think about their interface;
AI dungeon: flashy, fun, and friendly
Jumping into AI Dungeon feels like walking into a party. Bright colors, playful icons, and neatly labeled menus greet you right away. It gives off strong “game night” vibes, and that’s not a bad thing. You immediately see where to start an adventure, where to find multiplayer stories, and what community content is trending. For beginners or casual users, the guided layout makes everything feel accessible. It’s clear that AI Dungeon is going for a playful, open-ended vibe, and the interface reflects that perfectly.
Novel AI: quiet, clean, and writer-centric
In contrast, NovelAI is subtle, almost stoic. You’re not bombarded with colors or noise. It opens to a calm, minimal dashboard with just a few buttons: create a new story, image generator, and director tools. While it may feel underwhelming at first glance, it quickly grows on you. There’s no clutter. It’s designed to keep you focused on writing, not browsing. If AI Dungeon is a party, NovelAI is a quiet writer’s cabin. Less flashy, but very intentional.
AI Dungeon welcomes you with a splash of energy, while NovelAI keeps it minimal and distraction-free. Both are easy to navigate in their own ways; it just depends on whether you want to play or write.
Pre-curated characters & stories
Before you even type a word, it’s worth asking: What do these platforms offer if you just want to dive in and play around?
Not everyone wants to build a world from scratch. Sometimes, you just want to explore a ready-made story, try out a cool character, or jump into someone else’s imagination. And thankfully, both AI Dungeon and NovelAI offer ways to do exactly that, though in very different styles.
AI dungeon: pick a hero, start an adventure
Right from the homepage, AI Dungeon throws a buffet of fun at you. There are dozens of premade characters, worlds, and scenarios just waiting to be explored. Sci-fi, fantasy, slice-of-life, post-apocalyptic weirdness, you name it. Each one feels like a new doorway into a chaotic, sometimes hilarious, but always unpredictable world. If you’re lazy, curious, or just craving some instant entertainment, this setup is perfect. You don’t even need to think, just click and go.
Novel ai: quiet start, but rich scenarios once you look
NovelAI’s homepage starts off pretty blank. No characters waving at you. No colorful tiles begging to be clicked. At first, it feels a little… empty. But once you hit “Tap Story”, things come alive. You’re presented with a lineup of curated scenarios across multiple genres like ancient epics, quiet love stories, psychological thrillers, horror, and quirky modern setups. It’s diverse, soulful, and surprisingly creative. There may not be a parade of avatars, but the story ideas here feel like they’re designed for deeper, more thoughtful writing.
AI Dungeon serves up fast, fun adventures on a platter. NovelAI takes a quieter route but offers curated inspiration once you know where to look. If you’re in the mood to explore pre-made worlds, both platforms give you options; you just have to decide whether you want chaos or craft.
Storytelling quality (my first adventure on both platforms)
At this point, I was all warmed up and ready to dive into an actual story. I didn’t want to spend forever crafting the perfect setup or world; I just wanted to click on something and see what these AIs could do.
So, I went straight for the first adventures available on both platforms.
First stop: AI dungeon
I picked the first story that caught my eye, titled “Halfway House” and hit play. It asked for my character’s name and gender, and once I filled that in, we were off.
At first, I was a little confused. As soon as I entered my details, I was thrown into a block of text explaining my situation. Apparently, I’d been sentenced to house arrest at a halfway house by someone named Magistrate Camberine IV. I had no clue what I’d done, but I was intrigued.
A few lines later, it turns out I’d tried to pick a wizard’s pocket and got caught. That’s how I ended up under the watchful eye of some Duchess. Wild, right? But I couldn’t stop reading cos I genuinely wanted to know what would happen next.
I had options: let the AI continue, write the next part myself, regenerate, or erase. I let the AI take the reins because, honestly, I was curious to see where it would take the story.
Bottom line is, I didn’t want to stop. It pulled me in, and for all its unpredictability, it was fun.
Then, novel AI
Next up was NovelAI, and again, I went straight for the first scenario on the list, which was A Cretaceous New World. I know myself, if I spent too long picking a story, I’d never start.
