Attract-Mode vs GameIndex

Attract-Mode is a graphical frontend for command-line emulators such as MAME, MESS, and Nestopia. It is intended for arcade cabinets and control by joystick, gamepad, or spin dial, and runs on Windows, OS X, and Linux, including Raspberry Pi and Odroid. Users can import game lists, generate lists from emulator directories, and set launch commands for individual games. The frontend can retrieve missing game details and artwork from TheGamesDB, Progetto-Snaps, and adb.arcadeitalia.net. Controls can be assigned to joystick, keyboard, or mouse inputs, including combinations. A built-in configuration menu has on-screen help, and settings are stored in text files. Layouts can be scripted in Squirrel and customized with themes, animations, and GLSL shaders. It supports media formats supported by FFmpeg and SWF files through gameswf. The feature list also names Steam support and plug-ins for extensions or integration with external programs. Attract-Mode is free and open source under the GNU General Public License v3. Pause functionality for returning to the frontend and resuming an emulator is listed only for Linux and Windows versions.

GameIndex is a free native launcher and library manager that combines PC game collections from multiple stores. It can sync Steam, GOG, Epic, Rockstar, Ubisoft, and Humble libraries, while also accepting manual imports. Discovery tools include an IGDB-powered storefront, deals, a wishlist, activity tracking, and achievement tracking across platforms. The interface offers six UI styles, theme customization, and a Layout Studio for rearranging elements. GameIndex runs on Windows and Linux, including Steam Deck, with configurable Wine and Proton runners and per-game compatibility settings. Linux packaging includes AppImage and .deb. Integrations listed by the project include Steam Workshop, Nexus Mods, Discord Rich Presence, RetroAchievements, IGDB, and HowLongToBeat. Its social layer is local-first, with a Privacy & Data tab for viewing and wiping local storage, and secrets use the operating system keychain. The project is free to use, modify, and distribute under the MIT License.