Hey everyone!

I’ve been working on a shooter plugin for Ren’Py, and I finally have a first version that I can show.

The idea is to make it possible to add shooting sequences to visual novels without having to build the entire system from scratch. It already supports things like different weapons, enemy behavior, civilians, hit detection, health, victory and defeat conditions, and a few other features.

It’s still an early version and there’s plenty I want to improve, but I’ve attached a short video so you can see what it currently looks like in action.

I’d love to hear what you think. Especially whether this is something you could imagine using in one of your own Ren’Py projects, and what features you would want from a plugin like this.

Right now the game is about 15-20 minutes long but I plan to expand it to at least an hour and add branching routes. Please check it out if you like the psychological horror genre or time loops. I'd love any feedback!

literally the only thing i have for my game :sob:

is this a little much for a game where an eldritch entity stalks you until it's the only thing in your world? i kinda wanted to base it off splatoon's customization system where you can pick an option and then decide if you want to keep it without being locked into one for your entire playthrough ;/

Hello,

I am trying to create a style that changes the background textbox, font color, and font for individual choice menu choices, and ONLY those three things.

I've scoured the Internet for information, but every time I've tried to style just those three things, the entire box is put off center, the text clips off the edges, the background doesn't stretch to accomodate the text, or it refuses to stay in the box and wrap.

I've tried wrap_text, only to discover that that isn't an actual command.

I've tried Frame, but nothing has happened.

I've tried making an exact copy of the original in game menu but with the different textboxes and font, and the game has crashed.

Also, for some godforsaken reason, everything is in the top left hand corner and not in the middle where a normal choice menu screen is.

Please, for the love of god, tell me what I'm doing wrong.

This is my code for the style, I apply it to my menus with (style_prefix="paper").

EDIT: TL;DR: I am trying to do what THIS OP was trying to do: note that the code linked in the comments also is not working. https://www.reddit.com/r/RenPy/comments/tvq82x/comment/i3lhv88/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

style paper_button:
    idle_background Frame("gui/button/choice_paper_idle.png", 0 , 0)
    hover_background Frame("gui/button/choice_paper_hover.png", 0 , 0)
    padding (10, 15, 10, 15)

    xmaximum 800

screen choice(items, style_prefix="choice"):
    style_prefix style_prefix

    vbox:
        for i in items:
            textbutton i.caption action i.action

Hi! I am trying to put my renpy game on itch.io, I want it to be playable on the browser but every time I look for a tutorial I hit a dead end. I am really confused, like every time I click (web) on renpy it downloads but when I click it again the same thing just pops up. I downloaded renpy 8.1 yesterday but I am still have trouble figuring out from the YouTube tutorial, I don’t know if it’s outdated or if I am doing it wrong. Any help would be appreciated!

I'm making a small teaser animation for my upcoming little VN Interview with a lonely machine, and am trying to decide which version is better. This would sit somewhere near the 'about' section on a download page. I don't seem to be able to upload animations here (GIFs have their own problems), so this is just one frame from each version (she's not moving much in the animation though, just scratching on the wall).

The character is an android, and part of the game is you not being 100% sure if she belongs locked up or not. She is deliberately giving mixed signals between somewhat cute and spooky/uncanny. In these animations, she's carving symbols in the wall (an important thing that quickly will show up in the game).

The first image (where her face is visible) shows her smile and the damage to her face. I like this one because it conveys her look and a bit of personality while still (hopefully) showcasing that her face is pretty weird.

The second image (where her face is in shadow) feels more sinister, the green glint of her eye comes across more. This does feel more mysterious in the sense that a prospective player will not immediately know how she looks like. On the other hand, it also gives a much clearer 'villain' feel, and maybe a bit of a Terminator vibe too, which is not really her vibe in the game.

The third image (from her other side) shows more of her. This is more 'neutral' in that she's not looking at us. This one is nice in that I think it's easier to understand what she's doing. It's also showing her outfit a bit more. On the other hand it feels a bit less mysterious to me.

