Skraper is a free application for adding game information and media to retro-gaming software. It uses the community-fed ScreenScraper.fr database and can supply artwork, screenshots, flyers, 3D boxes and verified text details. The site advertises support for more than 200 systems, along with hundreds of thousands of media items and information records. Skraper supports EmulationStation metadata through Recalbox and RetroPie, and can fill LaunchBox game lists and images. Other listed tools include game maps, manuals, Pad-2-Keyboard, Tips & Tricks and filtering of side files in archives. A local cache, optimization and multithreading help reduce bandwidth use and increase speed. Users can create XML mixes that combine remote and local resources, with controls for position, size, rotation and color filters, as well as text or image layers. Skraper runs on Windows and Linux. On Windows it may require .NET Framework 4.8.1; Linux use requires the latest mono-complete package, and keeping WINE up to date is recommended. There is no native macOS build, though the site says it may run under WINE with community support. During use, ScreenScraper.fr anonymously records ROM or game names and checksums; these may be validated and added to its database.
Who it is for
Skraper suits retro-gaming users who want to add database-sourced artwork, media and text to supported game lists. It is for non-commercial, non-profit use on Windows or Linux, with technical requirements that vary by platform.
What is good
- Free for non-commercial, non-profit use.
- Supports more than 200 systems.
- Works with EmulationStation and LaunchBox.
- Includes game maps, manuals and archive side-file filtering.
- XML mixes can combine remote and local assets.
What to know first
- The application is limited to non-commercial, non-profit use.
- There is no native macOS build.
- Windows may require .NET Framework 4.8.1.
- Linux requires the latest mono-complete package.
Verdict
Choose Skraper if you need metadata and media for retro-gaming software on Windows or Linux and its non-commercial, non-profit terms fit your use. Look elsewhere if you need a native macOS build or use the application commercially.
Get started with Skraper
- Open the Skraper website and download the application for Windows or Linux.
- On Windows, install .NET Framework 4.8.1 if required.
- On Linux, install the latest mono-complete package and keep WINE up to date as recommended.
- Use Skraper with EmulationStation through Recalbox or RetroPie, or fill LaunchBox lists and images.
- Consult the ScreenScraper forum or Discord for issues.
What the free plan stops at
Skraper is free for non-commercial, non-profit use. It has no native macOS build; running it under WINE is not officially tested and receives community support only.
Questions about Skraper
Does Skraper cost anything?
Its Free plan is listed at 0.00 USD per free. The application is for non-commercial, non-profit use.
Which operating systems does Skraper support?
It supports Windows and Linux. There is no native macOS build.
Which frontends can it work with?
It supports EmulationStation metadata through Recalbox and RetroPie, and can fill LaunchBox game lists and images.
Where does Skraper get game information?
It uses metadata from the community-fed ScreenScraper.fr database.
What does ScreenScraper.fr collect when Skraper is used?
It anonymously records ROM or game names and checksums. Those records may be validated and added to its database.
Where can users get help?
The site directs users to the ScreenScraper forum or Discord.
Skraper plans and pricing
All plansCompared on ROM management software
- Free plan
- Yes
- Metadata scraping
- Yes
- File renaming
- Yes
- Archive support
- basic
- Supported platforms
- Windows, Linux
