diff --git a/src/common/CMakeLists.txt b/src/common/CMakeLists.txt
index 2403ab75b..f1531abad 100644
--- a/src/common/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/common/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ add_library(common
   perf_scope.h
   progress_callback.cpp
   progress_callback.h
+  ryml_helpers.h
   scoped_guard.h
   settings_interface.h
   sha1_digest.cpp
diff --git a/src/common/common.vcxproj b/src/common/common.vcxproj
index 54221634c..bbaab73d1 100644
--- a/src/common/common.vcxproj
+++ b/src/common/common.vcxproj
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
     <ClInclude Include="path.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="perf_scope.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="progress_callback.h" />
+    <ClInclude Include="ryml_helpers.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="scoped_guard.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="settings_interface.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="sha1_digest.h" />
diff --git a/src/common/common.vcxproj.filters b/src/common/common.vcxproj.filters
index 262410fa2..a671d44e9 100644
--- a/src/common/common.vcxproj.filters
+++ b/src/common/common.vcxproj.filters
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
     <ClInclude Include="gsvector.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="gsvector_formatter.h" />
     <ClInclude Include="gsvector_nosimd.h" />
+    <ClInclude Include="ryml_helpers.h" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <ClCompile Include="small_string.cpp" />
diff --git a/src/common/ryml_helpers.h b/src/common/ryml_helpers.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8c0f6abaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/ryml_helpers.h
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019-2024 Connor McLaughlin <stenzek@gmail.com>
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: PolyForm-Strict-1.0.0
+
+#include "types.h"
+
+#include "ryml.hpp"
+
+#include <string>
+#include <string_view>
+
+// RapidYAML utility routines.
+
+[[maybe_unused]] ALWAYS_INLINE std::string_view to_stringview(const c4::csubstr& s)
+{
+  return std::string_view(s.data(), s.size());
+}
+
+[[maybe_unused]] ALWAYS_INLINE std::string_view to_stringview(const c4::substr& s)
+{
+  return std::string_view(s.data(), s.size());
+}
+
+[[maybe_unused]] ALWAYS_INLINE c4::csubstr to_csubstr(std::string_view sv)
+{
+  return c4::csubstr(sv.data(), sv.length());
+}
+
+[[maybe_unused]] static bool GetStringFromObject(const ryml::ConstNodeRef& object, std::string_view key,
+                                                 std::string* dest)
+{
+  dest->clear();
+
+  const ryml::ConstNodeRef member = object.find_child(to_csubstr(key));
+  if (!member.valid())
+    return false;
+
+  const c4::csubstr val = member.val();
+  if (!val.empty())
+    dest->assign(val.data(), val.size());
+
+  return true;
+}
+
+template<typename T>
+[[maybe_unused]] static bool GetUIntFromObject(const ryml::ConstNodeRef& object, std::string_view key, T* dest)
+{
+  *dest = 0;
+
+  const ryml::ConstNodeRef member = object.find_child(to_csubstr(key));
+  if (!member.valid())
+    return false;
+
+  const c4::csubstr val = member.val();
+  if (val.empty())
+  {
+    ERROR_LOG("Unexpected empty value in {}", key);
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  const std::optional<T> opt_value = StringUtil::FromChars<T>(to_stringview(val));
+  if (!opt_value.has_value())
+  {
+    ERROR_LOG("Unexpected non-uint value in {}", key);
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  *dest = opt_value.value();
+  return true;
+}
+
+template<typename T>
+[[maybe_unused]] static std::optional<T> GetOptionalTFromObject(const ryml::ConstNodeRef& object, std::string_view key)
+{
+  std::optional<T> ret;
+
+  const ryml::ConstNodeRef member = object.find_child(to_csubstr(key));
+  if (member.valid())
+  {
+    const c4::csubstr val = member.val();
+    if (!val.empty())
+    {
+      ret = StringUtil::FromChars<T>(to_stringview(val));
+      if (!ret.has_value())
+      {
+        if constexpr (std::is_floating_point_v<T>)
+          ERROR_LOG("Unexpected non-float value in {}", key);
+        else if constexpr (std::is_integral_v<T>)
+          ERROR_LOG("Unexpected non-int value in {}", key);
+      }
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      ERROR_LOG("Unexpected empty value in {}", key);
+    }
+  }
+
+  return ret;
+}
+
+template<typename T>
+[[maybe_unused]] static std::optional<T>
+ParseOptionalTFromObject(const ryml::ConstNodeRef& object, std::string_view key,
+                         std::optional<T> (*from_string_function)(const char* str))
+{
+  std::optional<T> ret;
+
+  const ryml::ConstNodeRef member = object.find_child(to_csubstr(key));
+  if (member.valid())
+  {
+    const c4::csubstr val = member.val();
+    if (!val.empty())
+    {
+      ret = from_string_function(TinyString(to_stringview(val)));
+      if (!ret.has_value())
+        ERROR_LOG("Unknown value for {}: {}", key, to_stringview(val));
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      ERROR_LOG("Unexpected empty value in {}", key);
+    }
+  }
+
+  return ret;
+}
diff --git a/src/core/game_database.cpp b/src/core/game_database.cpp
index 8f8686d2a..45fd40ebe 100644
--- a/src/core/game_database.cpp
+++ b/src/core/game_database.cpp
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 
 Log_SetChannel(GameDatabase);
 
+#include "common/ryml_helpers.h"
+
 namespace GameDatabase {
 
 enum : u32
@@ -143,119 +145,6 @@ static PreferUnorderedStringMap<u32> s_code_lookup;
 static TrackHashesMap s_track_hashes_map;
 } // namespace GameDatabase
 
