This is the guide for the Windows era games. The PC-98 era Touhou guide is here.
This guide focuses on using the following Wine* runtime managers for a relatively straightforward and consistent experience.
It does not cover:
The goal here is to get most users running their Touhou games without too much headaches.
If you're looking for more advanced or alternative methods, other resources may be better suited.
* The regular version of Wine may not always work for your system, so this guide touches on alternate Wine versions as well.
Skip this section if you already have chosen your distro.
Most major distros and desktop environments should work well with this guide.
The author's only recommendation is to choose a well-known, widely-supported, and stable distro, which includes but is not limited to the following:
The latest version of this guide has been personally tested by the author for the following Linux distros:
Tested distros in past versions of this guide include Linux Mint 22.1 - 22.2 and Ubuntu 24.04; some steps may still be the same for newer versions of these distros but have not been tested yet.
Before continuing, ensure you have the necessary graphics drivers and system firmware installed.
Consult your distro's documentation or other online resources for a proper setup (e.g., RPM Fusion for Nvidia drivers on Fedora, multilib repo on Arch, etc.).
In addition, both Lutris and Heroic have Flatpak versions available as well. Consult the official quick setup guide if Flatpak is not already installed on your system.
sudo apt install wine lutrissudo dnf install wine lutrissudo pacman -S wine wine-mono wine-gecko lutrisflatpak install flathub net.lutris.Lutris
flatpak install flathub com.heroicgameslauncher.hglSee the Heroic downloads page.
Not strictly necessary for running the games, but can help with adding games or configuring settings.
Helps with adjusting systemwide Wine settings and installing some Windows components
winetricks
and
winecfg
should be able to installed through your distro's default
package manager.
Allows you to edit the permissions of Flatpak programs installed of your system. This is particularly useful if the program does not have access to user files by default.
flatpak install flathub com.github.tchx84.FlatsealGraphical manager of GE-Proton runners installed system-wide.
flatpak install flathub net.davidotek.pupgui2† If you want to use a newer version of Wine, consider adding the WineHQ repo to your package manager.
Skip to this section if you do not want to play with THCRAP patches, or if you already have THCRAP patches installed and do not want to install more.
If your Touhou game folders each have their own thcrap folders and English executable, it is recommended to delete those duplicate folders and executables, and follow this section instead.
Please note the following:
Each /your/path/to/ is a placeholder for where you installed the software.
Each XX represents the numeral of the Touhou game,
such as 06 (e.g. th06 for EoSD).
Create a new Wine prefix* with the following command:
WINEPREFIX=$HOME/.wine-thcrap WINEARCH=win64 winecfgDownload the latest version of Mono.† Use this guide to find the version you need.
Run the following command to install Mono to your newly-created prefix:‡
WINEPREFIX=$HOME/.wine-thcrap wine /path/to/wine-mono-VERSION-x86.msi(substitute the actual version number for VERSION)
* Though it may seem redundant, this helps reduce the likelihood of issues when different Wine versions are used with the same prefix.
† The THCRAP configuration tool requires .NET, which Mono substitutes on Linux. Otherwise it will display an error saying that .NET is missing.
‡ Directly installing Mono to the prefix can help avoid unforseen distro-related issues. If you have wine-mono installed system-wide, THCRAP might only display a pink screen before closing itself.
Download the main THCRAP package from thpatch.net
Unzip the package. There are two ways to do this:
Use a GUI-based archive manager that's usually included with your distro. (Ark, File Roller, Engrampa, etc.)
Use the unzip command. You may have to install it with your package manager. An example
command in use is shown below:
unzip thcrap.zip -d $HOME/yourname/Downloads/thcrapOpen Lutris, click "+" sign in the upper-left corner, then choose "Add locally installed game"
In the Game Info tab:
Set a name like "THCRAP configuration tool".
Choose Wine as the Runner.
