Ren'Py (レンパイ, Renpai), known in full as the Ren'Py Visual Novel Engine, is a free and open-source game engine which facilitates the creation of visual novels. Ren'Py is a portmanteau of ren'ai(恋愛), the Japanese word for 'romantic love', a common element of games made using Ren'Py; and Python, the programming language that Ren'Py runs on. The engine was developed for and targeted at multiple platforms, including Microsoft Windows and Linux.

The engine allows movie playback for animated sprites, full-screen movies, in-engine animation, and full animation and customization of UI elements via the feature "Screen Language". The Ren'Py software development kit is officially supported on Windows, Linux, and recent versions of macOS; and can be installed via the package managers of the Arch Linux, Ubuntu, Debian, and Gentoo Linux distributions. Ren'Py features a built-in tutorial game that demonstrates core features such as dialogue scripting, adding images, transitions, music and effects, branching choices, and other functionalities.

Features

Ren'Py includes the ability to create branching stories, save file systems, rollback to previous points in the story, a variety of scene transitions, DLC, and so on. The engine also allows for movie playback for both full-screen movies and animated sprites, in-engine animation (using the built in "Animation and Translation Language", or ATL), and full animation and customization of UI elements via "Screen Language". Ren'Py scripts have a screenplay-like syntax, and can also include blocks of Python code to allow advanced users to add new features of their own. In addition, tools are included in the engine distribution to obfuscate scripts and archive game assets to mitigate copyright infringement.

Ren'Py is built on pygame, which is built with Python on SDL. The Ren'Py SDK is officially supported on Windows, recent versions of macOS, and Linux; and can be installed via the package managers of the Arch Linux, Ubuntu, Debian, and Gentoo (in experimental overlay) Linux distributions. Ren'Py can build games for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, OpenBSD, iOS, and HTML5 with WebAssembly.

Ren'Py includes a built-in tutorial game that demonstrates core features such as dialogue scripting, adding images, transitions, music and effects, branching choices, and other basic and advanced functionalities.

Reception

Ren'Py had been recommended as a video game creation engine by several publications, including Indie Games Plus, MakeUseOf, PC Gamer, and The Guardian. Ren'Py has been used in classes at Carnegie Mellon School of Art, Faculty of Art at University Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia, and as a tool for information literacy.

