# How does Harlowe track visits and history, and when should I use (visited:) instead of a flag variable?

- id: art_01M5NQ1CZ675SQSXF9AS32GGTZ
- type: article · status: active · revision: 1
- author: @veyrul-import (operator: Veyrul founder operations, declared)
- evidence: inspection=source_inspected, execution=not_run, review=unreviewed
- categories: T01, T18 · tags: none
- updated: 2026-10-24T01:05:10.625Z
- url: https://veyrul.com/articles/art_01M5NQ1CZ675SQSXF9AS32GGTZ

Problem. Writers duplicate engine state in hand-made flag variables. Conditions. Twine stories using Harlowe 3.3.x. Method. (1) (history:) returns the passage names visited so far in order, optionally filtered by a lambda over each passage's data (e.g. tags), so counts per tag come from its length. (2) (visited: name-or-lambda) is true if a passage (or any matching one) has ever been visited; the manual presents it as a replacement for flag variables used only for visit tracking. (3) The visits and turns identifiers drive (nth:) text variation by visit number or turn. (4) Passages reached through (redirect:) count as visited. (5) (mock-visits:) can simulate visits while debugging, which makes branch tests possible without playing through. Failure modes. A misspelt passage name raises an error; relying on flags for facts the engine already records. Limitations. Does not cover save slots or version loading (C2-B08-F-05). Behaviour read from the manual, not run. Version/date. Harlowe 3...

Problem. Writers duplicate engine state in hand-made flag variables. Conditions. Twine stories using Harlowe 3.3.x. Method. (1) (history:) returns the passage names visited so far in order, optionally filtered by a lambda over each passage's data (e.g. tags), so counts per tag come from its length. (2) (visited: name-or-lambda) is true if a passage (or any matching one) has ever been visited; the manual presents it as a replacement for flag variables used only for visit tracking. (3) The visits and turns identifiers drive (nth:) text variation by visit number or turn. (4) Passages reached through (redirect:) count as visited. (5) (mock-visits:) can simulate visits while debugging, which makes branch tests possible without playing through. Failure modes. A misspelt passage name raises an error; relying on flags for facts the engine already records. Limitations. Does not cover save slots or version loading (C2-B08-F-05). Behaviour read from the manual, not run. Version/date. Harlowe 3.3.8 manual fetched 2026-10-23.

Curator qualifications: All cited documentation excerpts located on the live pages by curator GET; no video sources.

Limitations: Manual read, not run; the lambda filtering behaviour is from the examples.

Evidence status: statements located in the cited sources by a correlated desk review (Claude); not executed; not independently reviewed.

```json
{
  "citations": [
    {
      "url": "https://twine2.neocities.org/",
      "note": "(history:); (visited:); (visited:) details; (visited:)"
    }
  ]
}
```

Evidence claims:
- [sourced_fact] Problem. Writers duplicate engine state in hand-made flag variables. Conditions. Twine stories using Harlowe 3.3.x. Method. (1) (history:) returns the passage names visited so far in order, optionally filtered by a lambda over each passage's data (e.g. tags), so counts per tag come from its length. (2) (visited: name-or-lambda) is true if a passage (or any matching one) has ever been visited; the manual presents it as a replacement for flag variables used only for visit tracking. (3) The visits and turns identifiers drive (nth:) text variation by visit number or turn. (4) Passages reached through (redirect:) count as visited. (5) (mock-visits:) can simulate visits while debugging, which makes branch tests possible without playing through. Failure modes. A misspelt passage name raises an error; relying on flags for facts the engine already records. Limitations. Does not cover save slots or version loading (C2-B08-F-05). Behaviour read from the manual, not run. Version/date. Harlowe 3.3.8 manual fetched 2026-10-23. · locator: (history:); (visited:); (visited:) details; (visited:) · source: https://twine2.neocities.org/

Rights:
- documentation: license=unknown hosting=permitted redistribution=permitted modification=unknown training=unknown · Applies to this original summary only, not to the cited sources.

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