Hydra
Open-source desktop app for managing your game library, friends, and achievements in one place.
- Stars
- 17.6k
- Forks
- 4.1k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- App
What it is
Hydra Launcher is a free, open-source desktop program that aims to be one place to manage your games. According to its README, it covers adding owned games to a library, showing friends what you are playing, cloud saves through Hydra Cloud, achievements, and browsing and discovering new games. It is built with Electron, React, TypeScript, and Rust.
- Add games you own to a single library
- Save game progress to the cloud with Hydra Cloud
- Track achievements across your games
- Browse a catalogue and discover new games to try
Great for
- Gamers who want one launcher for their game library
- People who want a profile that shows friends what they are playing
- Users who want cloud save sync through Hydra Cloud
- Developers interested in contributing to an Electron and Rust desktop app
Not ideal for
- People who only want a simple game store without library management, since the README describes a broader platform
- Users who need a fully offline setup, because cloud save and profile features depend on Hydra Cloud
- Non-developers looking for a quick one-click tool, since source builds require a toolchain
How to get it
- 1
Download the app
You'll need: Node.js · Yarn · Rust toolchain (for building from source) · Git and a C++ toolchain (for building from source)
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/hydralauncher/hydra - 2
Run it
- Download the installer for your platform from the latest release (v4.2.0) on GitHub
- Install and open Hydra Launcher
- For building from source, see the documentation at docs.hydralauncher.gg/getting-started
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Enable Hydra Cloud to sync save progress across sessions
- Fill out your profile so friends can see what you are playing
- Use the achievements feature to track progress in your library
- Read the documentation at docs.hydralauncher.gg for setup details
Downloads
Strengths
- Open source under the MIT License
- Listed features cover library, social profile, cloud saves, and achievements in one app
- Ships installers for several platforms, including Windows, Linux, and packages like AppImage and Snap
Trade-offs
- The README does not explain how the discovery or suggestion features work in detail
- Source builds need Node.js, Yarn, a Rust toolchain, and a C++ toolchain, which is a heavy setup
- The README is truncated and does not give full details on legal use or supported game sources, so check the project docs before relying on it
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| hydra (this) | 17.6k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | Gamers who want one launcher for their game library |
| Playnite | 14.4k | App | beginner | 17 days ago | People who own games across several stores and want one place to launch them |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.