MyHomeGames, a linux gaming platform is started

[luca.stancapiano]

I'd like to share MyHomeGames, a new gaming platform I've launched that's 100% Linux compatible. If anyone wants more information, please contact me. Here's the link: https://myhomegames.vige.it

 

[f33dm3bits]

Hello! Welcome! Are you hear to be part of the community or only to promote your own platform?

 

[luca.stancapiano]

Hi, thanks for the welcome. The idea is to participate in the community: I started by introducing my project because it's the most natural way to explain who I am and what I do on Linux.

 

[f33dm3bits]

It's usually better forum etiquette to have participated a bit first before self promoting but since it isn't spam I'll allow it.

 

[kibasnowpaw]

Interesting project, but I think it might help to explain more clearly what the actual idea behind it is, because at first glance calling it a “gaming platform” makes it sound like something you play games on and from what I understand this is actually more of a self-hosted game collection manager / metadata library.

From what I see, this looks closer to something like CLZ Games or a personal catalog system rather than a launcher like Lutris or Steam. It seems focused on organizing your games, adding covers, ratings, collections, and pulling metadata from IGDB using Twitch OAuth.

I can see the idea behind it especially for people who like self-hosting, having full control of their data, or wanting a web interface to organize a mixed library (emulators, local installs, non-Steam games, etc.). The fact that it’s Linux compatible and self-hosted is definitely a plus for privacy and control.

That said, I’m honestly curious who the main target audience is. Most Linux users I know either:

• just use Steam as their main library
• use Lutris for managing installs and runners
• or already have launchers that organize games automatically.

Setting up a separate metadata library manually is something only a small group would probably want to spend time on. Most people don’t keep all their games installed at once anyway that would easily become terabytes of storage. I’m one of the few who has had very large installed libraries through Lutris and even then organization usually happens inside the launcher itself.

Some honest pros:

• Self-hosted (no cloud lock-in)
• Open source (Apache license)
• Web-based access from multiple devices
• Uses IGDB metadata
• Can attach launcher scripts

Possible downsides or friction points:

• Requires running your own server (not beginner-friendly)
• Manual Twitch OAuth setup may confuse users
• Early-stage project (0.1.x version, small ecosystem)
• Overlap with existing tools like Lutris, Playnite, Steam library view
• Not obvious why someone would choose this instead of existing solutions unless they specifically want a self-hosted dashboard.

Overall I think the idea makes sense for a niche audience especially Linux/self-hosting users who like custom dashboards but it might help to explain the main use case more clearly and who you expect to benefit from it.

 

[luca.stancapiano]

You did a good job.

I created the project to use it on a Linux platform, since they're all for Windows unless you use Wine, but that's about it for performance.

I call it a platform because it's a complete system. You organize your libraries and run your games.

Since it's a web server, it's necessary, but you can think of it as a common package to install. In the future, I'll also put it on Yum and Apt-Get.

The initial Twitch configuration is a bit tricky, but I think I've configured it well and added explanations everywhere.

 

[Brickwizard]

@luca.stancapiano

first welcome to the Linux org forums
now the nasty bit, as a developer and member you get one hit to promote your project, [this is it] kindly do not push it on further threads unless specifically requested by another member,

@f33dm3bits @KGIII @wizardfromoz for information

 

[kibasnowpaw]

You did a good job.

I created the project to use it on a Linux platform, since they're all for Windows unless you use Wine, but that's about it for performance.

I call it a platform because it's a complete system. You organize your libraries and run your games.

Since it's a web server, it's necessary, but you can think of it as a common package to install. In the future, I'll also put it on Yum and Apt-Get.

The initial Twitch configuration is a bit tricky, but I think I've configured it well and added explanations everywhere.

If I can give you one honest piece of advice from my own experience build it primarily for yourself first, not for other people. Make the tool you personally need and want to use every day, and then let others discover it naturally if it solves their problems too.

From my perspective, I personally struggle to see a strong need for something like this as a general user. That’s just my viewpoint though. I’ve played games for 25+ years, probably over 8000 games total, and I own somewhere between 4000–5000 games across platforms (about 2500 on Steam alone), and even with large libraries I never really felt the need for a separate metadata/database system outside the launcher itself. Most organization for me happens inside Steam, Lutris, or whatever runner I’m using.

That said, I do understand the appeal from a self-hosting or data-control mindset. If someone wants a centralized personal dashboard, or likes building their own database/server around their collection, then it starts to make more sense. It just feels like a niche audience rather than a general “gaming platform,” at least from how I see it.

So I’m not saying it’s a bad idea just that maybe the strength of it is as a personal tool built from your own workflow rather than trying to solve everyone’s problem at once. If it solves something for you, chances are the right people will find it naturally.

Just my personal perspective based on how I manage my own library .

 

[luca.stancapiano]

If I can give you one honest piece of advice from my own experience build it primarily for yourself first, not for other people. Make the tool you personally need and want to use every day, and then let others discover it naturally if it solves their problems too.

From my perspective, I personally struggle to see a strong need for something like this as a general user. That’s just my viewpoint though. I’ve played games for 25+ years, probably over 8000 games total, and I own somewhere between 4000–5000 games across platforms (about 2500 on Steam alone), and even with large libraries I never really felt the need for a separate metadata/database system outside the launcher itself. Most organization for me happens inside Steam, Lutris, or whatever runner I’m using.

That said, I do understand the appeal from a self-hosting or data-control mindset. If someone wants a centralized personal dashboard, or likes building their own database/server around their collection, then it starts to make more sense. It just feels like a niche audience rather than a general “gaming platform,” at least from how I see it.

So I’m not saying it’s a bad idea just that maybe the strength of it is as a personal tool built from your own workflow rather than trying to solve everyone’s problem at once. If it solves something for you, chances are the right people will find it naturally.

Just my personal perspective based on how I manage my own library .

You hit the nail on the head. I started out with the idea of making one for myself. The name 'My' comes from that
I use a Mac OS X and a PC with Linux and I'm not at all satisfied with the current platforms. Too slow and full of bugs on Mac and Linux.

 

[kibasnowpaw]

From actually trying to set it up and run it locally on Linux, I want to give some honest real-world feedback from the user side.

Right now the project feels extremely early stage and honestly very buggy. I managed to get both backend and frontend running, but the setup process is fragile and confusing compared to what most Linux users expect.

Some of the main issues I ran into:

• Twitch OAuth is not just “a bit tricky” it is currently one of the biggest blockers. The authentication flow feels unfinished, and without manually editing localStorage or modifying code it was difficult to get past authorization. Errors like “Unauthorized” or missing Twitch headers appear without clear guidance.
• Documentation doesn’t fully match the actual setup experience. Several required steps or expectations are implied but not clearly explained, especially around environment variables and authentication.
• Frontend and backend communication feels unstable. I ran into CORS issues, loading loops, and cases where the UI would just sit loading indefinitely without useful error messages.
• The dev token fallback logic seems inconsistent. In practice it required manual workarounds just to reach the interface.
• Performance was also very slow once running, and opening new tabs sometimes caused the UI to fail loading entirely.

I say this as someone comfortable with Linux, self-hosting, Node environments, and debugging setups so a beginner would likely struggle even more.

I think the idea itself is interesting, especially for a self-hosted dashboard aimed at people who want full control of their libraries. But right now it feels more like a proof-of-concept or personal development project rather than something ready to present as a “platform.”

My honest advice would be:

• simplify authentication (or add a true dev/offline mode)
• improve setup instructions step-by-step
• stabilize frontend/backend communication
• reduce required external dependencies during initial setup

Because at the moment, even technical users may give up before seeing what the project can actually do.
Just sharing real usage feedback after trying it myself.

---

 

[luca.stancapiano]

Of course, developer mode is more complicated to configure because you have so many configuration parameters, but you don't need to touch localStorage or code, only with a little tinkering, the problem is solved.

For basic users, there's a download from the home page, where everything is already configured.

I agree that the Twitch configuration is complicated in itself, but it allows you to use OAuth and IGDB access. The README explains everything about configuring it, but I've added a simplified version on the homepage, point 5 and 6.

Point 5 is for granting access to your server package. Think of it as just configuring that, and you're done. Great job!

 

[kibasnowpaw]

I think maybe we are talking a bit past each other, so I’ll explain from my side as someone who actually tried running this locally on Linux.

I’m not new to self-hosted setups. I run my own servers, work with Wine, Linux environments and debugging regularly, so technical setup itself is not the issue. But right now the install feels much more like a development environment than something ready for normal users.

When you say there is a version for basic users, I honestly couldn’t find a real packaged local version. The only download path I saw either links to Kickstarter or the hosted web app. The only local option I found was the dev setup with separate frontend/backend, environment variables, Twitch developer setup, OAuth configuration, etc.

That’s fine for development, but it’s very different from what most Linux users expect when they see “download the server package.” Normally that means something you can run without needing to manually configure half the stack first.

