Ren’Py is an engine for creating visual novels and other interactive stories built around dialogue, narration, images, sound and player choices. Its purpose-built scripting language keeps straightforward narrative projects accessible while allowing more ambitious games to incorporate Python code.
Writers can concentrate on dialogue and branching structure while Ren’Py handles the surrounding game framework. More advanced projects can customise presentation, animation and interface behaviour without abandoning the narrative-oriented workflow.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Create branching narratives using menus, labels and conditional story paths.
- Use Python directly when a project requires more complex game logic or data handling.
- Present dialogue in conventional ADV mode or use NVL mode for larger blocks of text.
- Control interfaces and layouts with Ren’Py Screen Language.
- Animate, transform, position, rotate and fade images using Animation and Transformation Language.
- Handle images, music, sound effects, voice tracks and video within a project.
- Provide save, automatic save, load and rollback facilities to players.
- Offer self-voicing and other accessibility support.
- Translate projects through Ren’Py’s built-in internationalisation system.
- Accept mouse, keyboard and game controller input.
- Build projects for Linux, Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, with browser deployment also supported.
Website: www.renpy.org
Support:
Developer: Tom “PyTom” Rothamel
License: MIT License
Ren’Py is written in Python. Learn Python with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Tools for Novelists | |
|---|---|
| FocusWriter | Distraction-free writing environment with goals and statistics |
| Ren'Py | Engine for creating visual novels and interactive stories |
| novelWriter | Structured plain-text editor for novels and long-form fiction |
| CherryTree | Hierarchical notes for research, characters and story planning |
| Zettlr | Markdown writing environment for long-form projects |
| oStorybook | Novel planning and writing suite with scenes and timelines |
| Twine | Visual tool for creating branching and interactive stories |
| Manuskript | Novel-writing environment built around structured planning |
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| Hammer | Offline-first story editor with scenes, notes and references |
| Bibisco | Novel-writing environment focused on characters and structure |
| Story Architect | Bring characters, scenes and screenplays together in one workspace |
| WareWoolf | Minimalist fiction-writing environment with planning tools |
| Scriptorium | Plan, write and publish novels and other manuscripts |
| Cheese Paper | A comfortable writing environment for lengthy prose |
| Skribisto | Writing studio with corkboard, sessions and rich export support |
| novelibre | Novel organiser integrated with LibreOffice and OpenOffice |
| Scrivus | Plan and write your novel while keeping everything on your own computer |
| NovProg | Tracks and graphs writing progress against project goals |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
| Write Interactive Fiction | |
|---|---|
| Ren'Py | Create over a thousand visual novels, games, and other works |
| Twine | Visual tool for creating interactive stories |
| ALAN | ALAN Adventure Language |
| Quest | A good system to make interactive story games |
| Squiffy | Useful tool for creating interactive stories |
| FrobTADS | Authoring System to Create Your Own Interactive Fiction |
| Inform | Popular design system for interactive fiction based on natural language |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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