GamesList Manager

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Features
• Screenshots
• System Requirements
• Installation
• Build From Source
• Running the Application
• Building Executable with cx_Freeze
• File Formats
• Quick Start Guide
• Troubleshooting
• Contributing
• License

Overview

GamesList Manager is a comprehensive desktop application for managing your video game collection and tracking your gaming sessions. Built with Python and PySimpleGUI, it provides powerful features for organizing games, tracking playtime, rating experiences, and analyzing your gaming habits.

Features

🎮 Game Collection Management

• Add, edit, and organize your game library
• Track ownership status, platforms, and release dates
• Color-coded status system (Pending, In Progress, Completed, etc.)
• Search and filter capabilities
• Excel import support for existing game lists

⏱️ Advanced Time Tracking

• Built-in session timer with play/pause/stop controls
• Automatic time tracking and session recording
• Detailed session history with timestamps
• Session feedback system with notes and ratings

🌟 Dual Rating System

• Rate individual gaming sessions (1-5 stars)
• Rate games overall with comprehensive feedback
• 50+ predefined tags for categorizing experiences
• Custom comments and detailed feedback
• Rating analysis and comparison tools

📊 Rich Data Visualization

• Status distribution pie charts
• Games by release year analysis
• Playtime distribution graphs
• Rating trends and analysis
• Gaming heatmap showing daily patterns
• Session timeline visualization

📈 Statistics & Analytics

• Comprehensive gaming statistics
• Session analysis and trends
• Status change timeline
• Tag frequency analysis
• Gaming habit insights

🎪 Discord Rich Presence Integration

• Real-time Discord status updates showing current activity
• Dynamic status for playing games, browsing library, viewing stats
• Session tracking with elapsed time display
• Library statistics in Discord status
• Customizable presence messages and branding
• Easy setup with your own Discord application

What's New in Version 1.9 🚀

🔄 Complete Auto-Updater System

Version 1.9 introduces a comprehensive automatic update system that keeps your GamesList Manager always up-to-date with the latest features and improvements:

• 🎯 One-Click Updates: Download and install updates with a single click
• 📊 Smart Progress Tracking: Real-time download progress with cancellation support
• 🔒 Safe Installation: Intelligent staging system handles file locking and creates automatic backups
• 🌐 Cross-Platform Support: Works seamlessly on Windows, macOS, and Linux
• 📋 Rich Release Notes: View detailed release information with image support
• ⚙️ Flexible Settings: Configure startup checking or check manually via Options menu
• 🎉 Success Notifications: Confirmation dialogs after successful updates

The auto-updater integrates directly with GitHub releases, ensuring you always have access to the latest features, bug fixes, and improvements. Updates can be configured to check on startup or disabled entirely based on your preferences.

Access via: Options → Check for Updates / Update Settings

Screenshots

Main Interface - Games List

Comprehensive game library with sortable columns, color-coded status, ratings, and search functionality

Summary Dashboard

Visual analytics including status distribution, top games by playtime, and release year analysis

Advanced Statistics & Analytics

Detailed game analysis with rating comparisons, session tracking, and comprehensive statistics

Gaming Activity Visualizations

GitHub-style gaming activity heatmap showing daily gaming patterns throughout the year

Time-based gaming sessions heatmap revealing optimal gaming hours and session patterns

Interactive Features

Context-sensitive game actions including time tracking, editing, and rating capabilities

System Requirements

• Operating System: Windows, macOS, or Linux
• Python: 3.7 or higher
• Memory: 512MB RAM minimum
• Storage: 50MB available space

Note: This application has been primarily developed and tested on Windows. macOS and Linux compatibility has not been thoroughly tested and may require additional configuration or adjustments.

Installation

📦 Quick Installation (Recommended)

For most users, the easiest way to get started is to download the pre-built application:

1. Download: Go to the Releases section of this GitHub repository
2. Extract: Download the latest release zip file and extract it to a folder of your choice
3. Run: Launch the application by running the included GameTracker.exe file (Windows)

That's it! No additional setup, Python installation, or dependency management required.

🔧 Advanced Installation (Build from Source)

If you prefer to build from source or are using macOS/Linux, see the Build From Source section below for detailed instructions.

Build From Source

Important Note: PySimpleGUI Availability

⚠️ Critical Information: The required PySimpleGUI version (4.60.5) is no longer officially available from the original developers. PySimpleGUI moved to a licensed model for versions 5+ and removed all free older versions from official distribution channels.