In the Game options tab:
Set the executable path to /your/path/to/thcrap/thcrap.exe*
Set the working directory path to /your/path/to/thcrap/
Set the Wine prefix path to $HOME/.wine-thcrap
Use your desired Wine version for the Runner option.
Press the save button and ensure the THCRAP configuration tool runs properly.
* thcrap.exe is the THCRAP configuration tool,
which allows you to download new patches and locate the games.
Meanwhile, thcrap_loader.exe is the actual program that applies patches to the Touhou games.
Use the Wine prefix you created for THCRAP earlier. Run:
WINEPREFIX=$HOME/.wine-thcrap wine /your/path/to/thcrap/thcrap.exeRun the THCRAP configuration tool via Lutris.
On the welcome screen, click next. By default, THCRAP will ask you to choose a patch based on your system's default language.
Click on the "All patches" tab* if you want to:
Install multiple patches at the same time
Install non-language patches (music, sprite, gameplay)
More detailed information can be found here.
THCRAP will then ask you for the location of your games† after you click "next".
Select the "Find games in a specific folder" option.
Navigate to the folder containing your Touhou games.
THCRAP will then load a list of detected Touhou games and their custom.exe programs.
Select the games you want to apply the patch to. Click Next.
Choose the most convenient location for the patch's shortcut‡ to be created in.
You can now run your Touhou game with the installed patch.
* It may take a few seconds for the patch list when you click on the "All patches" tab. This is normal behavior.
† It is highly recommended that the thcrap folder be placed in the same directory as your Touhou games.
‡ This shortcut is purely optional, as what actually matters is the config file created for that patch. You can delete the shortcut if desired.
Config files tell thcrap_loader.exe which patches to load in order. These are located in the
config folder of the thcrap folder ending with .js
Here are some examples of config files for various patches:
If you have already have installed a few patches, this can be very useful for patch stacking.
games.js is a special config file. This file tells THCRAP all the known locations of your Touhou
games.
An example with explanation comments is provided here.
If you have vpatch.exe in any of the games' folders (see "Running Touhou with Vsync patches"), you
can refer to that exe instead of the regular game exe within games.js
Information about the vsync patches is located here
Download the vpatch archive (old download)
Unzip the vpatch archive. There are two ways to do this:
Use a GUI-based archive manager. Usually included with your distro. (Ark, File Roller, Engrampa, etc.)
Use the unzip command. An example command in use is shown below:
unzip vpatch.zip -d $HOME/yourname/Downloads/vpatchvpatch folder, locate the appropriate vpatch_thXX.dll file for
your game.
Provided below is a table for which vpatch folder to find your game's vpatch
| Name | thXX |
vpatch version | .dll filename |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embodiment of Scarlet Devil | th06 | vpatch_rev4 | vpatch_th06.dll |
| Perfect Cherry Blossom | th07 | vpatch_rev4 | vpatch_th07.dll |
| Imperishable Night | th08 | vpatch_rev4 | vpatch_th08.dll |
| Phantasmagoria of Flower View | th09 | vpatch_rev4 | vpatch_th09.dll |
| Shoot the Bullet | th095 | vpatch_rev7 | vpatch_th095.dll |
| Mountain of Faith | th10 | vpatch_rev7 | vpatch_th10.dll |
| Subterranean Animism | th11 | vpatch_rev7 | vpatch_th11.dll |
| Undefined Fantastic Object | th12 | vpatch_rev7 | vpatch_th12.dll |
| Double Spoiler | th125 | vpatch_rev7 | vpatch_th125.dll |
| Great Fairy Wars | th128 | vpatch_th12.8 | vpatch_th128.dll |
| Ten Desires | th13 | vpatch_th13 | vpatch_th13.dll |
| Double Dealing Character | th14 | vpatch_th14 | vpatch_th14.dll |
| Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom | th15 | vpatch_th15 | vpatch_th15.dll |
Copy or move the appropriate
vpatch_thXX.dll*,
vpatch.exe,
and vpatch.ini
files into your Touhou game's folder.
thXX.exe.* For EoSD, use vpatch_th06_unicode.dll instead if you want to play with THCRAP.
†
For EoSD, you must rename the exe to 東方紅魔郷.exe
for vpatch to be applied.
Please note the following:
Each /your/path/to/ is a placeholder for where you installed the software.
Each XX represents the numeral of the Touhou game,
such as 06. (e.g. th06 for EoSD)
Skip to "Running from the Command Line" if you want to directly use the system-wide Wine runner and launch the games from your terminal.
Skip to Running with Heroic if you've installed Heroic Games Launcher instead of Lutris.
While this guide recommends using your system's latest version of Wine, Lutris does allow you to install alternative versions that may offer a better experience, such as Proton or Wine-GE.
To install them:
Open Lutris settings (≡ in upper-right corner → Preferences)
Search for "wine" in the Runners tab
Click on the "box" icon on the far-right side to open the Wine versions manager
Install your desired version.
While adding it to Lutris, go to the "Systems options" tab.
Scroll to "Locale" under "Game execution" and set it to Japanese (ja_JP.utf8). You may need to install it on your system beforehand.
Follow this section if you want to play without THCRAP patches or vpatch.
Open Lutris, then add "locally installed game".
In the Game info tab:
Set the name to be the Touhou game's name.
Choose Wine as the Runner.
In the Game options tab:
Set the executable path to /your/path/to/Touhou/thXX/thXX.exe
Set the working directory path to /your/path/to/Touhou/thXX/
Set the Wine prefix path* to $HOME/.wine
In the Runner options tab, choose your desired wine version.
Press the save button and ensure your game is running.
* On some versions of Lutris, this is required for the game to properly start.
Install vpatch for your Touhou game.
Repeat the same first few steps as running vanilla Touhou.
Set the executable path to /your/path/to/Touhou/thXX/vpatch.exe
Continue with the same steps as running vanilla Touhou.
Press the save button and ensure your game is running with vpatch.
Follow this section if you have installed THCRAP patches.
Repeat the first few steps as running vanilla Touhou,
but for the executable path in "Game options", locate thcrap_loader.exe
In the Arguments field, enter the .js file of your patch* and the game† you want to run it with.
Examples of arguments:
EoSD with the English patch: en.js th06
PCB with Skipgame:
skipgame.js th07
MoF with user-made config: yourpatch.js th10
Ensure the working directory is the folder that contains thcrap_loader.exe
Press the save button and run your game for testing.‡
If your game loads with your desired patch, you've succeeded.
* You can find all of your installed patches in the config folder in the thcrap folder.
† Game names are located in games.js within the config folder of the
thcrap folder
‡ There should be a small window that has the name "Touhou Community Reliant Automatic Patcher".
If you're using the Flatpak version, it is recommended to install and use Flatseal to enable access to wherever your games may be located.
When launched for the first time, Heroic will ask you to connect an account from a supported platform. This is not necessary for this guide.
On the left side, there is a tab labeled "Wine Manager". Click it
to reveal two lists. Each list contains various specific versions of
Proton-CachyOS and GE-Proton.
In theory, most of the specific versions of either version of Proton should be able to run most of the Touhou games without much issue.
However, this guide recommends installing the latest version of GE-Proton, since it has been reported by various users to be one of the better supported versions of Wine.
To see all the the downloadable versions of GE-Proton, click on the "GE-Proton" tab near the top of the page. It should be the topmost entry in the list.
Install it by clicking on the rightmost download button in the "Actions" column.
Navigate to Library and click on the ADD GAME button.
Once you enter the name of the game, Heroic will automatically search SteamGridDB for cover art of your game. Note that this may include non-official images being automatically chosen for your game. Otherwise you can choose a local image or another image from SteamGridDB.
Choose Windows for the platform version to install. Expand the Show Wine Settings dropdown bar for more detailed settings.
