Retrom

Retrom is a self-hosted game library management service designed for hosting DRM-free games and emulation configurations. It allows users to store their entire game collection on a single server and connect multiple clients to install, uninstall, and launch titles across different devices. This setup ensures that game files are stored centrally while remaining accessible to any authorized device on the network.

The software is deployed as a server with accompanying clients. Users can access their library through a web browser or dedicated desktop clients for Windows, MacOS, and Linux. It focuses on centralizing game files and emulator settings to ensure consistent configurations across a home network, removing the need to manually move files or reconfigure emulators on every single machine.

Key features

• Automatic filesystem scanning for games and platforms
• Cross-platform desktop clients for Windows, MacOS, and Linux
• Web client with in-browser emulation via EmulatorJS
• Integration with Steam and native PC, Linux, and MacOS games
• Per-client emulator profile management stored on the server
• Automatic metadata and artwork downloads from IGDB
• Centralized installation and uninstallation of games on remote clients

The system architecture separates the library storage and metadata management on the server from the execution on the client. This allows users to maintain a single source of truth for their game files while configuring specific emulator profiles for each device. The server handles the indexing of the filesystem and the retrieval of game data, while the desktop client manages the local execution and emulator paths. The desktop client further supports a fullscreen mode and controller input for a more traditional gaming experience.

Retrom is intended for users with large collections of DRM-free games and emulation setups who require a centralized management interface to synchronize their library across multiple operating systems.