Using your export

Once an export finishes and you download it, here's what to actually do with each format.

Kohana Package (.koha)

Not covered here — see Share a package.

HTML Export (.html)

You get a .zip file. Unzip it: inside is an index.html and its supporting files. Together they're a small website that plays your novel in a browser, with no server-side code needed.

To try it locally, don't just double-click index.html — browsers block the asset-loading requests it needs to make against a file opened directly from disk, so the novel won't load. Instead, run a quick local server from the unzipped folder: python -m http.server (then open http://localhost:8000), or an editor extension like VS Code's Live Server.
To host it for others, upload the whole extracted folder (not just index.html) to any static web host, keeping the folder structure intact: GitHub Pages, Netlify (or Netlify Drop for a quick drag-and-drop deploy with no account setup), Cloudflare Pages, Neocities, or your own server. Point people to wherever index.html ends up.
To share it on a game site, upload the .zip as-is: itch.io (choose "This file will be played in the browser" and set index.html as the entry point) and Game Jolt both host HTML5 games directly, as does Newgrounds.
To embed it in a page, once it's hosted anywhere, drop it into an <iframe src="https://yourhost.example.com/path/" width="960" height="540"></iframe>. This is different from the Web Player's own Share and embed — that embeds a novel Kohana hosts and reviews under the Community guidelines; a self-hosted HTML export is entirely your own site and your own responsibility.

Android Package (.apk)

An .apk installs directly on an Android phone or tablet, without the Play Store. It's a real, signed release build (Kohana generates and keeps a dedicated signing key for your package name, not a debug certificate) — so the only prompt you'll see comes from installing outside the Play Store, not from anything looking untrusted.

Send the file to the device (download link, email, cable, cloud storage).
Open it on the device. Android blocks installs from outside the Play Store by default, so you'll be prompted to allow installs from that source (Settings > apps that can install unknown apps, wording varies by Android version). This warning is normal for any app installed this way, not specific to your novel.
Tap through the install, then open it from the app drawer like any other app.

To share it more widely than a direct link, itch.io and Game Jolt both accept a downloadable .apk as an Android build on your game's page.

Android App Bundle (.aab)

An .aab isn't installed directly — it's the format Google Play itself wants, so you upload it there. It's signed with the same real key as your .apk.

Create a Google Play Console account (a one-time registration fee applies) if you don't have one, and create a new app.
In your app's dashboard, go to Release > Production (or Testing first, if you want to try it with a small group before a public release).
Create a new release and upload the .aab file. The first time, Play Console may ask you to set up Play App Signing and request your signing certificate's fingerprints as part of that.
Fill in the store listing (description, screenshots, icon, content rating, privacy policy) and submit for review.

If your Play Console account is new (created after November 13, 2023), Google requires a closed test with at least 12 opted-in testers for 14 continuous days before it unlocks Production — this applies to every new personal account, not anything specific to Kohana. Accounts created before that date, and organization accounts, are exempt. This is entirely Google's own process and can change on their end — see Google Play Console's own Help Center for the current exact requirements and steps.

Windows Executable (.exe)

A single, self-contained .exe file — nothing else needs to travel with it. Send it to a Windows PC; double-click it to run, no installer needed. It relies on the WebView2 runtime, which ships with Windows 11 and most up-to-date Windows 10 PCs already; if it's missing, Windows will prompt to install it (a one-time, free download from Microsoft). Since the .exe itself isn't code-signed, Windows SmartScreen may show a warning the first time; click More info > Run anyway to continue. This is normal for any small, unsigned app.

To send it to more than a few people, zip the .exe first (makes it one attachment and avoids some download warnings that target raw .exe links). itch.io and Game Jolt both accept a zipped Windows build as a downloadable game.

Export as an app · Export requests · Share a package