The Twitch OAuth requirement is probably the biggest friction point. Not everyone wants to create a Twitch developer account just to manage a personal game library or pull metadata. A lot of self-hosted users prefer local-first setups where external accounts are optional. Right now Twitch feels mandatory, which makes testing and onboarding harder than it needs to be.

It would also really help if there was a way to add games manually and fill metadata yourself without using Twitch at all. Some people don’t want automatic scraping or external services they just want a local database they control, especially for older games, emulation setups, or offline collections.

The README itself is fine. What I mean is that when something doesn’t work, you end up jumping between README, dev docs, configuration files, trial-and-error, and guessing what’s missing. That’s usually a sign that the setup flow itself isn’t clear enough yet. Most users don’t want to debug the install just to reach the starting point.

I actually like the idea behind the project. Self-hosted game library management is interesting and I’m exactly the type of user who would use something like this. But right now it feels more like an early-stage proof-of-concept rather than something ready for general users, mainly because onboarding and setup are still pretty rough.

Not trying to bash it just sharing honest real-world feedback after trying to run it locally.

 

[luca.stancapiano]

I find the idea of adding alternatives to Twitch interesting. You can use GitHub's issue management to propose it.

The official release will be ready at the end of the Kickstarter campaign. I currently have a beta version. If you're interested, I can send it to you or try it out together. Feel free to contact me privately.

 

[vynxGrid]

Interesting project. Self-hosted tools for managing game libraries aren’t very common on Linux, so it’s nice to see something like this being developed.

 

[luca.stancapiano]

There's been a lot of new stuff these past few months. Here's the new video on skin management.

 

[luca.stancapiano]

Interesting project. Self-hosted tools for managing game libraries aren’t very common on Linux, so it’s nice to see something like this being developed.

Thanks you. You can currently download and try it from https://myhomegames.vige.it . I'll add it to the apt and yum repositories soon.

 

[AlphaObeisance]

A lot of self-hosted users prefer local-first setups where external accounts are optional. Right now Twitch feels mandatory, which makes testing and onboarding harder than it needs to be.

Full disclosure, I was reading along this thread with some intrigue as I avidly self host a variety of services/servers within my homelab.

Until I read this line. It seems that @kibasnowpaw gave the project an honest go and I was intently following along with their critiques as it's clear they understand both the ecosystem and intent behind the project. But this statement halted me dead in my tracks from further pursuit or interest in the project.

It's a neat project I still find intriguing; but I'll not likely take interest in driving it until the entangling of Self Hosted projects reliance on proprietary services are better addressed. Maybe leaning more into TheGamesDB or something similar; and preferably an integrated authentication system.

I have respect for the project; but when it comes to something like this I look at it through a pretty black and white lens and from the sounds of it's current state it doesn't seem to know which side of the fence it wants to sit on.

Kibasnowpaw has done a thorough job providing a respectable amount of real world critique; I'd encourage it to be taken as sincere constructive criticism in an effort to help make your project more appealing to your target audience. Which I am.

Unfortunately I have little desire to test drive due to the proprietary ties the projects seemingly bound too at this time. Keep up the good work though, it looks super clean and appealing to me.

GitLab Gitea

 

[luca.stancapiano]

Full disclosure, I was reading along this thread with some intrigue as I avidly self host a variety of services/servers within my homelab.

Until I read this line. It seems that @kibasnowpaw gave the project an honest go and I was intently following along with their critiques as it's clear they understand both the ecosystem and intent behind the project. But this statement halted me dead in my tracks from further pursuit or interest in the project.

It's a neat project I still find intriguing; but I'll not likely take interest in driving it until the entangling of Self Hosted projects reliance on proprietary services are better addressed. Maybe leaning more into TheGamesDB or something similar; and preferably an integrated authentication system.

I have respect for the project; but when it comes to something like this I look at it through a pretty black and white lens and from the sounds of it's current state it doesn't seem to know which side of the fence it wants to sit on.

Kibasnowpaw has done a thorough job providing a respectable amount of real world critique; I'd encourage it to be taken as sincere constructive criticism in an effort to help make your project more appealing to your target audience. Which I am.

Unfortunately I have little desire to test drive due to the proprietary ties the projects seemingly bound too at this time. Keep up the good work though, it looks super clean and appealing to me.

GitLab Gitea

Don't worry. Since version 1.0.0, twitch/igdb is optional. I'll tell you more. I'm already working on integrating other databases. Currently, when you install it by default, it doesn't ask for any permissions, and you're free to build your own database. TheGamesDB is interesting and I didn't know it