How LaunchLayer starts a game

How LaunchLayer starts a game An architecture diagram generated by Archify. Steam · Launch Options + %command% · Architecture component Steam Launch Options + %command% CLI · TUI · MCP · Three ways to inspect and control · Player's machine CLI · TUI · MCP Three ways to inspect and control Launch orchestrator · Shared command and launch logic · Player's machine · Bash 4.3+ Launch orchestrator Shared command and launch logic Bash 4.3+ Layered settings · Profiles → defaults → game · Player's machine Layered settings Profiles → defaults → game Game discovery · Libraries, manifests, hardware · Player's machine Game discovery Libraries, manifests, hardware Launch pipeline · Preflight, tuning, wrappers · Player's machine Launch pipeline Preflight, tuning, wrappers Game process · Native or Proton · Architecture component Game process Native or Proton Local state · Logs, caches, backups · Player's machine Local state Logs, caches, backups Hub trust boundary · Validate, strip, bound requests · Player's machine Hub trust boundary Validate, strip, bound requests Community Hub · Optional Convex service · Architecture component Community Hub Optional Convex service %command% shared commands resolve layers inspect game + host effective settings paths + capabilities argv + environment record + recover publish / apply bounded HTTPS Player's machine Legend Frontend Backend Database Cloud Security External

One source of behavior

  • • CLI, TUI, and MCP call shared domain functions
  • • Dry-run resolves the same settings and wrapper chain

Local by default

  • • Launches do not require the Community Hub
  • • User settings and runtime state stay on the player's machine

Explicit trust boundary

  • • Remote configs cannot set launch commands or mutating tools
  • • Hub requests have time and response-size limits