Site Feedback

Does the Amazon Game App count? if you redeem a game from Amazon Prime Gaming, it asks you to download the Amazone Game App in order to download and play the game... I haven't used it myself, but have a few games on Prime that I've not downloaded because I haven't been keen on another launcher =)

(maybe if someone else has used it they could confirm)

So I bit the bullet and downloaded it. Yep, this totally counts. I was thinking this is what the Twitch app still did but I downloaded that and there is no launcher component so I'm going to remove that from the list.

So I bit the bullet and downloaded it. Yep, this totally counts. I was thinking this is what the Twitch app still did but I downloaded that and there is no launcher component so I'm going to remove that from the list.

I've only purchased one or two from there, but would Humble Bundle really count as one of these? I thought that they just gave you keys to use on outside launchers like Steam.

So I bit the bullet and downloaded it. Yep, this totally counts. I was thinking this is what the Twitch app still did but I downloaded that and there is no launcher component so I'm going to remove that from the list.

Good to know ...

Except after thinking about it some more, it seems like the requirement of being able to launch a game from the service is even more restrictive - as stated above, Humble does not launch anything, and I would argue that neither does PS+ or GamePass, not to mention others.

Perhaps it's better defined as a "purchased from" field, or something like that, even though that would end up including sites like Green Man Gaming, and even brick and mortar stores (what a nightmare).

I can see where the idea is going and I think it's a good one - but it really depends on what kind of list you're going for and if it needs to be defined with those parameters!

I've only purchased one or two from there, but would Humble Bundle really count as one of these? I thought that they just gave you keys to use on outside launchers like Steam.

I know they have Humble Bundle originals.

I don't use that part of Humble Bundle so I'm not familiar but I was thinking those are exclusively available through them?

Good to know ...

Except after thinking about it some more, it seems like the requirement of being able to launch a game from the service is even more restrictive - as stated above, Humble does not launch anything, and I would argue that neither does PS+ or GamePass, not to mention others.

Perhaps it's better defined as a "purchased from" field, or something like that, even though that would end up including sites like Green Man Gaming, and even brick and mortar stores (what a nightmare).

I can see where the idea is going and I think it's a good one - but it really depends on what kind of list you're going for and if it needs to be defined with those parameters!

Those are separated out because some people don't consider those games as "Owned" since they go away when you drop service so they will likely want to separate them.

Also I just cover brick and mortar as "Physical" in the system.

EDIT: I want to build a list that allows flexibility like the rest of the site but not so flexible that you can just add any 'ol place you buy from.

I'm also experimenting with a storefront option.

Can anyone think of a store I'm missing?

It should makes sense with our current list of platforms where you can buy and launch the game from it. So like Green Man Gaming, CDKeys.com, etc wouldn't count.

Apple App Store,
Battle.net,
Bethesda,
Discord,
Epic Games,
GOG,
Google Play
Google Stadia,
Google Stadia Pro,
Humble Bundle,
itch.io,
Microsoft Store,
Nintendo Online,
Nintendo eShop,
Origin,
PlayStation Now,
PlayStation Plus,
PlayStation Store,
Steam,
Twitch,
Ubisoft Connect,
Xbox Game Pass,
Xbox Games w/ Gold,
Xbox Store

Edit: Also Microsoft Store and Xbox Store are kind of the same thing but the Microsoft Store would have phone apps and the Xbox Store doesn't.

Hold on. You can buy games and launch them inside Discord?
Also, how is Humble Bundle different from Green Man Gaming or another plain shop? Do they have a launcher I don't know about? I mean, they mostly just sell keys for other services anyway.

If Humble Bundle counts, I think Fanatical.com should too.

- Matt

I know they have Humble Bundle originals.

I don't use that part of Humble Bundle so I'm not familiar but I was thinking those are exclusively available through them?

