What You Need Installed (Like Unity)

GameCatalyst requires a few things to be installed on your computer before you begin:

Unity Editor:

• Unity 6000.3.10 or newer
• Any edition (Personal, Plus, Pro, Enterprise)
• Windows, macOS, or Linux

Python:

• Python 3.10 or later
• Must be on your system PATH (so you can run python --version from a terminal)
• Download from python.org if you don’t have it

Internet connection:

• Required for initial installation only
• GameCatalyst downloads Python dependencies during setup
• After installation, GameCatalyst runs completely offline

Disk space:

• Approximately 50 MB for the central installation
• This includes Python servers, databases, configuration, and documentation

To verify Python is installed correctly:

1. Open a terminal (Command Prompt on Windows, Terminal on macOS/Linux)
2. Type python --version and press Enter
3. You should see something like “Python 3.10.5” or higher
4. If you see “command not found” or a version below 3.10, install or update Python

That’s it. No other dependencies required. GameCatalyst handles everything else during installation.

About Python:

GameCatalyst’s server components are written in Python, which is why you need Python 3.10 or later installed. Python handles the AI communication protocol, session management, and database operations. You do not need to know Python or write any Python code. GameCatalyst installs and manages everything automatically. You just need the Python runtime available on your system so the servers can run.

About the internet requirement:

Internet is only needed during the initial installation to download Python package dependencies (libraries that GameCatalyst’s servers use). After installation completes, GameCatalyst runs entirely offline. Your AI client may need internet (cloud clients like ChatGPT always do; desktop clients like Claude Desktop may not), but GameCatalyst itself does not phone home, check for updates automatically, or require any external connectivity.

Where things are installed:

GameCatalyst creates a Central Installation Directory (CID) on your machine — separate from your Unity project. On Windows, this is in %LocalAppData%\Vexstorm Studios\GameCatalyst\. On macOS, it is in ~/Library/Application Support/Vexstorm Studios/GameCatalyst/. On Linux, it follows XDG conventions at ~/.local/share/VexstormStudios/GameCatalyst/. Your Unity project files are never copied, moved, or uploaded. The CID contains only GameCatalyst’s own server files, databases, and configuration.

Once these prerequisites are in place, the GameCatalyst installer handles everything else automatically.