Syntax Highlighting
TextMate grammar with semantic tokens. Labels, screens, dialogue, Python blocks, ATL transforms, and Screen Language — all precisely highlighted.
30+ Features Free · DAP Debugger · Flow Graph · Live Preview
The Complete Ren'Py IDE
for VS Code
Stop switching between extensions. RenPy Code gives you everything you need to write, debug, test, and ship visual novels — all in one extension.
Free — Zero Config
Every Feature Competitors Offer, Plus More
Install and go. RenPy Code's free tier covers syntax highlighting, autocompletion, diagnostics, go-to-definition, symbols, and beyond — no license required.
Smart Autocompletion
Context-aware completions for 100+ Ren'Py statements. Labels after jump/call, characters for dialogue, screens, images, transforms, and transitions.
Real-Time Diagnostics
Instantly catch undefined labels, undefined characters, invalid jump targets, and mixed indentation — before you launch the game.
Go-to-Definition & References
F12 to jump to any label, screen, character, image, transform, or variable definition. Shift+F12 to find every reference across the project.
Hover Docs & Signature Help
Hover over any Ren'Py statement to see documentation in English or Japanese. Signature help for Character, Dissolve, Fade, and more.
Symbols & CodeLens
Outline view with all labels, screens, characters, images, and transforms. CodeLens shows reference counts directly above labels and screens.
Color Picker
Visual color swatches and picker for #rrggbb hex values in Character defines and style properties. Edit colors without leaving the editor.
40 Snippets
Type label, menu, screen, character, or transform and press Tab. Snippets for 40 common Ren'Py patterns with placeholders.
Launch, Lint & Warp
Launch your game, run lint, or warp to any line or label from the command palette. Configure your SDK path once and go.
Call Hierarchy & Inlay Hints
Trace incoming/outgoing calls between labels. Inlay hints show character display names inline and link targets with file:line info.
Code Actions
Quick fixes for common issues: create a missing label at the end of the file, or insert a character define at the top. One click to fix diagnostics.
English & Japanese
All commands, diagnostics, hover docs, and UI elements are available in English and Japanese. Follows your VS Code language setting.
Pro — $5 Lifetime License
Features No Other Extension Has
A real debugger. Story flow visualization. Live game preview. Asset management. Translation tracking. All for the price of a coffee.
Pro
Interactive Debugger (DAP)
The first and only real DAP debugger for Ren'Py in VS Code. Set breakpoints in .rpy files, step through dialogue and Python code, inspect variables, view the call stack, and evaluate expressions — all in VS Code's native debug UI.
- Breakpoints in .rpy files
- Step over / into / out
- Variable inspection (store.*)
- Call stack navigation
- Debug console evaluation
● Breakpoint hit at script.rpy:42
→ label start:
e "Welcome to the game!"
$ points = 0 # Variables: points=0
menu:
"Go left":
jump left_path
Call Stack:
start (script.rpy:42)
_main
Pro
Story Flow Graph
Interactive Mermaid.js visualization of your entire story structure. See every label, jump, call, and menu choice at a glance. Click any node to jump to its source.
- Label nodes with dialogue counts
- Jump, call, and choice edges
- Dead-end detection (red nodes)
- Click-to-navigate to source
Pro
Live Preview
See your game's current state in a VS Code panel. The bridge captures screenshots from the running game and displays them alongside your code. Gallery mode for reviewing multiple scenes.
- Real-time screenshot capture
- Scene gallery browser
- Bridge-based communication
Pro
Playtest Heatmap
Track which labels players visit and how often. Visualize hot paths and cold spots in your story. Identify unvisited branches before release.
Pro
Asset Manager
Visual browser for all images, audio, and video. Detects unused assets costing disk space. Filter by type, usage status, or file size.
Pro
Translation Dashboard
Track translation completeness across all languages. See progress bars, missing blocks, and string counts per language at a glance.
Pro
Safe Rename Refactoring
Rename labels, characters, or screens across the entire project with F2. All references updated automatically in a single operation.
Pro
Auto Test Runner
Discover and run Ren'Py testcases from VS Code. Run all tests with progress tracking or pick individual tests from a quick picker.
Why Switch?
