vangogh and theo: two tools keeping your GOG games DRM-free and futureproof
In an era when digital gaming is dominated by sprawling storefronts, digital rights management (like my least favorite of them all, Denuvo DRM), and the constant threat of losing access to beloved titles, one developer’s passion project offers a refreshing, player-first alternative. Meet vangogh and theo, two open-source tools created by Bogdan (known online as boggydigital) that aim to help gamers keep their DRM-free GOG.com libraries forever, while making it easy to manage and play those games on Linux, macOS, and devices like the Steam Deck.
After precisely 1337 commits, Bogdan proudly announced vangogh’s first stable release alongside theo’s alpha debut about four months ago, calling these projects his “humble contribution to the mission of making games live forever.” What began as a personal “scratch your own itch” project has since evolved into a powerful ecosystem, with a clear roadmap and growing community.
What Are vangogh and theo?
Put simply, vangogh is a self-hostable service designed to sync your data and DRM-free games from GOG.com. It gathers metadata from multiple sources (including Steam, OpenCritic, PCGamingWiki, and even Wikipedia’s game staff credits) and offers a slick, efficient frontend for browsing, searching, and downloading your collection. You can run vangogh as a service on your NAS or home server to keep your library up to date automatically.
theo, on the other hand, is a CLI (command-line interface) utility that installs, updates, and runs those games locally on your devices, currently focusing on macOS and Linux, including Steam Deck support. It adds convenient features like creating Steam shortcuts for your installed games, seamlessly integrating into Big Picture Mode or SteamOS environments.
Bogdan explains:
“vangogh ‘works on my machine’ for years now and will treat your data with respect it deserves...you need some serious storage capacity available for it though. Theo is newer, CLI-only at the moment, but I hope to add GUI sooner rather than later.”
Why Build These Tools?
For many gamers (like this writer!), GOG.com’s DRM-free library represents a treasure trove of classic and modern titles, but it’s not without its frustrations. Bogdan points out that GOG’s Galaxy 2.0 client is slow and unreliable on macOS, with no official Linux client available, and quirks in GOG’s metadata often lead to confusion, like editions not showing as owned when you actually own all the products.
“I wanted something that worked better for me and shared it in case others would benefit,” Bogdan says. His motivation also stems from a desire to preserve games permanently. He recalls the moment GOG.com shut down for three days fifteen years ago, which sparked concern about losing access to DRM-free collections. More recently, following CD Projekt’s financial reports, he felt it was even more important to hedge bets on game preservation.
“I have more games than I could play in a lifetime, and I want to enjoy them throughout that time,” he explains.
The personal origin story is clear: before vangogh, Bogdan’s first tool was GoodOfflineGames, a script that downloaded games and generated a browsable HTML file. That approach scaled poorly. Vangogh emerged as a more robust, scalable solution that offers both local access and a polished frontend.
An Ecosystem in the Making
While vangogh handles metadata, syncing, and browsing, theo bridges the gap to gameplay on local devices. “Theo started less than a year ago as a script to automate game installations from vangogh,” Bogdan recalls. “Before that, I was downloading installers manually... far from efficient.”
The arrival of a Steam Deck was a key catalyst for theo’s development. “I had to pause my gaming on the Deck until I could install and run a game with theo. You can imagine how happy I was when I finally played SteamWorld Heist II using the early CLI client!”
He emphasizes the importance of API design for the duo to work smoothly: “Theo is a thin client that only knows as much as vangogh tells it. So search, images, local filename mappings — everything has to be provided via a well-designed API. That’s an area I keep iterating on.”
Metadata Deep Dive: More Than Just Titles and Covers
What sets vangogh apart is its metadata 'ecosystem', pulling from multiple sources to provide a comprehensive gaming library experience.
“The rabbit hole is deep,” says Bogdan. “I’m using about 80-90% of the data from sources like Steam, OpenCritic, PCGamingWiki, and Wikipedia staff credits — and they keep adding new info all the time.”
He’s particularly fascinated by Steam’s generosity in exposing data within their request limits, and by hidden gems like Steam Deck flags in reviews or SteamOS compatibility.
