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File and Folder Structure

If you want to set up a GameVault Server, you need to pay attention to the file and folder structure. The volume mapped to the /files directory must contain your games. These games must be named correctly and should either be archived in one of the supported archive formats listed below or be a single-file executable as described below to be accurately detected by GameVault.

Supported Archive Formats​

GameVault supports all file formats 7zip 23.01 (2023-06-20) does:

.7z .xz .bz2 .gz .tar .zip .wim .ar .arj .cab .chm .cpio .cramfs .dmg .ext .fat .gpt .hfs .ihex .iso .lzh .lzma .mbr .msi .nsis .ntfs .qcow2 .rar .rpm .squashfs .udf .uefi .vdi .vhd .vmdk .wim .xar .z

Single File Executable​

We recommend archiving games to save storage and bandwidth. However, if the game is just a single file executable, like setup_game.exe or setup_game.sh, you can import it into GameVault without archiving. Just be sure to rename it as described below for compatibility with GameVault (e.g. Minecraft (v1.12) (2011).exe). By default, GameVault autodetects the game type of single-file executables as a setup-type game. In rare cases, games can be single portable executables without additional setup. If that's the case, make sure to mark the games as "Portable" using the type override.

Supported Executables:
.exe .sh

Downloading single-file executables

Single-file executables are packed into a .tar file (no compression) and cached in the server's /tmp folder on-the-fly when users download them, to make them compatible with the GameVault Client. The cached files are reused until deleted by a Server Restart.

Naming Convention for Games​

The name of each game file must follow this format:

Title (Version) (EarlyAccess) (GameType) (NoCache) (ReleaseYear).zip

Note that the parentheses must be included, and the naming convention is case sensitive.

Here's an explanation of each part of the naming convention:

PartDescriptionExample Value(s)Required?
TitleThe name of the gameFar Cry 6, HITMAN 3Yes
VersionAn optional version tag that must begin with a lowercase v(v1.0), (v1.224) , N/ANo
EarlyAccessAn optional tag that indicates whether the game is in Early Access(EA), N/ANo
GameTypeOverride for the games type. See here.(W_P), (W_S), ... , N/ANo
NoCacheAn optional "NO CACHE"-flag that prevents the server searching for this game on external videogame databases like RAWG.(NC), N/ANo
ReleaseYearThe year of the game's release, for accurate detection(2021), (2019), N/ANo

Here's an example of a file that follows this convention:

Far Cry 6 (v1.5.0) (2021).zip

By following this naming convention and using the common values listed in the table above, you can ensure that your games are detected correctly by GameVault.

Illegal Filenames and Characters
  • File names must not contain the following characters: /, <, >, :, ", \, |, ?, and *. Replace these problematic characters with appropriate ones to ensure compatibility across all systems.
  • Avoid ending file names with spaces or dots.
  • Avoid using text within Round brackets such as (GOTY) in your file names, as GameVault will remove them. Round brackets are reserved for the different flags mentioned above. Use square brackets instead: [GOTY]
  • Do not use reserved file names such as CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM(1-9), LPT(1-9), etc.
  • Avoid using multiple chained extensions like .tar.gz or .tar.bz2. Instead, use only the last extension like .gz or .bz2.

Other Examples​

Here are some other valid examples of game names that follow the naming convention:

  • Star Wars Jedi - Fallen Order(v1.0.10.0) (2019).zip
  • HITMAN 3 (v3.10.1) (2021).7z
  • The Wandering Village (v0.1.32) (EA) (2022).iso
  • Saints Row (W_S) (2022).zip
  • My personal IndieGame (v1.2.9) (NC) (2018).zip
  • Stray (2022).7z
  • Captain of Industry (v0.4.12b) (EA) (2022).gz
  • Minecraft (2011).exe