Some Ren'Py Games won't open

[kirbydancer]

Hi all,

I'm having trouble to run some Ren'Py games for a month or two now.

If I remember correctly it all started after I installed a Windows Update called:
2023-09 Cumulative update for Windows 11 version 22h2 for x64-based systems (KB5030310) is available.
After that my Internet was also super slow. So I restored my Windows back to a day before I installed it. So currently that Update is not installed on my Laptop (I see it in my settings to "download and install".


Weirdly some games open (e.g. Milfylicious, Perfect Housewife, The Bum etc.) but others won't (e.g. MISFITS, PaleCarnations. Tune-in-to-the-show etc.)

There are even games I could run 2 months ago but now I can't after downloading the newest update.
For example: Up until MISIFTS Part 3, V18.1 I could play it. But since 19.1I can't.

Only a Log is created (I see windows trying to load the game). I have a feeling it has something to do with the RenPy Version as by checking some games I can run the ones with version 15 and higher (couldn't check up until which version it doesn't work)

Spoiler: Log

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I tried several things now:
Deleting all my Saves from the renpy folder in APPDATA.
Trying to run with WIN7/WIN8, as admin etc.
Putting the game in the programme (x86) to run it.

My Laptops sideinfos:

Win11
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H with Radeon Graphics (8 core with 4.4Ghz)
RAM: 32GB
Systemtyp: 64GB
Drive: 1TB (+500GB still available)
Graphics: nVidia GeForce RTX3070 , 8GB

Maybe a little sidenote:
I use ExplorerPatcher to let my Win11 look like Win10

Spoiler: Link to Github

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However I always used that and I never had issues before.

I hope someone knows how to fix it.

 

[Don61a]

Since the latest version of Renpy came out and using Windows 11 22H2 x64, it is hit or miss if a game off this site will work.

By work - I mean I have latest drivers on everything, but double-clicking the exe and nothing happens. Some will work when compatibility is set to Windows 8 and others will not.

I get this should not be the case. But the newest version only gives 1 exe. The prior versions gave a 32-bit and 64-bit exe to use.

 

[anne O'nymous]

Since the latest version of Renpy came out [...]

So, you had no issue before the 19 September ?

 

[Don61a]

I think that is about when I started seeing the issue. One EXE for game as opposed to 2 EXEs (one 32 bit and one 64 bit).

Sometimes I can get current single EXE to work with Window 8 Compatibility.

Generally, if I can't get to play, I just delete it.

But as I have been doing the walkthur for A Family Venture (WillTylor) (I was able to get that game to work) but decided it would be worth posting.

 

[Don61a]

For example, I was able to get A Family Venture 0.8v4b to work, but not Babysitters 0.9 - both I believe made with the latest version of Renpy. Both only have a single EXE in install directory. No clue what the difference in code is between them as to why one plays but the other doesn't.

 

[anne O'nymous]

For example, I was able to get A Family Venture 0.8v4b to work, but not Babysitters 0.9 - both I believe made with the latest version of Renpy.

They are made with the same version, but not the last one.

And strictly speaking there's no reason for one to works and not the other. What doesn't mean that I have no ideas...

Download the attached file, and put it in the "Babysitters-0.0.9/game" directory (where there's already files like "guy.rpy" and "script.rpy"), and try again to start the game.

 

[Don61a]

I meant I have no ideas, I was hoping someone here could figure out Will try the file above and let you know if it works or not.

 

[Don61a]

Tried two different downloads - with and with out the nosplash.rpy in game directory (where the other rpy files were) - game will not run - Windows 11 or Windows 8 compatibility.

The ones that work now - will create log.txt file in the directory where the game is and put some data in Users/Username/Appdata/Roaming/RenPy - as soon as I see that I know it will be playable. With other games (i.e. Babysitter 0.9) - nothing happens when I double-click the EXE, or right click to run as admin, etc.

I would guess maybe at least half the games don't fire up now. (Note - never had a problem when the game has 2 EXEs in the installed game directory.)

If you have any other ideas - let me know.

 

[kirbydancer]

I face the exact sane issue you have. Thanks for elaborating in it further. Even the issue with only 1 exe any no log file being created.

However, I also noted that old games that worked months ago won't run anymore. Even though I never re-download them. They where in my folders tried to run and nothing happened (again only 1 exe file). So I guess it's win11 that blocks it but can't be sure.

Lets hope someone finds a solution for this

 

[Don61a]

I think it is an issue between Renpy and Windows 11 - but no clue what it is or what do about it.

If I wasn't doing the walkthru for A Family Venture - I would not worry about it much - one or the other.

 

[anne O'nymous]

Tried two different downloads - with and with out the nosplash.rpy in game directory (where the other rpy files were) - game will not run - Windows 11 or Windows 8 compatibility.

Hmm, weird.