OpenCritic’s percentiles allow vangogh to highlight Top 1% or Top 5% critically acclaimed games. PCGamingWiki plays a critical role, connecting GOG IDs to configurations, save locations, and mods. Wikipedia staff credits, while not as detailed as MobyGames, provide invaluable game creator information, allowing users to jump from one creator’s projects to another.
“One of my ‘wow’ moments was seeing a former co-worker credited on Blizzard North classics like Diablo. That discovery was powered by vangogh’s metadata!”
UI and UX: Minimalist, Fast, and Smooth
Despite being a data-heavy tool, vangogh’s UI avoids overwhelming users. Bogdan aimed for minimalism: “Vangogh itself is colourless. The product cards and detail pages carry colour and information. I lean on smooth page transitions to make navigation feel coherent, and I avoid heavy JavaScript to keep things fast.”
An interesting detail is how vangogh loads images progressively, starting with a pixelated placeholder so users always see a preview: even on slow connections. “I’ve used vangogh comfortably in a parking lot with barely any signal while other sites were still loading,” he laughs.
Summary badges on product pages provide at-a-glance info like Steam Deck compatibility or positive reception, making browsing efficient.
Designed for Linux, macOS, and the Steam Deck
Support for Linux and Steam Deck users is a core focus (which was perhaps my fav part of what Boggydigital said to me, being a Steam Deck fanatic myself). “Steam Deck was a primary motivation behind theo,” Bogdan confirms. “I’ve used macOS for years but the Steam Deck opened up new opportunities and challenges.”
Theo uses Proton-GE by default on Linux and plans to add macOS WINE builds with DXMT support soon.
Downloads, especially large macOS installers like Cyberpunk 2077, have been improved, and GOG Mods are supported with badges indicating mod status. Theo’s CLI interface has been streamlined with simple commands like install and run that handle native or Windows versions intelligently.
“Steam Deck users only need to install once via CLI, then launch from Steam shortcuts, which works well with gamepad controls,” he adds.
Roadmap: Cloud Saves, GUI, and Beyond
The GUI is a major focus, especially for theo, currently CLI-only. “I underestimated how complex a gaming client really is,” Bogdan admits. “Even basic install and run commands become tricky when you factor in OS differences and language support.”
Still, he feels optimistic about the current reliability and hopes to start building the GUI soon.
Favorite Games — A Glimpse Into the Mind Behind the Code
Bogdan shared his top 5 modern and retro favorites, with a bonus list of favorite mods:
- Modern (2015–present): Islets, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Pikmin 4, Paradise Killer, AMID EVIL
- Retro: The Legend of Zelda: A Link’s Awakening, Quake, Super Mario Galaxy, Alpha Protocol, Tyrian 2000
- Mods: Mother 3 fan-translation, Death Wish mod for Blood, Arcane Dimensions mod for Quake
He jokes that these are equal or random order, but the list reveals his eclectic taste spanning genres and eras.
Who Is vangogh and theo For, and Getting Involved
Bogdan acknowledges these projects aren’t for everyone. “Steam will always be easier and more seamless for most people.” But he envisions a niche of gamers who want complete control over their DRM-free collections.
“If you’ve ever dreamed of your own Steam-like server and client, just DRM-free and offline, vangogh and theo might be for you.” That vision of a personal, offline, forever-accessible gaming haven drives him forward.
Open source means contributions are welcome. Bogdan points to PCGamingWiki contributions as hugely impactful, helping all clients benefit from improved metadata. Bug reports on GitHub for vangogh are encouraged, and documentation efforts are forthcoming.
He adds, “I’d love to see more Wikipedia staff credits — that feature means a lot to me.”
Closing Thoughts
Bogdan’s passion shines through every line of code and feature, and with every answer he gave me when we chatted. “These projects are quirky, evolving, and maybe a bit niche — but if someone finds delight in using them, that’s more than enough for me. Here’s to the joy of gaming and the quiet art of preserving what we love!”
If you’re curious about diving into your DRM-free library in a fresh, open-source way — especially on Linux, macOS, or Steam Deck: vangogh and theo might just be the tools you’ve been waiting for.
You can find out more and contribute on their GitHub pages with these links: