If you’re building a visual novel with Ren’Py and using Git for version control, you’ve probably noticed a lot of clutter. Compiled files, cache data, and platform-specific leftovers can bloat your repository, cause unnecessary merge conflicts, and even expose sensitive information.
saves/* !saves/.gitkeep Most Ren’Py projects have this structure:
Here’s the essential .gitignore template for any Ren’Py project—plus an explanation of why each entry matters. Create a file named .gitignore in the root folder of your Ren’Py project (the same folder that contains script.rpy , gui.rpy , etc.) and paste this:
Example:
my_visual_novel/ ├── .gitignore ├── game/ │ ├── script.rpy │ ├── gui.rpy │ └── ... └── renpy/ (Ren'Py SDK – usually not committed) commit the renpy/ SDK folder. Each developer should install Ren’Py separately. If your project is open source, committing the SDK violates its license.