ScummVM Launcher Guide: List and Grid Views, Search, and Grouping

The main ScummVM window is called the Launcher. According to the official ScummVM documentation, the Launcher opens whenever you start ScummVM, unless you launch a game directly from the command line. The interface offers two ways to browse your library, a search box, a grouping menu, and a row of buttons along the bottom. This guide summarizes how the documented Launcher is organized and what each control does.

Switching between list view and grid view

The documentation states that the buttons at the bottom left of the screen toggle between list view and grid view. Both views present the same game library, but lay it out differently. List view emphasizes text and extra detail about each game, while grid view emphasizes artwork. The choice is mostly about how you prefer to scan a large collection.

What the list view shows

In list view, the pane on the left shows the games list, which contains all the games that have been added to ScummVM. The list usually offers some additional information about each game, such as original platform and language. To highlight a game, you can type the first letter or letters of its title, or click on it. The typing shortcut is useful when a long list makes clicking slower.

What the grid view shows

In grid view, the game icons appear in the pane above the buttons and show the game artwork. A slider labeled Icons per row at the bottom of the page changes the size of the icons, so you can trade larger thumbnails for more games visible at once. Clicking a game selects it, and a pop-up menu then offers a play icon to start the game, a gear icon to open the Game Options menu, and an export icon to load a saved game.

Filtering games with the search box

The search box filters the games list. It sits at the top of the page next to the magnifying glass icon. The filter is applied as you type and is not case sensitive, so typing a few letters of a title is usually enough to narrow the list. To clear the filter, click the X.

Grouping the games list

The grouping menu sits to the right of the search box. It groups games in alphabetical order or by engine, series, publisher, language, platform, or year. Each choice gives you a different way to organize a large collection: grouping by engine or series keeps related titles together, while grouping by year or language helps when you are looking for a particular release or localization. To hide or show a group of games, click the black arrow to the left of that group's heading.

The launcher buttons

Several controls are documented at the bottom of the Launcher. The Start button, available in list view only, launches the highlighted game. Add Game and Remove Game are documented as launcher controls, as is Global Options. The documentation also lists Game Options as a list view only control. A Load control is also described as available in list view only, but the source does not describe what it does.

If a game is not visible in the list

The documentation describes two filters that can affect what you see in the games list. If a title is missing, first check whether the search box is hiding it and clear the filter with the X if necessary. Then check whether the relevant group is collapsed, and click the black arrow next to the group heading to show its games.

Scope and verification status

This guide reflects only what the official ScummVM launcher documentation states. It does not claim universal behavior across ScummVM versions or platforms, and it should not be read as the result of independent testing.