What is OOC in RP? Out of character, explained
What does OOC mean in RP?
OOC stands for "out of character". In roleplay, it marks any line you write as yourself, the real person at the keyboard, rather than as the character you are playing. Its opposite is IC, "in character", which is the story itself.
Think of it as stepping off the stage for a second. Your character might be a ship's captain in the middle of a storm, but you still need to say you are heading to bed, or ask whether the other player wants the storm to last. That aside is OOC.
People mark it in a few common ways, so nobody mistakes it for part of the story:
- A prefix, like "OOC:" at the start of the line
- Double round brackets around the note, which is probably the most familiar style
- Square or curly brackets, which some groups prefer
- A separate chat or channel just for OOC talk, common in bigger group roleplays
My take: the style matters less than being consistent. Pick one way of marking OOC and stick to it, and everyone reading knows at a glance which lines are story and which are you.
OOC is not a secret code with special powers, and I think that is worth saying early. It is a writing convention that grew up in forum, chat and tabletop roleplay long before AI companions existed. With a human partner, it is how you talk about the story.
With an AI character, it is a way of giving the bot a note, which it may or may not follow.
It is also not a way around an app's content rules. If that is what brought you here, my piece on what the PolyBuzz chat filter does and what you can change explains why rules and roleplay notes are different things.
The apps side by side table on this page compares the roleplay apps on file, if you are choosing where to try it.
| App | Free option | Lowest monthly cost | Allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candy AI | Yes | €3.99 | Mature chat, paid plans |
| OurDream AI | Yes | $9.99 | Mature chat permitted |
| Nomi AI | Yes | $8.33 | Mature chat permitted |
| GirlfriendGPT | Yes | $12.00 | Mature chat, paid plans |
| SpicyChat | Yes | $5.00 | Mature chat permitted |
| Joi AI | Yes | $13.99 | Mature chat permitted |
When should you go OOC in a roleplay?
Less often than you might think, but at the right moments it saves a story. OOC works best as a quick, clear aside, then straight back into the scene. A roleplay that is half OOC chatter loses its momentum.
These are the moments I think an OOC note earns its place:
- Checking in: asking whether your partner is comfortable with where the scene is going
- Fixing a mix-up: a name, a place or a detail that slipped and needs correcting
- Planning: agreeing on a twist, a time jump or where the next scene starts
- Pausing: saying you need to step away, and when you will be back
- Ending: wrapping up a story politely instead of just disappearing
With a human partner, checking in is the most important of these. Tone is easy to misread in text, and a two-line OOC question can stop a small misunderstanding from turning into a sour ending.
What is the difference between IC and OOC?
IC is everything your character says, does or thinks. OOC is everything you say about the story, the schedule or yourself. The trick is keeping the two apart on the page.
Here is how that looks in a fantasy scene. An IC line might read: Mara pulls her hood up and steps into the rain. An OOC line right after might read: (( Back in 20 minutes, dinner is ready. )) The first moves the plot. The second talks to the other player and changes nothing in the story.
A few habits keep the line clean. Do not let your character "know" something you only said OOC. Keep OOC notes short, so the story still dominates the chat. And if you need a longer conversation about the plot, move it somewhere else, such as a separate channel in a group.
My take: the players and bots that feel easiest to write with are the ones who treat OOC as a light touch. A short note, a clear mark, back to the scene.
The terms around roleplay pile up fast. If IC, OOC and personas are only the start of your questions, my help section with short answers on companion apps collects the rest in one place.
Features by app
| App | NSFWNSFW permitted | VoiceVoice chat | ImagesImage creation | MemoryRemembers past chats | FreeFree plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candy AIstarts at €3.99/mo | Only on paid plans | Yes | Only on paid plans | Yes | Has a free plan |
| OurDream AIstarts at $9.99/mo | Permitted | Yes | Only on paid plans | Yes | Has a free plan |
| Nomi AIstarts at $8.33/mo | Permitted | Only on paid plans | Partial | Yes | Yes, 50 messages per day |
- Yes
- Partial or costs extra
- No
- Facts verified
Does OOC work with AI roleplay bots?
