Ludo

Sync ROMs, saves and states between RomM and RetroArch — and play them.

Ludo is a client for a self-hosted RomM library. It browses that library, pulls down what you want to play, keeps saves and states in sync in both directions, and launches the game — without leaving the couch or touching a keyboard.

• Library — browse by platform, search, and see box art, screenshots and metadata straight from RomM.
• Downloads — queue and resume ROM downloads, extracting archives as needed.
• Saves and states — sync both ways with RomM, on a watchdog rather than a button. When two machines run Ludo, only one does the syncing.
• Launch — start a game in RetroArch, or in Eden for Switch titles, with core selection handled for you.
• BIOS, cores and firmware — fetch what a platform needs and report what is missing before it becomes a failed launch.
• Gamepad-first — the entire interface is built to be driven by a controller.

Grab either asset from the latest release. Both are the same application at the same version; pick the one that matches how you play.

Steam Deck — with Decky Loader installed, download Ludo-v<version>-decky.zip and install it from Decky's plugin menu. Ludo then lives in the Quick Access panel, in Game Mode.

Linux PC — download Ludo-v<version>-x86_64.AppImage, make it executable, and run it. No install step, no daemon.

Either way, the first launch walks you through pairing with your RomM server (scan a QR code, or type the address) and pointing Ludo at your RetroArch directories.

Ludo updates itself in place from GitHub releases; you do not need to repeat this.

You need Python 3.11+, Node.js 18+, and pnpm 9 for the Deck plugin.

git clone https://github.com/Covin90/ludo.git && cd ludo

# The shared Python side, installed editable
python3 -m venv .venv
.venv/bin/pip install -e engine          # not on PyPI, so install it first
.venv/bin/pip install -e 'app[test]'     # the editable engine above satisfies it

Then build whichever shell you want — cd desktop && npm install && npm run electron for a PC window, or cd decky_plugin && pnpm i && pnpm run build for the Deck plugin. Each shell's README covers dev servers, hot reload and packaging.

cd app     && pytest          # backend and host-profile tests
cd engine  && tests/run.sh    # sync engine (builds its own venv if needed)
cd desktop && npm test        # the host-contract seam, and every route rendered
                              # in headless Chromium against a fake backend

One tag produces both assets, always at the same version — see RELEASING.md, which explains why that is enforced rather than merely agreed.

GPL-3.0. Ludo bundles third-party binaries — libsigil.so (MPL-2.0) and 7zz (7-Zip License) — each documented, with source and hashes, in the bin/README.md beside it.

Ludo is an independent project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo, Valve, Sony, Microsoft, Sega, or any other hardware or software vendor. Console, platform and emulator names appear only to describe what Ludo works with. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

Ludo ships no games, no BIOS files, no firmware and no keys — it moves content you already have, between your own RomM server and your own machine.