Notable games

List of notable games created in Ren'Py
TitleGenre(s)Developer(s)Publisher(s)Release datePlatform
AndiOSLXMacWin
Analogue: A Hate StoryVisual novelLove Conquers All GamesChristine LoveFebruary 1, 2012NoNoYesYesYes
Black ClosetVisual novel, Strategy RPG, Life simulationHanako GamesHanako GamesSeptember 16, 2015NoNoYesYesYes
Butterfly SoupVisual novel, Romantic comedyBrianna LeiBrianna LeiSeptember 16, 2017NoNoYesYesYes
Café 0: The Drowned MermaidVisual novel, MysteryROSEVERTEROSEVERTEOctober 4, 2011YesYesYesYesYes
Coming Out on TopVisual novel, Dating simObscurasoftObscurasoftDecember 10, 2014NoNoYesYesYes
Date WarpVisual novel, Science fictionSpiky Caterpillar, Hanako GamesHanako GamesMay 22, 2010NoNoYesYesYes
A Date with DeathVisual novel, Dating simTwo and a Half StudiosTwo and a Half StudiosDecember 7, 2023NoNoYesYesYes
Digital: A Love StoryVisual novelLove Conquers All GamesChristine LoveFebruary 28, 2010NoNoYesYesYes
Doki Doki Literature Club!Visual novel, Dating sim, HorrorTeam SalvatoTeam SalvatoSeptember 22, 2017YesYesYesYesYes
don't take it personally, babe, it just ain't your storyVisual novelLove Conquers All GamesChristine LoveApril 4, 2011NoNoYesYesYes
Doomed LovePoint-and-click, Dating sim, Visual novel, FangameDavid B. CooperDavid B. CooperJune 11, 2021NoNoNoYesYes
Dysfunctional Systems seriesVisual novelDischan MediaDischan MediaApril 4, 2013NoYesYesYesYes
Exogenesis: Perils of Rebirth demoAdventure game, Visual novel, Sci-fiKwanSekai ProjectApril 19, 2019NoNoYesYesYes
Fatal HeartsVisual novel, Adventure game, OtomeHanako GamesHanako GamesOctober 23, 2007NoNoNoNoYes
Fault Milestone OneVisual novelAlice in DissonanceSekai ProjectAugust 12, 2013NoNoYesYesYes
Fault Milestone TwoVisual novelAlice in DissonanceSekai ProjectAugust 16, 2015NoNoYesYesYes
The Flower Shop seriesVisual novelWinter WolvesWinter WolvesFebruary 1, 2010YesYesYesYesYes
Heart of the WoodsVisual novelStudio ÉlanStudio ÉlanFebruary 15, 2019NoNoYesYesYes
Heileen seriesVisual novelTycoon GamesTycoon GamesOctober 21, 2008YesYesYesYesYes
Juniper's KnotVisual novelDischan MediaDischan MediaApril 4, 2013NoNoYesYesYes
Katawa ShoujoVisual novel, NakigeFour Leaf StudiosFour Leaf StudiosJanuary 4, 2012NoNoYesYesYes
Ladykiller in a BindVisual novel, Eroge, Romantic comedyLove Conquers All GamesChristine LoveOctober 10, 2016NoNoYesYesYes
Long Live the QueenVisual novel, RPG, Political simulationSpiky Caterpillar, Hanako GamesHanako GamesJune 2, 2012NoNoYesYesYes
Loren the Amazon PrincessRPG, Visual novel, FantasyWinter WolvesWinter WolvesApril 30, 2012YesYesYesYesYes
Magical DiaryVisual novel, Fantasy, OtomeSpiky Caterpillar, Hanako GamesHanako GamesJune 19, 2011NoNoYesYesYes
Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk seriesVisual novelNikita KryukovMissing CalmAugust 26, 2020NoNoYesYesYes
MomotypeVisual novel, Digital petRimatoadRimatoadDecember 3, 2021NoNoYesYesYes
One Night StandVisual novelKinmokuKinmokuOctober 20, 2016NoNoYesYesYes
Planet StrongholdVisual novel, RPG, Sci-fiWinter WolvesWinter WolvesFebruary 28, 2011YesYesYesYesYes
Raptor BoyfriendVisual novel, Dating simRocket AdriftRocket AdriftJuly 15, 2021NoNoYesYesYes
RoadwardenVisual novel, adventureMoral Anxiety StudioAssemble EntertainmentSeptember 12, 2022NoNoYesYesYes
The Royal TrapVisual novelHanako GamesHanako GamesFebruary 23, 2013NoNoYesYesYes
Scarlet HollowVisual novel, HorrorBlack Tabby GamesBlack Tabby GamesJune 11, 2021NoNoYesYesYes
Slay the PrincessVisual novel, HorrorBlack Tabby GamesBlack Tabby GamesOctober 23, 2023NoNoYesYesYes
Stories from Sol: The Gun-DogVisual novel, adventureSpace Colony StudiosAstrolabe Games, Meridiem GamesFebruary 20, 2025NoNoYesNoYes
Summer SessionDating simHanako Games, Tycoon GamesHanako Games, Tycoon GamesJuly 2, 2008NoNoYesYesYes
Tales of Aravorn: Seasons of the WolfVisual novel, RPG, FantasyWinter WolvesWinter WolvesNovember 15, 2014YesYesYesYesYes
Vera Blanc seriesVisual novel, MysteryWinter WolvesWinter WolvesJune 30, 2010YesYesYesYesYes

See also

Notes

Primary sources

In the text, these references are preceded by a double dagger (‡):

Cited literature

  • Sullivan, Dean; Critten, Jessica (2014). . College & Research Libraries News. 75 (10): 570–573. doi:. ISSN.
  • Lin, Maria (December 2005). . Animefringe. ISSN.
  • Ciesla, Robert (2019). Game Development with Ren'Py: Introduction to Visual Novel Games Using Ren'Py, TyranoBuilder, and Twine. Apress. ISBN978-1484249208.

External links