Visual Novel Engine Formats Page
This page holds a collection of links to technical information about known visual novel game engines. If you are planning to translate a visual novel type game and do not know how to extract or insert the script for the game, try searching through this page to see if someone has already figured out the format and contact that person.
Name:
ADVWIN32
Description:
This was used for a time for F&C's games.
Known Games:
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
AVG2000
Description:
A transitory engine halfway between AVG32 and RealLive. Unknown if any full games
used this engine, but it appears in some demos and fandisks.
Known Games:
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
AVG32
Description:
A game engine used by VisualArt's brands, such as Key, up to 2001.
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
SEEN.TXT | *.ANL
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
Berkana Last Song
Description:
The ADV engine used for Last Song. Has built in line wrapping and VWF already.
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
ls_sce.dat | ls_save.dat | ls_define.dat | ls_system.dat
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
CROSS†CHANNEL .pd
Description:
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
*.pd
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
CVNS
Description:
The visual novel engine used by Purple Software.
Known Games:
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
Da Capo .mes
Description:
The visual novel engine for Da Capo, but might work for other games.
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
*.mes | *.crx
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
Gainax?
Description:
Known Games:
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
Kannagi .axr
Description:
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
*.axr
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
Kogado .PAK
Description:
The game engine used in a lot of Kogado games. Currently, one of the compression modes
have not been figured out, and the script format is only partially figured out.
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
*.pak
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
Kujira
Description:
The visual novel engine used for Saishuu Shiken Kujira. Not sure if it works on other games.
Known Games:
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
LC-ScriptEngine
Description:
The engine used for the voiced PC release of ONE (the original did not use the same
engine). Archive and script format understood enough for arbitrary string replacment.
This format may be used in other NEXTON games, like MOON.
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
one | *.lst
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
Leaf .a/.p
Description:
This is used in some of the older generation Leaf games, but not in the oldest
generation.
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
*.a | *.p
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
Liar-soft .XFL
Description:
This format is used in some of the Liar Soft games. Not sure exactly which other ones other than ANGELBULLET.
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
*.xfl
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
Majiro
Description:
Yet another commonly present visual novel engine.
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
*.ARC | *.MJO | *.RC8 | *.RCT
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
Melty Blood
Description:
Known Games:
Melty Blood
Known Data Files:
*.ex3
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
Minori .pak/.paz
Description:
This is the data format minori uses for its games. The format changes slightly in
haruoto and the remake of wind, as it starts using some "real" encryption.
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
*.pak | *.paz
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
Navel .DAT
Description:
As far as I know, this is used in the newest batch of Navel games.
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
*.DAT
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
Navel .PAC/.BIN
Description:
The game engine used in Shuffle! and Soul Link.
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
*.PAC | *.BIN
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
nscripter
Description:
This is used by a LOT of visual novel games.
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
*.nsa | *.arc
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
PajamasSoft ADV
Description:
The ADV engine for PajamasSoft games. Known to work with Princess Witches trial version
but probably attributable to most of their other games.
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
textdata.dat | scenario.dat | archive.dat | purittidata.dat
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
RealLive
Description:
A game engine used by VisualArt's brands, such as Key, since 2001.
Known Games:
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
School Days .gpk
Description:
Allow extraction of subtitle scripts from School Days.
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
*.gpk
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
Studio e.go!
Description:
The default Studio e.go! game engine used recently. Don't know exactly how many games
uses this format.
Known Games:
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
ふぐり屋 (Fuguriya's games)
Description:
So far, only used in その花びらにくちづけを as far as I know. The archive format is FileJoin (FJSYS)
and the script format is 'MSCENARIO FILE '
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
MGD | MSD | BGM | DATA | SE | VOICE
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
吉里吉里(KiriKiri)
Description:
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
*.xp3
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK:
Name:
戯画(GIGA) .PAC/.BIN
Description:
This is used in a lot of 戯画's games, but some of the more recent
ones have a new compression scheme.
Known Games:
Known Data Files:
*.PAC | *.BIN
Tech Info Contacts:
Tech Info Documentation/SDK: