GamingGaiden vs Steins;Tracker

GamingGaiden is a Windows tray application for tracking play time and session history across PC and emulated games. It can automatically track games and new ROMs after an emulator is registered, and supports RetroArch cores. Games launched directly from an emulator’s graphical interface are not tracked; the manual recommends a frontend or command-line shortcuts. The app detects idle time and removes it from session records. Its statistics include lifetime summaries, session counts and lengths, daily, monthly, and yearly play time, most-played games, and games grouped by emulator. A backlog lets users mark games Playing, Finished, On Hold, or Dropped. The project also lists HWiNFO64 integration and Google image search for game icons or box art. GamingGaiden is described as portable and offline, with data stored locally and automatic backups after each session. It can be installed on multiple gaming PCs and share a database while tracking each PC separately. The free project is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Downloads are offered only through its GitHub repository; Windows SmartScreen may show an Unknown Publisher warning because the application lacks a public CA signature.

Steins;Tracker is a Windows desktop app that automatically records game time and displays statistics in an interactive dashboard. It detects games in the background and tracks total time, daily averages, session history, streaks, goals, and yearly heatmaps. Users can add games manually or by folder, then set friendly names and custom icons. System monitoring covers CPU, RAM, GPU, temperatures, network speed, ping, and FPS. The interface can be adjusted with themes, wallpapers, blur, opacity, dark mode, and controls for hiding interface elements. A QR code opens the dashboard on a phone over the user's local network. The maker says data is stored locally in the Documents folder and is not sent to external servers without explicit action. However, a Google account is required even for free use for validation and fraud prevention. The app supports CSV log export and JSON import of visuals and settings. Compatibility is listed as 64-bit Windows 10 or 11, and the maker provides an all-in-one installer with an embedded local server and automatic updates through GitHub Releases.