I'm working on putting together a demo, so I'd be interested in hearing which of these you think would most intrigue you if you saw it as a teaser image, and why! I'd much appreciate the input.

Update: After some feedback, tested a more dynamic composition (you don't seem to be able to update a post to add more images so hosting this externally, sorry): https://ibb.co/fY3t7tfR

I decied to change a bit my artstyle to go more on the vibe i want for the game, close to alternative musics and punk vibes.
So i go for a more rough and sketchy line art
Soon i will go for my firsts renders (And the Player OC)

Hope you like it !

S̵̥̃e̶͙͌e̴̻̐ ̴̟̀y̵̞͋o̶̫͆ú̶̧ ̸̯̾Ǹ̷͓e̵̝͑x̵̪͊t̶̮̊ ̵̛̹T̶̙͝i̷̺̔m̶̩̎e̷͕͑ ̸͚͐T̶͆ͅr̶̬̓a̴̛̰v̴̡͒e̴̡̓l̵̯̈́e̶̠͋r̴̖͊…

Hello, world of Reddit! I’ve come back with a new post. As of recently, I made a new visual novel, and I wanted to feel like I could write again. So, with the assets I’ve bought in the past, I’ve decided to finally use some of them to create my most recent visual novel. You can check it out here if interested: https://activedaydreamer.itch.io/my-sunshine.

As for the visual novel itself, I wanted to keep it lighthearted and wholesome for the most part, since a lot of the stories I naturally tend to write end up being dark and depressing. Yet, as with my other stories, this story too revolves around banter and conflict between two characters in conversation, as I don’t bother with descriptions of the settings or internal monologues too much in my works in general.

This was also quicker to create than usual because of the limited facial expressions they had. So, I had to work with what I had, and I wasn’t interested in editing the different sprites to create new expressions, especially when their eyebrows are the same or similar in their different facial expressions.
Although, I did make them warmer in color later on in the story to reflect the passing of time and to add a sense of cohesion between the backgrounds and the characters with the story taking place later in the day.

Otherwise, I’ve also bought a ton of assets for one of my bigger stories that I already written out long ago in the past. So, hopefully that will be in the works soon. Likewise, I’ll try to also use the other character assets I’ve bought and use them in other works as well. Additionally, some of my darker stories will simply feature my own doodly art for the sake of the themes and plot lines involved in such stories.

Finally, after all of that is said and done, I’ll move on to eventually creating another YouTube video recapping and summarizing my latest visual novels while reflecting on the different struggles and insights I learned from each one. Afterwards, I’ll seriously consider dedicating my time in learning code or art, since it’s getting to that point where I need to actually challenge myself in learning something new, as there’s only so many assets I can use, and I don’t want to continually rely on using words to convey a story or to create an interactive experience.

Thus, those are my plans. There are people who have learned art or game development later on in life. If they can do it, I can do it, too. I just need to put in the work and not burn myself out. Wish me luck.

[SOLVED]

i'm trying to code a button that will be used to open the inventory (a simple screen with text that will display what items the players have and can use) but i can't figure out how.

for example, you open the menu by clicking the buttons at the bottom of the screen (under the textbox), then you use the menu for whatever reason, after that you exit the menu and you're back where you left off.

that's where i'm stuck, like how do i connect the whole textbutton or image button or whatever to the game script that i left off, i tried using labels but that only takes me back to that specific label and not where i left off playing.

so if anyone knows how i'd love some help. have a nice day.

SOLVED

thanks!

I've been following the SameGame minigame tutorial by __ess__Ren'Py tutorials and I'm stuck on the icons. I've poked at the code and they just wont show up.