Interesting... from what I’ve read it looks like the Originals are DRM free downloads you would have gotten if you’re a subscriber. I found a few that are now listed on other stores like the eShop, but there is one that’s still there that you can buy directly from Humble (no key needed). If they offer some special games like this, those may fall into something similar to GOG. I didn’t see any Steam icon, so I’m assuming they give you the download directly.

Edit: there’s also one that I just couldn’t find anywhere anymore. A shame since it looked really interesting. Toward the bottom it says it’s a Humble exclusive, so the Originals looks like it could be a mix of stuff.

Interesting... from what I’ve read it looks like the Originals are DRM free downloads you would have gotten if you’re a subscriber. I found a few that are now listed on other stores like the eShop, but there is one that’s still there that you can buy directly from Humble (no key needed). If they offer some special games like this, those may fall into something similar to GOG. I didn’t see any Steam icon, so I’m assuming they give you the download directly.

Edit: there’s also one that I just couldn’t find anywhere anymore. A shame since it looked really interesting. Toward the bottom it says it’s a Humble exclusive, so the Originals looks like it could be a mix of stuff.

Aren't games on Humble Bundle DRM free anymore? I used to get a DRM free download and maybe a Steam key of most of the games. Looking at the old bundles it still gives me the download links/torrents. But as I brought only book bundles in recent years I might have missed a shift away from DRM-free games...

Aren't games on Humble Bundle DRM free anymore? I used to get a DRM free download and maybe a Steam key of most of the games. Looking at the old bundles it still gives me the download links/torrents. But as I brought only book bundles in recent years I might have missed a shift away from DRM-free games...

I don’t have many Humble purchases, but the only ones I have are games and they were Steam keys. That’s as far as my personal experience goes, so if there’s other DRM stuff I wouldn’t be familiar with it.

Those are separated out because some people don't consider those games as "Owned" since they go away when you drop service so they will likely want to separate them.

Also I just cover brick and mortar as "Physical" in the system.

EDIT: I want to build a list that allows flexibility like the rest of the site but not so flexible that you can just add any 'ol place you buy from.

Ah cool yeah I see where you're going with that - makes sense.

Plus - can confirm that Humble games that are DRM free are just straight downloads (no launcher) - so all their games are either a key for another place, or a straight download. =)

I know they have Humble Bundle originals.

I don't use that part of Humble Bundle so I'm not familiar but I was thinking those are exclusively available through them?

Humble Bundle is confusing because it fits in both categories. It does sell keys for other storefronts, but it also sells games that are downloaded from their own storefront (there is no launcher you gotta use, but you have to download the games from the HumbleBundle webpage).
As it operates their own storefront I believe it deserves to be on the list. As opposed to Fanatical/GreenManGaming that *only* sell keys for other storefronts.

Indiegala also has a similar thing to Humble Bundle, where you can get games that are downloadable DRM-Free games on the site, but there's no launcher for it.

- Users can view or attach itch.io id during game edit (which is unlikely since their ids aren't surfaced anywhere like Steam)

I found a way to find the Itch.io ID of a game. At the bottom of a game's page, there is a link to get an embed code for your website. In that embed code, they use the ID number.

For example:





A bit annoying, but it works.

- Matt

For me, the easiest way to find it manually is in the website source. Example below:

Also, glad to see itch.io integration in general!

Would you be adding a "Direct Download" or "Developer Website" (or whatever) option for those cases where the game is bought directly from the developer's website? I think Spiderweb Software (i.e. Jeff Vogel) does that, and I know that others do as well.

Would you be adding a "Direct Download" or "Developer Website" (or whatever) option for those cases where the game is bought directly from the developer's website? I think Spiderweb Software (i.e. Jeff Vogel) does that, and I know that others do as well.

That's a great idea. Yes!

For me, the easiest way to find it manually is in the website source. Example below:

Also, glad to see itch.io integration in general!

Another good tip and I'll also add IndiaGala.

EDIT: Also, I haven't converted the game info on existing games using PC-88 and PC-98 in the database yet. I'll get to those tomorrow.

I know you've been busy with a bunch of improvements (and troll smashing) so I assume this was overlooked as its been over a month and they don't show up in a platform search, aside from a handful of titles updated after the change.

