Ren'Py Save File Unpacker
A Ren'Py save is really a ZIP archive. This lists every entry, shows the readable ones, and extracts the screenshot and metadata.
Intended for your own single-player save files. Editing saves in multiplayer or online games breaks their terms of service and can get your account banned. Always keep a backup of the original file before you change anything.
A Ren'Py save is an ordinary ZIP archive. The readable parts — the JSON metadata, the slot caption and the screenshot — come out cleanly. The main game state lives in a zlib-compressed Python pickle, which this tool decompresses and scans for strings but cannot fully reconstruct, since unpickling requires a Python interpreter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is inside a Ren'Py save?
Usually five entries: log, the full game state as a compressed Python pickle; json, metadata the game exposes; extra_info, the caption shown in the load menu; screenshot, the slot thumbnail; and signatures, used to detect tampering.
Why can I not read the log entry properly?
Because it is a Python pickle — a serialisation format that can only be fully reconstructed by a Python interpreter. The tool decompresses it and extracts readable strings, which usually reveals variable names and story flags, but it cannot rebuild the objects.
Where are Ren'Py saves kept?
On Windows, %appdata%\RenPy\[game]; on macOS, ~/Library/RenPy/[game]; on Linux, ~/.renpy/[game]. Many games also keep a copy in a saves folder next to the executable.
Can I edit a save with this?
No, it only reads. Editing means unpickling, changing values and repickling, which needs Python. This tool is for understanding what a save contains.