Standalone Games
We offer support for Standalone games, which do not use an emulator to connect to RetroAchievements. This is done by directly making HTTP calls to our emulator integration API (the "Connect API"), be it through directly modifying the game or creating a mod that has the code required to connect to the RetroAchievements server. However, all Standalone support must abide strict requirements, as well as approval by the RetroAchievements Admins. Even if all the guidelines below are met, this will not guarantee we will accept your proposal. For the best chances of success, it is vital that you present a highly-detailed plan to the admins.
What Are the Requirements to Work on a Standalone
Standalone support for a game has strict non-negotiable requirements that must be met.
- Games must be at least 10 years old and not have had non-bugfix updates in the last 5 years. This restriction does not apply if the game developer explicitly states that the game has had its final update, or the standalone implementation is done as a mod/plugin for a live service game.
- In other words, if a game is a work-in-progress, or still receiving new content via updates and DLC, it is not eligible for a standalone set at this time.
- The proposer must be a Developer on RetroAchievements, as these achievement sets still have to follow our global Achievement Design rules. This is not something we can trust anyone with who has not showed us their proficiency in set design before.
- Alternatively, the proposer may suggest a standalone while being a Junior Developer or a regular user, but must do so with the support of a RetroAchievements Developer who will be in charge of set design.
- You must be able to enforce Hardcore restrictions as shown in the Global Leaderboard and Achievement Hunting Rules. Such examples include black/whitelisting other mods and/or cheats that reduce the challenge of achievements, or disallowing multiplayer to prevent unfair advantages. These advantages should only be reserved for Casual mode players, if applicable.
- We expect you to have knowledge of the tools required to add Standalone support to a game. This varies depending on the game you are working on, with some games requiring expertise with programming languages such as C#, while other games may require extensive modding tools available which can be leveraged for developing an achievement set. Please also check out the Standalone Integration guide to find out how to connect your standalone project to RetroAchievements.
- Decompilations, recompilations, and other unofficial ports are not eligible for standalone sets.
What Do We Look for in Standalone Support
We will be listing some guidelines below as for what we are looking for. However, do keep in mind that at all times, the Admin team of RetroAchievements makes the decision as to whether we want to proceed with your proposal. A good plan- or prototype must therefore always be presented.
- It is allowed to request Standalone support for games that already have achievement sets on other platforms, such as Steam.
- However, the set on RetroAchievements must be significantly different enough from the existing ones. Plagiarism from other platforms is not allowed, with our sets needing to offer a unique experience not present in the official sets.
- The official achievement set (or lack of one) for a game will affect the likelihood of approval. Games with comprehensive official sets are less likely to be approved, while games without official achievements are given higher consideration for approval.
- Official support for MMO private servers must be proposed in collaboration with the host(s) of the server, as these will likely have to built within the code of the server, barring rare exceptions.
- Fangames are allowed, but do beware that we will not be hosting these within our own community to prevent potential legality issues. You must ensure that the user has access to everything necessary without being reliant on our community.
Exceptions for Game Developers
If you are developing your own game and wish to implement RetroAchievements in an official manner, we are able to be more flexible with the above guidelines and restrictions. Please reach out to us following the directions below and state that you are the game developer, providing details for how the standalone integration would function and be available to players.
How to Request Standalone Support
Keeping all the guidelines above in mind, you must create a detailed plan that goes into your Standalone proposal. It must include at the very least a full Set Plan for the core set and potential subsets, how you are planning to address concerns about Hardcore restrictions, and how your Standalone project will connect with RetroAchievements. Once you have finished your plan, you can send it to RAdmin, where it will be discussed. If approved, we will be in contact with you on how to proceed, including the development of a working prototype so we can gain a good understanding of how viable this Standalone support will be.
We want to stress that the more complete a proof of concept is for a standalone proposal, the more weight it will have in the discussion that will be held between the administrators.