Renpytom

Since 2004, I've been developing the Ren'Py Visual Novel Engine. Ren'Py is completely open source, free for commercial use, and runs on Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Android, and iOS. Since its introduction, Ren'Py has been used by storytellers and game makers all around the world to create over a thousand visual novels.

Up until this point, I have shouldered the cost of development software and equipment myself.  However, keeping up with changing technology and standards can get pricey. Rather than work longer hours to fund development-related expenses, I've created this Patreon. Now you can help free up my time so that I can put more work into Ren'Py... and get some nice rewards in the process.

So what rewards can you get here?

First off, the one reward you won't get from becoming a patron is software that's different from what I give away for free. I want to make the best version of Ren'Py I can available to everyone in the world, even people who can't afford or don't have the ability to pay. Ren'Py is my gift to the world -- locking even small parts of it behind a paywall would be counterproductive to the cause.

As for the rewards we are offering:

• Every patron gets access to exclusive posts that describe how to use Ren'Py - both current and upcoming features. These posts are written at a tutorial level (versus the normative nature of the Ren'Py documentation), and are checked by a visual novel creator to make sure they are understandable even to people who aren't professional programmers.
• Patrons sponsoring at the $2 and up level get to be listed as sponsors on the Ren'Py website and in the documentation for each release. At higher levels, this can include a sponsor banner for your game, organization, or studio on the Ren'Py home page. Please read this post for information about how to set up your sponsorship, and the fine print below.
• At $10 and up, you get a collectable art postcard in the mail every month. These feature original art from visual novel creators in the Ren'Py community. The back of every postcard features a calendar you can use to track your progress toward your own development goals. 

While I do most of the work when it comes to developing Ren'Py, the engine is the product of a team of dozens of programmers, translators, and other helpful volunteers from countries all around the world. Now you can become part of our team by helping us continue to produce one of the world's best visual novel engines and make it available for free.

Here's the fine print: Sponsor links and banners update once a month. I reserve the right to reject sponsor links and logos that are in poor taste or spammy. Sponsor links and banners will be ordered first by the amount of support provided this month, then by the total amount of support provided, and then in a random order.