# JMBeresford/retrom

A centralized game library/collection management service with a focus on emulation

Repository: https://github.com/JMBeresford/retrom
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/retrom
Language: TypeScript
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Last push: 2026-08-23T00:20:24+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 83/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:39:23.370411+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 76, longevity 61
- inputs: {"age_days": 867, "days_push": 11, "days_rel": 80, "gap_med": 1, "n_releases_24m": 126}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2049, forks 42 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:09.112859+00:00)

## What it is
Retrom is a self-hosted, centralized game library management service focused on emulation, letting users host their DRM-free game collection on one device and access it from desktop and web clients. It scans the filesystem for games, downloads metadata and artwork, manages emulator profiles, and supports installing, uninstalling, and launching games across devices.

## Use cases
- host my own game library server like self-hosted steam
- manage my rom and emulation collection in one place
- download and play my games from any device
- automatically fetch game metadata and cover art
- share emulator configurations across multiple computers
- unify my steam and drm-free games into one library
- access my game collection through a web client

## When to choose
- you have a large DRM-free or emulated game library you want to stream/install across devices
- you want a self-hosted alternative to Steam for your own games
- you need centralized emulator profile management across machines

## When to avoid
- you only play DRM-locked games that require their own launchers
- you want a simple local launcher without running a server
- you need console-legal ROM sourcing or built-in emulation itself (it launches external emulators)

## Facets
- artifact type: service
- maturity: active
- function: self-hosted, file-system, http-server, gui
- domain: gaming-tools, self-hosted, media
- platform: self-hosted, windows, cross-platform
- tags: game-library, emulation, drm-free-games, rom-management, steam-integration, game-metadata, client-server, automation, macos, linux, web-server

## Member repositories
- JMBeresford/retrom (main) score 83

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:09.112859+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:57:36.813122+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/JMBeresford/retrom (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:09.112859+00:00, sha c313f1abc53c)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.