It is not recommended to use a shared Wine prefix, since it can cause problems if their dependencies conflict with each other.
Likewise, it is best not to change the WinePrefix format
(/home/yourname/Games/Heroic/Prefixes/Title by default)
in order to keep the process consistent.
You can choose a specific Wine runner under Wine version. The default option should be the best.
The main difference between the various ways to run the Touhou games is largely determined by the Select Executable field.
If the displayed path to the executable contains pseudo-random numbers and letters (not the exact intended path), that means Heroic does not have access to the directory. For the Flatpak version, this can be fixed with Flatseal.
Unless you intend to install from the CD of a Touhou game into one of the Wine prefixes, it is recommended to select FINISH after you have finished adding your game.
Simply enter the path to the game's .exe program.
A solution towards running game with the Japanese locale has not been found for Heroic yet.
Simply enter the path to the location of the vpatch.exe
program.
Enter the path to your thcrap_loader.exe,
program. Select FINISH, then right click
on the added game's Library entry before choosing Settings.
In the Advanced tab, set the Game Arguments to be
example.js thXX,
where example.js is your preferred patch or
custom patch stack, and thXX is your corresponding game.
Replace thXX.exe with the executable for your specific game:
LANG=ja_JP.UTF-8 wine start /unix /your/path/to/Touhou/thXX/thXX.exeSame as above, but use vpatch.exe instead:
LANG=ja_JP.UTF-8 wine start /unix /your/path/to/Touhou/thXX/vpatch.exeReplace example.js with your patch config, and thXX with your game's ID:
wine /your/path/to/thcrap/thcrap_loader.exe example.js thXX* Due to how EoSD (th06) handles encoding and locale, running it directly from the command line
requires LANG=ja_JP.UTF-8 wine start /unix before the path to it.
All relevant files are located in the same folder as the game.*
* Or technically, wherever the game's .exe was last ran.
Starting with DS (th125), all save data is stored in AppData/Roaming/ShanghaiAlice
Locate* the Wine prefix you used to run the game
Navigate to
drive_c/users/yourname/AppData/Roaming/ShanghaiAlice
in your Wine prefix
Open the thXX folder that corresponds with your Touhou game(s), then copy or move all
relevant files to a safe place.†
* By default, it's located in your home folder as .wine
† It is recommended to copy the files to the location of the actual game for organizational purposes.
Make sure to keep these files safe.
score.dat*: Your saved scores and unlocks
thXX_XX.rpy: Replay files, located in the replay folder
thXX.cfg†: Your game settings (e.g. fullscreen vs windowed)
Screenshots taken in-game with the Home key are located in the snapshot folder.
* scorethXX.dat starting with Shoot the Bullet (th095)
† It's normal for the name of EoSD's cfg file to consist of mojibake.
Lutris-related issues can be solved easier by running lutris -d in your terminal.
A common fix is to create a new Wine prefix. For Touhou games after th12.5, make sure to save your important information before deleting the old Wine prefix.
For more information, refer to this guide.
Refer to this guide for help.
These two issues usually happen when running the Touhou games with regular/system Wine. Some good alternative runners includes GE-Proton (the default runner in newer versions) and wine-ge (default in older versions). Both should have relatively few issues with the Lutris setup as outlined in this guide.
This mainly affects desktop environments that use Wayland.
A list of solutions has been listed on the thpatch wiki.
Typically happens when you enable DXVK in original Wine. Fixes the non-up-scaling issue but also causes stretched visuals with that runner.
Install cjkfonts using winetricks:
wine winetricks cjkfontsThis will list all existing Japanese locales:
locale -a | grep ja_JPIf you don't see ja_JP.utf8 on this list, look up how to install new locales on your distro.
Use the Japanese locale whenever you run Touhou games and installers through Wine via command line.
Add this at the start of your command:
LANG=ja_JP.UTF-8Try an alternate wine version besides your system's wine version.
The author thanks the following for their support: