How to Create a Custom Menu in RPG Maker MZ: A Complete Tutorial

RPG Maker MZ gives developers more control over game UI than any previous version in the series — and the menu system is one of the most visible places to exercise that control. Whether you want a sleek modern interface, a thematic fantasy scroll, or a completely rethought navigation structure, understanding how MZ handles menus is the first step toward building something that feels uniquely yours.

What the Default Menu System Actually Is

Before customizing anything, it helps to know what you're working with. RPG Maker MZ's menu is built on a JavaScript/HTML5 architecture using the PIXI.js rendering engine. The core menu logic lives in the game's js/rmmz_windows.js and js/rmmz_scenes.js files.

The default menu is composed of layered objects:

• Scene_Menu — the overall scene controller
• Window_MenuCommand — the command list (Items, Skills, Save, etc.)
• Window_MenuStatus — the character status display
• Window_Gold — the gold display window

Each of these is a class that can be overridden, extended, or replaced entirely. This modular design is intentional — it's the official pathway to customization.

Two Core Approaches: Plugins vs. Direct Scripting

There's a meaningful fork in the road when you start this process, and which path suits you depends heavily on your JavaScript experience.

Using Plugins (Recommended for Most Developers)

The MZ ecosystem has mature plugin support. Community-developed plugins like VisuStella's MenuCore and Yanfly-compatible ports let you reconfigure menu layouts, add custom commands, restyle windows, and change character display formats — often with zero code changes, using plugin parameters alone.

To add a plugin:

1. Download the .js plugin file
2. Place it in your project's js/plugins/ folder
3. Open the Plugin Manager in the editor (Tools → Plugin Manager)
4. Click an empty row, select the plugin, and configure its parameters
5. Save and playtest

Plugin parameters typically let you set things like window positions, sizes, font styles, and command visibility — all without touching raw code.

Direct JavaScript Customization

For developers comfortable with JS, you can write a custom plugin or edit scene files directly. The standard pattern is to extend existing classes rather than rewrite them, which keeps your changes portable and conflict-resistant.

A basic example — repositioning the command window:

const _Scene_Menu_createCommandWindow = Scene_Menu.prototype.createCommandWindow; Scene_Menu.prototype.createCommandWindow = function() { _Scene_Menu_createCommandWindow.call(this); this._commandWindow.x = 100; this._commandWindow.y = 50; }; 

This technique (called aliasing) hooks into the original method rather than replacing it, so other plugins that modify the same function remain compatible.

Adding Custom Commands to the Menu 🎮

One of the most common customizations is adding new commands — like a "Quest Log," "Bestiary," or "Config" screen.

To add a custom command, you override Window_MenuCommand.prototype.makeCommandList:

const _Window_MenuCommand_makeCommandList = Window_MenuCommand.prototype.makeCommandList; Window_MenuCommand.prototype.makeCommandList = function() { _Window_MenuCommand_makeCommandList.call(this); this.addCommand("Quests", "quests", true); }; 

Then in Scene_Menu, you bind that command to a handler:

const _Scene_Menu_createCommandWindow2 = Scene_Menu.prototype.createCommandWindow; Scene_Menu.prototype.createCommandWindow = function() { _Scene_Menu_createCommandWindow2.call(this); this._commandWindow.setHandler("quests", this.commandQuests.bind(this)); }; Scene_Menu.prototype.commandQuests = function() { SceneManager.push(Scene_Quests); // your custom scene }; 

The custom scene (Scene_Quests) would be a separate class you define — inheriting from Scene_MenuBase is the cleanest starting point.

Styling Windows: Backgrounds, Fonts, and Colors

Visual customization in MZ works through the WindowSkin system and direct canvas drawing.

• Window backgrounds are controlled by the img/system/Window.png graphic — replace this to change the default look globally
• Opacity can be set per window via this._commandWindow.opacity = 200
• Font styles are controlled through Window_Base.prototype.resetFontSettings — override this to change default font size or face
• Custom backgrounds can be drawn by overriding drawBackground or layering sprites behind windows

For more radical visual changes — like replacing the standard bordered window with a custom graphic — many developers create a transparent window and manually draw sprites underneath it in the scene layer.

Variables That Determine How Complex This Gets

Not every project requires the same depth of customization. Several factors shape how involved this process becomes:

Mobile deployment adds a layer of consideration — touch input zones, button sizing, and UI scale all behave differently and may require additional plugin support or manual input handling through TouchInput class overrides.

Where Custom Scenes Fit In 🛠️

If your goal is a menu that looks and behaves nothing like the default — say, a visual novel-style card interface or a grid-based icon menu — you're likely building a custom Scene class from scratch. These inherit from Scene_MenuBase, use Window_Selectable or custom Sprite objects for interaction, and are pushed onto the scene stack like any built-in scene.

The complexity jump here is significant. You're responsible for input handling, window focus management, and ensuring back navigation works correctly. It's genuinely powerful, but it requires solid understanding of MZ's scene lifecycle: initialize → create → start → update → terminate.

What Makes the Right Approach Different for Every Project

There's no single "correct" way to build a custom MZ menu because the answer depends on factors only you know — how much JavaScript you're comfortable writing, what the menu needs to do, how many existing plugins your project relies on, and what visual identity your game is going for.

A solo developer making their first RPG will land in a very different place than a team building a commercial title with a fully custom art direction. The tools and entry points exist for both — they just lead to very different implementation paths.