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A-101 Orbis Scriptor

A local-first desktop app for fantasy worldbuilding.

Orbis Scriptor's world generator: seed, land shape and climate controls beside a generated archipelago map, with a linked-lore character page below.
From the Orbis Scriptor website, not a screenshot of the app.
Client
Self-initiated
Year
2026
Sheet
A-101, 1 of 5
Status
Released v0.5.0
Role
Sole developer: Rust backend, React front end, CI and releases
Stack
Tauri 2, Rust, React, TypeScript, SQLite, FTS5, Konva, TipTap, React Flow

Summary

A desktop app for worldbuilders who want their maps, lore, timelines, characters and notes in one place, stored in a folder on their own machine with no server and no account. It can also generate a whole world from a seed. The source is available to read, under a licence that does not allow copying or redistribution without permission.

Why

The reasons behind the stack.

  • Tauri and Rust

    I chose Tauri with Rust to bridge my web development experience with a low-level language, for performance. Tauri lets the interface be built and styled with CSS, so I could use the front-end skills I already have.

  • SQLite

    I used SQLite for a local-only setup, so working on a world never depends on a server.

Construction notes

What I built, keyed 1 to 6.

  1. Built the Rust backend on Tauri 2 in clear layers, with typed bindings generated for the React and TypeScript front end
  2. Added instant full-text search on SQLite FTS5, with a Ctrl+K command palette
  3. Built the map editor on Konva, with layers, rivers, roads, borders, stamps, undo and redo and PNG export
  4. Wrote the lore editor on TipTap, with [[wiki links]] that follow renames and a backlinks panel on every entry
  5. Built seeded world generation: the same seed and settings always produce the same terrain, kingdoms and lore
  6. Set up GitHub Actions to build the Windows and Linux installers and sign the updater artifacts for in-app updates

Outcome

Version 0.5.0 is released for Windows and Linux. Installed copies update themselves in the app, and the app is free to use.

More drawings

From the Orbis Scriptor website.

Orbis Scriptor, the desktop worldbuilding app, as shown on its website

Hiring, or want something like this?

Ask me how I built it, or tell me what you're working on, or email oscarfreeman@live.co.uk.