# NomNom: a No Man's Sky savegame editor that shows what each field means > NomNom reads and edits No Man's Sky save files, wrapping every value in contextual information instead of presenting a raw JSON dump. The cost is a Windows-only, self-signed desktop application, and the payoff is that each game version gets its own item set and field meaning. **zencq/nomnom** — NomNom is one of the most complete savegame editor for No Man's Sky but also shows additional information around the data you're about to change. - Repository: https://github.com/zencq/nomnom - Stars: 831 · Forks: 58 - Language: Unknown - License: GPL-3.0 - Published: 2026-10-20 · Updated: 2026-10-20 · Language: en - Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/zencq-nomnom ## The editor treats a save file as data to explain, not a blob to rewrite NomNom is described as a savegame editor for No Man's Sky, but the interesting part of that description is the second half: it also shows contextual information around the data you are about to change. That is a different design bet from the usual one. A generic save editor hands you a tree of keys and values and leaves you to know what a value of 1432 means. NomNom is built so the meaning sits next to the field. The documentation also describes a lookup path that does not require a save at all. You can look up an item individually and examine its attributes independently of any save, and get other information that is not tied to a specific save, though that information is described as enhanced when a save is loaded. In practice the tool is doing two things at once: a save file editor and a reference browser for game items. That dual role explains why the repository is more than a form editor. There is a CHANGELOG.md, a separate FEATURES.md file holding the detailed list, a bundled certificate file, and a Discord server badge for support. The project is organised as a product with a support channel, not as a script. ## Manager and Editor are two separate halves of the interface The feature list is split into two main parts, and the split is about risk rather than about topics. The Manager half deals with the save file as an object you own: automatic backup and recovery in case of a mistake, saving a save as human-readable JSON, copying, moving and swapping slots to another, transferring a save to another platform you own the game on, and deleting a save. The Editor half is where the data changes: editing cross-save rewards from Expeditions, Twitch Drops and Titles, managing fleets, changing data values such as currencies and stats, organising inventories, fast travelling to a system and triggering space battles, customising appearances, editing knowledge and recorded experiences, and editing the raw JSON for advanced users. The raw JSON entry point is what makes the tool usable for people who do not want a guided form, and the Manager's human-readable JSON export is the escape hatch for the opposite case. Automatic backup and recovery is the safety net that matters most, because a save is the one file in a game that cannot be regenerated by replaying an hour of play. ## Version numbers follow game versions, which ties releases to content Each NomNom version is built with the latest game version in mind, and the version number reflects that. The release list makes the pattern visible: versions 7.00.0, 7.00.1 and 7.00.2 were published in September 2026, and the number 7 tracks the game branch rather than an internal counter. The payoff is item availability. The documentation states that each game version is properly supported with its own set of available items and features, so you are not offered an item that does not exist in your game. For a save editor that writes values into a live game, that constraint is the difference between a tool and a way of corrupting a save. The cost is a moving target. If you run a NomNom whose version starts with 4.60 against a game on the Adrift 4.72 branch, the documentation says things should work as usual in most cases but that a breaking change can always occur. Backwards compatibility runs down to Beyond 2.11, and saves older than that can still be edited through the built-in JSON editor, which is a blunt instrument compared with the structured forms. ## Two runtimes and a self-signed certificate stand between you and the app The stated requirements are short: the .NET 8 Desktop Runtime and the WebView2 Runtime, and nothing else. Both are Microsoft downloads, and the WebView2 runtime is the embedded browser engine that the interface renders through. If you pick the setup package, the documentation says all requirements are installed automatically if they are missing. If you install the portable build by hand, that step falls to you. The certificate deserves attention. NomNom is signed with a self-signed certificate, and the reason given is cost: as a free app, buying a certificate from an official source is too expensive. The effect of installing the bundled zencq.cer file is that the Windows security warnings go away, and the documented procedure is to open the downloaded file, click Install Certificate, and in the wizard select Current User, then Place all certificates in the following store, then browse to Trusted People and finish. That is a trade-off worth naming plainly. A self-signed certificate is not a signature from a public authority, so a warning on an unknown binary is not unusual. Treat the manual certificate installation as a step where you are being asked to trust an app that