The latest articles on DEV Community by tecomoavocados (@tecomoavocados__). https://dev.to/tecomoavocados__ https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3456559%2F7c1c8061-dca4-4991-b4a3-e74ab4d893fe.jpeg https://dev.to/tecomoavocados__ en tecomoavocados Wed, 27 Aug 2025 16:52:25 +0000 https://dev.to/tecomoavocados__/avocado-game-launcher-from-idea-to-release-101-6nf https://dev.to/tecomoavocados__/avocado-game-launcher-from-idea-to-release-101-6nf <p>Game launchers are everywhere: Steam, Epic, GOG, Ubisoft… but most of them feel heavy, fragmented, and locked to a specific ecosystem. As a developer, I wanted to challenge myself: <strong>can I build a lightweight, open, and extensible game launcher that gives me control over my own library?</strong> </p> <p>That’s how <strong>Avocado Game Launcher</strong> started. </p> <h2> 🎯 Motivation </h2> <p>The main drivers behind the project: </p> <ul> <li> <strong>Learning opportunity</strong> – I wanted to put into practice packaging desktop apps with PyQt6 + PyInstaller. </li> <li> <strong>Control over my library</strong> – I have games spread across different stores; I wanted one simple interface. </li> <li> <strong>Experimentation</strong> – how far can I push Python in the desktop space? </li> </ul> <p>The name? I like avocados 🥑, and it stuck. </p> <h2> 🛠️ Technical Overview </h2> <ul> <li> <strong>Python + PyQt6</strong> – Modern cross-platform GUI, fast prototyping. </li> <li> <strong>PyInstaller</strong> – Bundling into a standalone <code>.exe</code> without external dependencies. </li> <li> <strong>dotenv</strong> – Managing API keys and configuration safely. </li> <li> <strong>RAWG API</strong> – Fetching metadata (covers, info) to enrich the library. </li> <li> <strong>JSON storage</strong> – Simplicity over complexity; no need for a DB (yet). </li> <li> <strong>Custom i18n module</strong> – Allowing easy translations of UI elements. </li> </ul> <h2> 🔑 Current Features </h2> <ul> <li>Import <strong>local executables</strong> into the launcher. </li> <li>Automatically <strong>fetch covers and info</strong> from the RAWG API. </li> <li>Support for <strong>importing Steam installed games</strong>. </li> <li>Persistent <strong>user settings</strong> and library via JSON. </li> <li>Clean <strong>multi-language support</strong>. </li> </ul> <h2> 🚀 Version 1.0.1 – What’s New </h2> <ul> <li>Improved UI and icons for a cleaner look. </li> <li>Added <strong>Steam integration</strong> to detect installed games. </li> <li>Displaying more <strong>game metadata</strong> inside the launcher. </li> </ul> <h2> 📚 Lessons Learned </h2> <ol> <li> <strong>Packaging is tricky</strong> – Handling relative paths with PyInstaller required a proper <code>resource_path()</code> utility. </li> <li> <strong>Circular imports are real</strong> – Splitting responsibilities across <code>core/</code> modules helped me untangle dependencies. </li> <li> <strong>APIs enrich UX</strong> – Just showing an <code>.exe</code> name isn’t enough; fetching metadata makes the library feel alive. </li> <li> <strong>Keep it simple</strong> – JSON storage is more than enough at this stage; no need for databases. </li> </ol> <h2> 🛣️ What’s Next? </h2> <ul> <li>Support for <strong>other platforms</strong> (Steam, local, etc.) </li> <li> <strong>Customization</strong> (themes, layouts, user settings) </li> <li> <strong>Cloud sync</strong> to keep libraries portable </li> <li>Packaging for <strong>Linux/macOS</strong> </li> </ul> <h2> 💡 Final Thoughts </h2> <p>Building <strong>Avocado Game Launcher</strong> has been both fun and frustrating — PyInstaller path issues, environment variables not loading, and chasing circular