Tutorial [HowTo] Run Ren'Py 8.4.x games on Windows 7/8 (workaround)

[srfsmrf_]

Ren'Py 8.4 or greater requires Windows 10 or greater. When you try to run a RP 8.4 game on Windows 7 or 8 you'll be greeted with:

You may still be able to run the game however by following the workaround below (note that some other ways to go about it are discussed below this post as well):

1. Download & extract latest RP 8.3 SDK:
   You must be registered to see the links
2. Move 'game' folder over to the extracted sdk dir
3. search for *.rpyc in the game folder, delete those (note sub-bullet #3 below though):
   • same goes for *.rpymc files
     • although translation related files (inside the 'tl' folder) may be just fine
   • in case of .rpa archives containing scripts, you'll first have to extract those & delete them afterwards
     • you can use
       You must be registered to see the links
       / UnRen (the original, but no active development) / UnRen-forall (updated & maintained) for that
   • note that for each .rpyc / *.rpymc file, there must be a corresponding .rpy / .rpym (source) file
     • If that's not the case, you should decompile the file(s) first (see caveat below)
4. recommended: apply patches (see below)
5. start renpy.exe
6. profit!

Ren'Py 8.3.8 patches (backported from 8.4.x)

Spoiler

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Caveats (read!):

Spoiler

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Tested: (incomplete & may be out of date)

Game	Game/RP v	Latest < 8.4	dc	Status	Notes
Escape from Ivy and Piper [AceX Game Studio] [Ren'Py]	0.51 / 8.4.1	v0.402 / 8.1.3	no	works
My Bimbo Dream [MBD] [VN][Ren'Py] S1	1.0.3a / 8.40	0.10.1 Full Beta / 8.3.3	yes	works	*1
My Bimbo Dream [MBD] [VN][Ren'Py] S2	0.1.1 / 8.41	2.0.3 / 8.3.3	no	works	*2

dc: whether it's needed to decompile (+link to decompiled scripts)

Spoiler: footnotes

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[ndj865]

srfsmrf_
I found another way to play on windows7 Renpy 8.4 games.
Requirements
Install Python 3.12 for windows 7 link

You must be registered to see the links

Install VxKex

You must be registered to see the links

For VxKex you will need to disable your antivirus for downloading and installing this set of APIs.
And read Introduction for VxKex to use it on Renpy 8.4 games.
I tried on 3 games that I found that uses Renpy 8.4.1 and it worked.
The games are:
https://f95zone.to/threads/after-class-v0-12-51p-a01-andy-peng.52987/
https://f95zone.to/threads/escape-from-ivy-and-piper-v0-51-ea-acex-game-studio.115614/
https://f95zone.to/threads/the-sin-within-v0-5-0-cigarrex.154680/

 

[srfsmrf_]

@ndj865 Cool! I wasn't aware of VxKex. Pretty nifty, but it's also an invasive solution, and one should consider whether to trust it. At least I would read/consider

You must be registered to see the links

.

Best solution here would be to have a Ren'Py fork (or build script) that restores Win 7/8 compatibility.

Even better I think (esp. if it concerns one's main rig) (sounding like grandpa now ) is to leave Win 7/8 behind & maybe consider Linux.

Anyway, good to read it seems to work well for you, thanks for sharing!

 

[dungeonmaster300]

srfsmrf_
I found another way to play on windows7 Renpy 8.4 games.
Requirements
Install Python 3.12 for windows 7 link

You must be registered to see the links

Install VxKex

You must be registered to see the links

For VxKex you will need to disable your antivirus for downloading and installing this set of APIs.
And read Introduction for VxKex to use it on Renpy 8.4 games.
I tried on 3 games that I found that uses Renpy 8.4.1 and it worked.
The games are:
https://f95zone.to/threads/after-class-v0-12-51p-a01-andy-peng.52987/
https://f95zone.to/threads/escape-from-ivy-and-piper-v0-51-ea-acex-game-studio.115614/
https://f95zone.to/threads/the-sin-within-v0-5-0-cigarrex.154680/

Stupid question, but how do I install VxKex? I downloaded the archives, installed Python, what next? Should there be an .exe file in the Kex folder?

 

[ndj865]

Antivirus software sees vxkex as virus file, so your antivirus put vxkex installer in quarantine or it didn't allow you to download vxkex exe.
You need to disable your antivirus first and then download vxkex.
Then while antivirus is disabled install vxkex, after completing installation of vxkex you can enable your antivirus.
Before you enable antivirus if you want to save installer of vxkex you need to archive it in any archiving format 7z, zip, rar etc.