You will need to use a community fork to run this application:

• Recommended Source: https://github.com/markreading/PySimpleGUI_4_60_5
• This repository contains PySimpleGUI version 4.60.5, which was used in the development of this application
• Version 4.60.5 was one of the last free versions before the licensing changes

1. Clone or Download the Project

git clone <repository-url>
cd GamesList

2. Set Up Python Environment (Recommended)

# Create virtual environment
python -m venv .venv

# Activate virtual environment
# On Windows:
.venv\Scripts\activate
# On macOS/Linux:
source .venv/bin/activate

3. Install PySimpleGUI from Community Fork

Since PySimpleGUI 4.60.5 is no longer officially available, you have two options:

Option A: Manual Installation (Recommended)

1. Download or clone the PySimpleGUI fork: https://github.com/markreading/PySimpleGUI_4_60_5
2. Copy the PySimpleGUI folder to your project directory, or
3. Install it to your Python site-packages directory:
   • Windows: AppData/Local/Programs/Python/Python3XX/Lib/site-packages
   • macOS/Linux: Check your Python installation's site-packages location

Option B: Install Other Dependencies First

# Install all other dependencies except PySimpleGUI
pip install matplotlib>=3.5.0 openpyxl>=3.0.0 Pillow>=9.0.0

Then follow Option A for PySimpleGUI installation.

4. Install Remaining Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

Note: This may fail for PySimpleGUI if using the standard requirements.txt. Follow the PySimpleGUI community fork installation above.

Required Dependencies:

• PySimpleGUI (4.60.0+, <5.0.0) - ⚠️ Must use community fork - GUI framework
• matplotlib (3.5.0+) - Data visualization
• openpyxl (3.0.0+) - Excel file support
• Pillow (9.0.0+) - Image processing for emoji rendering

Running the Application

Development Mode

python main.py

First Launch

• The application will create a default games.gmd file in your home directory
• Configuration files are stored in platform-specific locations:
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\GamesListManager\
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/GamesListManager/
  • Linux: ~/.config/GamesListManager/

Discord Rich Presence Setup (Optional)

Want to show your gaming library management activity on Discord? See DISCORD_SETUP.md for detailed instructions on setting up Discord Rich Presence integration.

Building Executable with cx_Freeze

1. Install cx_Freeze

pip install cx_Freeze

2. Build the Executable

python setup.py build

3. Locate the Built Application

The executable will be created in:

build/exe.[platform]-[python_version]/

Build Configuration Details

The setup.py file configures:

• Entry Point: main.py
• Executable Name: GameTracker.exe (Windows) or GameTracker (Unix)
• Version: Automatically set from constants.py
• Icon: gameslisticon.ico
• Dependencies: Automatically detected
• Included Files: Application icon

Platform-Specific Build Notes

⚠️ Important: Building and running on macOS and Linux has not been thoroughly tested. The instructions below are provided for reference, but may require additional troubleshooting and platform-specific adjustments.

Windows (Tested)

python setup.py build
# Output: build/exe.win-amd64-[python_version]/GameTracker.exe

macOS (Not Tested)

python setup.py build
# Output: build/exe.macosx-[version]-[python_version]/GameTracker

Linux (Not Tested)

python setup.py build
# Output: build/exe.linux-[arch]-[python_version]/GameTracker

File Formats

.GMD Files (Primary Format)

• JSON-based Games Manager Data format
• Contains all game data, sessions, ratings, and history
• Human-readable and backup-friendly
• Automatic versioning for future compatibility

Excel Import (.xlsx)

• Import existing game lists from Excel spreadsheets
• Expected columns: Name, Release Date, Platform, Time, Status, Owned, Last Played
• Automatically converts to .gmd format after import

Quick Start Guide

1. Add Your First Game: Click "Add Entry" and fill in game details
2. Track Gaming Time: Click on a game → "Track Time" → Use play/pause/stop controls
3. Rate Your Experience: Add session feedback with ratings, tags, and notes
4. Explore Analytics: Check the Summary and Statistics tabs for insights
5. Organize Your Collection: Use search, filters, and sorting to manage your library

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Import Errors

• Ensure all dependencies are installed: pip install -r requirements.txt
• Check Python version compatibility (3.7+)

Build Issues

• Verify cx_Freeze is installed: pip install cx_Freeze
• Ensure gameslisticon.ico is in the project directory
• Check for missing dependencies in the build output

Data Issues

• .gmd files are JSON format - can be opened in text editor for manual recovery
• Backup files regularly using "Save As" feature
• Check file permissions in save directory

Getting Help

• Discord: @drnefarius for bug reports and feature requests
• GitHub Issues: Open an issue in the project repository for bug reports, feature requests, and technical support
• GitHub: Check for known issues and solutions
• Data Recovery: .gmd files are human-readable JSON for manual recovery

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please:

• Report bugs via Discord (@drnefarius) or GitHub issues
• Suggest features and improvements via GitHub issues
• Share your gaming insights with the community
• Contribute to documentation and code

License

This project is licensed under the terms included with the distribution.

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Built with ❤️ using Python, PySimpleGUI, and matplotlib