Often, but not by any official rule. None of the app records on this page describe an OOC command or a special OOC mode, so I won't claim one exists. What people do is write a bracketed OOC note in the chat, and the AI model reads it as a request about the story. Whether a given model follows it is up to the model, not a documented feature.
So the realistic view is this: an OOC note is a nudge, not a switch. It can help steer a scene back on track, remind a character of a fact, or ask for a change in pace. It can also be ignored, or answered in character by mistake.
If you want your notes to land more often, a few general habits help:
- Put the note at the start of your message and mark it clearly
- Ask for one thing at a time, in plain words
- Keep it short, since every note uses up space in the chat's memory
- Go back to writing in character right after, so the scene picks up again
That third point matters more than it looks. AI apps can only hold a certain amount of a chat at once. SpicyChat's free plan lists 4K memory, its True Supporter plan 8K context and its Im All In plan 32K context. GirlfriendGPT's Deluxe plan lists 8K memory context and Elite 16K. A long OOC essay eats into that space and pushes older story details out sooner.
My take: if you find yourself writing OOC reminders every few messages, the problem is memory, not your roleplay. That is a reason to look at an app with stronger memory rather than to write more notes.
Nomi AI is one worth knowing here. Other reviewers report roleplay there that flows naturally and reads like a person, backed by long-term memory that acts on its own; after roughly 500 messages it builds a "Mind Map" automatically. If that holds, it would mean fewer OOC reminders.
If you are curious where facts like these come from, my method page for these guides explains the sources. The Nomi AI snapshot just below lists its plans and free start.
Nomi AI quick facts
- Starts at
- $8.33/mo
- Free version
- Yes, 50 messages per day
- Adult content
- Permitted
- Available on
- Browser, iOS, Android
- Review method
- Used hands-on with a paid plan,
- Name on your bank statement
NOMI.AI
Can an OOC note change what an AI app allows?
No, and I want to be clear about this one. An OOC note is part of the conversation. An app's content policy is a rule the company sets and enforces.
A bracketed note asking a bot to set its rules aside does not change that policy, and trying to use roleplay notes to push past it can break an app's terms and put your account at risk.
What decides the content level is the app and, on some apps, the plan you are on. Among the roleplay apps on file, the split is simple. Four of them, Nomi AI, SpicyChat, OurDream AI and Joi AI, permit adult content under their own policies, while Candy AI and GirlfriendGPT keep it for paying members. That is the honest lever: the app and the plan you choose, not a clever note.
My take: I like that the rules sit in the policy rather than hidden in the chat. It means you can read them before you start and pick an app that fits, instead of arguing with a character mid-scene. If a scene keeps stalling on content, the app is probably the wrong fit, not that your OOC wording needs work.
Where OOC notes do belong in this area is comfort. In an AI roleplay, an OOC line is a good way to steer a scene toward a tone you prefer, slow it down or take it somewhere gentler. That works with the rules, not against them.
It is also worth remembering that OOC is a convention between writers. A human partner will understand an OOC note as you talking. An AI character may treat it as part of the story. If a bot answers your OOC question in character, a clearer bracket and a shorter note usually beat repeating yourself louder.
If you came to AI roleplay from Character AI and you are wondering about its rules, I wrote a separate piece on whether Character AI will allow NSFW. The short version for this page: no roleplay trick changes a company's policy, on any app.
Candy AI, one of the companion apps on file, is where custom companions and roleplay meet, with adult content on paid plans.
How do you write a good OOC note?
A good OOC note is short, clearly marked and useful to the other person. That is the whole recipe, but it is easy to get wrong when a scene is moving fast.
Start with the mark, so there is no doubt it is you talking. Then say the one thing you need. "OOC: can we skip ahead to the next morning?" works. A paragraph about your week, dropped in the middle of a tense scene, does not.
If the note needs an answer, ask a direct question. If it does not, keep it to a line.
In group roleplay, etiquette matters more. Many groups keep a separate OOC channel so the story channel stays clean, and I think that is the kindest setup for everyone. If your group has one, use it. If it does not, keep OOC lines rare and brief so newer players are not lost in chatter.
With an AI character, the same rules apply, plus one more: return to the story yourself. Write your next line in character, and the bot usually has a clearer cue to follow. My take: the best OOC notes are the ones you barely notice afterwards.
