SVENPROTECH

Windows game menu for cafés and LAN shops

SVEN PROTECH

A lightweight launcher that keeps stations fast, branded, and easy to run from a shared folder.

Download and try it Message on Facebook

Windows build (Google Drive folder). Always use the same download page: svenprotech.pages.dev/get.html — it always opens the shared Drive folder with the latest app. After trying it, message facebook.com/svenprotech if you want a beta spot.

SvenProTech Game Menu library view with game tiles, sidebar categories, search, and quick links
Customer view: browse Apps, LAN Games, and Online Games, then launch with one click.

Looking for 3 beta testers

Each tester gets 10 free lifetime licenses. I haven't set a final price yet, but I plan to keep it very cheap. I built this because other game menus on the market cost too much. Official pricing will be announced soon.

Download the Game Menu Message SvenProTech on Facebook

Permanent download link (bookmark this): svenprotech.pages.dev/get.html · Contact only through our Facebook page: facebook.com/svenprotech

What is it?

A lightweight Windows game menu for PC cafés, LAN shops, and gaming stations. Customers browse Apps, LAN Games, and Online Games in a branded glass UI, then launch local .exe files directly.

Fully customizable admin

Password-protected Admin lets you brand every station: logo, banner, titles, wallpaper, categories, launcher tiles, install paths, and more. One shared game list can still work when PCs use different drive letters.

  • Banner and brand lines
  • Appearance and sidebar hero
  • Install paths per PC
  • Categories, launcher items, latency targets
  • Announcement rail for promos, house rules, and ads
  • License and security settings
SvenProTech Game Menu admin dashboard showing banner and brand customization settings
Admin view: shape the menu for your café without touching code.

How to add games

Open Admin on a station, then set install roots once, add each title under Launcher Items, attach a cropped PC cover, and drag rows into your preferred order.

  1. Set install paths

    Go to Admin → Install Paths and set the base folders for Apps, LAN Games, and Online Games on that PC (for example C:\lan games). Later, each launcher item picks one of these roots, then you only store the relative folder and executable name.

  2. Optional: add sidebar categories

    Under Sidebar Categories, create labels like Apps, LAN Games, or Online Games, set a slug and icon, and enable them in the sidebar. Categories are the filters players tap to browse.

  3. Add a launcher item

    Open Launcher Items and click Add launcher item. Choose category tags, enter the game name, pick the launch type (desktop shortcut / .exe), select an installation path root, then fill working directory and target executable. Keep Enabled in launcher on, then save.

  4. Upload and crop PC cover art

    In the item editor, open Artwork & options and use Upload & crop image — do not rely on pasting a random filename alone. That button opens the Game cover uploader:

    • Click Choose File and pick a PNG or JPG cover (portrait artwork works best).
    • Crop is locked to a 2:3 portrait frame that matches the launcher grid.
    • Drag the image to position the art; use the zoom slider or mouse wheel to resize so the hero faceplate sits inside the frame.
    • Export size is 600 × 900 px so covers stay sharp on large café monitors.
    • Preview the export, set a filename if needed, then click Save image. The cover is written into assets/icons and linked to that game.

    Tip: start from a tall poster or box art. The built-in cropper locks aspect ratio so every tile looks consistent — no more stretched or mismatched covers.

  5. Drag and drop to sort

    Back on the Launcher Items list, grab the handle on the left of a row and press and drag to set the shared custom order. That order is what stations use by default. If you turn on Randomize launcher order under Appearance, clients shuffle once per launch instead; turn randomize off to fall back to this drag order.

Launcher Items list with drag handles for reordering games
Drag rows in Launcher Items to set the shared game order.
Game cover uploader with 2:3 crop frame, zoom, and 600 by 900 preview
Upload & crop: drag to reframe, zoom to fit, export at 600 × 900 for crisp PC covers.

How to update without losing your setup

Think of one permanent folder for your café. The data folder inside it is your config and covers. New versions only replace the app files — you keep the same folder and the same data.

Always download updates from the same link: svenprotech.pages.dev/get.html

  1. Keep your live folder

    Do not delete the folder where the menu already runs. That folder should look like this: 

    Your cafe folder\          ← keep this folder forever
  SvenProTech Game Menu.exe
  (other app files)
  data\                    ← keep this whole folder
    config.json            ← your games & settings
    config.json.bak
    assets\
      icons\               ← your PC covers & branding
      music\               ← background music tracks

  2. Download the new build

    Open svenprotech.pages.dev/get.html (same link every time). That opens the shared Google Drive folder. Download the new svenprotech-game-menu.exe (or the latest app files) into a temporary folder — not on top of your live café folder.

