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Reference

manifest.json

The file the importer writes next to each game, and the fields the loader reads from it.

Source docs/IMPORTER.md

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Path: switch/renpy-loader/games/<id>/manifest.json. Format version 1.

Example

json

{
  "format": "renpy-switch-loader/manifest", "version": 1,
  "id": "the-question", "title": "The Question",
  "source": {"type": "directory", "name": "the_question"},
  "renpy_version": "8.5.3.26051504", "python": "3",
  "runtime": "renpy-8.5.3", "status": "experimental",
  "reasons": [], "warnings": ["..."],
  "files": {"count": 172, "total_bytes": 10637851, "rpa": 0, "rpy": 52, "rpyc": 52, "rpym": 1},
  "media": {".opus": 1},
  "recompile": false, "decompiled": [],
  "suggested_options": {"optimize": "1 videos above 30 fps (gui/splash.webm): re-encoding them …"},
  "performance": {"issues": ["..."], "converted": {"gui/splash.webm": "vp9"},
                  "coverage": {"loose_media": 3190, "archived_media": 0, "locked_archives": []}},
  "sha256": {"script.rpyc": "…"},
  "cover": "cover.jpg", "backdrop": "backdrop.jpg"
}

Fields

Field	Type	Meaning
`format`, `version`	string, int	Always `renpy-switch-loader/manifest` and `1`
`id`	string	The folder name, also used for saves and logs
`title`	string	`config.name`, or the folder or archive name
`source`	object	`type` (`directory` or archive) and `name`, the source folder or archive name. Used by Compare with folder…
`renpy_version`	string	Detected Ren’Py version
`python`	string	`"3"` or `"2"`
`runtime`	string or null	The runtime that starts it, e.g. `renpy-8.5.3`; `null` when none can
`status`	string	`experimental` or `unsupported`; never `verified` from the importer
`reasons`	list	Why a game is `unsupported`
`warnings`	list	Everything the report warned about
`files`	object	File count, total bytes, and counts of `.rpa`, `.rpy`, `.rpyc`, `.rpym`
`media`	object	Audio and video files by extension
`recompile`	bool	`true` for a `--recompile` export
`decompiled`	list	`.rpy` files that `--decompile` rebuilt, relative to `game/`
`suggested_options`	object	Importer options that would fix something found (`optimize`, `recompile`, `decompile`), each with why. Empty once the option is on
`performance.issues`	list	Switch performance findings
`performance.converted`	object	Videos `--optimize` re-encoded, with their codec
`performance.coverage`	object	Loose and archived media checked, and locked archives
`sha256`	object	SHA-256 of every `.rpa` and `.rpyc`, relative to `game/`
`cover`, `backdrop`	string	Pictures, relative to the game’s folder; absent without one
`cover_custom`, `backdrop_custom`	bool	`true` for a picture the user chose; `--replace` keeps it

What the loader reads

status, runtime, renpy_version, recompile, reasons[0], title, cover, backdrop and performance.issues.

Launch starts runtimes/<runtime>.nro; renpy-8.5.3 falls back to runtimes/renpy-runtime.nro.
It refuses unsupported games, and games whose runtime is missing, with the reason.
A game without a manifest uses the default runtime.

Change picture on the Switch rewrites the manifest with cJSON: tabs, and the picture keys moved to the end. The rest stays as it was.