-// RapidYAML utility routines.
-
-ALWAYS_INLINE std::string_view to_stringview(const c4::csubstr& s)
-{
-  return std::string_view(s.data(), s.size());
-}
-
-ALWAYS_INLINE std::string_view to_stringview(const c4::substr& s)
-{
-  return std::string_view(s.data(), s.size());
-}
-
-ALWAYS_INLINE c4::csubstr to_csubstr(std::string_view sv)
-{
-  return c4::csubstr(sv.data(), sv.length());
-}
-
-static bool GetStringFromObject(const ryml::ConstNodeRef& object, std::string_view key, std::string* dest)
-{
-  dest->clear();
-
-  const ryml::ConstNodeRef member = object.find_child(to_csubstr(key));
-  if (!member.valid())
-    return false;
-
-  const c4::csubstr val = member.val();
-  if (!val.empty())
-    dest->assign(val.data(), val.size());
-
-  return true;
-}
-
-template<typename T>
-static bool GetUIntFromObject(const ryml::ConstNodeRef& object, std::string_view key, T* dest)
-{
-  *dest = 0;
-
-  const ryml::ConstNodeRef member = object.find_child(to_csubstr(key));
-  if (!member.valid())
-    return false;
-
-  const c4::csubstr val = member.val();
-  if (val.empty())
-  {
-    ERROR_LOG("Unexpected empty value in {}", key);
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  const std::optional<T> opt_value = StringUtil::FromChars<T>(to_stringview(val));
-  if (!opt_value.has_value())
-  {
-    ERROR_LOG("Unexpected non-uint value in {}", key);
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  *dest = opt_value.value();
-  return true;
-}
-
-template<typename T>
-static std::optional<T> GetOptionalTFromObject(const ryml::ConstNodeRef& object, std::string_view key)
-{
-  std::optional<T> ret;
-
-  const ryml::ConstNodeRef member = object.find_child(to_csubstr(key));
-  if (member.valid())
-  {
-    const c4::csubstr val = member.val();
-    if (!val.empty())
-    {
-      ret = StringUtil::FromChars<T>(to_stringview(val));
-      if (!ret.has_value())
-      {
-        if constexpr (std::is_floating_point_v<T>)
-          ERROR_LOG("Unexpected non-float value in {}", key);
-        else if constexpr (std::is_integral_v<T>)
-          ERROR_LOG("Unexpected non-int value in {}", key);
-      }
-    }
-    else
-    {
-      ERROR_LOG("Unexpected empty value in {}", key);
-    }
-  }
-
-  return ret;
-}
-
-template<typename T>
-static std::optional<T> ParseOptionalTFromObject(const ryml::ConstNodeRef& object, std::string_view key,
-                                                 std::optional<T> (*from_string_function)(const char* str))
-{
-  std::optional<T> ret;
-
-  const ryml::ConstNodeRef member = object.find_child(to_csubstr(key));
-  if (member.valid())
-  {
-    const c4::csubstr val = member.val();
-    if (!val.empty())
-    {
-      ret = from_string_function(TinyString(to_stringview(val)));
-      if (!ret.has_value())
-        ERROR_LOG("Unknown value for {}: {}", key, to_stringview(val));
-    }
-    else
-    {
-      ERROR_LOG("Unexpected empty value in {}", key);
-    }
-  }
-
-  return ret;
-}
-
 void GameDatabase::EnsureLoaded()
 {
   if (s_loaded)
@@ -1110,7 +999,7 @@ bool GameDatabase::LoadGameDBYaml()
   const ryml::ConstNodeRef root = tree.rootref();
   s_entries.reserve(root.num_children());
 
-  for (const ryml::ConstNodeRef& current : root.children())
+  for (const ryml::ConstNodeRef& current : root.cchildren())
   {
     // TODO: binary sort
     const u32 index = static_cast<u32>(s_entries.size());
@@ -1177,7 +1066,7 @@ bool GameDatabase::ParseYamlEntry(Entry* entry, const ryml::ConstNodeRef& value)
       controllers.valid() && controllers.has_children())
   {
     bool first = true;
-    for (const ryml::ConstNodeRef& controller : controllers.children())
+    for (const ryml::ConstNodeRef& controller : controllers.cchildren())
     {
       const std::string_view controller_str = to_stringview(controller.val());
       if (controller_str.empty())
@@ -1230,7 +1119,7 @@ bool GameDatabase::ParseYamlEntry(Entry* entry, const ryml::ConstNodeRef& value)
 
   if (const ryml::ConstNodeRef traits = value.find_child(to_csubstr("traits")); traits.valid() && traits.has_children())
   {
-    for (const ryml::ConstNodeRef& trait : traits.children())
+    for (const ryml::ConstNodeRef& trait : traits.cchildren())
     {
       const std::string_view trait_str = to_stringview(trait.val());
       if (trait_str.empty())
@@ -1388,7 +1277,7 @@ bool GameDatabase::LoadTrackHashes()
   s_track_hashes_map = {};
 
   size_t serials = 0;
-  for (const ryml::ConstNodeRef& current : root.children())
+  for (const ryml::ConstNodeRef& current : root.cchildren())
   {
     const std::string_view serial = to_stringview(current.key());
     if (serial.empty() || !current.has_children())
@@ -1405,7 +1294,7 @@ bool GameDatabase::LoadTrackHashes()
     }
 
     u32 revision = 0;
-    for (const ryml::ConstNodeRef& track_revisions : track_data.children())
+    for (const ryml::ConstNodeRef& track_revisions : track_data.cchildren())
     {
       const ryml::ConstNodeRef tracks = track_revisions.find_child(to_csubstr("tracks"));
       if (!tracks.valid() || !tracks.has_children())