  3. Put the updated app into your existing folder

    Copy the new .exe (and any new app files) into your existing café folder and overwrite the old executable. Leave your local data\ alone — do not replace it with a blank data from Drive unless you intentionally want a fresh setup.

    • Overwrite: SvenProTech Game Menu.exe / svenprotech-game-menu.exe
    • Keep: your existing data\ folder exactly as it is

    Your games and covers stay because they live in data\, not inside the .exe. The Drive folder link never changes — new updates replace files inside that same folder.

  4. Launch and confirm

    Run the .exe from the same café folder. Your games, covers, and Admin settings should still be there. On a network share, do the same once on the share so every station picks up the new app with the shared data.

  5. If something goes wrong

    Copy data\config.json.bak over data\config.json, then relaunch. Before big updates, copy the whole data folder to a USB or another drive as a backup.

Configurable announcement rail

Put house rules, promos, or ads in a text-only strip under the header. Tunable display mode and tone from Admin, with a live preview before you save. Disabled by default — turn it on when you are ready. Live clients pick up changes within a few seconds from the shared config.

  1. Open Admin → Announcements

    Toggle Show announcement rail, then choose how messages appear:

    • Scrolling marquee — continuous ticker across the strip
    • Rotate — one message at a time on an interval
    • Static — a single fixed line

    Set a tone (Promo green, Info, or Urgent), tune marquee speed or rotation interval, and use the live preview to confirm the look.

  2. Add messages

    Under Add message, write your text, optional badge label (for example HOT or RULES), enable the row, and save. Stack several lines for promos, points reminders, or café rules — players see them under the header while they browse.

    When the internet drops, the menu can force an urgent offline notice on this same rail (even if announcements were turned off) so customers know Online Games are unavailable.

Announcement rail showing a HOT badge and scrolling café promo text
Customer view: badge + marquee under the header for promos and house rules.
Admin Announcements panel with show toggle, scrolling marquee mode, promo tone, and live preview
Admin → Announcements: enable the rail, pick mode and tone, preview, then save.

Background music

The menu can play looping café ambience while customers browse. On each startup it picks a random track from your music folder. Music is on by default, and it mutes automatically when the window is minimized or another app is in front — then resumes when the menu is focused again.

  1. Where tracks live

    Put audio files in data\assets\music\ next to the .exe. Supported formats: mp3, ogg, wav, m4a, aac, flac. Default tracks ship with the app and are copied into this folder on first launch — you can delete or replace them anytime.

  2. Configure in Admin

    Open Admin → Appearance → Background music:

    • Toggle music on or off
    • Set volume (0–100%)
    • Upload new tracks or delete ones you don’t want

    Saving Appearance applies enable/volume immediately. Dropping files into data\assets\music is enough too — restart the app (or re-open the menu) so the new files are picked for the next random start.

  3. Focus-aware playback

    Music stays silent while a game or another window is in front, so it does not fight in-game audio. Bring the launcher back to the foreground and the track continues from where it left off.

Custom cursors

Give the menu a themed mouse cursor that only appears inside the Game Menu window — Windows itself and other apps keep the normal system cursor. Default pack is Wrath of Ka.

  1. Choose a pack in Admin

    Open Admin → Appearance → Custom cursor and pick from the dropdown:

    • Wrath of Ka — default crystal shard cursor
    • Diretide 2020 — candy-corn style pack
    • Acid Hydra — green claw pack
    • No custom cursor (system) — restore the normal Windows pointer

    Save Appearance to apply. Interactive elements (buttons, tiles, links) use the pack’s pointer frame; disabled controls use the “not allowed” frame.

  2. App-only, not OS-wide

    Leaving the menu (or minimizing it) returns to the normal desktop cursor. No system install or registry change is required.

Key features

Fast on Windows

Built with Tauri v2, Rust, and WebView2 (not Electron), so it stays thin on RAM and CPU.

