Localizing a Ren’Py visual novel is rarely “open the script and translate.” Assemblers unpack .rpa archives, decompile .rpyc files, keep translation blocks intact, swap fonts, and still miss a leftover English line two days before release. RenDoki is the workbench for that layer: it turns a source project into materials a translator can actually work with.

The first public v1.0 beta shipped on 18 May 2026 and was posted on Itch.io and Reddit. After that we recorded a walkthrough of the everyday loop — pull scripts, process files, swap fonts, scan for unfinished strings, then hand the project to AutoBuild.

Why it exists

Fan localization teams lose hours on the same mechanical steps. One missed block, one broken dialogue tag, and the build looks “translated” until a tester opens a late-game scene. RenDoki does not write the translation for you. It makes the technical pass repeatable so the team can spend time on wording, testing, and release notes.

What it covers

working with Ren’Py project files (.rpa, .rpyc, .rpy);
preparing translation blocks instead of hunting them by hand;
finding unfinished or leftover source-language strings;
help with fonts and related assets;
a clean hand-off into the same pipeline as AutoBuild.

Place in the ROOTWIN stack

For an old DDLC mod the usual order is: R-Migrator (Ren’Py 7 → 8), RenDoki (localization prep), AutoBuild (assemble). Canvas of Minds uses the same stack as a live production test, not a demo.

RenDoki is still in active development. The beta is meant for typical Ren’Py layouts; wildly custom project trees still need a human pass after the tool runs.