CLUSTER GAMES-LAUNCHER-GAME · 84 ENTRIES · EARLIEST ENTRY 2023-03-27
Game launchers and library managers
The cluster comprises desktop and terminal-based game launchers, library managers, and compatibility-layer tools that install, organize, and launch games from specific titles to multi-storefront collections. Dated entries before the index start appear from August 2015 through July 2026, with a long tail of mostly one or two entries per month and a slight increase in frequency in 2026. Traction is led by nova-launcher (87 stars), with launchpad-lalapalooza at 56 stars and RustArcade at 4 stars.
Entry timeline
ENTRY TIMELINE
Each bar is the month a member carries, which is a creation date where the source published one and a crawl date otherwise. Nothing in the index was found before 11 August 2026, and coverage broadened sharply on 14–15 August, so a bar from then on reports how much we found that month, not how much was built; an earlier bar reports how far back a member's own source dated it — not how long we have been watching.
Members by activity
Activity signals, not revenue.
Build origin · 1 hand-coded · 19 unlabelled
Operator · 2 hobby · 17 open source · 1 unlabelled
Two labels per entry, never collapsed into one: how it was built, and who stands behind it. Counted over the 20 listed below. Unlabelled means nothing has decided yet — not that the answer is small.
- 41snow-fish0★1 mo—Open-source gaming platform and launcher for accessing and playing games.
- 42ankama-launcher0★1 moliveopen sourceMulti-game portal launcher that provides access to all Ankama games from a single application.
- 43sunsync0★2 moliveopen sourceGame streaming utility that imports installed games from common launchers into a local streaming server.
- 44owl-client0★2 moliveopen sourceA launcher for gaming clients, providing a unified entry point for games.
- 45monsters-backyard-launcher0★1 mo—hand-codedhobbyDesktop game launcher that manages Flash runtimes and game versions to run a fan-refitted client of Backyard Monsters.
- 46Sipeed0★1 mo—hobbyDesktop game launcher that scans a local game library, tracks playtime, and fetches cover art and metadata.
- 47dos-machines0★3 moliveopen sourceDesktop launcher that organizes DOS game and program installations into folder-based virtual machine workspaces.
- 48sekiro-launcher-iced-bin0★3 moliveopen sourceA launcher that lets Sekiro challenge runners manage and launch gameplay modification tools.
- 49dwproton-launcher0★3 moliveopen sourceCommand-line launcher that enables launching standalone games with dwproton and sets file type associations.
- 50paradox-launcher0★25 daysliveopen sourceLauncher for Paradox Interactive games, providing unified access to install and play their titles.
- 51open-goal-launcher0★3 moliveopen sourceLauncher that simplifies installing and running community-developed reimplementations of classic games.
- 52partydeck-bin0★4 moliveopen sourceLauncher for split-screen multiplayer gaming, enabling local co-op play on Linux and SteamOS.
- 53min-ed-launcher0★4 moliveopen sourceMinimal game launcher for the Elite Dangerous game that launches it quickly with basic options.
- 54launchy-steam0★4 moliveopen sourceA configurable launcher for Steam compatibility tools that provides per-game settings through a user interface.
- 55dofus-launcher0★8 mostaleliveopen sourceOfficial launcher and setup tool for the game Dofus, used to install and launch the game.
- 56qrocrown-bin0★1 yrabandonedliveopen sourceGame launcher that organizes and launches installed games from a single interface.
- 57alfae0★2 yrabandonedliveopen sourceLauncher that manages and launches games from Itch.io, Epic Games, and GOG in one interface.
- 589launcher-bin0★3 yrabandonedliveopen sourceDesktop app that launches Touhou games and provides a launcher interface for players.
- 59Zordeer0★5 moliveopen sourceA desktop game launcher that organizes and runs installed games through compatibility layers for non-native operating systems.
- 60Athanor0★6 mostaleliveopen sourceDesktop launcher application that starts and runs RPG Maker game titles for players.
Ranked by traction, highest first, and paged 20 at a time — this is a window on the cluster, never the whole of it. Ties are broken by a stable id so a product cannot appear on two pages or fall between them. Browse every cluster.