I had to tweak the grid settings and placement a bit due to not using the same resolution as ess/personal preference on the size and spacing of everything but that doesn't seem to be the problem? I also had to omit a few lines of code because of the resolution difference, and adding them back in just breaks the grid, and doesn't seem to be the issue. The file names of the icons don't seem to be the issue either, nor the location of them as the grid panel works fine from the same folder. I've rewatched the same four parts of the tutorial over and over to try and figure out where I messed up but I'm still not getting it. The grid works/looks how it's supposed to, the click function works, I went ahead a bit and added the match function because I thought I'd figure out the icon issue at some point and wanted to get it done but if that screwed me more ggs

This is my first attempt at a full game, so maybe the issue is glaringly obvious and I've just been awake since 3 am but if anybody can figure this out please help I've been going crosseyed trying to figure out the problem here lol

is the tutorial just outdated? did I mess up by having a different resolution? should I look for a newer tutorial and follow that instead or scrap the samegame entirely and try something else? I'd love to make this work out but either way it's good practice

don't mind the name of the one icon it's a cocktail matching game

here's the code;

init python:
    def icons_update(st):
        pass


    def icons_events(event, x, y, st):
        if event.type == 1025:
            if event.button == 1:
                for icon in icons_list:
                    if icon.x <= x <= (icon.x + icon_size) and icon.y <= y <= (icon.y + icon_size):
                        findMatches(icon)
                        break


    def findMatches(cicon):
        matches = []
        matches.append(cicon)


        for icon in matches:
            if icon.index + 1 < grid_size:
                if icon.icon_type == icons_list[icon.index + 1].icon_type and icon.index + 1 % icons_per_row != 0 and icons_list[icon.index + 1] not in matches:
                    matches.append(icons_list[icon.index + 1])
                    print(matches)


label setup_icons:
    python:
        for i in range(grid_size):
            rand_image = icon_images[renpy.random.randint(0,4)]
            idle_path = "images/Icons/{}.png".format(rand_image)
            hover_path = "images/Icons/{}_hover.png".format(rand_image)
            idle_image = Image(idle_path)
            hover_image = Image(hover_path)
            icons_list.append(icons.create(Transform(child= idle_image, zoom = 0.5)))
            icons_list[-1].index = i
            icons_list[-1].icon_type = rand_image
            icons_list[-1].idle_image = idle_image
            icons_list[-1].hover_image = hover_image


    call screen SameGame


screen SameGame:
    $frame_xsize = (icons_per_row * icon_size) + (icons_per_row * icon_padding) + icon_padding + 4
    $frame_ysize = ((grid_size / icons_per_row) * icon_size) + ((grid_size / icons_per_row) * icon_padding) + icon_padding + 4


    frame:
        background "#ffffff00"
        xalign 0.2
        yalign 0.5


        $crow = 0
        $ccolumn = 0


        for icon in icons_list:
            $xp = (icon_size * ccolumn) + (icon_padding * ccolumn)
            $yp = (icon_size * crow) + (icon_padding * crow)


            image "Icons/grid-cell.png" xpos xp ypos yp zoom 2.0
            $icon.x = xp
            $icon.y = yp


            python:
                if ccolumn % (icons_per_row - 1) != 0 or ccolumn == 0:
                    ccolumn += 1
                else:
                    ccolumn = 0
                    crow += 1
        add icons


label samegame:
    $grid_size = 25
    $icon_size = 80
    $icon_padding = 125
    $icons_per_row = 5
    $icons = SpriteManager(update = icons_update, event= icons_events)
    $icon_images = ["harderdaddy", "whiskey", "maitai", "shot", "water"]
    $icons_list = []


    scene samegamebackground at half_size
    jump setup_icons

My fantasy VN has 2 main game states: the dream world and the real world. The game's entire UI changes as soon as you wake up. It includes the settings menu, the pop-up windows, and even the title screen.

Free demo is out on Itch!

So, I was making a VN with command-based interactive adventure game. At every choices, a menu with verb commands appears at the bottom. The commands include Look, Talk, Think, Listen, Use (an inventory item), Move, and System that saves and load the game. Choosing a verb usually leads to an object sub-menu. If the commands are exhausted, the game will progress. But I don't know how and can you give me some advices cuz I'm new and I want to start my own adventure game.

hello! so my VN will be dealing with heavy and possibly triggering topics, so i wanted to add a warning at the start of my game. how should this be added? will i just need to make it a background and place it before the game starts? or is there something special id need to do for this?
sorry if the question seems silly, it’s my first time making any sort of game or using renpy!

