> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.spicychat.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.spicychat.ai/product-guides/rulebooks.md).
# Rulebooks
A Rulebook turns a chat into a small game. It keeps score of things that matter in the story, like how much a character trusts you, how much gold you have or how many HP you have left. The score changes based on how you interact with the character.
## An example
You chat with a shy barista who uses the Rulebook "Slow burn". It has one meter, **Trust**, which starts low.
* You're kind to her, so Trust goes up. You lie to her, so Trust goes down.
* While Trust is low, she gives short answers and keeps her distance. When Trust is high, she opens up and talks about her past.
* The meter at the top of the chat shows Trust, and a short line under it, such as *"Walls up"*, tells you how things are going.
You don't type any commands. The Rulebook reads the chat and moves the meters for you.
A reply arrives: Affection and Trust go up, and the status line changes.
## What you can build with it
* A relationship that warms up or cools down.
* A story clock with a date and time that move forward, so a shop can be closed at night or rent is due every Monday.
* A small economy: coins you earn and spend, or items you collect.
* Risk: HP, lives, or a dice roll when something happens.
* A place or phase that changes, like the room you're in or a chapter of the story.
## How to start
**To play with a Rulebook:** open **Rulebooks** in the main menu, pick one, and attach it to a character, a persona or one chat. See [Using a Rulebook in chat](/product-guides/rulebooks/using-a-rulebook-in-chat.md).
**To make your own:** open **Rulebooks** in the main menu and tap **Create Rulebook**. You get four ways to begin:
* **Start from a template.** Pick one of the [Starters](/product-guides/rulebooks/examples-to-clone.md), a small Rulebook that already works, and change it. The easiest way to begin.
* **Start from scratch.** A blank Rulebook that you build in the Editor.
* **Create with AI.** Let ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini write the Rulebook for you, then import it. See [Create a Rulebook with AI](/product-guides/rulebooks/import-export-and-ai.md#create-a-rulebook-with-ai).
* **Import.** Bring a .json file you exported before or got from another creator.
You can also clone any Public Rulebook from **Rulebooks** that shows **Rules visible**.
The Create Rulebook screen
### Pick your path
| You want to | Go to |
| ------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Just play with one | [Using a Rulebook in chat](/product-guides/rulebooks/using-a-rulebook-in-chat.md) |
| A working Rulebook in 2 minutes | **Create Rulebook > Start from a template**, then [Examples to clone](/product-guides/rulebooks/examples-to-clone.md) |
| Build your own, step by step | [Your first Rulebook in 10 minutes](/product-guides/rulebooks/your-first-rulebook-in-10-minutes.md) |
| Let an AI write it | [Create a Rulebook with AI](/product-guides/rulebooks/import-export-and-ai.md#create-a-rulebook-with-ai) |
### Common first Rulebooks
| Your idea | Starter to begin with |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | --------------------- |
| The character warms up to you | Affection |
| The character's mood changes with how you treat them | Mood |
| Day and night in the story | Day and night |
| Money that comes and goes | Wallet |
| A secret the character keeps until they trust you | Trust and secrets |
| Dice and hit points | Game: Health and dice |
## How a Rulebook works
A Rulebook has three parts:
| Part | What it does | Example |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Meters** | Keep score of something in the story | Trust, from 0 to 100, starts at 20 |
| **What moves them** | Changes a meter when something happens in the chat | +5 Trust when you keep a promise, or -1 Trust after a few quiet messages |
| **Influence rules** | Tell the character how to act at each score | Trust below 30: "Keep your answers short and guarded." The status line says "Wary" |
## Pages in this guide
* [Your first Rulebook in 10 minutes](/product-guides/rulebooks/your-first-rulebook-in-10-minutes.md): start from a Starter, test it and attach it.
* [Using a Rulebook in chat](/product-guides/rulebooks/using-a-rulebook-in-chat.md): attach, remove, and what players see.
* [Meters](/product-guides/rulebooks/meters.md): the meter types and their settings.
* [Making meters move](/product-guides/rulebooks/making-meters-move.md): AI rules, keywords, decay, triggers and dice.
* [Influence rules](/product-guides/rulebooks/influence-rules.md): levels, status lines and combined rules.
* [Playtest and checks](/product-guides/rulebooks/playtest-and-checks.md): try your Rulebook before you use it.
* [Visibility, review and versions](/product-guides/rulebooks/visibility-review-and-versions.md): Private, Unlisted and Public, tags, statuses and versions.
* [Import, export and AI](/product-guides/rulebooks/import-export-and-ai.md): move a Rulebook as a file, or let an AI write it.
* [Examples to clone](/product-guides/rulebooks/examples-to-clone.md): the 7 Starters, what each one teaches, and what to change first.
* [Common recipes](/product-guides/rulebooks/common-recipes.md): six small patterns that come up in most Rulebooks.
* [Troubleshooting, FAQ and limits](/product-guides/rulebooks/troubleshooting-faq-and-limits.md): common problems, words used in this guide, and limits.
**Up next:** Build a working Rulebook in 10 minutes, step by step.
{% content-ref url="/pages/gTdK7JR3u8OWohpVd4Nb" %}
[Your first Rulebook in 10 minutes](/product-guides/rulebooks/your-first-rulebook-in-10-minutes.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}
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