Play The Scarlet Letter — an interactive story where YOU are the hero

after the classic by Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1850

Wear the red A on the scaffold in Puritan Boston and refuse to name him. Play Hester Prynne, guard the secret that's eating the town's beloved minister alive, and decide when — or whether — the truth is worth the fire it brings.

A moment from one playthrough

On the midnight scaffold the minister stands where you once stood, pressing his hand to his heart, whispering a confession only the dark can hear. Little Pearl tugs your sleeve toward him. Climb up and stand beside him so the town sees at dawn, or lead Pearl home and let him choose his own hour?

Play The Scarlet Letter now →

Start free — 10 diamonds when you confirm your email. No subscription; narrated aloud; plays in 26 languages.

The Somni Tales reader: an open book with two pages of a story, an ink illustration, and a “write what you do” bar below.

Live The Scarlet Letter, don't just read it

In this interactive telling of The Scarlet Letter, you don't read about the hero — you are the hero. The Storyteller keeps Nathaniel Hawthorne's world true to the original — its characters, its places, its mood, all held as canon — then narrates every scene aloud and draws the moment you're in as an ink illustration. You type or speak what you do next, and the world answers: it remembers the promises you made, the things you took, and the people you crossed. Follow Nathaniel Hawthorne's plot faithfully, or step off it and watch a brand-new version of The Scarlet Letter unfold — one that still reaches a real ending.

How it works

The Storyteller holds the world of the book as canon — its characters, places and mood — and opens with you as the hero.
Type or speak anything: the world reacts, remembers, and stays true to the original's spirit.
Every playthrough is a brand-new story. Follow the plot — or break it and see what happens.

Common questions about playing The Scarlet Letter

Is The Scarlet Letter free to play on Somni Tales?

You get 10 diamonds free when you confirm your email — enough to open The Scarlet Letter and step into the first scenes. After that, diamonds cost from $5 with no subscription, and unused diamonds are refundable within 14 days.

Do I have to follow Nathaniel Hawthorne's original plot?

No. The Storyteller holds The Scarlet Letter as canon so its world, characters and mood stay true — but your choices write a brand-new telling. Follow the classic beats, or break from them and see where the story goes.

Can I play The Scarlet Letter aloud and in my own language?

Yes — every scene is narrated aloud word by word, and The Scarlet Letter plays in 26 languages. Change the language, voice and reading speed any time from the reader's Settings.