Heroic Games Launcher: Complete Game Launcher Guide

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If you have games spread across Epic Games, GOG, Amazon Games and other platformsI'm sure you've found yourself jumping from one client to another to play more than once. It's a real pain having to open multiple launchers, remember passwords, and struggle with completely different interfaces every time you want to play a game.

To avoid all that chaos, there is Heroic Games LauncherIt's an open-source game launcher that brings virtually everything together in one place. With it, you can manage, install, and play your Epic, GOG, and Amazon games (and add external games) from a single application, whether you're on Linux, Windows, or macOS, and even use it on devices like Steam Deck.

What is Heroic Games Launcher and why is it worth it?

Heroic Games Launcher is a free and open source game client Designed to centralize your digital libraries. Instead of relying on official clients like the Epic Games Launcher, GOG Galaxy, or the Amazon Games app, Heroic acts as a "bridge," letting you access all your titles from a single, clean, and fairly intuitive interface.

This project relies on several technologies to function: Legendary for Epic Games Store games, a proprietary implementation called gogdl for GOG and Nile for Amazon Games. All of this is wrapped in a modern interface built with web technologies, making the program cross-platform and allowing for constant improvements.

One of its great strengths is that It doesn't just list your gamesIt not only allows you to install, update, repair, and move games between drives, but also to import existing installations and even add titles that aren't available in any of the supported stores. In short, it becomes the command center for your PC game library.

In addition, it has become a A very serious alternative to official clientsEspecially on Linux and Steam Deck, where using Epic or Amazon's native software is often a headache. Many users already consider it essential on their systems.

Compatible platforms and basic requirements

Heroic Games Launcher is cross-platform and covers virtually any current gaming environment. It works natively on:

• Linux: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or higher, Fedora 33 or higher and Arch Linux (and derivatives such as Manjaro, Garuda, EndeavourOS), as well as other distros where it can also work with some manual adjustment.
• SteamOS: available on Steam Deck, with easy download from Discover.
• Windows 10 and Windows 11.
• MacOS 14 or more recent versions.

Although the team is focusing on those versions, Heroic usually works on many other Linux distributionsThe condition is that you meet certain minimum requirements (for example, having tools like curl available in dependency-free formats such as AppImage or tar.xz). If you need to switch to Linux, you can follow our guide for Convert your PC to Linux from a USB driveIf you get stuck, it's quite common for someone on their Discord server to lend a hand.

On Linux, Heroic is available in FlatubThis greatly simplifies installation on desktops with software centers (Discover, Pop!_Shop, etc.). Packages are also available for distributions based on... DEB, RPM, packages in the AUR like heroic-games-launcher-bin, versions in nixpkgs (heroic and heroic-unwrapped) and the classic formats AppImage y tar.xz.

On Windows you can install it through winget (command “winget install Heroic”) or using the .exe installer classic, either in a setup version with shortcuts or in portable format. On macOS, the most convenient way is via Homebrew with a cask, although there is also an image .dmg to drag directly to the Applications folder.

Supported stores and libraries you can unify

The heart of the project lies in its capacity to unify libraries from multiple digital storesAs of today, Heroic is compatible with:

• Epic Games Store, through Legendary.
• GOG (Good Old Games), thanks to the gogdl implementation.
• Amazon Games and Amazon Prime Gaming, via Nile.

By simply logging into each service within the app, you can View and manage all your games from the Stores sectionHeroic downloads your library information and keeps it updated in real time, so when you acquire a new title or delete one, the change is reflected without you having to do anything special.

In addition to the officially integrated stores, Heroic allows adding external gamesYou can register any executable, including browser applications or launchers from other stores (IndieGala, etc.), so that they appear in your collection as if they were just another game.

All of this makes Heroic work like unified front Not only for Epic, GOG and Amazon, but also for all those individual titles you have installed on your PC, which is very useful if you've spent years accumulating games in different folders.

Installing Heroic Games Launcher on each system

Installing Heroic is quite straightforward, and the best part is that You don't need the official customers of each store. To use it, simply install Heroic and then enter your Epic, GOG, and Amazon credentials into the program.

En LinuxThe most recommended way is to use Flatpack from Flathubbecause it simplifies dependency management and ensures updates arrive quickly. If you prefer native packaging, you can download the .deb For Ubuntu/Debian-type distributions, you can run it by double-clicking or via the terminal with “sudo dpkg -i Heroic*amd64.deb”. Fedora and similar distributions have a . Rpm which is installed with “sudo dnf install ./heroic-*.x86_64.rpm”.

To Arch Linux and derivativesThe Heroic team only provides official support for the package heroic-games-launcher-bin from the AUR. It's important to keep this in mind, because if you use other unofficial packages and something goes wrong, support will refer you to the maintainer of that specific package.

In more "manual" environments, you have a AppImage (You download it, give it execution permissions with “chmod +x” and run it) and a tar.xz Simply extract the files and launch the "heroic" binary from the resulting folder. In both cases, you need to ensure that basic tools such as curl are installed or you might encounter strange behavior.

En WindowsIf you already use WinGet, with the command winget install Heroic You'll have it ready. If not, you can download the graphical installer (Setup) or the portable version from the releases page. The setup creates shortcuts on your Desktop and in the Start menu so you can open Heroic like any other program.

En MacOSIf you're a Homebrew user, you can install it with a cask using a command like “brew install --cask --no-quarantine heroic”. Alternatively, you can download the image .dmgYou mount it with a double click and drag the "Heroic" app to your Applications folder.

Main features and advantages of Heroic

Beyond serving as a simple list of games, Heroic stands out for a number of comprehensive features for managing your libraries and improve the experience on Linux, Windows, and macOS.

First, it offers a unified library managementYou can install, update, uninstall, repair, and move games from Epic, GOG, and Amazon from the same panel. If you already have games installed with other clients, Heroic allows you to... import those facilities to avoid duplicate downloads. This is especially useful if you have full hard drives and don't want to download 100 GB of a game again that's already on your system.

Also includes a download queue With this feature, you can leave several games pending and have them download one after the other or in parallel, depending on the settings. This makes preparing a large library after formatting your computer, for example, much easier.

As for the interface, Heroic offers Filters, search, favorites, options to hide games and support for custom themes. You can customize the colors and visual style, as well as organize the collection by categories defined by yourselfThis is very useful if you mix indie games, AAA games, and various applications.

Another key point is the synchronization of saved games in the cloudProvided the original store allows it. Many titles on GOG and Epic offer cloud saves, and Heroic can connect to these services to automatically or manually upload and download your saves. You'll see a dedicated "Cloud Saves" tab in the settings of each compatible game.

Using Wine, Proton, Crossover, and UMU for Windows Gaming

One of the reasons Heroic has become so popular on Linux and macOS is its ability to Run Windows games using Wine, Proton, and CrossoverThanks to this, you can play games designed for the Microsoft system in other environments, with an increasingly higher level of compatibility.

En LinuxHeroic integrates its own version manager Wine and Proton, including custom variants such as Wine-GE y Proton-GEThese versions, maintained by the developer gloriouseggroll, include patches and additional codecs that resolve common issues: cinematics not displaying, sensitive DRM, minor bugs, etc. You can download the "Wine-GE-Latest" and "Proton-GE-Latest" versions directly from the client to always have the latest and most compatible option.

Furthermore, Heroic can be integrated with the UMU LauncherUMU, a unified Linux layer on top of Proton, is being promoted by projects like Lutris, Heroic, and Bottles. Enabling the "Use UMU as Proton runtime" option in the experimental features will allow many games to run more consistently in the future, centralizing community efforts.

