Attract-Mode

Windows · Mac · Linux

Freedom report

Two barsScore 5.4

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely3 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedThinly documented

Attract-Mode is ranked #17 of 40 in game library managers on Freedom251. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. There is a free plan.

Attract-Mode plans and pricing

All plans

Attract-Mode Free Open source · GNU General Public License v3 attractmode.org · 5 Oct 2026

Compared on game library managers

Free plan: Yes

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The record

Purpose: Attract-Mode is a graphical frontend for command-line emulators such as MAME, MESS and Nestopia, intended for joystick, gamepad or spin-dial control and arcade cabinet setups.
Open source: Attract-Mode is open source and licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.
Supported systems: The project says it runs on Windows, OS X and Linux, including Raspberry Pi and Odroid.
Configuration: It has a built-in configuration menu with on-screen help, and stores frontend settings in text files.
Themes: Layouts are scriptable in Squirrel and can be customized with themes, animations and GLSL shaders.
Media: It supports image, video and audio formats supported by FFmpeg, and supports SWF files through gameswf.
Controls: Frontend actions can be mapped to joystick, keyboard or mouse inputs, including combinations.
Emulator integration: Users can configure per-game launch commands, import game lists, and generate lists from emulator directories.
Metadata sources: The frontend can scrape missing game information and artwork from TheGamesDB, Progetto-Snaps and adb.arcadeitalia.net.
Other integrations: The feature list names Steam support and a plug-in system for extending functionality and integrating with external programs such as LED control or joystick mapping software.
Notable limit: Pause functionality for returning to the frontend and resuming an emulator is listed for Linux and Windows versions only.
Download availability: The download page lists Windows binaries, an OS X app bundle, Linux source, and source code; it also notes RetroPie availability as an experimental package.
Support: The official site links to a community forum and provides documentation, compile instructions, a layouts manual and a project wiki.
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Game Library Managers in 2026#17 of 40
Best Emulation Frontends in 2026#14 of 25

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Sources

attractmode.org/about.html· checked 5 Oct 2026
attractmode.org/download.html· checked 5 Oct 2026
attractmode.org· checked 5 Oct 2026