There isn't any rush as only a handful of crazy people like me play these games, just checking if its on the list or slipped away.

I finally did this... Sorry it took so long.

A small (but probably not small to implement) feature idea to put on the massive list I'm sure exists somewhere in the HLTB universe ;)

It would be cool to see friends' stats for games appear on game pages when you visit them - like, if 3 of my friends on HLTB have played game X and I go to game X's page, perhaps something like their user image/name appears in a "friends" section along with their times/ratings/what have you.

Not an original idea - this is actually what happens on Letterboxd where you see the icons and star ratings that people you follow have given a film. It's actually a good way to quickly see what your friends have rated and what they thought of something you're possible checking out for the first time. The reason I feel like it would be a nice feature for something like HLTB is that it gives the "friend" system more visible use and for my own interest, would make ratings/etc more relevant to me (as someone who doesn't record ratings at the moment).

Anyway, I can see how something dynamic like this might be a bit of work to implement so I dig it if it's not that appealing - but I do think it would make the "friend" system a bit more interesting =)

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

A small (but probably not small to implement) feature idea to put on the massive list I'm sure exists somewhere in the HLTB universe ;)

It would be cool to see friends' stats for games appear on game pages when you visit them - like, if 3 of my friends on HLTB have played game X and I go to game X's page, perhaps something like their user image/name appears in a "friends" section along with their times/ratings/what have you.

Not an original idea - this is actually what happens on Letterboxd where you see the icons and star ratings that people you follow have given a film. It's actually a good way to quickly see what your friends have rated and what they thought of something you're possible checking out for the first time. The reason I feel like it would be a nice feature for something like HLTB is that it gives the "friend" system more visible use and for my own interest, would make ratings/etc more relevant to me (as someone who doesn't record ratings at the moment).

Anyway, I can see how something dynamic like this might be a bit of work to implement so I dig it if it's not that appealing - but I do think it would make the "friend" system a bit more interesting =)

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

Yeah, I'd second that one. It would give the friends feature on here an actually practical reason to exist. It would be fun to be able to immediately compare your times and ratings with HLTB friends or just see how much other people liked a game when you're thinking about starting one yourself.

- Matt

I finally did this... Sorry it took so long.

Thanks.

Are you able to easily produce advanced search query results into say a CSV? For example a list of games tagged as “visual novel” with empty Japanese release date fields. That would be useful in telling me where to look rather than simply updating games here and there when I have a need to look at a specific title. It would only need to include title, possibly a link, developer and optionally platform.

Site Update:

This update revolves around Storefront and DLC flagging.

Storefront selection allows more flexibility for cataloging your collection.
You can now track all your games and which platforms they are on.

A new DLC flag will allow users to note when DLC is included in their playthrough. This enables comparisons between DLC times and non-DLC times to extrapolate possible DLC length and provide more flexible calculation. It also acts as a catch for users submitting their times with DLC as a main story submission. You can still separate your DLC submissions if you'd like, this i just an optional flag.

Submit
- New parameter "Submission Time Includes DLC?", only on titles after 1997. (First known title to have DLC was Total Annihilation)
- Storefront can be set under Additional Details
- New help icon, text based instead of image. New hover icon.

User
- More symmetrical Playthrough toolbar.
- Storefront filter added to Playthrough page.
- Storefront filter added to Stats page.
- Storefront sort by will display the storefront as a column.
- Storefront displayed on expanded details when present.
- Storefront included in export.
- Box view has been changed to rows of 5 at max and displays storefront.
- Activity feed has improved query.
- When filters are set and there are no results you will be reminded you have filters set.

Steam
- Titles imported through Steam will automatically set Storefront as "Steam"

Quick Add
- Storefront dropdown has been added to quick add.

General
- Random button looks different.
- Dropdown selects have a new accent color that better matches theme.
- Misc. bug fixes.

Site Update:

This update revolves around Storefront and DLC flagging.