has not been validated by a certificate authority. ## The app is distributed as a portable archive or an installer, and mainly runs on Windows Downloads come from the GitHub releases page or from Nexus Mods, and the GitHub release offers two forms: Portable.zip and Setup.exe. The instruction for the portable route is that after downloading and extracting the archive you will find a few files, and the only one you need to care about is the executable NomNom.exe, although new folders may be created at runtime, for example for backups, and those become relevant to you later. That last point is the one to remember. Backups land on disk in a location the application chooses, not somewhere you picked, which is exactly why the automatic backup and recovery feature is the safety net for everything else in the Editor. Platform support is uneven. NomNom is currently only officially supported on Windows, and the confirmation for Linux is a route through flathub.org: install WineZGUI, then launch the NomNom installer. A confirmed route through a compatibility layer is not the same as native support, and the documentation also says compatibility with every platform No Man's Sky is available on, while noting that some work better than others. ## Editing the raw JSON yourself is the alternative, and it is a different bet The natural comparison for anyone weighing NomNom is to skip the tool and edit the save JSON directly with a text editor. The approach difference is real. Direct editing gives you total control over every field and no dependency on a third party application, but it gives you no context, no item validation against a game version, and no automatic backup unless you build that discipline yourself. NomNom takes the opposite position. It knows which items exist in a given game version, presents the meaning of a value next to it, and keeps a backup so a mistaken edit can be recovered. What it costs you is platform reach and a dependency on the .NET 8 Desktop Runtime and the WebView2 Runtime, plus a self-signed binary to install. For a save you play regularly and want to keep, that exchange is usually worth it. For a one-off data extraction where you already know the schema, the built-in JSON editor inside NomNom is the same operation, and the surrounding application is more than you need. The getting-started documentation also points to a separate libNOM.io project for a complete and always up-to-date overview with additional notes, which is worth reading before you install anything. ## The repository is licensed under GPL-3.0 and pushes land often The licence recorded for the repository is GPL-3.0, which carries real obligations for anyone who redistributes the application or a modified build, as opposed to merely using it. The project is also funded through several channels listed in the README, including GitHub Sponsors, Ko-fi, Patreon and PayPal, and it is supported by the No Man's Sky community developers group. Maintenance looks steady. The last push to the repository was on 2026-10-20, the repository is not archived, and three releases landed in September 2026 alone, with 7.00.2 published on 2026-09-28 after 7.00.1 and 7.00.0 a week earlier. The README carries a maintained badge for 2026. That cadence suits a tool that has to track a game with numbered branches, and it also means you should expect the app to move with the game rather than sit still. The top level of the repository is small, with a .github directory, the CHANGELOG, the licence, the README and the certificate file, so the release history in the changelog is where the compatibility story is told. ## Conclusion NomNom suits Windows players who want to move a save between platforms, adjust currencies, reorganise inventories or recover from a bad edit, since it keeps automatic backups and refuses to offer items the current game version does not contain. It does not suit Linux or macOS users without a Wine detour, and it is not a tool for editing a save from a future game branch you do not yet own a matching build for. Before you open your own save, check that the NomNom version number matches the game version you are running, and keep the automatic backup folder rather than deleting it after your first successful edit. ## FAQ ### What do I need to install before running NomNom? The .NET 8 Desktop Runtime and the WebView2 Runtime. If you use the setup package, both are installed automatically if they are missing, otherwise you install them yourself before launching NomNom.exe. ### Can NomNom edit save games from older No Man's Sky versions? Each version is backwards compatible down to Beyond 2.11, and saves older than that can still be edited through the built-in JSON editor. ### Does NomNom work on Linux or macOS? It is currently only officially supported on Windows. For Linux the documented route is flathub.org, installing WineZGUI and then launching the NomNom installer. ### Why does Windows show a security warning for NomNom? NomNom is signed with a self-signed certificate, and installing the bundled zencq.cer file into the Trusted People store for Current User removes the Windows security warnings. ## Sources - [Issues](https://github.com/zencq/nomnom/issues) - [License: GPL-3.0](https://github.com/zencq/nomnom/blob/main/LICENSE) - [README](https://github.com/zencq/nomnom/blob/main/README.md) - [Releases](https://github.com/zencq/nomnom/releases) - [zencq/nomnom on GitHub](https://github.com/zencq/nomnom) --- Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/zencq-nomnom