En MacOSThe program offers support for CrossoverA commercial Wine-based solution optimized for Apple's system. This allows you to combine Heroic as a unified launcher with Crossover as a compatibility layer to run multiple Windows games.

By default, you can change the global version of Wine/Proton From the "Game Defaults" section of Heroic, you can select, for example, Proton-GE-latest for all games. However, it's also possible to adjust the Wine or Proton version individually for each game, which is a lifesaver when a specific title only works correctly with a particular version.

For cases where you need to install mods or additional utilities, Heroic allows run .exe files within the wineprefix of each gameSimply specify the executable file, and the wizard will launch it as if you were in Windows, within the isolated environment of the title in question.

Recommended initial setup (especially on Steam Deck and Linux)

Once you have Heroic installed, it's worth spending a few minutes on adjust general settingsEspecially if you use a Steam Deck or have multiple discs on your PC. It's a small effort that will save you headaches later on.

On the menu Settings → GeneralIt's recommended to change the "Default Installation Path" to a location that suits you. For example, with Steam Deck, many users create a "Heroic" folder in the root directory of their microSD card so that games are installed there by default. This prevents overloading the console's internal storage.

In the same section you can define the folder for new wineprefixesHeroic creates a Wine prefix for each game, isolating configurations and preventing one title from breaking another. Specifying a particular path (also on the microSD card if you're using Steam Deck) helps keep everything organized and prevents conflicts with other Wine environments you might have on your system.

It's advisable to check that the path to the folder of Steam Make sure it's properly detected, especially if you want Heroic to add shortcuts to your games in your Steam library. The Epic Games field is only critical on Windows or if you're carrying over previous installations from other launchers, so you can leave it blank if it doesn't apply to you.

At the bottom of the general settings you will see several boxes about shortcuts: Create shortcuts on the Desktop, in the Start menu, and automatically add games to SteamOn a traditional PC, it's usually convenient to disable desktop and Start menu shortcuts and let everything go through Heroic, while on Steam Deck it's worth selecting the option to add games to Steam, as this allows you to take advantage of Steam's own controller management and play very comfortably in Game Mode.

The next useful step is to go to Settings → Game Defaults and select as the default version Proton-GE-latest (or whichever you prefer), as it usually offers better results in modern games. If you're playing on a laptop with a dedicated graphics card, you can enable the "Use Dedicated Graphics Card" option in the "Other" tab to force the use of the powerful GPU.

Advanced features: achievements, automatic fixes, and per-game settings

Heroic doesn't stop at the basics, it also includes advanced features that enhance the experienceespecially if you like to have everything tied up neatly.

En Settings → Advanced You'll find an experimental features section where you can activate options like "Comet Support", which is necessary for... GOG correctly records your achievements and other statistics in your account. If you're interested in keeping your achievements, it's almost mandatory to select this option.

Another highly recommended feature is “Apply known fixes automatically”, which makes Heroic automatically apply known solutions For certain games, similar to what you'd see in ProtonDB, but integrated directly into the launcher, this saves you from having to manually struggle with startup parameters or special settings for each problematic title.

We've already mentioned "Use UMU as Proton runtime," but it's worth reiterating: enabling this option aligns Heroic with the future of gaming on Linux, since UMU unifies how Proton is launched between different projects. If for some reason you have problems with a game, you can always revert to an older version of Wine or Proton, but the general approach is moving towards UMU.

Within each game's page, through the options icon, you can access individual configurationThis includes changing the Wine/Proton version for that specific game, modifying launch parameters, adjusting the resolution, or forcing the use of the dedicated graphics card, among other things. If a game isn't running smoothly with the global settings, this is usually where you'll find the right combination.

In that same area is the tab “Cloud Saves” For games that have cloud saves, you can see the local save file path, change it if Heroic doesn't correctly detect the folder (something that sometimes happens with Epic games), choose the synchronization mode (Download/Upload, one direction only, etc.), and, if there's an imbalance, use "Force Upload" or "Force Download." Be very careful: Improper use of Force Download can delete your local save files.So it's best to think twice before pressing it.

