Chrome OS/Chromebook link

There are two ways to run Ren'Py under Chrome OS.

Android on Chrome OS link

The easiest way to make a game available for Chrome OS is to package it for Android, as described in the Android documentation. Ren'Py's Android support was designed with Chrome OS in mind as well.

This mode only supports playing games, not developing new games.

Linux on Chrome OS link

Ren'Py games and the Ren'Py SDK can also be installed on a Chromebook. This allows you to develop Ren'Py games on your Chromebook.

To install it:

  1. Install Linux for Chromebook, as described at https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/9145439?hl=en .

  2. Change the Crosstini GPU Support setting to enabled, by typing chrome://flags/#crostini-gpu-support, and choosing enable.

  3. Restart your Chromebook.

  4. Upgrade Linux, by launching a terminal, and running:

    sudo apt update
sudo apt dist-upgrade

  5. Install some the required dependencies, with:

    sudo apt install libnss3 python3-tk

To install a version of Ren'Py, open a terminal and run (changing the version as appropriate):

wget https://www.renpy.org/dl/8.2.0/renpy-8.2.0-sdkarm.tar.bz2
tar xaf renpy-8.2.0-sdkarm.tar.bz2

To run that version of Ren'Py, open a terminal and run:

cd ~/ab/renpy-8.2.0-sdkarm
./renpy.sh

Note that this works with other versions of Ren'Py if you change 8.2.0 for a later version.

An SDK installed in this way can be used to run games that do not natively support ARM Chromebooks on an ARM Chromebook. Just unpack the game into the projects directory and hit refresh, then launch it through the Ren'Py launcher. (The projects directory can be set in preferences.)