When I clicked play, I got a preview of the story and a prompt asking if I wanted to edit or keep the placeholder names. I kept the placeholders… and, honestly, I kind of regretted it. Once the story began, the placeholders were still there. Instead of flowing smoothly, I kept bumping into [Character] or [CaptainName]. Not a deal-breaker, but it disrupted the rhythm.
Still, the story itself was gripping. A ship at sea, tormented by something massive beneath the waves. The tension was real. The crew battled a sea monster, the captain was barking orders, and eventually, one of the sailors called it out: a Mosasaurus.
Now, I don’t know much about dinosaurs, but that name alone had me hooked. I had to know more. I asked the AI to continue, and it did. The pacing, the imagery, the suspense, it felt like a movie scene unfolding before me.
Despite the hiccup with the placeholders, which I believe was my fault, I was glued to the story.
Creating my own scenarios
After testing out the premade adventures, I was ready to go off-script. I wanted to try creating my own scenario, just me and the AI, no preloaded plot.
AI dungeon: too many fields, not enough freedom
So, I head over to AI Dungeon to try and start a fresh story. I expected a blank page or a simple prompt bar. Instead, I was hit with a mini form: title, description, tags, genre, memory input… and I hadn’t even written a single word of the story yet.
Honestly, it felt like too much. I didn’t want to fill out a whole submission form just to begin. I just wanted to type “A girl wakes up in a forest with no memory” and have the AI take it from there. But nope, I had to plug in all these fields like I was applying to start a game dev project. It kind of took the fun out of it.
Sure, AI Dungeon has a prompt mode where you can chat with the AI, but even that felt tucked away behind the Scenario creation stuff. For someone who just wants to jump in and write, it was a little overbearing.
Novel AI: one box, one click, let’s go
NovelAI, on the other hand, got this part right. It gave me exactly what I needed: a big, empty text box. I typed my prompt, hit generate, and the AI started writing. No pressure, no form fields, no decisions to make beforehand. Just creative flow.
The interface felt like chatting with a very poetic, very talented co-writer who never got tired of expanding my ideas. And if I wanted to steer the story or rewrite a line, it gave me the space to do that, too.
If you’re the type who enjoys building out every detail before the story begins, AI Dungeon gives you that structure. But if you’re lazy like me or just want to create as you go, NovelAI is way easier to start with. No pressure, just pure storytelling from the jump.
Which one should you choose?
If you’re stuck choosing between NovelAI and AI Dungeon, it really comes down to what kind of storytelling experience you’re looking for and how much structure (or chaos) you want in the mix.
Go with AI Dungeon if…
- You love unpredictable, anything-goes storytelling
- You want quick entertainment without overthinking the plot
- You enjoy roleplay, gaming vibes, and maybe even co-op chaos with friends
- You don’t mind occasional randomness or story detours
- You’re more about fun than finishing
AI Dungeon is like improv night with a quirky AI. It might throw in a talking rabbit or send you into space mid-sentence, but if you’re here for the ride, it’s a blast.
Go with NovelAI if…
- You’re writing a serious story or building a deep world
- You want control over characters, tone, and consistency
- You prefer immersive, flowing prose
- You’d rather write alone than co-op with friends
- You want a writing tool, not a game
NovelAI feels like working with a professional co-writer. It’s quiet, focused, and great for long-term projects or writers who love writing every detail.
If you have the time (and patience), try both. One will feel more natural to you almost instantly, and your storytelling style will thank you for it.
Final thoughts
Both NovelAI and AI Dungeon have their strengths and their quirks. After spending time with both, they offer two very different experiences.
AI Dungeon is wild, chaotic fun. It throws you into the middle of a story and lets you see where things go, no matter how weird or wonderful. It’s the kind of tool you open when you want to play, experiment, or just laugh at what the AI comes up with next.
NovelAI, on the other hand, is more like a writing companion. It’s thoughtful, flexible, and made for people who love storytelling for its richness and depth.
So which one’s better? That’s up to you.
Are you in the mood to explore, play, and get surprised? Or do you want to build something meaningful, slow, and immersive?
Try them both. See what clicks. Because at the end of the day, the best AI storytelling tool is the one that keeps you coming back for more.
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