How to add games, play, and manage DLCs

With Heroic configured, the process for Starting to play is pretty straightforwardFirst, you need to log in to the stores where you have your games: Epic, GOG, and Amazon. On Epic, if one login method fails, there's usually an alternative method you can try.

Once logged in, you'll see your libraries integrated into Heroic. Each game displays its status (installed or not), and if you go into its details, you can see data such as installation size or compatibility information with ProtonDB and Steam Deck on Linux. Additionally, Heroic includes direct links to ProtonDB so you can check other users' comments on which version of Proton works best.

To install a game, simply press the download button. It will be added to the queue and will begin downloading using the default path you configured. Installed titles appear at the top of the list, and their image will no longer be grayed out. You quickly identify what you already have ready to play..

From the game's page or the main view, you can press "Play" to launch the game directly. Steam Deck has one unique feature: Epic games. must be run at least once from Desktop mode before they work properly in Steam's Game Mode. This allows the wineprefixes and internal dependencies to be created correctly.

If you want to hide games from your main view, you can use the system of filters and categoriesThis way, you only see, for example, the games from a specific store or the ones you have installed. This is useful when your library starts to get huge and you don't want to see everything at once.

Regarding the DLCHeroic offers a "Modify Installation" menu within each game's options, where you can choose languages, beta versions, and additional content. It usually works very well with GOG titles: you select the DLCs and they download without further complications. With Epic, things are more complicated; in many cases it works, but there are games (as reported with Alan Wake 2) where the DLC doesn't seem to install correctly, or Heroic gets stuck waiting for a response from Epic. A fairly common solution is... uninstall and reinstall the game so that it already includes the DLC.

game updates They are managed automatically, so you don't have to check every day. If there's a new version, Heroic detects it and updates the game accordingly, always respecting disk space and other factors.

If at any point you need to repair a corrupted installation, you can use the following functions from the game options: “Verify” or “Repair”as well as moving the game to another folder or storage drive without having to download it again from scratch.

Heroic also allows synchronize already installed games through the official Epic or GOG Galaxy client, so if you change launchers you won't lose your installations. The program scans the specified paths and, if it finds compatible games, adds them to its own database.

Heroic Deck on Steam and its relationship with other launchers

In the Steam Deck, Heroic has gained a reputation for being One of the best ways to play Epic, GOG, and Amazon titlesAlthough there are alternatives like Lutris or Non-Steam Launchers, many users agree that Heroic offers a more polished interface and a simpler user flow, especially for those who don't want to complicate things too much.

Installing it on Steam Deck is as easy as switching to Desktop mode and opening the Discover storewhere Heroic appears ready to install. Once inside, select the option to Add games automatically to Steam It's almost mandatory: this way you can launch games directly from your Steam library in Game Mode, taking advantage of the controller settings and the typical console overlay.

As a bonus, Heroic supports achievements on GOG and cloud saving on both GOG and Epic, making it very easy to keep your saved games safe. For cases where cloud saves aren't available or storage space is limited (GOG usually has a limit of around 400 MB), external tools such as Ludusavi They are still a good idea as a complement.

Although the guides and recommendations that are usually circulated may seem somewhat technical at first, the truth is that once the initial adjustments have been made (installation paths, Proton-GE version, UMU enabled, etc.), daily use of Heroic is reduced to little more than opening the launcher, choosing a game, and pressing "Play." If you don't like tinkering, you'll barely need to touch the rest.

Overall, Heroic Games Launcher has established itself as a very powerful solution for anyone who has their game collection spread across multiple stores and wants to play. running on Linux, Windows or macOS without being tied to official clientsIt centralizes libraries, simplifies installation management, adds extra features like cloud saves, achievements and automatic fixes, and adapts especially well to devices like Steam Deck, becoming a key piece of the modern PC gaming ecosystem.