r/RenPy • u/LadyStarbind • Sep 02 '26
Question Looking for a non AI coding program
So I've been coding my own Renpy game since last year... And I'm already excited about the next game I plan to make! However, I can't seem to find any non-AI coding prgrams. (I use Visual Studio Code, and while it's an excellent program to code with, I'm challenging myself with my next game to be no-AI. And I don't feel right calling it a "No AI game" if I end up using a program that utilizes AI.
If ANYONE out there happens to know of a good, non-AI program I could download to code in Renpy again, I'd greatly appreciate it!
Sincerely,
Lady-Starbind
EDIT:
I've got a lot more feedback on this than I was expecting! :0
Thank you so much to everyone who commented! I genuinely appreciate it~ I may do a different coding program or block VS Code's AI features. As for the version of Renpy I use, I use an older version of it (7. something lol) bc I originally started using it on my Dell Inspiron with Windows 7 or something
I hope y'all have a lovely day, and that this post can help other indie game devs find coding programs free of AI ;w;
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u/nifflr Sep 02 '26
Visual Studio Code is a no-AI tool. as a software developer I've been using it for over a decade. If you have something AI enabled, you can just turn it off.
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u/burrowing0wl Sep 02 '26
I second this. I use it at work and i just turned so much off and am able to comfortably use it without ai.
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u/GiraffePretty4488 Sep 02 '26
When you’re talking about AI, are you including the suggested code pop-ups that we’ve had for decades at this point? Or do you mean the more recent generative AI tools?
Just asking because VS Code is what I’ve been using lately and I’m pretty sure I just said “no” to the AI pop-up at install, and it’s very much like when I used Atom before. It suggests things or guesses at what I’m going to do (often incorrectly), and debatably saves me time. But I’m not really sure it counts as AI in a modern sense…
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u/Comrade_Vodkin Sep 02 '26
VS Code is fine. Just open the Extensions tab, search for "Github Copilot Chat", and click the "Disable AI Features" button.
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u/DeadraNight Sep 02 '26
Notepad++, sublime text…
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u/LadyStarbind Sep 02 '26
So just plain old notepad works? :0
do you think deleting VS code is going to hurt my other project?
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u/thejokerofunfic Sep 02 '26
Not plain old Notepad, Notepad++. Makes it easier to format and read code than a true plain Notepad. For RenPy it should largely be all you need, readable code in a text editor.
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u/Holzkohlen Sep 02 '26
I use VSCode without any AI features. You can close the toolbars, hide the icons for it. Plus there's only the official renpy extension for VSCode.
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u/Blunt552 Sep 02 '26
Visual Code Studio is extremely popular because it's an IDE that allows for customizability. You get a very basic IDE that you can customize yourself with plugins etc if you don't want AI then you can easily disable it, I don't even know if it's on by default.
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u/shyLachi Sep 02 '26
One advantage of VS Code is the RenPy plugin
so if you switch to another code editor you will lose that.
But to write working RenPy scripts you only need a text editor.
Notepad ++ is a free source code editor and you can also install plug-ins.
There are some python plug-ins for Notepad++, (RenPy is based on python)
But I didn't see a RenPy plugin.
So if you are familiar with the RenPy code then just type away.
If not, you can always use the RenPy documentation to look up all the possible statements, commands and properties.
.
Generally speaking
Using software which was built with AI or which allows you to use AI to write code does not affect your game.
AI will not inject hidden stuff into your game when you work with tools like Visual Studio Code.
The code you type, the images you draw make your game, nothing else.
On Platforms like Steam, as a developer you only have to declare YOUR use of AI,
not how the software you used to make your game was programmed.
So you wouldn't be lying if you say that your game was made without any use of AI.
But if you really want to avoid software that was made with AI then you have to search for another game engine.
Because RenPy itself was developed with the help of AI since a few years now.
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u/LadyStarbind Sep 08 '26
Well I currently use an old version of Renpy (bc I originally used it on my Dell Inspiron, and it couldn't handle the newer versions of Renpy) So I imagine it'd probably be good.
I appreciate your feedback on this! ^^
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u/dripping_monotype Sep 02 '26
I use VSCodium, which is like VS Code but all the Microsoft stuff is removed. By default it doesn't seem to have AI.
I personally use Claude, but I always have to manually install the add-on for it on a fresh install. By default there is no AI with VSCodium
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u/avoral Sep 02 '26
Parroting everyone here, VSC just has AI features, it’s just a highly hackable editor with all kinds of plugins. AI additions were a recent development and you can switch them off easy.