 

[dungeonmaster300]

Antivirus software sees vxkex as virus file, so your antivirus put vxkex installer in quarantine or it didn't allow you to download vxkex exe.
You need to disable your antivirus first and then download vxkex.
Then while antivirus is disabled install vxkex, after completing installation of vxkex you can enable your antivirus.
Before you enable antivirus if you want to save installer of vxkex you need to archive it in any archiving format 7z, zip, rar etc.

In which of all these folders should the .exe file be located?

 

[ndj865]

By default vxkex is install on C:\Program Files\VxKex
Here is the link for vxkex installer:

You must be registered to see the links

 

[dungeonmaster300]

By default vxkex is install on C:\Program Files\VxKex
Here is the link for vxkex installer:

You must be registered to see the links

Thanks for the help. But this solution doesn't seem to work for me. It keeps asking for windows10.

 

[Alex1961]

 

[adhitya_harka]

By default vxkex is install on C:\Program Files\VxKex
Here is the link for vxkex installer:

You must be registered to see the links

The link does not exist

If we search from Github then which one the installer?

 

[Fatalmasterpiece]

Is there any reason for a dev to run 8.4? I've been developing in 8.3 and see no reason to update.

 

[adhitya_harka]

srfsmrf_
I found another way to play on windows7 Renpy 8.4 games.
Requirements
Install Python 3.12 for windows 7 link

You must be registered to see the links

Install VxKex

You must be registered to see the links

For VxKex you will need to disable your antivirus for downloading and installing this set of APIs.
And read Introduction for VxKex to use it on Renpy 8.4 games.
I tried on 3 games that I found that uses Renpy 8.4.1 and it worked.
The games are:
https://f95zone.to/threads/after-class-v0-12-51p-a01-andy-peng.52987/
https://f95zone.to/threads/escape-from-ivy-and-piper-v0-51-ea-acex-game-studio.115614/
https://f95zone.to/threads/the-sin-within-v0-5-0-cigarrex.154680/

Thank you it works but in my case there's another problem. My computer antivirus detect All Renpy 8.4.1 games as a virus

 

[Docc777]

Is it possible to use a bootable Linux mint usb drive to play new renpy games? This would be an easy way for older os users if they do not want to install a linux version on their pc.

Or would it be possible to run a Win 10 in Virtual box and play the new renpy games there?

 

[Docc777]

Or would it be possible to run a Win 10 in Virtual box and play the new renpy games there?

I did not try the linux boot stick but i set up a win 10 in Virtual box on a Win 7 Host system. And used a shared folder from my host system (the folder with the Game files). And the new renpy games are working fine. And that on an almost 15 year old PC (Phenom 2 x6 1100t @~4GHz HT @2200MHZ, 16Gb RAM(fine tuned) . It is only my media pc but is still working fine for that task.

 

[srfsmrf_]

I did not try the linux boot stick but i set up a win 10 in Virtual box on a Win 7 Host system. [...] It is only my media pc but is still working fine for that task.

Good to hear that's working. How's video playback performance though? Ren'Py is kinda terrible at that (on Windows at least) (the myriad of sub-optimal scripted games where videos are layered on top of each other making it even worse) and relying heavily on the CPU.

Linux stick is a good/valid option of course! Practically every (Windows) Ren'Py game should run (natively) on Linux, no matter if there's a separate Linux build. Just run it from the right SDK (+ for Live2D you might need to

You must be registered to see the links

the .so) Wine or Bottles may also work.

This seems relevant in this regard: Ren'Py 7.x / 8.x Linuxizer and reinstaller script [Tool] (an older (precursor) thread is Generate Missing Linux Files For Any Ren'Py Game. [Tool]) (+ there are some other threads about the subject)

 

[adhitya_harka]

I did not try the linux boot stick but i set up a win 10 in Virtual box on a Win 7 Host system. And used a shared folder from my host system (the folder with the Game files). And the new renpy games are working fine. And that on an almost 15 year old PC (Phenom 2 x6 1100t @~4GHz HT @2200MHZ, 16Gb RAM(fine tuned) . It is only my media pc but is still working fine for that task.

Yes that way can work too. I use portable Win 11, then running it from USB.

 

[Docc777]

Good to hear that's working. How's video playback performance though? Ren'Py is kinda terrible at that (on Windows at least) (the myriad of sub-optimal scripted games where videos are layered on top of each other making it even worse) and relying heavily on the CPU.

With standart settings video was a bit sluggish. But i increased the Graphics RAM in the guest system to 256MB, System RAM to 8GB and CPU cores to 3. With this it is running only a tiny bit slower than on my Win 7 Host system. Still very usable (at least in the few games i tested).
Maybe we could find someone that could set up a linux iso with the important tools already integreated for all the people that need a boot stick to play the new Games. On Windows i would know how to implement programs into the iso. But i am not as fit on Linux. So i am not a big help there.