Nice! I may have to rework my list...

Yeah, those library trackers are alright, but I really wish there was just one thing where I could install, uninstall and play games from. That it told Steam, Origin, etc. to do that stuff but all those clients remained in the background instead of me having to handle each and every one of them.

I felt like trying out that Phantom Durt remake, since it's free and all, but it's on the Windows Store and I don't want to deal with that. I heard of an interesting game called Anatomy on Itch.io, but I don't want to deal with yet another store. If I could put all that stuff in one place it wouldn't bother me as much.

Might as well use a password manager to remember the passwords to all of those stores if that's the concern. After that, if a store is DRM-free such as itch.io, place DRM-free stuff into one general folder. The thing is, you shouldn't stop yourself from trying another game because it is on another store. At least, for another DRM-free store that is.

It is sad that now we're needing even clients for our clients. This is the absurd state of affairs of the PC platform now, all thanks to our doing.

As long as they are DRM-free installers, I usually just check my external hard drive if I have the game installer there already (in case I am unsure whether I have it already or not). Of course that means I must have downloaded all the games already.

For DRM games requiring clients, yes it is more complicated. I guess then one would need to visit each store to check if the game is there already.

I usually seem to remember games that I have already by the name and description (even if I've never even played the game yet), so I very rarely buy games several time accidentally. I actually quite often have the opposite problem: I am pretty sure I already have some game, but then when I check it, nope I don't. Maybe I had just thought about buying it in the past, but decided to postpone...

/games/

../ from-gog / (gamesubdir) / game_contents plus md5sum file
../ from-hb / (gamesubdir) / game_contents plus md5sum file
../ from-steam / (gamesubdir) / game_contents plus md5sum file
../ from-physical / (gamesubdir) / game_contents plus md5sum file
../ other / (gamesubdir) / mods_and_additions plus md5sum file

from the steam, I use non-steam versions, only purchase licenses.

edit: i.e. filesystem is the library.

I've been building up an Access database for the hell of it, though not so much for the initial purpose of remembering where I bought what (somehow my memory's been good for that much.) It started as a small project that I've rolled with since then and it's becoming quite detailed and lengthy. I'm slowly starting to expand it beyond personal use.

Meanwhile all of my games are backed up by source. All GOG installers in one section, Humble in another, so on, so forth.

I organize my games via shortcuts, I have my "Games" folder and then inside that GOG, Steam and Misc folders.

Ok :-P Just the same WordPad document that I've had going on 22 years (wow, since Win95). Sorted by genre (Action, Adventure, Role-Playing, etc - I play a bit of everything), name (+ expansions, mods on next line), completed status, and date / last played. Later came Playstation games in blue text. I tend to only play one game per genre until completed so it is not really that hard to keep track.

My G:\ (Games) drive is also by the same genres (8 top level folders). Then each game its own folder with beautiful cover art thumbnails (Win10 increased minimum to 300x300 for 'Folder.jpg' - damn it!), shortcuts, PDF manuals, maps, walkthroughs, etc. Then an Install folder with the game, and CD images or DRM-free installers. If the game is installed with a client, then just a shortcut. The clients are installed on C:\ (for the faster SSD drive) with their libraries on G:\ Services, then folders for Steam, Galaxy, etc. But I always go to the genre -> game folder and click the shortcuts rather than messing with clients.

I guess you could say my "One Client To Rule Them All" is Windows Explorer. :-D

I deal with it by not having multiple stores to deal with. :P

A massive spreadsheet. I like spreadsheets.

On Linux you have Lutris (lutris.net/about/). Still waiting for GOG support.

I never buy games who use clients to use them,, never used steam or orion came to gog cause they had normal installer and allowed us to run from hd and make a backup copy on disc this galaxy makes me worried,,

i perfer to install my games and have hard copys for back up no 3rd party contolling my game installs or making me need them to use my games,, i left buying games when steam was forcing their client to play games and stoped buying games that used it our EA's orion,,,,

i wish they just stay like they was download installer play your game, and allow patchs as regular downloads no client needed,, also perfer the site as it was when i discovered it and bought all my friends i know here,,, we are old style lan party day gamers,, back when when you hosted your games and didnt need a 3rd party server etc...

to me anything that needs access permisson is not part of the you buy docturn which means ownership for your cash etc.....

No client for me. I don't like extra clients (including GOG Galaxy). I don't even have a Steam account.

I use a spreadsheet (LibreOffice Calc) and it works fine. It's easy to search, add new entries, sort data and create filters.

I've been always thinking of writing a CLI program and manage my games using XML files as storage. This is what I do in such cases, like for password management (but I also use cryptography there). I prefer to use terminal, so the idea has never been dropped, just has been given a lower priority.

Maybe a bit late to his thread, but you can try Playnite (playnite.link). It currently supports Steam, Origin and GOG, with ability to import complete libraries including games that are not installed.

Disclaimer: I'm the developer.

I am Fed up with Windows 10 Spyware had since 10 Jan 2019
Calls home before I finish sign in, constantly steals my "MY" data.
Some one desperately Needs a Gibbs to the back of the head for inventing win 10.
I can't believe it took me this long to say Enough !
I'm coming Home Linux.