How RenPy Code Compares
Side-by-side comparison with every Ren'Py VS Code extension on the marketplace.
| Feature | RenPy Code | Ren'Py Language (official) |
Launch & Sync |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syntax Highlighting | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Semantic Tokens | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Autocompletion | ✓ Context-aware | ✓ | — |
| Go-to-Definition | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Find All References | ✓ | — | — |
| Diagnostics / Linting | ✓ 4 rule types | ✓ Limited | — |
| Call Hierarchy | ✓ | — | — |
| CodeLens | ✓ | — | — |
| Inlay Hints | ✓ | — | — |
| Signature Help | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Color Picker | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Code Snippets | ✓ 40 snippets | ✓ | — |
| Game Launch | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Warp to Line / Label | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| EN + JA Localization | ✓ | — | — |
| DAP Debugger | ✓Pro | — | — |
| Story Flow Graph | ✓Pro | — | — |
| Live Preview | ✓Pro | — | — |
| Heatmap | ✓Pro | — | — |
| Asset Manager | ✓Pro | — | — |
| Translation Dashboard | ✓Pro | — | — |
| Rename Refactoring | ✓Pro | — | — |
| Test Runner | ✓Pro | — | — |
Get Started in 60 Seconds
Install, Configure, Code
No build tools. No language server. No configuration files. Just install and open a .rpy file.
1
Install the Extension
Search "RenPy Code" in the VS Code Extensions panel, or use the command line.
code --install-extension abyo-software.renpy-code
2
Set Your SDK Path
Open Settings and set renpyCode.sdkPath to your Ren'Py SDK directory. Required only for launch, lint, and warp.
"renpyCode.sdkPath": "C:/renpy-8.5.2-sdk"
3
Open a .rpy File
Syntax highlighting, completion, diagnostics, and all free features activate automatically. For Pro features, enter your license key in settings.
"renpyCode.license.key": "YOUR-KEY"
Simple Pricing
Free Forever, or Unlock Everything for $5
No subscriptions. No time limits. One payment, lifetime access to every Pro feature and all future updates.
Free
$0
Free forever
- Syntax highlighting + semantic tokens
- Context-aware autocompletion
- Real-time diagnostics (4 rule types)
- Go-to-definition + find references
- Document & workspace symbols
- CodeLens, inlay hints, call hierarchy
- 40 code snippets
- Color picker
- Signature help
- Code actions (quick fixes)
- Game launch, lint, warp
- EN + JA localization
Pro
$5 one-time
Lifetime license · All future updates included
- Everything in Free
- DAP Debugger (breakpoints, step, inspect)
- Story flow graph (Mermaid.js)
- Live preview (bridge screenshots)
- Variable tracker (static + live)
- Playtest heatmap
- Asset manager (unused detection)
- Translation dashboard
- Rename refactoring (F2)
- Auto test runner
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is RenPy Code?
RenPy Code is a VS Code extension that turns VS Code into a full-featured IDE for Ren'Py visual novel development. The free tier includes 30+ language features like syntax highlighting, autocompletion, diagnostics, go-to-definition, find references, symbols, CodeLens, 40 snippets, color picker, game launch, lint, and warp. The Pro tier ($5 one-time) adds a DAP debugger, story flow graph, live preview, heatmap, asset manager, translation dashboard, rename refactoring, and test runner.
Is RenPy Code free to use?
Yes. The free tier covers all features offered by competing extensions and more. You can use syntax highlighting, autocompletion, diagnostics, definition/references, symbols, snippets, CodeLens, inlay hints, color picker, game launch, lint, and warp without paying anything. Pro features like the debugger, flow graph, and live preview require a one-time $5 license.
How does the debugger work?
RenPy Code Pro includes a full Debug Adapter Protocol (DAP) implementation that integrates with VS Code's built-in debugger. A bridge script is injected into the game's directory that hooks into Ren'Py's
config.statement_callbacks. This enables real breakpoints, step execution, variable inspection, call stack viewing, and expression evaluation — all through VS Code's native debug UI. Just press F5 to start debugging.
Can I use RenPy Code alongside the official Ren'Py Language extension?
While technically possible, we recommend using RenPy Code alone. It provides all the features of the official extension plus many more. Running both may cause duplicate completions, diagnostics, and hover tooltips. If you switch to RenPy Code, you can safely disable the official extension for .rpy files.
What Ren'Py and VS Code versions are supported?
RenPy Code supports Ren'Py SDK 7.x and 8.x on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It requires VS Code 1.85 or later. The extension works with any standard Ren'Py project structure.
Is the source code available?
Yes. RenPy Code is developed publicly on GitHub. The source code is available under a commercial license — you can read the code, report issues, and submit pull requests. Pro features require a license key purchased from Gumroad.
Does it support Japanese (日本語)?
はい。RenPy Codeは英語と日本語の完全なローカライゼーションに対応しています。コマンド、診断メッセージ、ホバードキュメント、UIのすべてがVS Codeの言語設定に従って表示されます。翻訳ダッシュボードは多言語ビジュアルノベルの管理にも役立ちます。
What happens after I buy a Pro license?
You receive a license key from Gumroad immediately after purchase. Enter it in VS Code settings (
renpyCode.license.key) or use the "RenPy Code: Activate Pro License" command. Pro features unlock instantly. The license is valid forever, including all future updates.
Start Building Better Visual Novels
Install RenPy Code free, or unlock every Pro feature for the price of a coffee.