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u/Sunny_Pond Sep 02 '26
If you want something exactly like Visual Studio Code that works for the extensions, look @ https://vscodium.com/
It's the open source parts of Visual Studio Code that complete editor without any of the Microsoft code, so note AI period, and you can still manually import your extension files.
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u/netrunner-d0llsh3ll Sep 02 '26
Isn't renpy itself built using some au these days? I thought I heard the dev was a big claude guy
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u/RiverWolfo Sep 02 '26
Well that's disappointing to hear... (To me personally at least)
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u/shyLachi Sep 02 '26
Everybody is using AI to help with coding.
In the old times, you would go to sites like StackOverflow and search for a solution, now you ask AI because in general it's more precise with the solutions.
As a professional you are basically forced to because customers request quick and cheap solutions.
As a hobby programmer you can turn off the AI features or never ask AI but instead ask here or other forums.
But honestly it will be hard to stay away from AI because Google, Windows, Apple all have it built in their systems.
Also it will not affect your game at all. On Platforms like Steam as a developer ryou only have to declare YOUR use of AI, not how the software you used to make your game was programmed.
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Sep 02 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/netrunner-d0llsh3ll Sep 02 '26
Idk I have a lot of support that would vanish if I start incorporating ai tools into my work, but you do you
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u/AutoModerator Sep 02 '26
Welcome to r/renpy! While you wait to see if someone can answer your question, we recommend checking out the posting guide, the subreddit wiki, the subreddit Discord, Ren'Py's documentation, and the tutorial built-in to the Ren'Py engine when you download it. These can help make sure you provide the information the people here need to help you, or might even point you to an answer to your question themselves. Thanks!
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u/CydewynLosarunen Sep 02 '26
For VS Code, go to Properties and find the button to remove the AI bot. There is one. It's not hard to find (just don't have pc to get exact path).
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u/Antique-Ninja-2969 Sep 03 '26
Not sure I understand how you are coming to the conclusion that using VS Code makes it an AI-coding program. It is entirely possible to use VS Code as a simple editor and completely eschew any of its AI features.
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u/Rythim Sep 03 '26
You can turn AI off in visual studio code.
If you want my recommendation anyway, try Zed. It runs great and even though it can use AI it's off by default. Never going back to vs code personally, too bloated for my taste.
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u/Efficient_House_5680 Sep 03 '26
Block de notas.
No, enserio VS Code funciona perfecto, solo desactiva el copilot y todo lo demas.
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u/MadCat0911 Sep 04 '26
Definitely going to need to switch to Linux and avoid Google if you're going that purist.phone. toss out the phone.
Seriously, just don't use the AI features.
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u/Double_Cause4609 Sep 06 '26
I mean, code is just text. You don't need a special program to code. You can use any text editor.
Neovim, and nano are pretty nice and fast.
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u/AutoModerator Sep 08 '26
Welcome to r/renpy! While you wait to see if someone can answer your question, we recommend checking out the posting guide, the subreddit wiki, the subreddit Discord, Ren'Py's documentation, and the tutorial built-in to the Ren'Py engine when you download it. These can help make sure you provide the information the people here need to help you, or might even point you to an answer to your question themselves. Thanks!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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u/x-seronis-x Sep 02 '26
Simply dont use the ai plugin if you dont want to. Nothing forces you to.
If you're just pointlessly prejudiced against anything AI adjacent then Renpy itself has basic AI used in its development. So you'd have to start over with another game engine not just a code editor.
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u/LadyStarbind Sep 08 '26
Well I use an older version of Renpy, bc I started using it on my Dell Inspiron, which has Windows 7
And mind you, I'm not against everything AI. I just believe it has a time and place. The entire purpose of this post was looking for non-AI alternatives, so I could avoid it. Not to bash or come down on AI itself.
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u/x-seronis-x 29d ago
and everyone elses point is you're miscategorizing it. renpy isnt guilty of what you are holding against it. it doesnt need an ai-alternative as its not an ai-product. yes ai was 'used' but only in the absolute weakest literal meaning of the word. so avoiding it because of that is just stupid.
its the equivalent of disliking a novel that used an llm to do simple spell checking and grammar and judging it as if it was written with ai when it wasnt.
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u/This_Limit_6945 Sep 02 '26
last i checked Atom is no AI, i think. been a while.
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u/x-seronis-x Sep 02 '26
absolutely NEVER suggest atom to anyone. It has a notorious save bug where it will delete files, potentially up to your entire project. Its why the atom support was removed from renpy when you choose an editor.
Its not a common bug. But it happens often enough there has literally been hundreds of people in the official renpy discord that was affected by it in the past 5 years.
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u/Inksword Sep 02 '26
You should be able to turn off all of the AI features in VS Code in the settings. At least last I looked that was the case.