# BoilR for Steam Library Synchronization and Game Imports > BoilR is a cross-platform Rust application that imports games from supported launchers and stores into Steam as third-party shortcuts. It suits Steam users who want one library view, but its platform matrix and Flatpak sandbox constraints are significant. **PhilipK/BoilR** — Synchronize games from other platforms into your Steam library - Repository: https://github.com/PhilipK/BoilR - Stars: 1,918 · Forks: 68 - Language: Rust - License: Apache-2.0 - Published: 2026-10-16 · Updated: 2026-10-16 · Language: en - Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/philipk-boilr ## Why BoilR Places Non-Steam Games in One Library BoilR solves a library fragmentation problem for PC players. A person may own or install games through Epic Games Store, GOG, Ubisoft Connect, Amazon Games, or several third-party launchers, then have to remember where each one lives. BoilR scans supported sources and writes entries into Steam through Steam's third-party shortcuts feature. The visible result is a combined Steam library with imported games and, optionally, artwork. The entries do not turn those games into native Steam ownership records. They are shortcuts that Steam can present beside games sold through Steam. The intended audience is clear from the feature list and integration table: Windows, Linux, Mac, and Steam Deck users who want Steam as the common launcher surface. The README says BoilR is standalone, takes about 3 MB on disk, and uses about 30 MB of RAM. It also lists synchronization at about one second, although those are project-provided figures rather than independent measurements. That distinction matters for expectations. BoilR organizes access to games installed elsewhere. It is not a launcher replacement, storefront account manager, entitlement transfer tool, or universal installer. A user should already own or be able to launch the underlying game through the platform where it is installed. ## BoilR's Discovery, Shortcut, and Artwork Data Flow The repository layout supports a Rust workspace centered on the `boilr` package and a shared `boilr-core` crate. The stable package identifies itself as version `1.11.0` in `Cargo.toml`. Its workspace dependencies include `steam_shortcuts_util`, which corresponds to the shortcut-writing responsibility described by the README. The workspace also includes `steamgriddb_api`, image-related dependencies for PNG, WebP, and JPEG handling, and `toml` for configuration. The documented flow begins when the user selects Import Games. BoilR detects games exposed by supported launchers or stores, then represents those installations as Steam third-party shortcuts. After the operation, restarting Steam makes the new entries visible. Artwork is optional. If enabled through SteamGridDB integration, the application can obtain cover art for shortcuts, and the README also lists customization of Steam game art. This architecture creates a dependency on more than the installed executable. BoilR must be able to identify launcher installations and construct commands that allow Steam to start them. On Linux, several Windows integrations depend on Proton, as stated in the integration table. Lutris Flatpak games require Lutris to be shut down before import. These cases show that successful discovery and successful launching are separate conditions. The README documents shortcut creation, but the visible material does not describe rollback for a failed batch import or recovery behavior for every launcher integration. ## Installing BoilR and Performing the First Import The simplest documented installation is to download the latest executable from the GitHub releases page and run it. On Steam Deck, the README instructs users to right-click the executable and mark it as executable under Properties. No package-manager command is documented for this native route, so there is no safe command to add here. Linux and Steam Deck users can instead obtain BoilR from Flathub. The README warns that this version has limitations compared with the native version. Arch users have an AUR package named `steam-boilr-gui`. Package availability does not remove the need to compare sandbox access and supported integrations, especially for applications whose data is outside a Flatpak's normal access scope. After launching BoilR, perform the first import through its interface. Click Import Games, let the scan finish, and restart Steam. The expected result is that supported games from other launchers appear as third-party shortcuts in the Steam library. If SteamGridDB artwork is enabled, the library should also show imported cover art where a matching image is available. The README does not specify exact scan output, button labels beyond Import Games, or whether imports happen again automatically, so the observable checkpoint should remain the restarted Steam library rather than assumed log text. BoilR also documents shortcut backup as a feature. That reduces the impact of accidental changes, but the README does not explain where backups are stored, how to restore one, or whether every platform exposes the same backup controls. ## Trying BoilR 2.0 Through the Flathub Beta BoilR 2.0 introduces a new interface designed for Steam Deck use, including touch support in Game Mode. The release is explicitly labeled beta, and the README directs interested users to the Flathub beta repository. Add the repository with this documented command: ```bash flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists --user flathub-beta https://flathub.org/beta-repo/flathub-beta.flatpakrepo ``` Install the beta with: ```bash flatpak install --user flathub-beta io.github.philipk.boilr ``` The beta installs beside the stable package. Selection is controlled through `flatpak make-current`, with these exact documented forms: ```bash flatpak make-current io.github.philipk.boilr beta # use the beta flatpak make-current io.github.philipk.boilr stable # go back to the stable version ``` Removing the beta requires the app ID and beta channel: ```bash flatpak uninstall io.github.philipk.boilr//beta ``` This is a real migration choice, not merely an alternate screen. The stable and beta builds share the Flathub application ID while exposing separate channels. A user interested in Game Mode can test the beta without replacing the stable entry, but the README asks users to report failures as issues and identify that they are using the beta. It does not promise feature parity or migration compatibility between versions. ## Integration Limits Across Windows, Linux, and Steam Deck BoilR's strongest engineering feature is also its main adoption constraint: coverage differs sharply by operating system and source. On Windows, the table lists support for Epic Games Store, Windows Itch.io games, GOG, Ubisoft Connect, Amazon Games, Playnite, and Game Pass. Linux executable and Flatpak columns include Epic Games Store through Proton, Linux Itch.io games, EA Desktop through Proton, Ubisoft Connect, Lutris, Legendary, Heroic Launcher, Flatpaks, Bottles, and MiniGalaxy. Several entries have explicit boundaries. Windows Itch.io games are unsupported on Linux, while Linux Itch.io games are unsupported on Windows. GOG on Linux is not supported by BoilR according to the table, which directs users to Heroic or MiniGalaxy. Amazon Games, Playnite, and Game Pass are listed as Windows-only. Lutris Flatpak integration requires the application to be shut down before import. This makes operating-system selection part of the integration decision. Someone using GOG on Linux may prefer a launcher-native organization approach because BoilR's table explicitly excludes that combination. Someone importing Windows Epic or EA Desktop games on Linux may still find BoilR suitable, but Proton is part of the documented path. A Steam library full of sources marked No for the current host cannot be made complete simply by running the executable. The table also qualifies the README's broad phrase "almost all your games." Support is conditional, not uniform. The correct pre-adoption check is the row for the source platform and the host operating system, not the general feature list. ## Maintenance, Packaging Choices, and Upgrade Work The repository is not archived, and the last push was on 2026-10-15. Recent releases include `v.1.11.0` on 2026-10-02, `v.1.10.1` on 2026-09-26, and `tauri-v2.0.0-beta.1` on 2026-09-27. The repository includes both `LICENSE-APACHE.txt` and `LICENSE-MIT.txt`, while the repository description identifies the license as Apache-2.0. The visible files do not explain which components use each license or provide a legal interpretation, so adopters distributing a modified build would need to inspect those files directly. Packaging changes the work involved in adoption. The native executable is described as standalone, the Flathub build has limitations relative to native access, and the AUR package targets Arch Linux. Steam Deck users may also need to mark a downloaded native executable as executable. Flatpak users choosing BoilR 2.0 can retain stable and beta channels in parallel, which limits switching effort but adds a second installed version to manage. The workspace separates the core library from applications. `Cargo.toml` excludes `apps/boilr-tauri` from the normal workspace and identifies the Tauri build separately, while the recent beta release refers to a new interface. This separation supports parallel interface work, but the visible README does not provide migration notes for configuration, imported shortcuts, or artwork between the stable and beta applications. ## Conclusion BoilR is appropriate for users whose installed games appear in one of its supported launcher integrations and who accept third-party shortcuts rather than native Steam ownership records. It is unsuitable when a required store or launcher is unsupported, when Windows games are hosted on Linux without the documented Proton route, or when access to launcher paths is restricted by Flatpak. Verify the exact integration row for the host operating system, compare the native and Flatpak packaging paths, and test launching one imported game before importing the full library. For BoilR 2.0, the deciding boundary is that the new interface remains beta software. ## FAQ ### What platforms and game stores does BoilR support? BoilR runs on Windows, Linux, Mac, and Steam Deck. Support for individual stores and launchers varies by operating system, so the integration table is the authoritative place to check a specific combination. ### Does BoilR add imported games to Steam as native Steam purchases? No. BoilR uses Steam's third-party shortcuts feature to add games installed through other launchers or stores to the Steam library. ### How do I import games with BoilR for the first time? Run BoilR, click Import Games, and restart Steam. The README does not document additional CLI arguments or required configuration for this first import. ### Can I install the BoilR 2.0 beta on Steam Deck? Yes. The README documents a Flathub beta build for Linux and Steam Deck with touch support in Game Mode, installed under the application ID `io.github.philipk.boilr`. ### Does BoilR import every game from every supported launcher? No. Some entries are operating-system specific, Windows games on Linux may require Proton, and GOG is unsupported on Linux in the integration table. ## Sources - [Issues](https://github.com/PhilipK/BoilR/issues) - [License: Apache-2.0](https://github.com/PhilipK/BoilR/blob/main/LICENSE) - [PhilipK/BoilR on GitHub](https://github.com/PhilipK/BoilR) - [README](https://github.com/PhilipK/BoilR/blob/main/README.md) - [Releases](https://github.com/PhilipK/BoilR/releases) --- Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/philipk-boilr