Highly customizable

Password-protected Admin area to shape the whole experience:

  • Logo, banner, header title and subtitle, wallpaper, and sidebar hero image
  • Custom categories and launcher tiles with icons, sort order, and multi-category tags
  • Tile size scaling and per-PC install paths, so one shared game list still works when stations use different drive letters
  • Live config refresh across stations from a shared config.json
  • Built-in image cropper for cover art and branding
  • Custom cursor packs (app window only) under Appearance
  • Configurable announcement rail (marquee, rotate, or static)

Configurable announcements

Text-only notices under the header for promos, rules, or ads. Choose scrolling marquee, rotate, or static mode, pick a tone, and preview live in Admin before saving. Off by default.

Custom cursors

Pick Wrath of Ka, Diretide 2020, Acid Hydra, or the system cursor in Admin. Themes stay inside the menu window and never change the Windows desktop pointer.

Background music

Random track each launch from data\assets\music. On by default; mutes when the menu loses focus. Configure volume and tracks under Admin → Appearance.

Random game selection

Toggle “Randomize launcher order on each app launch.” Every open shuffles the tiles so stations don't all show the same games on top, and players discover more of your library.

Portable and network-share ready

Drop the app folder on a network drive (D:\, V:\, or a game server share). Clients run the .exe with no complicated install.

Built-in latency tracker

Live ping graphs for ICMP and TCP, so staff can spot internet issues quickly.

Locks Online Games when offline

When the connection drops, Online Games tiles become unclickable and the announcement rail shows a clear offline message — even if announcements were turned off. Runs in the background so app startup stays fast (on by default; can be disabled in Admin).

Quick web shortcuts

Instant access to sites like Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Chrome.

Configuration backup

Easy backup for safer recovery if something goes wrong.

Version history

Major features and fixes as we ship them. Current build: v0.1.9.

v0.1.9

  • Lock Online Games when offline — Online Games tiles become unclickable (same pattern as an expired trial) while the connection is down; on by default, toggle in Admin → Appearance.
  • Forced offline announcement — the announcement rail shows “Internet is down. Online games cannot be played.” even if announcements were disabled in settings.
  • Faster connectivity monitoring — no internet probe on cold start; browser online/offline events plus a deferred background check keep launch snappy.

v0.1.8

  • Background music — random track from data\assets\music on each launch (on by default); mutes when the window is unfocused or minimized.
  • Music library — Admin → Appearance to toggle, set volume, and upload/delete tracks; drop supported audio files into the music folder.
  • Close sound — short power-down cue when quitting the menu (respects the UI sound toggle).
  • Custom cursors — Wrath of Ka (default), Diretide 2020, Acid Hydra, or system cursor; scoped to the menu window only via Admin → Appearance.

v0.1.7

  • Arcade launcher sounds — character-select style hover blip and confirm click when browsing and launching games.
  • Seamless sidebar hero loop — hero video restarts without flashing the still fallback at the loop point.
  • Header version badge — live build version shown under the powered-by credit.

v0.1.6

  • Close after launch — optional admin setting shows a launch overlay, then quits the menu so games get more free RAM (off by default).
  • Performance toggles — turn off sidebar video, ambient animations, or glass blur on low-spec café PCs.
  • Harder free trial — 5-day trial still applies, but deleting local files no longer easily resets the clock (dual-store + integrity checks).

v0.1.5

  • Frameless window — custom theme-colored minimize / maximize / close controls; drag the banner to move the window.
  • Launch focus fix — menu comes to the front on open instead of staying behind other apps.
  • License admin tools — online key binding, phone-friendly issuer, recent licenses with copy / select / revoke flows.

v0.1.4

  • Faster cold start — self-hosted fonts (no Google Fonts wait) and async network probes to cut the white-screen delay.
  • Header layout — banner uses one-fourth of the app height; sidebar hero centered at the bottom.
  • Configurable sidebar hero — use the animated Sven default or your own still image.

v0.1.3

  • Licensing — free trial with launch lock when expired; signed license keys and machine binding.
  • Randomize launcher order — optional shuffle on each open so stations don’t all show the same games on top.
  • Admin drag-and-drop — reorder launcher items; modal create/edit for tiles.

v0.1.2

  • Per-PC install paths — one shared game list across stations with different drive letters.
  • Custom branding — logo upload, edge-to-edge banner, glass UI, latency tracker, and quick web shortcuts.
  • Portable deploy — run from a network share with live config refresh.

Want in on the beta?

Download the build, try it on your stations, then message the SvenProTech Facebook page if you want a beta spot. Spots are limited to 3 testers.

Download and try it Message us on Facebook