imports. But every challenge taught me something about <strong>desktop development in Python</strong>, and it’s rewarding to see it work as a real application. </p> <p>The project is open-source, and I’d love feedback from fellow developers:<br><br> 👉 <a href="https://github.com/tecomoavocados-dev/avocado-game-launcher/releases/tag/1.0.1" rel="noopener noreferrer">GitHub – Avocado Game Launcher</a><br><br> 👉 <a href="https://tecomoavocados-dev.itch.io/avocado-game-launcher" rel="noopener noreferrer">Itch.io Release Page</a> </p> <p>Thanks for reading, and if you’ve ever wanted to roll your own launcher, maybe this inspires you to start. 🥑 </p> tecomoavocados Sun, 24 Aug 2025 20:34:14 +0000 https://dev.to/tecomoavocados__/avocado-game-launcher-organize-all-your-games-in-one-place-4i97 https://dev.to/tecomoavocados__/avocado-game-launcher-organize-all-your-games-in-one-place-4i97 <p>I’ve been working on <strong>Avocado Game Launcher</strong>, a cross-platform desktop application that lets you <strong>organize and launch all your games from one place</strong>. It supports <strong>Steam, Epic Games, and local games</strong>. </p> <p>This post explains what it does, how it works, and why I built it.</p> <h2> Download </h2> <p>Get the latest version here: <a href="https://github.com/tecomoavocados-dev/avocado_game_launcher/releases/latest" rel="noopener noreferrer">Avocado Game Launcher Latest Release</a></p> <h2> 🎯 Features </h2> <ul> <li>Load your <strong>Steam</strong> and <strong>Epic Games</strong> libraries automatically. </li> <li>Add <strong>local games manually</strong> by selecting executables. </li> <li>Fetch cover art from the <strong>RAWG API</strong> automatically. </li> <li>Launch games directly from the app. </li> <li>Remove games from your library with a click. </li> <li>Persistent library storage in <strong>JSON</strong>, avoiding duplicates. </li> <li>Cross-platform: works on <strong>Windows, Linux, and Mac</strong>. </li> <li>Translations supported: <strong>English and Spanish</strong>. </li> </ul> <h2> 💻 How It Works </h2> <ul> <li>Built in <strong>Python 3</strong> using <strong>PyQt6</strong> for the GUI. </li> <li>Libraries used: <code>requests</code> for API calls, <code>json</code> for storage, and <code>os</code>/<code>sys</code> for file and path management. </li> <li>RAWG API is used to fetch <strong>game cover images</strong> by name. </li> <li>Each game in the list shows: <ul> <li>Cover image</li> <li>Game name</li> <li>Launch button</li> <li>Delete button </li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h2> 📦 Installation </h2> <p>Clone the repository:<br> </p> <div class="highlight js-code-highlight"> <pre class="highlight plaintext"><code>git clone https://github.com/tecomoavocados-dev/avocado_game_launcher.git cd avocado_game_launcher </code></pre> </div> <p>Install dependencies:<br> </p> <div class="highlight js-code-highlight"> <pre class="highlight plaintext"><code>pip install -r requirements.txt </code></pre> </div> <p>Run the launcher:<br> </p> <div class="highlight js-code-highlight"> <pre class="highlight plaintext"><code>python main.py </code></pre> </div> <h2> 🚀 Current Status </h2> <ul> <li>Main window with menu bar (Import / Help / Settings).</li> <li>Import → Local Game adds executables and fetches cover images automatically.</li> <li>Persistent library storage in JSON.</li> <li>Each game can be launched or deleted from the app.</li> <li>About dialog with app info and language support.</li> </ul> <h2> 🔗 Repository </h2> <p>Check it out on GitHub: <a href="https://github.com/tecomoavocados-dev/avocado_game_launcher" rel="noopener noreferrer">Avocado Game Launcher</a></p> gamedev tooling opensource