When you play a Ren’Py game in a browser, the “massive size” usually lives in the browser’s local storage / cache area, plus any files the game downloads for the session. Ren’Py’s web/HTML5 builds are designed to keep generated files in a cache-like directory so the game can start faster next time, and forum guidance notes that browser cache clearing can remove saved game data too.

Where it goes

  • The browser stores downloaded game assets and temporary data in its own cache/storage, not as a normal visible game folder on your desktop.
  • On desktop installs of Ren’Py, saved data is often kept in RenPy/appdata-style folders, but browser play is different because the browser sandbox controls the storage location.
  • If the game is large, the browser may keep a lot of that data until you clear site data, cache, or browser storage for that specific site.

What this means

  • If you close the tab, the data does not always disappear immediately.
  • If you clear only the browser cache or site data, the game may need to re-download assets.
  • If the game uses persistent data, progress may also be removed along with the cached files.

Practical answer

For browser-played Ren’Py games, the size is mainly sitting inside the browser’s per-site storage/cache, and sometimes in persistent saved-data storage tied to that site. That is why the game can feel “hidden”: it is not in a normal install folder, it is inside the browser profile’s storage for that webpage.

TL;DR

The big files usually go into the browser’s cache/site storage, while save data may also be stored persistently there; clearing that site’s data removes it but can also wipe progress.