What does OOC mean outside roleplay?
The phrase travels. In fanfiction and fandom chat, OOC often describes a character acting unlike their usual self, as in "that scene felt so OOC for her". Writers sometimes tag a story that way to warn readers that a well-known character behaves differently than expected.
Online, people also use it jokingly about real behaviour: a friend who suddenly posts at 6 a.m. might get a "wow, that's so OOC of you". It still means "out of character", just aimed at a person or a character's usual pattern rather than at a roleplay aside.
In AI roleplay, both meanings can meet. You might use an OOC note to tell a bot that a reply felt OOC for the character you built. That is a fair use: short, specific, and back to the story.
If an old roleplay drifted so far off track that you would rather start fresh somewhere, my walkthrough on clearing out old Character AI chats covers that step.
Which AI apps suit OOC-heavy roleplay?
If you write long stories and like to steer with OOC notes, three features matter most: custom characters, memory and, for bigger scenes, group chat. Here is how the apps on file line up, in my view.
OurDream AI lists roleplay first among its categories, plus custom characters, memory and group chat. That makes it a natural home for multi-character scenes where OOC planning is common. SpicyChat also offers group chat and custom characters, and its paid plans add personas, up to 10 on Get a Taste and up to 50 on True Supporter, which is handy if you switch between roles.
Nomi AI has memory and custom characters, with group chats on paid plans. Candy AI and Joi AI both let you create your own companion, and both list memory. GirlfriendGPT lists memory and custom characters only in limited or paid form.
My take: for roleplay built on planning and OOC asides, I'd look at OurDream AI and SpicyChat first, because group chat and personas are where OOC notes do the most work.
Do you need to pay to roleplay with AI characters?
Not to start. Every app on file has some kind of free tier, but they are very different in size. SpicyChat's free plan offers unlimited text chat on its Default model with ads and possible waiting lines. Nomi AI gives 50 messages a day, up to 400 characters each. GirlfriendGPT hands out 20 bonus messages that never expire, and Daily Login adds 10 each day.
The smaller ones are much tighter. Candy AI's free account covers 3-5 messages in total, a free Joi AI account starts with 10 Neurons, and OurDream AI lists 55 Dreamcoins to start, though its help centre says it does not currently offer free dreamcoins.
For OOC-heavy roleplay, that difference matters. OOC notes cost messages like any other line. On a free plan with a handful of messages, you would spend a real share of your allowance on asides alone. SpicyChat or Nomi AI give you room to experiment first.
If you are wondering why so many character apps keep a free tier at all, my piece on how Character AI makes money looks at the business side.
Common questions
What does OOC stand for in roleplay?
OOC stands for "out of character". It marks anything you write as yourself rather than as your character, such as a question about the plot, a note that you need to leave, or a check-in with your partner. The opposite is IC, "in character", which is the story itself.
What do double brackets mean in RP?
Double round brackets are one of the most common ways to mark an OOC note. Anything inside them is you talking, not your character. Some groups use single brackets, square or curly brackets, or an "OOC:" prefix instead. The exact style matters less than using one consistently.
Is it rude to go OOC in a roleplay?
Not at all, as long as it is brief and clearly marked. Short OOC notes to check in, fix a mistake or say you are stepping away are good manners. What annoys most partners is long OOC chatter in the middle of a scene. In group roleplay, use a separate OOC channel if there is one.
Do AI chatbots understand OOC notes?
Often, but not reliably. None of the apps on file document a special OOC command, so a bracketed note is simply read by the AI model as part of the chat. Keep it short, put it at the start of your message and go back to writing in character right after.
Can I use OOC to get past an app's content rules?
No. An OOC note is a writing convention, and an app's content policy is a rule the company enforces. Trying to push past it with roleplay notes can break the terms and risk your account. The content level depends on the app and, on some apps, the plan you choose.
What does OOC mean in fanfiction?
In fanfiction and fandom chat, OOC usually describes a character behaving unlike their usual self. Writers sometimes tag a story OOC to warn readers that a familiar character acts differently than expected. It is the same phrase, out of character, used about the character rather than the writer.
