From a new Ren’Py game to itch.io

This is the version of a tutorial I wish existed whenever I’m learning a new workflow: no mystery project, no invisible prerequisites, and no jump from “install the tool” to “everything works.” You get to see the connections being made.

Why I begin with nothing

A clean start makes every dependency visible. I’m not only showing you the finished automation; I’m showing you what has to exist around it: the Ren’Py project, the itch.io page, the GitHub repository, the workflow files, and the credentials that let those systems talk.

That starting point also makes the tutorial easier to adapt. Even if your game is already underway, you can identify the part of the path you’re missing instead of guessing what my project had before the recording began.

The path I’m building

The game begins as a local Ren’Py project. GitHub gives it a repository and a branch-based publishing trigger. GitHub Actions runs the build-and-deploy workflow, and itch.io becomes the destination for the finished packages.

The useful part is not any one screen. It is seeing the handoff between each system and understanding what information has to cross that boundary.

Why the awkward parts stay in the video

Repository setup, folder placement, secrets, variables, and branch names can feel like incidental configuration. In practice, those are the places where a new user is most likely to get stranded.

I keep them in the walkthrough because the goal is reproducibility. If a value has to match your itch.io account or a file has to live in a particular location, I want you to understand why—not simply copy what is on my screen.

Looking back

1. I started at the same point as the person learning the workflow: a blank project.
2. I named each system and made the handoffs between them visible.
3. I spent time on repository setup, folders, secrets, variables, and branches where users were likely to get stuck.
4. I used a complete project so every step led to a concrete result.
5. I left behind source files and a checklist people could inspect after the video.

This tutorial required me to understand the full publishing system well enough to rebuild it from a blank project, explain every handoff, and leave behind both a reusable workflow and supporting checklist.

The project behind the tutorial

I built renpy-to-itch as a reusable GitHub workflow. It can build Windows, macOS, Linux, and web packages, then publish them through itch.io’s Butler tooling when you push to the configured branches.

I recorded this in 2023, so check the repository and current Ren’Py, GitHub, and itch.io documentation before treating every version number or interface as current. The architectural idea remains the important part.