Storefront selection allows more flexibility for cataloging your collection.
You can now track all your games and which platforms they are on.

A new DLC flag will allow users to note when DLC is included in their playthrough. This enables comparisons between DLC times and non-DLC times to extrapolate possible DLC length and provide more flexible calculation. It also acts as a catch for users submitting their times with DLC as a main story submission. You can still separate your DLC submissions if you'd like, this i just an optional flag.

Submit
- New parameter "Submission Time Includes DLC?", only on titles after 1997. (First known title to have DLC was Total Annihilation)
- Storefront can be set under Additional Details
- New help icon, text based instead of image. New hover icon.

User
- More symmetrical Playthrough toolbar.
- Storefront filter added to Playthrough page.
- Storefront filter added to Stats page.
- Storefront sort by will display the storefront as a column.
- Storefront displayed on expanded details when present.
- Storefront included in export.
- Box view has been changed to rows of 5 at max and displays storefront.
- Activity feed has improved query.
- When filters are set and there are no results you will be reminded you have filters set.

Steam
- Titles imported through Steam will automatically set Storefront as "Steam"

Quick Add
- Storefront dropdown has been added to quick add.

General
- Random button looks different.
- Dropdown selects have a new accent color that better matches theme.
- Misc. bug fixes.

First known title to have DLC was Total Annihilation

Perhaps DLC in the literal sense, but your site seems to use "DLC" to mean expansion packs in the traditional, pre-internet sense as well, yeah (see: Baldur's Gate for example)? In which case there are older titles that had expansion packs. Ultima VII comes to mind, but I have little doubt there were older games that did it as well.

Edit: And thanks for changing the random button! Solves the problem I mentioned not long ago :)

Site Update:

This update revolves around Storefront and DLC flagging.

Storefront selection allows more flexibility for cataloging your collection.
You can now track all your games and which platforms they are on.

A new DLC flag will allow users to note when DLC is included in their playthrough. This enables comparisons between DLC times and non-DLC times to extrapolate possible DLC length and provide more flexible calculation. It also acts as a catch for users submitting their times with DLC as a main story submission. You can still separate your DLC submissions if you'd like, this i just an optional flag.

Submit
- New parameter "Submission Time Includes DLC?", only on titles after 1997. (First known title to have DLC was Total Annihilation)
- Storefront can be set under Additional Details
- New help icon, text based instead of image. New hover icon.

User
- More symmetrical Playthrough toolbar.
- Storefront filter added to Playthrough page.
- Storefront filter added to Stats page.
- Storefront sort by will display the storefront as a column.
- Storefront displayed on expanded details when present.
- Storefront included in export.
- Box view has been changed to rows of 5 at max and displays storefront.
- Activity feed has improved query.
- When filters are set and there are no results you will be reminded you have filters set.

Steam
- Titles imported through Steam will automatically set Storefront as "Steam"

Quick Add
- Storefront dropdown has been added to quick add.

General
- Random button looks different.
- Dropdown selects have a new accent color that better matches theme.
- Misc. bug fixes.

This is awesome! It'll really help me clean up my PC library listings.

Also I believe I have found a bug. Sorting by "itch.io" doesn't work, it just shows the whole library. Perhaps due to the punctuation in the name?

Yay, I love categorizing things, it's satisfying!

I think you should add a storefront option for browser games, I don't know where to put them. Newgrounds is probably notable enough to count as it's own "storefront", but if not, just a generic tag like "Browser game" might work.

Also, the link that you provided in your changelog post (https://admin.howlongtobeat.com/forum?thread=3&page=150&jump=to#post82353) does not work.

Yay, I love categorizing things, it's satisfying!

I think you should add a storefront option for browser games, I don't know where to put them. Newgrounds is probably notable enough to count as it's own "storefront", but if not, just a generic tag like "Browser game" might work.

Also, the link that you provided in your changelog post (https://admin.howlongtobeat.com/forum?thread=3&page=150&jump=to#post82353) does not work.

the link worked just fine for me