RisuAI Beginner Guide: Free 10-Minute Start on Phone
RisuAI needs an API key before it can reply. Beginner guide: web and phone setup, differences from SillyTavern, free models, and credit card needs.
Lookup date: 2026-09-06 (Taipei time). RisuAI is updated often, so menu names follow the version you open. What does not change are three things: RisuAI has no brain, the brain needs a key, and once the key is pasted in, it starts talking.
"類腦" is the player nickname for RisuAI (just as SillyTavern is called "酒館"). It is the same kind of tool as SillyTavern: chatting with characters you configure and writing interactive fiction. But beginners more often start with 類腦, for simple reasons:
- No installation needed: open risuai.net and it runs in a computer or phone browser
- Traditional Chinese interface built in
- Character cards are shared with SillyTavern
Many people get stuck at the same first hurdle as with SillyTavern: the settings are done, so why isn't it replying? Because 類腦 has no brain of its own; you have to connect a separate AI to it.
What is RisuAI (類腦)? How does it differ from SillyTavern?
| SillyTavern (酒館) | RisuAI (類腦) | |
|---|---|---|
| How to start | Install Node.js and Git on the computer | Open the web page and use it; a desktop version is also available |
| Phone | Find a compatible app separately | Open directly in a phone browser |
| Depth of features | Most complete, most extensions | Enough for most uses, simpler interface |
| Brain | Neither includes one; connect your own | Neither includes one; connect your own |
| Chinese interface | Community translation available | Traditional Chinese built in |
In short: to try things out first, choose 類腦; once you are deeper in and want fine-grained control, move to SillyTavern. Both use the same key.
Where does the brain come from? Three routes
To make 類腦 talk, you need a "key" (technically an API key; when you see this term in settings, it refers to this). Where you get the key decides whether you need a credit card and whether you pay:
| Route | Credit card? | Free? | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| ① Apply directly to OpenAI / Google / Anthropic | Most require an overseas credit card | Google has a trial credit | Taiwanese cards are often declined; currency conversion needed |
| ② Community free compute (AI Horde) | Not needed | Free | Queues, slow, fewer models |
| ③ Free models on a Taiwan platform (e.g. BazaarLink) | Not needed | Free models consume no credits | Has rate limits; top up in New Taiwan dollars if you want a stronger model |
Beginners are advised to take route ③: no card, no money, first confirm that 類腦 can talk, then decide whether to switch to a stronger brain.
Get 類腦 talking in 10 minutes
- Get a key: go to bazaarlink.ai/keys, register and create a key (starts with
sk-bl-), then copy it. No top-up needed. - Open the model settings in 類腦: top-left gear → Chatbot → Model (community guides call this section "API Model").
- Choose the "Custom / OpenAI compatible" option: do not choose the OpenAI, Claude or Gemini official options; those are for signing in with the official provider accounts. The name may be Custom, Custom API or OpenAI compatible depending on the version; look for the word "Custom."
- Fill in three fields:
URL (Base URL): https://bazaarlink.ai/api/v1 ← must end in /v1 Key (API Key): sk-bl-… Model: auto:free ← free, use this first - Go back to the chat screen and type anything. If it replies, you are set up.
How far can the free models take you?
auto:free automatically uses whichever free model is available at the moment (currently qwen/qwen3.7-flash:free; for the live list see bazaarlink.ai/free). Chinese conversation works fine, and it is more than enough for checking your setup and trying character cards. The limitation is that there are caps on requests per minute and per day, so a full night of continuous play will hit them.
If you find that the character "stops sounding like itself" or that long conversations start to forget things, that is a difference in model capability, not a settings problem. Change the model name (for example anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 or google/gemini-3.1-pro-preview); you do not need to change the key, and top-ups are in New Taiwan dollars.
Pasted the key and nothing happens? Three most common causes
- The URL does not end in /v1, or you appended
/chat/completions - The model name is mistyped: the free one is
auto:free, exactly as written - You chose an official option (OpenAI / Claude) instead of "Custom": official options send requests to the official provider's URL, so the key does not match
Playing on your phone
類腦 is built to be opened directly in a phone browser, with the same settings path as on desktop. If you want the feel of an "app," compatible apps such as Tavo and MiniTavern also accept the same key.
How much will it cost later?
Free-model stage: 0 NT dollars. Once you switch to a paid brain, roleplay costs a bit more than ordinary chat: every turn resends the whole conversation and the character card, so the longer the conversation, the more each turn costs. A rough estimate and cost-saving switches are in this section. The same key can also connect to SillyTavern, and the two share the same quota.
Please follow each model provider's usage policies. Character cards should be obtained from the community or the original authors; this site does not provide them.
The same key works in other frontends
RisuAI keys are shared across other roleplay frontends, so you do not need to register again when you switch platforms:
- How to connect an API to SillyTavern in Taiwan: the most features, but you have to set it up yourself
- How to set up your own API for Janitor AI: fill in three fields: Proxy URL, key and model
When comparing models, it is better to run the same opening message on the same character card a few times and decide from that than to read spec sheets.
Sources and lookup log
- RisuAI official GitHub (web version risuai.net; supports OpenAI, Claude, Gemini and other providers, plus custom OpenAI-compatible endpoints; lookup date 2026-09-06)
- PTT C_Chat: RisuAI beginner's guide (settings path "gear → Chatbot → Model → API Model"; community guide, lookup date 2026-09-06)
- BazaarLink free models (live catalog; lookup date 2026-09-06)
- Further reading: Tavern AI beginner's guide, complete SillyTavern key setup steps
FAQ
What is RisuAI? Why is it called 類腦?
RisuAI is a free tool for chatting with characters you set up and writing interactive fiction. "類腦" is the nickname Chinese-speaking players gave it, just as SillyTavern is nicknamed "酒館" (tavern). It runs in a web browser (risuai.net), works in phone browsers, and has built-in Traditional Chinese, which is why beginners often start with it. It has no AI brain of its own; you connect an API key to make it talk.
Can I use RisuAI for free? Do I need a credit card?
RisuAI itself is free. Its brain can come from free models on a Taiwan platform: after registering on BazaarLink you can create a key without topping up, using auto:free as the model. Those free models consume no credits and require no payment method. Only applying directly to OpenAI, Google or Anthropic runs into the overseas credit card issue.
Should I choose RisuAI or SillyTavern?
If you want to try things first, choose RisuAI: no installation, works on phones, and has built-in Traditional Chinese. If you later want to fine-tune presets and world books in detail, move to SillyTavern. Both accept the same character cards and the same key, so you do not need to apply again.
Can I use RisuAI on my phone?
Yes. Open risuai.net in a phone browser; the settings path is the same as on desktop (gear, then Chatbot, then Model). If you want an app-like feel, compatible apps such as Tavo and MiniTavern also accept the same key.
What should I do if I paste the key and nothing happens?
Most often it is one of three things: the URL does not end in /v1 (or has /chat/completions appended), the model name is mistyped (the free one is auto:free), or you chose an official provider option such as OpenAI or Claude instead of "Custom / OpenAI compatible". If all three are correct, check that the key was copied in full (it starts with sk-bl-).
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