Unlike encrypted or binary save files used by many AAA games, a standard Ren'Py save is a combination of Python data structures and pickled objects. Under the hood, it stores:
Because Ren'Py is open-source and Python-based, these saves are relatively easy to parse—provided you know the tools.
Ren'Py 8+ and the newer versions of Ren'Py 7 have experimental support for JSON-based save serialization. This is a game-changer: you could open a save in any text editor, see "player_hp": 50, "location": "forest", and edit it by hand. When fully adopted, dedicated save editors may become obsolete for most users.
Every game has different variable names and structures. A save editor for Doki Doki Literature Club won’t work for Katawa Shoujo.
People turn to save editors for several legitimate reasons:
Some games already have the console enabled. Try pressing Shift + O before using any tool. You might get lucky.
Unlike encrypted or binary save files used by many AAA games, a standard Ren'Py save is a combination of Python data structures and pickled objects. Under the hood, it stores:
Because Ren'Py is open-source and Python-based, these saves are relatively easy to parse—provided you know the tools.
Ren'Py 8+ and the newer versions of Ren'Py 7 have experimental support for JSON-based save serialization. This is a game-changer: you could open a save in any text editor, see "player_hp": 50, "location": "forest", and edit it by hand. When fully adopted, dedicated save editors may become obsolete for most users.
Every game has different variable names and structures. A save editor for Doki Doki Literature Club won’t work for Katawa Shoujo.
People turn to save editors for several legitimate reasons:
Some games already have the console enabled. Try pressing Shift + O before using any tool. You might get lucky.