Getting Started

Tutorial

My First Launcher

Built from scratch in just a few simple steps

Play

News

Exit

In this guide, you will create a clean Custom Launcher, style your first buttons, and link your first pages together.

If you are opening Game Launcher Creator for the first time, this guide will walk you through the easiest way to build your first launcher from scratch.

You will start with a blank project, set your launcher name, apply a background the proper way, add a few objects, style a great-looking button with an icon, lock finished objects, and create a second page for news.

Step 1: Create Your First Project

When you open the editor, the first thing you will see is the Launcher Select dialog.

This is where you manage your launcher projects.

1. Open the editor.
2. In the Launcher Select dialog, click New Project.
3. Your new launcher project will be created automatically as a blank launcher.

You do not need to choose a template here. Templates are only applied later if you choose to use the Template button.

Launcher Selector

You will be prompted if you want to do a "Quick Tour". This is entirely up to you. We would recommend you do to get yourself familiar with the editor interface and where things are.

Step 2: Set the Launcher Name

Now that your blank project is open, give it a proper name straight away.

1. Open Launcher Settings.
2. Find the launcher name field.
3. Enter the name you want your launcher to use.
4. Save your changes.

Good example names:

• My First Launcher
• Official Game Launcher
• Community Launcher

After this click on Window Settings and select "Show Header Bar" to on.

This is one of those easy steps beginners often skip, then later wonder why their launcher still feels unfinished. Give it a name now and it immediately starts feeling real.

Once you have done this, check out the other settings like Window Settings etc.

Launcher Settings Dialog

Step 3: Set the Background the Proper Way

For your page background, do not use a normal Image object.

The best way is to set the background directly on the page itself. This keeps it baked into the page, makes the layout cleaner, and stops you from accidentally clicking the background while editing.

1. Open the Pages panel.
2. Select your first page.
3. Choose Edit Page Settings.
4. Go to the Background settings.
5. Choose your background image.
6. If you have not uploaded your own image yet, use the built-in GLC Asset Library.
7. Save the page settings.

A darker background usually works best for a clean-looking Custom Game Launcher, especially when your title and buttons sit on top.

Step 4: Add Your Title and Subtitle

With your background in place, it is time to add your first visible objects.

Start with two Text Label objects:

• one for the launcher title
• one for a short subtitle or welcome message

1. Add a Text Label object.
2. Set the text to your launcher name.
3. Place it near the top-left or top-center.
4. Increase the font size until it stands out clearly.
5. Add a second Text Label underneath it.
6. Use that one for a shorter line of text such as a welcome message.

Good subtitle examples:

• Play, update, and stay connected
• Welcome to the official launcher
• News, downloads, and updates in one place

Step 5: Build a Great Looking Play Button

Now for the fun bit. The Button object is one of the easiest ways to get a great result quickly, and it supports icons too, which makes your launcher feel far more polished straight away.

1. Add a Button object.
2. Set the button text to Play.
3. Resize the button so it feels comfortably clickable.
4. Choose a strong background colour such as blue.
5. Set the text colour so it is easy to read.
6. Open the button properties and enable or choose an icon.
7. Pick an icon that matches the action, such as a play triangle.
8. Adjust the icon position and spacing until the button looks balanced.

Simple Starter Button Style

The goal here is to make one button that feels like a proper main action button. Once that looks good, the rest of the interface becomes much easier to build around.

Step 6: Duplicate the Button for News and Exit

Once your Play button looks right, do not build the other buttons from scratch unless you want to.

It is usually much faster to duplicate the finished button and then change the parts you need.

1. Duplicate your finished Play button.
2. Change the first copy to News.
3. Change the second copy to Exit.
4. Adjust their colours or icons so they match their purpose.
5. Line the buttons up neatly on the page.

A good beginner button row is:

• Play as the bold main button
• News as a softer secondary button
• Exit as a simple darker button

Step 7: Lock Finished Objects

As soon as you are happy with an object, get into the habit of locking it.

This is especially useful for titles, subtitles, and buttons you have already positioned. Locking stops you from accidentally selecting or dragging finished objects while working on the rest of the page.

1. Select the object you have finished with.
2. Use the lock option to lock that object.

If you need to edit it later:

1. Open the Object Inspector - The toolbar at the top with the small icons. The dropdown list has all your page objects inside.
2. Select the locked object from the inspector by clicking the "select" button next to the dropdown list.
3. Use the Unlock option in the toolbar (looks like a padlock). This will unlock the object.

Step 8: Create a News Page the Smart Way

Before you can link a button to another page, that page needs to exist first.

The easiest workflow is to create your first page properly, then clone it so the new page keeps the same background theme.

1. Finish the main design of page 1 first.
2. Open the Pages panel.
3. Create a new page by using Clone (theme).
4. Your new page will keep the same background styling.
5. Select the cloned page.
6. Edit the objects on that page so it becomes your News page.

On the cloned page, you can now:

• change the title to something like Latest News
• add a few text labels for update notes
• add a Back button to return to the main page

This is much faster than rebuilding the whole visual structure from zero.

Step 9: Link the Buttons to Their Actions

Now that your pages exist, you can wire up the buttons properly.

Play Button

1. Select the Play button.
2. Open its events.
3. Use the click event.
4. Add the action to launch your local game or application file.

News Button

1. Select the News button.
2. Open its events.
3. Use the click event.
4. Add the action to change to your cloned news page.

Exit Button

1. Select the Exit button.
2. Open its events.
3. Use the click event.
4. Add the action to exit the launcher.

Back Button on the News Page

1. Add a Back button to your news page.
2. Set its click event to change back to page 1.

Step 10: Add One Extra Visual Touch

At this point, your launcher already works. Now add just one more object to make it feel more alive.

Good beginner choices are:

• a small Image logo
• a subtle GIF animation
• a decorative accent image from the GLC Asset Library

Keep it small and tasteful. The goal is to improve the look, not turn the page into a nightclub for flying pixels.

Quick Beginner Checklist

• I created a project using New Project in Launcher Select
• I set the launcher name in Launcher Settings
• I added the background through Pages > Edit Page Settings > Background
• I added a title and subtitle
• I built a Play button with an icon
• I duplicated it for News and Exit
• I locked finished objects
• I cloned page 1 using Clone (theme)
• I linked the buttons to the correct actions

Summary

Your first launcher does not need to be complicated. A strong page background, a clear title, three good buttons, and a second linked page is already a brilliant start.

Once you understand this basic flow, building more advanced pages becomes much easier because the core workflow stays the same: build the page, add objects, style them, lock what is finished, then link everything together.

Once you have finished and want to preview your launcher, click Save and then Publish. Then in the Editor, click the Hamburger menu at the very top next to the Editor title and select "Build Launcher" and run it.