Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Frontlog and how it works.
We use Steam's official OpenID authentication, which means you sign in directly through Steam — we never see or store your Steam password. Steam sign-in lets us securely identify you and import your game library, playtime, and achievements. We only read public data from your Steam profile; we cannot make purchases, modify your account, or access private information like your email or payment details.
We store only what's needed to run Frontlog: your Steam ID (for library sync), your game library with statuses and notes, and basic profile info. We do not sell, share, or use your data for advertising, analytics, or any purpose beyond powering this app. Your library is private by default — only you can see it unless you explicitly make your profile public in settings.
Steam did not start tracking "last played" timestamps until around 2009–2011. For games played before that period, Steam returns a zero or null value, so we display "A long time ago" instead of a specific date. Unfortunately, there is no way to recover this historical data.
Game metadata (titles, covers, release dates, genres, platforms, etc.) comes from IGDB (Internet Game Database), which is maintained by Twitch/Amazon. Playtime and achievement data comes directly from the Steam Web API. Completion time estimates come from HowLongToBeat (HLTB).
Our catalog is synced from IGDB. If a game is missing, it may not yet exist in the IGDB database, or it may not have been synced to our system yet. New games are added regularly through automatic sync processes and IGDB webhooks.
Playtime data comes from the Steam API, which tracks total time a game process is running — including time spent in menus, idle, or paused. Steam also rounds playtime and may occasionally lag behind. If a game was played offline, that time might not be counted until the next online session.
When you connect your Steam account, we import your owned games, playtime, and achievements. Your Steam profile must be set to public (or at least your game details must be visible) for us to read your library. We only read data — we never modify your Steam account.
Games can be marked as: Playing (currently playing), Backlog (plan to play), Completed (finished the game), Dropped (stopped playing and don't plan to return), or just Owned (default status after import). You can change a game's status at any time from your library.
Achievement data is fetched from the Steam API. We track which achievements you've unlocked and when, as well as the total achievement count per game. Achievement data is periodically refreshed through a background queue to stay up to date.
HLTB (HowLongToBeat) provides community-sourced estimates for game completion times. Main Story is the time to complete just the main storyline. Main + Extras includes side content. Completionist is the time to achieve 100% completion. These are averages and your actual time may vary.
By default, your library is private. You can choose to make your profile public in your settings, which will allow others to view your game library, stats, and achievements through your public profile URL.
You can add any game from the browse page to your wishlist without it being in your library. Wishlisted games appear in a separate section of your library. This is useful for tracking games you're interested in but haven't purchased yet.
Pick a Game helps you decide what to play next by randomly selecting a game from your library (or the full catalog). You can apply filters (genre, platform, status, playtime, etc.) to narrow down the selection, making it easier to find something that matches your mood.
On each game's detail page, we show related content organized into tabs: Series (other games in the same collection), DLC & Expansions, Editions (different versions like GOTY or Deluxe), Remakes/Remasters, and more. Release years are shown next to each title to help you see the chronological order. This data comes from IGDB's relationship graph.
Each game in the catalog has a type from IGDB that describes what kind of release it is:
- Main Game —
- A standalone, full game (e.g. The Witcher 3).
- DLC —
- Downloadable content that requires a base game.
- Expansion —
- A major content addition (like an expansion pack).
- Standalone Expansion —
- An expansion playable without the base game (e.g. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon).
- Bundle —
- A collection of games sold together.
- Remake —
- A game rebuilt from the ground up (e.g. Resident Evil 2 Remake).
- Remaster —
- An enhanced re-release with updated visuals.
- Expanded Game —
- A re-release bundled with extra content (e.g. a GOTY edition).
- Port —
- A game adapted to run on a different platform.
- Mod —
- A community modification.
- Episode —
- A single installment of an episodic game.
- Fork —
- A spin-off or derivative of another game.
By default, filters exclude DLC and some minor types to keep your views focused on playable standalone titles.
You can add personal notes to any game — tips, progress, thoughts, or anything you like. Notes are stored locally on your device using IndexedDB (a browser database), so they're available instantly without network requests. For games in your library, notes are also backed up to the cloud automatically. Notes support basic formatting: **bold**, *italic*, and `code`. You can manage all your notes from the Notes page accessible in the sidebar and profile menu.
Yes. From the Notes page, you can export all your notes in three formats: JSON (machine-readable, best for backups and re-importing), Markdown (formatted with headers), or Plain Text. To import, use a previously exported JSON file — you can either click to browse or drag and drop the file. You can choose whether to overwrite existing notes or skip them during import.
Notes are stored in your browser's IndexedDB. If you clear site data or use a different browser/device, local notes will be lost. However, for games in your owned library, notes are automatically backed up to the cloud and will be restored when you sign in again. Notes on wishlisted games (not in your library) are local-only and should be exported as a backup.
Yes. You can hide any game by right-clicking it and selecting "Hide", or by pressing the H key when a game card is focused. Hidden games are dimmed (faded) in all views instead of completely removed, so you can still see and manage them. This is useful for games you own but don't want cluttering your active backlog.
Our game catalog is sourced from IGDB, which includes a large number of low-quality or AI-generated titles tagged with the "Erotic" theme. To keep your browsing experience clean, Frontlog hides erotic-themed games by default across all pages (Browse, My Games, and Pick a Game). You can change this at any time in Settings → Content Preferences. This setting is shared across all pages and persists between sessions.
Yes! When a game card is focused, you can use: 1 = Playing, 2 = Backlog, 3 = Completed, 4 = Dropped, F = toggle Favorite, and H = toggle Hidden. These shortcuts work in both Card and Table views for quick library management.
Can't find what you're looking for? Game data is sourced from IGDB, Steam, and HowLongToBeat.