Use novelWriter as a plain-text editor designed for novels and larger projects made up of smaller plain-text documents.
Renpy
Ren'Py provides an engine for creating visual novels, according to its project repository.
About Renpy
Ren'Py is an engine for creating visual novels. This GitHub repository contains its source code, development scripts and the documentation source for renpy.org. It is aimed at people who want to build the engine, test changes or contribute fixes and features.
The repository uses a branch structure. The fix branch receives fixes and documentation changes, and the master branch receives new features and incompatible changes. Contributors working only on Python modules can use the latest nightly build instead of compiling. The development scripts assume a POSIX-like platform, and building the Cython and C modules requires several system dependencies, including SDL_image 2.6 or greater.
Key features
- Branch rules separating fixes and documentation from new features
- Nightly builds for contributors working only on Python modules
- Setup script using uv to create a virtual environment
- Compilation of Cython and C extension modules from source
- Documentation source for renpy.org maintained on the fix branch
- Tutorial and test case folders included in the repository
Best for: Developers who want to build Ren'Py from source or contribute changes, mainly on Linux or macOS.
Good for
- Documents a clear branch workflow for fixes, features and work branches.
- Nightly builds let Python-only changes skip compiling native modules.
- Build steps are written out, including dependency commands for Ubuntu and Debian.
Watch out for
- Development scripts assume a POSIX-like platform; Windows requires an environment such as MSYS.
- Compiling the modules requires many system dependencies to be installed first.
- Requires SDL_image 2.6 or greater, which some distributions may not include.
Renpy at a glance
- Website
- github.com/renpy/renpy
- Category
- Productivity › Writing Apps
- Type
- Open-source project
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Open source
- Not stated
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 6, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
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Renpy FAQ
Can I work on Ren'Py on Windows?
The development scripts assume a POSIX-like platform. They should run on Linux or macOS and can be made to run on Windows using an environment such as MSYS.
Do I need to compile the modules for Python-only changes?
No. For changes that only involve Python modules, you can use the modules in the latest nightly build.
Which branch should a fix be sent to?
Pull requests with fixes or documentation improvements should target the fix branch. New features and incompatible changes should target master.
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