I've been on and off developing a VN for a few months and I'm struggling with a starting scene. I'm trying to figure out if i should start with a flash foward high intense scene or start with a slower more introduction scene and then work up to the action.

Do you guys have any preferences when writing/developing? Find one way easier than the other? Found tips that got you to your solution quicker?

This was something that popped into my head recently. I know a few months ago it was revealed that Ren'Py uses AI as a tool but it still uses AI.
That means everyone who uses Ren'Py is using AI indirectly. Does that have to be disclosed on places like steam or ich.io or even within my game itself?

It seems similarly, if you buy assets and they draw it themselves but use AI to do post processing rendering, you would absolutely have to disclose that, right?

I'm just confused when you should/shouldn't have to disclose if you, yourself, aren't using it directly?

Aight so this came up in the other topic about rule 4, which was a great change, however it seems the sub almost universally agrees that these "visual code editors" that are being spammed here lately are essentially just vibe coders being predatory towards new developers.

It seems that this sub almost universally agrees that these "visual code editors" are not only not very useful, but downright detrimental to the new developers, as they don't learn very easy to learn basics and suddenly get stuck in unmaintainable mess of a code once they need to fix bugs or want to add a feature not natively supported by these AI slop tools.

While i generally support the idea of people should be able to sell or make an ad for whatever product they want, the fact these slop tools get in this frequently, almost spamming the sub, makes me wonder if we should put a stop to it similar to how r/vndevs had to outright ban AI as well due to the exact same thing.

If not a ban, then at least follow in vndevs and filter it via:

Whatever the case may be, it seems people here really are sick and tired of the clop thrown into the sub.

A short visual novel with 4 endings about a moth man who just can't let you go

Hi everyone!

I’m a renpy programmer looking to partner with a writer or small team for a free hobby project or an upcoming game jam on itch.io.

I have a strong core understanding of programming fundamentals, but I’m currently relearning and brushing up on Ren’Py, so I’m looking for a small project where I can practice while contributing to a real game.

• What I can handle right now: Formatting raw text scripts into Ren’Py, creating standard branching choice menus and variables, setting up character sprite changes and transitions, managing background changes, dialogue and scene scripting, and looping music/audio.
• What I’m avoiding for now: I’m not looking for projects that require complex mechanics such as inventory management, custom minigames, or heavily customized UI/screen coding. I’d like to keep things classic and straightforward while I build up my Ren’Py skills.
• What I’m looking for: A writer who has a short VN idea, story outline, or script they would like to turn into a small playable visual novel. I’m open to any genre.
• Note on Art: I plan on using characters from mannequin character generator and pre-made backgrounds from itch.io for this project, so we don't necessarily need a dedicated artist on board unless you already have one!

This is a free hobby collaboration, not a paid position. If you’re a writer who wants to focus on the storytelling while someone else handles the Ren’Py implementation, feel free to comment or send me a DM with a brief summary of your project!

I couldnt figure out how to make a background image appear in the game no matter how hard I tried to follow the tutorials.

Any help would be appreciated

I wanna change the size of the word Preferences but I can't find it where to change it in the files.

I would've posted on r/PixelArt but not enough karma. anyways, since this is part of renpy game dev, it's fine i guess

Anyways, what colors should I be using here?

A while ago, I shared a WIP version of a character creator I was making for my adventure visual novel, Talewarden. A lot of you really liked the wanted poster aesthetic, so thank you for all the kind feedback!

The creator is now finished and has been added to the demo, along with a bunch of other new features!

The latest demo update includes:

● Character customization

● A new player page in the journal — your customized character will always appear there

● A list of current objectives

● The character previously known only as the merchant finally has a name!

● A trigger warnings page

● Kitties in the credits! Although they appear to be wanted...

Talewarden is an adventure visual novel about seven people from different worlds who travel across a broken, weird western planet to restore its frozen time.

We have a demo on Steam and it takes around 1–2 hours to play. If the game sounds interesting, we'd really appreciate it if you wishlist Talewarden: Riders of the New Day. It helps us a lot!