As I said, the two games use the exact same version of Ren'Py, and as far as I've seen, they haven't changed the configuration. At least not something that could lead to one working and not the other.
Therefore, the only thing that could have prevented one game to display at least the main menu was the splash screen, something removed with the small patch I provided.

So, here you've two games, "perfectly identical", that should have the same behavior, but don't have it :/
I used quotation marks because, obviously, the games themselves are different, but they use the exact same version of Ren'Py, therefore those difference don't really change something. The images are displayed with the same code, the text too, and so on.
In a way it's like changing the wheels and seats of a car, as well as its color, and boom, suddenly the car don't works anymore.

I would guess maybe at least half the games don't fire up now. (Note - never had a problem when the game has 2 EXEs in the installed game directory.)

What limits to around two dozen versions of Ren'Py...

If you have any other ideas - let me know.

Well, would it be two different versions of Ren'Py, I could perhaps found some, but the same one ? I excluded the only one I can think about.

 

[Deleted member 4771842]

If I remember correctly it all started after I installed a Windows Update called:
2023-09 Cumulative update for Windows 11 version 22h2 for x64-based systems (KB5030310) is available.

I can only say, that I'm using Win 11 and I don't have KB5030310 update. With such things in mind, Misfits [Part 3 v21.1] is executing without errors in my case.

There is a way to delete updates, if you think that they are causing problems (they sometimes do, remembering the Win 7 update KB2670838) Control panel -> Programs and/or Programs and Features -> View installed updates, and check for KB5030310 update which you can delete.

But if nothing have changed, perhaps problem is elsewhere.

Edit: before uninstalling updates, it is better to create system restore point.

 

[Don61a]

Oh, if go that route - I will be doing a system restore point

 

[kirbydancer]

Thanks for you help so far. Unfortunately I still got issues with some games.
Interestingly some games won't even create a log file. So I have no idea what the issue is.

Hope someone can help or had the issue and solved it somehow

 

[kirbydancer]

As 2 months passed just a follow-up:

Some games still wont open without any logfile or hint.
Anyone has more ideas or even had the same issue and solved it?

Here an example:
Left game wont open no matter what i do. Right game opens without any issues.




The only workaround i found is to install AndroidSubsystem to run APK games but its really inconvenient. Would prefer the normal way

 

[anne O'nymous]

Left game wont open no matter what i do. Right game opens without any issues.

Hmm...
The left one still have the 32bits version available by default, so it's made with an older version and it don't include the GL2 version for the display. What imply that it's the less likely to lead to this kind of issues :/
It's really weird.

 

[kirbydancer]

Hmm...
The left one still have the 32bits version available by default, so it's made with an older version and it don't include the GL2 version for the display. What imply that it's the less likely to lead to this kind of issues :/
It's really weird.

yeah its super weird. another example:
left one i can open without any issues. right one is not working. I'm trying to narrow down the problem, but I can't seem to find a constant, recurring identifier..

 

[ldacombat123]

i have same problem when i trying to open trulove.exe (game trulove version 1.0.12) but i can open version 1.0.8 of this game without any issues.

 

[Kazami]

left one i can open without any issues. right one is not working

Have you tried using the RenPy SDK launcher? Open the log.txt file, in the top left it says the version of RenPy it's using, download that SDK version and see what happens when you launch them from there.

 

[kirbydancer]

Have you tried using the RenPy SDK launcher? Open the log.txt file, in the top left it says the version of RenPy it's using, download that SDK version and see what happens when you launch them from there.

Thanks for the tip.
Unfortunately I can't run the mentioned games in the SDK launcher (I downloaded the newest SDK 8.2.0). Other games that i can open normaly can be launched in the SDK without any issue. The SDK try to load/launch the game and then goes back immediately to the main launcher screen to choose a project.

Here the log.txt file from the SDK folder after trying to launch the game that won't open:

Spoiler: SDK log.txt

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Weirdly the games I can't open don't have any log.txt file, even after trying to run the games. So I can't see the ren'py version.

I quickly went through some old games.
I can open for instance versions like:

7.3.5.606
7.4.8.1895
7.4.11.2266
7.5.3.22090809
7.6.0.23051307
8.0.3.22090809
8.1.1.23060707
8.1.2.23063001+nightly
8.1.3.23091805


To somehow identify the ren'py version of the games I can't open I looked into game folder and found the file "script_version.txt" which shows an entry like:
(8, 1, 1)
I suppose this means it's ren'py 8.1.1.
Another one has the value:
(7, 5, 3) --> 7.5.3

When I however check the versions above it seems that this is not the issue, as the other games run on it.

The only commonality I identify in the games that don't work is that they dont have the "log.txt" file.


Here 2 examples:

1:
Both games run with 7.5.3. Left one won't open. Right one opens without issues:




2:
3 games run with 8.1.1. Left one won't open. The two games on the right opens without issues:





Hope this helps one of the experts to narrow down the issue or even find the problem/soloution

Many thanks again.