Scans your folders in place
Point it at the folders you already have. Files are catalogued where they are and never moved, renamed or deleted, and one bad file never stops a scan.
Free · open source · self-hosted
Your game collection,
on your own server.
game-sauce catalogues the games you own, fetches the artwork, plays many of them in your browser, starts the rest in the emulators on your PC, and puts the whole library on the TV with a gamepad-driven Big Screen.
Windows · macOS (Apple silicon) · Linux · Docker, Unraid and Proxmox · Raspberry Pi
Screenshots use built-in demo data with generated covers.
Everything for a collection you already have
One place for the whole household's library, running on a machine you control.
Artwork and details, found for you
Covers, descriptions, years and more from ScreenScraper, TheGamesDB, IGDB and SteamGridDB using your own accounts, or import artwork from folders and upload your own.
Play in the browser
Many older consoles run straight from a web page, with save states and in-game saves kept per person on your server. A Continue playing row remembers where you were.
Play on your PC
One click starts a game in the emulator installed on your own computer, such as RetroArch, MAME or Dolphin. Games can be kept for quick relaunch, and a setup page configures each emulator.
Big Screen for the TV
A full-screen, gamepad-driven view for the sofa: a wheel of games with logos and marquees, favourites and collections, an A to Z strip, manuals on screen, and sounds you can mute.
Collections and people
Favourites, private collections and hidden games, plus accounts for the people you trust, including play-only accounts with no downloads or admin.
Keep it tidy
Verify dumps against No-Intro and Redump DATs, find duplicate versions and suggest the best copy to keep, and clear out unused artwork files, without deleting your games.
Your shelf too
Track the discs and cartridges you physically own alongside the digital collection, with their own covers, spines, discs and manuals.
Yours to run
No account, no subscription and no cloud. Your library and its data stay on your hardware, in a database you can back up and restore from the app.
See it
Classic and Modern looks, light and dark. Same library, your choice.
Get started
Pick the one that suits you. Each takes a few minutes.
On your own computer
Download the desktop app or the portable version for Windows, macOS or Linux. Nothing else to install: no server, no Docker, no settings to edit.
Download the latest releaseOn a home server
Run it with Docker, on Unraid or in a Proxmox container, and use it from every device in the house. The deployment guide has the steps.
Read the deployment guideThe first time it starts, the account that was made for you is shown once. Write it down and change the password in Settings. If you expose it to the internet, put it behind a VPN or a reverse proxy with HTTPS.
Questions
Does it come with games?
No. game-sauce is for managing games you own. It doesn't include, supply or link to games, BIOS files or emulators. You bring your own collection and your own emulators.
Is it really free?
Yes. It's open source under the MIT licence. There is no account to create and nothing is sent to us. Some metadata providers ask you to sign up for your own free account to use their service.
Which games can I play in the browser?
Many older consoles that need no BIOS work from a web page. Newer systems, and anything that needs more than a browser can offer, start in an emulator on your PC through the launcher instead.
Will it move or change my files?
No. It reads your folders where they are. It never moves, renames or deletes your game files, and the clean-up tools only touch the artwork and files game-sauce itself stored.
Can the whole family use it?
Yes. Make accounts for the people you trust. Collections are private to whoever made them, and play-only accounts see just the games that can be played in the browser.
Where do I get help or report a problem?
Open an issue or a discussion on GitHub. The System health page in Settings makes a copy-and-paste report with no secrets in it.