Free Open source and self-hosted

Your Ren’Py games,
on every screen.

Renplay plays the games you get from itch.io, Patreon and F95zone, adult and not, in any browser: your computer, your tablet, your phone. Every save lands on your own server, so you start a chapter at your desk and finish it on the couch.

Install See how it works
One Docker container No accounts, no cloud, no tracking MIT licensed
The Renplay library in a browser
A visual novel playing on a phone

What it is for

The games you already download.

Visual novels from itch.io, Patreon and F95zone arrive as a PC download. Renplay turns that download into a game you can open anywhere.

Ren’Py first

Built for Ren’Py games, new and old. HTML games, like Twine stories, play too, with fewer features.

Adult and not

Many visual novels are for adults, and Renplay plays them like any other game. They are first-class here, not an afterthought.

Off until you turn it on

Adult games stay off until you choose them. Renplay asks on first start, or you set RENPLAY_ADULT_GAMES. Covers show as title cards until you show them.

Why Renplay

Visual novels shouldn’t be stuck
on one computer.

Ren’Py games ship as desktop downloads. That is fine until you want to read on the train, on the couch, or on the laptop you took on holiday.

Without Renplay

  • ✕One machine per game. Your phone can’t run the PC version, and the Android build, when there is one, is another big download.
  • ✕Saves that stay behind. Progress hides in a folder on one computer. Switch devices and you start over or copy files around.
  • ✕Updates are a chore. Download 15 GB again, find the save folder, hope the old saves still load.
  • ✕A messy folder of zips. No covers, no overview, no idea which version you have.

With Renplay

  • ✓Every screen plays it. Any modern browser, including phones and tablets, full screen and smooth.
  • ✓Saves follow you. Each save is on your server the moment you make it. Tap Resume anywhere.
  • ✓Updates in one click. Add the new download; your saves carry over and Renplay tells you when a tested update is out.
  • ✓A real library. Official covers, versions, last played, and one tap back into your story.

How it works

Three steps. The first one is a download.

1

Add the game

Upload the normal PC download, the same zip you would play on Windows, or drop it into a folder.

2

Renplay prepares it

It unpacks the game, shrinks the images and builds a web version. Once, in a few minutes. No Ren’Py SDK needed.

3

Play anywhere

Open Renplay on any device and press Play. Your saves sync while you read.

Your library

Feels like a store you own.

Every game gets its official cover, the developer’s links and the version you have. The first thing you see is the game you were playing.

  • Resume in one tap from your latest save, on any device.
  • Every save kept, with earlier versions you can restore.
  • Update notices when a newer tested version of a game is out.
A game page with saves
The library on a phone
A game on a phone in landscape

Made for phones

The couch is a great place to read.

Renplay is built for small screens as much as big ones, down to the camera cutout.

  • Full screen, on iPhone from the home screen, on Android with one tap.
  • Fits your screen, clear of the notch, and follows you when you turn the phone.
  • The screen stays on while you read a long scene.

Everything included

Small touches that add up.

Saves you never lose

Saves, autosaves and unlocked galleries sync the moment the game writes them. Every overwrite keeps the previous version. If the connection drops, they wait and upload later.

Sequels just work

Season two finds season one’s saves, exactly like on desktop.

Bring your saves

Import saves from the desktop version, or export them back.

Mods in the browser

Edit scripts or upload a mod. Your changes survive updates.

A tested catalog

Known games come with their cover, links and the settings that work.

Private by design

Everything runs on your own hardware. No accounts, no telemetry, nobody else’s cloud. Games are prepared without running their code on your server, and adult games stay off until you turn them on, with their covers hidden on shared screens.

60 fpsSmooth playback in the browser
~10 sTo start a 15 GB game again
Up to 9×Smaller images, no visible difference
1Container to run it all

Get started

Up and running in a minute.

If you can run a Docker container, you can run Renplay. Point it at a folder for games and one for your saves.

  1. Run the command and open http://localhost:8080. Renplay asks which games it should show, adult games included or safe for work only.
  2. Go to Add games and upload a game’s PC download, then press Install and Play. On your phone, add Renplay to the home screen.
  3. Start with a free game. Dear Devere and Frightwood are free and safe for work. Get one from its developer, add it, and play.

Docker and Docker Compose, the NAS guides and every setting are in the docs.

docker run -d --name renplay -p 8080:8080 \
  -v ./games:/games \
  -v ./data:/data \
  ghcr.io/renplay-org/renplay:latest

The image is ghcr.io/renplay-org/renplay, also renplay/renplay on Docker Hub. Renplay has no accounts yet, so keep it on your home network or put it behind your own sign-in. To skip the first-run question, set RENPLAY_ADULT_GAMES to allow or block.

The catalog

Games other players already tested.

The community catalog lists games that work in Renplay: which download to get from the developer, its official cover, and any settings it needs. It never hosts game files. Got one working? Add it in a pull request.

Browse the catalog Request a game Add one yourself

Questions

Good to know.

Which games work?

Games made with Ren’Py 8, and most games made with Ren’Py 7, which run on the same engine. That covers almost every visual novel of the last few years. HTML games, like Twine stories, play too, with fewer features. The catalog lists games that were tested; most others work too.

Where do I get the games?

From their developers, as you do today: itch.io, Patreon, F95zone, Steam and so on. Renplay uses the normal PC download. Neither Renplay nor its catalog hosts game files.

Does it need a powerful server?

No. Installing a game uses some CPU for a few minutes; playing is just serving files. Games run in your browser, so a small home server or NAS is plenty. Plan disk space like for the downloads themselves.

Can I still play on desktop Ren’Py?

Yes. Export a game’s saves and they work in the desktop version, and the other way round.

What about adult games?

They work like any other game, and adult games are a big part of what Renplay is for. They stay off until you turn them on: on first start Renplay asks whether to show them, or you set RENPLAY_ADULT_GAMES to block for a safe-for-work setup. Where they are on, their covers can stay hidden behind title cards when other people can see your screen.

Is it really free?

Yes, free and open source under the MIT license. If it makes your evenings better, you can support it on Ko-fi.

Your stories, wherever you are.

Set up Renplay tonight and pick up where you left off, on any screen.

Install Star it on GitHub ♥ Support